CDC nominee walks tightrope on vaccines, service under RFK Jr.
President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday attempted to demonstrate that she can restore trust in the agency, during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing. The issue of vaccines took center stage during the hearing for Erica Schwartz, who sought to assure senators that she […]
Where has all the FISA fire gone?
Congress let a key spy power lapse over a month ago. In the few legislative days left ahead of August recess, lawmakers don’t appear to be in any rush to change that. Discussions in the House have stalled as they wait for the Senate to move — even though Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., once warned […]
Fiscal 2027 State Department spending bill passed by House
The House on Wednesday passed the fiscal 2027 State Department spending bill shortly after rejecting an amendment that reignited Democratic fissures over Israel. In a mostly party-line 217-209 vote, the House passed the $47.3 billion National Security-State appropriations bill. That vote came on the heels of a vote earlier in the afternoon against an amendment […]
No Graham heir apparent to help shape Trump’s foreign policy
Some Senate Republicans and Democrats actually agree on one thing: It could take years for another lawmaker to become as big of a voice in any president’s ear on foreign policy as Lindsey Graham was in Donald Trump’s. In fact, as Trump on Wednesday delivered his first major national security remarks since his informal adviser’s […]
GOP budget blueprint targets Iran war, farm aid and elections
House Republicans unveiled a fiscal 2027 budget resolution Wednesday that would lay the groundwork for a reconciliation package of up to $95 billion, mostly to finance the Iran war. The resolution text would instruct four House committees to draft legislation by Sept. 11 designed to provide up to $73 billion in defense funding, along with […]
Blanche pushes back on ‘weaponization’ fund worries during hearing
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended his involvement in a $1.8 billion “weaponization” compensation fund at his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing Wednesday in his bid for the top Justice Department job. Over the course of the hearing, Blanche sparred with Democrats and pushed back on concerns from some Republicans about his time serving as […]
Bipartisan bill to eliminate hepatitis C unveiled in House
A bipartisan pair of House members are introducing legislation aimed at treating millions of Americans of a deadly-but-curable liver disease, the culmination of a yearslong push from public health advocates. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa and Diana DeGette, D-Colo., would create a national hepatitis C elimination program to expand testing and treatment especially for […]
Clayton defends subpoenas of journalists in tense confirmation hearing
As Jay Clayton took his seat before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, the scene was starkly different from 28 days ago. Back in June, just hours before Clayton’s confirmation hearing for director of national intelligence was about to start, President Donald Trump abruptly ordered his nominee not to appear. This time around, Clayton was […]
NRCC adds 7 more candidates to MAGA Majority program
The National Republican Congressional Committee on Wednesday named seven new House hopefuls to its program for top candidates seeking to flip seats this fall. The additions to the MAGA Majority program, as Republicans have rebranded what had long been known as its Young Guns effort, include four candidates who recently won primaries in battleground districts and […]
Johnson appeases holdouts and unfreezes House floor
Speaker Mike Johnson narrowly freed the floor from another standstill Tuesday — but it’s not clear how long the good feeling will last. The House adopted a rule for floor debate in a 215-211 vote after GOP leaders won over key holdouts by promising a markup of border security legislation before the August recess and […]