Congress
Immigration budget bill off to a slow start in Senate
A GOP reconciliation bill for immigration enforcement survived its first key test Thursday as the Senate kicked off its amendment “vote-a-rama” amid bipartisan anger over a Justice Department “anti-weaponization” fund. On a 49-50 vote, the Senate rejected a procedural motion by Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., to send the bill back to the Judiciary […]
Booker, Cassidy back legal challenge to ‘anti-weaponization’ fund
Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., filed a court brief Thursday supporting a lawsuit seeking to block implementation of the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. The bipartisan brief was filed as the Senate voted on a measure to fund immigration enforcement, and where senators on both sides of the aisle have sought […]
The GOP push to ‘love thy neighbor’
When Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles posted Tuesday that “homosexuality has no place in America,” it wasn’t the first time he declared a certain group of people didn’t belong in the U.S. The difference this time: His fellow Republicans called him out, publicly. “Saying that homosexuals have no place in America is idiotic, but it’s also […]
Cornyn, Tillis could create ‘wild card situation’ on Judiciary
Sen. John Cornyn’s loss to Trump-backed Ken Paxton in a primary last week means the Senate Judiciary Committee will have two Republican members who may feel less obligated to stick with President Donald Trump. Cornyn, R-Texas, joins Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., as Judiciary Committee members no longer facing reelection. Tillis announced his retirement last year […]
Senators urge quick action to halt college sports decay
Senators and college officials on Wednesday urged swift action on a bipartisan measure that aims to overhaul a college athletics system they say hemorrhages money and hinders student-athletes — even as two powerful conferences said they would seek changes. During a much-anticipated Senate Commerce Committee hearing, both the bill’s authors — Chair Ted Cruz, R-Texas, […]
White House ‘reviewing’ college sports bill ahead of Senate hearing
The House and Senate could be headed toward a showdown over competing bills that would usher in major changes to college sports, but President Donald Trump has yet to make clear just what he would sign. The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday morning is slated to hear from expert witnesses as both chambers push differing […]
Blanche says ‘anti-weaponization’ fund not moving forward
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers Tuesday that the Justice Department is scrapping its plans for a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” after a wave of bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill. His comments mark an abrupt reversal for the Justice Department amid criticism that the money would amount to a slush fund aimed at funneling […]
He hasn’t been seen in months. The Congressional Record disagrees
It’s been nearly three months since he last cast a vote on the House floor, but Rep. Thomas H. Kean Jr. has been keeping busy — or at least trying to look like he is. In the New Jersey Republican’s absence, five speeches under his name have appeared in the Congressional Record. Staff in congressional […]
Pulte pick raises concerns about DNI independence
President Donald Trump’s pick of Bill Pulte to be the acting director of national intelligence got mixed reviews Tuesday on Capitol Hill, as some worried that the Trump ally may seek to weaponize the agency. Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has been tapped […]
Trump backs off ‘anti-weaponization’ fund after GOP backlash
The Trump administration prepared to abandon its $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” Monday after intense pushback from GOP lawmakers, potentially removing the biggest obstacle to a reconciliation bill for immigration enforcement. The administration will comply with a Friday order from a federal judge that temporarily blocked the fund, though it “disagrees strongly” with the ruling, the […]