John Barrasso

WASHINGTON — Contests for Senate majority leader and the suddenly open House Republican conference chair position headline GOP leadership elections on Capitol Hill this week, with open jockeying for both posts.

The Senate majority leader had not extended invitations to two candidates in close races.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) may be the MAGA media darling, but some of his colleagues are bristling at the public pressure on their secret voting process to elect Mitch McConnell's Senate Republican leader successor on Wednesday.Why it matters: Senate GOP sources tell us Scott's weekend momentum — especially without an endorsement from President-elect Trump — is starting to backfire.Scott has his supporters, there's no question. But many senators wanted to avoid turning a secret ballot into a public spectacle, and feel bullied by the online chatter.What we're hearing: It is "definitely backfiring on him. At this point I won't vote for him for anything ever," one Republican told Axios.Senate offices are dealing with a flood of trolling on social media from Scott allies while Scott campaigns for their votes, aides tell Axios.That's left many of them livid and frustrated. It could cost Scott persuadable votes, another GOP aide told us.Many of those aides blame Scott for the GOP's poor showing in the 2022 midterms, when he ran the NRSC.The other side: "The organic outpouring of support from Republican voters for Sen. Rick Scott is seen as a testament to the overwhelming change Americans want to see in Washington following President-elect Trump's commanding win," according to a source familiar with Scott's bid for leader.The source noted that Scott has refused to attack his leader rivals Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and John Cornyn (R-Tex.).Scott is also continuing to reach out to colleagues and build a positive case for his leadership, a source close to him said.How it works: After voting Wednesday morning, if none of the three candidates win a majority of the Senate Republican conference, the candidate with the lowest vote total is removed and the senators will vote again.If anyone wanted to mount a last-minute bid, they would have to do so before the first ballot. Such rumors have long circulated around Sens. John Barrasso, who is running for whip, and Steve Daines, who ran the NRSC this past cycle and has said he will not run for leader.The bottom line: Scott won 10 votes when he ran against McConnell in 2022. If Scott is knocked out after the first round of voting, the big question in the Senate right now is whether his supporters start acting as kingmakers.Some sources say Cornyn has been more direct about his willingness to make the kind of changes conservatives want, backing the idea of leader term limits. But Thune is also well-liked and could pull Scott voters, too.

U.S. officials are proposing tighter restrictions on oil, solar and wind energy development across more than 6,500 square miles of federal land in the U.S. West. The goal is to protect a declining bird species, the greater sage grouse. Grouse...

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) officially rolled out his bid to run the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) on Friday, a move that would put him at the helm of the party’s midterm efforts to maintain and possibly grow its majority next cycle. Scott had been mulling a run for the post since mid-October. He is [...]

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Steve Daines (R-Mont.) is telling colleagues that he will support Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) in the race to become next Senate Republican leader, according to sources familiar with the private conversations. Daines’s public support would be a promising development for Thune, who is locked in a tough [...]

'Lobbyists will often leverage relationships'

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis (R) on Tuesday circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter warning that some of the reforms being pushed by Senate conservatives would only weaken the next Senate Republican leader and cause the same chaos that is plaguing the House Republican majority. Tillis released his letter in response to a list of procedural [...]

"DOI is continuing to entertain pro-Hamas and anti-Israel activism"

The Biden administration is failing to protect federal resources from damage or destruction during violent protests, according to conservative watchdog group Protect the Public's Trust.

The funding announced Thursday will go toward the construction of an estimated 1,000 miles of new transmission lines with 7,100 megawatts of added capacity across six states.

As the Earth sizzled through a summer with four of the hottest days ever measured, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have starkly different visions on how to address a changing climate while ensuring a reliable energy supply.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have starkly different visions on how to address a changing climate while ensuring a reliable energy supply. But neither has provided many details on how they would get there. Harris cast...

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s primary presents the last opportunity for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy to exact revenge on the Republicans who ousted him last year.

Florida primary races feature Rep. Matt Gaetz, amid his feud with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and Sen. Rick Scott, who hopes to lead the party in the Senate next Congress.

Republicans will decide in Wyoming’s primaries whether to stick with a long-serving U.S. senator and first-term congresswoman or change up to political underdogs

Wyoming has been among the most conservative states in the county, and on Tuesday, voters will select the Republican candidates who will advance to November’s general election for federal and state legislative offices. The only contested races in Wyoming’s state...

So close, yet so far.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle will step down from her role after facing calls to resign after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

The 20-year-old Pennsylvania man who tried to kill former president Donald Trump at a rally last weekend had searched online for information about Trump and President Biden and had photos of both men saved on his phone, according to lawmakers...

Rep. Mike Johnson is an unfamiliar name to most GOP senators, underscoring the turbulent and unexpected ascent on Wednesday by the Louisiana Republican to speaker of the House.