Nicolas LaLota

The 12 Republicans say they come from districts with a significant Medicaid population and that the entitlement program should not be on the chopping block.

A dozen swing-district and centrist House Republicans are warning Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) that they won't vote for a budget reconciliation package that cuts Medicaid too deeply.Why it matters: It puts Johnson in a vise as members of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus demand steep cuts to the health program for low-income individuals.The GOP's clash over how much to offset their planned $4 trillion in tax cuts was on full display last week as the Freedom Caucus rebelled over a Senate budget measure that mandated only $4 billion in cuts.The House had initially passed a budget resolution that would require $1.5 trillion in cuts — and would likely reduce Medicaid funding.What they're saying: The 12 lawmakers wrote in a letter to Johnson and other GOP leaders that many of them represent "districts with high rates of constituents who depend on Medicaid.""Balancing the federal budget must not come at the expense of ... their health and economic security," they said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by Axios. The lawmakers issued an ultimatum: "We cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations."Zoom in: The letter was signed by Reps. David Valadao (R-Calif.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), Young Kim (R-Calif.), Robert Wittman (R-Va.), Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) and Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.).Spokespeople for Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) did not immediately respond to requests for comment.A spokesperson for House Energy and Commerce Committee chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), who was also addressed in the letter, also did not respond to a request for comment.Between the lines: While they are pushing against what they see as overly zealous benefit cuts, these members aren't ruling out some Medicaid reforms as a way of paying for tax cuts.LaLota told Axios he is "committed to responsible, compassionate Medicaid reforms that strengthen the program for Americans who truly need it." "These reforms will prioritize work requirements for able-bodied adults, ensure benefits go only to legal residents, and increase eligibility checks from once every 12 months to every 6 months to help prevent fraud and abuse," he said.

Vulnerable and moderate House Republicans are warning House GOP leaders that they will not support the “one big beautiful bill” encompassing President Trump’s legislative agenda if it includes cuts to Medicaid benefits. Twelve House Republicans in competitive districts — more than enough in the House GOP's razor-thin majority to keep the bill from passing — [...]

Disgraced ex-U.S. Rep. George Santos should serve at least eight years behind bars after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft charges, federal prosecutors said in court documents released Friday night. Santos pleaded guilty in August to two of the 23 criminal counts he faced for inflating fundraising numbers and faking donor names to qualify... Read More

GOP leaders tried to block a bipartisan measure to allow proxy voting, but nine Republicans joined with Democrats to overcome it.

Nine House Republicans defied GOP leadership on Tuesday and opposed an effort to block a bill instituting proxy voting for new parents from coming to the floor, halting key legislative action in the chamber. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) the 218 signatures — including from 11 Republicans — needed to successfully execute a discharge petition [...]

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) opposed the resolution, calling proxy voting 'unconstitutional.'

The House voted Tuesday to defy House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and force a vote on allowing members who are new parents to vote by proxy for three months. Why it matters: It's a brutal loss for Johnson, who poured considerable political capital into trying to snuff out Rep. Anna Paulina Luna's (R-Fla.) efforts.Luna launched what is called a discharge petition, which can force a vote on any measure without the support of leadership if 218 House members sign on.Luna got the signatures — including a dozen Republicans — and the vote will have to happen by the end of the week.In a rare move, Johnson tied a provision killing the vote to unrelated Republican legislation prohibiting non-citizens from voting in federal elections.By the numbers: A group of nine Republicans voted against Johnson, including Reps. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), who had signed onto Luna's petition, as well as Luna herself.Reps. Will Kiley (R-Calif.), Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), Max Miller (R-Ohio), Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.) also voted against Johnson's maneuver.Between the lines: Johnson's tactics sparked considerable frustration from some rank-and-file lawmakers who felt he was being too heavy-handed.Miller, asked about his vote, told reporters: "I would ask [Johnson] why he tried to do this."Zoom out: The fight over proxy voting has been roiling Republicans for weeks, creating some serious internal divisions within the GOP conference.Burchett told reporters that he was coaxed with promises of votes on his bills if he backed off supporting Luna.Luna herself left the right-wing House Freedom Caucus after the group tried to kill her discharge petition.Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.

A group of House Republicans rebelled against GOP leaders on Tuesday over their effort to block a vote on allowing proxy voting for new parents — thwarting other party priorities in the process and dealing an embarrassing blow to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). The revolt escalates the battle over proxy voting into a full-blown legislative [...]

The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee are asking the Defense Department's inspector general to probe the Signal chat.

More than two dozen Senate and House Republicans demand the International Olympics Committee to align with President Donald Trump's executive order banning trans athletes from women's sports.

The House GOP’s budget resolution could be in jeopardy of not clearing the full chamber amid concerns from moderates over likely cuts to social safety net programs — particularly Medicaid — with a handful undecided on whether they will support the key measure. Reps. David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) — both of whom [...]

Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. “Can you say no to the president of the United States when he asks you to do something unethical or illegal?” That question, posed [...]The post At the Races: Stand by me appeared first on Roll Call.

Outgoing GOP Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, R-N.Y., is gunning to be the next leader of President-elect Donald Trump's Drug Enforcement Agency, after Trump's first nominee withdrew his name amid criticism.

Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., says he wants to bring communications skills he honed as a TV news anchor to the powerful spending panel. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Democrat Laura Gillen has defeated U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito on Long Island, unseating the Republican after one term and rolling back recent GOP gains in New York City’s suburbs

It could take days or longer to count critical votes in California, which is likely to decide House control

It could take days or weeks to know the final results.

For Schumer, the only mystery remaining as of Wednesday morning was the size of the minority he would lead – and the early signs were that it would be smaller than expected.

Washington, D.C., Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Ohio are all holding their last day of early in-person voting on Sunday.

Florida, Michigan, New Jersey and New York all began early in-person voting Saturday as Election Day nears. The U.S. 2024 election is well underway.

New York is a Democratic-leaning state, but it is a major priority for Republicans on Election Day

Six races shift directions in the Power Rankings forecast with two weeks to go until election night.

Republicans are kicking their defensive messaging on abortion into high gear, aiming to blunt Democrats’ attempts to paint them as extreme in the run-up to the election. In debates, GOP congressional candidates are taking a more aggressive approach when talking about the issue, accusing Democrats of misrepresenting their position. Republican campaigns are successfully pitching fact-checks [...]

What will Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) do? That’s the quiet question bouncing around Washington this month as the parties race furiously toward Election Day — when both the House and White House are up for grabs — and former President Trump is already laying the foundation for challenging the results if he loses. Johnson will [...]

Data: AdImpact, Cook Political Report; Chart: Thomas Oide/AxiosWith dreams of going big, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) are pouring millions into long-shot targets.Why it matters: The House majority will be decided in little more than two dozen toss-up races, but both sides crave the shot at a substantial majority.🔎 Call them "squinter races." They aren't sleepers, given the spending. But when one party squints, they can see a path to victory.That creates a must-do: Pick off safe(er) seats on the other side, or at least make them spend big on defense.🤑 The DCCC and the Jeffries-linked House Majority PAC have invested $21 million into flipping a half dozen GOP-held districts rated "lean" or "likely Republican" by Cook Political Report.The NRCC and Johnson's Congressional Leadership Fund have spent around $16.7 million on seven Democratic-held districts rated "lean" or "likely Democratic."Zoom in: Democrats are going after six of Cook's 14 "lean" and "likely" Republican seats.While Republicans are targeting seven Democratic seats, they represent a much smaller proportion of the possible targets.Said one Democratic strategist: "This is what you're able to do when you have the bigger checking account."Driving the news: Two "squinters" recently came into focus for Democrats when Cook moved Iowa's 1st and 3rd districts from "lean Republican" to toss-up.The same happened for Republicans when Cook changed Virginia's 7th district from "lean Democrat" to a jump-ball.Democrats have poured $5.5 million into Iowa-1 and $2.1 million in Iowa-3, according to data from AdImpact. Republicans spent $1.8 million in Virginia-7.Zoom out: Three main factors can put a district on the target list, Republican and Democratic strategists who work on House races told us.1) Weak incumbent: For Democrats, targets include Reps. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wisc.), Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) and Scott Perry (R-Pa.).For Republicans, it's members like Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), who they see as facing the first truly tough challenge of her 40-year career in a district that voted for former President Trump in 2020.2) Strong challenger: Democrats are enamored with the backgrounds of candidates such as Monica Tranel, a former Olympian who's challenging Zinke, and Janelle Stelson, a TV anchor running against Perry.Republicans are leaning on the diversity of their candidate slate in these districts. That includes Rep. Pat Ryan's (D-N.Y.) challenger Alison Esposito, Rep. Jahana Hayes' (D-Conn.) challenger George Logan and former Rep. Mayra Flores, who's running against Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas).3) Promising fundamentals: House Democrats hope backlash to abortion laws in redder states like Iowa will drive turnout. They're also counting on a boost from competitive Senate races in Montana, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.Republicans are hoping for a second wave of backlash against Democrats in California and New York that fueled their 2022 victory.The bottom line: Look for more ad buys. Democrats have plenty of cash to throw around.The DCCC last month added John Avlon and Whitney Fox, the challengers to Reps. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), to their "Red to Blue" program. Both districts are rated "likely Republican."

Five states redrew their district lines and the changes could impact who wins the House in the 2024 election.

Two years after Democrats lost five House seats in New York as Republicans capitalized on voter concerns about crime, Hochul – who won re-election by an unusually narrow margin that year – is doing all she can to make sure...

Former President Trump's latest inflammatory remarks about Jewish voters have Republicans in Congress again trying to perform a careful balancing act.Why it matters: It is a dynamic with which GOP lawmakers will have to familiarize themselves if Trump is elected president in November.Driving the news: Trump said Thursday during an Israeli American Council event on combatting antisemitism, "If I don't win this election — and Jewish people would have a lot to do with that, 60% are voting for the enemy — Israel will cease to exist in two years."He also said that any Jewish voter who supports Vice President Harris "should have their head examined."It's the latest in a series of critical remarks the former president has made towards Jewish voters who support Democrats.What they're saying: A handful of Republicans, asked about Trump's comments, offered what amounted to light pushback against their party's nominee."During this difficult time for Israel, we have to remain focused on supporting our democratic ally and combating all forms of antisemitism to protect our Jewish community," said swing-district Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.).Another vulnerable House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Trump is "not as smooth as we want," but added that "Jewish voters are supporting him in record numbers."Zoom in: One House Republican close to Trump offered more blistering criticism of the former president's comments, but declined to go on the record."I'm not going to justify his comments," the lawmaker said, arguing that Jewish voters make up a relatively small portion of the electorate and would not be responsible for a Trump loss.Jewish people made up about 2.4% of the U.S. population as of 2020, according to the Pew Research Center.The House Republican added that they "don't like this rhetoric," also citing Trump's comments about Haitian immigrants: "I think it's awful ... I think it's disgusting."Zoom out: Several House Republicans, including those in swing-districts or those with large Jewish populations, simply declined to weigh in."No comment," said Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.)."I didn't hear him say that," said Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.)."I don't even know what you're talking about. No comment," said Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.).The other side: Several other Republicans leapt to Trump's defense or argued that his comments won't hurt Republicans with Jewish voters. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) argued that Trump was "talking about the fact that the Jewish community is going to have a big voice in this election."Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) said that he hasn't seen Trump's comments, but "the Republican Conference, and President Trump when he was in office, have stood by Israel every step of the way."Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) said Democrats "have abided antisemitism on our campuses and helped fuel a surge in hate crimes - no matter [what] your religion is, I don't know how you vote for it."

Donald Trump supporters were greeted by tight security for a rally Wednesday at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.

'I hope it doesn’t hold up the funding'

House Republicans are expected to vote on a stopgap spending bill that House Speaker Mike Johnson is backing sometime this week.

'Essential that justice continues to be served'

More than a dozen House Republicans on Tuesday wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) asking him not to axe clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) if the GOP maintains or expands its House majority next year. In the letter, first shared with Politico’s E&E News and led by Rep. Andrew Garbarino [...]

Congressional Democrats in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and beyond are seeing an outpouring of volunteers to help Vice President Kamala Harris and counter Republican Donald Trump

The head of the Pennsylvania State Police told Congress on Tuesday that the planning for former President Donald Trump's July 13 rally was no different from dozens of other events coordinated with the Secret Service.