Greg Landsman

President-elect Trump and Elon Musk are finding a wellspring of unexpected cooperation from Democrats in their plans to crack down on government waste and inefficiency.Why it matters: Trump's "Department of Government Efficiency," or DOGE, has been a mostly Republican brainstorm so far, but centrist and progressive Democrats have begun offering ideas for it.Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), the lone Democrat to join Congress' new DOGE caucus, told Axios he thinks "more Dems will join the caucus."Doing so "gets you a voice to fight for the things where there's bipartisan agreement and fight against the irrational things that will probably get proposed," he said.Zoom in: Axios interviewed more than a half-dozen House Democrats who, rather than balk at DOGE, had suggestions for how it can streamline the government and cut spending.These lawmakers hew younger and male, and some have open ambitions about running for higher office. They're seeking to answer Republicans' tech billionaire-led rebrand by flipping the perception of Democrats as unquestioning champions of bureaucracy — and embracing a sleeker government. What we're hearing: Moskowitz's big idea is to shrink the sprawling Department of Homeland Security, including by making the Secret Service and FEMA independent agencies that report to the White House.Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) offered several ideas: Cutting agency redundancies, consolidating export promotion agencies and instituting self-populating tax forms, as well as the more liberal idea of scrapping fossil fuel subsidies,Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) proposed cutting the federal workforce and reducing the size of many government forms — particularly those used for student financial aid applications and tax returns.Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) suggested making it easier to obtain permits for infrastructure and development projects, an idea Trump himself floated Tuesday.Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) said he's working on a bill to "move all the federal agencies out of D.C. ... and send them all over the country," which Trump and his allies have long embraced.Moskowitz and Khanna both proposed upgrading the federal government's notoriously outdated and slow IT systems.What they're saying: "It's not a particular department across the board. It's the way individuals interact with government — there are so many inefficiencies, so many layers," Landsman said.He added: "The forms are overly complicated ... [and] when you look at some of these departments, you see that there are like 12 supervisors for every five people.""Democrats and Republicans should work together to make government more efficient without hurting people, and whatever we can come up with as a team would be great," said Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.).Yes, but: Fears about cuts to mandatory spending — the entitlement programs that make up nearly two-thirds of the federal budget — are giving Democrats serious pause about getting more involved in the effort."I have a lot of ideas, but I don't know ... if they're talking about cutting Social Security and Medicare," said Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas).In a sign of the political dangers, Moskowitz already has been criticized by pro-Social Security groups for joining the DOGE caucus.Moskowitz told Axios that if Republicans "wanted a Cut Social Security Caucus they should have formed one, and I would not have joined."DOGE co-chair Vivek Ramaswamy and other Republicans have refuted the allegation that they want to cut entitlement spending. Ramaswamy has called for massive reductions in the federal workforce, however.The other side: Democrats could face blowback within their party even for targeting non-mandatory spending, particularly from colleagues who represent huge swaths of the federal workforce."The vast majority of federal functions are things that we want," said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), whose district is in a suburb of D.C."It's easy to just attack the workforce. The question is: What are the federal purposes and functions you want to get rid of?"

This week, Reps. Jared Moskowitz of Florida and Greg Landsman of Ohio became the first two Democrats join a caucus that will ostensibly work with the Department of Government Efficiency, a planned advisory commission for Donald Trump’s incoming administration.The toothless commission, whose DOGE acronym is based on a cryptocurrency-adjacent meme, will be led by two people with zero experience inside the very federal government they’re threatening to blow up: mega-billionaire Elon Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. So far, Ramaswamy has pledged that multiple federal agencies will be “deleted outright.” But since DOGE has no legal status, public funding, nor real power, it likely needs friends in Congress to help implement its plans. Enter Moskowitz and Landsman—along with a bevy of Republicans, including Reps. Pete Sessions of Texas and Aaron Bean of Florida and Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa.“I think most Americans want to pay the least amount of taxes possible, but still get the most amount of services out of that,” Moskowitz told NPR on Thursday. “So if they're right on something, we should support it.”That sounds like a good idea in theory, right? Who wouldn’t want a more efficient government? But DOGE isn’t a real government agency, meaning it can’t do much more than make suggestions. And the reality is that it will likely be nothing more than a playground for extremist rhetoric and ideas, peddling the half-baked policies of a far-right authoritarian president whose promises for his second term in the White House are downright scary.

Calls to limit presidential pardon powers have fallen on party lines in the House of Representatives.

With votes still being counted in the 2024 election, at least two dozen ambitious House members are already sizing up runs for higher office in 2026, Axios has learned.Why it matters: This extraordinarily large cohort could cause all kinds of headaches for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as they navigate a razor-thin House majority.Both sides are trying to maximize attendance and minimize early retirements in one of the most closely divided Houses in history.Driving the news: The scale of House members eyeing bids for higher office in 2026 is far greater than is publicly known, according to lawmakers and aides who spoke to Axios.Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told Axios that "folks have talked about" him running for governor and that he is "not actively seeking it nor ruling it out."Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) is being encouraged to run for governor and considering it, sources familiar with the matter told Axios.Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) is weighing running for Senate if Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) retires, sources familiar with the matter told Axios.Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) may run for Vice President-elect Vance's Senate seat if outgoing Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) doesn't, sources told Axios.Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is also considering a run for governor, according to sources familiar with her thinking.Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) is seen as a potential candidate for governor, Axios previously reported.Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), who has floated a run for governor, is also considering vying to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), according to sources familiar with the matter.Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) is a potential candidate for statewide office in Colorado, several senior House Democrats told Axios.Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) is being encouraged to run for governor, a source familiar with the matter told Axios, though he hasn't publicly indicated any plans to do so.Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) told Axios he is "considering both" challenging Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) or a run for governor.Zoom in: Those names are on top of a slew of House members already publicly running or considering bids for other offices.Considering a run for governor: Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), John Rose (R-Tenn.) and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.).Considering a run for Senate: Reps. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) Clay Higgins (R-La.), Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.).Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) are both running in the 2025 New Jersey governor election.Several House members, including Reps. Mike Carey (R-Ohio) and Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), are also vying for Vance's Senate seat.Zoom out: House members have been fleeing the lower chamber at a historic clip in recent years, with many saying the body is dysfunctional and toxic.Congressional leaders will also have to deal with cash-strapped members looking to potentially jump ship early for a private-sector payout.Between the lines: Some members just want to keep their names in the mix or boost their name ID. Others will have to undergo a genuine deliberation process.Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), seen as a potential candidate for governor or Senate in 2026, "will have political options" but is spending most of his time on "how Republicans can be successful in the 119th" Congress, a source close to him told Axios.Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), floated as a potential Senate candidate, is focused "on the upcoming Congress and hasn't made any decisions about 2026 yet, but is committed to working to ensure Democrats win back control of the Senate and the House," a spokesperson said.

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)

Congress returned to Washington this week with just five weeks left in this year’s legislative calendar. With a Continuing Resolution (CR) that expires December 20, 2024, either a year-end spending package or a new Continuing Resolution will need to be passed to continue funding the government. There are several health policies that may be included in this package, including policies expiring at the end of the year. Must-pass items, such as extensions for Medicare COVID-era telehealth flexibilities and policy changes that enjoy broad bipartisan, bicameral support, such as Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Reform and BIOSECURE, are on the docket for consideration. Must-PassTelehealth Extension: Medicare FlexibilitiesThe IssueMedicare telehealth flexibilities put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic will expire at the end of this year following a two-year extension in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. Prior to the pandemic, telehealth coverage was only available with... Read the complete article here...© 2024 Foley & Lardner LLP

Fox News Digital spoke to GOP candidate Orlando Sonza after his third and final debate with Democrat Rep. Greg Landsman in a race that could have big implications in November.

Dem. Rep. Greg Landsman and his GOP opponent Orlando Sonza held their third and final debate in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Wednesday night with 20 days to go until the election.

A growing number of lawmakers is calling for Congress to cut its October recess short following an Iranian missile attack against Israel on Tuesday.Why it matters: It builds on bipartisan calls from senators and House members in states affected by Hurricane Helene who said Monday that Congress should reconvene sooner than scheduled.Leadership in both chambers has given little indication that they will cut short the October recess – a critical period for campaigning ahead of the Nov. 5 election.Driving the news: The U.S. and Israel were largely able to repel the roughly 180 ballistic missiles Iran launched in a two wave attack against Israel on Tuesday, Axios' Barak Ravid reported.An Israeli official said several missiles landed and that "the damage is being assessed." It was Iran's largest-scale direct attack on Israel.In addition to the attack on its close ally, the U.S. is staring down as much as $35 billion in economic losses from Helene, which devastated the Southeastern U.S. and has left more than 150 people dead.What they're saying: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a defense hawk whose state was in the path of the storm, said in a statement it is "imperative that Congress reconvene to pass a supplemental aid package."Graham said he was "reaching out to Republican and Democratic colleagues to put a package together as soon as possible."Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said in a post on X following the attack that Congress "should consider returning to Washington" to provide funding for Israeli anti-missile systems and disaster relief.Zoom in: Several pro-Israel House Democrats told Axios they would also support cutting the recess short following Iran's attack.They include Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) and Greg Landsman (D-Ohio)."I have no objections to returning from recess for emergency purposes," Torres said.Between the lines: The Federal Emergency Management Agency is currently being funded by a stopgap federal funding bill that keeps spending at the same level of the previous fiscal year.Democrats and some Republicans in disaster-prone states say that is inadequate, with Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) on Tuesday proposing $15 billion in supplemental disaster relief.Congress passed $17 billion in supplemental defense aid to Israel in April to help its fight against Hamas, but Israel is now grappling with escalating tensions with Lebanon, Iran and other neighboring Middle East countries.Zoom out: In addition to calling for aid to Israel, some lawmakers are pushing the U.S. and Israel to hit targets inside Iran – a major escalation."Iran has made a mistake, it has put its nuclear facilities on the board as fair game," Moskowitz said in a post on X.Graham said in a separate statement that the U.S. should "coordinate an overwhelming response with Israel, starting with Iran's ability to refine oil."What we're watching: As for returning to session, one House Republican told Axios that Iranian attack has not made it more likely that leadership will bring the House back into session before November.Spokespeople for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) did not respond to requests for comment.

A group of House members from both parties succeeded Thursday in deploying a rarely executed method to bypass GOP leadership and force a vote on a bill to expand access to Social Security benefits.Why it matters: It's the second time this year that a bipartisan group of lawmakers has sidestepped House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) with the tool, called a discharge petition.In May, a discharge petition led by Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) attained the necessary 218 signatures to force a House vote on legislation providing tax relief to victims of natural disasters.The last time a discharge petition succeeded before this year was in 2015 — nearly a decade ago.State of play: The discharge petition, led by Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Garret Graves (R-La.), would force a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act.The relatively non-controversial bill would close loopholes that deny Social Security payments to retirees who receive certain government pensions or other types of retirement benefits.It hit 218 signatures Thursday afternoon after Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) signed on. In total, 47 Republicans and 171 Democrats backed it.What they're saying: "It represents in this Congress the fact that, below the surface, there's always been this bipartisan majority ... that will push when things aren't getting done," said Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio).Landsman, one of the petition's organizers, added that Republicans should "appreciate the fact that this is one of hundreds of bipartisan bills that would pass immediately" if it made it to the floor via this method.Spanberger previously told Axios that she and Graves launched the discharge petition because the bill kept falling through the legislative cracks and being overlooked by leadership.What's next: After seven legislative days, Graves and Spanberger will be able to request that Johnson schedule a floor vote. Johnson may end up simply allowing the vote. If he doesn't it will go ahead in another two legislative days— with or without his assent."We will be dogged in making sure the Social Security Fairness Act passes in the U.S. House, passes in the U.S. Senate, and finally gets signed into law. We must get it done," Graves and Spanberger said in a statement.

The House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday to deport illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) threatened that there would be another Jan. 6 riot if Democrats did not pass a Republican-backed bill that would make it harder to vote.At a Wednesday news conference, Tuberville urged Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to schedule a vote on the "Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act" or "SAVE Act." The bill would require a birth certificate or passport in order to vote, even though it is already unlawful for noncitizens to participate in federal elections."The Democrats know better than this, but they want power so bad that they're going to try to tear down our election system," Tuberville said. "And I'm going to tell you this. My first day was January the 6th in 2021."ALSO READ: Something broke Trump’s brain"And what's going to happen if we do not show the American people that the elections are going to be fair and they're going to be satisfied with the outcome, no matter whether Republicans win or Democrats win, you are going to have hell to pay in this country," he continued. "It's coming.""And I'm not so sure that's not what the Democrats want."Former President Donald Trump has urged Republicans to shut down the government if the SAVE Act was not passed before the November presidential election.Watch the video below from C-SPAN or at this link.

Reps. Mike Lawler and Jared Moskowitz are spearheading a bill threatening U.S. funding to the United Nations if it moves to restrict Israel's access to the international body.

Now the party is turning the page with a new generation of candidates trying to appeal not just to Americans' fears about what a second Trump presidency would mean, but to plainly label the policies and actions of the Republican party as abnormal.

Kamala Harris' decision to tap Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential nominee reflects the Democratic party's effort to turn a page with a new generation of Gen-Z-approved candidates

Ohio House candidate Orlando Sonza fired back at his Democratic opponent Greg Landsman after the congressman claimed that VP candidate JD Vance doesn't represent Ohio.

Data: NRCC, New York Times, Dave's Redistricting Atlas; Table: Axios Visuals.Even as Democrats recover from their month of chaos and pick up some much-needed political momentum, Republicans are still planning to fight for House districts that President Biden won by double digits in 2020.Why it matters: It's an ambitious playbook against the backdrop of a presidential election that will likely be decided by a handful of percentage points in either direction.Driving the news: The National Republican Congressional Committee released its first 26 "Young Guns" on Monday — Republican candidates fighting for open or Democratic-controlled House seats.The program entitles those candidates to support and resources from the NRCC that are critical to winning a hotly contested congressional race.The 26 districts voted for President Biden by an average of roughly 7 percentage points in 2020 and for Democratic congressional candidates by an average of 5 points in 2022.The list includes districts that voted for Biden by as many as 12, 13 and even 16 points.Between the lines: Democrats have regained their political footing with Vice President Kamala Harris taking the helm, but Republicans are signaling they are still bullish about winning deep in Biden territory.NRCC Chair Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), in a statement accompanying the Young Guns list, suggested that issues such as immigration, crime and inflation will buoy down-ballot Republicans.Yes, but: The list also signals where Republicans may be more pessimistic — including some districts where, on paper, they should be competitive.Opponents to several swing-district House Democrats whose races are rated as competitive by Cook Political Report did not make the initial cut.Those incumbents include Reps. Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), Susie Lee (D-Nev.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.) and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.).What they're saying: In a statement, NRCC spokesperson Will Reinert touted the diverse backgrounds featured in the first Young Guns list."Winning in tough districts requires candidates who share the life stories ... of the people they are running to represent," he said."From a truck driver to police officers to military heroes, these candidates allow us to compete all over the map and represent the future of the Republican Party."Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Viet Shelton said: "After a quick review of their extreme anti-abortion views, their plans to raise taxes on working families while giving tax breaks to the ultrawealthy and their poor Q2 fundraising results — looks like a list of proven losers to me."The other side: House Majority PAC, House Democrats' primary super PAC, unveiled a list of media markets where they are dropping an additional $24 million for general election ads.The list encompasses congressional districts in Iowa, Wisconsin and Montana that were won by former President Trump in 2020, signaling that Democrats too plan to try to compete in GOP territory."Our additional reservations are not only expanding the battleground, but also doubling down on offense," said HMP President Mike Smith.

The U.S. Congressman who represents the district Trump vice-presidential running mate JD Vance lives in says the first-term Republican U.S. Senator's "views and beliefs" do not represent the people or values of his district, and is calling the campaign he's running "one of the cruelest, most chaotic, and downright weirdest.""I represent 800K people in Congress from Southwest Ohio. They’re hardworking and kind, and they care about their families, neighbors, and communities. But I also represent JD Vance," writes U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) in lengthy social media thread Monday that's received nearly a half-million views."Right now, Mr. Vance is running one of the cruelest, most chaotic, and downright *weirdest* campaigns for Vice President we've ever seen," Landsman adds. "And because Mr. Vance claims SW Ohio as his own, I want to clarify that he couldn't be more different from the *normal* people who actually live here."Congressman Landsman says he and Vance, 39, live "just a few miles" apart. They both first got selected to Congress in 2022, and while the district is "purple," Landsman says he won it by more than five points, while Vance lost that district by nearly nine."Mr. Vance makes fun of single women, calling them a 'bunch of childless cat ladies with miserable lives,' " writes Landsman, serving up several of the Ohio Senator's positions.RELATED: ‘Super Creepy’: Vance and Masters’ Belief Politicians Have to Have Kids Called ‘Repugnant’"Mr. Vance has called for a 'federal response' to women travelling across state lines to get an abortion. Just last month, Mr. Vance voted *against* protecting the right to access IVF treatment.""Mr. Vance thinks people should have to stay in violent marriages and not get divorced. He thinks some people should get more votes in elections than others, depending on whether they can have children."On Friday news broke that in 2021, before his official Senate run, Vance suggested America should "punish" people for not having children, saying that not having children is "bad."Vance said: “we need to reward the things that we think are good and punish the things that we think are bad. So you talk about tax policy, let’s tax the things that are bad and not tax the things that are good. If you’re making $100,000, $400,000 a year and you’ve got three kids, you should pay a different, lower rate than if you are making the same amount of money and you don’t have any kids. It’s that simple.”Delving into the extremely unpopular Project 2025, which is closely tied to Donald Trump and run by over 100 people "who worked under Trump," according to NewsNation, Landsman added: "Mr. Vance is intricately involved in Project 2025 - going so far as to write the forward for the Heritage Foundation President's new book coming out soon.""Southwest Ohio doesn't like this guy," Landsman concludes, "so take it from the folks who know him best. Mr. Vance is just weird - there's no other way to say it. This isn't a guy we want anywhere near the White House."READ MORE: Eight Years Ago JD Vance Wondered How Many Americans Donald Trump Had ‘Sexually Assaulted’

Vulnerable House Democrats are circling the wagons around Vice President Harris, arguing that their new likely presidential nominee will only increase excitement for Democrats up and down the ballot as they work to recapture the lower chamber in November. The majority of frontliners — a title given to vulnerable lawmakers running in the most competitive races this cycle [...]

A number of Democratic lawmakers, governors and past leaders were quick to rally behind Vice President Harris as she pursues the Democratic Party's presidential nomination following President Biden's withdrawal from the race. Shortly after dropping out of the presidential race, Biden endorsed Harris as his successor, stating it is "time to come together and beat" [...]

A total of 36 Democrats in Congress have called on Biden to drop out following a rocky debate performance and two gaffe-filled public appearances.

Democratic strategists and party insiders say President Biden’s postdebate crisis response has been as damaging to his chances of beating former President Trump in November as the disastrous debate performance itself. They say there's little Biden can do to change the narrative short of dropping out of the race, a view that is shared by [...]

President Joe Biden's campaign is once again insisting that he is not stepping aside as he faces the stark reality that many Democrats at the highest levels want him to bow out of the 2024 election to make way for...

A total of 36 Democrats in Congress have called on Biden to drop out following a rocky debate performance and two gaffe-filled public appearances.

NBC News Washington Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor talks with voters in Michigan to get their reaction to former President Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) explains why he’s calling on President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race. Former Gov. Pat McCrory (R-N.C.) and former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) join the Meet the Press NOW panel.