Thomas Massie

Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie was removed from the House Rules Committee after he opposed the re-election of House Speaker Mike Johnson.

With a vote looming when Congress reconvenes in January, GOP leader Mike Johnson is facing increased doubts from his fellow Republicans about his ability to serve another term as speaker of the House.Johnson is coming off of a disastrous performance by House Republican leadership, after the party nearly triggered another government shutdown. The hard-right Freedom Caucus balked at a bipartisan bill to fund the government, and was soon joined by billionaire Trump donor Elon Musk. Musk whipped up opposition to the bill, largely based on falsehoods he amplified on his X (formerly Twitter) account.A pared-down version of the bill backed by Musk and later Donald Trump failed, while the bill that ultimately passed stripped support for pediatric cancer research and 9/11 first responders. Johnson had to rely on votes from Democrats after many members of his own party expressed anger and opposition.Appearing on Fox Business on Friday, Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland said the funding chaos hurt Johnson’s chances of being reelected speaker.xxYouTube Video“It was a rough two weeks, I think the president has not come out in support of Mr. Johnson since then,” Harris said. “I think the president realized that if he’s going to get his agenda through a very narrow majority in the House, he’s going to need strong leadership at the top and I think he’s evaluating whether that exists.”Harris added that he was in Johnson’s corner before the funding bill mess, but now he is open to considering other options.Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania expressed similar concerns during an appearance on Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria” on Friday.xxYouTube Video“I’m going to keep my options open,” Perry said when asked about supporting Johnson.In an appearance on Newsmax, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York complained that she hasn’t heard from Johnson since the funding debacle.“I think the speaker should be reaching out to the membership, answering their concerns and questions,” she said. “I have concerns and questions, too, about what happened last week and that it can't happen again.” Malliotakis warned.Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie was less ambiguous and said he is a firm “no” on Johnson.“I will vote for someone other than Mike Johnson,” he wrote on X. “A weak legislative branch, beholden to the swamp, will not be able to achieve the mandate voters gave Trump and Congress in November.”Despite the party’s success in the 2024 election, which led to upcoming GOP control of the White House, House, and Senate, Republicans will be working with an extremely narrow margin in the House. The lack of confidence in Johnson, combined with Democratic unity behind House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, is an early sign of serious obstacles for the looming Trump agenda.If you value having free and reliable access to the information and resources we provide, we’re asking for your help today. Will you make a donation of $5, $25, or whatever you can afford to help us reach our year-end goal? Campaign Action

Rep. Thomas Massie underscored he won't support Mike Johnson in January, eliminating the wiggle room the House speaker has in keeping his job.

Mike Johnson Has Work To Do To Earn Back Republicans' Trust In 2025

Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas., has been residing in an assisted living facility for the past several months

Speaker Mike Johnson talks to President-elect Donald Trump as they attend the 125th Army-Navy football game in Landover, Md. on Dec. 14. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

A handful of conservative House Republicans were voicing concerns about Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to President-elect Trump even before last week’s government funding fiasco, multiple sources on Capitol Hill and in Trump's orbit told The Hill, prompting even more uncertainty about the Louisiana Republican’s grasp on the gavel less than two weeks before the Speakership [...]

Some House Republican allies of Speaker Mike Johnson want President-elect Trump to speak out in support of the Louisiana Republican.

The House approved legislation to avert a government shutdown hours before the deadline on Friday, sending the bill to the Senate for consideration after a whirlwind week on Capitol Hill. The chamber voted 366-34-1 in support of the legislation, clearing the two-thirds threshold needed for passage, since GOP leadership brought the bill to the floor [...]

Congressional leaders have been scrambling for days to avert a partial government shutdown by the end of Friday.

Congressional leaders are scrambling to avert a partial government shutdown by the end of Friday.

As the deadline to avoid a government shutdown nears, a senior House Republican said the GOP is still "looking at different options."

'Odds are better than even'

House Republicans will try to pass another plan to avoid a government shutdown this weekend, but they'll need Democrats and possibly Donald Trump's support.

Nunes, chief executive of Trump-owned Truth Social, was announced as the president-elect's nominee for chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.

Trump announced Guilfoyle as his selection for ambassador to Greece.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, talks with reporters after a House Republican Conference meeting in the Capitol on Tuesday.

Trump announced Guilfoyle as his selection for ambassador to Greece.

Trump just named several key members to his administration who will shepherd his vision of the economy.

Amid the various controversies surrounding the brazenly unqualified and problematic men and women whom President-elect Donald Trump plucked for his Cabinet, it’s easy to forget that one man jumped off what looks like a sinking ship just three days after his nomination.No, no—not former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who pulled his own nomination for attorney general after eight days. The selectee in question was Chad Chronister, the Hillsborough County, Florida, sheriff whom Trump picked to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration with the hope he would “secure the border, stop the flow of Fentanyl, and other Illegal Drugs.” But with growing speculation that a yea vote for Chronister would tick off the far-right, the Florida sheriff ended the discussion and announced on Tuesday that he was withdrawing himself from consideration for the role. In a statement on social media, Chronister said that as “the gravity of this very important responsibility set in,” he had changed his mind about accepting the nomination. “There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling,” he said. “I sincerely appreciate the nomination [and] outpouring of support by the American people.”xTo have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime. Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully... pic.twitter.com/bvNF8m9Bh4— Chad Chronister (@ChadChronister) December 3, 2024Chronister wasn’t outwardly controversial à la Gaetz or Pete Hegseth, whose nomination to be defense secretary is imperiled. So Chronister’s withdrawal unsurprisingly drew little media attention. Indeed, it seemed the Florida man was content with quietly taking his name out of the running and returning to the Sunshine State to continue his law enforcement career.That’s until Wednesday, when Trump insisted on getting in the last word on what he claims really happened to Chronister. In Trump’s telling, Chronister didn’t withdraw on his own accord; the president-elect dumped him. In a post to his Truth Social platform, Trump said he withdrew Chronister’s nomination because “I did not like what he said to my pastors and other supporters.”Okay, Trump!

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.

Trump just named several key members to his administration who will shepherd his vision of the economy.

Trump is reportedly considering replacing Pete Hegseth as his Defense secretary nominee amid allegations of sexual misconduct and concerning drinking habits.

Trump is reportedly considering replacing Pete Hegseth as his Defense secretary nominee amid allegations of sexual misconduct and concerning drinking habits.

President Biden's pardon of his son Hunter has opened the floodgates to a battery of requests from members of Congress in both parties for additional pardons.Why it matters: Biden has received more than 10,500 pardon requests over his four years in office but has only issued 25, a historically low number even for single presidential terms, according to the Justice Department.Now Biden's controversial act has unleashed a wave of pleas on behalf of people convicted or accused of various crimes, including figures such as Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.Zoom in: Several lawmakers have specific pardons or commutations in mind that they would like to see Biden issue.Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) is enlisting colleagues on behalf of Steven Donzinger, an environmental lawyer accused of using fraudulent evidence to win a lawsuit against Chevron, according to a draft letter first obtained by Axios.McGovern also is urging Biden in a separate letter to posthumously exonerate Ethel Rosenberg, citing "significant evidence" that she did not engage in the Soviet spying for which she was executed in 1953.Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has urged Biden to pardon Assange, also told Axios he also wants pardons for Snowden and drug trafficker Ross Ulbricht — seen by libertarians such as Massie as anti-government crusaders.Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) cited Billie Allen, a death row inmate who says he was wrongfully convicted of murder, as well as Michelle West and Ismael Lira, who are serving life sentences for drug-related offenses.Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wants a pardon for indigenous activist Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of killing two FBI agents.Several lawmakers have urged Biden to pardon President-elect Trump for his actions related to Jan. 6 and his handling of classified documents. Zoom out: Some lawmakers want Biden to go far bigger than just a few high-profile pardons, with progressives planning a wide-ranging push for Biden to issue sweeping pardons for certain non-violet or low-level offenders.Progressives want pardons for "those that are elderly, those that are ill, those that are non-violent offenders, those who have been incarcerated because of cannabis convictions," said Pressley, who is leading the effort."I had a lot of members stopping me in the halls today about it," she added in an interview with Axios.The plan was in the works even before the Hunter Biden pardon, according to Progressive Caucus chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who told Axios she "spoke to the White House right before Thanksgiving about our asks about clemency."The intrigue: It's not just Democrats seeking categorical pardons.Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) told Axios that "everyone who was released under the CARES Act during COVID that hasn't reoffended should at least be granted clemency."Right-wing Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) said Biden should pardon those convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — though Trump has already signaled plans to do just that.Between the lines: Many progressive activists have seen Biden as woefully lacking when it comes to clemency and had been urging him to ramp up pardons in his last few weeks on the job, according to the nonprofit news outlet NOTUS.Biden couching his son's pardon as a response to a "miscarriage of justice" against has kicked that dynamic into overdrive."I hope he can look a little wider and understand there are a lot of people who have committed crimes less serious who need a little compassion," McGovern said of Biden.Even House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) urged Biden on Tuesday to "exercise the high level of compassion he has consistently demonstrated ... including toward his son" by pardoning "working-class Americans" who were subject to "unjustly aggressive prosecutions."The bottom line: "I would hate see President Biden leaving office with less commutations and clemency issuances than even President Trump," Ocasio-Cortez said.

President Biden pardoned son Hunter Biden this week, sparking renewed interest about who else the 46th president may pardon before his exit from the White House next month.

He's the second person selected by Trump to bow out quickly after being nominated for a position requiring Senate confirmation.

Pingree said she is worried about deep cuts to education, health care, the environment and many other areas.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader of the Senate, opposed the provisions civil liberties groups came out against when the House considered the bill.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., plans to introduce a measure to abolish the ATF which then-Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., previously introduced in 2023.

The Biden administration told Congress it plans to cancel $4.65 billion in debt owed by Ukraine, approximately half of an economic loan offered earlier this year.

President Joe Biden for the first time authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-given long-range missiles to strike inside Russia, a prospect that Trump allies believe could threaten "World War III."

Rep. Matt Gaetz is Donald Trump’s pick to become the United States’ next attorney general, the president-elect announced Wednesday—and reactions are pouring in from both sides of the aisle. It’s a staggering choice considering the fact that the Florida congressman has been accused of sex trafficking a minor. His friend, former Florida tax collector Joel Greenberg, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 11 years for the crime, and Gaetz is currently under a House Ethics Committee investigation connected to those allegations.Republican congressman and gun-fetishist Thomas Massie had this strange reaction to the news.xGOP Massie says “recess appointments” when asked if GAETZ can get confirmed by the Senate “He’s the Attorney General. Suck it up!” pic.twitter.com/zTTpQB9NAx— haleytalbotcnn (@haleytalbotcnn) November 13, 2024Massie seems to be referring to Trump’s demand that the next Senate majority leader allow him “recess appointments” to skip any confirmation hearings and questions from senators. But there are some GOP simps who seem ready to rubber-stamp any and all of the wannabe dictator’s bad ideas.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., arrives for a news conference after an event in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Legislation that would have handed President-elect Donald Trump sweeping power to investigate and shutter news outlets, government watchdogs, humanitarian organizations, and other nonprofits was defeated in the House of Representatives on Tuesday after a coalition of progressive advocacy groups and lawmakers mobilized against it, warning of the bill's dire implications for the right to dissent.But 52 Democratic lawmakers—including Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.)—apparently did not share the grave concerns expressed by the ACLU and other leading rights groups, opting to vote alongside 204 Republicans in favor of the bill.One Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, joined 144 Democrats in voting no.The measure ultimately fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to approve legislation under the fast-track procedure used by the bill's supporters, but progressives wasted no time spotlighting the Democrats who supported the measure."If you're looking for a handy list of Democrats who have no fucking clue what is about to hit and need their spines stiffened ASAP, this is a good place to start," wrote Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of the advocacy group Indivisible.Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who vocally opposed the legislation, wrote that "these 52 Democrats voted to give Trump the power to shut down any nonprofit he wants.""The NAACP, ACLU, Planned Parenthood, no organization would be safe," Tlaib added. "Shameful."If passed, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act would grant the Treasury Department—soon to be under the control of a Trump nominee—the authority to unilaterally strip nonprofits of their tax-exempt status by deeming them supporters of terrorism.The bill could be revived in the next Congress, which is likely to be under full Republican control.Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel with the ACLU, toldThe Intercept late Tuesday that "we will continue our sustained opposition."It is already illegal under U.S. law to provide material backing for terrorism, and the executive branch has significant authority to target groups it considers terrorist-supporting."This isn't just an attack on our communities; it's a fundamental threat to free speech and democracy."The ACLU noted ahead of Tuesday's vote that while the bill contains "a 90-day 'cure' period in which a designated nonprofit can mount a defense, it is a mere illusion of due process.""The government may deny organizations its reasons and evidence against them, leaving the nonprofit unable to rebut allegations," the group said. "This means that a nonprofit could be left entirely in the dark about what conduct the government believes qualifies as 'support,' making it virtually impossible to clear its name."Opponents of the bill warned that Palestinian rights organizations would be uniquely imperiled if it passed."This bill dangerously weaponizes the Treasury against nonprofit organizations and houses of worship—Christian, Jewish, or Muslim—that dare to support Palestinian and Lebanese human rights or criticize Israel's genocidal actions," said Robert McCaw, director of government affairs at the Council on American-Islamic Relations."Allowing such sweeping, unchecked power would set a chilling precedent, enabling the government to selectively target and suppress voices of dissent under the guise of national security," McCaw added. "This isn't just an attack on our communities; it's a fundamental threat to free speech and democracy."Georgia State Rep. Ruwa Romman (D-97), a Palestinian American, echoed that sentiment following Tuesday's vote and condemned the legislation's 52 Democratic supporters."Every single Democrat who voted for this is not taking the threat of Trump remotely seriously and should be disqualified from any leadership positions moving forward," Romman wrote on social media. "This is no longer business as usual. To agree to give him this kind of power is beyond egregious."

President-elect Trump has repeatedly pledged to dismantle the Department of Education, a decision that could radically reshape learning across America.Why it matters: The Department of Education plays a crucial role in making education access and quality more equitable for students across the country.Abolishing the department and the accompanying changes are "an effort to strip the federal government of any ability to do good ... as a way to justify further defunding our public schools and colleges," Kelly Rosinger, an associate professor of education and public policy at Penn State, told Axios.State of play: The Department of Education has been a punching bag for Republicans for decades. Ronald Reagan threatened to abolish it, and many inside the GOP have echoed Trump's calls for its end.Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) last year said "unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., should not be in charge of our children's intellectual and moral development" while introducing a bill to kill the department.Driving the news: Elon Musk, one of President-elect Trump's most influential backers, posted a video to X Monday showing Trump boasting about closing the department and sending all education matters "back to the states."The official 2024 GOP platform also calls for closing the Department of Education. Can Trump actually get rid of the department?While not impossible, Trump's political pathway to abolishing the Department of Education is narrow.Eliminating the department would require Congressional action, likely including a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate, the Washington Post reported.Despite their 53-47 Senate majority, Republicans are unlikely to muster up the votes to circumvent the filibuster.A House vote last year on an amendment eliminating the department failed after 60 Republicans joined Democrats opposing it, per the Post.Flashback: Trump's animus towards the Department of Education isn't new. During his first term he proposed merging the Education and Labor Departments.Betsy DeVos, Trump's previous secretary of education, was seen by many critics as anti-public education.What does Department of Education do?The Department of Education's budget funds a variety of programs to help students obtain a quality education.The department funds Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provides supplemental funding to high-poverty K-12 school districts.Head Start programs provide vital child care services for many low-income and rural communities across the country, Rosinger pointed out.The department also administers Pell Grants, which help low-income students attend college.The Office of Special Education Programs provides resources to support students with disabilities through age 21.The department also collects national data on schools and enforces federal civil rights laws to prohibit discrimination.Zoom in: The Department of Education is also the loan holder for most federal student loans. What happens if the department is eliminated?Project 2025, which Trump's allies have touted as the incoming administration's agenda, outlines plans to abolish the department, which it calls a "one-stop shop for the woke education cartel."Instead, Project 2025 calls for redistributing various federal education programs across the government, while eliminating others or transferring them to the states.For instance, it calls for management of Title I to be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services, the department's civil rights office would join the Justice Department, and the Treasury Department would manage student loan collections and defaults.What they're saying: These changes — from shifting programs across agencies, shuffling staff, or losing experts in the field — could mean "chaos ahead," Rosinger said."When federal government programs are chaotic, it's going to disproportionately harm working class families," she added.What could happen to student loans?While Trump has repeatedly railed against the Biden administration's student debt forgiveness efforts, Project 2025 takes aim at the federal government's role as a student loan lender.Project 2025 says that income-driven repayment (IDR) plans have "proliferated beyond reason," and that a new IDR plan should be instituted requiring payments equal to 10% of a borrower's income for those earning above the poverty line.It also calls for returning to a system where private lenders offer student loans. Private loans typically come with higher interest rates than federal loans.There are also concerns the administration could narrow the scope of loans available to help students attain higher education, like eliminating Parent PLUS loans for undergraduates and graduate student PLUS loans — both of which Project 2025 calls for, Rosinger said.How will this reshape American education?These changes would profoundly alter American education.For one, it will "decimate" the professional education bureaucracy, as Trump replaces career experts in their fields with political appointees, Rosinger said.Between the lines: Even if the Department of Education is left intact, changes are likely regardless, as the Trump administration is unlikely to continue the Biden administration's efforts to expand LGBTQ+ and gender equality protections or forgive student debt, Rosinger said.The Trump administration could also transfer responsibility for accrediting universities and colleges to the states, she added.That could see accreditation being "used as a lever" to discourage schools from pursuing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and affirmative action programs, Rosinger noted.The bottom line: "Looking at Project 2025, the programs that are supporting trans students, that support low income students, that support racially minoritized students, these are going to be the ones that are the most threatened," Rosinger said.Go deeper: What another Trump term could mean for student loan relief

The Republican stronghold in Northern Kentucky’s legislative leadership continues, but some races may have been too close for comfort, as evidenced by a $40,000 donation made by a Mitch McConnell affiliated PAC to incumbent Stephanie Dietz’s campaign less than two weeks before the general election. Dietz did come out on top in her race, beating [...]The post Republicans retain control of most NKY legislative seats appeared first on LINK nky.

The Amish are a reliably conservative, yet personally private voting bloc that many believe could make a difference for Republicans in the Keystone State.

The Intercept followed AIPAC’s money trail to reveal how its political spending impacts the balance of power in Congress.The post How Does AIPAC Shape Washington? We Tracked Every Dollar. appeared first on The Intercept.

This spending bill funds the government through October, November, and just before Christmas, setting up another showdown just before Christmas eve.

Former President Donald Trump is seen at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 18.

'We still don't have the review, do we?'

Inspector General Michael Horowitz said he is currently reviewing a draft of the report and hopes it will be ready before Jan. 20, 2025.

'I would say what he’s done is par for the course'

Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) move to bring a clean, short-term government funding stopgap — his plan B after his first gambit failed — is upsetting conservative House Republicans, who will be key in deciding the top lawmaker’s fate as GOP leader next year. The disappointment has, thus far, not bubbled up into a revolt, with [...]

Wednesday night’s vote also showed that former President Trump is intent on forcing a government shutdown, as are other Republicans unwilling to work with Speaker Johnson.

Fourteen Republicans voted to reject the plan to extend government funding by six months and include a voter integrity measure.

'Thespian in the Speaker’s failure theater'

A bill to avert a partial government shutdown at the end of this month failed along bipartisan lines on Wednesday.