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Patty Murray

 
Patty Murray Image
Title
Senator
Washington
Party Affiliation
Democrat
2023
2028
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PattyMurray
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: @
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Representative Offices
Address
2930 Wetmore Ave.
Suite
Suite 9D
City/State/Zip
Everett WA, 98201
Phone
425-259-6515
Fax
425-259-7152
Address
825 Jadwin Avenue
Suite
Suite 160K
City/State/Zip
Richland WA, 99352
Phone
509-453-7462
Address
915 2nd Ave.
Building
Jackson Federal Building
Suite
#2988
City/State/Zip
Seattle WA, 98174
Phone
206-553-5545
Fax
206-553-0891
Address
920 West Riverside Avenue
Suite
Ste 485
City/State/Zip
Spokane WA, 99201
Phone
509-624-9515
Address
1301 A Street
Suite
Ste 213
City/State/Zip
Tacoma WA, 98402
Phone
253-572-3636
Address
1323 Officer's Row
Building
The Marshall House
City/State/Zip
Vancouver WA, 98661
Phone
360-696-7797
Fax
360-696-7798
Address
402 E. Yakima Ave.
Suite
Suite 420
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Yakima WA, 98901
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News
02/15/2025 --theadvocate
WASHINGTON – About 75,000 civilian federal workers took President Donald Trump’s “buy out” offer to resign — far fewer than hoped.
02/12/2025 --columbian
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s most powerful adviser, Elon Musk, made a rare public appearance at the White House on Tuesday to defend the swift and extensive cuts he’s pushing across the federal government while acknowledging there have been mistakes and will be more.
02/12/2025 --wfaa
Lawmakers here and in Washington have long debated ending the practice of changing the clocks twice a year.
02/12/2025 --register_herald
President Donald Trump’s most powerful adviser, Elon Musk, has made a rare public appearance at the White House to defend the swift and extensive cuts he’s pushing across the federal government while acknowledging there may be mistakes. He appeared in...
02/08/2025 --wvnews
Talks on a spending bill for the current budget year have bogged down in the wake of President Donald Trump’s efforts to slash federal spending and its workforce. Republican leaders say Democrats have walked away from negotiations. Not so, say...
02/08/2025 --columbian
Standing before a mourning nation following a tragic commercial airline crash that killed nearly 70 people in Washington, D.C., President Trump offered his somber condolences and said everyone was “searching for answers.”
02/08/2025 --axios
The National Institutes of Health sent shockwaves through academic research circles late Friday, saying it will dramatically cut the rate it pays for universities' administration and overhead costs to save the government more than $4 billion.Why it matters: The reductions will particularly hit elite institutions including Harvard, Yale and Johns Hopkins and fulfill a long-sought conservative goal that was included in the Project 2025 blueprint.Trump proposed a similar change during his first term, but Congress didn't act. Project 2025 says the reimbursements "cross-subsidize leftist agendas" and that universities use the funds to pay for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Driving the news: NIH, as of Monday, will cap the indirect cost rate on all new and current grants at 15% of the total cost. It said the reimbursements have averaged between 27% and 28%, with some institutions receiving more than 50%. It noted Harvard, Yale and Johns Hopkins each received more than 60%.The agency said in a post on X that $9 billion of the $35 billion that it granted for research in fiscal 2023 was used for administrative overhead, as opposed to direct research. The reimbursements can be used to cover the cost of lab space, data processing, safety measures for human subjects and to pay support staff, per the Association of American Universities.What they're saying: "The United States should have the best medical research in the world. It is accordingly vital to ensure that as many funds as possible go towards direct scientific research costs rather than administrative overhead," the agency said in announcing the change.But academic research interests predicted the cuts will slow medical breakthroughs, including treatments for cancer and chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.The reductions "represent the federal government stepping back from commitments it has made to world-leading researchers," said Mark Becker, president of the American Public and Land-Grant Universities. "This action will slow advances for millions of patients who desperately need critical breakthroughs and imperil the U.S.'s position as the world leader in biomedical innovation," he said.A senior Democrat in Congress, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), said the move was illegal because annual spending bills prohibit modifications to NIH's indirect costs.She said the move would shift costs to states that can't afford to pay the difference.Context: President Trump's early actions on federal health agencies included temporarily freezing NIH grant reviews and rescinding job offers.NIH has become a frequent target of conservatives, with lawmakers proposing a major overhaul that would include new oversight of research and additional reviews of the process for awarding grants to universities.
02/08/2025 --a12news
All administrations set their own rules for which transportation projects to prioritize. But some of Sean Duffy's directives were received as highly unusual.
02/04/2025 --dailykos
A group of unions representing federal employees filed a lawsuit on Monday against Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, alleging that he illegally allowed billionaire Elon Musk and his army of unqualified Department of Government Efficiency bros to access sensitive personal information in violation of the Privacy Act of 1974.The lawsuit is in response to a Washington Post report, which said that Musk forced out the top career Treasury official in charge of overseeing trillions of dollars of government payments so that DOGE aides could access the payment systems. Those systems are responsible for handling trillions of dollars of tax revenue, as well as disbursing payments for Social Security and Medicare benefits, tax refunds, government grants, and more.The lawsuit, filed by the Alliance for Retired Americans, the American Federation of Government Employees, and the Service Employees International Union, seeks to halt Musk and DOGE's reported access to that sensitive Treasury Department data, saying that “[t]he Privacy Act prohibits Defendants from disclosing records on individuals to Mr. Musk, other individuals associated with DOGE, or any other person without the individual’s consent except in specified circumstances.”The lawsuit alleges that "Bessent’s action granting DOGE-affiliated individuals full, continuous, and ongoing access to that information for an unspecified period of time means that retirees, taxpayers, federal employees, companies, and other individuals from all walks of life have no assurance that their information will receive the protection that federal law affords. And because Defendants’ actions and decisions are shrouded in secrecy, individuals will not have even basic information about what personal or financial information that Defendants are sharing with outside parties or how their information is being used."Aside from this lawsuit, Senate Democrats on Monday said they will introduce a bill to block Musk and DOGE's access to the Treasury Department data.“Let’s not mince words here,” Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a news conference. “An unelected, unaccountable billionaire—with expansive conflicts of interest, deep ties to China, and an indiscreet axe to grind against perceived enemies—is hijacking our nation’s most sensitive financial data systems and its checkbook so that he can illegally block funds to our constituents, based on the slightest whim or wildest conspiracy. Funds—mind you—that Congress passed on a bipartisan basis.”xYouTube VideoHouse Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also said on Monday that House Democrats will introduce similar legislation.“[A]t my direction, legislation will be introduced shortly to prevent unlawful access to the Department of Treasury Bureau of the Fiscal Service payment system that contains highly confidential and personal information related to Social Security and Medicare recipients, taxpayers, households, nonprofits, businesses and federal contractors,” Jeffries said in a letter to House Democrats.Of course, any legislation would require Republican support since the GOP controls both the House and the Senate. And Republicans have shown zero desire to stop Trump and Musk from carrying out actions that will clearly cause harm for millions of Americans, whether it be freezing all federal funds, shutting down federal agencies, or confirming unqualified radical lunatics to Trump’s Cabinet.With Republicans in charge, the last hope we have is the court system. And given that the courts have been filled with radical MAGA judges, and the Supreme Court has been compromised by three Trump appointees, along with right-wing Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, we may not be able to trust that branch of government either. Thank you to the Daily Kos community who continues to fight so hard with Daily Kos. Your reader support means everything. We will continue to have you covered and keep you informed, so please donate just $3 to help support the work we do.
01/31/2025 --dailycamera
It was a blockbuster showing like nothing the Senate has seen in modern memory.
01/31/2025 --motherjones
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has admitted to the US Senate that he has reached at least one settlement agreement in which he was accused of misconduct or inappropriate behavior. After the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday completed its confirmation hearing for Kennedy’s appointment to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Democrats on the [...]
01/27/2025 --rawstory
WASHINGTON — Democratic and independent U.S. senators introduced a resolution Monday to condemn President Donald Trump’s clemency for the rioters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, injuring numerous law enforcement officers and sending lawmakers into hiding as they tried to certify the 2020 presidential election results.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York along with Sens. Patty Murray of Washington, Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Andy Kim of New Jersey are leading all Democrat and independent senators who signed the resolution that “disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.” An initial press release did not include Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania as a co-sponsor, but reports on social media indicated he signed on. Fetterman’s office did not immediately confirm.ALSO READ: Top GOPer's ‘most immediate’ priority for new committee includes probing a MAGA conspiracyMurray will seek unanimous consent on the floor to pass the resolution. Only one senator needs to object to stop it from being adopted.Murray said in a statement Monday that she refuses to “allow President Trump to rewrite what happened on January 6th— armed insurrectionists, incited by Trump himself, broke into the U.S. Capitol and violently assaulted Capitol Police officers in their attempt to overthrow a free and fair election.”Condemning the pardons and commutations for those who caused cracked ribs, crushed spinal disks and other injuries, “should be the easiest thing in the world,” Murray said.“I hope and expect my Republican colleagues will allow this very simple resolution to pass as a show of support for the officers who put their lives on the line to keep senators safe,” Murray said.Republicans quiet about Jan. 6 pardonsStates Newsroom asked 22 Republican senators how they felt about the pardons and commutations the day after Trump signed the order. Barring a few exceptions, most either refused to answer, said they hadn’t seen Trump’s high-profile order, or spoke only on pardons issued by former President Joe Biden in the hours before he left office.GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, told NBC News’ “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker” on Sunday that the president’s pardons of violent Jan. 6 defendants were “a mistake because it seems to suggest that’s an OK thing to do.”Trump commuted the prison sentences of 14 of the attack’s ringleaders and members of the paramilitary groups the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. The president granted a “full, complete and unconditional pardon” to all others charged with crimes after the attack.Among the approximately 1,572 defendants, 608 were charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement, including 174 charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. Of those charged, 172 pleaded guilty to assaulting police — 69 of them pleading guilty to assaulting the officers with some sort of weapon.Investigators found that the rioters brought and improvised numerous types of weapons, including firearms, chemical sprays, tasers, knives, flagpoles and broken furniture.Violent offendersMurray, Schumer, Murphy and Kim highlighted several specific cases of violent offenders pardoned by Trump. Here are a few:Christopher Quaglin, of North Brunswick, New Jersey, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for spraying bear spray directly in the faces of officers, stealing riot shields and striking the officers, grabbing an officer’s neck and tackling him to the ground, and numerous other assaults on law enforcement that day.Tyler Bradley Dykes, of Bluffton, South Carolina, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for stealing a police riot shield and using it to obstruct and assault officers at multiple locations in the Capitol.Robert Sanford Jr., of Chester, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to just over four years in prison for hitting three officers in the head with a fire extinguisher, among other actions.Robert Scott Palmer, of Largo, Florida, was sentenced to just over five years in prison for throwing a wooden plank at officers and spraying the entire contents of a fire extinguisher at them before throwing it in an attempt to strike them.Prior to leaving office Jan. 20, Biden preemptively pardoned all members of the congressional committee that investigated the attack as well as four police officers who testified before the panel. Trump is on record as recently as December saying the committee members “should go to jail.”
01/27/2025 --huffpost
The new president is taking statutes passed by Congress seriously, not literally.
01/27/2025 --columbian
TACOMA — Washington became the 42nd state in 1889. Now, both of its U.S. senators want to see the other Washington — D.C., that is — get granted statehood, too.
01/26/2025 --cbsnews
In one of President Trump's first executive actions, he pardoned roughly 1,500 people charged​ in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.
01/23/2025 --theepochtimes
Senate Budget Committee concentrates on the power of the purpose during second confirmation hearing.
01/23/2025 --rollcall
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. The Senate this week took up a bill that could punish physicians who fail to resuscitate infants born during an abortion. That in itself [...]The post At the Races: March for Life brings abortion votes appeared first on Roll Call.
01/23/2025 --foxnews
President Trump's pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget faced a tough grilling from Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Budget Committee on Wednesday.
01/23/2025 --rollcall
The 50th annual March for Life makes its way down Constitution Avenue in Washington on Jan. 20, 2023.
01/22/2025 --huffpost
Russell Vought, likely to return as director of the Office of Management and Budget, echoed the former House speaker's criticism of the social safety net.
01/22/2025 --kron4
Democrats on Wednesday grilled Office of Management and Budget (OMB) nominee Russell Vought over recent executive orders made by President Trump they say “illegally” target funding authorized by former President Biden. As Vought testified before the Senate Budget Committee, Democrats pressed him about orders announced earlier this week that “pause the disbursement of funds” appropriated [...]
01/10/2025 --union_bulletin
Walla Walla County was awarded the largest award to date from a federal grant program that focuses on infrastructure in rural areas to put toward the final section of the four-lane highway on U.S. 12 between Walla Walla and Tri-Cities.
01/07/2025 --columbian
WASHINGTON — The House and Senate met in a joint session of Congress on Monday and certified the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States.
01/06/2025 --huffpost
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) was among many Democrats marking Jan. 6 on social media by noting that at least their party believes in democracy.
01/03/2025 --theepochtimes
Several senators join the Appropriations, Judiciary, Finance, Foreign Relations, and Commerce Committees, where they will gain new influence over policy.
12/29/2025 --kron4
The messy government shutdown fight this month foreshadows some of the challenges House Republicans could face next year, as a major test on funding awaits the incoming GOP “trifecta.” Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown last week – but not without a bit of drama. GOP leadership struggled to meet tough demands from President-elect Trump, [...]
12/26/2024 --foxnews
On the first day of the new Congress, representatives will vote for the speaker of the House as Mike Johnson fights to keep the job.
12/18/2024 --axios
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will unveil on Wednesday his list of Senate Democrats who get top committee positions, Axios has learned.Why it matters: These Senate Democrats will Schumer's top lieutenants to fight against Republican nominees and legislative priorities starting next year.The assignments:Sen. Amy Klobuchar, AgricultureSen. Patty Murray, AppropriationsSen. Jack Reed, Armed ServicesSen. Elizabeth Warren, BankingSen. Maria Cantwell, CommerceSen. Martin Heinrich, EnergySen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Environments and Public WorksSen. Ron Wyden, FinanceSen. Jeanne Shaheen, Foreign RelationsSen. Bernie Sanders, Health, Education, Labor and PensionsSen. Gary Peters, Homeland SecuritySen. Mark Warner, IntelligenceSen. Dick Durbin, JudiciarySen. Kirsten Gillibrand, AgingSen. Jeff Merkley, BudgetSen. Maggie Hassan, Joint EconomicSen. Alex Padilla, RulesSen. Ed Markey, Small BusinessSen. Richard Blumenthal, Veterans' AffairsSen. Chris Coons, EthicsSen. Brian Schatz, Indian Affairs
12/18/2024 --columbian
Gov. Jay Inslee recently released an executive order that reemphasizes his administration’s support for the state’s salmon recovery efforts as his term enters its final days.
12/18/2024 --dailykos
Congressional leaders have unveiled a stopgap spending bill that will keep the federal government funded through March 14 and provide more than $100 billion in emergency aid to help states and local communities recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters.The measure would prevent a partial government shutdown set to begin after midnight Friday. It would kick final decisions on this budget year's spending levels to a new Republican-led Congress and President-elect Donald Trump. The continuing resolution generally continues current spending levels for agencies.Passage of the measure is one of the final actions that lawmakers will consider this week before adjourning for the holidays and making way for the next Congress. It's the second short-term funding measure the lawmakers have taken up this fall as they struggled to pass the dozen annual appropriations bills before the new fiscal year began Oct. 1, as they typically do.The bill will provide $100.4 billion in disaster relief, with an additional $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers struggling with low commodity prices and high input costs.“We have to be able to help those who are in these dire straits,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters.Net farm income is projected to decline 4.1% this year after falling 19.4% the year before from the record highs reached in 2022. Johnson indicated more farm aid could be delivered in the next Congress, saying “we can't do all it right now.”Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer,“Congress is doing the best it can under difficult circumstances, and I think it will be a big boost for the industry,” Johnson said.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the agreement was “free of cuts and poison pills,” and would provide money for Democratic priorities like child care, workforce training and job placement.“With this agreement, we are now on our way to avoiding a government shutdown," Schumer said.Rep. Glenn Thompson, the Republican chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said he was hoping for more economic relief for farmers, but “it’s a great start.”“I think it’s going to send the right signal to the markets that most farmers and ranchers are going to be able to get eligible for the credit they need to borrow in order to plant a crop or raise a herd,” Thompson said.President Joe Biden has sought about $114 billion in disaster aid, submitting a $99 billion request in November, telling lawmakers the funding was “urgently needed.” The administration subsequently updated its request to include funding to repair federal facilities damaged due to natural disasters.The largest share of the money, about $29 billion, will go to the main disaster relief fund at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The fund helps with debris removal, repairing public infrastructure and providing financial assistance to survivors. About $21 billion goes to help farmers who have experienced crop or livestock losses.Another $8 billion will go to help rebuild and repair highways and bridges in more than 40 states and territories. And some $12 billion would go toward helping communities recover through block grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. About $2.2 billion would go to low-interest loans for businesses, nonprofits and homeowners trying to rebuild after a disaster.“While this is not the legislation I would have written on my own, it is a strong, bipartisan package that provides the resources communities urgently need to recover,” said Sen. Patty Murray, the Democratic chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.Congress is expected to pass the measure just before another shutdown deadline. House Republicans generally give lawmakers 72 hours to review text of the legislation, which would push a vote on final passage to Friday if they follow through on that rule. The Senate is not known for acting speedily, but many lawmakers are anxious to adjourn for the year and make way for the next Congress.Since the bill is the last must-pass legislation of the current Congress, lawmakers have worked to get certain priorities included. On the health care front, the legislation seeks to extend coverage of telehealth appointments for Medicare enrollees and rein in how much money pharmacy benefits managers — the companies that negotiate how and what drugs are covered by insurance plans — make off those deals.The bill also includes provisions focused on countering China, including expanding on a Biden executive order that seeks to restrict investments into countries that pose a national security threat to the United States. Blocking China’s high-tech ambitions is one of the few issues that enjoys broad support in Washington from both Republicans and Democrats.There's also a provision to transfer the land that is the site of the old RFK Stadium from the federal government to the District of Columbia, which could potentially lead to a new stadium for the Washington Commanders.The legislation also provides full federal funding to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed when struck by a cargo ship that reported losing power just before the crash. Federal taxpayers will be reimbursed through proceeds from insurance payments and litigation.Campaign Action
12/05/2024 --nbcphiladelphia
Tech billionaire Elon Musk and conservative activist Vivek Ramaswamy on Thursday began in-person discussions with congressional Republicans about ways they could slash federal spending and regulations once President-elect Donald Trump takes office.Trump has tasked Musk and Ramaswamy with issuing recommendations to overhaul the federal budget and bureaucracy — a goal that many Republicans say they agree with, but also one that presidents and Congresses under both parties, as well as divided governments, have repeatedly failed to deliver on.Musk and Ramaswamy traveled to Capitol Hill for a series of meetings with House and Senate members. It was their first such trip since their appointment by Trump as outside advisers, heading up a commission called the Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE is also the name of an internet meme and a cryptocurrency.“This is a brainstorming session,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters between meetings. He said the talks are “laying the groundwork” for what lawmakers will do next year.They have their work cut out for them.Trump oversaw an increase in deficits during his first term, even before the Covid-19 pandemic. In his 2024 campaign, he promised to preserve two of the most expensive parts of the budget — Social Security and Medicare — beyond “cutting waste and fraud.” He also called for trillions of dollars in additional tax breaks on tips and overtime, in addition to extending his 2017 tax cuts, which would all add to the debt. And most congressional Republicans are determined to continue increasing military spending, another large slice of the pie.Musk, one of the world’s wealthiest people, has potential leverage over congressional Republicans because of his willingness to spend some of his vast fortune on politics, and his recent proximity to Trump. As recently as Sunday, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has repeatedly warned Republicans to get in line behind Trump’s priorities or else face a primary challenge in 2026.Great @DOGE meeting with @elonmusk, @VivekGRamaswamy, @SpeakerJohnson, and X-Æ-12 pic.twitter.com/WRXQoz7MGY— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) December 5, 2024 Officially, though, the roles for Musk and Ramaswamy are only advisory. They won’t be in the government and instead will be sending recommendations to the Trump White House, with a deadline of July 4, 2026.Musk’s newfound political influence follows his campaigning for Trump over the summer and fall. His super PAC, America PAC, spent more than $152 million to boost Trump and other Republicans, with much of the money coming from Musk and his friends, according to disclosure reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. Musk also held events for Trump in swing state Pennsylvania and turned X, which he owns, into a megaphone for pro-Trump views.Ramaswamy, a former biotech executive, ran in the Republican primary for president and lost to Trump before later endorsing him.Musk has repeatedly faced questions about potential conflicts of interest in advising on the federal budget. SpaceX is a major federal contractor, including with the Defense Department and NASA. And, according to Ramaswamy, one of their potential targets is a $6.6 billion loan to electric vehicle maker Rivian Automotive, a competitor to Tesla. Musk has not said how or if he plans to resolve those conflicts.One lawmaker, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said Thursday it was too early to anticipate the priorities for cuts but that loosening regulation by administrative action and through Congress would be a good place to start.“There are tens of billions of dollars in regulatory relief that are on the table now,” Tillis said.The U.S. budget was $6.1 trillion in fiscal year 2023, according to the Peterson Foundation.Still, Tillis called the Thursday conversation an “organizational meeting” — akin to “an engagement meeting I’d have with a client.”Speaking to reporters in between meetings, Musk reiterated his support for ending tax credits to encourage electric vehicle sales, aligning with Republicans who are eying cuts to clean energy funding.“I think we should get rid of all credits,” he said in response to a reporter’s question about tax credits for electric vehicles. (Musk has previously said that EV credits help Tesla’s competitors.)Musk said little else as he walked through the Capitol’s corridors with one of his children. The billionaire was followed so closely by Capitol Hill reporters, he said, “It’s like there’s ambient press.”Once DOGE is established, Musk and Ramaswamy will have a small office of 10 to 12 staffers under the executive office of the president who will work closely with the Office of Management and Budget, a source involved in the effort told NBC News.They will also have individuals within each federal department and agency who operate as DOGE liaisons, the source said. Musk and Ramaswamy are seeking individuals with business backgrounds with an interest in “gutting bureaucracy” to fill those roles. “A lot of these folks will be lawyers or have previous experience at that agency,” the source said.Musk has shown a willingness to consider cuts to some of the federal government’s most popular programs including Social Security. On Monday, he shared a post on X from Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, advocating an overhaul of Social Security into something like individual retirement accounts. “Interesting thread,” Musk wrote.Thursday morning, Musk met with incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., while Ramaswamy met separately behind closed doors with a group of 15 Senate Republicans for a little over an hour. In the afternoon, they met with a larger group of House and Senate members.Leaving the meeting with Ramaswamy, senators told NBC News that it was a positive conversation and consisted of an “exchanging of ideas,” as Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., put it. But they would not divulge specific policies discussed inside.A source familiar with the private meeting in the afternoon told NBC News that the gathering turned into an “open mic session” featuring “an airing of grievances from House members who want Elon and Vivek to solve all their problems.”Some Democrats have expressed interest in working with Musk and Ramaswamy to reduce spending and regulations. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., posted on X on Thursday that Congress should model its efforts on a World War II-era committee led by then-Sen. Harry Truman.“Let’s look to the Truman Committee and ensure Americans get their money’s worth with DOD spending,” he wrote.While GOP efforts to reduce the size of the federal government and end wasteful spending are not new, senators did not offer much in terms of how this effort would be different or possibly more successful.“You’re way too ahead,” Tillis said when asked about budget deficits.Leaving the meeting, Ramaswamy also declined to answer reporters’ questions.In the 2024 election, Republicans won a 53-vote Senate majority and a paper-thin House majority of 220-215. Those slim margins could give Democrats some influence over the outcome, and some of them mock the new Musk-led effort as a punchline.“DOGE is not real. Just because someone says there is now a department of so and so does not mean the actual department now exists,” said Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., the ranking member of the Budget Committee.“Republicans are total hypocrites when it comes to deficit and debt. ... Trump added more to the national debt than any president in American history,” Boyle continued. “So I have seen this movie before. I have absolutely no doubt that if Trump is able to ram through a second round of his tax cuts, then it will explode the national debt.”Veterans of past failed debt-reform efforts, including the Obama-era bipartisan “super committee” of 2011, doubt the DOGE will be more successful unless it’s willing to take on sacred cows.“If past is prologue, the DOGE faces an uphill climb. It’s not yet clear what authority or reach the DOGE has, but managing the federal budget cannot be done through talking points,” said Zach Mallove, a lobbyist who worked as a policy aide to Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., when she co-chaired the super committee.Mallove said lawmakers will have to accept some “political pain” for it to be meaningful. “In the end, the math just doesn’t add up: with a $1.7 trillion annual discretionary budget, you cannot cut $2 trillion without tapping into the country’s social safety net.”This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News here:Family of Missouri teen who fell to his death on Orlando free-fall ride gets $310 million verdictEx-Proud Boys Leader dodges questions at trial of officer charged with feeding him intelHouse votes against releasing Matt Gaetz ethics report for now
12/02/2024 --rollcall
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, here at the Capitol in September, is set to succeed Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow as the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate.
12/02/2024 --rollcall
Russell Vought, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, testifies during a House Budget Committee hearing in 2020.
11/23/2024 --huffpost
During the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump had hailed what would become Project 2025 as a conservative roadmap for “exactly what our movement will do."
11/23/2024 --whig
During the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump had hailed what would become Project 2025 as a conservative roadmap for “exactly what our movement will do." Trump pulled an about-face when Project 2025 became a political liability. He denied knowing anything about...
11/20/2024 --kron4
The debate among Republicans over whether to punt government funding into the new year is heating up, as lawmakers race toward their next shutdown deadline. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) this week said lawmakers are running out of time until the Dec. 20 deadline and that passing an extension into early 2025 “would be ultimately a [...]
11/19/2024 --roanoke
She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice.
11/19/2024 --martinsvillebulletin
She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice.
10/30/2024 --rollcall
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a campaign rally with Derek Merrin, Republican candidate for Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, in Holland, Ohio, on Oct. 26.
09/29/2024 --buffalonews
The lines that have traditionally defined each party’s priorities are blurring as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump fight to expand their political coalitions in the final days of the campaign.
09/25/2024 --foxnews
The conservative Heritage Foundation think tank has filed a FOIA suit seeking any communications that exist pertaining to Biden DOJ legal advice concerning use of the 25th Amendment.
09/25/2024 --rollcall
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., pictured at a news conference on Tuesday, is preparing for his last post-election wrap-up as leader.
09/24/2024 --kron4
Senate Republicans blocked Democrats from advancing a resolution aimed at ensuring access to emergency health care, including for abortions, as Democrats keep their messaging centered on reproductive rights ahead of November. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) attempted to pass the resolution, which was introduced last week, via unanimous consent. She argued it was necessary after ProPublica reported a [...]
09/24/2024 --rollcall
Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford is pictured in the Capitol during votes on July 31. Lankford on Tuesday blocked a resolution expressing a sense of the Senate that every patient should have the right to emergency health care, including abortion, regardless of where they live, saying that “there is no state in America where a woman faces prosecution for having an abortion.”
09/24/2024 --orlandosentinel
Both candidates are taking stances that would have once been anathema to their bases.
09/17/2024 --abc7
Democrats brought the bill back to the Senate floor after Republicans previously blocked the measure from advancing in June.
09/17/2024 --kron4
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) is warning colleagues that it would be “politically beyond stupid” for Congress to stumble into a government shutdown a few weeks before Election Day, saying Republicans would “certainly” get the blame. McConnell made his comments a few hours after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) unveiled his plan to vote this [...]
09/17/2024 --huffpost
A second attempt to pass legislation guaranteeing access to in vitro fertilization for women who need it failed after Republican senators filibustered it on Tuesday.
 
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