Shelley Capito

'We are just getting started'

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Ashley Hinson and Sen. Pete Ricketts are rolling out a bicameral bill with bipartisan support that would secure agriculture supply chains in the United States from vulnerabilities and potential Chinese Communist Party exploitation, Fox News Digital has learned.

Senate Republicans expressed new worries about the economy Monday after Wall Street had one of its worst days in years amid a trade war and remarks from President Trump that did not rule out the possibility of a recession. The Nasdaq composite had its worst day in three years, closing with a loss of 4 [...]

Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., says funding should go toward "laying asphalt, pouring concrete."

House Republicans on Saturday released a plan to fund the government that, if passed, would make massive cuts to social safety net programs, infrastructure projects, and even veterans’ health care programs.Democrats tried to work for months with Republicans to come up with a bill to fund the government. However, the House Republican bill left Democrats out and is a partisan plan that increases funding for President Donald Trump’s deportation plans while largely axing funding for infrastructure projects, a fund to help veterans exposed to toxic chemicals, and disaster-mitigation efforts, among other things.For example, Politico reported that the legislation did not renew $40 million in funding for over 70 programs to benefit children and families, including $5 million for homeless shelters in Alaska.From the Politico report:Also forgone are $890 million in grants for health care facilities and equipment. Again, the fiscal 2024 funding had been distributed on a bipartisan basis: GOP Sens. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, Roger Wicker of Mississippi were among those who requested funding for clinics and hospitals in their states. Bipartisan emergency preparedness and disaster mitigation projects funded through $293 million of earmarked FEMA dollars are also not renewed, as well as $116 million in Small Business Administration funding and $107 million in workforce development projects. Clean water projects, law enforcement grants and tribal assistance are also targeted in the bill.House Democrats say the funding bill does not include $22.8 billion for the Toxic Exposures Fund, which provides assistance to help veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances during their service. They also said it cuts rent subsidies by more than $700 million, which Democrats said would allow landlords to “evict more than 32,000 households including veterans, survivors of domestic violence, seniors, and families with disabilities.”Also missing is $20 million in funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which, according to the Department of Agriculture, “helps supplement the diets of people with low income by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost.” Cuts to that program come as Trump’s tariffs are expected to raise the cost of food even higher.And the funding bill would also lead to $1 billion in cuts to the District of Columbia, which city officials told The Washington Post could lead to cuts to the police force, teaching staff, and more.House Democrats appear united in opposition to the funding bill.“House Democrats would enthusiastically support a bill that protects Social Security, Medicare, veterans health and Medicaid, but Republicans have chosen to put them on the chopping block to pay for billionaire tax cuts,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote in a letter on Friday. “We cannot back a measure that rips away life-sustaining healthcare and retirement benefits from everyday Americans as part of the Republican scheme to pay for massive tax cuts for their wealthy donors like Elon Musk. Medicaid is our redline.”Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said in a news release that the Republican funding bill also does not rein in Trump co-President Elon Musk from making unilateral cuts to the government that has caused chaos across the country.Elon Musk“This continuing resolution is a blank check for Elon Musk and creates more flexibility for him to steal from the middle class, seniors, veterans, working people, small businesses, and farmers to pay for tax breaks for billionaires,” DeLauro said. “Veterans will suffer with higher housing costs, poorer quality of health care at the VA, and no advance funding for treatment from exposure to toxic chemicals. It makes the cost of living worse for so many hardworking people. It raises rents for many low-income families. With reduced staff and closure of Social Security offices, seniors will struggle. This bill also cuts Army Corps of Engineers construction projects by more than 40%, while Elon Musk’s SpaceX program gets special treatment across the government.”Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, echoed DeLauro’s sentiments.“Instead of working with Democrats to invest in working families and communities all across America, Speaker Johnson has rolled out a slush fund continuing resolution that would give Donald Trump and Elon Musk more power over federal spending—and more power to pick winners and losers, which threatens families in blue and red states alike," Murray said in a news release.House Republicans plan to vote on the legislation on Thursday—one day before the government is set to shut down. Republicans apparently hope that if they pass the bill and leave town, it will cause voters to blame Democrats if the Senate doesn't pass the legislation. In the Senate, the bill needs 60 votes to avoid a filibuster, meaning that even though Republicans control the chamber, Democrats are needed for passage.However, that is a gamble.That would require House Republicans to keep nearly their entire conference together in voting for the funding bill since they have a razor-thin majority in the chamber. Republicans currently have a 218-214 majority. That means if every member of Congress is present for the vote, Republicans could lose just two votes. (A tie results in the failure of the bill.)Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of KentuckyIn December, the last time the House voted for a funding bill, 34 Republicans voted against it—a number that is more than enough to tank the new legislation.Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky appears to be a firm no. And Politico reported that three other GOP lawmakers—Reps. Tony Gonzales, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Cory Mills—are on the fence.Trump told Republicans to vote for the spending bill, which could get the House GOP onboard as they often blindly do whatever he wants.“The House and Senate have put together, under the circumstances, a very good funding Bill (‘CR’)! All Republicans should vote (Please!) YES next week,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Great things are coming for America, and I am asking you all to give us a few months to get us through to September so we can continue to put the Country’s ‘financial house’ in order.”T-minus four days until shutdown. 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.

Senate Republicans say they’re moving forward with their plan to tackle President Trump’s priorities despite Trump endorsing the House's competing strategy. Emerging from a meeting Wednesday with Vice President Vance, Republicans said the upper chamber will press on with a budget resolution that would unlock the process they hope to use to pass large portions [...]

"Not only are the President’s claims untrue, they also speak to the Republican Party’s desire to divide us as a country."

'Lt. Col. Gabbard told her that she was on a fact-finding trip to both Lebanon and Syria.'

President Donald Trump answered questions at a press availability on a range of topics following a White House meeting with top congressional Republicans.

Vance is already a budding kingmaker in Republican politics.

Duffy shakes hands with senators before his confirmation hearing in the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Wednesday.

Finishing the U.S-Mexico border wall and migrant detention facilities are part of about $100 billion in proposals, senators said.

Senate Republicans are huddling with President-elect Trump on Wednesday to discuss how to approach budget reconciliation to pass his agenda.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville is leading the reintroduction of his bill on transgender athletes now that Republicans are in control of the Senate.

President-elect Trump is set to visit Senate Republicans on Wednesday — after publicly siding with House Speaker Mike Johnson over how to pass major policy wins.Why it matters: The new GOP trifecta needs to get on the same page before the much harder decisions come due.Some Senate Republicans want to convince Trump that it's in his interest to divide his "one big, beautiful bill" into two separate packages.Trump has backed one strategy and then the other — he just wants to get it all done. In a Hugh Hewitt interview on Monday, Trump indicated he would be fine with two bills too.Between the lines: Wednesday's Senate GOP invite is a standing offer, we're told.Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) will host Trump at the upcoming meeting as policy chair and has made it clear he's welcome whenever he wants to come, according to a source familiar.Trump plans to join the Senate GOP at its 6pm ET meeting. He'll be in town for the late President Jimmy Carter's funeral.Zoom out: Some Republicans are agnostic on whether they should cram all their priorities into one massive package or move first on a border and deportation bill and then turn to tax legislation.Many are privately concerned that attempting to fit everything into one bill will condemn it to failure.Zoom in: Johnson, fresh off his squeaker of a speaker's victory, knows math isn't his friend when he's looking for 218 votes.He is convinced he needs to wrap all of Trump's priorities — from ending taxes on tips to increasing border funding — into one massive bill and then convince his colleagues to all hold hands together, listen to Trump ... and jump.Trump will host a series of House Republicans at Mar-a-Lago later this week, including members of the Freedom Caucus, people pushing to restore the SALT deduction and various committee chairs.What they're saying: Two of Trump's most frequent phone buddies — Sens. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) — said nothing's set in stone."If we can get both of them done in one package, great, if we got to split them up, great," Mullin said. "All I'm saying is that I know that his Senate can deliver."I had multiple conversations with the president. He just wants it. He just wants the legislation to become permanent.""Whatever they think they can do over there [in the House] is what we need to do," Tuberville told us. "I think it could still go either way."The bottom line: Senate GOP leader John Thune tried to downplay the differing ideas, telling Punchbowl News the split over strategy is less important than the substance of what gets passed.But Trump and his Hill leaders have been clear they intend to move fast. A divide over mechanics could slow things down.The historically slim margins in the House could mean that Thune defers to Johnson based on what can pass the chamber.

Incoming Montana Sen. Tim Sheehy, seen here at the Republican convention in July, will be among seven retired Navy SEALs in the 119th Congress.

The Biden administration prioritized the development of clean hydrogen as a cornerstone of its strategy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This commitment is exemplified by the establishment of the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) program as part of the Biden administration’s National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap to accelerate production, processing, delivery, storage, and use of clean hydrogen across the United States.However, the transition to a new administration under President-elect Donald Trump, who has publicly supported expanding domestic production and export of fossil fuels, raises questions about the future of this initiative. The incoming administration has the opportunity to preserve and potentially advance the success of the H2Hub program by easing the requirements for accessing the Section 45V tax credits. Such adjustments could enhance the program's viability and align it with the new administration's overall economic and energy objectives.... Read the complete article here...© 2024 BARNES & THORNBURG LLP

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, here at a news conference at the Capitol last week, is up for reelection in 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Robert Kennedy, Jr., nominee to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, arrives for his meeting with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., in the Hart Senate Office Building on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.

Some of the choices come with controversy and face pointed questions from Republican senators.

Tulsi Gabbard is facing a key week on Capitol Hill as she makes the rounds with senators in an attempt to smooth over their concerns and win confirmation to lead the U.S.’s national intelligence apparatus. Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in the House as a Democrat, has flown under the radar in recent weeks, especially with [...]

If there’s a theme among Trump’s health Cabinet picks, it’s this: The vast majority were critics of how the Biden administration handled COVID-19.

'Over $330 Million That We Are Directly Influencing'

"The Democrats are trying to stack the Courts," Trump fumes as JD Vance and other Republicans skip votes

“No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!” Trump said on social media. But Democrats are making judges a priority in the lame duck ― just like the GOP did, too.

Senate Republicans aired frustrations on Tuesday after Vice President-elect Vance and other party members skipped votes on Monday, greasing the skids for Democratic-backed judicial nominees to be green-lighted as part of a final push to fill the bench with lifetime appointees before President-elect Trump takes office. Republicans on Monday attempted to slow down an effort [...]

A look at who has declined to express support for Gaetz, Kennedy, Gabbard and Hegseth.

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., seen on the second day of Republican National Convention in July.

Baseline: A second Trump administration is expected to prioritize “energy dominance,” focusing on expanding oil and gas, reducing regulations, and increasing drilling, especially with Republican-led committees in Congress likely supportive of these goals.Pulse Check: Observers should not overplay the significance of a presidential change to continued transition. Clean energy sectors from energy storage to hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) continue to garner widespread bipartisan support. While Trump has expressed doubts about some new technologies, market forces and existing federal and state policies are expected to keep driving clean energy growth, maintaining momentum toward a diversified energy future.What to Monitor: Expect regulatory rollbacks and executive orders, likely targeting expedited pipeline permitting, offshore drilling, and lifting the liquefied natural gas (LNG) export moratorium, among other environmental reviews. As for the future of the Inflation... Read the complete article here...© 2024 Bracewell LLP

Policies to boost EVs are still popular, but losing support.

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

Donald Trump has emerged from a rocky debate against Kamala Harris looking to regain his footing with 55 days until Election Day. Not even three months ago, Trump stepped off the debate stage in Atlanta having watched President Joe Biden...

Just a week after taking office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order prioritizing environmental justice

Just a week after taking office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order prioritizing environmental justice. He committed the administration to helping neighborhoods burdened by a history of pollution and racism. Since then, the Biden administration has solicited the advice...

Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer said Tuesday that Senate leaders had reached an agreement paving the way for floor consideration of its three-bill spending “minibus,” a breakthrough after weeks of stalemate. With the agreement in place, the Senate can start floor consideration of the package that would combine the fiscal 2024 Military Construction-VA, Agriculture, and Transportation-HUD appropriations bills. The […] The post Senate reaches deal to start voting on appropriations package appeared first on Roll Call.