Tom Cole

As Elon Musk's slash-and-burn budget cuts hit Republican and Democratic areas alike, some GOP lawmakers are privately back-channeling with the Trump administration to try to shield their constituents from the fallout.Why it matters: Republicans have largely cheered on DOGE in public — but behind the scenes, many of President Trump's allies fear potential political backlash to the cuts, and are scrambling to limit the damage.Of the 60 congressional districts with the most federal workers, a slight majority are represented by Republicans, Axios previously reported.What we're hearing: Several House Republicans told Axios they have succeeded in — or at least contributed to — getting DOGE to reverse certain cuts through private back-channeling.Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) said he raised concerns about job cuts at the Bonneville Power Administration: "Whether it was my remarks back to DOGE or somebody else's, it got fixed. They ... hired back 30 people."Said Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa): "When we have heard from constituents who have been directly impacted by this in a way that harmed them, I have reached out directly to the agencies and teams."Nunn cited Agriculture Department cuts that "could ... have impacted farmers" in his district, telling Axios he "talked to the administration on it, they recognized it, they heard it, and we got those positions reinstated."State of play: Musk's DOGE has implemented abrupt, sweeping changes across the federal government through mass workforce purges and the dismantling of entire programs and agencies.The moves have drawn significant legal pushback, but Musk wants DOGE to continue to grow, saying Monday on Fox Business' "Kudlow" show that he aims to roughly double DOGE's size.GOP lawmakers also have faced backlash at town halls in their districts over the DOGE cuts, prompting House Republicans' campaign chief to encourage a shift from in-person to virtual town halls.Zoom out: Other Republicans have gone public with their concerns. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said in a local media interview that Tinker Air Force Base in his state "cannot operate if we lose 600 civilian employees there."He also decried cuts to another Oklahoma military installation, McAlester Ammunition Plant: "We will not be able to keep aircraft in the air long-term for the Air Force. That is really important for us to be able to have."Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) this week praised DOGE for reversing cuts to his district: "After working closely with DOGE and the administration, I am thrilled to announce that common sense has prevailed."The other side: Democratic lawmakers — many of whom have been vehemently opposed to the DOGE cuts — complain that they lack the same pipeline to voice their concerns that their Republican counterparts enjoy.Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) told Axios: "I have not heard of any Democrats getting that kind of treatment. I think Tom Cole, obviously, has better connections with the oligarchs than we do.""I'm trying to help people, but so far I've not come with any back channel to Donald Trump," said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), whose district in the D.C. suburbs has one of the largest concentrations of federal workers.The bottom line: "That is no way to run a government," Huffman said. "That is, sort of, the ultimate partisan crony capitalism ... but apparently that's what we've come to these days."Go deeper: Musk plans to double DOGE staff amid federal government cuts

In the Senate, Republicans will need support from at least eight Democrats to get the bill to President Donald Trump’s desk.

The House has passed legislation to avert a partial government shutdown and fund federal agencies through September. The vote provides critical momentum for the measure, which now moves to the Senate, where bipartisan support will be needed to get it...

The president argues that passing this funding extension will ease the path toward enacting the rest of his legislative agenda.

Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., talks with reporters after a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

At first glance, it seems like DOGE's work to slash the federal workforce mainly impact the solidly Democratic areas in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Then you dig a little deeper.Why it matters: Of the 60 congressional districts with the most federal workers, a slight majority are actually represented by Republicans — many of whom are publicly cheering on Elon Musk's hack-and-slash efforts.House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is on the list. So is Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), who leads the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, and Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the chair of the House Appropriations Committee.Several of their endangered GOP incumbents — including Reps. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) and Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) — are on there as well.By the numbers: According to a 2024 Congressional Research Service report, nearly all of the 10 districts with highest proportions of federal workers are in D.C., Virginia or Maryland.As Axios' Cuneyt Dil recently noted, D.C. is essentially a company town where the factory is the vast federal government bureaucracy. Many of its workers live in D.C.'s surrounding suburbs and exurbs.Once you get past the top 10, ruby red states like Oklahoma, Alabama and Texas start to show up more.Zoom in: Beyond D.C., the Defense Department — which isn't being spared DOGE's wrath — accounts for high concentrations in some districts.Kiggans and Cole both represent districts with large military installations that have long been major employers for their constituents.Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska) has a large military constituency, but agencies like the Interior Department, FAA and Postal Service also have significant presences, according to the Anchorage Daily News.Between the lines: Even as they have applauded DOGE's cuts in public, some Republicans have privately expressed pause at Musk's ruthless tactics."It would be more helpful if some of those DOGE folks showed more sensitivity to the people who are being terminated this way ... who didn't do anything wrong," one House Republican told Axios last month.Another said Musk is "more liked by people in the White House than anyone here [in Congress] because we have to deal with the ramifications of what he says."

House Republicans are looking to what for them is almost unheard of —- approving government funding on their terms with little help from Democrats. Speaker Mike Johnson is teeing up a bill that would generally fund agencies at current levels...

House Democratic leaders warned Friday that they won’t back a long-term extension of current funding levels, which GOP leaders are teeing up for a vote next week. The top Democrats — Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), Whip Katherine Clark (Mass.) and Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (Calif.) — said the Republicans’ bill is a “partisan” effort [...]

There are really four distinct issues with which Congress is grappling as the government risks running out of money next week.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is facing a political minefield as he seeks to avoid a government shutdown in just 10 days, with both Republicans and Democrats complicating the path to keep the lights on in Washington. Democrats, whose support will be needed to keep agencies running, are pushing for assurances in the stopgap to make [...]

Top appropriators are still in search of a deal to fund the government with 10 days until a shutdown deadline, as talk in the Senate turn to two possibilities for stopgap spending bills. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Monday told reporters that negotiators are working on dual tracks: either a full-year continuing [...]

The governor said the funding would prioritize rebuilding homes, infrastructures, businesses, schools, health care facilities, and churches.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped on the NAACP Image Awards stage with a sobering message, calling the civil right’s organization a pillar of the Black community and urging people to stay resilient and hold onto their faith during President D...

Congress is struggling to strike a deal to keep the government funded as a looming deadline to prevent a shutdown next month gets closer. Lawmakers are less than a month away from a mid-March date to pass legislation to prevent a funding lapse — or risk the first shutdown in years. “We can’t have precisely [...]

Newly sworn-in President Donald Trump Cabinet officials are requesting more resources from Congress to secure the southern border.

Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., talks with reporters after a House Democratic Caucus meeting about then-President Joe Biden's candidacy at the Democratic National Committee on July 9, 2024.

Black Music Sunday is a weekly series highlighting all things Black music, with over 245 stories covering performers, genres, history, and more, each featuring its own vibrant soundtrack. I hope you’ll find some familiar tunes and perhaps an introduction to something new.There comes a time in most folks’ lives when they are enraptured by a particular love song, or hearing a certain melody brings back memories of an old flame—and perhaps a little heartache as well.When I think of soulful love ballads I immediately hear the unique voice of Grammy-winning songstress Anita Baker. If you have ever found love, lost love, or wished for love, Ms. Baker will take you right back to those emotions with her particular vocal magic. Today we celebrate her 67th birthday by giving her just a bit of the love that she has bestowed on us throughout her career, which has spanned more than four decades.Baker’s beginnings were less than lovely, as Jenny Bleier and James M. Manheim detailed in her Musician Guide biography:Baker was born on January 26, 1958 in Toledo, Ohio, and grew up in Detroit's inner city. Her birth mother, a substance abuser who was only 16 when Anita was born, abandoned her when she was two years old, leaving her in the care of friend named Mary Lewis. Lewis died when Anita was 13, and an older sister in her adoptive family told her the truth about her past. Baker made the conscious decision to meet her birth mother for the first time.Feelings of AbandonmentMuch later, in an interview with Essence, Baker recalled how she tried to cope with this discovery: "That child believed her mother abandoned her," she said (referring to herself), "because there was something bad about her. Something terrible that made her unlovable. And until Walter [Baker's future husband], that is how I felt about me--that I was not good enough. Not good, period." Baker's new foster parents, beautician Lois Landry and her husband Walter, provided her with a stable environment that emphasized hard work and religion; she joined a church choir and identified with the deep voice of gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. She began to sing secular music with her friends as well, and she was performing in Detroit clubs by the time she was 16. Baker attended a community college briefly, but a strong drive toward musical performance asserted itself, and she dropped out of school to front a funk ensemble called Chapter 8 whose bass player had heard her perform in an East Side nightclub.Chapter 8 toured widely and landed a contract with Los Angeles-based Ariola Records. They had a minor hit with "I Just Want to Be Your Girl" in 1980, but disbanded after being dropped from the label, which was itself in dire financial straits. Label executives offered the assessment that Baker lacked star quality. Here’s that Chapter 8 recording, with Baker singing lead at age 22.xYouTube VideoYou’ll probably find it just as stunning as I did that a record company executive had the audacity to diss her performance.James M. Manheim and Tom Pendergast continue her story for AllAboutJazz:In 1982 Baker was signed by an independent label called Beverly Glen. Her first solo album, ”The Songstress,” was released in 1983. The album attracted wide industry attention, yielded two R&B hit singles ("Angel" and the gospel-drenched "No More Tears," which did indeed bring to mind the voice of Mahalia Jackson), and sold a respectable 300,000 copies. But Baker, still naïve in the ways of the music business, received no royalties from the album and parted ways acrimoniously with Beverly Glen, a much-needed follow-up album still unreleased.Baker signed with Elektra and threw herself wholeheartedly into her next project, the album “Rapture,” released in 1986. Baker supervised every aspect of the record's production. Filling the role of executive producer herself, Baker chose “Songstress” collaborator Michael Powell as producer, and the two painstakingly selected songs that fit Baker's smooth, ultra-romantic, jazz- inflected vocal style. They succeeded brilliantly. The album yielded two massive hit singles in both R&B and pop tabulations, "Sweet Love" and "You Bring Me Joy." The singer was rewarded with two Grammy awards in 1987, and by the end of 1988 “Rapture” had racked up sales of over five million units.Give a listen to her first album, “The Songstress,“ followed by the second, “Rapture,” which skyrocketed her to fame.xYouTube VideoxYouTube VideoPart of what has drawn so many fans to Baker is her live performances. This is her rendition of “Sweet Love” on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” back in 1986.xYouTube VideoThis 22-minute clip from the TV series “Cover Story” includes interviews with Baker, George Duke, Natalie Cole, and producer Michael Powell. xYouTube VideoMusicians and vocalists will find this 21-minute video from Milik Kashad, creator of the Black Music Archive, eye (and ear) -opening. He breaks down Anita’s “legato” singing technique.xYouTube VideoI’ve watched the 2010 Soul Train Awards tribute to her artistry, where she was serenaded with her own songs, multiple times. Aaron Foley wrote about it for Michigan Live:Fellow Detroit native Kem shared the stage with Windsor native Tamia, Grand Rapids native El DeBarge (who also participated in a tribute to one-time Motowner Ron Isley), Chrisette Michele, Dionne Farris, Lalah Hathaway, Rachelle Ferrell, Goapele and Faith Evans (who is playing Motowner Florence BallardTamia performed "Giving You the Best That I Got" from Baker's third album of the same name, flashing her wedding ring from ex-Detroit Piston Grant Hill while singing the "I'll bet everything on my wedding ring" lyric.Evans was up next performing "No One in the World" from "Rapture," followed by Kem and Ferrell duetting on "Been So Long," also from that album. And just when you think Baker's first album, "The Songstress," was going to be ignored, Hathaway took the stage to perform "Angel."Goapele and Farris took the stage for "Same Ole Love" from "Rapture" (watch the Detroit-filmed video for "Same Ole Love"[...]And the audience wasn't full yet -- DeBarge took the stage after Baker gave her thanks to perform "Sweet Love."xYouTube VideoJazz fans will appreciate her performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival:xYouTube VideoWhile I was finishing this piece up, my husband requested that I post his favorite Baker ballad. Here it is:xYouTube VideoJoin me in the comments below to post your favorite, and send birthday wishes to the lady of love song!Campaign Action

“I’ve seen a lot, and I’ve participated in a lot. ... That, and a dollar and a half, will buy you a cup of coffee.” — Ray Parsons

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. is expected to announce his intention to run for reelection Tuesday, his campaign said.

House Republicans are beginning early discussions about whether aid to California should be conditioned on changing liberal policies they blame for helping the disaster.

President-elect Trump and congressional Republicans are plotting how to address the nation’s debt limit this year. The debt ceiling, which caps how much money the Treasury can owe to pay the country’s bills, was reestablished earlier this month after being suspended for the past year and half. The national debt now stands at more than [...]

When Texas-based IDEA Public Schools opened two large campuses in Baton Rouge in 2018, it was the education equivalent of a new Buc-ee’s coming to town.

Fire personnel respond to homes destroyed while a helicopter drops water as the Palisades Fire grows in Pacific Palisades, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2025.

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, [...]

Conservative lawmakers speak out against a government spending measure released at the last minute ahead of a looming partial government shutdown deadline

Congressional leaders have struck a bipartisan deal to keep the government funded beyond a looming Dec. 20 shutdown deadline. Legislation rolled out by leadership on Tuesday would kick the Friday funding deadline to March 14 to buy more time for the next Congress and incoming president — the first Republican trifecta since 2017 — to [...]

Congress has just 10 days until government funding is set to run out, and lawmakers don’t have a deal to keep the lights on during the holidays. Members on both sides of the aisle expect the government will stay open past the Dec. 20 shutdown deadline. But negotiators are keeping their colleagues guessing how that [...]

Musk and Ramaswamy will attend the Dec. 5 meeting that the host, House Speaker Mike Johnson, says will focus on regulations. Some want earmarks on the table.

Amid departures to fill Trump administration posts and leadership contests for top party positions, a more subtle competition for one of the most powerful positions in Congress is underway.

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 [...]

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace says the resolution aims to protect women's rights. Democratic Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, the first out trans person elected to Congress, has slammed it as a distraction.

Republican electoral wins in both the presidential race and the Senate are changing the game on government funding, as Congress braces for a battle over federal spending when lawmakers return next week. The increasing likelihood of a trifecta of Republican control in Washington is positioning GOP leaders squarely in the driver's seat in deciding whether [...]

Union at Middle Creek in southwest Lincoln, one of the city's largest affordable housing projects in recent history, is open and fully occupied.

Boo! It’s that time of year again, when Halloween is celebrated with ghosts, goblins, Jack-o'-lanterns, and all things spooky in neighborhood decorations and trick-or-treating costumes.Here’s a jazz, blues, and R&B soundtrack to accompany you and get you into the mood as you make your preparations.”Black Music Sunday” is a weekly series highlighting all things Black music, with over 230 stories covering performers, genres, history, and more, each featuring its own vibrant soundtrack. I hope you’ll find some familiar tunes and perhaps an introduction to something new.

The vice president's $1 million fundraising haul in September signals support, but a deluge of independent spending from outside groups and an opponent who defies traditional political gravity complicates that calculation.

The House of Representatives approved legislation funding federal agencies through December 20. The vote comes days ahead of a September 30 deadline to avoid a shutdown.

There will probably be no government shutdown and no new changes to voter registration laws either.

Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., leaves a House Republican Conference meeting in the Capitol on Tuesday.

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.

In 2004, they were known as the Gang of Four. Wealthy Democrats, including Pat Stryker, Rutt Bridges, Tim Gill, and now-Gov. Jared Polis, who pooled their resources for a take-over of the Colorado General Assembly.

House Armed Services Chairman Mike D. Rogers, R-Ala., says the GOP leadership-drafted continuing resolution is "terrible for defense."

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson is heeding the demands of the more conservative wing of his Republican conference and has teed up a vote this week on a bill that would keep the federal government funded for six more months and require states to obtain proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, when registering a person to vote.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National Council 222 has taken decisive action by contacting key legislators and representatives about alarming reports of fraud, waste, and abuse within the U.S. Department of Housing and...

Rep. Ken Calvert would need a waiver to remain the top Republican on the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee if he wins reelection. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

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. From concerts to campaign cash, 2024 is shaping up as a test of the crypto industry’s political strength. On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Charles [...]The post At the Races: Crypto campaigning appeared first on Roll Call.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with reporters in the Capitol on June 28.

The House Freedom Caucus is making its first formal demands in the fiscal year 2025 government spending fight.