Politico

Ethics Committee probing Jimmy Gomez for ‘inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer’

The House Ethics Committee announced Monday it is investigating Rep. Jimmy Gomez for allegedly “engaging in inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer.” The investigation into the California Democrat comes as the House is poised to consider ethics overhaul legislation as soon as next month that would, among other things, ban lawmakers from having sexual relationships with all congressional

Capitol agenda: Congress tries again to police itself

Reps. Kat Cammack and Teresa Leger Fernández are leading a bipartisan effort to fundamentally change how sexual misconduct and other bad behavior in Congress is investigated and eradicated. But the goal of changing Congress’ workplace culture could hit a wall of longstanding lawmaker resistance to putting the tools in place to better police themselves. The duo has been working on legislation for m

Nancy Pelosi is leaving Capitol Hill. Her team is still calling shots.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi may be leaving Congress, but dozens of her longtime staffers are sticking around in the House’s top jobs. The aides who worked for the California Democrat throughout her 39-year congressional career are now running leadership offices, directing committees and helming new teams as chiefs of staff. Their continued presence of about 50 former staffers on Capitol Hill is a

Luke Bronin’s fight for generational change isn’t over

Fresh from defeating a 78-year-old, 14-term incumbent, 44-year-old Luke Bronin is now preparing to take his push for generational change to Capitol Hill. “I hope that the Democratic party begins to recognize that we have to bring a whole new energy to this fight right now,” Bronin, the former mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, said in an interview Friday. “And some of the most powerful voices that I

Is Congress up for an ethics overhaul?

A bipartisan House effort is underway to fundamentally change how sexual misconduct and other bad behavior on Capitol Hill is identified, investigated and eradicated. But the widely-held goal of transforming the workplace culture of Congress could quickly run up against longstanding lawmaker resistance to tools necessary to police themselves, with some worried it will turn into another avenue for

Russell Fry backs Darline Graham for Senate in South Carolina

GOP Rep. Russell Fry threw his support behind Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) for a full term in the Senate — a key endorsement for the political newcomer who’s locked in a heated primary runoff with Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). “On August 25, I’m asking everyone who supported our campaign to join me in supporting Darline Graham for the United States Senate,” Fry said in a statement Friday. Fry, who u

Also reported by Just the News (Lean right)

Capitol agenda: Wasserman Schultz roils Democrats, again

Florida’s primary next week will test whether Debbie Wasserman Schultz can survive her latest fall from grace within the Democratic party she’s served for decades. Her run in the state’s 20th District has roiled the caucus: Wasserman Schultz, 59, is facing a crowded slate of challengers —several of them younger, several of them Washington outsiders — in an election cycle that has increasingly seen

Who are the biggest social media stars in Congress?

Members of the 119th Congress are bigger on social media than ever before. Dozens of lawmakers boast millions of Instagram followers and nearly 100 have launched TikTok accounts — in spite of Congress’ own attempts to reign in the platform. With attention so often the most valuable currency on Capitol Hill, large followings can translate to opportunities for members to elevate their profile, drive

Senate kids’ safety probe targets Roblox gaming platform

Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) launched an investigation Wednesday into Roblox’s handling of child safety on its online gaming platform. “Roblox appears to prioritize revenue and engagement metrics over the safety and well-being of our children, and the alleged criminal activity on Roblox warrants congressional scrutiny,” Hawley and Durbin, the chair and ranking member of the S

Senate-passed government funding bill gets warm House reception

In a sign of momentum for efforts to punt government funding talks beyond the midterms, House Rules Chair Virginia Foxx predicted Thursday that a Senate-approved stopgap spending measure could pass in the House. “I think it will pass on suspension,” the North Carolina Republican told reporters as she presided over a pro forma session of the House. She was referring to an expedited procedure typica

Capitol agenda: ‘No tax’ fever hits Congress

Special tax carve-outs for everyday Americans are suddenly all the rage in Congress . What began with President Donald Trump’s signature tax cuts has sprung copycats, with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle proposing breaks on virtually everything — from boat loan interest to selling New Jersey swag. “Must be an election year,” said Rep. David Schweikert, a retiring tax writer. It’s all part o

Why House GOP hopes of cracking down on fraud could flame out

House Republicans are hoping Vice President JD Vance’s personal appeal to Congress to help crack down on alleged abuse in safety-net programs will revive talks of tackling fraud before the end of the year. But many are skeptical any such bill will ultimately reach the president’s desk. Finding cost savings by rooting out so-called government waste and fraud in Medicare, Medicaid and the federal fo

Cory Mills hopes Trump boost will overcome Ethics headlines in Florida primary

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Rep. Cory Mills , under investigation by the House and shunned by some of his GOP colleagues in Congress, heads into a primary next week hoping a months-old endorsement from President Donald Trump will outweigh negative headlines and weak fundraising Mills has remained adamant that he has done nothing wrong amid a long line of incidents — including a restraining order placed

Tim Scott backs Darline Graham in Senate runoff

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott is officially throwing his support behind Sen. Darline Graham ahead of the primary runoff — and he wants other Republicans to follow. On Wednesday morning, Scott — South Carolina’s senior senator and the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee — publicly endorsed Graham, who secured a first place finish in Tuesday’s primary with early support from Presid

Top House Judiciary Democrat escalates scrutiny of Paramount merger in new letter

House Democrats are ramping up their scrutiny of Paramount Skydance’s bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery — and previewing their plans to crack down on the merger if they win the majority next year. In a new letter Wednesday, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland — the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee — invited Paramount CEO David Ellison to appear for a transcribed interview “to tell Congr

Capitol agenda: GOP mum on returning Miller’s campaign cash

Rep. Max Miller gave more than $70,000 in campaign cash to over a dozen congressional Republicans in the cycle’s most competitive races. So far, most of those members aren’t saying whether or not they will return it. The Dependable Conservative Leadership PAC kicked money to 16 vulnerable GOP candidates for Congress, according to FEC filings. The PAC is aligned with Miller, who has continued his r

Republicans stay mum on whether they’ll return campaign cash from embattled Max Miller

Rep. Max Miller has kicked campaign cash to more than a dozen fellow Republicans competing in some of the midterm’s tightest races. Few are saying whether they now have plans to return the money as the Ohio lawmaker seeks reelection despite serious allegations of domestic abuse. According to records filed with the Federal Elections Commission, Miller’s Dependable Conservative Leadership PAC has ma

Paramount lawyer says company ‘happy to cooperate’ as Democrats vow crackdown on merger

Democratic lawmakers are readying aggressive oversight of Paramount Skydance’s bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, and Paramount’s top lawyer said Tuesday the company is “happy to cooperate.” “We’re not naive to know that politics does not exist,” Paramount Chief Legal Officer Makan Delrahim said. “We’re not shocked about that. We’ll be happy to cooperate and really engage with Republicans and

Capitol agenda: Why Miller’s Ethics probe may be a bust

The House Ethics panel dealt the final blow derailing GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards’ reelection campaign last week, but don’t expect the same scenario to happen to Rep. Max Miller. Miller, an Ohio Republican, is officially on the ballot this fall after pressure campaigns failed to push him out amid domestic abuse allegations he denies. The GOP is now coming to terms with Miller as their candidate, with m

Capitol agenda: Republicans brace for Trump’s wrath

President Donald Trump has held his fire since senators skipped town for five weeks without advancing his elections security bill. Some Republicans don’t expect that to last . Senators punted until at least September any vote on a framework for a third party-line spending bill that includes parts of the SAVE America Act, rather than hold a failed vote. Whether Trump accepts that explanation is ent

Senate confirms Blanche as attorney general

The Senate Saturday confirmed Todd Blanche to be attorney general, following a weekslong struggle with a handful of wary Republicans. The Senate voted 50-49 to approve him, with GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining with Democrats in opposition. Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, has been serving as acting attorney general since Pam Bondi’s

Also reported by Axios (Lean left)

Senate passes funding bill to avert October shutdown

The Senate passed a bill Saturday to fund the government beyond the midterm elections, putting the onus back on the House to head off a shutdown looming Oct. 1. The Senate approved the measure in a bipartisan 90-6 vote, with Sen. Darline Graham of South Carolina voting present. The bill would fund federal agencies through Dec. 11 at current levels, with some exceptions. Senate leaders sped up cons

Senate eyes the exit after GOP-Trump deal

The Senate is aiming to leave Washington for a five-week recess early Saturday after Republicans cut a deal with President Donald Trump to punt some of their priorities, including a framework for a party-line spending plan. The Senate is trying to lock in an agreement that would set up votes on a college sports bill, a stopgap government funding bill, Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination and

Senate confirms 74 Trump nominees

Senate Republicans confirmed dozens of President Donald Trump’s nominees Friday, just before they leave for a five-week congressional recess. Senators voted 51-47 to approve officials at the Departments of Defense, Energy, State and other agencies. They included David Cummins to head the Transportation Security Administration, Cameron Hamilton to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Hal D

Trump says voters are mad at other Republicans, not him, as midterms approach

President Donald Trump said voters may seek to punish Republicans — but not him — in the November midterm elections, as GOP lawmakers sweat that affordability concerns and the war in Iran could mean Democrats flip the House and perhaps even the Senate. “They’re angry at Republicans,” Trump said in an interview with Punchbowl News that aired Friday. “But they’re not angry at me. They’re not angry a

Capitol agenda: Senators find their exit strategy

The Senate’s plan to get out of town is coming together . Majority Leader John Thune teed up a final vote on the Russia sanctions legislation for this morning, as well as a confirmation vote for dozens of nominees and a procedural step on a stopgap funding bill. But there’s still a number of questions that need to be answered if Thune wants to adjourn for recess by the end of the day: — BLANCHE’S

Lisa Murkowski says she will oppose Blanche, endangering his confirmation

Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination is on the brink after Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced Friday that she would oppose confirming him. The Alaska Republican said in a statement that she did not believe Blanche, who has been serving as acting attorney general since April, would act to rein in President Donald Trump and reverse the “politicization—even weaponization” of the Justice Department t

Also reported by Axios (Lean left)

Thune sets up votes on sanctions and nominees as final summer sprint takes shape

The Senate is aiming to leave town Friday for a five-week recess. They’ve got to finish a mountain of work first. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday night the chamber is hoping to pass a stopgap funding bill as well a long-stalled Russia sanctions bill Friday. They are also set to confirm dozens of nominees and — Republicans hope —Todd Blanche as attorney general if he can win the sup

Crypto bill ethics counteroffer includes divestment requirement for Trump

A bipartisan counteroffer for ethics language in a major cryptocurrency bill would force President Donald Trump and other federal officials to divest any ownership stake in a digital asset company if it is worth more than $1 million and represents 10 percent or more of the firm’s value, according to three people with knowledge of the language who were granted anonymity to discuss private negotiati

JD Vance’s Senate lunch visit dominated by Iran

Vice President JD Vance fielded questions on Iran — lots of them — during a closed-door lunch with Senate Republicans Thursday. Vance’s visit to Capitol Hill came as the Senate is trying to wrap up a massive to-do list ahead of a planned five-week recess — including unfinished work on a spending stopgap, Russia sanctions and cryptocurrency regulations, as well as possible votes on a party-line spe

House Democrats pitch AI tax to fund worker protections

Three Democratic House lawmakers unveiled legislation Thursday to tax artificial intelligence companies and use the proceeds to fund a jobs program aimed at offsetting AI’s impact on workers, marking one of Congress’ most ambitious efforts yet to redistribute the industry’s gains. The AI Tax and Work Protection Act, championed by Reps. Greg Casar (Texas), Valerie Foushee (N.C.) and Sara Jacobs (Ca

McConnell says he is leaving rehab, heading home

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced Thursday he is leaving rehab to return home after a fall earlier this summer left him hospitalized. In a statement, McConnell thanked the medical staff who helped him during his stay, but added that he will not be returning to Washington just yet. “On the advice of my doctors, I’ll maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy from home during the state w

Protect College Sports Act debate has ‘failed’ to listen to Black Americans, CBC says

The Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday voiced its opposition to the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act that’s currently under consideration in the Senate , urging Democrats to block the bill until it “reflects the interests of Black athletes.” In a statement , CBC Chair Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) said that though the legislation has "evolved" from when Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Ca

Jon Husted urges Max Miller to resign House seat

Sen. Jon Husted said Thursday his fellow Ohio Republican, Rep. Max Miller, should “step aside as a candidate and resign from Congress” — breaking days of silence about the burgeoning controversy over domestic abuse claims that Miller denies. Husted serves alongside Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), the father of Miller's ex-wife. He remained quiet on the issue this week even after Bernie Moreno broke h

Senate Republicans' farm bill fails over SNAP stalemate

Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats rejected a GOP-led farm bill Thursday in a vote that highlights deep partisan divisions over nutrition aid cuts and leaves Congress without a clear path toward reauthorizing the long-overdue bill. Chair John Boozman recessed the panel indefinitely after the 10-11 vote, meaning that he can call members back to revisit the bill at any point, including in Septem

Vance to Senate GOP lunch

Vice President JD Vance is attending Thursday's Senate Republican lunch. The visit comes as senators try to make progress on several key priorities and leave Washington for a five-week recess. Among the unsettled issues is whether the GOP will advance a budget framework for a new party-line spending bill and take votes on the SAVE America elections bill.

AI bill’s lead House Republican pushes for vote after breaches

Rep. Jay Obernolte, a California Republican leading the charge on wide-ranging artificial intelligence legislation in the House, said Thursday he’s ramping up pressure for a committee vote after a series of cyber breaches involving rogue AI models. “We have been aware of the need for this type of bill for the last couple of years,” the California Republican told reporters in Washington. “However,

New book from Tillis dubs Miller, Hegseth as ‘MAGATS’

Retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) becomes the latest lawmaker to announce a forthcoming book — but this one will take aim at his own party and President Donald Trump. “ How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents ” will explore how a group of “grifting sycophants and useful idiots” have impacted the second Trump administration, according to a new summary from his publisher released Thursday. Ti

Scalise will kick off August campaign sprint in marquee Nebraska House race

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is zeroing in on one of House Republicans’ biggest contests — a purple district in Nebraska — when he starts his recess campaign sprint. Scalise will travel to Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District in the Omaha area for an event with Republican Brinker Harding in the coming days, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter granted anonymity to shar

Trump needles Cornyn as Blanche remains blocked

President Donald Trump goaded John Cornyn on social media Friday morning, accusing the Texas senator of withholding his vote on Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination in retaliation for Trump’s central role in his political demise. Cornyn, who lost his May primary to Texas’ scandal-ridden attorney general , the Trump-endorsed Ken Paxton, has threatened to block Blanche’s nomination in the Sena

Capitol agenda: The Senate’s fly-out agenda takes shape

Senate Republicans are prepping a jam-packed — if somewhat optimistic — agenda for their final week before summer recess. Majority Leader John Thune wants to move stopgap funding through Dec. 11, bipartisan Russia sanctions legislation and a bloc of nominees — perhaps including attorney general pick Todd Blanche. He’s also under pressure from President Donald Trump, administration officials and ma

Former MLB star Mark Teixeira to hit campaign trail with GOP leaders

House GOP leaders are planning to bring former MLB star Mark Teixeira, one of their top candidate recruits this cycle, out on the trail in battleground districts over the summer recess sprint. Majority Leader Steve Scalise will host a fundraiser with Teixeira in New York City on Aug. 20 with Speaker Mike Johnson as a special guest, according to three people with direct knowledge of the event, gran

Faced with Blanche dilemma, Trump chooses revenge

President Donald Trump has a choice: allow changes to a controversial court settlement and secure the confirmation of his former personal lawyer as attorney general, or thumb his nose at a pair of his few remaining Republican critics in Congress. True to form, he is giving no ground. Trump’s decision Thursday to signal he would rather pull the nomination of Todd Blanche, his pick to lead the Justi

Trump-aligned parents rally behind kids' online safety rules

Parents’ rights groups aligned with the MAGA movement and other socially conservative groups are imploring congressional leaders to enact strict rules that aim to prevent online dangers for kids. They join a chorus of more progressive parent and survivor groups urging lawmakers ahead of an upcoming Senate Commerce online kids' safety markup to enact robust and clear “duty of care” requirements tha

Top senators consider blocking Trump’s grant shakeup in spending stopgap

Senate leaders are deciding whether to block President Donald Trump from finalizing a plan to put political appointees in charge of approving grants, Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins said Thursday. “I have made very clear that I oppose the new rule,” the Maine Republican told reporters. “So I hope we'll take advantage of this opportunity to delay it. But that's up to the leadership.” Sena

Blanche's big meeting

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met Thursday afternoon with Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) — the key holdouts on his nomination as permanent AG. A spokesperson for Cornyn and a second person granted anonymity to describe the private meeting confirmed the discussion. It took place just hours after President Donald Trump indicated he would not give in to demands made by Co

Senate education committee blocks parts of Trump’s Education Department breakup

The Senate education committee approved legislation to stop four of the Trump administration's deals to downsize the Education Department. In a 13-9 vote, the Senate HELP Committee advanced S. 5046 , a bipartisan bill from Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that would prohibit the Education Department from transferring special education and several other

‘Clouds’ set to return to Senate’s Alexander Calder masterpiece

The Hart Senate Office Building atrium will be restored to its full splendor after the August recess for the first time in more than a decade: The hanging mobile portion of Alexander Calder’s iconic “Mountains and Clouds” sculpture is returning. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who has been seeking a restoration of the suspended “Clouds” portion for nearly a decade, told reporters Thursday that the wo

Finance Republicans kill bid to stop Trump IRS audit-immunity deal

Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee defeated an effort Thursday by Democrats to block a plan by the Trump administration to shield the president from IRS audits. Lawmakers voted along party lines, 14-13, to kill an amendment to a tax-administration bill before the panel that would have barred the administration from implementing the plan. While Democrats denounced the immunity deal as an i

With Blanche in limbo, Cornyn hands DOJ new Trump settlement proposal

Sen. John Cornyn said Thursday he has sent the Justice Department a new offer to resolve the standoff that has thrown Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general into limbo. The negotiations surround modifications to a controversial DOJ-brokered settlement agreement between President Donald Trump and the IRS. Cornyn said the administration remains "reluctant to change” the text of the settlement

Capitol agenda: Thune tries to teach Trump Senate math

John Thune is stuck in between President Donald Trump’s demands and the realities of Senate math. Thune has eight days to appease the president who wants to see the framework for a third GOP bill advance before senators break for summer recess. But the Senate majority leader in an interview with Jordain says he doesn’t have the 50 votes needed to adopt the budget plan right now. And he’s uncertain

‘Stunningly little progress’: College sports overhaul teeters amid fierce industry battle

Efforts to pass legislation governing the nation’s $19 billion college sports industry are teetering amid a fierce lobbying fight over media rights and antitrust protections. The Protect College Sports Act advanced out of the Senate Commerce Committee on a 19-9 vote last month that pulled in seven Democrats. It was a hopeful moment for advocates of the Senate’s yearslong legislative push to regula

John Thune hopes to orchestrate a great Senate escape

John Thune is eager to let GOP senators out of the Capitol and onto the campaign trail as Republicans fight to hold the Senate majority in November. First, he has to get through the next eight days. The majority leader is hoping to fund the government, confirm dozens of President Donald Trump’s nominees and hand him new powers to punish Russia’s trading partners before letting his members leave fo

Todd Blanche won’t get Thursday vote in Senate Judiciary Committee

The Senate Judiciary Committee has abandoned plans to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general Thursday, a significant speed bump that will make it difficult for Republicans to confirm him before the chamber begins its August recess next week. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) held firm Wednesday in his demand that Blanche revise a controversial settlement agreement between President Donald

White House pitches Senate GOP on ‘tight’ party-line bill focused on military, farm aid

White House officials urged Senate Republicans on Wednesday to quickly adopt a spending blueprint for a narrowly focused party-line spending bill, but they struggled to quash GOP skepticism about the administration’s vision. White House budget director Russ Vought stressed during the private lunch meeting with Senate Republicans that the next package passed under the filibuster-skirting budget rec

Trump: ‘Maybe John Cornyn is upset with me’

President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested that his endorsement of Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is why the senator is holding up Todd Blanche’s confirmation for attorney general. The president, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, described Blanche as “outstanding” and said that he expected the confirmation process to be “pretty routine because he’s so good.” Blanch

Cruz drops plans to advance AI bills next week

Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz said Wednesday he is again postponing a highly anticipated markup of artificial intelligence bills planned for next week. Instead, the Texas Republican said in an interview Wednesday, the panel will only take up bills focused on kids' online safety. Cruz said senators could not strike a deal on AI legislation in time for the committee to vote next week. “We are going

Republicans start pondering another debt limit hike as midterms loom

Republicans raised the debt limit by $5 trillion last year. Now they are already thinking about how to head off another dive over the fiscal cliff on President Donald Trump’s watch. Independent forecasters predict the U.S. will reach the “X-date” — the ultimate deadline for preventing a U.S. debt default — sometime between next summer and early 2028, just as presidential primaries start kicking in

GOP governors back new reconciliation bill as Senate sputters

Nearly two dozen governors are throwing their support behind President Donald Trump's push for a new party-line spending bill — the latest effort to build pressure on Senate Majority Leader John Thune and his GOP colleagues to move quickly. The letter, a copy of which was obtained exclusively by POLITICO , comes as White House budget director Russ Vought and James Braid, Trump’s top legislative ai

Blanche nomination hangs by a thread as Cornyn stands by settlement ultimatum

GOP Sen. John Cornyn said Wednesday, less than 24 hours before a critical committee vote, that he is “not prepared” to support Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general as the two continue to tangle over the fate of a controversial DOJ-brokered settlement agreement involving President Donald Trump. Blanche did not appear for a planned morning meeting in Cornyn’s office, and the senator told