US politics – Congress matters

President Donald Trump did not act at the behest of lawmakers overseeing the Library of Congress when he fired its chief, Carla Hayden, three people close to those overseers said. Members on key congressional committees with jurisdiction over the massive library, who questioned Hayden at hearings in recent weeks, did not encourage the White House to remove her, the people said. In some cases, they themselves found out about Hayden’s removal Thursday through news reports and third parties. “The president acted on his own in this decision,” said one person, who like the others was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Friday that Hayden, the first Black person and first woman to lead the Library of Congress, “did not fit the needs of the American people.” “There were quite concerning things that she had done at the Library of Congress in the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in the library for children,” Leavitt added. The Library of Congress does not lend books to children, or to adults. Its Young Readers Center hosts talks by children’s authors and provides online materials and programming for kids to encourage reading. Talks, including those hosted by the library at the National Book Festival, have included a diverse roster of authors including those that tackle issues of race in books for teens. Employees at the library are reeling after the sudden removal of Hayden. Three employees who were granted anonymity due to fear of retribution said they are concerned about a potential purge of the library’s vast collections. The Library of Congress holds more than 178.2 million items, including more than 25.77 million books. Under federal law, U.S. publishers of books, periodicals and more are required to submit copies of all published works to the library for review and possible acquisition. Hayden appeared before the Senate Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee and the House Administration Committee in recent weeks, where she took questions from lawmakers on the use of artificial intelligence at the library, construction delays and cost overruns on a visitor’s experience renovation, and about the Congressional Research Service, which is housed within the library. Lawmakers probed Hayden on an array of issues and acknowledged that she was responsive to inquiries outside of the hearing. Hayden’s 10-year term was scheduled to expire next year.

Letter from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sent May 9, 2021, urging congressional leaders to raise the federal debt ceiling by mid-July.

The date could become the new, de facto deadline for congressional Republicans to pass their megabill.

The fate of hundreds of billions’ worth of clean energy tax credits is among the last unresolved big-ticket items Republicans are hashing out before a series of planned committee markups on their big budget bill. The Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means committees are hoping to advance their portions of the party-line tax and spending package next week. Language could begin trickling out as soon as Friday. But negotiators say haggling is still happening on what to do with renewable energy incentives and other credits from the Democrats’ 2022 climate law, which are benefiting red districts and states across the country. Ways and Means has jurisdiction over those programs. “I’ve heard from people in Ways and Means there is a lot of disagreement in the room,” said Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), who has been helping lead the charge to protect at least some of the credits. “It’s one of the things that’s the most contentious in the room.” Seeking to put a marker down for where Republicans across the conference might be willing to compromise, Garbarino and Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) have introduced the “Certainty for Our Energy Future Act.” It would phase out solar and wind incentives, disqualify companies tied to foreign adversaries and preserve the ability of businesses to buy and sell certain clean energy credits — a practice known as “transferability.” Republican Reps. Dan Newhouse of Washington, David Valadao of California and Mark Amodei of Nevada have also signed on to the legislation. “The goal was to find a place that people could live with,” said a Kiggans aide granted anonymity to speak about internal deliberations. The aide also called it a “starting point” and a “best-case scenario” as this group of Republicans and nearly two dozen others go up against hard-liners who want a full repeal of the suite of clean energy tax credits codified by the Inflation Reduction Act, which President Donald Trump likes to call the “Green New Scam.” Every vote counts for Speaker Mike Johnson as he seeks to pass a hyperpartisan bill through his razor-thin Republican majority, giving members an inordinate amount of power to make demands. A major question, however, is how far Republicans are willing to go in expending political capital to defend the energy incentives. There are other priorities Republicans are fighting for, too, and they could take precedence — for instance, there’s overlap among the lawmakers who want to protect the tax credits and those who are simultaneously locked in a fierce battle to increase the income tax deduction for state and local taxes. “I’m much more passionate about SALT; it is a hill I’m willing to stake my entire congressional career on,” said Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.). Asked whether that applied to clean energy incentives, too, he said, “No.” “I’m interested in them; I don’t think we should throw out the entire IRA,” LaLota said. “There are provisions in it which I think are good for the country, are good for my constituents. But I am all in on SALT.”

The brutal political realities of the House GOP are about to upend President Donald Trump’s tax pledges. A permanent extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts is under threat, as are a slew of second-term campaign promises, including exempting taxes on tips and overtime earnings and providing tax relief for seniors. House Republicans are poised to disappoint Trump because they can’t agree on sufficient spending cuts to pay for his desired menu of tax policies under the GOP’s budget reconciliation plan. Speaker Mike Johnson told Republicans in a private meeting Thursday that he’s now targeting $4 trillion in tax cuts — a half-trillion less than many in the GOP had hoped. It’s setting up a tough day for House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith. The Missouri Republican is set to meet with Trump on Friday, as GOP leaders scramble to keep the tax package from unraveling. Republican lawmakers and aides have been signaling this week that some of Trump’s pledges will have to be temporary to make the budget math work. Johnson also plans to talk with Trump by phone later Friday about the megabill, including the tax piece. The tensions are rising among House Republicans who see what’s coming. “Democrats scare some of my members,” said House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), who chided his colleagues Thursday for getting cold feet on spending cuts. “They paralyze our conference and, quite frankly, frighten us into inaction.” Even so, some in the White House are relieved that Congress may hold off from deeper cuts to safety-net programs and are privately rooting for swing-district moderates to win out over hard-liners fighting to slash spending. Some senior Republicans are downplaying Trump’s last-minute push this week to raise taxes on top earners, but it’s still threatening to stir up a bare-knuckle fight within the House GOP conference with precious time running out. People with direct knowledge of the discussions told POLITICO it appeared to be more about messaging than raising money available in the budget reconciliation bill. What we’re watching Friday: Be on the lookout for formal markup announcements as Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Agriculture try to move ahead with votes on all of these tough policy questions next week. And look for further fallout from Thursday evening’s SALT spat. New York Republican Reps. Elise Stefanik, Andrew Garbarino, Nick LaLota and Mike Lawler said they’re rejecting a $30,000 cap to the state and local tax deduction, one number House Republicans are discussing. Johnson indicated there wasn’t yet a formal offer. What else we’re watching: — Crypto bill crashes: One of the GOP trifecta’s first major policy pushes is in flux after Senate Democrats derailed a long-awaited crypto bill in a procedural vote Thursday. They accused Republicans of moving to a vote too early, but key Senate Democrats said they’re willing to return to the negotiating table to reach a deal. Senate Majority Leader John Thune could bring the stablecoin regulatory framework back up in the coming days. — The Library of Congress’ next chapter: Trump’s abrupt firing of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on Thursday evening triggered intense backlash from top Democrats. Some are now calling for the librarian’s appointment to fall under Congress’ purview, rather than the president’s. Rep. Joe Morelle (N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House panel that oversees the library, plans to introduce legislation to that effect. We’ll see if any Republicans join. — Duffy pitches air traffic overhaul: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is calling on Congress to give his agency cash to modernize the nation’s aging air traffic control systems. The former House member is pressing lawmakers to take action quickly so his agency can execute the plan in roughly three to four years. Expect senators to discuss Duffy’s proposal when Commerce Chair Ted Cruz holds a hearing on aviation safety and air traffic control next week. Jasper Goodman, Benjamin Guggenheim, Chris Marquette, Meredith Lee Hill, Sam Ogozalek, Oriana Pawlyk, Katherine Tully-McManus and Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.

Trump endorsed the battleground House Republican for reelection. Lawler doesn’t think it warns him off a bid for governor.

On the chopping block could be a litany of Trump demands, including a permanent extension of the tax cuts passed during his first term.

President Donald Trump fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden Thursday, according to a library spokesperson and an email obtained by POLITICO. “Carla, On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service,” wrote Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel Trent Morse in an email to Hayden sent at 6:56 p.m. Hayden’s firing generated an immediate backlash from congressional Democrats. Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House committee that oversees the library, slammed Trump for “firing a patriotic public servant.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries piled on, calling the decision “unjust” and a “disgrace.” Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) praised Hayden in a statement and said Trump was “taking his assault on America’s libraries to a new level.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the firing “the latest foray in [Trump’s] relentless campaign to dismantle the guardrails of our democracy and punish public servants who don’t bend to his every will.” The White House confirmed Hayden’s firing but did not offer further comment. Hayden became the first Black Librarian of Congress and the first woman to lead the world’s largest library after the Senate confirmed her in a 74-18 vote in 2016. Her 10-year term began that year, though she may have been eligible for renewal under rules set by Congress. Hayden was nominated by President Barack Obama, who knew Hayden from her time at the Chicago Public Library. Immediately before being tapped as Librarian of Congress, she led the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore. She has been a prominent public face of the Library of Congress, active on social media and expanding offerings of events at the library. She launched a strategic plan for the library and was shepherding a complete overhaul of the visitor experience, including significant structural changes to create a new way for visitors to view the iconic reading room. Hayden faced criticism from House Republicans at a House Administration hearing Tuesday about cost increases and delays to that project. She was also targeted over the past week by a conservative “America First” activist group, the American Accountability Foundation, that criticized her on X just hours before her dismissal for being “woke, anti-Trump, and promot[ing] trans-ing kids.” While they serve a set term, librarians of Congress do not have any statutory protections against dismissal by the president. Morelle said he will be introducing legislation to give Congress itself sole hiring and firing power. Congress made a similar change in recent years after delays in removing a scandal-plagued architect of the Capitol. “Enough is enough,” Schumer added. “Just as we’ve moved to bring accountability to the Architect of the Capitol, we must assert our congressional prerogative by making the position of Librarian of Congress appointed by a Congressional commission — not by presidents that treat federal appointments like reality TV prizes.” Gregory Svirnovskiy contributed to this report

House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) is set to meet Friday with President Donald Trump at the White House with the tax portion of the GOP megabill at risk of unraveling, according to three people granted anonymity to describe the private plans. Smith will have to inform Trump that the tax portion of the megabill has been limited by the GOP’s inability to build support for deep spending cuts. That means Republicans will have to leave out some of Trump’s tax priorities, according to the people. The White House meeting will come a day after Speaker Mike Johnson privately told Republicans on Thursday that they would only be able to pay for $4 trillion in tax cuts, versus the $4.5 trillion they had previously been targeting to enact the president’s sprawling tax demands. Smith explained Trump’s latest asks for the tax bill to Ways and Means Republicans in a Thursday morning meeting. They include closing the so-called carried interest loophole and hiking taxes on the wealthiest Americans, according to two other people.

Senate Democrats are asking Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chair Rand Paul to convene a hearing on President Donald Trump’s deportation policies, including claims that administration officials are defying court orders in their haste to expel foreigners from the U.S. In a letter obtained by POLITICO, all the panel’s Democrats called on Paul to “immediately” hold a hearing on Trump’s approach to a series of high-profile deportation fights, including the transfer of more than 200 foreigners to a notorious high-security prison in El Salvador in March. Judges have found two of the deportations to be illegal or improper, while another judge is mulling contempt proceedings after concluding the administration might have defied his orders. “The Administration demonstrates its intention to upend our nation’s bedrock principles of checks and balances by placing the Executive Branch above the law and outside the reach of judicial orders,” said the letter, signed by the committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, and colleagues. “The Administration has declined to present evidence of their claims in court, they have denied individuals their right to have a hearing to contest the government’s claims, and they have refused to follow the rulings of multiple courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.” The Democrats said Trump’s policies threaten to impact U.S. citizens as well, since he has publicly said he’d like to send American criminals to foreign prisons. In the letter sent Wednesday, Peters and colleagues asked Paul to summon three Cabinet members — Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem — as well as FBI Director Kash Patel. The letter warns that Republicans could “embolden” Trump by failing to conduct oversight of his administration’s action, but it also makes reference to Paul’s independent streak, praising him as “a steadfast advocate for Congress’ role as a co-equal branch of government.” A spokesperson for Paul did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

All Democrats and three Republicans — including Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Josh Hawley of Missouri — voted against the effort.

Cameron Hamilton, the acting disaster chief, appeared to contradict Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem by defending the agency on Wednesday.

One of the thorniest issues around Medicaid is yet to be resolved ahead of a crucial House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting next week to mark up its portion of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Thursday Republicans are still considering a controversial proposal to cap federal spending in states that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, which could help Energy and Commerce hit its $880 billion savings target to finance the party-line package. “There’s still ongoing discussion about per capita caps, but it’s a sensitive thing,” Johnson said, nodding to tensions between moderates wary of the proposal and hard-liners pushing for it to be included. He said Wednesday that Republicans were actively discussing a smaller version of a per capita caps plan. Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) echoed Johnson, saying, “we’re still working” on the policy as Republican leaders work to nail down final details of its contribution to the GOP megabill of taxes, energy and border security investments. But one thing appears to have been decided, said Guthrie: A drug pricing policy the administration has been pushing is likely not to be included. The likely exclusion of the so-called most favored nation policy in the panel’s portion of the bill — which would cut prescription drug costs through Medicaid by linking certain government payments for medications to the lower prices paid overseas — would be a blow to the White House, which had been advocating for it as an alternative to steep cuts to Medicaid to offset the party-line package. Many Republicans, including Johnson, opposed the proposal, saying it was tantamount to price fixing and would stifle research and development efforts. “President Trump is right that Americans are taken advantage of in terms of we pay for the world’s research. I absolutely agree with what the administration wants to fix,” said Guthrie Thursday morning. “We want to find a different way to do it … ‘most favored nation’ is probably not going to be in Tuesday’s markup, but we agree with what the president is trying to do.” Trump is now expected to separately sign an executive order directing aides to pursue the initiative for a selection of drugs within the Medicare program. Jennifer Scholtes contributed to this report. 

The House took a largely party-line 211-206 vote Thursday to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” moving to codify President Donald Trump’s recent executive order. One Republican, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), voted against the bill that had been led by firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who hailed it as “one of the most important things that we can do this Congress.” Democrats denounced the move to cement Trump’s executive order renaming the body as a waste of congressional time. “When the American people woke up this morning, they could reasonably ask the question, what are their elected representatives on the floor of the House of Representatives going to be debating?” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said. It does not appear that Senate Republicans will make the bill a priority. It would need to gather at least seven Democratic votes to vault a filibuster. Asked Thursday if the Senate would take up the legislation, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said he hadn’t thought “that far ahead” and asked, “Does it take Congress to do that?”

Rep. Jasmine Crockett said she would “rethink” whether to pursue a bid for the top Democratic job on the House Oversight Committee after a more senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Kweisi Mfume, said he might seek the post. “I always wanted to make sure that the Black Caucus is as strong as possible. And so it does make me rethink whether to pursue this because in this moment, I don’t think that Black people, specifically the Black Caucus, can afford to be divided,” she said in a brief interview. “It does make me have to think long and hard, and I respect Mfume a great deal. It’s a bit heartbreaking.” Mfume, a 76-year-old Maryland Democrat, chaired the CBC during his first stint in Congress in the mid-1990s before leaving to lead the NAACP. That history could help him pick up support from the caucus, whose members comprise a sizable portion of House Democrats’ influential Steering and Policy Committee that first evaluates candidates for committee leadership posts, making recommendations to the full caucus. “In terms of civil rights organizations, which I can equate in some ways with the CBC, [Mfume] has all the experience in the world,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.). “If he runs, obviously he’s going to have some support.” The CBC has historically been a fervent guardian of the seniority system and a fierce opponent of moving toward term limits for committee heads, arguing that those practices have amplified Black members’ power in the House. Members have been maneuvering for the high-profile post since Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, the sitting top Oversight Democrat, announced last week he would not seek reelection and step aside from his leadership role citing a cancer fight. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said this week she would forgo a bid for the position, citing the emphasis on seniority within the Democratic caucus. Crockett, 44, said she was concerned about that dynamic and said Democrats might be stifling younger talent out of deference to more senior members. “Barack [Obama] was 47 when he was elected [president], and so I think potentially, if this is kind of the way that this environment will go, I don’t know how we are able to grow some of our leaders to potentially even get to the presidential level, because we won’t give 44-year-olds a chance,” she said. “But I’m not counting anything out, but I do think that my path is a lot more complicated.” Two other Democrats have also made moves to enter the race: Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, who is serving as interim head of the Oversight Democrats, and Rep. Robert Garcia of California. Lynch is 70; Garcia is 47.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he will withdraw the nomination of Ed Martin, a longtime champion of Jan. 6 defendants, to be the District of Columbia’s top federal prosecutor. “We have somebody else that will be great,” Trump told reporters. “We have somebody else who we’ll be announcing.” Support for Martin among Capitol Hill Republicans has faltered in recent days, particularly after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) signaled his opposition to the nominee over his past comments downplaying the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Martin has spent the last few years advocating for Jan. 6 defendants and helping organize their legal defense. He has embraced conspiracy theories about the attack and the results of the 2020 election and he has spoken favorably about some of the most egregious perpetrators of the riot. Tillis, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, presented a major obstacle to Martin’s ability to be confirmed – both within the panel and on the chamber floor, given the GOP’s razor-thin majority and likely universal opposition among Democrats. Trump suggested he would place Martin somewhere else in his administration. The Department of Justice did not immediately return a request for comment. However, shortly after Trump’s remarks — which coincided with the selection of a new pope — Martin posted on X what appeared to be a facetious, A.I.-generated image of himself as the pontiff. “Plot twist,” he wrote. Martin has been serving as interim U.S. attorney since Trump’s inauguration, but his ability to hold this temporary position is set to expire on May 20. At that point, judges of the federal district court in Washington may appoint a new temporary replacement that would stand until a permanent successor is confirmed by the Senate. His tenure has been marked by unusual inquiries aimed at Trump’s political adversaries and efforts to court support from local D.C. residents. He’s also embraced Trump’s call to crack down on crime in the capital city and suggested he was launching investigations into some Democratic members of Congress He also has also drawn scrutiny for his evasive answers to the Judiciary Committee about his relationship with Jan. 6 defendant Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, who had been accused of openly anti-Semitic behavior, and omission of dozens of appearances on Russian state media in recent years. Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee were pressuring chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for the chance to question Martin at a formal hearing, which would be atypical for a U.S. attorney nominee. Grassley declined the request.

Republicans and Democrats are trying to give Congress a voice in the future of the disaster agency.

The two most powerful Republicans projected total confidence Wednesday as they try to get the GOP megabill moving through the House: President Donald Trump proclaimed “great progress” after a meeting of top leaders, and Speaker Mike Johnson said key committee markups would “100 percent” take place next week. There was one undeniable point of progress: House Agriculture has scheduled its markup for Tuesday. The committee will convene after House votes that evening and break around midnight, then reconvene at 10 a.m. Wednesday to discuss Democratic amendments to the bill. But clashes within the House GOP have left the two most critical committees still hashing out their pieces of the bill. Here’s where things stand: WAYS AND MEANS: Republican tax writers left a meeting Wednesday with blue-state Republicans without resolving a cap on state and local tax deductions, a key hangup for the committee. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (N.Y.), one of the SALT Republicans, called the issue one of “the stickiest points” of the entire GOP agenda. And with other committees potentially trimming back their savings targets, GOP tax writers are privately prepping a potential backup plan. They’re considering $4 trillion in tax cuts instead of the initial $4.5 trillion as a possible contingency plan if the targeted savings don’t materialize. How do you trim a half-trillion dollars? Republicans are already considering a “bunch” of temporary tax provisions to reduce costs, said Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.), one of the GOP tax writers. Expect some of them to get even more temporary. ENERGY AND COMMERCE: The panel could meet as soon as Tuesday to mark up its portion of the megabill, which calls for $880 billion in savings. “If we’re gonna get done by Memorial Day … we need to do something next week,” Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) told reporters Wednesday after a closed-door meeting of committee Republicans. But that timeline is dependent on Guthrie navigating a path forward on Medicaid cuts. That includes deciding whether to move forward with a plan to cap the level of federal spending in states that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Moderates have balked at the proposal, but hard-liners are pushing for it — a dynamic Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) acknowledged after the meeting. “It’s always difficult to have these conversations in isolation because of trade-offs — you have a letter from some of the fiscal conservatives talking about how spending increases have to be balanced with spending reductions,” Obernolte said. In any case, those conversations will continue today: Members of both committees are set to meet again this morning. What else we’re watching: — Crypto bill vote: Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to plow ahead with a procedural vote on landmark cryptocurrency legislation this afternoon even as Democratic holdouts push for more time to finalize a deal and get other members on board. They have some wiggle room; the vote is set for 1:45 p.m. — Rescissions reviews: House Republicans and the White House are privately negotiating details of the spending rescissions request that had been expected to claw back $9.3 billion already allocated. Also on GOP appropriators’ minds: The White House is open to unilaterally freezing cash that Congress approves in September if lawmakers overshoot Trump’s latest budget request. — New Ezra Klein-inspired caucus: House Democrats led by Rep. Josh Harder (D-Calif.) are launching a roughly 30-member bipartisan bloc inspired by the “abundance” movement championed by liberal commentator Ezra Klein. The “Build America Caucus” will focus on cutting red tape around energy permitting and housing. It also wants to make recommendations on embedding provisions in key legislation like the defense authorization bill. Brian Faler, Jasper Goodman, Meredith Lee Hill, Holly Otterbein, Jennifer Scholtes, Katherine Tully-McManus, Nicholas Wu and Grace Yarrow contributed to this report.

Senators emerged Wednesday evening from closed-door negotiations over cryptocurrency legislation without a deal to trumpet, leaving the landmark digital assets bill in flux ahead of a key procedural vote on Thursday. Republicans plan to proceed with the vote as scheduled, according to a GOP aide with knowledge of the matter. Some Democrats were pushing Wednesday afternoon to delay the procedural vote. “I’m still hopeful,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a pro-crypto New York Democrat who has been helping lead negotiations on behalf of Democrats. Asked about the Thursday procedural vote, she said she didn’t “know what’s going to happen yet,” adding that it is “all on the leadership level now.” Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), the lead sponsor of the bill, said aides will continue working into the evening, adding that he asked members “to maintain radio silence until we get to where we want to be.” Key Democrats including Gillibrand, Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland met with Hagerty and other pro-crypto Republicans throughout the day Wednesday. If lawmakers come to a deal late Wednesday night, it will give members who haven’t been directly involved in negotiations limited time to review the legislative text of a complicated policy matter. The procedural vote is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. Thursday.

House Republicans are privately negotiating with the White House over the makeup of President Donald Trump’s forthcoming request to nix $9.3 billion already allocated for the State Department, foreign aid and public broadcasting. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told reporters Wednesday night that top Republicans are in “robust discussion — back and forth discussion” with the White House about which programs will be targeted under the so-called rescissions request Trump plans to send Congress. “We’re talking about different things, but looking at different ways to get to basically the same number,” Cole said. “It’s give and take. And if they want to move quickly, that’s up to them.” Across the Capitol, Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Wednesday night that she has had one conversation with White House budget director Russ Vought about the request but has not seen specifics. Republican leaders and White House officials need to decide whether it’s most advantageous to vote on the cutbacks alongside their party-line megabill or to wait. “They’ve got a weigh whether it’s held for reconciliation,” Cole said. “That’s up to them.” Aligning the timing of the two bills could please fiscal hawks with the guarantee of more overall funding cuts. But if leaders struggle to whip enough votes for the rescissions package, failure to approve more than $9 billion in funding reductions could risk alienating those same fiscal conservatives GOP leaders need to bring on board with the separate megabill of tax cuts tied to hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending. Once the rescissions request is sent, it starts a 45-day clock, not counting when Congress is in recess for more than three days. The package is not subject to the fillibuster and can pass the Senate on a simple-majority vote. But if Congress doesn’t pass it in time, Trump is legally required to spend the money. The White House confirmed last month that Trump intends to send the package of cutbacks, which would be the first such request to land at the Capitol since 2018, when the Senate rejecting Trump’s rescissions package totaling about $15 billion. Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump is declaring that Republicans are “making great progress” as the GOP conference wrangles with key policy holdups that could delay the package central to his agenda. “We are making great progress on ‘The One, Big, Beautiful Bill,’” Trump said in a Truth Social post. The president also added that the megabill will include no tax on tips, Social Security and overtime. Speaker Mike Johnson is also projecting confidence, telling reporters just moments before Trump’s post that House committees will “100%” hold more markups over the GOP megabill next week. “I never have doubts,” Johnson said about the markup schedule after returning from a “productive” meeting at the White House with top tax writers and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Johnson’s still targeting an ambitious timeline for the House to pass Trump’s megabill by Memorial Day. However, two key committee markups – Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce – have yet to be officially scheduled as Republicans struggle to find agreement on how to cut Medicaid and a slew of other government initiatives. And despite Trump doubling down on his tax cut promises, House GOP tax writers are privately making contingency plans to potentially scale back tax cuts from $4.5 trillion to $4 trillion over concerns their colleagues won’t be able to reach their spending goals.

Some key Democratic holdouts on landmark Senate cryptocurrency legislation are pushing to delay a procedural floor vote that is currently slated for Thursday to buy more time to finalize an agreement and get other members on board, according to two people with knowledge of the negotiations who were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive, closed-door talks. Key Democrats believe they have made progress toward a deal but need more time to complete it and win over other members ahead of a floor vote, the people said. The legislation in question would create the first-ever U.S. regulatory framework for stablecoins, which are digital tokens pegged to the dollar. Previous versions of the bill have drawn bipartisan support, but the effort hit a roadblock over the weekend when nine likely Democratic supporters said they would not support the most recent version of the bill introduced by GOP leaders ahead of a floor vote. Holdouts met with GOP negotiators to hash out changes for over three hours Wednesday morning. The group included Democratic Sens. Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who have played leading roles in negotiations. Gillibrand said following the meeting that she was “very hopeful” following the talks.

The plans could generate big savings, but they’re vexing Republican lawmakers — many of them former governors and state legislators.

Republicans pushing for an increase in the state-and-local-tax deduction, or SALT, are expected to make their final case at a Ways and Means Committee GOP lunch meeting Wednesday, according to two people granted anonymity to discuss the private plans. Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) and Young Kim (R-Calif.), co-chairs of the GOP SALT Caucus, plan to attend as the tax-writing committee moves closer to a decision over how much larger to make the deduction in the Republican domestic policy bill and what parameters they’ll use to keep the costs down. Senior Republicans in recent days have made clear both in public and private that Ways and Means Republicans will have the ultimate say over the matter, not SALT Republicans. The panel is hoping to release legislation and advance it through committee by next week. A committee spokesperson declined to comment. Four other people familiar with the matter expect the final Ways and Means decision on SALT to include an income cap on the deduction to limit the cost and to address objections to increasing the blue-state tax break from other parts of the Republican conference. A group within the SALT caucus is deeply opposed to such income caps and is likely to balk at any proposal that includes the provision. Republicans limited the deduction to $10,000 as part of the 2017 tax bill that they are now trying to extend. It’s mainly utilized in high-tax blue states, but swing-district House Republicans have made increasing the deduction a red line for securing their support for the GOP megabill. Lawmakers’ inability to resolve the SALT issue so far is part of what’s stalling negotiations on the broader bill, which is stacked with President Donald Trump’s policy priorities. White House officials have been checking in this week with the SALT holdouts as leadership pushes to finalize an agreement.

Far-right activist Laura Loomer is going after a prominent conservative health policy expert and former Trump administration official for his proposals to overhaul Medicaid — stoking larger intraparty tensions at a pivotal moment for negotiations over President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” In a social media post Monday, Loomer called Brian Blase, the president of Paragon Health Institute, a “RINO Saboteur” for helping draft a letter circulated by 20 House conservatives that advocated for deep cuts to Medicaid in the GOP’s domestic policy megabill. His role in writing the missive was first reported by POLITICO. “In a shocking betrayal of President Donald Trump’s unwavering commitment to America’s working-class families, and his promise to protect Medicaid, [Brian Blase] … is spearheading a dangerous campaign to undermine the Republican Party’s midterm prospects,” Loomer said on X. Fiscal hawks believe cuts to the safety net program will deliver necessary savings to finance Trump’s desired package of tax cuts and extensions, border security spending, energy policy and more. But Trump has also continued to insist there will be no provisions included in the bill that would result in cutting Medicaid benefits — though he hasn’t detailed how that might be the case. Loomer accused Blase of “currently pressuring congressional Republicans to defy the President’s ironclad pledge to protect Medicaid — a program critical to the heartland voters who propelled Donald Trump to his election victories.” Blase worked in Trump’s first administration as a special assistant to the president on the National Economic Council. He’s one of the most influential conservative health policy thinkers in Washington, frequently writing op-eds in the Wall Street Journal and publishing a mountain of policy papers pushing Medicaid reform. In a statement Tuesday, Blase defended himself and his work. “I am proud to have served President Trump for two and a half years at the White House, leading the implementation of his health care agenda,” Blase said. “Paragon shares the president’s commitment to reducing waste, fraud, and abuse in government programs and reversing the harmful health policies of the Biden administration — like California’s $10 billion scheme to put illegal immigrants on Medicaid.” A Paragon spokesperson said last week the group sent a list of Medicaid reform principles to policymakers and that it “It appears that the excellent letter by [Texas GOP Rep.] Chip Roy and colleagues incorporated some of our ideas.” It’s significant that Loomer would make Blase a target: She has a history of crusading against people she sees as disloyal to Trump, having in the past personally persuaded the president to fire several top national security officials over their perceived lack of sufficient fealty. The situation also speaks to the broader friction within the Republican Party between the moderate and the populist wings — which are wary of benefit cuts — and the more traditional conservative faction — bent on making major changes to safety-net programs. The divide has threatened to imperil the package central to Trump’s agenda as Republicans are under immense pressure to find savings for the bill. Roy and a handful of House Republicans who are in touch with Blase are full steam ahead to force GOP leaders to pursue deeper cuts across Medicaid and other safety-net programs, which they argue need massive reforms to curb long-term spending. Freedom Caucus members met Tuesday morning to discuss reconciliation and to try to push back on attacks that they’re gutting Medicaid, according to three Republicans with direct knowledge of the matter. Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee announced he would not run for reelection in late April due to the return of his esophageal cancer.

Key Republican moderates said Tuesday they had grown more comfortable with a revised House GOP effort to overhaul Medicaid following an evening meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson and other leaders. Johnson needs to find near-unanimity among House Republicans as he finalizes the GOP megabill central to President Donald Trump’s agenda, and several of the centrists emerged from the closed-door huddle sounding closer to yes. The plan is centered around work requirements for beneficiaries, more frequent eligibility checks in the program and cracking down on coverage for noncitizens, they said. Meanwhile, some controversial changes the moderates had blanched at appear to be omitted from the latest plan: cutting the federal share of funding for states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and capping federal payments to those expansion states. Asked if Republicans were pursuing changes to the federal cost share, known as FMAPs, Johnson replied: “No.” Asked about “per capita caps” on Medicaid funding, he added, “I think we’re ruling that out as well, but stay tuned.” Republicans discussed the caps proposal at length in the room, according to members in attendance. There was “lots of opposition” to applying the caps for expansion states, according to one attendee granted anonymity to describe the private meeting. The retreat from the most ambitious cost-cutting proposals risks inciting House GOP hard-liners. One leader of that group, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, said on X that caps were “necessary to stop robbing from the vulnerable to fund the able-bodied.” Republicans have debated for months how to handle states that have expanded Medicaid to people with higher incomes, though still near the poverty line, under the Affordable Care Act. Several states have so-called trigger laws that would end or pull back on the expansion program if the federal government reduces their role, and many lawmakers are leery invoking those provisions. Even beyond the moderates, conservative Republicans across Virginia and other expansion states have warned GOP leaders not to pursue deeper spending cuts that would throw hundreds of thousands of Americans off Medicaid rolls. Republicans are now parsing what the fallout would be in their individual states over some per capita cap changes. “I have to see in Arizona if the per capita cap impacts the trigger laws. I don’t think I’m 100 percent clear on that,” Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) told reporters. “That would be a deal-breaker for me if it does trigger it, obviously.” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said he remains opposed to both controversial proposals: “I don’t support any change to FMAP. I don’t support per capita caps.” “We’re coming up with options, we’re discussing them, hashing through them, debating them,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.). “They’ll come back with a revision.” Malliotakis left the door open to capping the federal government’s payments for certain beneficiaries in states that have expanded Medicaid. “States need to have some skin in the game,” she said. Members said a policy the Trump administration has pushed as an alternative to the steep Medicaid cuts — linking what the program pays for drugs to the lower prices paid abroad — wasn’t a focus. Several other Republicans said the meeting was more productive than previous conversations around Medicaid changes. “I feel better about it,” said one vulnerable House Republican who was in the room. “I think he’s got something that’s workable,” Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) said, adding, “there’s a few wrinkles that need to be worked out, but I think he’s on … a good path.” Some members said they want to know more about what Trump thinks. “We have to make sure that we know where the president is on this and also where the Senate is,” Ciscomani said. “We can’t be just unilaterally moving this without knowing where they’re going to be and then have some surprises there at the end.”

House Democratic leaders said Tuesday they would launch a longshot effort to force a vote on a bill preventing cuts to key federal safety-net programs. The discharge petition is meant to put political pressure on Republicans as they eye cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in writing their domestic policy megabill. “All we need are four House Republicans to join Democrats in protecting the health care and nutritional assistance of the American people,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters Tuesday. If 218 members sign the discharge petition, it would force a floor vote on a bill that would prevent the House from taking up bills under the party-line reconciliation process that would cut Medicaid or SNAP. Members are generally reluctant to buck party leadership to sign discharge petitions, and GOP leaders have taken steps this Congress to block the process entirely.

Rep. Robert Garcia is starting to make quiet moves toward a bid to lead Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, according to five people granted anonymity to discuss his behind-the-scenes maneuvers. The Californian has started to round up support from other Democrats who are encouraging him to run and is testing the waters by making calls to other colleagues, the people said. Both privately and publicly, Garcia is showing deference to Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who announced last week he will step aside as top Oversight Democrat due to a battle with cancer. “Right now there’s like no election, and so I think those of us on the Oversight Committee are just focused on Gerry’s health,” Garcia told reporters Tuesday. “We just wish him the very best.” Still, many Democrats are eyeing the high-profile post after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Monday she would forgo a bid. That decision is likely to open up the field for a host of other ambitious young Democrats — including Garcia, 47. Connolly has yet to formally step aside, so no election has been scheduled. He designated Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts as the interim top Democrat; Lynch said last week he intends to seek the job permanently. Any contest is expected to be hotly contested, and lawmakers have made preliminary moves to lock down support. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) has already started to privately maneuver for the job, and Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) hasn’t ruled out a run. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) took himself out of contention Tuesday but told reporters that Democrats “have a good opportunity to elect something more progressive, whether they’re younger or not.” Frost and Garcia are close, and some Democrats believed the two would not run against each other. “At this point I feel like half the committee is wanting to run for the seat,” said Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), who served on the Oversight panel last Congress. She stood up in House Democrats’ closed-door caucus meeting Monday to say “we need to be utilizing all of our talent in the caucus” by elevating younger lawmakers, she said. Another Democrat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss caucus dynamics, said he was “really excited” to support Garcia should he choose to run. That Democrat said he had supported Connolly for the Oversight position last year. Garcia currently serves in Democratic leadership, holding a position reserved for lawmakers who have served fewer than five terms in Congress. Should he mount an Oversight run, he could draw the backing of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Only one CHC member, Rep. Nydia Velazquez of New York, holds a committee leadership position. Should Democrats take control of the House in the 2026 midterms, the Oversight chair would have broad jurisdiction to investigate the Trump administration and a central role in the party’s accountability efforts over the executive branch. For now, the ranking member is a key foil to Oversight Republicans’ continued efforts to investigate former President Joe Biden’s administration.