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NBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
The Epstein saga continues to affect Washington: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Happy Tuesday! In today's edition, our Congress team breaks down how the Jeffrey Epstein saga is freezing up the House of Representatives. And speaking of the House, Steve Kornacki analyzes how mid-decade redistricting by Republicans in a few key states could alter the math of the midterms. — Scott Bland House cancels last day of votes before summer break as Epstein consumes Capitol Hill By Scott Wong, Kyle Stewart and Syedah Asghar The GOP-controlled House is cutting short its last workweek before the summer recess because of a fight on Capitol Hill over the release of the government's files on the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The House was scheduled to hold votes on Thursday before lawmakers departed for their five-week recess. But Republican leaders informed rank-and-file lawmakers on Tuesday that the final vote of the week would now be a day earlier, on Wednesday afternoon. The shift in schedule occurred because of a standoff on the Rules Committee, which decides how legislation comes to the floor but has been ground to a halt by the Epstein issue. The panel, which is closely aligned with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., typically passes a rule for legislation on Monday that sets up debate and allows bills to come to the floor for the week. But Democrats had promised Monday to force the committee to take more votes on whether to require the Trump administration to release all remaining files from the Epstein case. To avoid embarrassing votes on Epstein, Republicans decided to recess the committee and not attempt to pass a rule for bills this week. Without a rule, Republicans would be left with nothing to vote on after Wednesday. The Epstein saga has dominated chatter on Capitol Hill for more than a week as many Trump supporters have clamored for the release of all documents related to the convicted sex offender and the president and his administration sought to downplay the issue. It appeared to be dying down in recent days, but the Trump administration breathed new life into the story Tuesday morning, when the Justice Department announced that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will meet with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell in the coming days. By Steve Kornacki In the coming weeks, Republicans in Texas and Ohio are expected to redraw their states' congressional maps. Their intent is transparent: to bolster their party's chances of protecting its super-slim House majority in next year's midterm elections. As it stands now, there are 220 Republican districts, meaning the party can afford a net loss of no more than two seats in 2026 and still keep the House. In theory, the redistricting effort could shift as many as eight seats from the Democratic to the GOP column, although the ultimate yield will depend on how aggressive the GOP gets — and how much the courts and voters will tolerate. It could also be offset by similar measures from Democrats in blue states like California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to do a redraw of his own but faces a far trickier process. Yet even if Republicans do emerge from a fresh round of redistricting with a batch of new, safe seats, it may still be woefully insufficient to keep the House, given the dramatic losses that the party in the White House often endures in midterm elections. It was during the first Trump presidency that the GOP coughed up a net 40 House seats in the 2018 midterms, easily losing control of the chamber. But the structure of the current Republican majority is much different than it was back in '18. Far fewer GOP seats now are in districts that are politically hostile to Trump and a far greater share are in politically safe Trump landslide districts. Nor are there as many marginal GOP incumbents in districts Trump carried only narrowly in the most recent presidential election. If successful, the redistricting push would amount to another big difference from 2018: It would give Republicans far more opportunities to play offense this time around.
NBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
House cancels its last day of votes before summer break as Epstein consumes Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON — The GOP-controlled House is cutting short its last workweek before the summer recess because of a fight on Capitol Hill over the release of the government's files on the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The House was scheduled to hold votes on Thursday before lawmakers departed for their lengthy, five-week recess. But Republican leaders informed rank-and-file lawmakers on Tuesday that the final vote of the week would now be a day earlier, on Wednesday afternoon. The shift in schedule occurred because of a standoff on the Rules Committee, which decides how legislation comes to the floor, but has been ground to a halt by the Epstein issue. The panel, which is closely aligned with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., typically passes a rule for legislation on Monday that sets up debate and allows bills to come to the floor for the week. But Democrats had promised Monday to force the committee to take more votes on whether to require the Trump administration to release all remaining files from the Epstein case. To avoid embarrassing votes on Epstein, Republicans decided to recess the committee and not attempt to pass a rule for bills this week. Without a rule, Republicans would be left with nothing to vote on after Wednesday. The Epstein saga has dominated chatter on Capitol Hill for more than a week as many Trump supporters have clamored for the release of all documents related to the convicted sex offender and the president and his administration sought to downplay the issue. It appeared to be dying down in recent days, but the Trump administration breathed new life into the story Tuesday morning, when the Justice Department announced that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will meet with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell in the coming days. A short while later, conservative Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., passed a motion in a subcommittee meeting to have the House Oversight Committee issue a subpoena for Maxwell to appear for a deposition. Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said through a spokesperson that he had encouraged Burchett to make the motion and that the subpoena will be issued 'as expeditiously as possible." The House GOP leadership's final news conference before the August recess was dominated by the Epstein matter as well, with Speaker Johnson addressing the issue at the outset and fielding several questions from reporters about Epstein. Johnson said earlier that the remaining Epstein files should be released, but he also cautioned that there needed to be a process to protect the identities of Epstein's victims. "The president has said clearly, and he has now ordered his DOJ to do what it is we've all needed DOJ to do for years now, and that is to get everything released. So they're in the process of that. There's no purpose for Congress to push an administration to do something that they're already doing. And so this is for political games," Johnson told reporters. "We can both call for full transparency and also protect victims. And if you run roughshod or you do it too quickly, that's not what happens," the speaker said. Johnson attempted to blame Democrats for stalling floor action and playing "gotcha politics" with the Epstein matter. He said Democrats had a chance to release information about the case when they controlled the entire government under President Joe Biden. But the speaker also directed much of his ire at a fellow conservative, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who is working with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and other Democrats to force a vote in September that would compel DOJ to release the remaining Epstein files. Johnson said Massie, who has repeatedly clashed with Trump and GOP leadership, is trying to "bite" his fellow Republicans. 'Some people seem to enjoy trying to inflict political pain on their own teammates. … There's a small, small, tiny handful people, but one in particular who's given me lots of consternation. I don't understand Thomas Massie's motivation. I really don't. I don't know how his mind works. I don't know what he's thinking,' Johnson said in a lengthy and unusual tirade against Massie. 'Thomas Massie could have brought his discharge petition anytime over the last four years of the Biden administration. He could have done that at any time, and now he's clamoring as if there's some sort of timeline on it,' Johnson continued. 'It's interesting to me that he chose the election of President Trump, to bring this, to team up with the Democrats and bring this discharge petition. … I try to follow Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment, never speak evil of another Republican," the speaker said. "My gosh, it's hard to do sometimes around here.' For his part, Massie appears to be relishing all of the scrutiny and attention. He was spotted walking around the Capitol on Monday holding a large white binder that read: "The Epstein Files: Phase 2 ... DECLASSIFIED." Massie and Khanna need the signatures of at least 218 members of the House to get a vote on their Epstein bill in the fall and the Kentucky Republican predicted they'll get there. "Over the August recess, I think momentum will build for transparency. I don't think this is going to go away," Massie said. "And I think, when we return in September, we'll get Phase 2 of the Epstein files because we'll get ... every Democrat and at least a dozen Republicans who want transparency and justice."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Beshear on possible 2028 run: ‘I do not want to leave a broken country' to future generations
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said Sunday that he's mulling a run for president in 2028 because he's concerned about future generations living in a 'broken country,' but said he needed to decide if he's the right person to 'bring people back together.' 'My family's been through a lot, but I do not want to leave a broken country to my kids or anyone else's,' Beshear said in an interview on CNN's 'State of the Union.' 'I'm going to make sure we're putting the country first, because my kids deserve to grow up in a country where they don't have to turn on the news every morning, even when they're on vacation, and say, 'What the heck happened last night?'' Beshear said he wouldn't have entertained a presidential run 'if you had asked me this question a couple years ago.' 'What I think is most important for 2028 is a candidate that can heal this country, that can bring people back together,' he said. 'When I sit down, I'm going to think about whether I'm that candidate or whether someone else is that candidate.' Beshear has led ruby-red Kentucky since December 2019, winning reelection with more than 53 percent of the vote in 2023. He was considered a top contender to become Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate last year after former President Biden abruptly ended his 2024 reelection campaign. Beshear, 47, is slated to chair the influential Democratic Governors Association (DGA) next year, before his gubernatorial term ends in 2027. The former Kentucky attorney general cannot immediately seek another four years because state law limits governors to two consecutive terms. He predicted Democrats in traditionally GOP-controlled states will have better chances in the upcoming election cycle in the wake of President Trump's massive tax and spending package that was signed into law Friday. 'I think, especially in these rural states where Republican governors have not spoken up whatsoever to stop this devastating bill, we're going to have strong candidates,' Beshear said. 'We're going to win a lot of elections.' 'All these Republican governors that aren't saying a thing, where their rural hospitals are going to close, where they're going to see massive layoffs and people lose their coverage. That's pretty sad,' he added. Trump's megabill, named the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' narrowly passed the House and Senate. Every Democratic lawmaker voted against it. The president and his allies have hailed the legislation for boosting defense spending and funding for Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown, while extending the 2017 tax cuts from his first term. But Democrats have blasted the measure for cutting funding for social safety net programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Porgram. 'I know a lot of people on Medicaid — these are our parents with special needs children that could have never covered it otherwise. These are busy people all working two jobs already to support that child,' Beshear told CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday. 'I mean, you can lie all you want about what's in this bill, but the numbers are the numbers.' The bill would cut nearly $800 billion from the health care program that primarily covers poor people, pregnant women and children by setting work requirements for most 'able-bodied adults' with no dependents, implementing more frequent eligibility checks and reducing federal aid for states that provide coverage for undocumented migrants. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated the new law could threaten health care coverage for millions of people. It raises the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, forestalling the threat of a federal default, while adding $2 trillion to the deficit. 'It's going to devastate rural health care, all while adding trillions of dollars to our national debt. And it's going to upend every state budget across the country,' Beshear said. 'Our job is to stand up for and represent our people, and I wish people would get back to that.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Politico
5 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
South Carolina's early state status is far from secure. But 2028 Dems are going anyway.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker will deliver the keynote address at North Carolina's state party unity dinner on July 26, and state party leaders are in talks with Sens. Kelly of Arizona and Cory Booker of New Jersey about visits to the state later this year. But moving the order of primary states is easier said than done. North Carolina is hamstrung by state law from moving its date, and Democrats would need the GOP-controlled legislature to agree to any changes. DNC members have also emphasized smaller states to allow lesser-known candidates to build followings. 'The most powerful force in the universe is inertia, so South Carolina is probably the favorite to stay just because of that,' said an incoming member of the committee granted anonymity to discuss internal dynamics. 'Every state has a chance to be first, but I do think we have to come into this with a degree of realism.' The DNC is attempting to remain neutral. 'The DNC is committed to running a fair, transparent, and rigorous process for the 2028 primary calendar. All states will have an opportunity to participate,' Deputy Communications Director Abhi Rahman said in a statement. Iowa Democrats are also gearing up on a bid to restore their caucuses to their traditional spot as the nation's first presidential contest. Michigan replaced Iowa as the Midwestern early state in 2024. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said she planned to have 'tough and direct conversations' with the party in a statement, even as the DNC r emoved Iowa's only representative , Scott Brennan, from the Rules and Bylaws Committee this year.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
White House likely to send another rescissions package to Congress
White House budget chief Russell Vought said Thursday that the administration is likely to send another rescissions package to Congress to claw back previously approved spending. Vought's comments came as Republicans on Capitol Hill appeared poised to revoke $9 billion in previously approved federal funding as part of an initial package of cuts put forward by the White House. 'I don't want to get ahead of the package itself,' Vought said of a future proposal during an event hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. Vought did not provide specifics about what funds would be targeted or a timeline for when the next package would be sent to Congress, but told reporters, 'It's likely to come soon.' The administration has targeted government spending for cuts it has deemed wasteful or that does not align with the president's 'America first' agenda. 'There is still a great enthusiasm for these rescissions bills,' Vought said. The $9 billion package, which was passed by the Senate early Thursday morning and will head to the House for a final vote, targets money for global aid programs and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds National Public Radio and PBS, organizations President Trump and his allies accuse of liberal bias. The White House agreed to an amendment to remove from the package $400 million in cuts to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief global anti-AIDS initiative in the face of GOP pushback. Even as the bill is expected to reach the president's desk once it passes the GOP-controlled House, some Republicans have expressed frustration about a perceived lack of information in the White House's request. Vought pushed back on those criticisms Thursday. He argued the administration provided the same amount of detail as previous rescissions packages, laying out dollar amounts for programs the administration wanted to cut. 'People always want more detail,' Vought said. 'We provided all the detail that was needed.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
