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Fox News
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
'Shirts and Skins': How one Republican bridged the gap to pass Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'
FIRST ON FOX: Passing President Donald Trump's agenda was a team effort between the Senate and House, but one Senate Republican was key in smoothing over differences between the two chambers. "There's an inherent mistrust between senators and representatives," Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital in an interview. "There's a deep, deep mistrust, and it's like we're playing shirts and skins with our own team." "And trying to break down that barrier and let people know, 'Hey, we're all on the same team,' is a little tougher than what people think," he continued. House Republicans were dead set on crafting one, colossal package, while Senate Republicans preferred splitting the bill into two — even three — pieces. Then there were disagreements over the depth of spending cuts, changes to Medicaid and carveouts to boost the cap on the State and Local Tax Deduction (SALT). And while the House GOP worked to craft their version of the massive, $3.3 trillion tax cuts and spending package that eventually made its way to the Senate, Mullin was a crucial figure in bridging the roughly 100-yard gap between both sides of the Capitol. But it's a job he never really wanted. Mullin, who has been in Washington for over a decade, got his start in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2021. He wanted to maintain "lifelong friendships" with his House colleagues, but becoming the de facto liaison between the chambers was more a decision of practicality than one he truly desired. "The first couple of deputy whip meetings we had when [Senate Majority Leader John Thune] was whip was discussing what the House is going to do, and no one knew," Mullin said. "And I was like, 'Man, it's just down the hall, we can go walk and talk to them.' So the first time I did that, I went to the [House GOP] conference and just talked." "And then it just turned into me going to Thune and saying, 'Hey, why don't I just become a liaison between the two?' So I didn't, I never envisioned of doing that, other than just keeping a relationship, but it was a natural fit," he continued. That role began when former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who Mullin had a longstanding relationship with, led the House GOP, and has continued since House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., took the helm in 2023. And it paid dividends during the six-month slog to draft and pass Trump's budget reconciliation bill, which required full buy-in from congressional Republicans to do so given that no Democrats were involved in the process. Markwayne said that before the bill even made it to the Senate in early June, he played a role in ensuring that House Republicans didn't "dump a ton of stuff in there" that would be nixed by Senate rules. He effectively ping-ponged back and forth between the chambers, jetting from morning workouts to speak with lawmakers, meeting with House Republicans during their weekly conference confabs or holding smaller discussions with lawmakers, particularly blue state Republicans concerned about changes to SALT, to get everyone on roughly the same page. Much of it broke down to explaining how the Senate's Byrd rule, which governs reconciliation and allows either party to skirt the Senate filibuster to pass legislation, worked. "I mean, even though I spent 12 or 10 years in the House, I never understood the Byrd rule, but why would I? I didn't have to deal with it," he said. "So really getting to understand that, and breaking down that barrier helped." The flow of information wasn't just one way, however. His discussions with House Republicans helped him better inform his colleagues in the upper chamber of their priorities, and what could and couldn't be touched as Senate Republicans began putting their fingerprints on the bill. SALT was the main issue that he focused on, and one that most Senate Republicans didn't care much for. Still, it was a make-or-break agreement to raise the caps, albeit temporarily, to $40,000 for single and joint filers for the next five years, that helped seal the deal for anxious blue state House Republicans. "Just keeping them informed through the process was very important," he said. "But at the same time, talking to the House, and when we're negotiating over here, I'd be like, 'No guys, that's a killer,'" he said. "We can't do that if you, if you touch this, it's dead over there for sure. Guaranteed, it's dead." Over time, his approach to the role has changed, an evolution he said was largely influenced by Thune. A self-described "bull in a China cabinet," Mullin said that for a time his negotiating style was arguing with lawmakers to convince them "why you're wrong." But that style softened after watching Thune, he said, and saw him talking less and listening more. "I took his lead off of it to let people talk," he said. "Sometimes you're going to find out that they're actually upset about something that had nothing to do with the bill, but they're taking that, and they're holding the bill hostage to be able to let this one point be heard." "I don't think it was a good indication that we were butting heads. Everybody was very passionate about this. I mean, they've been working for a long time. We looked at it as maybe a once in a generation opportunity for us to be able to get this done," he continued. "We wanted to get it right, but everybody wanted to have their fingerprint on it and at the end of the day, we knew we [had] to bring it to the floor."
Fox News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
House Republicans heap more scrutiny on Biden autopen use
House GOP lawmakers spoke with Fox News Digital about their arguments for investigating former President Biden's autopen use for clemency orders.
Fox News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Fox News Politics Newsletter: El Salvador's Bukele Mocks Hunter Biden Threat
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here's what's happening… - Trump pulls US out of UN agency over its backing of 'woke' social causes - 'Not going away': Inside the Epstein drama that's thrown House GOP into chaos - Louisville agrees to halt sanctuary policy after DOJ threatens lawsuit Salvadoran President Hits Back at Hunter Biden's Invasion Threat: What is He 'Sniffing'? Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele responded late Monday to having his country under the threat of invasion from a future "President Hunter Biden." Bukele, who has emerged as a top ally of President Donald Trump and a partner in the U.S. leader's mass deportation operations targeting illegal immigrants, appeared to laugh off the threat. "Is Hunter Biden sniffing powdered milk?" Bukele replied on X , where he shared a snippet of Biden's interview with podcaster Andrew Callaghan… READ MORE . Migrant Crime HOUSTON HORROR: Chilling video allegedly shows illegal migrant dragging screaming sex trafficking victim back to captivity LEFTIST BACKGROUND: Anti-ICE attackers revealed to have extensive history of radical protest activities FORENSIC TWIST: Illinois coroner releases new details about woman found dead on illegal immigrant's property World Stage THREAT COUNTDOWN: EU defense chief warns of 'most dangerous moment' — coordinated Russian-Chinese aggression by 2027 FREE ON MASSIVE BOND: Chinese citizen admits stealing US trade secrets for next-generation national security tech DIPLOMATIC DIVIDEND: 'Trump has changed the game': NATO enters brave new era under pressure from US, Russia 'SENSELESS LOSS': American man from Oklahoma 'brutally executed' by Syrian-backed jihadis MATTER OF PRIDE: Iran will not give up enrichment, top official confirms in exclusive Fox News interview RED LINE: China prevents dozens of Americans from leaving under shadow 'exit ban' Hunter Biden AIRING OF GRIEVANCES: 5 bizarre moments from the former first son's meltdown Capitol Hill DEPORTATION DIVIDE: House Republicans warn anti-ICE rhetoric from Democrats is driving violent attacks on agents BIG, BEAUTIFUL FIGHT: Scoop: Democrats launch billboards outside hospitals to target Trump for 'Gutting Rural Health Care' IN THE CROSSHAIRS: Trump blasts Massie as 'the worst Republican Congressman' and says he's seeking a challenger to support DEMS IN DISARRAY: AOC slams progressive critics for 'lying' about her Iron Dome stance in defense bill fight BUDGET BATTLE LINES: Dems seek retaliation over GOP cuts as Thune calls for 'cooperation' on funding vote FAITH UNDER FIRE: GOP lawmakers advocate for US condemnation of persecution against Christians in Muslim-majority nations CIVIL WAR: 'Not going away': Inside the Epstein drama that's thrown House GOP into chaos FLIP FLOP: Trump endorses GOP senator years after asserting 'I will never endorse this jerk again' Across America MAYOR BACKS DOWN: Louisville agrees to halt sanctuary policy after DOJ threatens lawsuit CAMPUS CRACKDOWN: Columbia University disciplines 70 students more than a year after violent library takeover JUDGMENT DAY: Newsom to decide on Menendez brothers' parole by Labor Day weekend TAKE TWO: Cuomo tones down Trump rhetoric after stunning loss to Mamdani in NYC mayor primary 'DISGUSTING': NYC councilwoman warns Mamdani victory will drive away key voting bloc: 'Afraid to live here' VOTED OUT: Judges vote against extending Alina Habba's term as US attorney in New Jersey
Wall Street Journal
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
The GOP Manages to Function
For the third time this year, congressional Republicans have managed to act like a normal political party. In January, a rebellion against House Speaker Mike Johnson fizzled at the last minute, and every Republican but one voted to re-elect him. The mainstream press had been hoping for the dysfunctionality of 2023, when the House GOP booted Speaker Kevin McCarthy for no coherent reason and took three weeks to find a replacement.
Fox News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
2 lone Republicans vote against Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' as it heads to president's desk
President Donald Trump's agenda appeared on life support as defectors in the House GOP, for a time, appeared ready to torpedo it. But in the end, only two Republicans voted against the bill, and it's now heading to the president's desk. Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., were the sole defectors against Trump's "big, beautiful bill." House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., could only afford to lose three Republicans, given that no Democrat was willing to cross the aisle to support the $3.3 trillion megabill. While he did vote to support the procedural hurdle to get the bill on the floor, Massie's decision to vote against the bill was seemingly predetermined. He has continually argued that the colossal tax, border, defense and energy package would add trillions to the nation's debt and do little to actually curb Washington's spending addiction. And he was not among the many conservatives who Trump and Republican leadership tried to pressure throughout the day on Wednesday, nor as the floor stayed open into early Thursday afternoon. "[Trump] reaches out every day on Twitter, reaching out with a million dollars of ads in my district with a picture of me and the Ayatollah," Massie said. "So, that's the only sort of reaching out I've seen so far." While Trump did not directly single him out, the president did call on holdout Republicans to stop holding the bill hostage late Wednesday night, and declared on Truth Social that "MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT'S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!" Trump had previously threatened Massie with a primary challenger, as he did with Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., before his retirement announcement, for defecting against the bill. But senior White House officials told reporters on a call just after the bill passed that the president had not threatened a primary against lawmakers to earn their vote, and that lawmakers "well understand the President's political power, and ultimately, they want his political power to be used for their benefit." Fitzpatrick had raised concerns about changes the Senate GOP had made to Medicaid reforms in the bill but had not publicly staked a position until the procedural vote. He was the only 'no' vote on the rule, and that resistance carried into the final vote that ultimately saw House Republicans largely unify and pass the legislative behemoth. Fitzpatrick said in a statement just minutes before the bill passed that he had voted to "strengthen Medicaid protections, to permanently extend middle class tax cuts, for enhanced small business tax relief, and for historic investments in our border security and our military," but that the Senate's tweaks soured him to the bill. "However, it was the Senate's amendments to Medicaid, in addition to several other Senate provisions, that altered the analysis for our PA-1 community," he said. "The original House language was written in a way that protected our community; the Senate amendments fell short of our standard." "I believe in, and will always fight for, policies that are thoughtful, compassionate, and good for our community," he continued. "It is this standard that will always guide my legislative decisions."
