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Politico
3 days ago
- Business
- Politico
GOP leaders rush into Musk damage control
IN TODAY'S EDITION:— Johnson defends against Musk's attacks— Emmer's megabill confidence— Congress gets its rescissions deadline Hill GOP leaders are in full-on damage control as they scramble to save their megabill — and themselves — from the blast radius of Donald Trump and Elon Musk's breakup. But Musk doesn't seem interested in sparing any part of the GOP trifecta from his wrath on his way out of Washington. The president's new enemy attacked both Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune Thursday over the cost of the party's sweeping domestic policy package. Thune brushed it aside. Johnson, however, is mounting a multi-front rebuttal as he aims to keep Musk from hurting the megabill's prospects, our Meredith Lee Hill reports. He's questioning the tech mogul's motives for opposing the bill and challenging his claims about its impact on the deficit. Johnson already had to reassure hard-liners concerned about the bill's spending in order to squeeze the bill through the House last month. 'I'm the same guy that's always been a deficit hawk, and now I'm the speaker of the House, and I'm working on a multi-step plan to reverse the fiscal insanity that has haunted our country,' Johnson told reporters Thursday. 'We have to get the big, beautiful bill done.' Johnson's leadership team quickly claimed Musk wouldn't rattle their members. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise insisted it hadn't moved any votes. And Whip Tom Emmer, in an exclusive interview with Mia (more on that below), said he's not tracking Musk's onslaught on X. 'Sorry,' Emmer said, 'he's not on my phone.' Some fiscal hard-liners — who share in Musk's concerns about the bill but allowed it to pass the House — avoided immediately picking sides in the feud. Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, bombarded with questions about Musk on Thursday, said only that he's 'right on the deficit.' Sen. Mike Lee posted on X: 'But … I really like both of them.' They may not have to choose. Signs of a détente emerged late Thursday, with Trump brushing off the clash in a phone call with our Dasha Burns and Musk seeming somewhat open to a reconciliation (just not the reconciliation bill). White House aides are working to broker peace. Still, if the Trump-Musk divorce goes through, MAGA will side with the president, our Rachael Bade predicts in her latest Corridors column. There were signs Thursday that Musk was alienating some of Trump's biggest Hill boosters. 'Elon is getting too personal. It's getting out of control,' Rep. Troy Nehls told Mia. 'Some of the most recent comments, I think: Elon, you've lost your mind.' Coming up in today's Playbook: Musk bankrolled the GOP back to power in Washington. Now his financial firepower could break Republicans' trifecta — and imperil their legislative agenda after 2026. TGIF. Follow our live coverage at the Inside Congress blog at and email your Inside Congress scribes at mmccarthy@ lkashinsky@ and bleonard@ THE SKED The House is in session and voting on a bill that requires proof of citizenship to apply for SBA loans at 10:10 a.m. — Financial Services will continue a hearing on digital assets at 9 a.m. — Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will have his weekly press conference at 10:45 a.m. The Senate is out. Next week: The Senate will continue to take up Trump's nominations. The House is scheduled to take up Trump's rescissions package. THE LEADERSHIP SUITE FIRST IN INSIDE CONGRESS: Emmer projects confidence on Senate's megabill Emmer isn't concerned about the GOP megabill's fate in the Senate, despite the current policy disputes. During an exclusive sitdown with Mia on Thursday, the House majority whip was bullish about getting the bill to Trump's desk by July 4. 'The Senate will do their work. They're going to send the bill back to us,' Emmer told Mia. 'We are going to pass it and send it to the president's desk. The time for talking is over.' ON SALT — One thing Emmer said he hopes the Senate won't touch: the quadrupled state-and-local tax deduction cap carefully negotiated with blue-state Republicans in the House. Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo recently said there's little appetite among his members for keeping the increase fully intact. But Emmer said he believes the Senate understands the House's more difficult math. 'John Thune was quoted somewhere as saying, you know, 'We understand it's 51 over here and it's 218 over there.'' Emmer said. 'That should tell you everything you need to know.' ON MEDICAID — Emmer said he believes senators who have raised concerns on the issue — specifically Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Josh Hawley — are 'going to be pleasantly surprised when they go through' the bill. 'A lot of their concerns that they thought they were going to have are just not there,' Emmer said, adding that 'there might be' tweaks, but no one has flagged any 'major problems' in the bill. Emmer said the only area he thinks there might be unease is about the provider tax. ON CLEAN ENERGY — A key group of senators could hold up the bill over the repeal or scaling back of the Inflation Reduction Act's clean-energy tax provisions, which could disrupt projects in their states. But Emmer said that's something the House was concerned about as well. 'That's one of the reasons why the sunsetting is out at least three years, so that people can continue projects and repurpose them,' Emmer said. 'That was the whole concept. Whatever the Senate does with it, that's their business.' Pros can read the rest of the Q&A with Emmer here. Reconciliation 2.0 ... or 3.0? Johnson has already floated the idea of a second reconciliation package. Now, he's hinting at a third. 'There may be a third one,' the speaker said Thursday, adding that 'we have to do it in the proper sequence.' Emmer didn't wave off the idea of a second or third megabill to Mia on Thursday, but noted they should 'get the first one done.' 'All of it's possible,' Emmer said. 'Is it probable? We'll see.' POLICY RUNDOWN SCOOP: WICKER QUESTIONS ARMY PARADE — Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker told Lisa he 'would have recommended against' the Army's plan to hold a multimillion-dollar parade in D.C. on June 14, which is also Trump's birthday. 'On the other hand, the secretary feels that it will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for thousands of young Americans to see what a great opportunity it is to participate in a great military force, that it will be a recruiting tool,' Wicker said. 'So, we'll see.' Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told lawmakers in a budget hearing Thursday that the parade could cost $25 million to $40 million. He was not able to provide an exact cost, he said, because the Army will also need to cover whatever damage its tanks do to Washington's streets. Other GOP senators aren't happy with the price tag. Collins told Lisa she's 'glad that we're honoring the Army' but 'the cost does seem a bit steep.' Sen. Ron Johnson was blunt: 'If it costs money, I won't go.' SCOOP: RESCISSIONS DEADLINE SET — Congress must act by July 18 on Trump's request to claw back $9.4 billion in funding or the White House will be required to spend the money, the Senate parliamentarian said. If the House and Senate follow their current schedules, the 45-day clock on Trump's request will expire at midnight that day, people granted anonymity to discuss private guidance from the Senate's rule-keeper told our Jennifer Scholtes. Before that deadline, the House and Senate can vote to approve or reject Trump's request to nix $8.3 billion for foreign aid and $1.1 billion for public broadcasting. TRUMP'S 'EITHER WAY' ON TAX PERMANENCE — Sen. Steve Daines, one of the chamber's tax writers, told our Benjamin Guggenheim Thursday that Trump was noncommittal during their White House meeting on whether his business tax incentives should be extended or made permanent. 'He said: 'I'm open to permanence. I'm open to kind of go either way, even on a five-year provision'' like what the House included in its version of the megabill, Daines said. Daines told Benjamin he believes there's a consensus among Senate Finance Republicans for permanence, calling it a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity' for lasting tax reform. ABOUT THOSE CLEAN ENERGY CREDITS — GOP senators who want to keep clean-energy credits under Democrats' 2022 climate law are expressing confidence that their chamber will ease off the harsh phaseouts in the House-passed megabill. Sen. Thom Tillis told our Josh Siegel that 'every one of them is going to have some sort of an extension' from the sunset dates in the House bill. Murkowski told reporters Thursday she's also looking to ensure 'more reasonable' phaseout timelines. 'You can't have real dominance unless you have all aspects of energy,' Murkowski said. 'And it's not too much to say that 'all of the above' includes things still like wind and solar, and geothermal, and nuclear, and biofuels, and ocean energy.' GOP SENATORS TO REWRITE AI FREEZE — Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz said Thursday his committee would attempt to rewrite the 10-year moratorium on enforcement of state and local artificial intelligence laws that the House tucked into their version of the megabill. Several GOP senators expressed skepticism this week that the current language could clear the Senate's strict rules for what can be included in the filibuster-skirting reconciliation package. Thune sounded supportive of the House measure Thursday, but conceded it was unclear if it could pass the Byrd test. 'The goal is to make sure that we aren't losing the race in AI and making sure that we have a policy that's consistent,' Thune said. Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E: POLITICO PRO SPACE: Need an insider's guide to the politics behind the new space race? From battles over sending astronauts to Mars to the ways space companies are vying to influence regulators, this weekly newsletter decodes the personalities, policy and power shaping the final frontier. Find out more. TUNNEL TALK SPOTTED — Laura Loomer was on the Hill on Thursday, waiting outside the House Judiciary room. She was trying to meet with Reps. Eric Swalwell and Jared Moskowitz, among other Democrats, to talk about designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, according to our John Sakellariadis. THE BEST OF THE REST Exclusive: New video shows tussle between Rep. Nadler staffer and federal officers, by Arya Sundaram at the Gothamist Democrats Say Trump's New Travel Ban Won't Be as Central to Messaging as Last Time, by Torrence Banks at NOTUS JOB BOARD Melissa Burnison is now clerk for the Senate Appropriations Energy-Water Subcommittee. She previously was VP for federal legislative affairs at Berkshire Hathaway Energy, and is an Energy Department alum. Christiana Nulty (née Reasor) has joined Thune's office as health policy adviser. She previously was director of federal affairs at Genentech and is a Jerry Moran and Lynn Jenkins alum. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sen. Marsha Blackburn ... Reps. Madeleine Dean and Eugene Vindman (5-0) … Alexander Vindman (5-0) … former Reps. Eric Cantor, David Bonior (8-0) and Allen Boyd (8-0) … Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth … ABC's Katherine Faulders … Fabiana Corsi Mendez of Rep. Eugene Vindman's office … Ward Baker … Margaret White of No Labels ... Max Docksey ... POLITICO's Gabby Miller ... CQ's Caroline Simon Coudriet … Allie Freedman … Sarah Gadsden … Julia Masterman of Angerholzer Broz Consulting TRIVIA THURSDAY'S ANSWER: SP correctly answered that China was the first country to sign a Fulbright agreement. TODAY'S QUESTION, from Mia: What current member of Congress was formerly a scuba instructor in Thailand? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@
Politico
13-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
How K Street priorities fared in the tax package
With help from Daniel Lippman WHAT'S IN THE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL: The marathon process lovingly referred to on K Street as the 'Super Bowl of tax' formally kicked off last night as House GOP tax writers unveiled their long-anticipated bill to extend President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts. And this afternoon began the markup, which is expected to turn into an all-nighter. — Our intrepid Congress team is on top of all the action — keep up with all the twists and turns on our Inside Congress blog — but PI also wanted to highlight a few notable provisions here. — Top business groups, predictably, have been cheering the tax package all day — despite the fact that the bill would only temporarily revive some of the business community's top priorities, like full write-offs on research and development expenses and full expensing of capital investments. — Meanwhile, credit unions are breathing a sigh of relief after it appears they've staved off a threat to their tax-exempt status — for now, anyway. 'We have worked hard to show the impact credit unions have on their 142 million members and communities,' America's Credit Unions President Jim Nussle said in a statement, adding that 'we remain engaged with the committee as it considers amendments through the markup process to ensure no new tax is added on credit unions.' — Ditto for the real estate, venture capital and private equity industries, which survived a last-minute push by Trump last week to eliminate the so-called carried interest loophole. — Not feeling so great today are nonprofits, universities, the clean energy industry and billionaire sports team owners. The reconciliation bill would grant the Treasury secretary new powers to revoke nonprofit organizations' tax-exempt status, and it would hike taxes on foundations with assets of more than $50 million. — Colleges and universities with the largest endowments, meanwhile, would be hit with a massive tax hike under the GOP plan. Schools with student-adjusted endowments of more than $2 million would see the tax rate on net investment income soar from the current rate of 1.4 percent to 21 percent, while schools with endowments between $1.25 million and $2 million would see their endowment tax raised to 14 percent. — The House bill would also gut climate tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act, which has already triggered pushback from Senate Republicans, and would slice the tax write off for owners of pro sports franchises in half. — But another lobbying priority for sports leagues and the broader fitness industry managed to find its way into the reconciliation plan. It includes language that would allow people to use pre-tax health dollars on fitness-related expenses such as gym memberships and fees for youth sports leagues or other physical activities. — The PHIT Act has been one of the top legislative priorities for the Health & Fitness Association, which held a fly-in to lobby for the measure last week. It also had the backing of the top major pro sports leagues, the golf industry, retailers including Nike, and trade groups representing athletic trainers, pediatric nurse practitioners, physical therapists and personal trainers. However, draft text released by tax writers is more narrow, and would not include spending on fitness equipment, one-on-one personal training or some online fitness classes. — The reconciliation bill also includes the repeal of a 10 percent excise tax on indoor tanning services. Republicans and the tanning industry have sought to abolish the tax, which was introduced by the Affordable Care Act, arguing that it has forced small tanning salons out of business. — That effort faltered in the GOP's 2017 tax bill as well as Republicans' failed attempt to repeal the ACA altogether, but earlier this year the American Suntanning Association brought on new outside lobbyists at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough to help get the repeal over the finish line, according to a disclosure filed last week. Happy Tuesday and welcome to PI, where I hope you have your energy drink of choice handy. What else are you celebrating — or mobilizing against — in the reconciliation bill? You can add me on Signal, email me at coprysko@ and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko. MORE UNIVERSITIES ADDING LOBBYING HELP: The K Street hiring spree by higher education isn't slowing down, according to another batch of newly filed disclosures. Johns Hopkins University, which received more than $1 billion last year in NIH funding that's been targeted for cuts by the Trump administration, retained Miller Strategies' Jeff Miller and James Min back in March, according to a disclosure. They're the second new outside firm added by Johns Hopkins this year. The school hired HB Strategies last month to lobby on funding issues and the endowment tax. — Meanwhile American University retained Holland & Knight in April to lobby on 'higher education related matters, policy and regulation,' according to a disclosure filing. It's the first time that AU, whose president signed a letter last month rebuking Trump's efforts to interfere on college campuses, has had federal lobbyists on its payroll since 2009. LA LA LAND: 'So-called Hollywood ambassadors Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone joined with a coalition of entertainment industry groups for a letter delivered this week to President Trump urging him to support tax measures and a federal tax incentive that would help bring film and TV production back to the U.S.,' the Los Angeles Times' Samantha Masunaga reports. — 'The letter is signed by Voight, Stallone, all the major Hollywood unions and trade groups such as the Motion Picture Assn., the Producers Guild of America and the Independent Film & Television Alliance, indicating widespread support from the entertainment industry.' — ''Returning more production to the United States will require a national approach and broad-based policy solutions ... as well as longer term initiatives such as implementing a federal film and television tax incentive,' the letter states.' Notably, the groups' proposed tax changes does not include the 100 percent tariff on foreign movies threatened by Trump last week. FLYING IN: The Independent Community Bankers of America is flying nearly a thousand community bankers into town this week to chat with policymakers about CFPB rules, tax relief and rural lending. They'll also hear from House Financial Services Chair French Hill (R-Ark.), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender. — The American Hotel and Lodging Association is also flying in this week to reiterate the hospitality industry's top tax priorities. Those include making permanent the so-called 199A deduction for pass-through entities and protecting a provision in the tax code that allows real estate developers to avoid capital gains taxes when they exchange properties — both of which the House bill does. WILD STORY FROM MAHA LAND: 'An internal battle has emerged inside the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement, with the CEO of a supplements company and a top adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leveling accusations against each other that include making threats of retribution, conflicts of interest and leaking false information to far-right activist Laura Loomer,' POLITICO's Daniel Barnes reports. — 'At the center of the fight are Peter Gillooly, CEO of The Wellness Company, and Calley Means, who in addition to serving as an adviser to RFK Jr. is the co-founder of a health care payments company and the brother of Casey Means, who was recently nominated to be the next surgeon general.' — 'In a formal complaint to the Office of the Special Counsel and other agencies filed Saturday and obtained by POLITICO, Gillooly accuses Calley Means of abusing his position at HHS and violating the law prohibiting conflict of interest in government services by threatening to involve Kennedy and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya in the dispute.' Means is currently designated as a special government employee, allowing him to serve in a temporary capacity without having to step away from his personal business. — ''If one more thing happens, I'm going to go to Jay Bhattacharya and Bobby and tell him that you and your cadre of Peter McCullough and Kelly Victory are spreading lies and trying to fuck with him and hurt his administration,' Means said, naming two members of the company's medical board, in a recording of a Saturday morning call between him and Gillooly obtained by POLITICO. (The transcript of the call is quoted in the complaint.)' WHERE THERE'S SMOKE: 'The largest firefighters' labor union in the U.S. is demanding antitrust authorities investigate the companies that make fire trucks, saying industry consolidation has led to skyrocketing costs and years-long wait times, endangering fire fighters and the public,' per Reuters' Jody Godoy. — In a letter to DOJ antitrust chief Gail Slater and FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson today, the International Association of Fire Fighters called for a probe of three companies — REV Group, Oshkosh and Rosenbauer — that the union said make up two-thirds of the market for fire and emergency vehicles. — 'Truck prices have doubled in the past decade, with ladder trucks now costing as much as $2 million each, while fire departments are facing backlogs as long as four years, said IAFF, which represents fire and emergency workers in the U.S. and Canada, and American Economic Liberties Project, an antimonopoly group.' Jobs report — Ben Napier is joining Andreessen Horowitz as a government affairs partner, where he'll lead engagement with House Republicans. He's spent the past nine years with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, most recently serving as floor director. — Staci Pies is joining INCOMPAS as senior vice president of government affairs and policy. She was previously vice president of public policy at Crown Castle, and is a Google, Microsoft and FCC alum. — Chase Adams is now senior vice president at Milne, Wiener & Shofe Global Strategies. He most recently was assistant vice president for the National Pork Producers Council. — Holland & Knight has added former FERC Chair Willie Phillips and former FERC chief of staff and senior legal adviser Ronan Gulstone as partners in the public policy and regulation practice group. — Jordan Goldberg is now policy director of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance. She most recently was director of policy at the Primary Care Development Corporation. — Debra DeShong is now senior vice president at Invariant and head of its crisis communications and corporate risk practice. She most recently was head of corporate communications for Qcells and Hanwha USA and is a PhRMA alum. — Kimberly Makrai is joining Impression Strategy. She was previously campaign manager for Florida State Rep. Dana Trabulsy. — Thomas Aiello has rejoined the National Taxpayers Union as senior director of government affairs. He previously spent five years at NTU and most recently served as a director at the DCI Group. — BGR Group has added Brendon Weiss as chief business officer. He's the co-founder and CEO of EscrowTab. — TSG Advocates is adding Brian Darling, Beau Rothschild and Kaitlyn Roberts. Darling previously was at Navigators Global and Liberty Government Affairs. Rothschild previously was at Porter Wright Morris and Arthur. Roberts most recently was a corporate adviser at Aramco. New Joint Fundraisers Committee to Elect The Best (Sen. Jon Ossoff, Clarence for GA) Uphold the Senate (Sens. Dan Sullivan, Steve Daines, Thom Tillis, True North PAC, Big Sky Opportunity PAC, Together Holding Our Majority PAC, NRSC) New PACs AE Industrial Partners PAC Inc. (PAC) Icon Race Club LVE/Rider (PAC) PaulJones4StateAssembly (Super PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Alpine Group Partners, LLC.: Advantage Silver Dental Arrest, LLC (Asda) Alpine Group Partners, LLC.: Dulcich, Inc. D/B/A Pacific Seafood Group Alpine Group Partners, LLC.: Glass Aviaition Holdings, Inc. (D/B/A Airspace Data) Alpine Group Partners, LLC.: Kaliroy Fresh, LLC Alpine Group Partners, LLC.: Solana Policy Institute Blank Rome Government Relations: Blank Rome LLP (On Behalf Of Carnival Corporation) Brian Glackin & Associates LLC: Jones Walker LLP (On Behalf Of City Of West Memphis Brian Glackin & Associates LLC: Maritime Tactical Systems (Martac) Checkmate Government Relations: Alpek Polyester USa, LLC Checkmate Government Relations: Baptist Health South Florida Checkmate Government Relations: General Dynamics Land Systems Inc. Checkmate Government Relations: Lion Copper And Gold Corp. Checkmate Government Relations: National Shooting Sports Foundation Inc. Checkmate Government Relations: Silver Bow Mining Corp Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies: Parkway Garage, Inc. Currentstrategic LLC: Technest Solutions S.L.A. Dba Fortris On Behalf Of Nexusone Consulting Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Greenwave Energy Partners, LLC Hartwell Capitol Consulting: Williams Lpp Holland & Knight LLP: American University Holland & Knight LLP: Clark Street Associates On Behalf Of Pacific Fusion Corporation 7Streams Advocates For Wild Equines (Informal Coalition) American Dental Hygienists Association Auerbach International Inc. Em Designs, LLC Lea County, New Mexico Vital Records Online Wellness Ai Milne, Wiener & Shofe Global Strategies (Fka M & W Government Affairs, LLC): National Pork Producers Council Mo Strategies, Inc.: Forest County Potawatomi Community Nestpoint Associates LLC: Live Comfortably LLC Nestpoint Associates LLC: Soho Apparel Group Inc. Nexusone Consulting: Technest Solutions S.L.A. Dba Fortris Nordest Advisory LLC: Cbrain A/S Steptoe LLP: Velico Medical Inc. Tsg Advocates Dc, LLC: Guidewell Mutual Holding Corporation New Lobbying Terminations Cline Strategic Consulting, LLC: Ride Group LLC Dentons US LLP: National Vote At Home Coalition
Politico
20-03-2025
- Business
- Politico
Trump sidelines appropriators
IN TODAY'S EDITION: EXCLUSIVE: A polite warning from the White House — Inside Congress this morning has a first look at Rachael Bade's Playbook Deep Dive interview with White House deputy chief of staff James Blair, who oversees legislative affairs. In a clip we're bringing you this morning — the full interview will be out Friday — Blair says the administration strives to resolve Capitol Hill clashes privately, but 'will not be bashful' about other methods to advance the president's agenda. Check out Playbook for another scoop from the interview later today. APPROPS PROBLEMS — The Senate and House Appropriations Committees have long held enormous influence and power. But Hill spending leaders are losing their clout in President Donald Trump's second administration. Things started going downhill for appropriators once Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk and White House budget director Russ Vought made clear they intended to assume expansive power over government spending, typically directed by Congress. However, after last week's government funding fight — where House Republican leaders bypassed the Appropriations Committees' bipartisan negotiators and jammed through a partisan bill — morale among many appropriators is at an all-time low, Katherine Tully-McManus reports. 'You're talking to a pretty discouraged appropriator right now,' GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a longtime member of the committee, told Katherine in an interview. Still, appropriators insist their relevance will return. They'll have a chance to prove it in the coming months, since Republicans have set a lofty goal to return to 'regular order' and pass all 12 appropriations bills before the Sept. 30 deadline. That hasn't been accomplished since the 1990s. But West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, an appropriator and a member of Senate GOP leadership, told Katherine 'heads will explode' if Republicans don't meet that goal. Republican appropriators are also being instructed to work Trump and Musk's cuts into the next batch of spending bills — moves that are sure to spark Democratic ire and could alienate some moderate GOP lawmakers, too. If all Republicans can rally behind a strategy for writing the funding bills and codifying DOGE-ordered spending cuts, they might be able to pull it off. House Republicans managed to pass the stopgap funding bill last week without relying on Democratic support, putting enough pressure on Senate Democrats to get it to Trump's desk. The president got almost all fiscal hawks to support spending legislation they would typically oppose — perhaps the biggest sign of power shifting away from appropriators, who have long-relied on bipartisan cooperation. Even Rep. Chip Roy, a vocal opponent of so-called continuing resolutions, called the spending bill Congress passed 'the right approach.' GOOD THURSDAY MORNING. House votes are not expected on March 26 so members can attend the funeral of late-Rep. Raul Grijalva. Email your Inside Congress scribes at mmccarthy@ and lkashinsky@ COMING SOON TO YOUR INBOX — We've re-imagined and expanded Inside Congress this year to give you unmatched reporting on Capitol Hill politics and policy. We're not done. In the coming weeks, we plan to send you extra editions when we have must-read scoops and intelligence. If you already get Inside Congress in your inbox, then you'll receive the updates automatically as news breaks. Thank you for reading. THE LEADERSHIP SUITE Trump will push for D.C. funding fix Trump wants Congress to fix a big cut to the District of Columbia's local budget, triggered by the most recent stopgap funding bill. But he's leaving it up to Speaker Mike Johnson to figure out how to do it, two White House officials tell our colleagues Jake Traylor, Katherine and Meredith Lee Hill. The president is ready to work the phones and wield his social media soapbox to get House Republicans behind a bipartisan bill that would restore Washington's ability to control its own previously-approved budget, after House Republicans omitted language from the stopgap funding bill allowing the city to do so. The Senate passed a bill fixing the issue on Friday, so it only needs to clear the House to head to Trump's desk. Johnson will be responsible for bringing the measure to the floor, though he may have to appease some hard-line members who want to restrict Washington's spending powers. A White House official said the president has confidence Johnson will schedule a vote, though the official expected Trump's ask to the speaker will be 'behind-the-scenes.' Chuck Schumer's bad week continues More Democrats are piling onto the pushback against the Senate minority leader after he voted to advance the GOP-drafted stopgap funding bill last week. Rank-and-file Democrats are also facing the heat at town halls in their districts, fielding questions about whether Schumer should stay on as a party leader. Our colleague Brakkton Booker talked to Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey on Wednesday, who said during a town hall on Tuesday night that it might be time for Schumer to call it quits. 'If he can get himself together and come — you know, get right on this vote and we get another shot at it, OK,' Ivey said in the interview. 'But if he's going to do the same thing again when this bill comes up six months from now, we can't afford that.' Progressive Illinois Rep. Delia Ramirez said similarly in an interview with our Ali Bianco: 'This is a moment for Democrats to do more than just talk about fighting … but actually using every legislative authority to do that.' Still, Senate Democrats — who actually get to vote on their leader — are staying largely quiet on whether Schumer should step down. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet both declined to comment on Schumer's future during town halls in their states. POLICY RUNDOWN OPPOSITION TO MILITARY SHAKEUP — Two leading Republican experts in defense policy aren't on board with Pentagon plans for a dramatic shakeup of the military's command structure in Europe, our Connor O'Brien reports. Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Mike Rogers — the chairs of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, respectively — said Wednesday that they will not sign off on proposed 'unilateral changes' to military posture that would include the U.S. stepping down from its longtime role as supreme commander of NATO forces. Rogers and Wicker noted they support Trump's efforts to push U.S. allies to increase their defense spending. Still, their pushback signals the administration could be in for a struggle with GOP defense hawks over some of its most significant efforts to shake up the Pentagon. While the changes would save money, retired senior officers said they would hurt U.S. influence and impede military planning and operations. CUTTING FROM THE CR — On Friday, Congress passed its funding bill that would appropriate about $77 million for Radio Free Europe, a nonprofit news organization that broadcasts in Eastern Europe, for the rest of the fiscal year. On Saturday, Kari Lake, a senior Trump administration official, sent a letter to the organization saying its funding would be canceled, our Kyle Cheney reports. It was the precise scenario many Democrats cited in stating their opposition to the government funding measure: without guardrails to stop Trump from withholding congressionally approved funding, things like this were bound to happen. And it transpired quickly, with Trump issuing an order the night the bill passed calling for reducing the U.S. Agency of Global Media to its minimum required level of function. Lake, a senior adviser to USAGM's acting director, told Radio Free Europe that its grant would be canceled 'in its entirety.' The organization's CEO, Steve Capus, has filed an emergency petition with Washington's U.S. District Court to restore its funding. NPR AND PBS ON THE HILL — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced the CEOs of NPR and PBS will appear next week before the House Oversight Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, our colleague Hailey Fuchs reports. The media leaders will face questioning on their outlets' news coverage during a hearing titled 'Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the Heads of NPR and PBS Accountable.' 'I want to hear why NPR and PBS think they should ever again receive a single cent from the American taxpayer,' Greene, the subcommittee chair, said in a statement, criticizing their lack of coverage of hot-button conservative issues like Hunter Biden's laptop and the origins of COVID-19. TACKLING ONLINE SAFETY — A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee will meet Wednesday to discuss dangers for children online, as the committee looks to build bipartisan consensus on legislation to address potential social media harms against minors, our Ben Leonard reports. That discussion could include talks of reviving the Kids Online Safety Act, which has major bipartisan support and the public backing of both Musk and Donald Trump Jr. Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E: THE CARRYOUT Sen. Ed Markey is a fan of having breakfast for lunch. His favorite place to have it at the Capitol is in the Senate dining room — scrambled eggs, bacon and toast with butter. 'Loads of it,' per his staff. Think you or your boss has the best food recommendation on the Hill? Email it: mmccarthy@ THE BEST OF THE REST Musk Donates to GOP Members of Congress Who Support Impeaching Judges, from Maggie Haberman, Theodore Schleifer and Annie Karni at NYT Even Tom Cole Is Defending DOGE, from Russell Berman at The Atlantic 'Have you seen our congressman?' Angry voters press GOP for answers, from Hannah Knowles at the Washington Post CAPITOL HILL INFLUENCE FLYING IN: Nearly three dozen members of the National Retail Federation's tax committee hit the Hill Wednesday to discuss extending the 2017 tax law. Retailers were slated to meet with senior staff from the offices of Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Sens. John Cornyn and Steve Daines and the Senate Finance Committee. Scott Raab, a former top aide to Sen. Mitch McConnell, is launching Raab Government Strategies, a strategic consulting and government relations firm. Matt Gallivan has left Leavitt Partners, where he's served as a principal, to launch Genesis Health Strategies. The firm will work to help health care clients weather what Gallivan said is a 'political reckoning' for the industry, in part by helping navigate the reconciliation process. Gallivan previously served as health policy director for now-Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy during the failed GOP effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act via reconciliation. Lauren Reamy is now an SVP at Penn Avenue Partners. She previously was deputy chief of staff and legislative director to former Sen. Marco Rubio. Clay Armentrout is joining Allen Control Systems as SVP of government relations. He previously was chief of staff for Sen. Katie Britt. Alexandria Phelps is now an EVP at BerlinRosen. She previously was director of strategic comms for USAID and is a Vivek Murthy, HHS, Kirsten Gillibrand and Schumer alum. JOB BOARD FIRST IN POLITICO: Rep. Carlos Gimenez is announcing new changes to his staff. Rey Anthony is now deputy chief of staff after previously serving as comms director and Roberto Lugones is now comms director after previously serving as press secretary. Ellie Dougherty is now comms director for Sen. Jon Ossoff's reelection campaign. She previously was a regional press secretary at the DCCC. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Rep. Keith Self … CNN's Phil Rucker … Gloria Story Dittus of Story Partners … Mark Putnam of Putnam Partners … Arthur Scott … Michael Whouley of Dewey Square Group… Benjy Sarlin … Naomi Zeigler … Sally Aman … Results for America's Zac Coile … Jessica Carter … Abbey Welborn ... Gloria Totten ... Cory Gattie .… Ruth Osinski of BGR Group TRIVIA WEDNESDAY'S ANSWER: Jon Fisher correctly answered that 15 federal judges have been impeached. TODAY'S QUESTION, from Jon: What President was the first to try to directly influence the Fed's monetary policies by asking it to tighten credit and raise interest rates? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@
Politico
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Johnson's impeachment headache
IN TODAY'S EDITION: Speaker Mike Johnson has a new headache: President Donald Trump's call to impeach federal judges. Trump is pushing to impeach U.S. District Judge James Boasberg after the chief judge tried to halt Trump's deportations of alleged gang members over the weekend, as well as 'many' other judges who have ruled against his administration's policies. The effort, overseen by Congress, is already threatening to become a major distraction for GOP Hill leaders, our colleagues Rachael Bade and Meredith Lee Hill report, just as Republicans want to focus on crafting their party-line bill to enact Trump's legislative agenda. The impeachment efforts are unlikely to go anywhere, since it would require 67 votes in the Senate. Plus, a few GOP House members are opposed to the idea — Rep. Don Bacon told Meredith he doesn't support it. But the House Judiciary Committee, which would oversee the proceedings, isn't ruling anything out yet. 'Everything is on the table,' said Russell Dye, a spokesperson for Chair Jim Jordan. And lawmakers are already pushing ahead. Texas Republican hard-liner Brandon Gill quickly announced he would file a measure to remove Boasberg. This judge isn't the first to have impeachment articles filed against him in this Congress, but it's Trump's first public endorsement of an effort to oust a judge. That brings us back to Johnson, since putting an impeachment vote on the House floor ultimately falls on him. The speaker has resisted pursuing any of these efforts, despite pressure from hard-liners, and key Republican leaders have kept quiet on the issue so far. Privately, Johnson's leadership circle is dreading the push for an impeachment inquiry, knowing it's all but certain to fail, according to two senior aides who were granted anonymity to speak candidly. Johnson has been trying to focus on advancing the party's border, energy and tax package through reconciliation before the Easter break, but he needs to keep Trump happy to keep his narrow majority in line. A Johnson spokesperson said that the speaker 'looks forward to working with the Judiciary Committee as they review all available options under the Constitution to address this urgent matter.' Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee expressed little to no appetite for impeaching federal judges before Trump's comments on Tuesday. Sen. John Kennedy called the proposed impeachments 'idiotic' earlier this month. And Sen. John Cornyn said around the same time that 'you don't impeach judges who make decisions you disagree with, because that happens all the time.' GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING. And happy 46th birthday to C-SPAN. Email your Inside Congress scribes at mmccarthy@ and lkashinsky@ COMING SOON TO YOUR INBOX — We've re-imagined and expanded Inside Congress this year to give you unmatched reporting on Capitol Hill politics and policy. We're not done. In the coming weeks, we plan to send you extra editions when we have must-read scoops and intelligence. If you already get Inside Congress in your inbox, then you'll receive the updates automatically as news breaks. Thank you for reading. THE LEADERSHIP SUITE Hakeem Jeffries defends Chuck Schumer The House and Senate minority leaders both insist they are on the same page after an outwardly public split over whether to support the stopgap funding bill, our colleagues Jordain Carney and Emily Ngo report. The New Yorkers made their comments separately on Tuesday — Jeffries during a press conference in Brooklyn and Schumer in interviews with CBS, ABC and MSNBC. Jeffries also expressed confidence in Schumer's continued leadership of Senate Democrats when asked at his event. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi also reiterated her confidence in Schumer on Tuesday, though she added about his vote to help avert a shutdown: 'I myself don't give away anything for nothing. I think that's what happened the other day.' She's not the only one inside the party publicly breaking this week with Schumer's decision to help advance the House GOP-authored funding bill: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also on Tuesday criticized the top Senate Democrat for his decision. POLICY RUNDOWN STEFANIK'S RELEASE DATE — The Senate is finally expected to move on GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik's UN ambassador nomination once Republicans seat the winners of two April 1 special elections, two people familiar who were granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations told Jordain and Meredith. That tees up the Senate to move as soon as April 2. Senate Republicans kept her in nomination purgatory as they looked for a clear signal from the White House that officials were comfortable losing Stefanik's vote in the House, as we scooped earlier this year. GOP TIKTOK CONCERNS — A key House Republican said any deal the White House makes on TikTok must ensure that the Beijing-based owner, ByteDance, has no control of the app or its underlying technology, our colleague Anthony Andragna reports. Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on Countering China, noted in a National Review op-ed: 'The law is clear: any deal must eliminate Chinese influence and control over the app to safeguard our interests.' Hill Republicans are meeting with Oracle, an American software company interested in making a deal to acquire TikTok, this week. The White House is seriously considering the offer, as the April 5 deadline to find new ownership approaches. REMEMBER RECESS APPOINTMENTS? — Trump raised some alarm when he repeatedly floated the possibility of recess appointments, a process that would let him bypass Congress to install his administration picks. But this week, the Senate's first recess of the year, the chamber is holding brief 'pro forma sessions' that technically prevent Trump from making such appointments — a further sign Republicans aren't looking to have that fight, Jordain reports. To green light recess appointments, Republicans would need to have a knock-out fight with Democrats over adjourning, not to mention win over skeptics within their own conference. Republicans instead focused on moving Trump's nominees quickly during the normal legislative session. GOP Sen. Rand Paul told reporters he hasn't 'heard much talk' about recess appointments. MEDICAID MUSINGS — Paul also told reporters Tuesday that 'one of the biggest, easiest ways' to save money in the GOP's reconciliation bill was to reduce the federal share of payments for people covered under Medicaid expansion, bringing it on par with traditional enrollees, Jordain and Ben Leonard report. In the same breath, Paul poured cold water on the idea. He said 20 House Republicans are already saying they wouldn't support it, and 'at least four or five' GOP senators have expressed the same. Sen. Lisa Murkoswki seems to be one of them, saying in a speech to Alaska state legislators Tuesday that she would not support a cut to Medicaid 'that hurts our people or puts you in a budget hole.' Those cuts could also draw the ire of Republican governors because of the negative impact to state budgets. House Republicans on Energy and Commerce are weighing options for how to achieve at least $880 billion in savings. But they are awaiting final instructions on how to proceed on the reconciliation bill, with the House and Senate still needing to resolve their differences. Meeting that ambitious savings threshold will all but certainly require cuts to Medicaid. TESTIMONY TO COME — House Judiciary Chair Jordan is demanding testimony from prosecutors who oversaw Trump's criminal investigations, our colleague Hailey Fuchs reports. Jordan is looking for testimony from the Justice Department's Thomas Windom and former staffer J.P. Cooney, who both previously worked on former special counsel Jack Smith's investigations into allegations against the president. Jordan asked for Attorney General Pam Bondi's cooperation in getting the testimony. DR. OZ TAX LOOP — Democrats have seemingly dropped their issue with Dr. Mehmet Oz's tax payments as quickly as they raised it, our colleague Robert King reports. While Democratic senators labeled Oz a tax dodger the day before last week's confirmation hearing to become administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, they barely addressed it during the hearing itself. Tax experts suggested a reason to Robert: Oz used a controversial, but common, tax loophole that is currently under litigation — using it to reduce Medicare and Social Security taxes on the media production company in which he owned a stake. Oz looks like he will coast to confirmation when senators return from recess, Robert reports. Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E: CAMPAIGN STOP Murkowski openly speculated during a press conference in Juneau, Alaska that her frequent criticism of Elon Musk's efforts to gut the federal government could earn her a well-funded primary challenger if she decides to run again in 2028. But she said she's not backing down. 'I get criticized for what I say, and then everybody else is like: 'Well, how come nobody else is saying anything?'' the Alaska Republican said, adding that her colleagues are 'afraid they're going to be taken down' and 'primaried.' THE CARRY OUT Note: We're using the slightly less hectic recess schedule to talk about what's important: food. We've asked lawmakers about some of their culinary go-tos on Capitol Hill, and we'll highlight them here during recess days. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam said his favorite meal in the Capitol complex is the Longworth Cafeteria bibimbap bowls. Think you or your boss has the best food recommendation on the Hill? Email it to us: mmccarthy@ THE BEST OF THE REST House majority rules: When a 'calendar day' isn't what it seems, from Hunter Savery and Daniel Hillburn at Roll Call CAPITOL HILL INFLUENCE Former Rep. Jeff Duncan is joining the board of Nuclearis Energy, a New Mexico-based company dedicated to building 'sustainable and massively scalable' small modular reactors, our colleague Andres Picon reports. Austin Bryniarski is now government relations coordinator at the National Family Farm Coalition. He previously was legislative director for Rep. Alma Adams. JOB BOARD Brianna Tibbetts is joining the Senate HELP Committee as an education policy adviser. She most recently was legislative assistant for Rep. Erin Houchin. JJ Carola is now deputy digital director for the House Judiciary Committee GOP. He was previously a digital content specialist at FlexPoint Media and is a Lee Zeldin alum. Brian Benko has joined the Select Committee on China's communications team as deputy communications director. He has previously worked for Tim Scott's campaign and Marco Rubio's Senate office. Sam Mulopulos, who served for almost seven years as an aide for then-Sen. Rob Portman, has joined USTR as chief of staff. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Anatole Jenkins … KPMG's Ian Hainline … Yujin Lee … Drew Marrs of Norfolk Southern … Jake Westlin … Leah Schaefer … former Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) … Zach Parkinson … Betsy Barrows TRIVIA TUESDAY'S ANSWER: Robert Summer correctly answered that there have been 23 U.S. presidents with Irish heritage. TODAY'S QUESTIONS, from Mia: How many federal judges have been impeached in U.S. history? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@
Politico
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Politico
The post-Gaetz Ethics Committee
COMING SOON TO YOUR INBOX — We've re-imagined and expanded Inside Congress this year to give you unmatched reporting on Capitol Hill politics and policy. We're not done. In the coming weeks, we plan to send you extra editions when we have must-read scoops and Capitol Hill intelligence. If you already get Inside Congress in your inbox, then you'll receive the updates automatically as news breaks. Thank you for reading. IN TODAY'S EDITION: The House Ethics Committee finally has a full roster. Now it has to recover its credibility. After the chaos surrounding former Rep. Matt Gaetz put severe strain on the secretive committee last year, the Ethics panel experienced its longest delay in recent history in recruiting new members, our Hailey Fuchs reports. It has never been a coveted assignment, and the drama over whether to release the explosive Gaetz report after he left office — and the surrounding leaks — now loom large over the committee's future. 'It is a monster cloud,' said former Rep. Mike Conaway, who served as Ethics chair from 2013 to 2015. The Gaetz issue caused a rift not only because of the controversial decision to release the report — which included allegations Gaetz had sex with a minor, an accusation he denies — but also due to clear violations of the committee's strict code of confidentiality. Members agree never to speak in any capacity about the panel's pending business, and they typically honor that code. But after Gaetz, it's not clear that confidentiality is still guaranteed. And a lack of confidence in the panel will severely hinder its already limited ability to punish lawmakers who violate House rules. 'If you attack the credibility of the Ethics Committee, then nobody fears the Ethics Committee,' former Rep. John Yarmuth, a Kentucky Democrat who served on the panel from 2011 to 2013, told Hailey in an interview. 'I think you'd want to be afraid of running afoul of the Ethics Committee.' New and existing members will be tasked with recovering the committee's reputation. GOP Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi will continue as chair, while Reps. John Rutherford, Andrew Garbarino, Veronica Escobar, Deborah Ross and Glenn Ivey will also stay on the committee. Republicans are adding Nathaniel Moran and Ashley Hinson, while Democrats tapped Sylvia Garcia to join the committee and California Rep. Mark DeSaulnier as the top Democrat. In a sign that leaders of the reconstituted panel are, for the time being, adhering to the confidentiality rules, both Guest's and DeSaulnier's offices referred requests for comment to the panel's staff director. That person declined to comment. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING. Hope you all are enjoying the recess. Email your Inside Congress scribes at mmccarthy@ and lkashinsky@ THE LEADERSHIP SUITE Hakeem Jeffries holds Medicaid presser The House minority leader later this morning will hold his first news conference since Senate Democrats helped pass the stopgap spending bill that he fiercely opposed — and after he met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in Brooklyn on Sunday night. Expect questions about that conversation, which Jeffries briefly described on 'Pod Save America' yesterday. 'It was a very good meeting where we talked about how we move forward, House Democrats and Senate Democrats working together, to strongly oppose the extreme things that Donald Trump and his administration are trying to jam down the throats of the American people,' Jeffries said, quickly pivoting to proposed GOP Medicaid cuts. That's the message he wants to drive at today's Brooklyn presser, which Jeffries is holding with Rep. Yvette Clarke on Democrats' 'National Medicaid Day of Action.' Additionally, House Democrats will have a virtual caucus meeting Wednesday at noon on the topic. Schumer does damage control Schumer and his aides are attempting to do damage control over the spending bill vote by speaking with liberal groups, five people familiar with the conversations tell our colleague Holly Otterbein. For example, Schumer's team tried to persuade the New York leaders at Indivisible not to immediately sign onto a statewide letter that called for Schumer to quit his position as minority leader, one of the people familiar with the discussions said. Additionally, Schumer postponed the start of his book tour over security concerns amid the current backlash, our Jordain Carney writes. He was expected in the next few days to promote his new book, 'Antisemitism in America: A Warning,' but events in Baltimore, Washington, New York City and Philadelphia were postponed on Monday. A spokesperson for Schumer said the events would be rescheduled. Mike Johnson's fundraising blitz The speaker is fundraising in 12 cities across four states during this recess week, according to his team, with a big GOP spending victory to tout to donors. Relatedly, the NRCC announced on Tuesday its list of 26 Democrats it plans to target in 2026, adding Reps. Jared Moskowitz and Nellie Pou. POLICY RUNDOWN TIKTOK AD BLITZ — If you work in Washington, you've probably seen the TikTok ads on the Metro, our colleague Christine Mui reports. The Chinese-based social media platform has launched an ad blitz ahead of the April 5 deadline to negotiate new ownership, but it has an unclear audience, since the deal is mostly in Trump's hands now. The campaign echoes similar pressure from TikTok ahead of a congressional vote on a ban last year. Hill Republicans are set to meet with Oracle officials this week, as the White House seriously entertains the software company's bid to acquire the social video platform. GOP AGENDA UPDATE — Republicans' decision to pass a spending bill with only a moderate increase in defense spending will further complicate the party's agenda under budget reconciliation, our colleagues Connor O'Brien and Joe Gould report. Senators are now pushing for even more defense spending in the planned party-line bill, with the Senate and House already looking at different levels for Pentagon funding, since House Republicans are pursuing steeper spending cuts overall. Committees are still in the early phases of hashing out their pieces of the GOP's mammoth bill, with some hosting meetings last week to gauge member support for certain provisions. Three Republicans confirmed to our Meredith Lee Hill that several key committees do not have meetings planned during the recess week, and leaders will have to work in earnest once they return to Washington if they want to meet Johnson's goal of voting on the reconciliation bill by Easter. SOCIAL MEDIA LIMITS — House Energy and Commerce is looking to move forward on a kids online safety bill, hosting a hearing as soon as next week, our colleagues Ben Leonard and Ruth Reader report. The bill would require that social media companies remove features that could have negative effects on the mental health of minors. Chair Brett Guthrie is looking to rewrite and advance the online legislation that failed to pass Congress last year, hoping to rein in major tech companies and shield children from harms on the internet. The hearing will be the first opportunity House members have to debate the issue since tech industry titans Meta and Google revolted against the bill in December, arguing that the measure would impede free speech and create unworkable requirements. DEMS' DOCTOR HOUSE CALL — House Democrats have launched their first Congressional Doctors Caucus, our Ben Leonard reports, as the party seeks to combat GOP messaging on Medicaid cuts. Three new Democratic doctors were elected to this Congress — Reps. Herb Conaway Jr., Maxine Dexter and Kelly Morrison, who comprise the caucus along with Reps. Ami Bera, Raul Ruiz and Kim Schrier. Members are pledging to tackle health care costs, attempts to cut Medicaid spending and 'dangerous misinformation.' Republicans have had their own such group for years, the influential GOP Doctors' Caucus. Meanwhile, doctor and former GOP Rep. Larry Bucshon warned his party in an interview with our Kelly Hooper that cutting Medicaid poses a major political problem. 'Some of the other things that people are looking at as it relates to the Medicaid program — provider taxes, state-directed payments … I do think you'll see some substantial pushback from states that utilize these — and many of them do — because it will substantially impact their state budgets,' he said. Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E: THE CARRY OUT Note: We're using the slightly less hectic recess schedule to talk about what's important: food. We've asked lawmakers about some of their culinary go-tos on Capitol Hill, and we'll highlight them here during recess days. Rep. Frederica Wilson's favorite meal on Capitol Hill is Longworth's Fried Chicken Wednesday. (Her staff notes that the cafeteria workers already know it's her favorite.) And when it comes to her preferred beverage, she said nothing beats the Cuban coffee that her office makes daily. Think you or your boss has the best food recommendation on the Hill? Email it to us: mmccarthy@ THE BEST OF THE REST There's a Price for Promising What Isn't Possible in Congress, opinion by Brendan Buck for the New York Times Jan. 6 investigators hit back at Trump over pardon threat: 'Do it. Or shut up', from Mychael Schnell and Mike Lillis at The Hill CAPITOL HILL INFLUENCE Former Sen. Richard Burr has registered to lobby for the first time now that the North Carolina Republican's two-year ban on lobbying former colleagues has lapsed, our colleague Caitlin Oprysko reports. Burr will lobby on a range of issues for PhRMA and on issues related to federal research funding and endowment taxes for his home state universities Duke and Wake Forest, according to disclosure filings. Rebecca Tomilchik has joined Grove Climate Group as director. She previously was a professional staff member on House Energy and Commerce. Nico Ballón is now a media strategist at the National Education Association. He previously was comms director for Rep. Barbara Lee. JOB BOARD Jacqui Russell is joining the speaker's office as national security adviser. She previously worked in legislative affairs for Boeing, and is an alum of the Senate Appropriations and Intelligence Committees. Andrea Grace is heading to the White House Office of Legislative Affairs after previously serving as Rep. Mike Lawler's chief of staff. Lawler announced several transitions in his office: Nate Soule, former deputy chief of staff and comms director, is now his chief of staff. James McNamee is now deputy chief and legislative director. Ciro Riccardi is now communications director and senior adviser. Ava Verzani is director of operations and scheduler. Courtney Kaufman is now a senior policy adviser. Rafi Silberberg is a senior adviser. Donna Chiapperino has been promoted to district director and Erin Crowley is serving as deputy district director. Joe Diver is now chief of staff for Rep. Eric Sorensen. He previously was chief of staff for Rep. Yadira Caraveo. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.) … Henry Rodgers … Stephanie Schriock … Terri McCullough … Gary Coby … Will Ragland … POLITICO's Nick Niedzwiadek … Katie Denis … Joe Dougherty of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies … Marcus Garza … Katie Hadji of Sen. Bill Cassidy's (R-La.) office … Chris Harris of Giffords … Jeffrey Surrell of Shot Point Strategies … Calvin Moore … Ashlee (Reid) Morehouse … Bloomberg's Kate Hunter … Karen Knutson of Chevron … Brad Fitch … Errin Haines of The 19th … former Rep. Mike Bishop (R-Mich.) … MSNBC's Tucker Wilson … Matt Schuck TRIVIA MONDAY'S ANSWER: Albert B. Wolf correctly answered that Charles Carroll was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. TODAY'S QUESTION, from Mia: How many U.S. presidents have Irish heritage? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@
