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Fox News
an hour ago
- Business
- Fox News
Dems seek retaliation over GOP cuts as Thune calls for 'cooperation' on funding vote
Senators are set to take a key vote on Tuesday that could determine the outcome of government funding in the coming months and whether a partial government shutdown is on the horizon. But the vote on appropriations bills – normally a collegial process – is turning acrimonious, as some Democrats feel burned by how Republicans worked to pass spending cuts. Lawmakers in the upper chamber will vote on their first tranche of appropriations bills for this fiscal year, but whether the typically popular and bipartisan measures pass remains unclear as Senate Democrats seem prepared to derail the process in protest of recent partisan moves by Republicans – moves they say have eaten away at the trust that binds the appropriations process. Senate Republicans last week passed President Donald Trump's $9 billion clawback package that slashes funding from foreign aid programs and public broadcasting, including NPR and PBS. That came after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned that advancing the bill could have consequences for the typically bipartisan government funding process in the upper chamber. Meanwhile, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said that more rescissions would be on the way. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., noted that any consideration of spending bills would require "cooperation" from Democrats, and that the forthcoming vote would give Republicans a glimpse of where their colleagues stood on funding the government ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline. "It was deeply disappointing to hear the Democrat leader threaten to shut down the government if Republicans dared to pass legislation to trim just one-tenth of 1% of the federal budget," Thune said. Schumer scoffed at Thune calling for more bipartisanship in appropriations and accused Thune of "talking out of both sides of his mouth." "We will see how the floor process evolves here on the floor given Republicans' recent actions undermining bipartisan appropriations," he said. "Nothing is guaranteed." Among the bills that could be considered are spending bills that fund military construction and the VA, agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, and the legislative branch. The bills will need at least 60 votes to blow through the first procedural hurdle in the Senate. Senate Democrats are set to meet Tuesday afternoon ahead of the vote to determine whether they'll support the expected bill package. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that he and his colleagues had yet to receive guidance from Democratic leadership, but noted that the threat of Democratic resistance was a problem of the GOP's own making. He said that the GOP had "an obligation to give Democrats answers to how…they can guarantee that our votes mean anything." "I think Republicans have created a crisis, and they need to figure out how to solve it," the Connecticut Democrat said. "We can't do appropriations bills with this escalating promise from the administration to cancel all Democratic spending as soon as we vote for it." Sen. Mike Rounds, also a member of the spending panel, hoped that lawmakers could make the appropriations process work this year, but acknowledged that Democratic resistance could lead Congress to once again turn to another government funding extension, known as a continuing resolution. He contended that if Democrats were willing to give up on a bipartisan process it would only be to the advantage of the Trump administration. "So, part of it is, do we actually want an appropriations process," he said.
CNN
4 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Live updates: Trump news on Epstein case and US withdrawing from UNESCO
Update: Date: Title: Democrats will face initial spending strategy test during procedural vote this aternoon Content: Senate Democrats are trying to find a cohesive strategy to deal with the funding fight coming to Capitol Hill this fall, and the party will focus the day's lunch meeting on the issue. The issue had badly divided Democrats earlier this year, but the party will face an initial inflection point this afternoon when Senate Majority Leader John Thune pushes forward with a procedural vote on a bipartisan appropriations bill to fund military and veterans issues. The vote will be second in a series scheduled for 2:15 p.m. ET. It's not yet clear what Democrats will do. The measure — one of several appropriations bills — passed with bipartisan support in committee, but several Democrats have warned they are frustrated and losing faith in Republicans on spending issues after their colleagues charged ahead with a $9 billion rescission package last week to claw back already appropriated congressional spending for foreign aid and public broadcasting. Update: Date: Title: DOJ plans to reach out to Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell for meeting Content: The Department of Justice said it plans to reach out to Ghislaine Maxwell for a meeting amid recent calls for the associate of Jeffrey Epstein to testify about the accused sex trafficker. 'Justice demands courage. For the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell to ask: what do you know? At @AGPamBondi's direction, I've contacted her counsel. I intend to meet with her soon. No one is above the law—and no lead is off-limits,' Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an X post this morning. Maxwell's attorney David Oscar Markus told CNN, 'I can confirm that we are in discussions with the government and that Ghislaine will always testify truthfully. We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case.' Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for carrying out a years-long scheme with Epstein to groom and sexually abuse underage girls. More context: The Trump administration has faced increasing backlash over its handling of the Epstein files. Bondi had long promised to release as many documents in the Justice Department's possession as possible, but walked that promise back in a memo earlier this month announcing that there is no evidence Epstein kept a 'client list' or was murdered. Update: Date: Title: White House removes WSJ reporter from Trump's Scotland trip press pool over Epstein report Content: When the White House took control of the so-called 'press pool' that accompanies the president, journalists worried that the Trump administration would use that power to punish news outlets. The White House said today it will remove the Wall Street Journal from one of the coveted press seats on Trump's upcoming trip to Scotland, Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the change was made 'due to the Wall Street Journal's fake and defamatory conduct,' a reference to the publication's recent story about Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. The July 17 story described a collection of letters gifted to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003, including a note bearing Trump's name and an outline of a naked woman. Trump filed a lawsuit the next day claiming defamation 'because no authentic letter or drawing exists.' Now the White House is using a tool at its disposal — control over access to Trump — to retaliate against the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper. 'As the appeals court confirmed, the Wall Street Journal or any other news outlet are not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in his private workspaces,' Leavitt said. The White House did not immediately respond to a followup question about which news outlet will take the Journal's place. A spokesperson for the Journal declined to comment. But in response to inquiries about the lawsuit last week, a spokesperson said, 'We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.' Update: Date: Title: US will leave UNESCO again, White House says Content: President Donald Trump is pulling the United States out of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a White House official confirmed to CNN. 'President Trump has decided to withdraw the United States from UNESCO — which supports woke, divisive cultural and social causes that are totally out-of-step with the commonsense policies that Americans voted for in November,' White House deputy spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. The United States was a founding member of UNESCO in 1945 but withdrew in 1984, citing concerns over financial mismanagement and a perceived bias against US interests. Nearly two decades later, in 2003, the US rejoined the organization during President George W. Bush's administration, with Bush stating that UNESCO had implemented important reforms. In a statement, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce added the US' continued participation in UNESCO is not in its 'national interest.' The withdrawal will take effect on December 31, 2026. More on the international organization: UNESCO 'promotes cooperation in education, science, culture and communication to foster peace worldwide,' its website states. The US also withdrew from UNESCO during the first Trump administration. Trump ordered a review of US participation in early February, including 'an analysis of any anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sentiment within the organization.' Bruce alleged that 'UNESCO works to advance divisive social and cultural causes and maintains an outsized focus on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, a globalist, ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America First foreign policy.' 'UNESCO's decision to admit the 'State of Palestine' as a Member State is highly problematic, contrary to U.S. policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization,' she said. Update: Date: Title: Trump will welcome Philippines president to White House today Content: President Donald Trump is hosting the president of the Philippines today, as his administration continues to work on trade deals. Philippine President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. is expected to arrive at the White House around 11 a.m. ET. Trade talks will be a key focus of the visit to Washington, according to a news release from Marcos Jr.'s office. The Southeast Asian country received a letter from Trump saying he plans to impose a 20% tariff on its exports to the US. Tonight, Trump is also scheduled to meet with Republican lawmakers.
The Hill
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
GOP fears rise over shutdown odds
After six months of bitter partisan fighting, Republicans will now need cooperation from Democrats to keep the government funded, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) is warning GOP colleagues not to expect 'business as usual.' One senior Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee put the chances of a shutdown in the fall at 'a real square 50-50.' Senate Republicans familiar with Senate Majority Leader John Thune's (R-S.D.) plans say he hopes to bring a package of appropriations bills to the Senate floor the week before the August recess. The lawmaker warned that if the White House sends up another rescissions package, 'it will be met with mixed results.' 'I agree with John Thune that we need to get to a regular appropriations process, and I think it gets in the way of that. So the timing, if they do another one, is going to have to be better timed and [have] much more detail,' the senator said, referring to Thune. Asked whether there's support in his conference to take up another rescissions package, Thune said: 'We'll see what the future holds, but I think right now the goal is to get into the appropriations process.' The Hill's Alexander Bolton has more here.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
'All the options': GOP eyes cutting August recess to move dozens of Trump nominees stalled by Dems
Print Close By Alex Miller Published July 21, 2025 Senate Republican leadership is weighing whether to cancel, or shorten, their upcoming August break following President Donald Trump's request to stay in town and finish confirming his outstanding nominees. Over the last six months, the Senate has moved at a breakneck pace to confirm the president's nominees all while facing resistance from Senate Democrats. So far, 96 of Trump's nominees have been confirmed. Still, there are 136 outstanding nominations on the upper chamber's calendar that haven't made it over the finish line. Year in and year out, lawmakers typically escape from the Hill for the entire month of August, either recuperating from months in Washington, D.C., or selling their legislative accomplishments to people back home. CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS FACE BRUISING BATTLE TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN But Trump on Sunday called on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to keep lawmakers in town to finish their work on confirming his slew of outstanding nominees. "Hopefully the very talented John Thune, fresh off our many victories over the past two weeks and, indeed, 6 months, will cancel August recess (and long weekends!), in order to get my incredible nominees confirmed," Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social. "We need them badly!!! DJT" 'LONG OVERDUE': SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM THROUGH TRUMP'S CLAWBACK PACKAGE WITH CUTS TO FOREIGN AID, NPR Thune said he had spoken with the president about the August recess issue, but did not say whether the entire break would be canceled. A senior GOP aide told Fox News Digital that discussions over shortening the August recess were already happening before Trump's request. "We're thinking about it," Thune said. "We want to get as many noms through the pipeline as we can. And honestly, it'd be nice to have Democrats who actually would kind of act more according to historical precedents when it comes to this." The remaining spots that need to be filled run across nearly every facet of the federal government, including positions in the Defense Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Commerce Department and a slew of ambassadors, among others. 'ONE MORE': SENATE REPUBLICANS EYE TACKLING ANOTHER RECONCILIATION BILL Among the remaining nominees are some familiar faces from the 2024 election and beyond, including Hung Cao, who ran against Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and was nominated as Navy undersecretary; Donald Trump Jr.'s ex-fiancee Kimberly Guilfoyle, who was tapped to be the U.S. ambassador to Greece, and former Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., who was nominated to be Federal Transit administrator. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Thune accused Senate Democrats of being obstructionist and noted that so far, not a single nominee has been approved through the fast-track voice vote or unanimous consent processes. Indeed, every nominee has been put to a floor vote. Only Secretary of State Marco Rubio received a near unanimous, 99 to 0, vote. Earlier this year, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., supported delaying all the president's nominees who lack unanimous support in the upper chamber, effectively triggering floor votes for each. He also used an arcane Senate procedural move to stall federal prosecutors in committee. "This is something that we're very committed to, and we're going to be looking at all the options in the next few weeks to try and get as many of those across the finish line as we can," Thune said. Print Close URL
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers typically get a month off for 'August recess.' Trump wants to cancel it this year.
Every year, senators and House members get out of DC for the month of August. It's known as the "August recess." Trump, eager to get more nominees confirmed, wants the Senate to cancel it. If you're a senator who's made vacation plans for August, you may want to look into whether your trip is refundable. President Donald Trump is leaning on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to cancel the so-called "August recess," when both the House and the Senate go out of session for a month in the dead of summer. The reason: The president is eager to get more of his nominees confirmed. "Hopefully the very talented John Thune, fresh off our many victories over the past two weeks and, indeed, 6 months, will cancel August recess (and long weekends!), in order to get my incredible nominees confirmed," Trump wrote on Truth Social over the weekend. "We need them badly!!!" Thune told reporters on Monday he was "thinking about" canceling the recess and said that senators were working on getting as many nominees "through the pipeline" as they could. At least one other senator has said he's fully on board. "Absolutely, I'm willing to do it," Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said on Fox News on Sunday. "I'm happy to stay here as long as we're working." More than 20 of Trump's diplomatic nominees are still awaiting confirmation votes. Among them is Kimberly Guilfoyle, who was nominated to serve as US Ambassador to Greece. If Trump is successful, senators will have to stick around for lots of in August, even while their House colleagues get to go home. It wouldn't be the first time this has happened. In 2018, then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell canceled recess for similar reasons. According to the Senate Historical Office, the August recess evolved out of an effort to modernize the way that Congress worked, building in more predictable breaks in the schedule rather than remaining in session until work is finished. It was also especially popular with the spouses of members of Congress, who wanted to spend more time together as a family during the summer. While many lawmakers do take vacations during the month of August or during other shorter recesses throughout the year, they often find themselves busy with other work back home. That includes constituent meetings, town halls, and during election years, lots of campaigning. A Senate GOP source told BI on Monday that senators would likely prefer to be back in their home states to talk about the impact of the "Big Beautiful Bill," the sprawling piece of fiscal and tax legislation that Trump signed into law earlier this month. Read the original article on Business Insider
