Latest news with #RepublicanMajority
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
What's going on with redistricting in Florida?
TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis won the redistricting fight he started years ago. Despite that, he's eyeing another battle – hinting that he would be in favor of redrawing Florida's Congressional map, which already favors Republican lawmakers. DeSantis hasn't officially committed to making the change, but said he would look 'favorably' on lawmakers if they did recut Florida's districts. 'I haven't done it yet, I think that I will when I need to,' DeSantis said last week during a news conference. 'But this is obviously something that we're looking at very seriously.' Both the Florida Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez declined to comment about whether they were considering redistricting. The possible change comes as President Donald Trump has pushed for redrawn maps to ensure that Republicans keep control of the U.S. House in the upcoming midterm elections. Here's what to know about redistricting in Florida, and what could happen next. Why are we talking about redistricting now? Trump and his team have put pressure on Texas and other red states to redraw their Congressional maps in order to protect the Republican majority in Congress. Currently, Republicans control the House and Senate, but the margins are narrow. Mid-decade redistricting is rare, experts say. Each state must redistrict every decade, based on the census. But states hoping to redraw sooner than required are noting there's nothing in the Constitution forbidding extra redistricting. It may not be only the red states looking to recut maps. In response to Trump, some Democratic lawmakers have said they plan to fight back with redrawn maps of their own, despite their limited options. 'Redistricting, which is supposed to translate votes into representation, is becoming just a game for politicians to play hardball with,' said Douglas Spencer, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Colorado. If states redraw their maps with a partisan advantage, the courts could strike them down. But even if the courts strike the maps down, it could come after election season. 'Trump gets the benefit of having a midterm election where Republicans maintain control for his term and after he's gone I don't think he cares,' Spencer said. Florida's current map DeSantis hasn't promised Florida will redistrict, but he said to 'stay tuned.' Amy Keith, the executive director of voting rights group Common Cause Florida, said if DeSantis were to redraw Florida's maps, it would be hypocritical. In July, the Florida Supreme Court upheld Florida's Congressional map, which was drafted – atypically – by DeSantis' office. 'The governor just got the map that he drew,' Keith said. 'The map that the governor wanted is the map that was just upheld. And now the governor's saying he wants to change that map.' The governor's map favored Republicans winning 20 of Florida's 28 Congressional Districts – which is exactly how the results shook out on Election Day in 2022. Plaintiffs who challenged the map said it reduced Black voting power by dismantling a North Florida seat held by former U.S. Rep. Al Lawson. DeSantis said the long district, which stretched across the panhandle, relied too much on race. The Florida Supreme Court sided with DeSantis' argument, saying that the district was likely an illegal race-based gerrymander. After that ruling, DeSantis on social media said Florida's map his office drafted was 'always the constitutionally correct map.' But as of last week, DeSantis said his office was looking at some other areas where 'there may be problems with the map,' including in South Florida. What are Florida's rules? In 2010, Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment from Fair Districts Florida. That amendment says that no plan can be drawn to favor or disfavor a political party, along with requiring that districts cannot be drawn to deny equal opportunity to racial minorities. In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court said that partisan gerrymandering couldn't be ruled on by federal courts – meaning its exclusively state court that can decide if a redistricting plan violates the rules, Spencer said. As DeSantis has talked about the possibility of redrawing Florida's Congressional seats, he's avoided talking about a political motivation for it. But if Florida were to redraw the maps, groups could still challenge it as a gerrymander even if DeSantis never explicitly mentions the political advantage. Dan Vicuña, a senior policy director at Common Cause, said 'we don't have to rely on the pretext that the governor is giving.' Instead, groups can rely on tools like random computer generation to see the odds of a government coming to a map with a specific partisan tilt, he said. What's the deal about the Census? As DeSantis has talked about redistricting, he's also raised concern about the 2020 census. Florida got one extra congressional seat because of population growth. But the U.S. Census Bureau later released a report showing that Florida was undercounted. DeSantis said the Trump administration has considered a mid-decade census, which would be unusual. Whenever the next census does come, whether it's early or not, DeSantis said he would want it to exclude foreign nationals. The Trump administration in 2020 considered adding a question about citizenship to the census but the U.S. Supreme Court blocked it. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who was working in the Trump administration at that time, played a key role in adding that question. Jeff Kottkamp, the executive vice president of the group Florida TaxWatch, said the census undercount affects leads to a loss of billions of dollars over the decade that could have come into the state. When it comes to whether or not to count people without citizenship, Kottkamp, the former Lieutenant Governor of Florida, said that's a debate politicians can have. 'All we care about is that every state counts the same way, and that clearly didn't happen last time,' he said. The U.S. Constitution says that the census will count 'the whole number of persons' in each state. Kottkamp said some blue states put extra time and effort toward making sure foreign nationals are counted, while red states don't – to their own detriment. 'We're playing the game with two different sets of rules, and that's not good for Florida when it comes to funding and political power,' he said. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump's Texas Power Grab
Hosted by Michael Barbaro Featuring Shane Goldmacher Produced by Alex Stern and Carlos Prieto With Mary Wilson and Diana Nguyen Edited by Rachel Quester and Marc Georges Original music by Elisheba Ittoop and Dan Powell Engineered by Chris Wood In a dramatic act of protest on Sunday, Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives began to flee the state. It is a last-ditch attempt to stop President Trump and Texas Republicans from adopting an aggressively redrawn congressional map that would eliminate Democratic seats — and could help lock in a Republican majority in next year's elections. Shane Goldmacher, a Times political correspondent, explains this new chapter in the era of unvarnished partisan warfare. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Shane Goldmacher, a political correspondent for The New York Times. The redrawn map, introduced by Texas Republicans and pushed by Mr. Trump, puts areas of Houston, Dallas and San Antonio that have incumbent Democrats into districts that would now favor Republicans. 'We're leaving Texas to fight for Texans,' Gene Wu, a state representative from Houston and the chair of the Democratic caucus in the Texas House, said in a statement Sunday. There are a lot of ways to listen to 'The Daily.' Here's how. We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode's publication. You can find them at the top of the page. The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Michael Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, Nina Feldman, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Sophia Lanman, Shannon M. Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez, Brendan Klinkenberg, Chris Haxel, Maria Byrne, Anna Foley and Caitlin O'Keefe. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson, Nina Lassam, Nick Pitman and Kathleen O'Brien.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Johnson: GOP will ‘defy history when we grow the majority in the House'
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Wednesday that his party will 'defy history when we grow the majority in the House' in next year's midterm elections. 'We have a solid, hardworking Republican majority in the House right now — and the Senate — we're delivering for the people. And I'm very excited to go out and tell that story,' Johnson told CNN's Jake Tapper on 'The Lead.' 'I'm very excited about the midterm election. You know that we're going to defy history when we grow the majority in the House, because it's only twice in the last 90 years that a sitting president has picked up seats for his party in that first election cycle, but we're going to do it this time,' the Louisiana Republican added. While Republicans currently hold the House, Senate and White House, Democrats are gunning for the reins of power in the two chambers of Congress after devastating losses in last November's election. On Wednesday, Texas Republicans introduced a proposed group of fresh House lines, placing the party closer to snagging five seats next year. The new suggested map will likely mostly directly impact lawmakers situated close to or in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Austin, Houston and near the southern border. Democratic strategist James Carville said in an interview earlier this month that President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' is going to be seen as a 'mass extinction event,' predicting his party will gain over 40 House seats in the 2026 midterms. 'And I like the unified party — every Democrat voted against this. Every Democrat, regardless of the ideology, their ethnicity … we can all rally around this, and we can run on this single issue all the way to 2026. And Paul is right, we're going to pick up more than 40 House seats,' Carville said on CNN's 'Anderson Cooper 360.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fast Company
14-07-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
The crypto industry is edging closer to the mainstream with these two bills headed to the House
The crypto industry will take a step closer to going mainstream this week as a series of industry-friendly bills progress through Congress, paving the way for digital assets to potentially be further integrated into traditional finance. The House of Representatives is set to pass a series of crypto-related bills in a week which the Republican majority has dubbed 'crypto week.' The most notable is a bill that would establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins and is likely to advance to President Donald Trump's desk. That bill—and another the House is considering that would define when a crypto token is a commodity—is a huge win for the crypto industry, which has been pushing for federal legislation for years and poured money into last year's elections in order to promote pro-crypto candidates. 'Historically, when lawmakers advance industry-backed frameworks, institutional sentiment strengthens. We expect capital that was previously sidelined due to regulatory uncertainty to re-enter,' said Jag Kooner, head of derivatives at crypto exchange Bitfinex. 'Crypto week' also comes as bitcoin has scaled record highs in recent days as investors dive back into risk assets on the back of tariff-related news, as well as expectations that legislation could potentially unlock capital in the crypto space. The big ticket item the House is set to vote on this week is a bill that would create a set of federal requirements for stablecoins. Stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a constant value, usually a 1:1 dollar peg, are commonly used by crypto traders to move funds between tokens. Their use has grown rapidly in recent years, and proponents say they could be used to send payments instantly. The bill, dubbed the GENIUS Act, received bipartisan support in the Senate, with several Democrats joining most Republicans to back the proposed federal rules. It is expected to pass the House and would then head to Trump, who has said he will sign it into law. The bill would require tokens to be backed by liquid assets—such as U.S. dollars and short-term Treasury bills—and for issuers to disclose publicly the composition of their reserves on a monthly basis. Crypto proponents say those rules could legitimize stablecoins, making banks, retailers and consumers more comfortable with using them to transfer funds. Ahead of the bill's final passage, many companies across sectors are already considering how they might incorporate stablecoins into their business, said Julia Demidova, head of digital currencies product and strategy at FIS, a financial technology solutions provider. 'I think everyone is realizing, look, this is moving forward and they need to have a stablecoin strategy,' she said. 'They need to think how banks themselves will position against some of these novel, new, emerging fintech-issued stablecoins as well.' Still, many Democrats have argued that the GENIUS Act would not prevent big tech companies from issuing their own private stablecoins, and have called for stronger anti-money laundering protections and prohibitions on foreign stablecoin issuers. Many Democrats fiercely oppose both the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act, arguing that they have too few consumer protections and would be a giveaway to Trump's own personal crypto ventures by enabling softer-touch regulation. Democratic members are expected to offer several amendments to both the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act on the House floor next week, according to a source familiar with the matter, but it is unclear whether any of them will be considered. The House will also vote next week on a bill that would prohibit the U.S. from issuing a central bank digital currency, which Republicans say violate Americans' privacy. The bill has not been considered in the Senate and the Federal Reserve has not indicated a desire to develop a central bank digital currency. MARKET STRUCTURE The House this week is also expected to pass a bill that aims to develop a regulatory regime for cryptocurrencies and would expand the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's oversight of the digital asset industry and is backed by the industry. If signed into law, the bill would define when a cryptocurrency is a security or a commodity and clarify the Securities and Exchange Commission's jurisdiction over the sector, something crypto companies heavily disputed during the Biden administration. That could help crypto companies avoid the oversight of the SEC, which under the Biden administration sued a number of crypto exchanges for flouting its rules. Crypto companies have argued that most crypto tokens should be classified as commodities, rather than securities, which would enable platforms to more easily offer those tokens to their customers. That bill, called the CLARITY Act, has yet to be considered in the Senate, where it would need to pass before heading to Trump for final approval. Trump has sought to overhaul U.S. cryptocurrency policies after courting cash from the industry during his presidential campaign. The sector spent more than $119 million backing pro-crypto congressional candidates in last year's elections. Trump's crypto ventures include a meme coin called $TRUMP, launched in January, and a business called World Liberty Financial, a crypto company owned partly by the president.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zach Nunn to run for reelection to Congress, not Iowa governor - after talking to Trump
U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn will run for reelection to his 3rd Congressional District seat and forego a gubernatorial campaign, he has confirmed. "Zach Nunn is fully committed to serving the incredible people of Iowa's 3rd District," a campaign spokesperson said in a statement issued on Friday, July 11. "After prayerful consideration with his family and the strong support from President Trump, Zach is more committed than ever to maintaining the Republican majority and advancing the America First Agenda." Republican President Donald Trump broke the news on social media, posting that he had spoken with Nunn. "Just spoke to Great Combat Veteran Zach Nunn, and he is committed to the mission of, HOLDING THE MAJORITY," Trump posted to his Truth Social website. "He is a team player, with a tremendous future — And 100% MAGA. Zach needs our full support to win Iowa-03. He is fighting for the Farmer, and everything else that Iowa stands for, including, of course, Lower Taxes, and our always under siege Second Amendment. Zach Nunn has my Complete and Total Endorsement. HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!" Nunn had been reconsidering whether to run for governor, the Des Moines Register first reported July 7, after previously taking the possibility off the table. A senior source within the Nunn operation told the Register at the time that they believed the state of the race had been reset after Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird decided not to run for governor. Many had expected her to pursue the nomination and earn Trump's endorsement. "The reality is, Brenna choosing not to run changes the dynamics of the race tremendously," the source said. "So in our view, the primary is reset." Nunn is serving in one of the country's top targeted congressional districts. He appeared to face pressure from GOP leaders to remain in his seat to help the party hold the House in a tough election year. Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at bpfann@ or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Zach Nunn to run for reelection to Congress, not governor. Trump happy
