Latest news with #RepublicansDemocrats
New York Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Senate Adds Guardrails in an Effort to Force Trump to Obey Spending Bills
Top Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, alarmed by President's Trump's moves to withhold funding approved by Congress, have teamed up to add new safeguards to next year's spending bills that would ensure the Trump administration allocates federal dollars as lawmakers intend. The little-noticed moves are part of a quiet escalation in the battle between the legislative and executive branches over federal spending powers. Ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline for funding the government, the bipartisan leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee have said they must take extra steps to assert their authority over the allocation of government dollars, after the Trump administration has repeatedly questioned and defied congressional instructions on spending. 'In the past, the agency and department secretaries have always, or almost always, followed that guidance,' Senator Susan Collins, the Maine Republican who leads the committee, said in an interview. 'But in this administration, it is clear that we need to move far more of that language on how the money should be spent into the bills themselves.' The changes may not survive negotiations with the House, where Republicans have been far more deferential to Mr. Trump. And they may not have a chance to be enacted, given the White House's determination to have its way on spending. But proponents say that at the very least, the safeguards could strengthen the position of Congress in future legal battles over funding. The guardrails are largely technical and include putting instructions into legislative text that would have previously been spelled out in nonbinding reports. For example, officials say that detailed tables on spending for major agencies such as the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services are now being added to the text of the bills themselves, to try to assure that the funds are used for their specified purposes. The guardrails also include significant new requirements for reporting to Congress on terminating contracts and grant awards, as well as for making substantial reductions in the federal work force. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
Elon Musk is already giving up on plans to start his own party - and instead looks to back Vance in 2028
Elon Musk is already giving up on plans to launch his own political party to challenge the Republicans and Democrats and is instead considering backing Vice President JD Vance in 2028, according to a report. After the billionaire was ousted from the Trump administration at the end of May and a subsequent online feud blew up with President Donald Trump, Musk threatened to launch the new 'America Party.' Now the plans have been shelved and the tech mogul has backed off because of his relationship with Vance, who is considered the frontrunner for the Republican Party in 2028, The Wall Street Journal reports. 'Musk has stayed in touch with Vance in recent weeks, and he has acknowledged to associates that if he goes ahead with forming a political party, he would damage his relationship with the vice president,' the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with Musk's plans. In late July, Musk's associates canceled a call with a group that specializes in organizing third-party campaigns because the Tesla CEO wanted to focus on running his businesses, according to the Journal. Musk is now considering backing Vance financially if he runs for president in 2028, though his allies told the newspaper that he could change his mind as the midterm elections approach. It is unclear how recently the pair have been in touch. During an August 11 interview, Vance joked that he wasn't sure if Musk would even 'take his calls.' A third party would only pull votes away from the two main political parties in next year's elections - though how much from each side remains unknown. Vance said that he hoped Musk would 'come back into the fold' and rejoin the MAGA movement by next year. 'He's obviously got a complicated relationship right now with the Trump White House,' Vance told right-wing publication The Gateway Pundit in a recent interview. 'My argument to Elon is like, you're not going to be on the left, right? Even if you wanted to be. And he doesn't,' he said. 'They're not going to have you back. That ship has sailed. And so I really think it's a mistake for him to try to break from the president.' Vance added: 'So my hope is that by the time of the midterms, he's kind of come back into the fold.' The Independent has contacted Musk's representatives for comment. The billionaire, who bankrolled a large portion of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign through his America PAC, announced in July that he was launching the 'America Party' in response to the president's sweeping tax and spending legislation, the 'Big, Beautiful Bill.' 'By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it,' Musk wrote at the time. 'When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.' The bill was at the center of Musk's fallout with Trump, which escalated after the SpaceX CEO said that the president was 'in the Epstein files.' He later deleted the post on X and admitted he had taken things too far. Despite Musk's plummeting popularity after he took a chainsaw to the federal government at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, a poll last month found that 40 percent of Americans said they would back Musk if he created a third political party. Musk was ridiculed after the outcome of the Wisconsin Supreme Court race in April, where he put millions behind the conservative Brad Schimel, who suffered a catastrophic defeat against the liberal candidate Judge Susan Crawford.
CBS News
01-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Boat permits, state constellation, anti-fraud measures: New Minnesota laws that take effect July 1
The Minnesota Legislature had a one-day June special session to complete the next $66 billion two-year state budget funding the state government and its programs and services. That spending kicks in July 1, along with a slate of new policies. The political makeup of the capitol is unique with a tied House for only the second time in state history. It's as closely divided as a Legislature can be in Minnesota — with 100 Republicans and 101 Democrats — which forced compromise. Here's a list of some of the new laws that take effect Tuesday: Boat permit requirements A bill approved two years ago takes effect Tuesday, requiring Minnesotans 21 and younger to have an operator's permit in order to drive a motorboat. That will expand to more age groups over the next several years. Anyone who rents a boat — regardless of their age — will need a permit, too. Anti-fraud measures In wake of high profile scandals like the Feeding Our Future scheme, the Legislature approved changes to increase oversight of public programs and prevent fraud. Under a new law, state agencies are allowed to withhold funding to organizations receiving state dollars for up to 60 days if there is significant evidence to suggest they have committed fraud. There is new training required for certain employees administering state grants and there are increased protections for whistleblowers who report wrongdoing. Lawmakers stopped short of passing an Office of Inspector General, an independent government watchdog agency, despite bipartisan support. Cannabis tax increase The gross receipts tax on cannabis sales increases from 10% to 15% before the legal adult-use market launches, despite pushback from the industry and advocates. It also applies to sales of hemp-derived THC edibles and beverages, which are already available on store shelves. New state symbols Minnesota has a state bird, drink, fish, flower and more. Now the giant beaver joins the list of state symbols as the state fossil, which got the most support when the Science Museum of Minnesota conducted a poll four years ago, according to the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislature also approved Ursa Minor, the "Little Dipper," as the state constellation. One of its stars is Polaris, "the North Star." Lane splitting for motorcycles Motorcyclists in Minnesota will be able to get through traffic jams a little quicker under a new law. Both "lane splitting" and "lane filtering" are legal starting Tuesday under certain circumstances. When there are two or more lanes of traffic going in the same direction, a motorcyclist can pass a vehicle in the same lane but no more than 25 miles per hour. Panel to find savings in special education Lawmakers are trying to pump the brakes on growing special education transportation costs, one of the largest drivers of a gap between spending and revenues that could lead to a deficit in future years. They trimmed how much districts are reimbursed by the state for those services — from 100% to 95% — and established a Blue Ribbon Commission on Special Education to find more savings in the next budget. Its charge is to "develop and present to the legislature and the governor an action plan for transforming special education services while maintaining a free appropriate public education for students with disabilities" by Oct. 1 of next year. Expanding access to opioid overdose-reversal drug Following a recent law requiring doses of opioid overdose-reversal drug naloxone in K-12 school buildings, the Minnesota Legislature authorized high school students to administer naloxone to other students as needed. Schools that are part of the Minnesota State system are required to keep a supply of at least two doses of the opiate antagonist in residential buildings. The Board of Regents governing the University of Minnesota are requested to implement the same policy.
CNN
07-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
SE Cupp: No one knows if Abrego Garcia is a good or bad guy
Kilmar Abrego Garcia – the man mistakenly deported to an El Salvador prison – is back on America soil, but now faces criminal charges. SE Cupp says Republicans and Democrats don't know the facts about the man because the legal process hasn't fully played out yet
