Latest news with #Whatley
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
RNC chair pressures Senate GOP ‘to deliver' on Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill'
Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Michael Whatley encouraged Senate Republicans to advance the House-approved spending bill despite the upper chamber's concerns. 'We've seen the House deliver on the 'big, beautiful bill.' We need the Senate to do the same,' Whatley said during a Sunday appearance on John Catsimatidis's radio show, 'Cats Roundtable' on WABC 770 AM. 'I think we're going to have a lot of time to discuss over the next month what the Senate needs to do to get this bill done,' he added. Whatley said the bill's ability to succeed will help set the party up for the approaching 2026 midterm elections. 'In the House we're going to have a five-seat majority going into the [2026] election. There has never been an election with a five-seat majority for either party going into it. We have our work cut out for us there,' Whatley said. 'But if the economy is strong, and the Republicans stay united, and the Democrats continue to double-down on stupid, which is what they're doing every single day … then we're going to be in a position to expand that majority in the House and hopefully hold our own in the Senate,' the RNC chair continued. Some Senate Republicans have indicated they will not back the bill in its current form. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has pushed back on Medicaid reform while Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has questioned the increase to the debt ceiling limit. Several other senators have also expressed concerns about Medicaid cuts. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and President Trump have encouraged senators to approve the 'big, beautiful bill' in a timely manner. 'It blocks a huge tax increase, it creates much better regulatory environment. It takes out a great deal of the waste in government. It's not perfect. Look. We balanced the budget for four straight years for the only time in the last century, but we didn't do it overnight. We didn't do it the first or second year,' Gingrich said during his Friday night appearance on Fox News' 'Jesse Waters Primetime.' 'You have to chip away at these things. Get the best you can plan to come back again next year or come back this fall on the appropriations bills, but keep moving,' the former House speaker told guest host Kayleigh McEnany. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
25-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
RNC chair pressures Senate GOP ‘to deliver' on Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill'
Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Michael Whatley encouraged Senate Republicans to advance the House-approved spending bill despite the upper chamber's concerns. 'We've seen the House deliver on the 'big, beautiful bill.' We need the Senate to do the same,' Whatley said during a Sunday appearance on John Catsimatidis's radio show, 'Cats Roundtable' on WABC 770 AM. 'I think we're going to have a lot of time to discuss over the next month what the Senate needs to do to get this bill done,' he added. Whatley said the bill's ability to succeed will help set the party up for the approaching 2026 midterm elections. 'In the House we're going to have a five-seat majority going into the [2026] election. There has never been an election with a five-seat majority for either party going into it. We have our work cut out for us there,' Whatley said. 'But if the economy is strong, and the Republicans stay united, and the Democrats continue to double-down on stupid, which is what they're doing every single day … then we're going to be in a position to expand that majority in the House and hopefully hold our own in the Senate,' the RNC chair continued. Some Senate Republicans have indicated they will not back the bill in its current form. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has pushed back on Medicaid reform while Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has questioned the increase to the debt ceiling limit. Several other senators have also expressed concerns about Medicaid cuts. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and President Trump have encouraged senators to approve the 'big, beautiful bill' in a timely manner. 'It blocks a huge tax increase, it creates much better regulatory environment. It takes out a great deal of the waste in government. It's not perfect. Look. We balanced the budget for four straight years for the only time in the last century, but we didn't do it overnight. We didn't do it the first or second year,' Gingrich said during his Friday night appearance on Fox News' 'Jesse Waters Primetime.' 'You have to chip away at these things. Get the best you can plan to come back again next year or come back this fall on the appropriations bills, but keep moving,' the former House speaker told guest host Kayleigh McEnany.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
RNC Chair stresses importance of local elections at Lincoln Day Dinner
EAST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Hundreds gathered at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria on Thursday for the Lincoln Day Dinner, one of the largest events in Illinois Republican politics. It was hosted by the Peoria and Tazewell County Republican parties and has attracted big names in the past such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley took center stage as the keynote speaker, focusing his speech on the work of President Donald Trump as well as the importance of local elections. He emphasized the importance of Republican voters making their voices heard at the ballot box, from voting in mayoral races to city council races. Whatley pointed out the board of education as a particularly salient entity as well. 'The most important races that we deal with in an election cycle, in terms of your family and every family, are what happens on the school boards,' he said. He also referred to the Trump administration as the most effective one he's seen in the past 30-40 years, and that the reason Trump was able to win in November was due to the 'disciplined' messaging of his campaign. What made Trump's 2024 candidacy so effective, according to Whatley, is that he was able to appeal to all sorts of people by sticking to a simple message. Most people want a strong economy and to feel safe, and he thinks they were allured to vote Republican as a result. He also pointed to Trump giving speeches in bigger cities and speaking to minority media outlets as more reasons for why he won in November. While he said 'it's not easy' being a Republican in Illinois, Whatley said the formula for turning things around is simple. 'Great candidates running great races, getting out to vote, and protecting the ballot,' Whatley said. On that last point, Whatley said voter integrity is paramount. He believes an expected red wave did not happen in 2022 because some people did not think their ballot would be counted in a fair manner. Whatley says a message has been sent to Democrats in more recent elections that prosecution will result if any voter fraud takes place. Whatley was introduced by U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, who lauded the job Trump has done since taking office. From increased military recruitment to decreased southern border crossings, LaHood sees the country as in a great place under Republican leadership. Peoria and Tazewell County Republican Party Chairs Chuck Weaver and Jim Rule also spoke at the event, focusing on the importance of getting the message out into the community in order to win elections. Rule said that Illinois is in need of a 'significant culture change' while Weaver pointed to those such as newly elected Peoria City Councilman Alex Carmona as political leaders that could help turn the tide of Illinois politics in a more conservative direction. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
McDuffie Co. school leaders celebrate seniors committing to education on Future Educators Signing Day
THOMSON, Ga. (WJBF) – It's the time of year to celebrate the achievements of high school seniors around the CSRA. McDuffie County school leaders got to celebrate 8 seniors at Thomson High School Monday as they prepare to start their journeys to becoming teachers. The ceremony is part of a partnership with Future Georgia Educators, capping off 4 years of hard work and dedication. Lori Whatley has been overseeing the program at Thomson High School for the last 10 years. 'I've seen a lot of students. When they come in as freshmen, sometimes they're very immature—and I've seen them grow and develop into leaders, and into someone I would want to teach my children,' said Whatley. For students, signing the dotted line means getting ready to make a difference. 'I want to become a teacher because I want all children to know that everyone matters. Them and everyone else too,' said Shar'Keisiah Johnson, a Thomson senior. 'Just helping the kids. You don't realize how many kids just have speech disabilities, and how much it affects their everyday learning—and I've learned that a lot. So, just being able to help those kids be better in the classroom and perform better,' said Topanga Lewis, another Thomson senior. School leaders here and around the state continue to work to bring more teachers to Georgia schools. The state department of education recently announced a new initiative called 'Teach in the Peach' to get more teachers in Georgia schools. Last week, more than 300 future teachers across Georgia's 48 school districts attended the first ever state-wide educator signing day in Atlanta. Whatley says the key difference for her students is the hands-on experience students get helping children around the school district. '2nd and 3rd year students have been able to go out to the schools and work in the classrooms with the students. Very hands-on, and that to me has been the difference maker for my students to become interested in this as a career,' said Whatley. She says there's still more work to do, but the future is bright for Georgia education. 'I believe Georgia—with our lawmakers—are on the right track, and we have been for multiple years with salary increases, and that goes a long way to recruit people into the profession,' Whatley said. 'They can definitely still do more. We definitely don't want to stop what we're doing: we want to keep going and make progress with that. But I think we are recruiting the best and the brightest into the field.' Students say they're planning to make the most their last few weeks here at Thomson High School before graduation. But before they do, they're sharing lessons they've learned over the last four years. 'Every kid is different. Every kid learns at a different pace, so you just always have to be there for them,' said Lewis. 'Not everything is going to be easy. Everything takes time—no matter if it's a short period of time or a long period of time. So, I've learned a lot keeping that in mind,' said Johnson. It's also an emotional time for Whatley, who will be retiring on June 1st after teaching for the last 3 decades. She's leaving words of wisdom for her students as well. 'I want my students to know that teaching matters. It doesn't just matter sometimes—it matters every single day, and that's what's hard about teaching,' said Whatley. 'The book work and the background knowledge you have to learn to be a teacher isn't hard. The hardest part of teaching is getting there every day, showing up, being your best for a group of students and teaching every day. It matters what you do.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Stefanik would be ‘absolutely fantastic candidate' for NY governor: RNC chief
Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley on Tuesday said Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) would be an 'absolutely fantastic' candidate for New York governor as she considers a run for the office. Whatley said on NewsNation's 'The Hill' that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is vulnerable as she struggles with poor approval ratings and that Stefanik would be a strong candidate against her. 'Kathy Hochul right now is absolutely a wounded governor. She is very, very weak. She is very unpopular across the state, and that state is ready for a change,' he told host Blake Burman. 'Elise Stefanik is one of several people that are taking a serious look at this race right now. She would be an absolutely fantastic candidate.' But Whatley avoided weighing in on if the New York Republican would be the best candidate, saying 'we'll wait and see who's going to get into that race' and acknowledging others that are considering bids. The comments come after Stefanik was reported to be eying a run for governor following her withdrawal as President Trump's choice for United Nations ambassador. The congresswoman has increasingly taken on a higher profile as a close Trump ally and strong advocate for Israel. But that could throw a wrench in Rep. Mike Lawler's (R-N.Y.) plans as he had been seen as a likely candidate for governor for months. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has also been viewed as a possible candidate. Republicans have said they're excited at the prospect of having multiple strong possible candidates in contention for the role but hope to avoid a messy primary that could distract from focusing attention on Hochul and Democrats. Lawler has also been a strong critic of Hochul, whose approval ratings have often been underwater. Combining her numbers with her narrower-than-expected victory in 2022 has given Republicans hope at pulling off an upset next year. But the Empire State governor's numbers did improve somewhat in the most recent round of Siena College polling, having a net positive favorability rating for the first time since January 2024. A plurality of voters also said they approve of her job performance for the first time since February 2024. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
