Welcome to BGOV Starting Line, your morning introduction to top-tier action anticipated from the White House, Congress, and courts — plus key content from your Bloomberg Government subscription.
If you enjoyed our now-retired What to Know in Washington newsletter, rest easy — you’ll keep getting BGOV Starting Line every weekday morning.
Trump Upheaval Cases in Court Today
FEDERAL WORKERS wondering how seriously to take the threat — and financial promise — of President Donald Trump’s “fork in the road” resignation offer could get more clarity via a court hearing in Boston this afternoon.
A federal judge is to hear arguments on whether to block Trump’s action.
The American Federation of Government Employees argues agencies lack the legal authority to make good on Trump’s pledge to keep paying their salaries through the end of September if they take him up on his offer.
BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP: The ACLU’s challenge to Trump’s executive order restricting who is eligible for birthright citizenship also is in court today.
A federal judge in New Hampshire will hear arguments on whether to block that order with a preliminary injunction. It’s one of at least nine lawsuits challenging Trump’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which states that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.”
And that’s just one category of litigation. Bloomberg’s Zoe Tillman and Erik Larson looked at the legal landscape and found more than 40 lawsuits have been filed so far against the new administration’s early activity. Read More
In addition to watching Trump-backlash cases, Bloomberg Government’s budget reporters will be following the latest on Capitol Hill as Republican leaders try to figure out how to slice spending while maintaining the government functions they like.
Starting Line Quiz: How Well Do You Know Washington?
OUR KICKOFF QUESTION should interest those looking forward to Wednesday’s Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on “the Arctic and Greenland’s Geostrategic Importance to U.S. Interests.”
What percentage of Greenlanders responding to a recent poll endorsed the idea of leaving Denmark joining the US?
A) 4%
B) 6%
C) 12%
D) 22%
Keep reading for the answer at the end of the newsletter.
As Promised, More Tariffs
THE DAY’S White House highlight is shaping up to be an announcement of 25% tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One the tariffs will apply to imports from all countries. Among the details he held back on: when the duties would take effect.
Bloomberg’s Josh Wingrove reports the impact will be felt by energy businesses from wind developers to oil drillers that are reliant on specialty grades not made in the US.
READ MORE: Front-Loading Tariffs Undercuts Trump’s Pledge of Faster Growth
ALSO TODAY, a Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey will show the White House and other Washington decision-makers whether Americans are getting more skittish about being able to afford what they want to buy.
The Survey of Consumer Expectations takes a snapshot of how people are feeling about their money situations. It’s just one piece of the big Jenga-like puzzle that makes up the US economy — one that experts watch as they try to figure out whether consumers will want to spend money or hunker down. Bloomberg’s Alex Tanzi and Jonnelle Marte examined the previous survey.
AND IF YOU HAVE A JAR OF LITTLE LINCOLNS you’ll be interested in this death sentence: Trump said on Truth Social that he has directed the Treasury to stop minting pennies.
Can They Keep the Government Open?
WE COULD find out today whether Speaker Mike Johnson’s time with Trump at the Super Bowl moved the ball on a budget plan.
Bloomberg Government’s Ken Tran and Jack Fitzpatrick report the goal of marking up a budget resolution could slip until a little later in the week.
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Johnson (R-La.) said there are still “a few more boxes to check.”
The speed at which the resolution gets drafted matters because negotiations will only get more difficult the closer we get to March 14, when government funding runs out.
Senate Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has a markup scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday on his version of budget priorities.
READ MORE:
How’s All This Playing?
DISRUPTING the operations of the government as we’re used to it is playing pretty well so far. More than half of US adults surveyed in a new CBS/YouGov poll said said they approve of the job Trump’s doing so far.
The poll, conducted Wednesday through Friday of last week, showed Trump had a 53% approval rating. The poll of 2,175 adults had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.
READ MORE: Less Than a Month In, Trump Shows High Approval, CBS Poll Says
Did You Ace the Quiz?
The correct answer is (B) 6%.
As Bloomberg reported, in the poll commissioned by Danish newspaper Berlingske and Greenland’s Sermitsiaq publication, 85% of respondents were against becoming part of the US, and 6% were in favor. The remainder were undecided.
Read more about the poll and about the concept of Greenland going red-white-and-blue, in this QuickTake.
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