War Department and More
Even though officially changing the name of the Department of Defense would require an act of Congress, President Donald Trump plans to get a jump on things with an executive order today. The new name will be the Department of War, and the briefing room will be known as the “Pentagon War Annex.”
Look for Democrats to raise questions about the need and the cost when both the House and Senate debate the annual military policy bill next week.
Before the Senate adjourned for the weekend, Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) filed a substitute amendment carrying 20 proposed changes offered by Republicans, 20 from Democrats, and nine that are bipartisan. That package asks senators to roll the next intelligence authorization into the new National Defense Authorization Act, according to a senior congressional aide who asked not to be named because he’s not authorized to speak publicly.
The next amendment package likely will incorporate the State Department and Coast Guard authorizations, the senior aide said. Other amendments that appear to be on track to make the cut for consideration would address the use of military judges in immigration and National Guard troops to support law enforcement.
And yes, permission to switch to the Department of War is among the amendments pending in both chambers. The House usually needs two days on the floor to get all the way through the NDAA. The Senate generally needs at least two weeks. — Roxana Tiron
See Also:
- US Set to Cut Security Funds for Allies Along Russia Border
- Trump Pushes Bounds of Military, Police Immigration Actions
- Trump’s Chicago Threat Forces State’s Democrats to Plan Response
Roxana Tiron follows the Pentagon and military policy on Capitol Hill for Bloomberg Government. Relay tips to rtiron@bloombergindustry.com
Red-Hot Report
After the last montly jobs report, Trump fired the head of the agency that produced it. Today’s the first follow-up report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Compare the numbers in the new report to the percentage of the workforce that was jobless and actively seeking employment in July: 4.2%.
If that figure ticks upward, it will be part of a sobering trend; data that came out earlier this week showed job openings down again. Also shrinking: factory production. All of that will be taken into consideration when policy-makers decide later this month whether to change benchmark interest rates. Fed Chair Jerome Powell used a recent speech to signal that an interest-rate cut is likely.
Eye on Tariffs
Tariffs on semiconductor imports are coming “very shortly,” Trump told reporters at a White House dinner last night where tech executives touted their plans for big investments in the US. Trump combined that stick with a carrot for Apple, which has said it will spend $600 billion on a domestic manufacturing initiative. “Tim Cook would be in pretty good shape,” he said.
Last month, Trump said he had a 100% tariff in mind for semiconductors. Read More
See Also:
- Trump Signs Order Sealing Japan Tariff Deal With 15% Rate
- US Initial Jobless Claims Rise to Highest Level Since June
Shoo-In
House Republicans are probably headed for a smaller majority after Tuesday’s special election in a Democratic-dominated Virginia district.
James Walkinshaw, a former congressional chief of staff, is favored to win the seat of his former boss, the late Gerry Connolly (D). Walkinshaw, 42, was Connolly’s chief of staff for 11 years before winning a seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 2019.
His wish list includes serving on the House Oversight Committee, where Connolly had been the ranking Democrat. If he wins, as is widely expected, the House would have 219 Republicans and 213 Democrats. — Greg Giroux
Dynamics to Watch: Redistricting
Four more states are lining up to join the redistricting fight kicked off when Texas said yes to Trump and California politicians did their best to counter.
Republican-led Ohio, Missouri, Florida, and Indiana are all moving toward new House maps to boost the GOP, while Democratic-led Maryland threatens retaliation, and a court has opened a door for Democrats in largely conservative Utah.
Democrats need to add three seats to win the House, and the average gain for the minority party in midterm elections since World War II has been 25. Jonathan Tamari and Greg Giroux explain the state of play.
See Also: Billionaires Fuel High-Stakes California Redistricting Clash
Sorry, Frequent Fliers
The Trump administration is moving to eliminate rules requiring airlines to compensate passengers and provide free rebookings for flight delays and cancellations that aren’t caused by the weather.
A document posted online says the Transportation Department plans to withdraw an advance notice of proposed rulemaking filed in December 2024 by the Biden administration. It called for airlines to pay passengers at least $200 for domestic delays that lasted at least three hours. Read More
And while we’re talking about flight, a court ruling will disappoint people who imagined buzzing around Mount Rushmore in a chopper. An appeals court upheld the ban on all air tours through and near the Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Parks. Read More
Before You Go
‘Pocket Rescission’ Blocked: A court has barred the Trump administration from unilaterally cutting foreign aid, saying it violates the Administrative Procedures Act. US District Judge Amir Ali wrote that Trump’s team has “given no justification to displace the bedrock expectation that Congress’s appropriations must be followed.” Read More
Embattled Fed Gov’s Response: In a filing late last night, lawyers for Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook write that the mortgage fraud claims against her disguise Trump’s real agenda — taking control of the Fed. She pointed to a federal judge finding that Trump’s purported concerns about antisemitism on Harvard’s campus were a “smokescreen” to target the university over deep-rooted ideological differences. Read More
‘Not New’: Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett downplayed Trump’s sharp barbs directed at federal judges, telling a New York crowd that US presidents have a long history of criticizing the judiciary. But she did say she worries about a “lack of institutional trust.” Read More
‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Wins a Stay: The temporary migrant facility in the Florida Everglades known as Alligator Alcatraz will remain open for the time being after a federal appeals court paused a judge’s order to wind down operations. The appellate judges said the government will be irreparably harmed if operations cease as the case moves forward. Read More
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