Rallying the Rank and File
Before the House gavels back in after its holiday break, Republicans will get some all-hands time with the president this morning. In light of the US action in Venezuela over the weekend, the gathering has the potential to help the GOP conference get a grip on what might happen next, or at least coordinate their messaging.
Donald Trump floated using tax money to rejuvenate Venezuela’s oil industry — something that would force lawmakers in competitive districts to prepare to answer questions from voters who thought “America First” meant Washington would have other priorities.
Expanding the oil-producing capacity in Venezuela would take “a lot of money,” Trump said in an NBC News interview. “A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent and the oil companies will spend it, and then they’ll get reimbursed by us or through revenue.”
Dig Deeper:
- Trump Strains His ‘America First’ Pledge with Venezuela Attack
- Trump Asks Rubio to Lead Venezuela Overhaul After Maduro Arrest
- Maduro Case Judge, 92, Brings History of Dealing With Trump
Venezuelan Deportations
Venezuelans who fled Nicolás Maduro’s regime had been protected from deportation but can’t count on keeping their Temporary Protected Status and humanitarian parole, Andrew Kreighbaum and Celine Castronuovo report.
“It seems like the emerging administration line is that with Maduro gone, Venezuelans should go home because their country will be better off,” said Julia Gelatt, associate director of the US Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute.
About 600,000 Venezuelans were covered at the beginning of the Trump administration by Temporary Protected Status, a program that allows immigrants to stay in the US for 18 months with work authorization when circumstances like armed conflict or public health crises make it unsafe to return to their home country. Read More
Also Read: Venezuela Regroups With New Leader, Old Repression Tactics
Grim Anniversary
Today marks five years since the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol — the first anniversary of that event with the government headed by Trump.
A lot has changed in the intervening years, and we’ll see one stark difference today when a former leader of the Proud Boys and others convicted for crimes at the Capitol that day stage a followup march.
CBS News reports that the event was announced by Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison after being convicted of charges including seditious conspiracy. Tarrio, who was among the more than 1,500 recipients of clemency for Jan. 6-related crimes, wrote on social media that today’s event will be a “PATRIOTIC and PEACEFUL march.”
If the marchers go inside the congressional office buildings, they’ll have a chance to see giant do-it-yourself reproductions of a plaque honoring the police who defended the Capitol that day. The AP reports that the posters outside about 100 offices spotlight the fact that the official plaque isn’t up for public display yet.
House Democrats are planning to mark the date with their own event after inviting members of Congress to “share their personal experiences from that horrific day.”
What’s Next on ACA
House Democrats are ready to pull the trigger on their discharge petition to force a vote on reviving expired Affordable Care Act subsidies, Maeve Sheehey reports.
It’s the kind of move that will let backers show voters they’re trying to do something about the sometime-astronomical premium increases, but even if the House passes an extension, its prospects would be close to nil in the Senate, because leaders of the majority party oppose it. Read More
One glimmer of movement: Lillianna Byington reports that after a meeting last night on the subject of Obamacare, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) said a House vote this week could provide a vehicle for different — bipartisan — health-care legislation.
Moreno said they are making progress. “This is like climbing Mount Everest. We haven’t even started scaling the mountain yet, but at least we have an attitude that says, let’s give it the best shot we can,” he said.
Lawmakers also showed signs of progress on spending bills, though Ken Tran and Zach C. Cohen write in BGOV Budget that a bipartisan package unveiled yesterday faces hurdles in the Senate.
Plus, there’s more on what’s happening as Congress returns in today’s Congress Tracker.
From Provocateur to Candidate
If you’ve seen the Trump-taunting videos of the Lincoln Project, you’re already familiar with George Conway. Beginning today, Washington will see how he fares in the arena after years spent as a vocal political spectator.
The attorney is officially launching a campaign to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Raga Justin reports. A party-switcher, Conway is running as a Democrat.
Conway, the ex-husband of a prominent White House figure in Trump’s first term, Kellyanne Conway, said he won’t accept corporate PAC donations and will run “a people-powered grassroots campaign.” Read More
Before You Go
US Changes Child Vaccine Schedule to Call for Fewer Shots
The US Department of Health and Human Services is changing its recommendations for the childhood vaccine schedule by no longer broadly endorsing influenza, Covid-19 and other once-routine immunizations.
Trump’s Greenland Logic Spells Trouble for Europe and NATO
Minnesota Sen. Klobuchar May Join Congress-to-Governor Cavalcade
Sen.
Federal Workers Allege Bias Over Coverage for Transgender Care
Four federal employees represented by the Human Rights Campaign filed a class action discrimination claim against the Trump administration over its near-total ban on gender-affirming care in federal health plans.
Hegseth Moves to Censure Kelly Over ‘Unlawful Orders’ Video
Defense Secretary
Ukraine Allies Aim to Get US Offer to Deploy Troops Postwar
European leaders and US officials aim to finalize an agreement on security guarantees that include the possibility of American boots on the ground in postwar Ukraine in a bid to ensure that any peace deal endures.
US Aims to Ease Enforcement of Airline Consumer Protection Rules
The US Transportation Department wants to relax the ways it holds airlines and ticket agents accountable for violating consumer protection and civil rights laws.
Trump Energy Push Eases Environmental Rules for Deepwater Ports
The US Maritime Administration now has sole authority to determine whether prospective deepwater ports conform to the National Environmental Policy Act, the Coast Guard and Transportation Department announced Monday.
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