Rick Scott’s Senate Leadership Bid Takes Hard-Right Approach
When in Washington, Sen. Rick Scott likes to dine with the Freedom Caucus, a group of House conservatives who revel in challenging Republican Party leadership. The combative Florida lawmaker now wants to bring some of that hard-edged attitude to the more genteel and historically less partisan Senate.
Scott announced his bid last month to replace Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who is stepping down from that post at the end of this year. Scott promised a “sea change” if colleagues elect him over the other two more establishment contenders for the position, Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), a current and former whip.
The protracted contest for leader, likely ending in a secret ballot in November, will help determine whether Senate Republicans will remain a moderating force in the party or join their House counterparts in the march to the right.
If Donald Trump is elected president, the Senate GOP leader will be critical to pushing through his agenda. If Joe Biden is re-elected, that person will play a major role in amending or slowing down his plans and nominations.
Running for re-election in a former swing state that’s increasingly turned Republican, Scott promotes his conservative politics and tactics on the campaign trail and his leadership bid. “Basically both jobs are doing the same thing: You’re trying to fight and defeat the policies and the destruction caused by the radical left,” Scott said in an interview in Fort Myers, Fla. Read More
BIDEN’S SCHEDULE
- 3:25 a.m. — President Joe Biden arrives in Paris for ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
CONGRESS’ AGENDA
- The House meets at 9 a.m. to vote on the fiscal 2025 military construction spending bill.
- Senators convene at 10 am. to consider a judicial nomination.
- For the full detailed agenda, read BGOV’s Congress Tracker.
From BGOV’s Hill Reporters
President Joe Biden’s critics on both sides of the aisle are skeptical that his plan to drive down illegal border crossings will succeed.
- Some Democrats and moderates applauded Biden for taking action at the border amid a congressional impasse on immigration legislation.
- However, many GOP border hawks, immigrants’ rights advocates, and former border officials panned the move as counterproductive, politically motivated, or poorly designed. Read More
The US would put strict sanctions on the International Criminal Court under a bill House members passed Tuesday, a step lawmakers took to show their distaste for the court seeking arrest warrants against Israeli officials over the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
- The measure passed by a 247-155 vote, with most Republicans and 42 pro-Israel Democrats supporting it. The White House has opposed the bill, arguing sanctions aren’t the best way to defend Israel. While the US isn’t a member of the court, allies — including Canada and France — are.
- The international organization, designed to prosecute crimes against humanity like genocide, late last month accused Hamas and Israeli leaders of a laundry list of war crimes. Read More
Rep. Andy Kim completed a shocking rise to win New Jersey’s Democratic primary for Senate Tuesday night, all but assuring he’ll break new ground as the state’s next senator following a campaign that defied the state’s machine politics. Kim is now heavily favored to replace Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who is on trial on federal bribery charges. Read More
- The senator’s son, Rep. Rob Menendez, defeated a well-funded primary challenger, overcoming the weight of the scandal surrounding his father.
- Democratic State Assemblyman Herb Conaway is likely headed to Washington as Kim’s replacement in the House after winning the Democratic primary in the state’s 3rd Congressional District.
- Donald Payne Jr., who died April 24, was the only Democratic candidate on the ballot in the state’s 10th District. The special primary to replace him will be on July 16 and the unexpired term will be filled in a special general on Sept. 18.
Montana state Auditor Troy Downing (R) will be the heavy favorite to succeed Rep. Matt Rosendale, who skipped a re-election bid for a brief Senate run. He led eight other candidates in the 2nd Congressional District, BGOV’s Kathy Rizzo reports.
- Ex-Rep. Denny Rehberg came in second in that GOP primary. Rep. Ryan Zinke survived his Republican primary challenge and is headed for a rematch with lawyer and former Olympian Monica Tranel, who gave the former Cabinet secretary a close race two years ago; Zinke won by just 3 percentage points in 2022
- Also Read: Tim Sheehy Wins Montana GOP Primary to Face Tester for US Senate
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Biden Says Trump Left Him ‘No Choice’ as He Targets Border
President Joe Biden said Republicans left him “no choice” but to act alone to head off a surge in border crossings this summer, his most significant action to address the migrant crisis that has threatened his reelection hopes.
- Biden assailed Donald Trump, his general-election opponent, for sinking a bipartisan immigration deal, calling it “an extremely cynical political move.” And he cast his actions as necessary to bring “order” to a US asylum process straining under a record influx of migrants.
- “Frankly, I would have preferred to address this issue through bipartisan legislation,” Biden said. The president also urged Democratic allies critical of his asylum crackdown to be patient, saying that he’ll speak “in the weeks ahead” about how to make the system “more fair and more just.” Read More
More on the Border:
- Mexican President, Biden Discussed Managing Migrant Flows
- Biden, AMLO Discussed New US-Mexico Bridge Projects in Call
- Arizona Voters to Decide Border Crossing Crime in November
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