‘We’ll Make a Deal’
In almost the same breath, during his Fox News interview last evening, President Donald Trump said he’s willing to make a deal with Democrats and that they have to surrender by first reopening the government.
Trump called the Democrats “radicalized lunatics” and expressed frustration that what used to be routine on Capitol Hill — temporarily extending the previous fiscal year’s spending authority with a stopgap continuing resolution while working on the new appropriations bills — isn’t what’s happening now.
“You know, an extension is very easy. It’s done all the time,” he said. “Sometimes you extend four or five times.”
In today’s Congress Tracker, Jonathan Tamari reports that Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) describes himself as “hopeful.” Read More
More on the Shutdown:
- Democrats Harness Election Wins in Obamacare-Shutdown Standoff
- Health Tax Credits in Shutdown Row Hit Trump’s Florida Backyard
- US to Cut Flying by 10% at Key Airports as Shutdown Festers
- Longest-Ever Shutdown Hurt Republicans in Virginia Elections
SNAP Gap
Where Americans live makes a difference during the shutdown-fueled lapse in food aid funds, Skye Witley and Zach C. Cohen report.
Some states have found ways to keep at least a portion of grocery benefits flowing using their own funds, though USDA has said it doesn’t intend to reimburse states that keep feeding their eligible low-income residents.
The impact hasn’t hit every recipient yet; most states stagger distribution of these benefits across the month. Read More
Also Read: Trump to Raise Food Benefit Payments After Calculation ‘Error’
Complicated Nomination
Washington norms, the power of the presidency, the practical independence of independent agencies, and a nominee’s future will all be in the mix today when the Senate Commerce Committee considers Trump’s pick for a seat on the NTSB.
American Airlines executive John DeLeeuw was nominated after Trump fired a board member whose term wasn’t up. Democrat Alvin Brown is suing for reinstatement as NTSB vice chair.
Democrats argue that holding the hearing weakens both the committee’s traditional bipartisanship and the independence of federal agencies, Zach Williams reports. Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has dismissed those concerns.
“We’ve never had somebody try to replace a Democrat with a new nominee and push this through” when there is ongoing litigation, said Sen. Maria Cantwell (Wash.), the committee’s ranking Democrat. Read More
‘Creepy’ or Gotcha?
An argument in the Senate Commerce Committee is worth knowing about this morning because it may be a new iteration in the destruction of what senators way back when used to proudly call their comity.
Williams reports that Sen. Bernie Moreno went out of his way to try to catch his non-Republican colleagues failing to put their money where their car-safety policy preferences are. “Would it surprise you that I got the VIN numbers of every one of my Democratic colleagues’ vehicles and found that none of them bought any of the additional safety technologies on their cars,” Moreno (R-Ohio) said while the committee vetted transportation-related nominations.
Then things got heated.
“It’s creepy and a clear violation of our privacy,” said Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.). Read More
Eye on Tariffs
After Supreme Court justices — even those appointed by Trump — expressed skepticism during arguments over the legality of the “Liberation Day” tariffs, the survival of those extra import levies are even more in question.
In arguments at the high court that lasted nearly three hours, one quote in particular stands out. Chief Justice John Roberts said the tariffs were an “imposition of taxes on Americans, and that has always been the core power of Congress.”
Trump has said his tariffs are authorized under a 1977 a law that gives the president an assortment of tools to address national security, foreign policy, and economic emergencies. To get a sense of how that revenue’s adding up, check out the four color-coded sections labeled IEEPA in the chart below.
The high court clash also covers separate tariffs Trump said he imposed on Canada, Mexico, and China to address fentanyl trafficking. Read More
Later in the day, Trump said it would be “devastating for our country” if his sweeping global tariffs were struck down.
Also Read:
- Supreme Court’s Tariff Skepticism Means Uncertainty Reigns
- Trump Solicitor General Struggles With Trump Justices on Tariffs
- US Has Most October Layoffs in Over 20 Years on AI and Cost Cuts
Before You Go
“Trump-Proofing” NYC: Anticipating fights to come with Trump, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s campaign website called for allocating $165 million to immigration legal defense services. In a Fox News interview last night, Trump said he was torn between his desire for New York to succeed and his hope Mamdani would provide a useful political foil. Mamdani is also tapping former FTC Chair Lina Khan, who brought major cases against tech giants, as one of four co-chair of his transition team. Read More
BLM Nominee: Trump once again turned to an ex-member of Congress for an executive branch job. The new nominee is former New Mexico Rep. Stevan Pearce, nominated to head the Bureau of Land Management. Bobby Magill reports that while in office, Pearce opposed using the Antiquities Act to create large national monuments. Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Priorities, called the pick part of an agenda to “undermine, sell out, and eventually sell off America’s public lands.” Read More
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