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Home Congress Campaigns White House Heard on the Hill Policy Fintech Beat Opinion Video Podcasts More Jan 25, 2020 Politics Posted at Jan 7, 2019 10:55 AM Griffin Connolly Save for later Former Reps. Mia Love, Luis Gutiérrez join CNN as commentators Meanwhile, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Lamar Smith head to K Street Griffin Connolly Posted at Jan 7, 2019 10:55 AM Save for later Former Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, is now a CNN political commentator. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo) Reps. Mia Love and Luis Gutiérrez have wasted no time finding new gigs after leaving Congress last week. Love, a Utah Republican and the only black female Republican in the last Congress, and Gutiérrez, a longtime Chicago-based Democrat, have joined CNN as political commentators. Read more... Posted at Jan 4, 2019 11:22 AM John T. Bennett Save for later Trump’s use of border agents for wall pitch raises legal, ethical questions Episode is latest example of president’s near-daily busting of Washington norms John T. Bennett Posted at Jan 4, 2019 11:22 AM Save for later Vice President of National Border Patrol Council Hector Garza speaks as President Donald Trump and NBPC Vice President Art Del Cueto, right, listen during a surprise visit to the White House briefing room on day 13 of a partial government shutdown. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) President Donald Trump was meeting privately with U.S. Border Patrol agents in the Oval Office Thursday when he suddenly told them, “ Let’s go out, see the press .” His idea was for them to explain to reporters “the importance of the wall.” But the spectacle that ensued raises legal and ethical questions. Experts said the president’s use of the officers in what amounted to a border barrier infomercial on afternoon cable television likely did not run astray of a 1939 law that bars most federal employees from conducting political activities while in their official roles. But they indicated other federal laws and guidelines might have been breached in just the latest example of the 45th president’s insistence on making a splash almost daily and eviscerating Washington norms that have been followed by Republican and Democratic presidents alike for decades. Read more... Posted at Jan 4, 2019 11:22 AM Lindsey McPherson Save for later First big bipartisan vote establishes House select committee on modernizing Congress Washington Democrat Derek Kilmer will chair the select committee Lindsey McPherson Posted at Jan 4, 2019 11:22 AM Save for later Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., center, purple tie, will chair the new select committee on modernizing Congress. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo) Taking its first bipartisan vote of the 116th Congress, the House voted Friday to establish a select committee to come up with recommendations for modernizing the legislative branch. The 418-12 bipartisan vote was even more significant because it is part of the House Democrats’ rules package. House rules are crafted by the majority party, and they rarely draw votes from the minority. Read more... Posted at Jan 4, 2019 9:22 AM John T. Bennett Save for later Trump, Democrats remain ‘far apart’ on shutdown deal as talks resume Schumer compares president to ‘Jell-O.’ Sanders questions Pelosi before Friday meeting John T. Bennett Posted at Jan 4, 2019 9:22 AM Save for later President Donald Trump, joined by Vice President Mike Pence, meets with Republican and Democratic congressional leadership on Wednesday in the Situation Room at the White House. They will meet again Friday to try to make progress on ending a partial government shutdown. (Shealah Craighead/White House) President Donald Trump and congressional leaders, including top Democrats that oppose his proposed southern border wall, will try again Friday to make progress on ending a partial government shutdown . But the odds of a breakthrough appear small. “Without a wall, you cannot have border security. Without a very strong form of barrier — call it what you will — but without a wall, you cannot have border security,” Trump said Thursday during a surprise visit to the White House briefing room, his first formal appearance there. Read more... Posted at Jan 4, 2019 8:49 AM Emily Kopp Save for later Ailing Rep. Walter Jones to have private swearing-in ceremony NC Republican has been sidelined since September but has shared few details about his health Emily Kopp Posted at Jan 4, 2019 8:49 AM Save for later Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., has missed votes since September. (CQ Roll Call file photo) Rep. Walter Jones will be sworn into the new session of Congress privately at his home in Farmville, North Carolina, because he could not be in Washington this week due to an unspecified illness. “Congressman Jones has been dealing with a medical issue and will be sworn in today,” spokesman Joshua Bowlen said. Read more... Posted at Jan 4, 2019 8:23 AM Griffin Connolly Save for later We will ‘impeach the motherf---er,’ new Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib says of Trump As Democratic leadership tamps down impeachment talk, some in rank-and-file keep up pressure Griffin Connolly Posted at Jan 4, 2019 8:23 AM Save for later Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., used an expletive to describe President Donald Trump at a gathering of progressives on Thursday. (Courtesy Rashida Tlaib for Congress) In the steady stream of political sound bites, nothing cuts through the noise quite like what Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib said of President Donald Trump Thursday night. “We’re going to go in there, and we’re going to impeach the motherf---er,” the Michigan freshman congresswoman said to rapturous applause from a group of supporters just hours after she was sworn into the 116th Congress. Read more... Posted at Jan 4, 2019 7:30 AM Niels Lesniewski Save for later Daines, Lankford to serve on both Appropriations and Finance Last senator to serve on both panels was Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. in 1944 Niels Lesniewski Posted at Jan 4, 2019 7:30 AM Save for later Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., will serve on both the Appropriations and Finance committees in the 116th Congress. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo) Sens. Steve Daines of Montana and James Lankford of Oklahoma will become the first senators since Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. in 1944 to serve simultaneously on the Appropriations and Finance committees, according to panel historical records reviewed by Roll Call. The two Republicans received waivers from Senate GOP conference rules that limit senators to service on just one of the four so-called Super A committees — Appropriations, Finance, Armed Services and Foreign Relations. Read more... Posted at Jan 4, 2019 6:00 AM Lindsey McPherson Save for later House Democrats unveil first major legislative package of voting, campaign finance and ethics overhauls Committees will soon begin marking up aspects of the package ahead of floor vote on H.R. 1 Lindsey McPherson Posted at Jan 4, 2019 6:00 AM Save for later Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., plan to bring a bill to the floor in the coming weeks to overhaul voting and campaign finance laws. Democrats are introducing it as H.R. 1 to signal that it’s their top priority. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) Automatic voter registration, independent redistricting commissions, super PAC restrictions, forced release of presidential tax returns — these are just a handful of the provisions in a massive government overhaul package House Democrats will formally unveil Friday, according to a summary of the legislation obtained by Roll Call. The package is being introduced as H.R. 1 to show that it’s the top priority of the new Democratic majority. Committees with jurisdiction over the measures will hold markups on the legislation before the package is brought to the floor sometime later this month or early in February. Read more... Posted at Jan 3, 2019 9:43 PM Lindsey McPherson Save for later House Democrats pass government funding bills, Pelosi jokes she’d give Trump $1 for a wall More seriou...