Republicans

The Des Moines Register reports: In a 34-16 vote on party lines, the Senate confirmed Cheryl Elsloo to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission that enforces the state’s anti-discrimination law and Whitney Smith McIntosh to the Human Rights Board, which serves underrepresented groups across the state. Elsloo has been a lobbyist with Protect My Innocence, which bills itself as a nonprofit …

The New Republic reports: Buried in the new House GOP reconciliation bill — the blueprint for Trump’s agenda — is a new and expanded giveaway largely benefiting wealthy investors, according to tax experts I spoke to. And the nitty-gritty of this neatly demonstrates how the “corporatist” side of the alleged GOP identity crisis is winning out. To see why, recall …

Axios reports: President Trump is taking steps to clear the Republican primary field for Rep. Elise Stefanik to run for New York governor, bolstering an ally once poised to serve in his administration. A pair of moves by Trump last week amount to a green light for Stefanik to jump into what early polls suggest could be a tight battle …

The Associated Press reports: Six months after Missouri voters approved an abortion-rights amendment, Republican state lawmakers on Wednesday approved a new referendum that would seek the amendment’s repeal and instead ban most abortions with exceptions for rape an incest. The newly proposed constitutional amendment would go back to voters in November 2026, or sooner, if Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe calls …

Reform Austin reports: Texas Sen. John Cornyn launched his first major ad campaign of the 2026 election cycle today with a website attacking Attorney General Ken Paxton for approving $7.1 million in “left-wing grants” and “fund[ing] woke with your tax dollars.” The two Republican candidates are headed for a heated and expensive showdown to cater to the party’s most extreme …

The Texas Tribune reports: A bill that would make it easier for parents to exempt their children from school-required vaccinations passed the Texas House 83-54 on Wednesday. If House Bill 1586 by state Rep. Lacey Hull, R-Houston, becomes law, the state’s current exemption form could be downloaded from the internet, bypassing the need to contact the Texas Department of State …

Fox News reports: House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is opening an investigation into threats facing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, Fox News Digital was told. It comes as fallout continues over three House Democrats accused of “storming” a detention center in New Jersey. Fox News Digital was told that Jordan is expected to schedule a hearing for next …

Wired reports: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has canceled plans to introduce new rules designed to limit the ability of US data brokers to sell sensitive information about Americans, including financial data, credit history, and Social Security numbers. The CFPB proposed the new rule in early December under former director Rohit Chopra, who said the changes were necessary to …

“Look, I’ve been a little busy on reconciliation, so I’m not following all the twists and turns of the Qatar jet, I certainly heard about it. My understanding is it’s not a personal gift to the president, it’s a gift to the United States, and other nations give us gifts all the time, but I’m going to leave it to …

Politico reports: Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday he supports a ban on stock trading by members of Congress amid controversy about well-timed trades during recent market volatility. “You want me to tell you my honest opinion on that? I’m in favor of that, because I don’t think we should have any appearance of impropriety here,” he said at a Wednesday …

The New Republic reports: The president has trumpeted the extension of his 2017 tax plan, attempting to make the bill more palatable to non-millionaires by claiming that it would end tax on tips, overtime, and Social Security benefits. But as it turns out, none of that is actually in the text of the bill. During a heated exchange between Representative …

The Huffington Post reports: A ban on minors attending family-friendly drag shows in Florida was halted by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit on Tuesday after judges ruled 2-1 that it violated the First Amendment. The ruling marks a major victory for Hamburger Mary’s of Orlando, a restaurant in the Sunshine State that offers food and entertainment, …

Politico reports: The House Ways and Means Committee approved Republicans’ sweeping tax package Wednesday, after a marathon hearing in which they shot down a string of attempts by Democrats to rewrite the plan. Approval came on a party-line 26-19 vote, and sends the bill — stocked with tax cuts and some notable tax hikes on GOP targets like Ivy League …

The Hill reports: Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), who have been among the leading voices in opposition, rolled out a resolution condemning “any acceptance of Presidential aircraft, or any other substantial gift, from a foreign government.” The aircraft is valued at roughly $400 million. “It really should go without saying, but no president should be accepting a …

Dead Pat Robertson’s CBN News reports: Today, as an outspoken congressman, he doesn’t mind mixing it up with the left. But being a conservative who happens to be Black can make it even more challenging. What has that journey been like? “I’ll tell you, you better have the courage of your convictions,” Donalds says. “You better know what you’re talking …

Politico reports: A number of Republican lawmakers are souring on President Donald Trump’s plans to accept a luxury Boeing 747 aircraft as a gift from Qatar — a rare series of rebukes of the president by his allies in Congress. Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Tuesday became the most prominent Republican to express discomfort with the deal, telling reporters …

Politico reports: The Medicaid portions of the GOP megabill would lead to 10.3 million people losing coverage under the health safety net program and 7.6 million people going uninsured, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Republicans released the partial estimates Tuesday less than a half hour before the House Energy and Commerce Committee is scheduled to mark …

“Accepting gifts from foreign nations is never a good practice. It threatens intelligence and national security. Especially when that nation supports a terrorist organization and allows those terrorist regimes to live on its soil. Regardless of how beautiful the plane may be, it opens a door and implies the President and US can be bought. If this were Biden, we …

The Associated Press reports: House Republicans want to set aside up to $5 billion a year for scholarships to help families send their children to private and religious schools, an unprecedented effort to use public money to pay for private education. The proposal, part of a budget reconciliation bill released Monday, would advance President Donald Trump’s agenda of establishing “universal …

The Hill reports: House Republicans are moving forward with plans to raise the nation’s debt ceiling by $4 trillion as part of a larger plan to advance President Trump’s tax agenda. The proposal, which was included in legislative text unveiled by the House Ways and Means Committee on Monday, is in line with House instructions outlined in a blueprint adopted …