Republicans

Axios reports: Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is making a big opening bid in the 2025 tax battle, calling for the child tax credit to increase from a maximum of $2,000 to $5,000 per kid, Axios has learned. Such a plan could cost $2 trillion to $3 trillion over 10 years. That complicates the math for incoming Senate Majority Leader John …

“I’m going to tell you right now that if they try to tell us all to stay inside, stay home, shelter in place ‘FOR OUR SAFETY’ from the drones, there is no way in hell I will comply with that absolute bullshit.  Not doing it. No way. I’ll shoot the drones down myself along with every other red blooded freedom …

Cleveland’s ABC affiliate reports: Ohio advocates are warning against a bill that would require schools to notify parents if the child identifies as LGBTQ+ as well as allow parents to opt out of so-called “sexuality” content. The GOP denies it is homophobic, saying it’s just a way for parents to stay informed. During the last expected week of lame duck …

Politico reports: Speaker Mike Johnson is facing a brewing rebellion from farm district Republicans after congressional leaders failed to secure an agreement to add economic aid for farmers to the next stop-gap spending bill. The threat of a new wave of GOP defections among farm district Republicans presents a fresh challenge for Johnson, who is already navigating a narrow majority …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Republican firebrand Randy Fine has filed a bill in the Florida Senate to ban local governments, public schools and state universities from displaying flags promoting a “fictional” Palestine, “pro-violence” Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ rights and other “woke” topics. Fine, who lives in Melbourne Beach, has resigned from the Florida Legislature effective March 31 to run for …

The Hill reports: A former FBI informant on Monday entered a guilty plea on four federal charges related to falsifying statements that in part spurred a GOP congressional investigation into the Biden family. Alexander Smirnov pleaded guilty on those charges and unrelated tax evasion charges after concealing millions in income. Smirnov had relayed to the FBI that the head of …

The Texas Tribune reports: In an already heated race for Texas House Speaker, state GOP officials are hoping to wield new powers that would ensure their preferred candidate wins — and give them unprecedented control over who can run in Republican primaries. Last week, the Republican Party of Texas implied it would censure any GOP Texas House member who does …

The Associated Press reports: Before the November presidential election, Ohio’s secretary of state and attorney general announced investigations into potential voter fraud that included people suspected of casting ballots even though they were not U.S. citizens. “The right to vote is sacred,” Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, said in a statement at the time. “If you’re not a U.S. …

Politico reports: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is taking aim at his party’s isolationist wing — including Donald Trump — faulting them for undermining tough-on-Russia policies and sending mixed signals to allies. The Kentucky Republican delivered a rare critique of the president-elect in a Foreign Affairs essay on Monday, warning against the “right-wing flirtation with isolation and decline.” McConnell urged …

Mediaite reports: In a post to X late Saturday, the Georgia Republican declared without explanation, “The government is in control of the drones and refuses to tell the American people what is going on. It really is that bad.” Sunday morning, Greene also shared a video that went viral on X after it was shared by Joe Rogan of a …

“I’ve been pretty clean throughout my life. I’m not particularly worried about criminal investigations and I don’t know how much of what the president says is hyperbole, because there was a lot of this person ought to be jailed and that person ought to be jailed. That was said during the last two campaigns. “But I think President Trump is …

“I’m in a good place with Pete, unless something I don’t know about comes out. These allegations are disturbing, but they’re anonymous. I asked him point blank, ‘Were you drunk in a bar and got up and, said, ‘Let’s kill all the Muslims’? He said, ‘No.’ “But about mismanagement of money, about, you know, having a drinking problem and saying …

The Washington Post reports: President-elect Donald Trump has communicated to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that he wants his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to become the Sunshine State’s next senator — but it’s far from clear that DeSantis will acquiesce and appoint her, people familiar with the matter said. Lara Trump’s interest in replacing Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) — who is set …

“RFK is obviously a unique and diverse choice, a lifelong Democrat, one of the major figures in the Kennedy family. Obviously, he has a lot of views that Donald Trump appreciates and supports, but at the end of the day, Donald Trump is the president. “At the White House, RFK is going to work for him, whether it’s putting agriculture …

Politico reports: One week out from the Dec. 20 government shutdown deadline, top lawmakers are still working through disagreements over funding and policies getting added onto the funding patch they’re trying to finalize. Leaders hope to release bill text of the stopgap spending measure over the weekend. But they’re currently locked in a battle over what to do about farm …

ABC News reports: No women will lead a House committee for the first time in two decades after House Republicans revealed their list of committee leaders for the 119th Congress on Thursday. The 17 standing committees, whose leaders were selected by the House Republican Steering Committee, will be dominated by white men when the new Congress is seated on Jan. …

“We will talk about electric charging stations, electric cars, but we’ll also be talking about government funding for ice skating drag queens. We’ll be talking about taxpayer funded magic. I can tell you the total will be in the hundreds of billions for the entire Festivus report. I don’t have the breakdown on each individual one, but I can tell …

Florida Politics reports: Patrick Bailey, the former Treasurer for the Hillsborough County Republican Party, has been arrested on charges of third-degree grand theft and false entry in books of business. Bailey is accused of illegally transferring funds and writing himself personal checks from the GOP’s business account. He was arrested Thursday in Brandon by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office’s Economic …

The Texas Tribune reports: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit accusing a New York doctor of prescribing abortion drugs to a Texas resident in violation of state law. This lawsuit is the first attempt to test what happens when state abortion laws are at odds with each other. New York has a shield law that protects providers …

CNN reports: Trump has chosen Ed Martin, a hardline, socially conservative activist and commentator, to serve as the next chief of staff at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). As CNN first reported in July, Martin has publicly advocated for a national abortion ban without exceptions for rape or incest and has raised imposing criminal penalties on women and …