My latest: Following Wednesday's failed bid by Senate Dems to block Trump's pocket rescission, Trump WH, once again, trampled over Congress’ power of the purse. Several experts point out their use of the “pocket rescissions” loophole is more an admission of guilt than a clever trick.

TPM@talkingpointsmemo.com · 2d ago

In order to execute their illegal pocket rescission scheme, the Trump White House is breaking federal laws, “openly saying that they did illegal activities to get here,” experts tell TPM.

Update: Sen. Ron Johnson shutdown the UC effort, blocking the Dem effort. He said he was “happy” to reject the UC request, claiming both that the Impoundment Control Act is poorly written and that the pocket rescission request from the White House was not big enough

TPM@talkingpointsmemo.com · 3d ago

The proposed bill would also prevent the president from attempting to use a pocket rescission in the future.

NEW: Sens. Murray and Merkley will try to pass a bill Wednesday to block the “pocket rescission” the Trump WH sent over to Congress last Friday. The proposed bill would also prevent the president from attempting to use a pocket rescission in the future. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/senate-...

Senate Dems Will Attempt to Stop Trump White House’s Latest Illegal Pocket Rescission

Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senate Budget Committee...

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@emineirmakyucel.bsky.social and @jragazzo.bsky.social talk about Mike Johnson's claim that this was the "most productive" Congress ever, GOP infighting, and what will happen if the Dems retake the House: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS05...

Congress Is Leaving Town. What Do Lawmakers Have to Show for Themselves? | TPM Live

YouTube video by Talking Points Memo

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The drama came just a day after Massie introduced eight impeachment articles against Hegseth, accusing the Defense Secretary of conducting an illegal war against Iran, among other charges.

Johnson Sends House Members Home Until After the Midterms, Avoiding Massie’s Vote to Impeach Hegseth

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is being accused of running away from...

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From congressional leadership to 2028 presidential hopefuls, a growing number of big names are getting behind the idea.

What Democrats Have, and Haven’t, Said About Supreme Court Reform

A once controversial issue pushed only by the most progressive members of...

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The OLC opinion "has more holes in it than a slice of Swiss cheese,” Charles Tiefer, professor emeritus at the University of Baltimore School of Law, told me. “It’s clearly a devious tactic to try to cover up the investigations into Trump’s corruption before they even get started.”

TPM@talkingpointsmemo.com · 2mo ago

Experts told TPM that individuals that may be called before Congress may end up trying to rely on this OLC memo to get out of testifying or giving over documents.

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My inbox: Me:

The memo was widely interpreted as preparation for a world in which Dems again have the oversight power to launch probes into two years of White House misconduct.

Dems Sound the Alarm Over Trump DOJ’s Attempt to Block Oversight: ‘He Knows Accountability Is Coming’ 

Top congressional Democrats on Tuesday pushed back on a new memo from...

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UPDATE: Cassidy caves. “I’ve learned that some of the cases that have been publicly reported to be under investigation by the Department of Justice have been dismissed or no longer being pursued,” he said on the Senate floor this morning.

Blanche Nomination on Track After Cassidy Says He Will Support Him

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said he will support Todd Blanche’s nomination for...

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NEW piece from me @joshkovensky.bsky.social looking at instances of Trump admin admitting in court to terminating clean energy grants, in part or entirely, to punish the president’s perceived political enemies. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-a...

Trump Administration Has Repeatedly Confessed in Court to Withholding Money From Blue States

Late last year, Department of Justice (DOJ) officials agreed to make a...

talkingpointsmemo.com

ICYMI: Democrats and a couple of Republicans included a significant provision in their CR that would delay the Trump White House and the OMB from finalizing a grantmaking rule change it proposed in May.

TPM@talkingpointsmemo.com · 2mo ago

Earlier this year, the OMB proposed a rule that seeks to modify how grant award decisions are made, allowing them to be made by political appointees and based on political calculations.

Beshear’s letter comes as McConnell and the Office of the Attending Physician released an update on the senator’s condition on Monday.

Kentucky Gov. Demands McConnell Give Verbal Address as Proof He Can Serve

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) has once again formally requested proof of...

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Thune’s response to Trump: “If somebody can show me how we get an outcome … I’m all for it.” “We could stay here until Christmas and the Democrats aren't voting for this and Republicans are not getting rid of the legislative filibuster.”

TPM@talkingpointsmemo.com · 2mo ago

Trump’s call for the Senate to stay in town comes just after one of the bill’s most passionate advocates — Sen. Mike Lee — called on Thune to cancel the scheduled recess over the weekend.

Senate fails to advance their Iran WPR in a 47-49 vote. Two Rs (Paul & Murkowski) who previously voted in favor of the WPR did not vote. And Cassidy, who also supported it before, voted no. Collins was a Yes. Fetterman also voted against it.

Emine Yücel@emineirmakyucel.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The House and Senate are expected to vote again on Iran war powers resolutions today. That comes as airstrikes continue. It’s been 12 straight days of bombings. Trump warned yesterday that the U.S. would destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

The House passed their Iran WPR again, 214-208. Rs supporting: Fitzpatrick, Davidson, Barrett & Massie

Emine Yücel@emineirmakyucel.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The House and Senate are expected to vote again on Iran war powers resolutions today. That comes as airstrikes continue. It’s been 12 straight days of bombings. Trump warned yesterday that the U.S. would destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

The House and Senate are expected to vote again on Iran war powers resolutions today. That comes as airstrikes continue. It’s been 12 straight days of bombings. Trump warned yesterday that the U.S. would destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Sen. Cornyn's office said he got “confirmation that all unobligated PEPFAR funds expiring in September will be obligated as expeditiously as possible."

Cornyn Threatens to Block Trump Noms Over Unreleased PEPFAR Funds — And Quickly Relents

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) on Tuesday threatened to vote against President Donald...

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Trump’s post comes as House Republican leadership is gearing up for a floor vote this week on the budget resolution the budget panel advanced out of committee last week.

Trump Comes to Terms With the Fact That the Entire SAVE Act Can’t Be Stuffed in Budget Bill 

President Donald Trump posted on his favorite social media platform Monday morning,...

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In the Weekender: ranking some of Trump's most absurd pardons @emineirmakyucel.bsky.social on the GOP's Save Act Lite (ie plot to distract Trump) Hegseth being a huge weirdo about testosterone @rothschildmd.bsky.social on Butler 2024 vs. Dallas 1963 + more talkingpointsmemo.com/the-weekende...

Fraudsters, Politicos and Trump Pals: Ranking Trump’s Most Egregious Pardons

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Brian W. Lynch is co-director of a national task force to implement NSPM-7. He marched on the Capitol on January 6, I confirmed today talkingpointsmemo.com/news/exclusi...

EXCLUSIVE: Trump DOJ’s Top ‘Antifa’ Prosecutor Marched with Crowd on Jan. 6

On Jan. 6, 2021, a man approached the Capitol who looked like...

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"Just to be clear, the President ... has not agreed in writing to delete the weaponization fund?" Cornyn asked, adding that there is no guarantee that he doesn't file a breach of contract lawsuit in the future. Blanche admitted that “they could bring a lawsuit and then we would litigate it.”

TPM@talkingpointsmemo.com · 3mo ago

After his round of questioning, Cornyn suggested that he was unsatisfied with Blanche's response to questions about the slush fund: "Well he basically confirmed that it’s not dead," he told CNN.

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Sen. Tillis also pushed back on the slush fund, saying that they should pass a legislation in Congress to make sure this does not go forward. Blanche says he is in support of that. He said the same thing to Cornyn.

Cornyn told CNN he is "undecided" on how he will be voting for the Blanche nomination. During the hearing, he questioned Blanche about the so-called "anti-weaponization" fund

CORNYN: The president, who's a plaintiff in this lawsuit, has not agreed in writing to delete the weaponization fund, and there's no guarantee that he or one of the other plaintiffs might raise that issue by way of a breach of contract lawsuit? BLANCHE: I suppose they could bring a lawsuit

Cornyn pointed out: there is no update/change to the part of the agreement that is about the slush fund, they are just simply taking Trump's word on it

Nicole LaFond@nicolelafond.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Cornyn's qs for Blanche on Trump's slush fund are v mild, but they focus on a key point: Trump "has not agreed in writing to delete the weaponization fund & there's no guarantee that he or one of the other plaintiffs might raise that issue by way of ... a breach of contract lawsuit in the future."

Todd Blanche is currently testifying in front of the Senate Judiciary Comm for his confirmation hearing. We're about an hour and half into the hearing and so far the line of questioning that has stuck out most to me has been from Sen. Cornyn.

SC Gov. Henry McMaster just announced he is appointing Lindsey Graham's sister to fill out his term until Jan. That comes after President Trump said he is recommending her for the temporary position this AM. Here is a list of people who may be running for the position for the next term:

TPM@talkingpointsmemo.com · 3mo ago

Graham's unexpected death triggered a scramble for his now-open seat among various GOP characters in the South Carolina political scene.