Just walked into the Capitol to find literally hundreds of troops napping and lining up in the Congressional Visitor Center— as streets around here are largely blocked.
Many are cuddling their firearms, fatigues over their heads to block light, and riot gear in neat piles.
HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER STENY HOYER (D-MD) walking off the floor after passing the FY23 Omnibus; “This is one of the most successful Congresses in which I’ve served over the last four decades …”
TONIGHT: Jim and Faye Palin, Sarah Palin’s ex-in-laws, are hosting an election eve party for Nick Begich, who is running against Palin for Alaska’s lone seat in the House.
Just chatted w/ Susan Cole, the House Reading Clerk who has become a viral sensation amid speakership chaos.
She is aware of her celebrity through her daughters, though told me she doesn’t “do social media”
But she’s a bit bewildered by her fame.
“I’m just Susan!” she told me
Sen. Graham (R-SC) just acknowledged Biden has won the presidency, then immediately cycled through with reporters on his thoughts on Biden's nominees for cabinet positions.
AND he said he had a "pleasant conversation w/ Biden" that was around 10 mins long several weeks ago.
Faye Palin, Sarah’s ex-mother-in-law, tells me it’s not that she doesn’t like the mother of 5 of her grandchildren, but is voting for Nick instead because she “only has one vote”
Appreciation post for whomever thought this empty basement hallway between Hart/Dirksen senate office buildings would benefit from 10 random potted plans—5 per side
In the first mins of Pres. Biden’s remarks, EIGHT separate pro-Palestine protestors have disrupted his speech. Crowd has broken into chants of “four more years” each time.
“They feel deeply” Biden says, without addressing them directly. Later quips “this could go on for awhile”
Former democratic Rep Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) tells me the vote of no confidence was a LOUD voice vote which Cheney failed. Says no one spoke up to defend her, Kinzinger (R-IL) included.
In a briefing on Democrats’ tax increases, Sen. Warren elicited a laugh saying she’d made billionaires cry over her tax increases.
Pressed for names, Warren told reporters “Leon Cooperman, I’m looking at you, baby”
NEW: OVER HALF of Sen Dems have now called on Menendez to resign:
FETTERMAN
BROWN
TESTER
WELCH
WARREN
HEINRICH
CASEY
ROSEN
KELLY
BOOKER
BALDWIN
BENNET
KLOBUCHAR
GILLIBRAND
HIRONO
MARKEY
HASSAN
WARNOCK
PETERS
SANDERS
BLUMENTHAL
MURPHY
DUCKWORTH
HICKENLOOPER
STABENOW
OSSOFF
The handful of (apparent) supporters outside the venue were briefly trolled by a box truck playing a video of Fox News calling the Presidential Election for Joe Biden in 2020
HAPPENING NOW: White House Press Secretary
@KJP46
has taken the podium of a PACKED briefing room flanked by members of the South Korean boy band BTS.
No questions will be taken by BTS, we’re told.
PELOSI responds: "Sadly, As I'm in California to mourn the loss of ... my dear friend Dianne Feinstein, I am unable to retrieve my belongings at this time."
Leaving a meeting with Elon Musk, Speaker McCarthy won’t elaborate on what the two discussed, besides saying they’ve “been friends for years,” and that Musk came to wish him a happy birthday.
Rep. George Santos unleashes a curse laden tirade after seemingly being accosted by two people seen wandering around the Longworth House office building asking about “Israeli genocide”
MOMENTS AGO: Firey moment from Sherrod Brown on the Senate floor — Rand Paul (who is maskless) offered a point of order (a UC request) and Sen. Brown stood up and practically yelled at Paul to wear a mask.
Chamber was boisterous but fell entirely silent.
Sen. John Barrasso, GOP Conference Chair reacts to charges: “The American people have lost faith in Biden’s Justice Department.
"They are uncomfortable watching the current president weaponize the justice system against his political opponent ..."
JUST IN: After attending the Dem retreat maskless (along with most House Democrats), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT, Appropriations Chair) says she has tested positive for COVID-19
Sen. Pres. Pro-Tem Patty Murray (D-WA)'s Apple Watch is the realest right now, for pinging her with the dreaded "reminder to stand up" after nearly 3 hours in the chair for the Senate Impeachment trial so far.
NEW: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) statement on filibuster:
“If campaign finance and voting rights reforms are blocked again this week, I will support the proposed changes to pass them with a majority vote.”
Kelly, up for re-elex this year, previously declined specify his position
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) on CNN question re: fmr. Trump Advisor Stephen Miller saying this is part of Biden's plan to flood US with immigrants:
"I don't give a rip what Steven Miller has to say about anything." (1/2)
Chief Justice Roberts, Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan, and Trump's own nominees KAVANAUGH, and GORSUCH ruled in favor. Thomas and Alito ruled against.
#SCOTUS
#TrumpTaxes
@Newsy
In Trump v. Vance,
#SCOTUS
hands President Trump a defeat in battle with NY district attorney, holding that a subpoena to a sitting president does not have to meet a heightened standard
NEWS: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has spoken with and encouraged Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) to *not* resign Congress on April 19, as planned, and "do anything he can to stay longer," a person familiar with Speaker Johnson's thinking confirms to me
@scrippsnews
(1/2)
In one of the bizarrest turns I've ever seen, Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who was allotted 30 mins to defend himself on the House floor against an expulsion resolution, just yielded 5 mins to DEM Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), who begins remarks expressing support for expelling Santos.
Sen. Armed Services Chair, Jim Inhofe (R-OK) responds:
Q: "Is it possible to convince the president not to veto the bill? ..."
Inhofe: "If you’d asked me that an hour ago, I would have said, 'yes.'"
Q: "What's changed in the last hour if I may ask."
Inhofe: "He tweeted."
I will Veto the Defense Bill, which will make China very unhappy. They love it. Must have Section 230 termination, protect our National Monuments and allow for removal of military from far away, and very unappreciative, lands. Thank you!
New: Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) shows reporters a ‘naughty list’ of agencies that have yet to return to office post Covid-19.
Topping the list of “no shows”, HUD and the SSA, with just 7% office occupancy rates.
ERNST: “Covid’s been over for years, where are the workers?”
CONCORD—
@PeteButtigieg
makes his first public appearance with NH Congresswoman (and now Nat’l Co-Chair)
@RepAnnieKuster
at ‘The Works’ cafe (Pete ordered a coffee). More tonight
@MyNBC5
Sen. Mitt ROMNEY (R-UT) on the filing of a PAC to draft him and MANCHIN 2 run 4 prez:
“Oh, my understanding is that America is clamoring for me to run again, just like 2008 and 2012.”
*reporters AND ROMNEY giggle*
“Why all the laughs, guys? That’s not going to be happening.”
Officer Hodges sits, apparently with unbroken eye-contact, watching video of his screams as rioters crushed him in a Capitol West Front doorway on January 6th.
NEW: In a one-on-one interview with me at the WV Capitol, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) responds to recent criticism from Bernie Sanders:
“Well Senator Sanders is not a Democrat…He’s a socialist… It’s not what I think the majority of Americans represent.”
Much more tonight
@Newsy
NEW: Senate Intel Committee Chair/Vice Chair joint statement saying they have “received and reviewed intelligence” related to Gaza Hospital strike & “feel confident that the explosion was the result of a failed rocket launch by militant terrorists” & not an Israeli airstrike.”
Via the AZ Senate GOP / CyberNinjas... the page everyone was looking for:
An additional 99 votes found for Joe Biden in Maricopa County, and an over-count of 261 votes for Fmr. Pres. Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
Biden, who stopped paying attention to protestors after the first half dozen, finishes his speech and is flanked by Jill Biden, Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff.
“Let’s spread the faith” Biden says to a jubilant crowd of campaign invitees in Northern VA.
Senate Majority Leader Schumer turned down a request from the Israeli government to hear from the PM.
A Schumer spokesperson earlier today called partisan discussions with the PM “not helpful to Israel”
NOW: We are investigating a suspicious vehicle in front of the Supreme Court along First Street, NE. Please stay away from the area. We will provide more information as soon as we can.
Moments ago: Reps. Boebert (R-CO) and Gaetz (R-FL) enter meeting of House GOP as Kevin McCarthy looks to coalesce support for the Speaker’s Race.
Gaetz tells reporters: “We made be on the verge of a New Year’s miracle”
CONFIRMED: Sen. Manchin (D-WV) hitting back at Sen. Sanders (I-VT) over his press conference earlier:
"Senator Sanders believes America should be moving towards an entitlement society while I [Sen. Joe Manchin] believe we should have a compassionate and rewarding society"
New: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) tells reporters “now” is the time to empower Speaker Pro-Tem McHenry to pass legislation.
FITZPATRICK: “I think I think we're going to empower the Speaker Pro Tem to act as Speaker for a period of time, possibly through the end of the year…”
NEW: The Senate has just adopted a formal dress code BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT(!)
Comes after uproar over a dress code change for Sen Fetterman to accommodate his wearing a hoodie and shorts on the Senate floor.
NEW: Sen. John Barrasso (R-SD), one of the senior Republicans negotiating with Biden, says in a statement talks failed because: “President Biden and his team are trying to satisfy an insatiable far-left agenda...”
Pete’s final event of the inaugural leg of his multi-day bus tour, a town hall at Salem High School. Campaign says crowd count is 720. Just spoke to a couple from Salem who say they’ve never seen
@PeteButtigieg
speak before, but he’s already their first choice.
#FITN
#nhpolitics
Minority Whip JOHN THUNE told me he believes the bipartisan border deal is “really good, strong … conservative border policy,”
Says he believes the deal contains policy that “we would never get in a Republican Senate, even with a Republican president”
Sorry to say I tested positive for COVID today (new year, new me?).
Very thankful to be fully vaccinated + boosted and only experiencing mild symptoms (so far).
Guess the year can only get better from here? 🤞
Get vaccinated!! 💉💉💉
This is big news,
@PeteButtigieg
’s biggest endorsement in the Granite State thus far...
(I know, I know... I’m late to the game, but I blame VT’s mountain roads with ZERO cell service)
MORE: A source close to Rep. Gallagher tells
@scrippsnews
the Rep. "has been in touch with Speaker Johnson and House Republican leadership throughout this process, including before this decision was announced. I’m not going to get into details of their private conversations." 2/2
After the final vote of the 117th Congress, crews are moving furniture and boxes out of the Speaker’s office suite.
Come the 118th Congress in January, the “Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi” sign over the door will come down for the 3rd and final time.
🚨🚨SCHUMER says he will try a unanimous consent request to force a vote on 3 key pentagon noms for later today... if Tuberville objects, Schumer says votes will happen Friday and (possibly) Saturday🚨🚨
BREAKING
@Newsy
: The Respect for Marriage Act, which will codify nationwide recognition of same-sex and interracial marriage, PASSES House by 258-169, with 39 Republicans voting with all Dems in favor.
Bill goes to Pres. Biden, who has repeatedly said he will sign it into law.
.
@MyNBC5
is officially on the road with presidential candidate
@PeteButtigieg
’s bus tour (which is coming through the Upper Valley tomorrow). Cameras stopped filming after 10 minutes but the whole ride is on-the-record with Mayor Pete.
#FITN
#nhpolitics
#uppervalleypoli
Sen. Josh HAWLEY (R-MO): Predicts on a press call that the impact of overturning Roe will lead to major demographic changes, as voters relocate to other states with purple states becoming redder, blue states becoming bluer, and "more red states are going to become more red"
SENATE MINORITY LEADER MCCONNELL: “The President called to check up on me and I told him I got sandbagged”
McConnell doesn’t answer questions about what happened, just says “I’m fine”
WASHINGTON, CROSSING, PA— Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) are joining Mehmet Oz on the campaign trail the Sunday before election week.
After an August campaigning stretch that included multiple stops in NH’s Upper Valley, presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is addressing supporters at a fundraiser in the Hamptons on Long Island (with his husband Chasten). Pic sent to me from an attendee.
NEW: Senator Ben Cardin reacts to his former staffer’s now-viral x-rated video taken in the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing Room: “I was angry, disappointed. It's a breach of trust…. I have not talked to him”
Confirms Capitol Police are investigating the incident.
“I’m like you I just came over to find out what’s going on” Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) told reporters a minute ago.
“Are you hungry?” She asked us.
*reporters indicated yes*
“Well I don’t have any food,” she said before entering Thune’s office suite
NEW:
@ScrippsNews
Cincinnati was at the gaggle with Senate Minority Leader McConnell in Covington KY this afternoon, where the Minority Leader appeared to freeze on cam, similar to what happened in the Senate last month.
WATCH FULL VIDEO: