The hard-liners enter the chat

Politico

14-05-2025

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IN TODAY'S EDITION:— Warning signs for the GOP megabill— The number SALT Republicans want— Backlash grows over Library of Congress firings
Tuesday was all about the SALT Republicans. Now, it's the conservative hard-liners' turn to make noise.
After the impasse over the state-and-local-tax deduction boiled over Tuesday — more on that below — several GOP hard-liners emerged late Tuesday night expressing their own dissatisfaction with the megabill to pass President Donald Trump's agenda.
Rep. Paul Gosar said 'not nearly enough' is being done to win conservatives' votes. Rep. Eric Burlison told Mia parts of it are 'disturbing' and that he isn't satisfied with the Medicaid numbers. Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris said in a post on X'the proposal to stop waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid will do little to achieve that.'
'What a joke,' he wrote.
Expect hard-right pushback to come to a head on Monday when Speaker Mike Johnson has to get the bill through the Rules Committee — and, more specifically, win the support of conservative panel members Chip Roy, Morgan Griffith and Ralph Norman.
It's not just a House problem. Sen. Ron Johnson is also threatening to tank the megabill if he doesn't get several trillion dollars in additional spending cuts. As our Jordain Carney reports, it's a troubling sign for Senate GOP leaders who can only afford to lose three votes. The Wisconsin Republican has a history of forcing leadership to bend to his whims; his hardball tactics during Republicans' last reconciliation bill secured a new deduction rate for pass-through businesses.
But at the moment, the House speaker is focused on solving a different problem: working out a SALT deal with a handful of blue-state Republicans after failing to reach agreement in a Tuesday night huddle.
'More sizzle than steak in that meeting,' Rep. Nick LaLota said, while acknowledging they made progress. Johnson said similarly leaving the meeting.
Reminder: The current Ways and Means proposal would triple the existing cap to $30,000. But SALT Republicans are demanding a number closer to $60,000. To close the gap, they're pointing to the additional fiscal breathing room from the GOP's tax bill coming in underneath a $4 trillion cost target, two Republicans with direct knowledge of the matter told our Meredith Lee Hill.
'The number that we have in our bill, I advocated for,' Chair Jason Smith said Tuesday night. 'Most of the committee wanted 20 [thousand]. It covers 95 to 98 percent of every one of their districts. That's the truth. I think 30's a good deal.'
Maybe so, but expect the SALT crew to hold out for a number starting with a '4.'
Meanwhile, an update on some key markups overnight:
— Ways and Means is still ongoing, with Democrats continuing to accuse Republicans of seeking to pair tax cuts for the rich with slashing health care benefits for the poor, our Bernie Becker writes in. Republicans have so far defeated a range of Democratic amendments, including four that would have cut off tax cuts at certain income thresholds and one that sought to extend premium tax credits and expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
— Energy and Commerce is also going strong after getting off to a dramatic start when at least 26 people were arrested for protesting Medicaid cuts outside the meeting room. The panel began debate on the health policy section of the draft bill a little before 1 a.m., our Ben Leonard reports. So far, Democrats have honed in on the GOP's proposals to institute work requirements in the program, arguing they would do little to boost employment while leaving millions without coverage; Republicans have countered there are plenty of exceptions and minimal red tape.
The committee late Tuesday approved the bill's energy and environment titles, which would claw back billions of dollars in unspent funds from the Democrats' 2022 climate law and speed up permitting for fossil fuel projects. And shortly after midnight Wednesday, the panel cleared the communications portion of the draft legislation that would most notably institute a 10-year moratorium on state AI legislation — a provision that might not pass the procedural smell test in the Senate.
— Agriculture paused debate last night around midnight with plans to resume work at 10 a.m. Committee Republicans are appearing to fall in line behind a plan to cut $300 billion in spending for the nation's largest anti-hunger program, which the panel's chair, G.T. Thompson, attributed to 'member education' on the issue. Democrats delivered emotional pushback against the overhaul.
Want a bigger reconciliation update? Request an invite to our next Policy Intelligence Briefing this Thursday, 2–3 p.m with Ben and Meredith, as well as our Jennifer Scholtes and Benjamin Guggenheim. Pro subscribers should have already received an invite.
GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING. Or good night to anyone who stayed up all night for these markups. And we'll see some of you in a few hours at the ACLI Capital Challenge footrace.
Follow our live coverage at the Inside Congress blog at politico.com/congress and email your Inside Congress scribes at [e-mail], [e-mail] and [e-mail].
COMING UP IN PLAYBOOK — Sen. John Cornyn probably can't win a primary. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton probably can't win a general election. Our Ben Jacobs dives deep into the Texas GOP Senate primary, a demolition derby that threatens to fracture the party, force the White House to intervene and perhaps put an otherwise safe seat at risk in November.
TALKING DEFENSE — Our colleagues are sitting down with 10 lawmakers tomorrow, including Reps. Mike Lawler and Michael McCaul, for a deep dive on America's latest defense and security priorities. We'll also have exclusive interviews with admin officials including Sebastian Gorka of the National Security Council. Join us in Navy Yard at 8 a.m.
THE SKED
The House is in session and voting to advance law enforcement legislation and on a likely motion to table a Trump impeachment resolution from Rep. Shri Thanedar at 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
— Republicans and Democrats will hold their separate weekly conference meetings at 9 a.m.
— GOP leaders will hold their post-meeting news conference at 10 a.m.
— Appropriations will have hearings on the president's fiscal 2026 budget request, with testimony from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 9:30 a.m. and ICE acting Director Todd Lyons and DOT Secretary Sean Duffy at 10 a.m.
— Homeland Security will have a hearing on DHS' fiscal 2026 budget request with testimony from Secretary Kristi Noem at 10 a.m.
— Democratic leaders will hold their post-meeting news conference at 10:45 a.m.
— The Republican Study Committee will have its weekly lunch, with border czar Tom Homan and Education Secretary Linda McMahon as guests at 12:30 p.m.
— Rep. Andy Ogles and House Freedom Caucus members will hold a news conference on codifying the president's executive orders at 12:45 p.m.
— Reps. Ted Kennedy, Jerry Nadler, Dan Goldman and Ted Lieu will hold a news conference to announce the Aaron Salter Jr. Responsible Body Armor Possession Act, in honor of the two-year anniversary of the Buffalo shooting at 2:30 p.m.
The Senate is in session and will vote on Katharine MacGregor's nomination to be deputy secretary of Interior, Michael Rigas' nomination to be deputy secretary of State for Management and Resources, Emil Michael's nomination to be under secretary of Defense, Eric Ueland's nomination to be deputy director at OMB and end debate on Sean Donahue's nomination to be an assistant administrator of the EPA during votes at 11:30 a.m., 2:15 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
— Energy and Natural Resources will consider various nominations starting at 9:30 a.m.: Catherine Jereza and Kyle Haustveit to be assistant secretaries, Jonathan Brightbill to be general counsel, Tina Pierce to be CFO and Conner Prochaska to lead the Advanced Research Projects Agency at the Department of Energy; and William Doffermyre to be solicitor and Ned Mamula to be director of the U.S. Geological Survey at the Interior Department.
— Commerce will vote on Paul Dabbar's nomination to be deputy secretary of Commerce at 9:45 a.m. It'll examine FAA reauthorization at 10 a.m.
— Finance will have a hearing on trade in critical supply chains at 10 a.m.
— Appropriations will have a hearing on the president's fiscal 2026 budget request for the EPA, with testimony from Administrator Lee Zeldin at 10:30 a.m. and testimony from Senate Sergeant at Arms Jennifer Hemingway and U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger at 3 p.m.
— Environment and Public Works will have a hearing on nominations for Sean McMaster to be Federal Highway Administration administrator, John Busterud to be assistant administrator for the EPA Office of Solid Waste and Adam Telle to be assistant secretary of the Army for civil works at 10:30 a.m.
— HELP will have a hearing on the president's fiscal 2026 budget request for HHS with testimony from Kennedy at 1:30 p.m.
The rest of the week: The House will take up law enforcement legislation. The Senate will continue working through Trump's nominees.
THE LEADERSHIP SUITE
Senate GOP marches toward contentious emissions vote
Senate Republicans could vote as soon as next week on a controversial proposal to nix federal waivers allowing California to set its own emissions standards, Jordain reports. 'We're going to pass it next week,' Majority Whip John Barrasso told reporters Tuesday.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune hasn't committed to that timeline. A key sponsor, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, also cautioned the schedule isn't '100 percent decided.' Some GOP senators remain wary that the chamber's parliamentarian is backing a Government Accountability Office finding that the waiver isn't subject to the Congressional Review Act. Overruling her, they fear, would weaken the Senate's rules in a way that could benefit Democrats next time they're in power.
Bipartisan backlash over Trump's Library of Congress takeover
Top lawmakers on both sides of the aisle made clear Tuesday they aren't interested in an executive-branch takeover of the Library of Congress. 'There needs to be a consultation about this,' Thune said.
There's broad agreement that Trump likely had the authority to fire Librarian Carla Hayden. But lawmakers are trying to parse the legality of his next steps: firing the head of the U.S. Copyright Office and attempting to install allies from the Justice Department as acting heads of the library and copyright operation. Those conversations are now playing out in a series of behind-the-scenes meetings, including one between Senate Rules Chair Mitch McConnell and ranking member Alex Padilla, per our Katherine Tully-McManus. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who Trump installed as acting librarian, was also on the Hill Tuesday.
Johnson ponders consequences for Dems' ICE protest
Speaker Johnson told reporters the House will 'have to take appropriate action' against Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez and LaMonica McIver after they were involved in a confrontation at an ICE detention center in New Jersey last week. GOP Rep. Buddy Carter is pushing to strip the trio of their respective committee assignments, and Johnson also floated censure as a possibility.
'I'm working on reconciliation at the moment, but we'll get to it,' Johnson said. 'There's a lot of very serious concern about it, and the tape is telling. Video doesn't lie.'
Senator blasts Johnson's DC funding fix delay
Today marks two months since the Senate passed the D.C. funding fix on March 14. And the chamber's top appropriator, Sen. Susan Collins, is urging the House to act to avoid cutbacks to city services.
'I don't understand why the House — especially after President Trump called for [passing] the bill the Senate passed immediately — has yet to act on it,' Collins told Mia.
House GOP leaders have blamed the delayed schedule on their reconciliation timeline, but Johnson said earlier this month it would be done 'as quickly as possible.'
House ethics watchdog up and running
The Office of Congressional Conduct is finally up and running for this Congress after the speaker took steps to slow down the process, our Hailey Fuchs reports. The House clerk read aloud the names of the watchdog's four board members Tuesday: Karen Haas, a former House clerk, will serve as board chair; former Rep. Bill Luther will serve as board co-chair. Lorraine Miller, another former House clerk, and former Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, will also hold seats.
POLICY RUNDOWN
MORE MEGABILL WARNING SIGNS — Key Senate Republicans are wary about E&C's plan to free up swaths of federal spectrum to raise $88 billion to help fund the megabill, believing it won't adequately safeguard Pentagon operations. Others are warning that the House's proposed rollbacks of clean-energy credits could stifle investments in newer energy technologies.
Still others are sounding caution as they review House Republicans' plans to pare back Medicaid. Collins said Tuesday she's studying the impact on rural hospitals that are already 'really teetering.'
COMING RFK JR.'S WAY — Lawmakers were already planning to hammer HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over sweeping staff cuts during his testimony before both the House and Senate today. Then on Tuesday the Trump administration asked some of the thousands of federal public health workers it laid off to return permanently, according to emails reviewed by our Alice Miranda Ollstein and Sophie Gardner.
Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel, who sits on the House subcommittee Kennedy is meeting with, told Mia she's not surprised by the reversal but plans to warn the HHS chief that 'it will take so long to start' programs back up.
Who else to watch today: GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, a former doctor who public health officials hope will challenge Kennedy's vaccine views and actions as secretary, our Carmen Paun and Adam Cancryn write.
BILLY LONG'S COMING BACK — Senate Finance scheduled a May 20 hearing on the nomination of former Rep. Billy Long to head the IRS. Long is seen as a controversial pick, and the hearing is sure to feature harsh scrutiny of Long's business ties by committee Democrats.
CRYPTO BILL TAKE TWO — Sen. Ruben Gallego said Tuesday that lawmakers are working toward restarting bipartisan negotiations over a landmark cryptocurrency bill that was rejected on the Senate floor last week. But he cautioned not to expect it back immediately, our Jasper Goodman reports.
Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E:
THE BEST OF THE REST
One of Congress' Wealthiest Members Made Stock Trades Worth Millions After Trump Announced Tariffs, from Dave Levinthal at NOTUS
Four-term former Missouri Sen. Christopher Bond dead at 86, from Jackie Wang at Roll Call
CAPITOL HILL INFLUENCE
INSURERS IN TOWN — Health insurers such as Elevance Health that participate in Medicare Advantage are trying to avoid becoming a target as Republicans struggle to pay for their megabill, our Kelly Hooper writes. Their efforts include commissioning studies and penning papers to show that the program needs more funding and arguing to lawmakers on key committees that a congressional advisory panel's findings of rampant overpayments to the program are inaccurate. The insurers are hoping to combat the narrative that Medicare Advantage is a magnet for government waste.
SPOTTED IN THE SENATE — NCAA President Charlie Baker having meetings about name, image and likeness legislation. Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz, who's leading the charge to regulate NIL for college athletes, told Lisa he spoke with Baker on the matter last week.
JOB BOARD
Ben Monticello is now legislative director for Rep. Darin LaHood. He previously was senior legislative assistant for Rep. Jack Bergman.
Two more aides left Sen. John Fetterman's office in recent weeks: Madeleine Marr and Caroline Shaffer, two people familiar with their departures told our Holly Otterbein.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Rep. Gary Palmer … former Reps. Jackie Speier, Erik Paulsen, Mimi Walters and Alan Mollohan … Susie Wiles … Tom Donilon of O'Melveny & Myers … former Sen. Byron Dorgan … POLITICO's Jason Beeferman … J.B. Poersch of Senate Majority PAC … Semafor's Kadia Goba … Jon Vogel of MVAR Media … Sydney Thomas Stubbs of Americans for Prosperity … Aneiry Batista … Rob Levinson … Kara Allen … Judith Barnett … Brian Canfield … Caleb Randall-Bodman of QuestEnd Advisors
TRIVIA
TUESDAY'S ANSWER: Kenny Robinson correctly answered that Rules was the first House select committee created in 1789. (It didn't become a permanent standing body until 1880.)
TODAY'S QUESTION, from Monday's winner Tim Trent: Who was the only founding father to become president who never owned a slave?
The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to [e-mail].