Divided reaction to passing of reconciliation bill
On May 22, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson voted in favor of the reconciliation bill on the U.S. House floor. The bill passed by a vote of 215 to 214, with every Democratic legislator in attendance voting 'nay.' Now, the bill will make its way to the U.S. Senate for a vote.
Rep. Johnson passes Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'
On X, Johnson posted a video listing the three reasons why he voted yes, citing tax cuts, spending decreases, and investments into the country's safety, like border security.
Democratic State Representative Erik Muckey called the reconciliation bill a 'Big, Beautiful Disaster' on a social media post.
On May 22, Muckey's post said he's angry that the bill passed, and said, 'there is nothing South Dakotan or fiscally responsible about what Representative Johnson just did.' In the post, Muckey listed examples of the billions of dollars cut from programs, like Medicaid and SNAP.
But Johnson created his own list of examples that make the bill a win. On X, Johnson listed 32 examples of common-sense, conservative wins within the reconciliation bill.
From May 18-22, Johnson faced pressure by South Dakotans and President Donald Trump over the passing of the reconciliation bill.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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CNN
18 minutes ago
- CNN
Legal loopholes and Senate drama: Inside Trump's battle to install US attorneys
President Donald Trump's fraught effort to install political appointees in permanent roles as US attorneys across the country gained momentum this week, as Republicans work to jumpstart a stalled confirmation process in the Senate, while the White House resorted to a novel legal maneuver to keep a political ally in place as New Jersey's top prosecutor. Alina Habba, the Trump-appointed interim US attorney for New Jersey, resigned from her post on Thursday in an effort to keep it, after district judges for the state booted her from the job. Habba, a former personal attorney for Trump and campaign spokesperson, said she will now be appointed as the 'acting' US attorney for New Jersey. Habba's time as interim US attorney was due to expire on Friday. The move, according to one source familiar with the strategy, will prevent Habba's term from expiring and nullify an effort by the state's federal judges to name her replacement, leading to a simmering standoff between the administration and New Jerseys' judges. Meanwhile in the Senate, Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have offered a broad compromise to Democrats in an effort to break a blockade on the president's slate of US attorney nominees in hopes of getting a few confirmed before the Senate leaves for its monthlong recess in August, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. A spokesperson for the Senate Judiciary Democrats declined to comment on the situation. Administration officials were initially confident they would be able to install a slate of more than 30 US attorneys Trump nominated early in the year. But only a dozen have even moved past a preliminary committee vote and not a single nominee has received a confirmation vote on the Senate floor. While every recent president has gotten off to a slow start moving US attorney nominees, Trump is in danger of falling even further behind, especially amid concerns over the quality of some of the more controversial nominees tapped by Trump, some of whom have never worked as prosecutors. The clock is also running out on the interim status for many of Trump's US attorney picks, beyond Habba. Under federal law, if the administration doesn't fill the job and the Senate doesn't confirm a nominee within 120 days, federal judges can select a temporary US attorney, further undermining the administration's goal to have their own people in place. Pressure is therefore mounting on Republicans to cut a deal with Democrats to get at least a few nominees confirmed before the Senate leaves town for a month. 'I think both sides understand that the current situation is untenable,' the source familiar with the negotiations told CNN. Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin has since May put a blanket hold on Trump's slate of US attorney nominees, leaving the administration without top law enforcement officials in permanent roles as it presses forward with an aggressive agenda that includes a heavy focus on immigration enforcement and violent crime. Durbin has justified his blanket hold in part by arguing that then-Sen. JD Vance placed a similar hold on Democratic US attorney nominees during the Biden administration. 'Sen. Durbin continues to discuss a path forward with his Democratic and Republican colleagues,' Durbin spokesperson Josh Sorbe said in a statement to CNN. There are now a dozen US attorney nominees ready for a floor vote, after seven were passed out of committee on Thursday. That includes former Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro, who is in line to be the top federal prosecutor in Washington, DC. While US attorney nominees usually receive broad bipartisan support, some of Trump's nominees have made that more difficult. In comments on Thursday, even Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, acknowledged that some of the president's nominees are 'controversial.' 'As chairman, I try to be fair to all members of the committee, even during controversial nominations. And we have plenty of them and have had plenty of them as well,' Grassley said. The drama has been particularly acute in New Jersey, where the Justice Department spent much of the week engaged in a bitter standoff with the state's federal judges over who will be the state's top prosecutor. With Habba facing an unlikely road to confirmation in the Senate, and her interim status set to expire Friday, federal judges on Tuesday tapped Desiree Leigh Grace, a top federal prosecutor, to take over the office. The Justice Department immediately said it was removing Grace, though she vowed to take over the job next week. To do so, Grace would've had to be sworn in by a federal judge just after midnight Friday after Habba's interim term expired. But Habba short-circuited all that by resigning on Thursday, trading in her interim status as New Jersey's US attorney to an 'acting' role, thus (in theory) restarting the clock on how long she can serve. 'Donald J. Trump is the 47th President,' Habba posted on Twitter on Thursday. 'Pam Bondi is the Attorney General. And I am now the Acting United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey.' Habba continued: 'I don't cower to pressure. I don't answer to politics.' Habba and the Justice Department both declined to comment when reached by CNN. Grace did not respond to CNN's request for additional comment. The White House had hoped to avoid all this. In the early days of Trump's second term, the administration worked to compile a slate of nominees to lead some of the 93 US attorneys' offices across the country. Top Justice Department officials, with input from the White House, selected dozens of nominees they believed could carry out the president's agenda – specifically on immigration and violent crime. While senior officials were initially confident they would be able to get these nominees confirmed, the process stalled earlier this year amid the disastrous attempt to force through the confirmation of Trump's nominee to lead the DC US Attorney's Office, Ed Martin. Martin's nomination was riddled with controversies. He had to repeatedly update his mandated disclosure forms to Congress and came under fire over his previous praise of a Capitol rioter who is an alleged Nazi sympathizer. In the end, Martin's nomination was pulled and Trump in his place nominated Pirro, who is not without controversy herself following her years as a Fox News personality. US attorneys are the top law enforcement officials in each of the 93 judicial districts across the country. They play an important role in prosecuting federal crimes and defending the government in civil litigation. They are also key to implementing the president's agenda at the local level. 'So much of our public focus is on the attorney general, and rightly so. However, the real engines who drive DOJ's day to day work and case making on a district-by-district basis, are the US attorneys. Each US attorney essentially runs one of those districts, and has very broad autonomy in how that office functions,' said CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig, a former federal prosecutor in New Jersey. While nominees can serve temporarily on an interim or acting basis without getting Senate confirmation, it's less than ideal, said Honig. 'There's a big impact where you have a non-confirmed US attorney, especially if there's flux and uncertainty. If you're going from one acting to another, interim back to the other acting, it causes chaos in those offices,' Honig said. 'It causes a lack of stability, a lack of a sense of mission. It undermines morale in those offices.' Data from the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for an effective government workforce, shows that Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush were the only modern presidents able to get nominees confirmed by the six-month mark. Trump, in his first term, did not have any US attorneys confirmed after the first six months. Max Stier, PPS's president and CEO, notes that it is significant that in his second term Trump was quick to put up nominations, but that has not resulted in swift confirmations. 'Instead of being ahead of the curve, they are now behind the curve,' Stier said. Stier noted though that the pace of nominations is not what is slowing the administration from filling vacancies; it's the nature of the nominees. 'It's not just a numbers game that we're watching this administration, even unlike the first Trump administration, is putting forward extraordinarily partisan and unqualified candidates for these positions, and it's not just in the District of Columbia,' Stier said. Stier points to other examples including Habba, who has worked as Trump's personal attorney and campaign spokesman but never as a prosecutor. John Sarcone, Trump's pick for US attorney in Northern New York, has also been criticized for not having any prosecutorial experience. 'I do think the extra element that's added here of consequence is the deeply flawed nature of a consequential number of the candidates that are being put up by this administration,' Stier said. Acting US attorneys can still carry out the president's agenda without being confirmed by the Senate, but there are downsides. 'I think his real view is that acting officials are people that don't have the oversight by the United States Senate and by the public through that process, and so that allows to put in place people who either shouldn't or would exact a political cost to actually get confirmed,' Stier said. Senators have the option to personally request a confirmation that has been otherwise blocked or delayed in a process called 'blue slipping,' but a senior administration official told CNN: 'Unless there is a deal struck, in blue states we are not going to get any blue slips.' One notable example is how Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer declined to offer a blue slip for Jay Clayton, who was tapped to be US attorney in the Southern District of New York even though he is the former head of the SEC. 'It's pretty crazy,' the official said.


Fox News
19 minutes ago
- Fox News
Tim Walz leading Dem effort to turn bipartisan group against President Trump: report
Progressive governor and failed vice presidential candidate Tim Walz is leading a Democratic effort to turn one of the country's most influential bipartisan groups against President Donald Trump, according to a report by a mainstream media outlet. Walz, the governor of Minnesota and one-time running mate of former Vice President Kamala Harris, is threatening to pull out of the bipartisan National Governors Association (NGA) over concerns it is not doing enough to push back against Trump, according to The Atlantic. The Atlantic reported that two unnamed people "familiar with the governors' thinking" shared that at least two Democratic governors — Walz and fellow Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who is head of the Democratic Governors Association — are opting to stop paying their NGA dues this month. The two governors will not renew their membership in the organization out of frustration with its inaction against perceived violations of states' rights by the Trump administration. The concerns raised included the Office of Management and Budget briefly pausing disbursements of federal funds in January, the clash with Democratic Gov. Janet Mills over transgender athletes and Trump's deployment of the California National Guard to respond to the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles. The outlet reported three other unnamed sources saying that Walz and Kelly are not alone and that the offices of other Democratic governors are similarly frustrated with the NGA. One of the unnamed sources said "when you are also paying dues with taxpayer dollars, it has got to be worth it, and they are going to have to demonstrate that. Right now, they are not doing that," the outlet reported. The source also claimed "there have been ongoing concerns about the NGA among the Democratic governors and staff, off and on, for years." The NGA has existed as a forum for bipartisan collaboration among governors since 1908. The organization lists all 50 governors as well as leaders of five U.S. territories as members. Eric Wohlschlegel, NGA communications director, told Fox News Digital the group "exists to bring governors from both parties together around shared priorities." Amid the Walz-led controversy, Wohlschlegel said NGA's "mission hasn't changed." "Every public statement NGA issues reflects bipartisan consensus," he said. "So far this year, all but one statement has had that consensus, and when governors don't agree, we simply don't issue one. That's how we preserve our role as a bipartisan convener, a principle we won't compromise." A source familiar with the situation blamed the controversy on "Democratic infighting, unspoken campaign jockeying and a few anonymous voices looking to reshape a nonpartisan institution into a political one." That source pointed out that, despite all the noise about controversy, the NGA's summer meeting in Colorado Springs this weekend is expected to have "record turnout" with 13 Republican and seven Democratic leaders attending. They also noted that "no governors are on the record expressing discontent with the NGA. No allegations of misconduct, governance failure or mismanagement have been raised." "What's behind the noise?" the source added. "There's an internal power struggle currently and no consensus among Democrats right now on how to lead, how to message or how to govern in a divided environment. "Several Democratic governors are vying for national attention, testing messages for future campaigns rather than collaborating on consensus governance," the source added. "The NGA's bipartisan model is working exactly as it's supposed to. "When a party can't agree with itself, it becomes easy to take shots at bipartisan institutions that don't serve short-term political goals." Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, the outgoing NGA chair, and Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, the incoming chair, for comment on the Walz mutiny. Though not addressing the controversy directly, Conor Cahill, a spokesperson for Polis, told Fox News Digital the governor "has been honored" to lead the NGA and to "work across the aisle with governors on education, permitting reform, standing up to federal efforts to strip away gubernatorial authority around the National Guard and elevating the priorities of states." He added that "during this polarizing time, bipartisan organizations are needed more than ever, and NGA must continue to demonstrate value to all governors and effectively communicate governors' opinions on various matters with the public and the federal government." Abegail Cave, a spokesperson for Sitt, who will become NGA chair this weekend, told Fox News Digital "people seem to forget NGA is a bipartisan organization, not a political one." "Coming to bipartisan consensus is difficult, but governors from across the political spectrum are addressing the real challenges facing Americans every day," Cave said. She said that Stitt "looks forward to leading this organization and finding more areas of collaboration in the coming year." Fox News Digital also reached out to the offices of Walz and Kelly but did not receive responses by the time of publication.


The Verge
19 minutes ago
- The Verge
Paramount-Skydance merger approved after companies agree to government speech demands
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved Skydance's $8 billion purchase of CBS-owner Paramount after the companies agreed to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs but feature a 'diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum.' In light of the Trump administration's critiques of CBS's alleged anti-conservative bias — including collecting a $16 million settlement over the president's lawsuit over an allegedly deceptively edited video of then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris on 60 Minutes — the companies' commitment to address bias in the lawsuit likely means featuring more conservative programming. Skydance agreed to employ an ombudsman for at least two years, 'who will receive and evaluate any complaints of bias or other concerns involving CBS.' 'Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately, and fairly. It is time for a change,' Republican FCC Chair Brendan Carr said in a statement announcing the agency's approval. 'That is why I welcome Skydance's commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network.' He said the commitments 'would enable CBS to operate in the public interest and focus on fair, unbiased, and fact-based coverage,' and mark 'another step forward in the FCC's efforts to eliminate invidious forms of DEI discrimination.' Carr also boasts that Skydance 'reaffirms its commitment to localism as a core component of the public interest standard,' and that the approval will 'unleash the investment of $1.5 billion into Paramount.' Carr has made no secret of his distaste for news coverage he sees as disproportionately unfavorable to the right and DEI policies he believes contribute to unfair treatment. He's opened investigations into all three major networks as well as NPR and PBS (NBCUniversal and its owner Comcast are investors in The Verge parent company Vox Media). A week ago, CBS announced it was retiring The Late Show, hosted by Trump critic and comedian Stephen Colbert. The network said it was 'purely a financial decision.' The FCC's only remaining Democratic commissioner, Anna Gomez, dissented, writing that, 'In an unprecedented move, this once-independent FCC used its vast power to pressure Paramount to broker a private legal settlement and further erode press freedom … Even more alarming, it is now imposing never-before-seen controls over newsroom decisions and editorial judgment, in direct violation of the First Amendment and the law.' Still, she gave Carr credit for calling a vote on the matter, rather than rubber-stamping the merger through one of the agency's bureaus, like it did for the Verizon-Frontier merger, which similarly required an end to DEI programs. Gomez warns that this agreement is just the canary in the coal mine. 'The Paramount payout and this reckless approval have emboldened those who believe the government can—and should—abuse its power to extract financial and ideological concessions, demand favored treatment, and secure positive media coverage,' she writes. 'It is a dark chapter in a long and growing record of abuse that threatens press freedom in this country. But such violations endure only when institutions choose capitulation over courage. It is time for companies, journalists, and citizens alike to stand up and speak out, because unchecked and unquestioned power has no rightful place in America.' Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Lauren Feiner Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Business Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Entertainment Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Film Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Policy Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Streaming Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All TV Shows