Latest news with #HouseGOP
CNN
13 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Key House GOP centrist will not seek reelection, opening up major swing seat battle
GOP Rep. Don Bacon, who represents one of House Republicans' toughest battleground districts, has decided not to run for reelection next year, according to three people familiar with his plans – opening up a critical seat in Nebraska for Democrats in the 2026 midterms. Bacon will formally make the announcement next week, likely on Monday, those people said. Bacon did not return a immediate request for comment from CNN. The departure of the centrist Republican will be a major loss for House GOP leaders, who will need to hang onto every GOP seat to maintain their narrow majority in the upcoming midterms. But his decision does not come as a shock to many House Republicans, who believe the retired Air Force officer has been telegraphing his plans to leave Congress, including through his voting record. Bacon, who was first elected in 2016, has long been weighing whether to seek reelection, making little secret of his frustration with Washington. His victory last fall was seen as one of the biggest Republican surprises in the country, given that he outperformed Donald Trump and overcame stiff Republican headwinds in his Omaha-area district. The outspoken Nebraskan has been one of the few Republicans willing to challenge Trump on key decisions in his second term, particularly on foreign policy issues like Ukraine. Some privately believe he could seek a run for the presidency in 2028. House Democrats were already feeling upbeat about their chances of retaking the majority, which would only require flipping a handful of seats next November. The party's campaign officials point to the long-time historical trends that show new presidential administrations enduring steep losses in their first midterm – as Trump did during his first term in the 2018 wave. Some Republicans, too, privately fear a blue wave, but they also point to key factors in their favor, including redistricting battles in red states like Ohio that will easily favor the GOP. They also believe Trump's personal involvement in 2026 – including his fundraising – will be crucial to turning out his voters that largely sat out the 2018 midterm.
Al Arabiya
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Republicans Hit Major Setback in Their Effort to Ease Regulations on Gun Silencers
Republican efforts to loosen regulations on gun silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns have been dealt a big setback. The Senate parliamentarian advised that the proposal would need to clear a 60-vote threshold if included in their big tax and immigration bill. Gun rights groups had been lobbying aggressively for the measure, which would essentially treat silencers and the short-barreled firearms like long guns. Gun-control groups celebrated the parliamentarian's ruling, saying the items have been regulated for nearly 100 years for good reason–they are a threat to first responders and communities. The House version of the GOP's bill removed silencers–called suppressors by the gun industry–from a 1930s law that regulates firearms considered the most dangerous. In the process, it would have eliminated a $200 tax. The Senate kept the provision on silencers in its version of the bill and expanded upon it, adding short-barreled or sawed-off rifles and shotguns. Under the National Firearms Act, potential buyers of the regulated weapons must also undergo a fingerprint-based background check. There is no deadline for such checks. The process is arguably more thorough than the name-based background check completed for other firearms purchases. Lawmakers said the silencers provision was deemed by the Senate parliamentarian to be in violation of the Byrd Rule. This rule stipulates that the budget changes sought in the legislation cannot be merely incidental to the policy changes. The special rules are designed to deter provisions unrelated to spending or taxes from being included in the bill. 'It's no surprise that Republicans will jump at any opportunity to please the gun lobby by rolling back gun safety measures, but that kind of policy does not belong in a reconciliation bill,' said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. Gun rights groups complained about the $200 tax and how the background check process often takes weeks and even months for silencers and short-barreled weapons. Larry Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, who supports the legislation, said before the ruling that the proposed changes were aimed at helping target shooters and hunters protect their hearing. He argued that the use of silencers in violent crimes is rare. 'All it's ever intended to do is to reduce the report of the firearm to hearing-safe levels,' Keane said. John Commerford, executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, disagreed with the parliamentarian's ruling, noting that she was originally appointed by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat. 'Nevertheless, we remain committed to working with our allies on Capitol Hill to end the unjust tax burden on these constitutionally-protected arms,' Commerford said. Groups opposed to the measure included Giffords, the gun violence prevention organization co-founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was grievously wounded in a 2011 mass shooting in her district. Emma Brown, the group's executive director, said removing safeguards on gun silencers would have made it easier for violent criminals to escape, putting both law enforcement and civilians at greater risk. 'What's more, removing safeguards on short-barreled firearms would have only enabled more criminals to access these easily concealable weapons, which can be easily brought into large crowds,' Brown said. The gun language had broad support among Republicans and has received little attention as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., work to settle differences within the party on cuts to Medicaid and energy tax credits, among other issues. It is just one of hundreds of policy and spending items that were included to entice members to vote for the legislation and will have broad implications in the years to come.
Associated Press
20 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
The Senate is putting Trump's big bill back on track but hurdles remain
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans appeared Friday to push President Donald Trump's big bill back on track after a flurry of last-minute revisions, including deep cuts to food stamps, but there's still a long way to go ahead of expected weekend votes. Trump himself gave Congress some breathing room as senators race to meet his Fourth of July deadline. 'It's not the end all,' Trump declared during a press conference at the White House. As the party in majority power, Republicans are grinding through a punch-list of still-unsettled issues as they try to push the package to passage over unified Democratic opposition. Republicans are relying on steep cuts to health care, food stamps and green energy investments to help pay for $3.8 trillion in tax breaks, their top priority. Any one of the roadblocks could doom the sprawling package. The proposed Medicaid cuts, in particular, have raised stark concerns among some GOP senators worried that millions in their states will lose access to the health care program. At the same time, a tentative deal between the White House and House GOP lawmakers from New York and other high-tax districts over the size of a state and local tax deduction, called SALT, needs broader agreement. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who sent his lawmakers home for the weekend with plans to be on call to return swiftly to Washington, said they are 'very close' to finishing up. 'We would still like to meet that July 4th, self-imposed deadline,' said Johnson, R-La. Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have stayed close to the White House throughout the process of drafting the big package, which they stress is needed to avoid a massive tax hike at the end of the year when current tax rates expire. The GOP leadership is relying on Trump to pressure holdout lawmakers to push it to passage. The speaker made the walk across the Capitol to join Senate Republicans for lunch, where they were also expected to meet with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over the emerging SALT deal. 'Perfect cannot be the enemy of good,' Bessent said in remarks at the Faith and Freedom Conference in Washington. 'Getting this passed is the single most important thing we can do this year.' The White House and House Republicans have narrowed on a plan to keep the SALT provision on the House-passed terms of a $40,000 cap on deductions — but for five years, instead of 10. The SALT deduction has been a key holdup as lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states negotiate. They want to quadruple what's now a $10,000 cap. Senate Republicans argued that it's too generous, costing hundreds of billions of dollars for the benefit of a few lawmakers' home regions. With their narrow majorities in the House and Senate, they need almost every lawmaker on board with the package to ensure passage. One GOP holdout, Rep. Nick LaLota of New York, says he can't support the compromise. But other provisions were being shored up after a series of setbacks when the Senate parliamentarian advised they would not pass the chamber's strict 'Byrd Rule' that largely bars policy matters from inclusion in budget bills, unless they can pass the 60-vote threshold that GOP leaders want to avoid. The Republican proposal to shift the costs of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, has been accepted by the Senate parliamentarian. Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas, the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said provisions to make certain immigrants ineligible for food aid were also accepted. 'This paves the way for important reforms that improve efficiency and management of SNAP,' he said. But the panel's top Democrat, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, said her party will 'keep fighting these proposals that raise grocery costs and take food away from millions of people, including seniors, children, and veterans.' The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said some 10.9 million more people will go without health care and at least 3 million fewer would qualify for food aid under the House-passed bill. CBO has not yet publicly assessed the Senate draft, which has proposed steeper reductions. The top income earners would see about a $12,000 tax cut under the House-passed bill, while the poorest Americans would see a $1,600 tax hike, the CBO said. The parliamentarian also accepted a revised proposal from the Senate Banking Committee to cut, rather than gut, the funding structure for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The entity was set up in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, but Trump has downsized the bureau and its staff. Still, a range of GOP provisions have been found to be out of compliance with Senate rules — including shielding gun silencers from taxes and creating a national school voucher program. __ Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Joey Cappelletti, Fatima Hussein, Seung Min Kim and Chris Megerian contributed to this report.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
White House says Congress debating ‘footnotes' on ‘Big Beautiful Bill,' not expecting major changes
Despite the policy challenges facing President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," White House Director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, was unfazed, telling Fox News Digital on Wednesday that he doesn't "expect that there's going to be any issue" with current language in the legislation. "I think that what's going on right now is that people are going through really, almost basically, the footnotes," Hassett said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. "They're arguing over last-minute language." Hassett's comments come after reports that House GOP members are concerned about the version of the bill coming out of the Senate, which would make its way to the House shortly after. House Republican Chip Roy, R-Texas, posted to X on Tuesday that if the rumors he was hearing about the Senate version were true, he "would not vote for it as it is." With thin margins in both the House and Senate, consensus among Republicans is critical. The first version of the "One Big Beautiful Bill" passed the House last month by just one vote. As to the pendulum swing between the two chambers, Hassett raised no concerns with congressional drama, saying he doesn't "expect that there's going to be any issue there at all." "I've been briefed on the difference between the Senate and the House language on this matter," Hasset told Fox. "And the differences are incredibly small, and so I don't expect that there's going to be any issue there at all." Hassett also made clear the main elements of President Trump's agenda are "hardwired into the bill" and that current debates are just items "around the edges" of the White House's key proponents. "We're making the president's first tax cuts permanent," Hassett explained. "No tax on overtime, no tax tips, no tax on social security, we're securing the border, we're building the Golden Dome. All that stuff is hardwired into the bill." "What they're arguing about now is stuff around the edges of that." The president himself has pushed hard for the legislation to be passed quickly, and asked Congress to work toward having the bill signed into law by the Fourth of July. "We must finish the job here at home by passing "THE GREAT, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL," and getting the Bill to my desk, ASAP, Trump posted to Truth Social. "It will be a Historic Present for THE GREAT PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, as we begin the Celebration of our Country's 250th Birthday." Sources tell Fox the Senate vote on the legislation will most likely be taking place this Friday. It will then head back to the House as the president's July 4th deadline looms.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Louisiana mom warns 'half of what we're working for' at risk if Trump's budget bill fails
EXCLUSIVE: Toni McAllister is a prominent voice in Louisiana's logging industry, but as she told Fox News Digital on Tuesday, she is also "a mom and a wife" from a middle-class family. She is one of four Americans from across the country invited by House GOP leaders to Capitol Hill to promote President Donald Trump's "one big, beautiful bill." It is a vast piece of legislation aimed at advancing Trump's priorities on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt – which is taking Herculean political maneuvering to pass. On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other leaders pivoted from promoting it themselves, instead inviting their four guests to talk about their support for the bill, and what is at stake if it does not pass by the end of this year. "I believe that our tax rates in Louisiana for small businesses will jump up to around 43.4%. I mean, that's literally half of what we're working for. So what will we be working for to pay taxes?" McAllister told Fox News Digital. She is the executive director of the Louisiana Logger's Association, a trade group representing loggers in the Bayou State. In addition to that, however, McAllister said she was concerned about a tax hike for her family if the bill is not passed. "I'm just a regular middle-class family. And in Louisiana, the average tax hike would be around $1,300. That's a month of groceries. That's anything extra that we can do with our kids. $1,300 is a lot of money," she said. Projections released by the House GOP show that under the lower chamber's version of the bill, an average family could see an additional $1,300 in tax relief, while a failure to pass it could lead to a $1,700 tax hike. Republicans are aiming to use the bill to extend Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as implement a host of new policies like eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages. Retired Sheriff James Stuart said those latter measures, which Trump campaigned on in 2024, will be critical to law enforcement recruitment in Minnesota. "One of the most persistent struggles of agencies across the country is retention and recruitment. No tax on overtime will increase take-home pay for our peace offices, which will boost morale and ease burdens for them and their families," Stuart, who is also executive director of the Minnesota Sheriff's Association, told Fox News Digital. However, Paul Danos, the head of a family-owned offshore energy service company in Gray, Louisiana, told Fox News Digital that Republicans' energy policies are also critical for his business. "If this bill doesn't pass, then we find ourselves where we were in the last administration, with that lack of predictability around lease sales," Danos said. "Those multibillion-dollar investments that are creating jobs, that are providing safe and affordable energy here in the US, are jeopardized. We start having to depend on other nations for our oil and gas." That, he argued, would lead to higher prices for everyone. Sam Palmeter, who leads engineering at Laser Marking Technologies, one of the last two laser technology companies owned and operated in America, said he and others in Michigan were "tired of brain drain," hoping Trump's bill could reverse that and revitalize manufacturing in the region. "We won't grow, and we won't provide as many jobs in the industrial manufacturing and engineering space," Palmeter said. "And that's sad, because there's nothing that makes me more proud than hiring a local kid…So he's working 13 miles from home. He doesn't have to leave his family and everything to exercise that degree." It is not yet clear if their arguments or others in favor of Trump's bill will have any effect, however. The legislation has been met with Republican critics in the House and Senate, while GOP leaders have styled it as the best possible path forward for a conservative policy overhaul while they control Congress and the White House. While the dissent is coming from a relatively small number of Republicans, it could be enough to derail the legislation – both House and Senate GOP leaders are grappling with razor-thin margins of just a few votes. Trump recently ordered lawmakers to remain in Washington, D.C., until the bill is passed – despite a planned recess next week for the Fourth of July holiday. The bill passed the House by one vote last month, and a modified version is expected to get a Senate vote sometime this week. Both the House and Senate must pass identical products before they can be sent to Trump's desk.
