Congress
‘Things are getting real’: No plans for SNAP patch in House, Johnson says
Speaker Mike Johnson made clear to House Republicans on a private call Tuesday that GOP leaders have no plans to put a standalone bill for expiring food aid benefits up for a vote as the shutdown pressure mounts on Democrats before Nov. 1.
“Things are getting real” this week, Johnson said as he braced his members for some of the worst real-world fallout of the shutdown so far. He urged Republicans to stay in lockstep as “pressure mounts on Democrats” — including key deadlines that will impact millions of low-income Americans. The call was described by four people with direct knowledge of it.
“The pain register is about to hit level 10,” Johnson said, adding that “sadly” 42 million Americans will be hit this weekend when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits run out of money. “We deeply regret it on our side,” he added, lambasting Democrats for their tactics.
The call got heated at times. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) railed against the White House political team and said people are “pissed” about Republicans failing to deliver on “America First” principles.
Johnson said the Senate would vote again on the stopgap spending bill House Republicans already passed, but he indicated GOP leaders have no plans to put standalone bills up for a vote to keep funding flowing for food assistance or to pay federal workers. He noted the pressure rising on Democrats as key unions also call for the shutdown to end.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said much the same to reporters Tuesday. “There’s not a high level of interest in doing carve-outs, or so-called ‘rifle shots.’ I think most people realize the way to get out of this mess is to vote to open up the government.”
Jordain Carney contributed to this report.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries again declined to say how he will respond to two rebel Democrats who have twice bucked party leaders to advance the Republican floor agenda.
“As I repeatedly made clear, I’ll have more to say — we’ll have more to say — about the situation when we have more to say about the situation,” Jeffries said at a Thursday news conference with the No. 2 and 3 leaders, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California.
Clark suggested Wednesday that one of the rebels, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, should lose her Appropriations Committee seat after the second break. After Gluesenkamp Perez and Jared Golden of Maine voted with Republicans earlier this month, Jeffries pledged a “serious response” that did not publicly materialize.
Standing beside Clark and Aguilar on Thursday, Jeffries said, “There is no daylight between the three of us, and we’ll address the situation when we address the situation.”
“The focus right now on taking back control of the House of Representatives,” he added. “That’s what the American people want to see — a dramatic change in this country because they are drowning.”
Sen. Jon Husted will try to send the first major legislative action to address the costs of the artificial intelligence boom to President Donald Trump’s desk Thursday.
The Ohio Republican, facing a tough reelection bid, will try to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act by requesting unanimous consent from his colleagues, a process by which senators can swiftly clear legislation. It would take only one senator to object, however, to sink the effort.
“Senator Husted will go to the floor this afternoon and request a live UC on the Ratepayer Protection Act,” said Olivia Tripodi, a spokesperson for his office.
If passed, the Ratepayer Protection Act could become Congress’s answer to address the costs of the data center build-out ahead of the midterm election. It comes after weeks of internal debate among lawmakers in both parties over how to best respond to growing backlash against data centers and could set the stage for further congressional action on AI in the months ahead.
It’s unclear, however, if all Democrats will line up behind the bill, which passed in a broad bipartisan House vote of 417-3 on Wednesday.
Democrats haven’t said if they will block Husted’s bill, but they could make a counteroffer to try to pass their own legislation instead, according to two people granted anonymity to speak candidly. Some Democrats have said the bill doesn’t go far enough to protect ratepayers.
“Data centers is a key issue and Jon Husted is in a very tough race, … so this is a frequent approach: last-minute legislation on a subject that’s controversial in the senatorial contest,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).
The bill would require states to consider — but not mandate they adopt — a federal standard ensuring large data center operators cover 100% of the costs of new generation and transmission upgrades.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) also said he would need to review the bill more closely.
“I’ve got to review that more closely if it’s going to be UC,” Lee said Tuesday. “There are several other procedural mechanisms by which this could receive a vote in some fashion.”
Husted is leading the Senate version of the bill, while Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) sponsored the House bill.
Anthony Cruz contributed to this report.
The bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus launched a working group to address artificial intelligence and other evolving technologies, the group announced Thursday.
The working group comes as Congress grapples with public alarm over the growing capabilities of AI and claims it could doom humanity, and the need to advance the powerful technology faster than China.
The new group is meant to toe the line between safety and development.
The group will be co-chaired by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), who also co-chairs Democrats’ AI commission.
“One thing is clear: getting AI policy right is critical to our future — to American children, families, our national security, and our global competitiveness,” Gottheimer said in a statement. “We can win the AI race — but we must do it in a smart way with commonsense guardrails and rules of the road.”
“Artificial intelligence is transforming our economy, workforce, and national security, and the United States must lead, not China,” Lawler added. “We need commonsense guardrails that protect Americans, empower workers and small businesses, and ensure AI remains secure, transparent, and trustworthy.”
Reps. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) and Blake Moore (R-Utah) will serve as the group’s vice chairs, with Reps. David Joyce (R-Ohio), Susie Lee (D-Nev.), Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Tom Kean (R-N.J.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) and Scott Peters (D-Calif.) rounding out the body.
-
Politics2 years agoFormer ‘Squad’ members launching ‘Bowman and Bush’ YouTube show
-
Uncategorized2 years ago
Bob Good to step down as Freedom Caucus chair this week
-
Politics2 years agoFormer Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron launches Senate bid
-
The Josh Fourrier Show2 years agoDOOMSDAY: Trump won, now what?
-
The Dictatorship2 years agoLuigi Mangione acknowledges public support in first official statement since arrest
-
The Dictatorship2 years agoPete Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon goes from bad to worse
-
Politics2 years agoBlue Light News’s Editorial Director Ryan Hutchins speaks at Blue Light News’s 2025 Governors Summit
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoMike Johnson sums up the GOP’s arrogant position on military occupation with two words