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Congress

Henry Cuellar faces opposition as he seeks to regain powerful spending post

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Some Democrats are uneasy about a push to restore Rep. Henry Cuellar to a powerful committee role following a pardon from President Donald Trump, potentially complicating his bid to regain influence over federal spending.

Cuellar relinquished his post as the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee overseeing Homeland Security funding in 2024 after he was indicted on federal corruption charges. But following Trump’s pardon last week, party leaders have indicated that he is now eligible to retake the post under caucus rules.

But not all of his fellow House Democrats are comfortable with a lawmaker accused of bribery and other offenses regaining direct control over more than $60 billion in annual spending, especially with a parallel Ethics Committee investigation still in motion. Compounding these concerns are Cuellar’s relatively conservative views on border policy and his potential sway over the budgets for agencies including Border Patrol and ICE.

The matter is in the hands of the 27 Democratic members of the House Appropriations Committee, who are set to take a secret ballot vote Thursday to determine Cuellar’s future on the panel.

Several have private misgivings, and the fact that the vote is even happening means at least one Democratic appropriator privately objected to Cuellar’s return as ranking member. Otherwise, he would have been approved by acclamation.

“That position is critical — it’s Homeland Security,” said a Democratic appropriator granted anonymity to discuss internal conversations. “Your moral values are important — at least mine are — and I can’t look at myself in the mirror and vote for him.”

Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois, who has served as the top Democrat on Homeland Security since Cuellar was indicted, could vote to keep Cuellar out so she can keep the job. Another appropriator, Rep. Grace Meng of New York, said Wednesday she was undecided on the matter.

Other wild cards include Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, who led a push to formally reprimand a Democratic colleague last month, and Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois, who might vote in state solidarity with Underwood. Quigley had been leapfrogged by a more senior lawmaker who returned to the panel and has voiced criticism of Democratic leaders since then.

A spokesperson for Cuellar declined to comment.

The veteran Texas Democrat has been quietly canvassing members about regaining his role and reassuring those in his party who question the optics of wiping away an indictment sought by former President Joe Biden’s Justice Department at a time when the party is focusing on Trump’s alleged ethical violations.

Top party leaders have not weighed in directly on the matter. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Tuesday that Cuellar was likely to regain his committee leadership position, citing the caucus rules, while Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Appropriations Democrat, in a statement merely acknowledged the Thursday vote.

“We are holding a meeting tomorrow to discuss several issues, including who will serve as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee,” the statement said.

The dilemma comes as some Democrats are making a high-profile push to police ethical transgressions in the party ranks. Last month, almost two dozen Democrats led by Gluesenkamp Perez broke ranks to reprimand outgoing Illinois Rep. Chuy García for apparently engineering his surprise retirement announcement to ensure a favored ally would succeed him.

Democrats have railed against Trump’s use of his clemency powers, which has benefited political allies and major donors. Cuellar’s pardon puts him in the company of such figures as former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and ex-Rep. George Santos, who are odious to Democrats.

“I’ve had nothing but good interactions with Henry in Congress, but we can’t be the party of following the law and say it’s just fine to break it and get a pardon from Trump,” said Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), who is running for Senate.

Several other Democrats this week aired criticism of Trump’s pardons without specifically commenting on Cuellar and his bid to regain power inside the Democratic Caucus.

“President Trump’s continued efforts to pardon politicians that are either convicted or accused of corruption is just wrong,” said Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.). “And this is exactly the kind of problem that causes so many Americans to lose trust and faith in our politics.”

Kim, a former member of the House, succeeded Sen. Bob Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat who is currently serving a prison sentence for bribery and other charges.

“I don’t agree with any of the president’s pardons of members of Congress,” said Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), who is also running for Senate.

Cuellar was indicted on federal corruption charges that alleged he took some $600,000 in bribes from foreign entities. Still, the veteran lawmaker remains largely popular with his fellow Democrats, some of whom argued that with the indictment wiped away, the process had run its course.

“Under our system of laws, you’re still innocent until proven guilty,” said Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.). “He was indicted but never went to trial — was never proven to be guilty, never proven to be innocent, because there was no trial, but the pardon overrides that. That’s how the ball bounces.”

Others deflected criticism to Trump, who suggested in social media posts after the pardon that he expected Cuellar to retire or switch parties and run as a Republican in a gesture of gratitude. Instead Cuellar filed for re-election as a Democrat almost immediately after the pardon came through, and with the legal cloud over his campaign lifted, it increases the chances his seat will remain in Democratic hands in 2026.

“Nothing else seems to compare to this president and the abuse of the pardon power to get things he wants, including potentially people switching their party affiliation,” said Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio).

Cuellar’s allies quietly insist he shouldn’t be sidelined given his unique ability to win a South Texas district that Republicans have targeted for years — and recently redrew in hopes of ousting him. Now, with the pardon, even some Republicans acknowledge he’s in prime position to remain in Congress — and potentially hold a gavel next year if the majority flips.

“He’s going to have a very merry Christmas,” said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas).

Calen Razor and Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report

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Congress

Mike Johnson says House can end government shutdown ‘by Tuesday’

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House Speaker Mike Johnson said he is confident Congress can end the partial government shutdown “by Tuesday” despite steep opposition from Democrats and turmoil within the GOP conference.

Johnson is under pressure to unite his caucus, with lawmakers raising concerns about funding for the Department of Homeland Security as the Trump administration faces scrutiny over its nationwide immigration crackdown that has at times turned violent.

House Republicans are hoping to take up the $1.2 trillion funding package passed by the Senate on Tuesday following a House Rules Committee meeting Monday. The partial shutdown began early Saturday.

GOP leadership in the House originally hoped to pass the bill under suspension of the rules, an expedited process that requires a two-thirds-majority vote, but Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Johnson on Saturday that Democrats would not help Republicans acquire the necessary support for the spending bill.

“I’m confident that we’ll do it at least by Tuesday,” Johnson said in a Sunday interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We have a logistical challenge of getting everyone in town, and because of the conversation I had with Hakeem Jeffries, I know that we’ve got to pass a rule and probably do this mostly on our own. I think that’s very unfortunate.”

The Senate voted Friday to pass a compromise spending package after Senate Democrats struck a deal with President Donald Trump to extend DHS funding for two weeks. The move bought Congress more time to work out a compromise on reforms for Immigration and Customs Enforcement after federal officers fatally shot two people in Minnesota earlier this month.

Speaking to host Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press,” Johnson acknowledged that “there’s been tragedies in Minnesota” — but he also blamed Democrats in the state for “inciting violence,” even as the Trump administration attempts to tamp down pressures in the state.

Johnson praised Trump’s decision to send White House border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis, a step widely seen as a deescalation from the aggressive tactics favored by Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino.

“[Trump] was right to deputize him over that situation,” he said of Homan on NBC. “He has 40 years of experience in Border Patrol and these issues. So I think that this is going to happen, but we need good faith on both sides. Some of these conditions and requests that they’ve made are obviously reasonable and should happen. But others are going to require a lot more negotiation.”

Johnson pushed back in particular on Democratic calls to bar federal immigration enforcement officers from wearing masks and require them to wear identification, telling Fox’s Shannon Bream: “Those two things are conditions that would create further danger.”

He also signaled an unwillingness to negotiate on Democratic demands to tighten requirements for judicial warrants for immigration operations.

Still, House Democrats remained opposed to passing the funding package as is, with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) saying Sunday: “I’m not just a no. I’m a firm no.”

“I just don’t see how in good conscience Democrats can vote for continuing ICE funding when they’re killing American citizens, when there’s no provision to repeal the tripling of the budget,” Khanna said in a Sunday interview with Welker on NBC. “I hope my colleagues will say no.”

Jeffries also signaled Sunday that a wide gap remains between his conference and House Republicans, telling ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that the House must reach an agreement on judicial warrants “as a condition of moving forward.”

“The one thing that we’ve said publicly is that we need a robust path toward dramatic reform,” Jeffries said on ABC’s “This Week.” “The administration can’t just talk the talk, they need to walk the walk. That should begin today. Not in two weeks, today.”

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Congress

Shutdown likely to continue at least into Tuesday

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The partial government shutdown that began early Saturday morning is on track to continue at least into Tuesday, which is the earliest the House is now expected to vote on a $1.2 trillion funding package due to opposition from Democrats and internal GOP strife.

House Republican leaders have scheduled a Monday meeting of the House Rules Committee to prepare the massive Senate-passed spending bill for the floor. According to two people granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, the procedural measure teeing up a final vote would not happen until Tuesday, with final passage following if that is successful.

That’s one day later than GOP leaders had hoped. Their previous plan was to pass the bill with Democratic help under suspension of the rules, a fast-track process requiring a two-thirds-majority vote.

But that plan was complicated by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries telling Speaker Mike Johnson in a private conversation Saturday that Democratic leadership would not help Johnson secure the 70 or so Democratic votes to get the measure over the line, according to the two people and another person granted anonymity to discuss the matter.

The Tuesday plan remains tentative as GOP leaders scramble to navigate tensions inside their own conference, which could make passing the procedural measure difficult. Some conservative hard-liners, for instance, want to attach a sweeping elections bill to the package.

Jeffries said in a MS NOW interview Saturday that Republicans “cannot simply move forward with legislation taking a my way or the highway approach” while noting that House Democrats are set to have “a discussion about the appropriate way forward” in a Sunday evening caucus call — first reported by Blue Light News.

He did not rule out that Democrats might support the Senate-passed spending package, which funds the majority of federal agencies through Sept. 30 while providing a two-week extension for the Department of Homeland Security — including controversial immigration enforcement agencies.

Democrats, Jeffries said, want “a robust, ironclad path to bringing about the type of change that the American people are demanding” in immigration enforcement.

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Congress

Here’s what federal programs are headed for a (possibly brief) shutdown

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Government funding is set to lapse at midnight Friday for the military and many domestic programs, but cash will continue to flow at a slew of federal agencies Congress already funded.

House leaders are aiming to send a funding package to President Donald Trump Monday, days after the Senate passed the legislation just before the deadline to avert a partial shutdown.

The effect on most federal programs is expected to be minor, and employees who are furloughed would miss just one day of work if the House acts on schedule — which is not assured.

This time, many of the services that have the greatest public impact when shuttered — like farm loans, SNAP food assistance to low-income households and upkeep at national parks — will continue. That’s because Congress already funded some agencies in November and earlier this month, including the departments of Energy, Commerce, Justice, Agriculture, Interior and Veterans Affairs, as well as military construction projects, the EPA, congressional operations, the FDA and federal science programs.

Still, the spending package congressional leaders are trying to clear for Trump’s signature next week contains the vast majority of the funding Congress approves each year to run federal programs, including $839 billion for the military.

Besides the Pentagon, funding will lapse for several major nondefense agencies beginning early Saturday morning.

That includes federal transportation, labor, housing, education and health programs, along with the IRS, independent trade agencies and foreign aid. The departments of Homeland Security, State and Treasury will also be hit by the shutdown.

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