The powerful Congressional Black Caucus is under intense pressure from within to refrain from endorsing any candidates in contested committee leader races — including one of their own.

Several members stood up during the Black Caucus meeting Wednesday afternoon to argue against the group formally endorsing any Democrats in the contested races and instead allow Democratic caucus members to make their own choices, according to two people familiar with the meeting who were granted anonymity to discuss a closed-door event. Such a move would signal a stunning shift for the group, especially if it refrains from backing ailing House Agriculture ranking member Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.).

Black Caucus members left the Wednesday meeting without making a decision on the endorsement matter, according to the two people. Asked later about the timing of endorsements for the ranking member contests, incoming Black Caucus chair Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) said they were still being decided.

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CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he’s open to working with President-elect Donald Trump’s new border czar — but said he was skeptical the incoming official had the “authority” to do everything he said.

“Being a border czar is not an official position in the government, and it will be up to the President of the United States and up to the leaders of the Customs and Border Patrol to make decisions about how we’ll manage the border,” Pritzker said.

Trump’s incoming border czar, Tom Homan, visited Chicago on Monday and said both Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson “suck” for their comments about not working with federal agents on deportations. Illinois is a sanctuary state and Chicago is a sanctuary city, meaning there are laws and ordinances that prevent local law enforcement from working with ICE.

Homan spoke at a Chicago GOP gathering and said the city would be ground zero for “the biggest deportation operation this country has ever seen.”

Pritzker dismissed Homan’s comments as political rhetoric but said he should be “serving Democrats and Republicans. If you take a position in the executive branch, you serve all of the people of the United States.”

Pritzker said he agrees that “violent criminals who are undocumented and convicted of violent crime should be deported.” Asked if that meant he would work with federal agents to allow deportation of convicted violent criminals, Pritzker said, ‘Yes. Sure, just as I do every day with federal and state law enforcement on other matters.”

Trump has also promised to bring in National Guard units to help in the new administration’s deportation efforts. Pritzker said he would reject any attempt to use the Illinois National Guard to assist ICE, and he would reject Guard units from other states coming to Illinois.

“I do not believe that we should be pitting one state’s National Guard against another state,” said Pritziker. “I think that’s un-American.”

The Senate failed to end debate on a bid to extend the tenure of Lauren McFerran at the National Labor Relations Board after drama on the Senate floor — and a final decisive “no” vote from Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.).

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer hoped to extend McFerran’s tenure at the NLRB to give Democrats effective control of the body into 2026 — part of the way through President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.

The floor stayed open at length awaiting a decision from Manchin with the tally tied at 49. The retiring West Virginian, who voted against several NLRB picks in September 2023, ultimately emerged in opposition to the nomination, making the finally tally 49-50.

Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to oppose ending debate, as did independent Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who voted no in her first appearance in the chamber since the Thanksgiving break.