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House Ethics panel does not agree to release the Gaetz report

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The House Ethics Committee on Wednesday did not agree to release the long-anticipated report into Matt Gaetz.

“There was not an agreement by the committee to release the report,” Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) told reporters after the meeting ended. Other members declined to comment.

Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress last week, hours after President-elect Donald Trump tapped him to be attorney general. The Florida firebrand told GOP leadership the abrupt resignation was meant to allow them to fill his seat more quickly, but several Republicans theorized it was actually to avoid the coming release of the Ethics Committee report. Typically, once a member resigns they are no longer considered under the panel’s jurisdiction, though the Ethics Committee has released reports on former members at least twice before.

The investigation centered on multiple allegations against Gaetz, including that he had sex with a minor. He has denied any wrongdoing.

The panel was under intense pressure heading into the vote. While multiple GOP senators said they would like to see the report as they consider Gaetz’s nomination, Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters last week that he would strongly urge the committee to not release the report. He softened that stance slightly this week, saying he wasn’t trying to — and couldn’t — dictate the committee’s decision.

Democrats have widely called for the report to be released. Many have speculated that the report could be leaked to the media, or a lawmaker could attempt to read it into the congressional record, which would give access to the public.

But any lawmaker who disclosed the report could face immediate consequences, like censure or expulsion.

While Gaetz allies in the House, and some of his critics, have said they don’t believe the report should be released, that’s not a universal position among Republicans. Many have called for the report to be published or at least shared with the Senate as the chamber considers his attorney general nomination. Multiple GOP senators have said they want to see the report, as nearly a dozen have sidestepped questions about whether they would vote to confirm him.

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Congress

These House GOP election proposals could end up in a reconciliation bill

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The chair of the House committee overseeing elections is circulating a list of proposals to include in a budget reconciliation bill as Senate Republicans and the White House move to rev up the party-line process to pass pieces of a contentious GOP voting bill in the coming months.

The list from House Administration Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) is a peek at what sort of provisions Republicans could try to pass under reconciliation, which is strictly reserved for legislation with a direct fiscal impact. The party-line effort is likely to rule out big portions of the SAVE America Act, the bill President Donald Trump has called his “No. 1 priority” for the year.

Steil’s proposals would mandate or financially incentivize states to implement voter ID laws, require proof of citizenship for voter registration, share voter data with federal agencies for verification and conduct post-election audits, among other items, according to a document obtained by POLITICO being circulated with GOP leaders and several Republican offices. It’s an effort to try to secure major pieces of Trump’s election-related demands.

In some cases, states would lose funding under the 2002 Help America Vote Act, a law passed in the aftermath of the 2000 presidential election that provides federal money to help administer elections, if they fail to comply.

It’s not clear if parts of Steil’s proposals would in fact pass muster under the party-line reconciliation process. The Senate parliamentarian’s guidance typically determines what is and isn’t included.

Three people granted anonymity to discuss the brewing deal Senate Republicans and Trump discussed Monday evening, to pass Homeland Security funding now and SAVE America Act provisions later, say the most likely outcome for a new reconciliation bill is adding money for ballot security measures and potentially incentivizing more states to enact voter ID requirements. Steil’s list includes some of those pieces.

Under Steil’s proposal, states using noncompliant IDs would be ineligible to receive HAVA funding — consistent with Steil’s bill, the Make Elections Great Again Act, which overlaps with the SAVE America Act but also has no current path to passage in the Senate.

His effort to mandate proof-of-citizenship requirements would appropriate funds to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to amend the national voter registration form to require “Documentary Proof of Citizenship” such as a passport or military ID. States would have to forfeit HAVA funds if they fail to share data with federal agencies to verify voter registration data, a move officials in several states have refused to make.

Besides the Senate parliamentarian, any effort to pass elections provisions on party lines will face other obstacles. The decision to pursue a new reconciliation bill in lieu of trying to pass the SAVE America Act in full is already generating major pushback from conservative hard-liners.

The House Freedom Caucus took a shot at Senate Republicans Tuesday, arguing the brewing DHS deal means Senate Republicans are opting for “failure theater” and “gaslighting” instead of fighting to pass the bill Trump has endorsed. Even GOP senators and senior aides are privately cautioning the fresh reconciliation push could fall apart, stranding the elections overhaul and other GOP priorities.

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King Charles to make first US state visit, address Congress next month

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England’s King Charles III will make his first state visit to Washington next month.

As part of his visit, the king will address Congress in a joint meeting the week of April 27, according to two people familiar with the matter granted anonymity to discuss plans ahead of a formal announcement.

The visit was first reported by Punchbowl News.

It will be the first time a British royal has addressed Congress since 1991, when Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, became the first British monarch to speak before a packed House chamber.

President Donald Trump visited London in September, and House Speaker Mike Johnson visited in January as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations. Johnson addressed Parliament during his visit, becoming the first House speaker to do so.

Charles’ visit comes as Trump continues to pressure Prime Minister Keir Starmer for assistance in the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.

Starmer has distanced himself from the war, previously stating, “This is not our war, and we are not getting dragged into this war.”

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Stitt picks energy executive Alan Armstrong as next Oklahoma senator

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Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt tapped energy executive Alan Armstrong to replace incoming DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin in the Senate, he announced in a press conference Tuesday.

Armstrong is the executive chair of Williams Companies, an energy company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Stitt called him a “strong business leader” who values “free markets and limited government.”

“Alan’s story, as you guys get to know him, reflects the very best of Oklahoma,” he said. “Our values, our work ethic, and our pursuit of the American dream that is alive and well in the state of Oklahoma.”

Armstrong will serve until a successor is elected in November. Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) is the heavy favorite to win a full term.

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