Congress

Republicans start pondering another debt limit hike as midterms loom

Published

1 hour ago

July 29, 2026

Republicans raised the debt limit by $5 trillion last year. Now they are already thinking about how to head off another dive over the fiscal cliff on President Donald Trump’s watch.

Independent forecasters predict the U.S. will reach the “X-date” — the ultimate deadline for preventing a U.S. debt default — sometime between next summer and early 2028, just as presidential primaries start kicking into gear.

To head off high-stakes negotiations with Democrats, White House officials have privately floated raising the nation’s $41.1 trillion borrowing limit in the party-line spending package many Republicans want to enact before the November midterm elections, according to two people granted anonymity to disclose private conversations.

The move could save Trump much angst if Republicans lose control of either chamber in the upcoming election, since any Democratic majority would demand concessions in a bipartisan negotiation to prevent an unprecedented default on the national debt, which currently sits at nearly $39.7 trillion.

“$40 trillion in debt, seems to me, should get our attention,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Wednesday morning, noting that reducing the deficit used to be a “primary reason” Republicans used the reconciliation process to skirt the Senate filibuster. “But we seem to be a little distracted by other issues at the moment.”

Thune said this week that the debt ceiling is “something that a lot of people are looking to address,” noting that Republicans could increase the borrowing limit between the “lame duck” session after the November election but before the new Congress is seated.

“There’s always a possibility, obviously, post-November to do something,” Thune said, adding that Republicans could “conceivably” pass another party-line package at that time.

The federal government is set to reach the borrowing limit Congress set in last year’s GOP megabill sometime in the first half of next year. But the Treasury Department would be able to employ special accounting maneuvers that would let the federal government keep paying its obligations for at least a few more months.

Congress

GOP governors back new reconciliation bill as Senate sputters

Published

2 hours ago

July 29, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Nearly two dozen governors are throwing their support behind President Donald Trump’s push for a new party-line spending bill — the latest effort to build pressure on Senate Majority Leader John Thune and his GOP colleagues to move quickly.

The letter, a copy of which was obtained exclusively by POLITICO, comes as White House budget director Russ Vought and James Braid, Trump’s top legislative aide, are set to meet with Senate Republicans during a closed-door lunch Wednesday where they will outline the White House’s vision for the bill.

“As Republican Governors, we strongly support your call for the United States Senate to urgently pass a budget resolution. This resolution is a crucial first step to protect America’s elections, strengthen America’s national defense, and support American farmers,” the letter reads.

Signers include leaders of the two largest GOP states, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, as well as the governor of Thune’s home state of South Dakota, Larry Rhoden.

They added that they believe it is “critical” for Congress to pass a bill that includes assistance for the military, farmers and election-related funding.

The state-level push comes after the House adopted a $95 billion budget blueprint for the party-line bill that is facing skepticism in the Senate, where some defense hawks want to spend much more while deficit-minded Republicans want a smaller price tag. Thune indicated Tuesday that the White House wants to expand the scope of the bill, which would complicate his already complex battle to wrangle votes for a narrower budget blueprint.

Thune hasn’t ruled out trying to adopt a budget resolution as soon as next week — the first step in the party-line reconciliation process — but has been frank about the challenges.

“As I’ve said before, it’s all about having 50,” he said this week.

Trump, in a Wednesday Truth Social post, reiterated his demand for action: “I am calling on the Senate to get this critical first step done before the August recess. This Resolution can be adopted at a simple Majority threshold. GET IT DONE!”

Congress

Blanche nomination hangs by a thread as Cornyn stands by settlement ultimatum

Published

3 hours ago

July 29, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

GOP Sen. John Cornyn said Wednesday, less than 24 hours before a critical committee vote, that he is “not prepared” to support Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general as the two continue to tangle over the fate of a controversial DOJ-brokered settlement agreement involving President Donald Trump.

Blanche did not appear for a planned morning meeting in Cornyn’s office, and the senator told reporters that time was running out for Blanche to meet his demand to formally modify the settlement Trump reached with the IRS earlier this year — a key ultimatum the Texas Republican set out after Blanche’s confirmation hearing earlier this month.

“Hopefully they now recognize the seriousness of this,” said Cornyn, who recently lost his bid for renomination to a fifth term to a Trump-backed challenger. “I haven’t seen a single piece of writing that is responsive to what I’ve requested.”

He added, “Maybe they think I’m just going to give up or, you know, go along, but they’re mistaken.”

Cornyn’s comments came ahead of a scheduled Thursday vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where the Texan has been seen as the pivotal vote. Opposition from any one Republican could sink Blanche’s chances of confirmation, and another potential GOP swing vote, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, said this week he would follow Cornyn’s lead.

Cornyn said Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) had told him he needed to know by 4 p.m. Wednesday if the vote could go forward, putting the Trump administration on a tight timeline if they want Blanche confirmed before the Senate starts its summer recess next week.

A spokesperson for Grassley declined to comment on Cornyn’s deadline claim.

The modification Cornyn is seeking would enshrine Blanche’s oral pledge during his confirmation hearing earlier this month that a proposed “anti-weaponization” fund is defunct and that an IRS audit immunity agreement for Trump, his family and business is pared back.

Cornyn and Tillis both expressed concern about the $1.8 billion fund, which was viewed as a way to direct taxpayer money to those convicted of assaulting police officers and other offenses associated with the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

Congress

Capitol agenda: Senate launches push for Graham’s final bill

Published

6 hours ago

July 29, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

The Senate is one step closer to achieving a top legislative priority of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham in a feat that seemed impossible a year ago.

Graham’s legislation targeting Russia with expanded sanctions got a huge boost Tuesday night with senators voting 86-12 to advance it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — who a year ago faced waning support in Washington — pitched senators shortly before the vote as to how the bill could force Russia into peace talks and memorialize Graham.

The bill, which has President Donald Trump’s backing, still faces plenty of hurdles in the Senate and House.

With August recess looming, senators have little time to finish passing the legislation — and tackle the rest of their to-do-list — before leaving town. It will require all 100 senators, including the bill’s opponents, to cut a deal to speed up its consideration with amendment votes.

“I think we can start to winnow, hopefully, the list down,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said as he left the floor after the vote, referring to amendments.

Sen. Rand Paul, for example, is working on an amendment to rein in new tariff powers given to the president under the bill. Sen. Ron Wyden also wants a tariff-related amendment and is working with Paul.

Even if it gets through the Senate, there are still hurdles awaiting the legislation in the House. The top Democrats on the Foreign Affairs and Ways and Means panels came out in opposition of the bill earlier this month, as did the New Democrat Coalition.

Rep. Gregory Meeks said in a statement the Senate’s version “misses the moment,” but that he remained “open to negotiating a good faith compromise.” Meeks and Rep. Richard Neal both flagged opposition to the measure’s provisions expanding Trump’s tariff authority.

Still, Tuesday’s vote — capping a day of memorial ceremonies to honor Graham and his alliance with Ukraine amid its war with Russia — might prove pivotal in spurring momentum for the measure.

“I’m very thankful, this bill is so important,” Zelenskyy, who witnessed the vote from the Senate gallery, told reporters Tuesday night. “It’s not only about money and how Russia finances this war. It’s also a big signal to Europe, big signal to Ukraine, big support of our people.”

What else we’re watching:

— CORNYN TO MEET WITH BLANCHE: Sen. John Cornyn, a deciding vote on whether Todd Blanche gets confirmed as attorney general, is meeting with Blanche on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning to hammer out his concerns. Cornyn, in exchange for his support, is pushing for ironclad modifications to the IRS settlement that created a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and immunized Trump from tax audits. “We need it in writing,” Cornyn said Tuesday night, adding he’d meet with Blanche at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

— VOUGHT MEETS SENATE GOP AS BUDGET PLAN EXPANDS: White House budget director Russ Vought and Trump’s top legislative aide, James Braid are scheduled to speak to Senate Republicans during a weekly lunch Wednesday as the administration eyes dramatically expanding the GOP’s third party-line bill. Thune said Tuesday the White House wants to broaden the budget framework, which comes after the House adopted a slimmer resolution before leaving for recess — putting an already uncertain timeline for the measure further in doubt.

Riley Rogerson and Chris Marquette contributed to this report