Congress
Trump’s pick to lead USDA hasn’t returned Vilsack’s call
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called his likely successor at USDA, Brooke Rollins, and left a voicemail — but hasn’t received a response, he told reporters Friday.
“I received her cell phone number from a senator who had visited with her, and I called, I used it immediately, called her and left a message,” Vilsack said. “At any point in time, if she thinks it’s appropriate and necessary, and she would like to talk, I’d be more than happy to talk to her.”
President-elect Donald Trump announced Nov. 23 that he will nominate Rollins to be his Agriculture secretary. The co-founder and leader of the Trump-allied America First Policy Institute think tank served as acting director of the Domestic Policy Council in his first term and is close to Trump, but she has little formal agriculture policy experience.
Nevertheless, Rollins is expected to be confirmed and has begun meeting with Senators on Capitol Hill.
“We want Ms. Rollins … to be successful,” Vilsack said Friday, pointing to the Agriculture secretary’s vast responsibilities at USDA, which employs roughly 100,000 people and oversees massive federal nutrition programs, disease prevention systems and food safety.
Specifically, he noted that the department is currently dealing with a spreading outbreak of H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus, and the rising risk of screw worm, a disease that can be fatal to cattle, crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.
“This is a big job,” said Vilsack. She has a “very important asset,” he added, in her relationship with Trump.
It’s especially important, Vilsack added, given Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy, a high-profile critic of the food system, has made clear he wants to expand his influence over agriculture and food policy, as well.
Vilsack also told reporters Friday someone from Trump’s landing team for the Agriculture Department arrived Thursday to begin working on the hand-off, noting that it was a “landing person” instead of a full team. He declined to name the person.
Modern presidential transitions have typically designated landing teams for each agency before the election and deploy them shortly after the election results are called. But the Trump transition delayed for months in signing an agreement with the Biden administration to authorize those teams, before finally reaching a deal just before Thanksgiving. And they now have just over a month to coordinate with agency staff on the transfer of power before Trump enters office.
Congress
Senate GOP ready to move on elections bill
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso told reporters Monday the chamber will vote Tuesday to take up a House-passed elections bill known as the SAVE America Act.
The Wyoming Republican, whose job it is to help round up support, said he is “doing everything I can to make sure we get on this bill tomorrow.”
Republicans will need a simple majority to begin debate on the partisan legislation; they can lose three members and still let Vice President JD Vance break a tie.
So far, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) has said he’s a “no,” while Republicans are also watching GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Congress
Jesse Jackson’s family withdraws posthumous endorsement in Illinois Senate primary
The family of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson walked back a posthumous endorsement of Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s Senate campaign on Monday, after the family said Jackson’s endorsements for Tuesday’s primaries were not completed before his death.
On Saturday, Stratton’s campaign touted an endorsement from Jackson, who died last month, and his son Yusef. The announcement came after Stratton saw Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Jackson family’s organziation, passing out sample ballots — which were also obtained by Blue Light News — that recommended Stratton.
“[Jackson’s] example has been a north star for me, and I’m deeply honored to have received his trust, support, and endorsement before his passing,” Stratton said in a statement on Saturday.
But on Monday, Yusef Jackson, who is the organization’s COO, said the draft sample ballot was “released without authorization” and that the Jackson family and Rainbow PUSH Coalition are not making political endorsements this cycle.
His father “began the process of reviewing candidates and identifying those he intended to support in the upcoming primary election,” Yusef Jackson said in the statement. “However, given his passing just over a month ago, the process was never fully completed. Out of respect for my father, we decided not to publicly release his intended selections given the process had not been finalized.”
The Stratton campaign said on Monday that officials with Rainbow PUSH Coalition said she had been endorsed by Jackson.
“Juliana spoke on Saturday at Rainbow PUSH for a Women’s History Month event and officials told her she received the endorsements. Organizers shared the sample election ballot that was already being distributed and encouraged her to share the news,” the Stratton campaign said in a statement.
The endorsement mix-up draws further scrutiny on the split among Black Democrats in Illinois between Stratton and Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), who are both seeking to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin. Some Democrats in the state have expressed concern that Stratton and Kelly could split the vote in Tuesday’s primary, creating a path for Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) to win the nomination.
Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) told Blue Light News prior to the family’s statement that his father “never got in on Black-on-Black fights.”
Jonathan Jackson added that the races the late Jesse Jackson “was excited about” were himself and former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s comeback bid.
“He wouldn’t do that. He was always pushing the community forward,” Jackson said. “This smells of desperation.”
Congress
Johnson on Trump’s Hormuz plan
Speaker Mike Johnson said he supports President Donald Trump’s effort to build a global coalition ensure safe passage of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz — even if Trump “didn’t anticipate it” being necessary before launching airstrikes against Iran.
Speaking to reporters after attending a Washington event with Trump, Johnson said the president told him that “he anticipated the strait of Hormuz would be closed.”
“I don’t know that he didn’t anticipate it in the front end, but now it’s necessitated,” Johnson said. He added that the coalition is “a reasonable thing” for other countries to assist with and “it would be helpful.”
Asked about how much a potential supplemental package to fund the military action would cost, Johnson said, “We don’t know yet.” Estimates for the cost of the war have exceeding $1 billion per day.
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