What we’re watching: Trump’s picks are complete but Hill fights loom

Published

2 years ago

November 25, 2024

Blue Light Newsroom

Here’s what we’re watching in transition world today:

🗓️ What we’re watching

GOP lawmakers are pushing back against President-elect Donald Trump and his attempt to control Congress, including his apparent attempt to go around Congress’ constitutionally guaranteed power to control federal spending and, in the Senate, confirm presidential nominees. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) predicted that Republican Senators won’t allow the latter.

🚨What’s up with the nominees?

While Trump’s replacement for Matt Gaetz as attorney general is a relief to many Justice Department staffers, Pam Bondi does not have their full support either. One former prosecutor asked if she would “just be a somewhat more palatable, esthetically more enhanced version of Gaetz or something else?”

📝ICYMI: Here are the latest Cabinet picks

Hedge fund manager and Trump’s Wall Street ally Scott Bessent is the president-elect’s pick to be Trump’s Treasury secretary. If confirmed, Bessent would be the first openly gay person to hold this position.
Former director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump administration Brooke Rollins was tapped on Saturday to be Agriculture secretary. The pick came as a surprise to some who witnessed in-fighting over the role between Trump advisers, family members and agriculture groups.
Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer was chosen as Labor secretary on Friday by Trump. Chavez-DeRemer, who lost her Oregon House seat this year to Democratic Janelle Bynum, is seen as another surprising choice. The secretary designate would be a staunchly pro-union voice in an administration expected by many to favor business interests over those of organized labor.
Former NFL player and chair of the Center for Education Opportunity Scott Turner was picked by Trump on Friday to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner also previously served as a Texas House representative from 2013 to 2017 and was the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. If confirmed, he is expected to attempt to cut HUD funding and reverse Biden’s fair housing policies.

⏱️What Cabinet secretary announcements are we still waiting on?

None — in a flurry of announcements on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, Trump rounded out his Cabinet secretary nominees.

Nvidia’s Huang heads to Capitol Hill for AI talks

Published

36 seconds ago

July 27, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will meet with lawmakers in Washington to discuss American leadership on artificial intelligence, the company said Monday.

A spokesperson for the chipmaker said Huang would hold talks with both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill to talk about latest developments with the technology.

“Jensen is in DC to meet with leaders on both sides of the aisle to discuss American leadership in AI, including leading in open source,” the spokesperson said.

Huang is scheduled to sit down Tuesday with Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee who has expressed serious concern about security threats following last week’s OpenAI autonomous cyberattack.

The senator’s office confirmed the meeting. Senate Intelligence Chair Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It comes as Huang defended open-source AI on X, writing that such models “strengthen safety and cybersecurity, accelerate innovation and diffusion, and enable sovereignty.”

Huang’s visit comes as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is also expected to meet with Warner, although a spokesperson for the senator said the talks were separate. Earlier Monday, Open AI announced it was in talks with Nvidia, a technology company that makes chips to use artificial intelligence, for a data center project.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Congress

Texas Republican is under House Ethics investigation

Published

1 hour ago

July 27, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

The House Ethics Committee said in a statement Monday it is investigating Rep. Lance Gooden, a four-term Texas Republican.

It’s unclear what the committee is probing, but the Office of Congressional Conduct, an independent investigative branch of the House, sent over findings regarding Gooden to the committee June 10.

The Ethics panel plans to release an update on its investigation by Nov. 9. Committee representatives declined to comment beyond the statement.

In 2021, the Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint asking for an investigation into Gooden’s apparent failure to report his stock trades in a timely manner, which is a requirement under a federal law known as the STOCK Act. The complaint was sent to the OCC.

Congress

Congressional Black Caucus members break with Jeffries, endorse against Thanedar in Michigan House race

Published

2 hours ago

July 27, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

A handful of members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Monday broke with Democratic Party leadership to endorse Michigan state Rep. Donavan McKinney in his bid to primary Rep. Shri Thanedar, an unusual move given that sitting members of the same party rarely endorse against each other.

Democratic Reps. Steven Horsford (Nev.), the former chair of the CBC, and Lateefah Simon (Calif.) called McKinney a “fighter.” Rep. Ilhan Omar (Mich.) praised McKinney as “the only trusted candidate” in the race. And Rep. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) touted McKinney for “never [losing] sight of the people.”

“We need Donavan in Congress,” said Pressley.

The race between McKinney and Thanedar, who was elected in 2022, is the latest battleground in the ongoing ideological clash between the Democratic establishment and its progressive flank.

McKinney is hoping to capitalize on the latest wave of progressive successes in primaries, but Thanedar retains the power of the incumbency — and the backing of House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar.

Thanedar’s 2022 election marked the first time since 1955 that the majority-Black city of Detroit didn’t have a Black lawmaker representing it in Congress. And he won two years ago only after Adam Hollier, who was viewed as his most credible primary challenger, was disqualified from the ballot.

“It’s not just about having Black representation, but that is a part of what appropriate representation looks for,” Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), who had previously backed McKinney, told Blue Light News. “You have a majority-Black district, and I think that there is certainly an appetite to see that again, or to at least make sure that a Black candidate has the opportunity to present themselves.”

In a phone call, Thanedar emphasized that he has worked closely with members of the CBC during his time in office, noting that the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) was a mentor of his and, in addition to Jeffries, he has the endorsement CBC members like Rep. Bennie Thomspon (D-Miss.).

“I am fully aware that I am representing the Blackest city in America and I’m proud of it,” Thanedar, who is Indian-American, said. “My story is like Detroit’s story — I struggled through poverty, never say die, never gave up and I have that resilience that Detroit has. The resilience of Detroit is what my life is about.”

McKinney on Monday said he was “honored” by the endorsements.

“Millions of lives across the country have been made immeasurably better because of the hard work these members have done in Congress, and I look forward to working alongside these incredible leaders to pass critical legislation to protect voting rights, get big money out of our politics, and ensure all families have access to the resources they need to not just survive, but to truly thrive,” he said in a statement.