President Donald Trump nominated Todd Blanche, his former personal lawyer and current acting attorney general, to permanently lead the Justice Department. The nomination is expected to face scrutiny over the Epstein files, January 6 prosecutions and a shelved $1.8 billion fund.
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The Senate rejected a Democratic bid to block the Justice Department’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund as Republicans push a $70 billion ICE and Border Patrol funding bill. The vote exposed GOP divisions over the fund, which Trump has praised despite administration testimony that it is not moving forward.
The Justice Department said it will comply with a federal judge’s order pausing President Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. The program faces lawsuits and bipartisan criticism in Congress.
Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois has announced he will not seek re-election in 2026, ending his long tenure in Congress and expressing gratitude for the support from his constituents. His decision will leave a vacancy in the Senate's Democratic leadership and is expected to lead to a competitive primary race in the Democratic-leaning state. Durbin, who has played significant roles in legislative efforts and party leadership, emphasized the importance of passing the torch to a new generation of leaders.
The race for the next Speaker of the House of Representatives has become increasingly competitive, with 25 entrenched GOP lawmakers blocking Rep. Jim Jordan from winning the gavel. Jordan received 194 votes in the third ballot, 21 votes short of the number he needed to be elected. Another round of voting is required, and the outcome is uncertain as the 25 entrenched GOP lawmakers have yet to declare their support for any of the candidates.
The Republican Party is in a state of disarray as they attempt to fill the role of Speaker of the House. Rep. Jim Jordan has won the caucus vote, but has been unable to garner enough support from both the Republican establishment and the Trumpist right. In an effort to rally support, the party has launched a press campaign and enlisted right-wing media and activists.
The death of Senator Dianne Feinstein of California has left a vacancy on the Senate Judiciary Committee, creating a split between Democrats and Republicans. Top Republican senators have indicated they are prepared to fight over her seat, potentially using the vacancy to play hardball with Biden's judicial nominees. Democrats will need to appoint a successor to Feinstein's Senate seat in order to fill her spot on the committee and regain a majority.
Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving woman senator in history, has announced that she will not be running for re-election at the end of her current term. Throughout her career, she broke the glass ceiling time and time again, becoming the first woman mayor of San Francisco in 1978 and the first-ever female member of the Judiciary Committee in 1992. Her legacy of breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations of women in politics will live on.