House Republicans have failed to elect a permanent speaker for the second time, with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) falling short of the 217 votes needed to win the gavel. Some Republicans are now looking to expand the powers of Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) in order to break the deadlock, but it remains unclear if this will be enough to elect a new speaker. The House has been leaderless since former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) stepped down in October, and it is unclear how long it will take for the chamber to elect a new speaker.
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Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) has won the majority of votes in the House GOP conference to become the new House Speaker, but he faces difficulty in uniting the 217 Republicans necessary to vote for him due to petty and more esoteric disagreements. This follows previous Republican rebellions, such as the battles between then-Speaker John Boehner and the House Freedom Caucus. Meanwhile, a traumatic event recently struck the immediate family of a TPM writer, involving a car accident and a sailing accident. These events have been difficult for both the family and Scalise as he attempts to gain the necessary support.
Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows took the stand in federal court on Monday in an effort to move his Georgia state racketeering case to federal court, arguing that the allegations relate to his official duties in the Trump administration. Defense attorneys and former prosecutors have deemed the move a "high-stakes gamble" as the federal judge will now need to consider the evidence presented and decide whether or not to move the case to federal court. The outcome of the case will have major implications for the future of the prosecution.
Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) suggested that Senate Republicans may refuse to fill a vacancy on the Judiciary Committee if Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) were to resign. In response, Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-IL) advanced seven of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees through committee on Thursday with Republican votes, allowing them to pass without Feinstein’s decisive vote. The news of Tester’s comments has caused speculation among Capitol staff, and it remains to be seen what the outcome of this situation will be.
Idaho has become the first state to pass a law explicitly restricting some out-of-state travel for abortions, making it punishable by two to five years in prison to help a pregnant minor get an abortion. This is seen as a way for red states to limit access to abortion for minors, and is likely to face legal challenges as a violation of the right to privacy and a restriction on the right to travel.
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has sent shockwaves through the financial world, with Senate Republicans denying the bank deregulation bill they passed in 2018 had anything to do with it. The Federal Reserve’s interest-rate hikes have been blamed for the bank run, and the Senate Banking Committee has written a bill that could shape the federal response. Experts suggest the whole debacle could have been avoided if the regulators had stepped in, but the exact cause of the bank’s collapse remains unclear.
This article discusses the political implications of the current and former presidents' opposition to Republican attempts to cut Medicare and Social Security payouts. Both Biden and Trump have taken a hard stance against cutting these programs, which has become a major issue in the 2024 presidential election. Senate Democrats have applauded the President’s budget and are eager to use this issue to their advantage.