Author: David Sivak, Washington Examiner
-
Thune navigates fresh Trump rough patch as Senate frustrations boil over
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) just finished a bruising week that left his relationship with President Donald Trump at a recent low point. Whether it gets worse will depend on how well Thune navigates the seemingly growing number of Republicans willing to buck Trump — and whether the president takes it personally if he…
-
Senators vote to dock their own pay during future government shutdowns
Senators will no longer be paid during future government shutdowns after unanimously approving a resolution precipitated by two record-breaking lapses in federal funding. In a show of bipartisan support, the Senate adopted the measure Thursday by voice vote. A day earlier, it advanced 99-0 and had the public backing of Senate Majority Leader John Thune…
-
Thune blesses push to block senator pay during government shutdowns
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) put his stamp of approval on legislation Tuesday that would block senators from receiving paychecks during a government shutdown. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) has pressed leadership to call a vote on the legislation during the last two government shutdowns, and Thune said it came up again as the Senate…
-
Markwayne Mullin wades into House-Senate fight over DHS funding
Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin is jumping back into the thick of GOP infighting on Capitol Hill as he tries to speed up funding for the embattled agency he took over in the middle of a partial government shutdown. Mullin, who left the Senate in March to run the Department of Homeland Security, has…
-
Thune rejects new DHS offer from Democrats: ‘Not even close’
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) rejected the latest offer on funding for the Department of Homeland Security, accusing Democrats of “rehashing old ground” as a partial government shutdown nears a new record. “They know better. They’re asking for things that have already been turned down. So, it just seems like they’re going in circles,”…
-
Thune plans mock ‘talking filibuster’ to calm SAVE America Act uproar
Senate Republicans are planning a marathon debate on President Donald Trump’s marquee elections bill, a move designed to ease tensions with the MAGA Right after Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) ruled out a talking filibuster. Thune’s staff has been gaming out days of floor debate that are likely to begin next Monday or Tuesday,…
-
House Republicans split over SAVE America Act pressure campaign
House Republicans are torn over how difficult to make life for the Senate as a band of rebels pressures Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to pass a national voter ID bill. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has cautioned House conservatives that there could be consequences to going to war with Thune, and at least one rebel…
-
Thune floats ballot harvesting ban as Trump hammers Senate on SAVE Act
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is proposing a clamp-down on ballot harvesting, a move that could help ease tensions with the White House over his inability to pass the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act. The majority leader said the practice was a “real problem” that needed to be addressed when asked Wednesday whether Republicans…
-
Trump gets DHS shutdown ‘bully pulpit’ with State of the Union address
Republicans want President Donald Trump to use the first State of the Union address of his second term to make the case that Democrats, not the White House, are to blame for a drawn-out shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. Trump will return to the Capitol next Tuesday for a prime-time address overshadowed by…
-
Why it could take weeks to feel the brunt of a DHS shutdown
The Department of Homeland Security’s broad reach means that everything from disaster relief to airport security could be hampered if funding runs out on Saturday, but it might take weeks before the public feels the impact. The dispute over how to reform the agency, sparked by the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last…