It's Trump Day on Capitol Hill
Is Congress really going to try for a pay raise?
Also in today’s edition of ‘Regular Order’ for June 13, 2024:
House votes to hold Garland in contempt.
Senate tussles over IVF.
Supreme Court tries to whittle down its docket.
TRUMP. Your calendar may say it's Thursday, but in the halls of Congress - it's Trump Day. The former President today returns to the U.S. Capitol for the first time since his supporters tried to violently keep him in power after the 2020 elections, as Republicans try to project unity and confidence heading into the November elections.
MEETINGS. Trump will meet first with House Republicans at the headquarters of the Republican National Committee, just a few blocks from the Capitol. Later he will join GOP Senators for lunch. It's going to be a heck of a day for reporters, lawmakers, and police - that's for sure.
SPEAKER. "We're excited to welcome President Trump back," House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on Wednesday when asked about the visit. "There's high anticipation here and great excitement," the Speaker added. "November can't get here soon enough."
MCCONNELL. Over on the Senate side, today will be the first time that Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell has met with Trump since late 2020 - and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. "I said three years ago, right after the Capitol was attacked, that I would support our nominee regardless of who it was - including him," McConnell told reporters.
PLANS. Congressional Republican leaders are clearly trying to help Trump establish some basic policy goals that they can use in the fall campaign. Speaker Johnson met yesterday with GOP Senators to discuss what should be on the agenda - especially if Republicans win the House, Senate, and White House.
JABS. As you might expect, Democrats will be more than happy to lob verbal grenades from the sidelines at GOP lawmakers and Trump. "Republicans today have been totally transformed by the cult of personality of Donald Trump," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
GARLAND. House Republicans warmed up for Trump's arrival by passing a resolution to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. The vote was 216-207, with just one Republican breaking ranks to vote against the plan, Rep. David Joyce of Ohio.
GOP. "Attorney General Garland removed the blindfold from Lady Justice in order to tip the scales in President Biden’s favor," said Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN). What Republicans want from Garland is the audio tapes of the interview done with Biden by the special counsel investigating his possession of classified documents.
JAN. 6. Democrats mocked some in the GOP who demanded accountability for defying a subpoena - reminding everyone that several Republicans refused to cooperate with the Jan. 6 committee. "Two of your last speakers are 750-plus days in defiance of a subpoena," said Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), talking about Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ).
WHAT'S NEXT. What is going to happen with this? I can't imagine that the Justice Department is going to turn over those audio tapes any time soon. Maybe they'll do it - on Election Day.
IVF. In a bid to change the subject to an issue they want to talk about, Senate Democrats will put Republicans on the record again today on a major item related to women's health. Last week, it was a bill to codify the right to access birth control. This time, it's a bill to make sure in vitro fertilization remains legal. 60 votes are needed as Republicans are expected to filibuster (again).
DEMS. "Republicans say they support IVF, but time after time, they've blocked legislation to protect it," said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). "Threats to IVF are not hypothetical. They’re real," added Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). "This is the chance to put every Senate Republican on the record," said Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA).
GOP. While some Republicans say they're for IVF, most are refusing to back this bill from Democrats. For example, in a speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) touted his support for IVF by pressing a bill to expand health savings accounts. The cloture vote is set for 1:45 pm today.
SUPREME COURT. The U.S. Supreme Court could deliver some surprise news today, depending on what decisions get released starting at 10 am. 29 cases are still left on the docket for this term, which usually ends at the end of June.
TRUMP. Speaking of cases which haven't been decided yet, it would be supremely ironic if the Justices issued their Trump-immunity decision today - with the former President in town.
ABORTION. While the Senate is debating issues tied to women's health, the Court still has to release a pair of abortion rulings. One concerns the legality of the abortion drug mifepristone, the other deals with emergency abortion services in states which have banned abortions.
SCHEDULE. Looking ahead to the end of the month, I’m really intrigued by how the end of the Supreme Court’s term might influence the Biden-Trump debate on June 27. That’s a prime target date for the Court’s final decisions - which could certainly drive the news in that debate. Stay tuned.
PAY RAISE. It may seem hard to believe, but a House spending panel will consider a bill today which could allow lawmakers in Congress to get their first pay raise since 2009. For the past 15 years, Congress has included specific language to deny a regular cost-of-living-pay-hike for members of the House and Senate. So, why would this year be any different?
CONGRESS. Last year, Republicans were poised to bring the Legislative Branch funding bill to the floor with no provision to block the pay hike - and then GOP leaders quickly retreated after a dustup on the House floor about whether they were going to allow a pay raise for lawmakers.
COLA. I've been thinking about writing this story for a few weeks now, since I noticed that the yearly funding bill for Congress did not include the usual ban on a cost-of-living-pay hike for lawmakers. But it seemed like too easy of a cheap shot. But I guess I can’t hold back.
NOVEMBER. I mean - come on. Can you imagine Congress voting for a pay raise in an election year? Personally, I think you can make a pretty good case for why their salary should be higher. But why would Republicans think that’s a good thing to advance at this point? Let’s see what happens today.
FUNDING. The work on the bill for the Legislative Branch is just one of three government funding measures expected to be approved today by the House Appropriations Committee. The panel will also work on a defense spending bill and a separate measure funding various government agencies.
OTHER BILLS. On Wednesday, that same committee approved a funding bill for the State Department and foreign operations which cut 11 percent from current spending. Also approved was a bill to fund homeland security, which received about a 4 percent increase to deal with extra operations along the border.
GOAL. House GOP leaders want to get all 12 government funding bills approved by August 1 - when lawmakers start an extended summer break. There are 18 legislative work days scheduled between now and then on the House floor.
NEW YORK. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) seems to be in big trouble in his bid to get reelected. And now he's got a big name in the Democratic Party weighing in against him. Hillary Clinton on Wednesday endorsed Westchester County Executive George Latimer, who is trying to defeat Bowman in a primary later this month.
HILLARY. "With Trump on the ballot, we need strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever," Mrs. Clinton said on Wednesday in a statement on Latimer's behalf.
FIRE ALARM. First elected in 2020, Bowman made a quick splash in Congress, but he has stumbled badly in the past year - most notably when he pulled the fire alarm in a House office building during a weekend vote. I won’t be surprised if he loses on June 25.
USHER. It was a bit of a star power frenzy yesterday in the U.S. Capitol when the singer and songwriter Usher suddenly appeared on the Senate subway with Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA). Usher was on Capitol Hill to lobby for extra government efforts to deal with Type 1 diabetes.
LOBBYING. "It's my first time, and it won't be my last time," Usher said when asked if he would be returning to Capitol Hill again. He was followed by a crowd of reporters after meeting with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
STARS. When I first started covering Congress, we used to have some fun when celebrities would show up on Capitol Hill - mainly by trying to see just how politically active they really were. We always thought the best question to ask them was - ‘Who is your member of Congress?’
BASEBALL. It was a Red Wave last night at Nationals Park, as Republicans easily won the Congressional Baseball Game. The game was tied 4-4 early, but the GOP broke it open and cruised to an easy victory.
PROTESTS. Eight people were arrested in one incident at last night's baseball game, as they stormed the field and were quickly stopped by Capitol Police. They were reportedly wearing shirts which said railed against fossil fuels. The eight were hit with 'Interference with a Member of the U.S. Capitol Police.’
RAP SHEET. A Florida man has been sentenced to 6 months in jail for his actions on Jan. 6. Ryan Yates pushed away police barricades outside the Capitol and then entered the building through doors where rioters had busted their way inside. Yates would later skirmish with police around the Rotunda, as Trump supporters tried to push they way in at another door.
MUSE OF HISTORY. June 13, 1968. A week after Sen. Robert Kennedy was gunned down in Los Angeles, Rep. William Ryan (D-NY) introduced a sweeping gun control bill in the House. "The bill requires registration of every firearm," Ryan said. "It requires registration every time a firearm changes hands." On the House floor, Ryan scoffed at opposition from the NRA. "We require fishing licenses and yet sportsmen do not complain."
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:
The House meets at 10 am.
The Senate convenes at 10 am.
Check President Biden’s schedule.
Follow me on Twitter @jamiedupree.
Email me at jamiedupree@substack.com
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"I said three years ago, right after the Capitol was attacked, that I would support our nominee regardless of who it was - including him," best endorsement ever.
"Trump Day" indeed. It will be interesting to see who rushes to kiss his ring and who waits to be at the end of the line. They know he's taking notes.
He may have been anticipating this day when he told that crazy electric battery vs sharks story a few days ago.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5120317/user-clip-trump-explains-ev-petrol-vehicles