GOP lawmaker Doug LaMalfa dies at 65

Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a California Republican known for his expertise on water and forestry issues, has died at 65, according to statements from GOP officials. LaMalfa, a fourth-generation rice farmer and former state legislator, was serving his seventh term. He sat on the Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees. “Doug was a loving […]

Capitol agenda: Trump huddles with House GOP

House Republicans will hear directly from President Donald Trump on Tuesday for the first time since the administration’s extraordinary capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. A wider group of lawmakers who want answers on the operation will have to wait till Wednesday, when all House and Senate members are expected to get briefed by administration […]

‘Don’t expect troops on the ground,’ Johnson says after Venezuela briefing

U.S. troops will have a limited role in Venezuela, Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday, after top deputies to President Donald Trump briefed senior congressional leaders on the weekend operation that removed leader Nicolas Maduro from power. “We don’t expect troops on the ground,” Johnson told reporters after the two-hour evening briefing on Capitol Hill. “We […]

Schumer calls out DOJ for not providing unredacted Epstein contacts

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday blasted the Justice Department for not providing Congress with an unredacted report of political leaders referenced in documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a post on X, Schumer accused the Department of Justice of “lawlessness” as he vowed to “ensure all the files come out.” […]

Ethics watchdog outlines allegations against Georgia Republican’s chief of staff

A nonpartisan Congressional watchdog is alleging that Brandon Phillips, who has served as Rep. Mike Collins’ chief of staff, hired a romantic interest as an office intern and illicitly used his office’s Congressional resources. The report from the Office of Congressional Conduct, released Monday, also claims the intern “did not perform duties commensurate with her […]

Krishnamoorthi steps down as top Democrat on House China panel

Illinois Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi is stepping down as the top Democrat on the select House committee on competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, he announced Monday. Krishnamoorthi did not explain the reason for the move in a statement but is expected to focus on his Senate campaign for the seat being […]

Capitol agenda: Congress confronts Venezuela fallout

Venezuela will dominate the congressional agenda this week, with Republicans lacking a unified vision on what happens next after the capture of Nicolás Maduro and the Senate poised to vote to limit further attacks without lawmaker approval. — Briefings incoming: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, CIA Director […]

Old headaches will plague Mike Johnson in the new year

Congress is back for the new year. But Speaker Mike Johnson isn’t exactly getting a fresh start in 2026. The House returns from the holiday recess to confront old issues that continue to bedevil Johnson — from politically perilous battle over health care and the ongoing release of the Jeffrey Epstein files to a messy […]

‘Iraq 2.0’: Democrats seethe at Trump’s surprise Venezuela strike

Democrats are furious over President Donald Trump’s overnight strike in Venezuela. The president’s latest show of force on the world stage, which Trump says saw the U.S. military capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, quickly united rank-and-file Democratic lawmakers behind one message: They say the White House illegally bypassed Congress and has no […]

Democrats are ready to campaign on expired Obamacare subsidies

Obamacare subsidies used by more than 20 million expired Thursday. Now Democrats are ready to make them a centerpiece of their midterm campaigns. The lapse of enhanced premium tax credits, first passed as a pandemic-era relief measure under President Joe Biden in 2021, will immediately hit the pocketbooks of voters — some of whom will […]