Cruz seeks fast-track passage of military helicopter safety bill

Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is hoping to quickly pass a bill Wednesday dealing with military helicopter safety. According to a person familiar with the negotiations who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, Cruz plans to bring his bipartisan ROTOR Act legislation to the floor via unanimous consent, a fast-track procedure. The bill would […]

Bipartisan group discusses using discharged House bill for compromise health plan

A bipartisan group of moderate lawmakers privately strategized Wednesday about how to pass an extension of expiring Obamacare subsidies early next year — possibly by using a newly discharged House bill as a vehicle for a Senate-backed bipartisan compromise. The closed-door discussion among House and Senate members about amending the discharged measure was described by […]

Jack Smith makes his case against Trump in closed-door deposition

Former special counsel Jack Smith, who led the federal criminal cases against President Donald Trump during the Biden administration, has kicked off what is expected to be an hourslong closed-door deposition with members of the House Judiciary Committee. In his opening statement to lawmakers, portions of which were obtained by POLITICO, Smith defended his findings […]

Capitol agenda: Jack Smith jumps into a Judiciary minefield

Jack Smith wants to make his case against Donald Trump to Congress — but he’s walking into a political and legal minefield. The Biden-era special counsel who brought the first and only federal criminal charges ever leveled against a former president is set to testify Wednesday morning to members of House Judiciary. The stakes are […]

House GOP pushes major permitting bill through key vote

House Republicans succeeded Tuesday in advancing a bipartisan bill aimed at speeding up the federal permitting process, fending off a late challenge from hard-liners who wanted more power to kill offshore wind projects. The House adopted the rule governing floor debate on several bills in a 215-209 vote. Among those bills that will now be […]

Mike Johnson confronted by GOP moderates over Obamacare subsidies

A group of vulnerable House Republicans confronted Speaker Mike Johnson inside a closed-door meeting Tuesday about expiring Obamacare health insurance subsidies — and Johnson’s refusal to allow a vote on extending them. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) could be heard yelling outside the room where the centrist Republican Governance Group was meeting with Johnson in attendance, […]

House permitting vote at risk over offshore wind backlash

An intraparty war over the House GOP’s flagship legislation to speed up the federal permitting process for energy projects is threatening to freeze the chamber’s floor before lawmakers leave for the holidays. Reps. Andy Harris (R-Md.) and Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) said in interviews they plan to vote against the procedural measure setting up debate […]