Democratic senator seeks guardrails as Trump deploys troops to LA

President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy troops to Los Angeles in response to protests is driving a new push in Congress to rein in presidential power. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told POLITICO he is drafting new legislation to sharply limit a president’s ability to deploy troops on American soil — a move he says is […]

Thune and Johnson meet with Trump as megabill fights linger

Top Republican congressional leaders met separately with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday as they try to finalize the “big, beautiful bill” before a self-imposed July 4 deadline. Senate Majority Leader John Thune met in private with Trump, according to a person granted anonymity to describe the undisclosed event, as Senate Republicans […]

Senate Republicans to huddle Wednesday on megabill

Senate Republicans will huddle on Wednesday as they try to iron out some of the trickiest parts of their “big, beautiful bill.” GOP senators are expected to be briefed by committee chairs who have yet to release their pieces of their party-line pack of tax cuts and extensions, border security investments, energy policy and more. […]

Capitol agenda: Mike Crapo’s megabill Mission: Impossible

It’s shaping up to be an enormously consequential week for President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda, and there’s one lawmaker at the center of it all: Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo. The Idaho Republican has a mammoth to-do list this week, which includes resolving make-or-break fights over tax policy, Medicaid cuts and clean energy credits. (POLITICO […]

Ruby-red Florida is still preparing for a financial storm from DC

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — In this hurricane-prone state, Republican legislators say they are preparing to weather a political and financial storm. In other states led by Democrats, the moves by lawmakers could be labeled “Trump proofing.” But no matter the framing, Florida’s GOP-controlled Legislature is about to wrap up work on the state’s budget with a […]

‘Trump movement’ turns on Cornyn, poll finds

MAGA loyalists have put Sen. John Cornyn’s reelection campaign in a Texas-size hole. An early May poll commissioned by the American Opportunity Alliance, a major conservative funding group linked to megadonor Paul Singer, shows the Texas Republican down 17 points in a head-to-head primary matchup with state attorney general Ken Paxton. Below the top-line of […]

GOP lawmakers stick with Trump in messy Musk breakup

Amid the messy ongoing divorce between the president and the world’s richest man, this much is already clear: Donald Trump has sole custody of the House GOP. Republican lawmakers are making clear that, if forced to choose, it’s Trump — not Elon Musk — they’re sticking by as leaders race to contain the fallout for […]