Democrats who had been expected to supply the votes necessary to advance it balked after President Trump named Bill Pulte to head the intelligence apparatus.
Republican senators denounce Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner over Nazi tattoo and scandal allegations ahead of Tuesday's primary.
President Donald Trump scored a victory on Capitol Hill when Republicans in the Senate narrowly passed a bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol for the remainder of his term. Meanwhile, the president is unveiling a planned pedestrian bridge between the Lincoln Memorial and the Potomac River. NBC’s Garrett Haake reports for TODAY.
The controversial pick drew bipartisan pushback when Trump announced he would nominate him to the position permanently.
President Donald Trump is digging in on several controversial priorities despite knowing he's "paying a price among Senate Republicans" — who, multiple insiders told The Washington Post, are growing increasingly "tired of carrying that weight.”“It’s been one self-inflicted wound after another,” a Republican strategist told the Post, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “Senate Republicans are tired of carrying that weight and making excuses for things they can’t make excuses for.”Trump faced a new GOP “rebellion” early Friday after Senate Republicans refused to advance a bill backed by the president, one that would extend a controversial surveillance program. They also took 18 hours to advance the Trump-backed reconciliation bill to fund federal immigration enforcement agencies in what Punchbowl News described as the “consequences of Trump’s recent moves,” including his “anti-weaponization” fund and ousting of Republicans he deemed disloyal.However, according to an adviser close to the president, Trump is keenly aware that his actions are sparking a schism within his own party, but is pressing on unfazed — and “with a blend of indifference and hostility,” the Post reported — for one reason.“Trump is not of a mind to change course on Iran, the fund or his Cabinet picks to make Republicans’ lives easier on the campaign trail or to smooth relations with Capitol Hill,” the Post reports, citing the advisor who spoke with the outlet under the condition of anonymity. “The president recognizes he’s paying a price among Senate Republicans for endorsing victorious primary challengers to Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), but he also believes the senators who are voting against him probably would have done so anyway. Trump does not think he needs Congress as much as the lawmakers think he does, the adviser said.”Bolstering Trump's position is the upcoming midterm elections, where analysts have offered grave predictions for Republican performance, and thereby giving him little incentive to "accommodate" GOP lawmakers' "concerns" by backing off his more controversial positions.“And with House and Senate Republicans expected to suffer significant losses in November, the president feels no need to accommodate them,” the Post’s report reads, paraphrasing the adviser’s remarks.
Six Republican senators sided with Democrats early Friday to vote against advancing the extension of warrantless spy powers set to expire next week, complicating efforts to keep it alive. The procedural vote failed by a vote of 47 to 52 after Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick…
President Donald Trump faced a new GOP Senate “rebellion” early Friday, and one that included “more than just the usual suspects” in what Punchbowl News described as a “potential preview of what’s to come as Republicans seek distance from Trump with November approaching.”Senate Republicans failed to advance a bill to extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a law that permits national intelligence agencies to monitor overseas communications without a warrant, including those of Americans. A priority for Trump, the bill failed to advance due to insufficient GOP support, which itself was “prompted by” Trump’s nomination of Bill Pulte — who has no intelligence or national security experience — to serve as director of National Intelligence, Punchbowl News reported.“I don’t think he thinks about the impact on this and the timing,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) of Trump, Punchbowl News reported. “I don’t think he’s connecting that. Which is unfortunate, because [FISA] really has had an impact.”The vote to advance the bill to extend FISA ultimately failed with a vote of 47-52, and that followed an 18-hour marathon session in the Senate to advance the GOP reconciliation bill to fund federal immigration agencies, one that Punchbowl News described as an “arduous process” that, again, faced GOP opposition prompted by Trump’s actions.“The marathon voting session on the reconciliation bill laid bare the consequences of Trump’s recent moves, from the toppling of two GOP incumbents to the political toxicity of the White House’s handling of an ‘anti-weaponization’ fund for his political allies,” Punchbowl News’ report read.“What was supposed to be a straightforward reconciliation bill to fund immigration enforcement became a major headache for Senate GOP leaders because of this controversial fund. Republicans and Democrats alike tried to add language to the measure to ban the fund.”Even Senate Majority Leader John Thune shared a blunt assessment as to who carried the blame for the Senate GOP’s challenging night.“This would have been done several hours ago if we weren’t having to deal with some of the issues around the fund, which doesn’t exist — which is the point we’re making,” a “frustrated” Thune said, Punchbowl News reported.
The Senate passed a $70 billion immigration enforcement funding bill after an overnight vote. And, former first lady Jill Biden discusses her husband's 2024 campaign with NPR's Newsmakers.
The Senate passed a $69.5 billion bill giving over three years of funding to two immigration enforcement agencies, taking a final step toward resolving a months-long dispute.