House Speaker Johnson faces early tests |
After three leaderless weeks and as many unsuccessful nominees, House Republicans coalesced around Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday, making him Speaker of the House. Early tests: Johnson takes the gavel with just more than three weeks before the next government funding deadline. The current continuing resolution (CR), which is set to expire on Nov. 17, cleared the House after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) made a last-minute move to rely on Democratic support, which was a major factor in his ouster earlier this month. (Note: Johnson voted against the CR.) Congress also has a $100 billion funding request for Ukraine, Israel and more from the White House to consider as war takes its toll around the world. Johnson said Tuesday, "The world is on fire. We stand with our ally, Israel...We have a very busy agenda. We have appropriations bills to get through the process. But you will see this group working like a well-oiled machine." A little background: Johnson joined the House in 2017 and has been GOP conference vice chairman since 2021. He previously chaired the sizable Republican Study Committee and led an amicus brief supporting a Texas lawsuit that sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in several states. More coverage from The Hill: | |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I'm Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what's coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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- The Defense Department is sending two Iron Dome missile defense systems to Israel as its war with Hamas continues.
President Biden called for world leaders to make a "concentrated effort" toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is increasing investments in Texas and Florida, states with Republican senators up for reelection next year.
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Former President Trump surprised a New York courtroom when he took the stand during his continuing civil fraud trial Wednesday. He was responding to allegations that he violated a gag order with a comment about a court secretary. Trump was fined $10,000 for the violation. He told the judge that, in a comment referring to the judge and "a person...sitting alongside him" as "very partisan," he was instead referring to Michael Cohen, rather than the judge's principal law clerk. When Trump's team cross-examined Cohen earlier, they questioned the attorney's credibility and pointed to previous positive statements he'd made about Trump. The Hill's Ella Lee is reporting updates from New York. Follow along here. |
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With all the tension in the House — and in the world — in recent weeks, we asked several Congressional Mental Health Caucus members what they do to take care of themselves in stressful times: |
📣 "Connecting often with my family and friends, cooking, gardening, and occasionally shopping for bargains all help me deal with the stress of today's reality. Taking care of your mental and physical health is critically important, and I continue to encourage my staff, constituents, and colleagues to never be ashamed to seek help when needed." — Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), Mental Health Caucus chair 📣 "I'm very fond of walking as a means of stress reduction (which is why I average about 15,000 steps per day). Beyond that, I'll exercise (an hour on the elliptical), listen to a podcast (the Rewatchables!), stream something (usually a Star Wars series), or connect with friends and the people I love." — Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) 📣 "Congressman Bilirakis understands that mental health is an important component of overall wellness. Personally, he incorporates listening to Greek Folk music and spending time with his family as part of his wellness routine." — Rep. Gus Bilirakis's (R-Fla.) office 📣 "I meditate or I take the time to breathe purposefully." — Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), 988 & Crisis Services Task Force co-chair 📣 "As a nurse practitioner, I am an advocate of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercise. Running is my happy place…it releases so many positive endorphins and is great for controlling your stress. There's no problem a good run can't solve!" — Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) 📣 "I do an Emma Lovewell Peloton class. The tabata sessions are tough but work out the stress!" — Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) |
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Senate panels advance key nominations
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Senate committees today advanced nominees for U.S. ambassador to Israel and National Institutes of Health (NIH) director to full Senate votes. - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew for ambassador to Israel by a 12-9 vote. Some committee Republicans opposed Lew because of his role in the Iran nuclear deal under former President Obama.
- The Senate Health Committee advanced National Cancer Institute Director Monica Bertagnolli's nomination to lead the NIH by a 15-6 vote. Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voted against advancing the nomination, saying there's a need for leadership that's "really prepared to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry[.]"
The NIH post has been vacant for almost two years, while the previous ambassador to Israel left the position in July. |
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© AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta |
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FDA to review at-home flu vaccine
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The Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review AstraZeneca's at-home flu vaccine, which is delivered in the form of a nasal spray. It'd be the first self-administered flu vaccine in the U.S., something the company said could boost vaccination rates. If approved, the vaccine could be available for the 2024-2025 flu season. |
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Racial disparities in breast cancer mortality rates
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Mortality rates for Black people with breast cancer are 40 percent higher than for white people. The Hill's Cheyanne M. Daniels looks at several factors that may underlie the disparity and what experts say could help close the gap. |
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"Joe Biden's in-person campaigning problem" — J.T. Young, a former House and Senate staffer who also served in the Department of Treasury and Office of Management and Budget. (Read here) "Searching for productive disagreement in a time of division" — Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). (Read here) |
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14 days until the third GOP presidential primary debate.
23 days until the next government funding deadline. |
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9 a.m. Thursday: The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations holds a hearing called "Moving the Money: Understanding the Iranian Regime's Access to Money Around the World and How They Use It to Support Terrorism." |
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