Dems, GOP look for shutdown off-ramp

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MORNING REPORT  MORNING REPORT Monday, November 3 | By Jared Gans View Online  |  Sign up Listen and Subscribe: In today's issue: ▪ Parties look for shutdown exit ▪ Dems shore up support in VA, NJ ▪ Takeaways from Trump's '60 minutes' intervew ▪ Heritage president draws conservative backlash © The Associated Press | Manuel Balce Ceneta Dems, GOP look for shutdown off-ramp Members of both parties are looking for a way to end the monthlong government shutdown after weeks of minimal progress. The funding lapse, already the second longest in U.S. history, is set to potentially break the record later this week. Unless a deal is quickly reached and signed into law early this week, which seems exceedingly unlikely, the shutdown will almost certainly set a new record, surpassing the 35-day shutdown that took place during President Trump's first term. But fatigue is only increasing among members of Congress after going weeks without a deal, as has the pressure, with more Americans feeling the harm from many government services being suspended. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) lapsed on Saturday, forcing more than 40 million low-income Americans who rely on the program to face the prospect of going without it to cover grocery costs. The Agriculture Department had initially refused to distribute contingency funding for the program, arguing that it could only be used in cases of natural disasters, but a federal judge on Friday ordered the administration to use the funds within days. States have also taken their own efforts to preserve access to SNAP funds for their residents, but these are temporary measures reliant on the shutdown not lasting much longer. Meanwhile, premiums are spiking as the open-enrollment window for people to choose health care plans through the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) exchange opened at the start of the month. The Hill's Mike Lillis and Sudiksha Kochi report that Democrats and Republicans are looking for a deal that would allow them to save face and end the increasing pain that Americans are feeling because of the shutdown. Both sides need to be able to tell their bases that they came out victorious. But lawmakers, strategists and experts said the two key ingredients to any deal are the ACA subsidies set to expire at the end of the year and Trump. A group of eight moderate Senate Democrats sit at the center of any possible deal, having met quietly in the basement of the Capitol to figure out an end to the shutdown, The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports. A source familiar with the conversations told Bolton that the group will need strong assurances from Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), and possibly even from Trump himself, about what is offered before voting to reopen the government. But if Trump was hoping for a quick fix to go around negotiations with Democrats, he may be disappointed. The president called last week for Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to allow themselves to vote to reopen the government by a simple majority vote rather than the 60-vote supermajority needed for most legislation. The Hill's Brett Samuels reports Trump's call is facing headwinds from members of his own party who have been adamant about keeping the filibuster in place, expressing concern about the precedent that it would set. That has included Thune, an ardent defender of the Senate's longtime procedural measure. Utah Sen. John Curtis (R) also defended the filibuster as a way to require collaboration between the parties. "The filibuster forces us to find common ground in the Senate. Power changes hands, but principles shouldn't," Curtis said in a post on the social platform X. Sources close to Trump said the timing of Trump's call to end the filibuster, which he's advocated for previously, reflects his mounting frustration with Democrats' unwillingness to support the House-passed continuing resolution to reopen the government. Still, some momentum seems to be building to finally reach a deal before the scheduled recess in honor of the Veterans Day holiday next week. Whether members of both sides can capitalize on it remains to be seen. ▪ The Hill: Military families face food insecurity cliff amid shutdown, SNAP uncertainty. ▪ The Hill: Schools tackle food insecurity as SNAP benefits teeter. ▪ CNN: Democrats are winning the shutdown politics. Can they stop now? Smart Take  with Blake Burman This is obviously a huge election week for some of the future leaders in politics: Voters head to the polls tomorrow for gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, the mayoral race in New York City and the future of redistricting in California, just to name a few. For the current president, it's a massive week as well. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will begin to hear oral arguments regarding the legality of his tariffs. Trump had suggested that he would attend the Supreme Court in person. You can imagine what a scene that could have been, perhaps watching the president enter the high court. However, that's not going to happen. "I will not be going to the Court on Wednesday in that I do not want to distract from the importance of this Decision. It will be, in my opinion, one of the most important and consequential Decisions ever made by the United States Supreme Court," the president wrote on Truth Social. Yes, the elections tomorrow will likely impact how we view some of the political landscape heading into 2026. For the president, Wednesday's case is likely even more important. Burman hosts "The Hill" weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation. 3 Things to Know Today Trump said he "could" send troops into Nigeria and conduct airstrikes on the African country over alleged attacks on Christians, directing the Pentagon to prepare for "possible action" against Nigeria if the attacks don't stop. Religiously motivated attacks have reportedly been taking place against both Christian and Muslim populations. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the weapons testing that Trump ordered last week will not include nuclear explosions, focusing on the systems that deliver a weapon. Trump's announcement had seemed to call for an end to the moratorium on nuclear tests in place since 1992. Aid workers have struggled to reach some communities hit hard by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica after the Category 5 storm ripped through the island last week. LEADING THE DAY © The Associated Press | Ted Shaffrey FINAL PUSH: Democrats are pulling out all the stops in their last efforts to churn out voters ahead of Tuesday's elections. Former President Obama held a pair of events over the weekend rallying support for Democratic candidates in two gubernatorial races: former Rep. Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Rep. Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey. Spanberger and Sherrill are both favorites to win their respective races Tuesday, though by varying amounts. Spanberger has regularly been polling comfortably ahead of her GOP opponent, Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, throughout the race. An Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey released Sunday showed Spanberger leading by 11 points, 55 percent support to 44 percent. But Sherrill's race has seemed a bit closer, while she still has led in most polls over Republican Jack Ciattarelli. Her lead is a more modest 4.5 points in the Decision Desk HQ polling average. Trump will seek to boost the Republicans in both races on Monday, holding a pair of tele-rallies in the evening.  The Hill's Caroline Vakil reports how Democrats are seeking to shore up support for Sherrill amid signs the race is tightening. A previous Emerson/PIX11/The Hill survey showed the contest essentially tied. Republicans have been hopeful that Ciattarelli can pull off an upset after he nearly won four years ago, only losing to Gov. Phil Murphy (D) by about 3 points. Trump also significantly narrowed the margin in the presidential race last year compared with past GOP nominees, only losing by about 6 points. One historical trend is on Republicans' side, as no party has won three consecutive gubernatorial races in the state since the 1960s. Murphy is term limited after winning two terms. But the party opposite of the president has also won the gubernatorial race in the Garden State in almost every election in recent decades, except for 2021. That would benefit the Democrats. Democrats are also encouraged by the advantage they've built in early in-person and mail-in voting, but several top Democrats have rallied for Sherrill recently, including Obama, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, a sign that Democrats are not leaving anything to chance. More than eight years after he left office, Obama is still a trusted messenger and the surrogate whom Democrats want to lay out the closing message to voters ahead of an election, The Hill's Amie Parnes reports. Obama also appeared in an ad last month backing California's Proposition 50, a measure on the ballot Tuesday that would allow the state Legislature to redraw its congressional lines and possibly give Democrats up to five additional seats in the House in next year's midterms. The former president took jabs at Trump while rallying for Spanberger and Sherrill on Saturday, while saying the two candidates are the types of leaders that the country needs right now. "Every day, this White House offers up a fresh batch of lawlessness and recklessness and mean-spiritedness and just plain craziness," Obama said at both rallies. Meanwhile, Trump on Sunday waded into the New York City mayoral race, saying he'd prefer former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent, as the lesser of two evils to Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee. Trump hasn't formally endorsed in the race. "So I don't know that he's won, and I'm not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other, but if it's gonna be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I'm gonna pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you," Trump said in an interview on CBS News's "60 Minutes." ▪ NPR: Five questions about what Tuesday's results might mean. ▪ The Hill: Speculation rises over Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio's 2028 ambitions. TRUMP PRAISES BARI: Trump heaped praise on new CBS owners and leadership, including editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, while touting his settlement with the network during his "60 Minutes" sit-down that aired Sunday.  It was his first interview with the network since he sued CBS and parent company Paramount Global over an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris last year that he claimed was intentionally edited to make Harris seem more coherent, a claim the network rejected. Paramount eventually reached a settlement with Trump, agreeing to pay $16 million to Trump's future presidential library while not issuing any apology. "And actually 60 Minutes paid me a lotta money. And you don't have to put this on, because I don't want to embarrass you, and I'm sure you're not — you have a great — I think you have a great, new leader, frankly, who's the young woman that's leading your whole enterprise is a great — from what I know," Trump said on "60 Minutes," referring to Weiss. "I think one of the best things to happen is this show and new ownership, CBS and new ownership. I think it's the greatest thing that's happened in a long time to a free and open and good press," Trump added later, praising Skydance's takeover of Paramount. Trump in the interview also defended the conduct of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) despite backlash over its tactics, telling Norah O'Donnell that he believes the immigration raids "haven't gone far enough." O'Donnell pressed Trump on videos that surfaced of ICE officers using tear gas in a Chicago residential neighborhood and smashing car windows. "You have to look at the people. Many of them are murderers. Many of them are people thrown out of their countries because they were, you know, criminals," Trump said. O'Donnell pointed out to Trump that many of those who have been deported haven't been the "worst of the worst" — violent criminals and rapists — as he vowed on the campaign trail. "We have to start off with a policy, and the policy has to be that 'You came into the country illegally, you're going to go out,'" Trump said. "However, you've also seen, 'You're going to go out. We're going to work with you, and you're going to come back into our country legally.'" The president also defended the string of indictments that the Justice Department (DOJ) has unveiled against several of his political opponents — former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and former national security adviser John Bolton. Trump called the indictments the "opposite" of retribution and said he believed he's been "very mild-mannered." He said he didn't direct the DOJ to go after them. The president also said the subject of Taiwan "never even came up" during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week. The issue of Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory and the U.S. considers to have an uncertain status, is a key source of friction in the U.S.-China relationship. Trump said he wouldn't get into what the U.S. would do if China invades Taiwan, but he said Beijing "know[s] the consequences." The Hill's Brett Samuels has five takeaways from the interview. ▪ The Hill: Trump: 'I doubt' US going to war with Venezuela, but Maduro's days numbered. SYRIAN PRESIDENT VISIT: Trump will host Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa next week, which will be the first-ever visit by a Syrian president to the White House, an administration official told The Associated Press. The official told the AP that the meeting, first reported by Axios, will take place on Nov. 10. This will come after Trump and al-Sharaa met in Saudi Arabia in May, the first meeting between the leaders of the U.S. and Syria in 25 years. Al-Sharaa rose to power in the aftermath of the fall of longtime dictator Bashar Assad's regime in December, following a more than decadelong civil war. Syria under the new government has been adjusting after years of international isolation and intense sanctions put in place over Assad's record of human rights abuses and war crimes. Al-Sharaa had been tied to al Qaeda and at one point had a $10 million reward from the U.S. on him, but he has since distanced himself from the terrorist group and indicated that he's changed his ways. The administration official said al-Sharaa is expected to sign an agreement joining the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS during the visit. ▪ The Jerusalem Post: Syria seeks Lebanese help in capturing former Assad officers accused of war crimes. WHEN & WHERE The president will participate in a tele-rally for the Virginia governor's race at 7 p.m. and one for the New Jersey governor's race at 7:30. The Senate will meet at 3 p.m. The House will not convene today. ZOOM IN © The Associated Press | Jess Rapfogel CONSERVATIVE SPLIT: The conservative movement is divided after Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts posted a video defending Tucker Carlson for interviewing white nationalist Nick Fuentes. The Hill's Emily Brooks reports that Roberts's statement has stirred backlash from GOP senators and several traditionally conservative organizations, including from staffers inside Heritage itself. They argue that Fuentes, an online commentator known for making white supremacist, misogynistic and antisemitic remarks, isn't worthy to debate. "Nick Fuentes is a disgusting, anti-American, antisemitic loser. He is not a conservative, not America First, and not an ally of President Trump or any conservative organization," one Heritage staffer told Brooks. Roberts stood by Carlson on Thursday, calling him a "close friend" of the foundation. He also said he "disagree[s] with and even abhor[s]" statements that Fuentes has made, but "canceling him" isn't the answer. Roberts's initial statement, delivered in a video posted to social media, appalled a large part of the political right, which has sought to distance itself from Fuentes. The Heritage leader's comments also stirred backlash among the Jewish community across the political spectrum. Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) CEO Matt Brooks told Jewish Insider he was "appalled, offended and disgusted" that Roberts would stand with Carlson and Fuentes. He said a "reassessment" of the RJC's relationship with Heritage would occur after Roberts's comments. Following initial backlash to the video, Roberts put out another statement on Friday more explicitly condemning the antisemitism of Fuentes and his followers, while continuing to defend Carlson for interviewing him. Roberts did receive support from some on the MAGA right, including Steve Bannon, for his initial video that sparked uproar. "I mean, what a state of the country when that's controversial," Bannon said on his "War Room" show Friday. "That's pretty basic. Dr. Roberts, pretty straight guy, pretty straightforward guy." Others were more subtle in their response, with former Vice President Mike Pence posting a video highlighting his support for Israel and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defending the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship. ▪ The Hill: Heritage Foundation shakes up staff in wake of Tucker Carlson-Nick Fuentes controversy. ▪ The Associated Press: Carlson interview reveals conservative movement's conflict over antisemitism. ▪ The Hill: GOP Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas), Mitch McConnell (Ky.) slam Roberts's defense of Carlson. TRUMP NOT ATTENDING SCOTUS ARGUMENTS: Trump said he wouldn't attend Supreme Court arguments over his tariff policy taking place Wednesday after previously floating the possibility. He said in a Truth Social post that he didn't want to distract from the case's importance, saying, "It will be, in my opinion, one of the most important and consequential Decisions ever made by the United States Supreme Court." The court will consider whether Trump can use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose blanket tariffs on other countries. An appeals court ruled last month that Trump didn't have the authority through the law. HEGSETH CLOSES RANKS: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has barred military officials from discussing drug boat strikes with members of Congress without prior approval, CNN reported. This comes after a briefing on the strikes last week that members of both parties said was inadequate, as it didn't provide a legal rationale behind the strikes or evidence that the boats targeted were attempting to smuggle drugs into the U.S. The federal government continued with its strikes on Saturday when U.S. forces struck another alleged drug vessel in the Caribbean, killing three, Hegseth said. He declared the men on the boat "narco-terrorists" and said the U.S. would continue to pursue these boats the way it treated al Qaeda. Dozens have been killed in the strikes taking place in the Caribbean and East Pacific in recent weeks. JUDGE EXTENDS BLOCK: A federal judge has extended the block on Trump's deployment of the National Guard to Portland, Ore., through at least Friday. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut's decision came after arguments took place over the legality of Trump's move. He's deployed troops to several major U.S. cities, but critics have argued he's exceeding his authority to deploy the guard and mischaracterized the situation on public safety in these cities. He's been blocked from sending troops into Chicago in a separate case. The Hill's Ella Lee reports that the riots that consumed Portland in 2020 were key to federal officials' argument of portraying the city as under siege. But local police officers testified the protests in the city recently have been mostly peaceful and the presence of federal officers has inflamed tensions. The administration argued that Trump should be granted significant deference in his decision-making to send the guard in. Now the city waits for a ruling that could determine whether Trump's move can go through. ELSEWHERE © The Associated Press | Lynne Sladky FLORIDA VACCINE ROLLBACK: Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo's decision to eliminate all vaccine requirements for school-age children is stirring fear among immunocompromised students and their families as the policy's implementation approaches. Ladapo, a longtime vaccine skeptic, announced in September that Florida would end all vaccine mandates without exceptions, effective in January. This includes vaccines that protect against viruses like chickenpox, hepatitis B and meningitis. Epidemiologists have warned that the rollback could lead to a resurgence of viruses and diseases that have been under control for years and cause a hit to the local economy. The Hill's Lee Ann Anderson spoke with one woman who said she worries falling vaccination rates will pose a larger risk for her 11-year-old daughter, who has a rare immunodeficiency disorder that requires biweekly plasma infusions. "By taking the mandate away, you're telling people that you don't care whether they get the vaccines or not. So why would a parent of a healthy kid want to do it?" she asked. "They need to do it for the other people in their lives who could be in danger." Experts said once herd immunity drops below 95 percent, the risks of an outbreak grow. Low vaccination rates contributed to a measles outbreak in Texas earlier this year, leading to almost 100 hospitalizations and two deaths of school-age children. But Anderson reports that Ladapo's policy still has its defenders. "I don't think we should be involved at all in mandating any vaccines. That's not our role," Martin Kulldorff, the chair of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, told Politico. ▪ ABC News: Doctors brace for Florida's end of vaccine mandates. ▪ Politico: What states could follow Florida in ending mandates? HAMAS TURNS OVER MORE REMAINS: Hamas has turned over what it says are the remains of three additional deceased hostages as the fragile ceasefire with Israel continues to hold, despite a few incidents of fighting. Israel said forensic experts would examine the remains to confirm their identities. It has previously accused Hamas of turning over remains that don't belong to any hostage on a few occasions. Hamas said in a statement that the three remains were found in a tunnel in southern Gaza on Sunday. This comes after Hamas returned two bodies of deceased hostages days earlier, a sign of the ceasefire holding after Israel accused the militant group of violating it. Last week, Israel conducted its most significant airstrikes on Gaza since the ceasefire began in response to the shooting and killing of an Israeli soldier in Rafah and alleged violations of the agreement to return the bodies of deceased hostages. Israel has demanded that all remains are returned immediately, while Hamas has said time would be needed to find them all. Hamas has returned 17 of the 28 bodies still in Gaza since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10, not counting the three returned Sunday. While the ceasefire has mostly held, whether it can stay in place and what comes next as part of Trump's broader 20-point plan for bringing peace to the region remain uncertain. ▪ Politico: Qatari prime minister says country is trying to keep ceasefire in place. ▪ The Jerusalem Post: Hamas demands temporary immunity for militants in tunnels beyond Gaza's yellow line. OPINION Japan's Iron Lady signals a harder edge, writes The Hill opinion contributor Ronny Sasmita. The folly of Washington's hunger games, writes The Washington Post opinion columnist Kathleen Parker. THE CLOSER © The Associated Press | Ashley Landis And finally … The Los Angeles Dodgers are celebrating after their dramatic comeback victory in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend. The Dodgers prevailed 5-4 to take the last game of the series and become the first team to win back-to-back World Series since the New York Yankees from 1998 to 2000. World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto was dominant throughout the series, pitching a complete game victory in Game 2, winning Game 6 and pitching the last few innings of Game 7 to seal the win. Trump congratulated the Dodgers on their win in a Truth Social post, writing that "so many stars made it happen." He said he would see them at the White House, as is traditional for the president to host the winning team in the major professional sports leagues. Trump hosted the Dodgers in April in celebration of their victory last year. Stay Engaged We want to hear from you! Email me here and suggest this newsletter to friends! Privacy Policy   |   View in Browser   |   Manage Subscriptions Sign Up for Other Newsletters   |   Unsubscribe   400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright © 1998 - 2025 Nexstar Media Inc.   |   All Rights Reserved