CONFIRMATION HEARING: Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) will appear today before a Senate panel for his confirmation hearing as he seeks to replace Kristi Noem as leader of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Mullin's views on the direction he believes DHS should take after months of increasing scrutiny over the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies will be under a microscope at the Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing, The Hill's Rebecca Beitsch reports.
The senator, who has served in the upper chamber since 2023, has suggested he's open to changes in how DHS conducts its operations but hasn't given any public details about potential changes he would make. That makes Wednesday's hearing the first opportunity for the public to learn more about Mullin's vision for the department he's hoping to lead.
"There's an opportunity to build off successes, and there's also opportunities to build off things that didn't go as planned," he told reporters last week.
In the Senate, Mullin has been a staunch defender of the Trump administration, including on immigration policy. He's argued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers shouldn't have to display an ID and made comments critical of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the two U.S. citizens who were shot and killed by immigration agents in Minneapolis.
That's been enough for many Democrats to come out against his nomination, as they expect he wouldn't steer the department in a significantly different way than Noem. But Republicans have largely rallied behind Mullin, expressing optimism that he can avoid the controversies that plagued Noem's leadership.
▪ CNN: Dems like Mullin but won't necessarily vote for him.
▪ The New York Times: Airport security lines grow amid DHS shutdown.
STRATTON'S SUCCESS: Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton won the Democratic primary for retiring Sen. Dick Durbin's (D-Ill.) Senate seat in a test of both her strength and that of her boss, Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D).
Stratton came out on top ahead of a crowded field to replace Durbin that featured Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly as her top opponents. Krishnamoorthi appeared to be the slight favorite heading into primary day, but Stratton rallied late momentum to win by nearly 7 points, as of the latest vote count.
Stratton was assisted toward the end of the primary race by massive spending from Pritzker boosting her. While Krishnamoorthi held the advantage in campaign fundraising, the Pritzker-backed Illinois Future PAC went all in on the lieutenant governor. That included a $5 million influx from Pritzker in recent weeks.
Pritzker faced some criticism for attempting to put his thumb on the scale, particularly from the Congressional Black Caucus, which supported Kelly. But Stratton's victory demonstrates her strength as well as Pritzker's political influence in state politics as he may be eyeing higher office.
Pritzker is running for a third term as governor and seems all but certain to win reelection in November in the solidly Democratic state. But he's also considered a potential contender for the party's 2028 presidential nomination, and flexing his political muscle Tuesday made him a winner of the evening.
Pritzker also notched another win in the Democratic primary for state comptroller, as his preferred choice, state Rep. Margaret Croke, won the party's nomination in a close race.
Read more on other takeaways from the primary from The Hill's Julia Mueller and Caroline Vakil here.
▪ The Hill: Former House Democrat wins nomination for comeback.
▪ The Hill: Daniel Biss wins primary defined by Israel support.
SAVE AMERICA DEBATE BEGINS: The Senate narrowly voted Tuesday to begin debate on the SAVE America Act, a voting requirements bill that the president has declared his top legislative priority.
The legislation, which already passed in the House last month, would require people to provide proof of citizenship before registering to vote and an ID to cast a ballot. But it faces tough odds of getting across the finish line, with all Democrats and even a few Republicans opposed to it.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted against advancing the measure, while Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was absent from the vote but said he would oppose it as well. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voted to start debate as a courtesy to GOP leadership but has told colleagues he doesn't support the bill.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has rejected pressure from Trump and conservatives to force Democrats to engage in a "talking filibuster" to block the bill.
Instead, a long and contentious debate is expected as Thune plans to keep the measure on the floor through the weekend and into next week to force Democrats to defend their opposition and try to build momentum for the legislation, The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports.
▪ The Hill: Tempers flare over how to pass the SAVE America Act.
▪ The Hill: Bipartisan housing bill faces tough path in House.
NO HELP NEEDED: The president reversed course after many countries refused to send war ships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, saying the U.S. doesn't need help.
"Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the NATO Countries' assistance — WE NEVER DID!" he said in a post on Truth Social.
The reversal came just days after Trump said "many" countries would be sending ships to force the strait to open again. Iran has declared it would attack any ship attempting to pass through the passageway, bringing the shipping of oil in the area to a halt.
France became the latest major country to reject Trump's push for assistance on Tuesday, as French President Emmanuel Macron said his country "will never take part" in military operations to open the strait.
SYMBOLIC MARK: The average national cost of diesel fuel reached $5 per gallon in a new high point since the Iran conflict began, potentially signaling more economic turmoil to come.
Diesel is often used to fuel trucks used in shipping, and the rise in its price could have impacts on the agriculture and food industries in the form of higher prices for consumers.
Along with gasoline, the cost of diesel has soared since the war with Iran began. Diesel prices averaged $3.65 per gallon a month ago but now stand at about $5.07, according to AAA. This is the second time ever that the average diesel price reached $5 per gallon, the first time being in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, according to GasBuddy.
Despite the rising costs and other impacts on the economy, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett brushed off concerns about affordability in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Tuesday.
"The fact is that the U.S. economy is fundamentally sound and that if [the war] were to be extended, it wouldn't really disrupt the U.S. economy very much at all," he said.
"It would hurt consumers, and we'd have to think about if that continued what we would have to do about that," Hassett continued. "But that's really the last of our concerns right now because we're very confident that this thing is going ahead of schedule."
▪ The Hill: House Democrat highlights Hassett's comment.
▪ CBS News: Why gas prices are spiking.
No comments:
Post a Comment