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Evening Report

Wednesday, January 3

Republicans rally at border

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) led a group of about 60 GOP members of Congress in a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border near Eagle Pass, Texas, as the Senate and White House hash out a border policy deal.

At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Johnson said "H.R. 2 is the necessary ingredient" for border security, emphasizing restoring the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy and reforming asylum and parole systems.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Senate negotiators are getting closer to a border policy deal, which will be tied to aid to Ukraine, Israel and more.

Schumer urged House Republicans to let go of their insistence on the policies within H.R. 2, which passed the lower chamber with only Republican support last year.

"It's very nice you go to the border," Schumer said Wednesday, "but the way to get something done is work, as we are in the Senate, on a bipartisan solution to the border crisis."

Also this week: Four ports of entry are reopening Thursday after having closed or restricted operations as Customs and Border Protection reported officer shortages amid record-high migrant arrivals between ports.

Related coverage:
Chip Roy to skip GOP border trip: 'Our people … are tired of meetings'

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.

CATCH UP QUICK

Bomb threats led to evacuations and lockdowns at state capitols in Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi and Montana on Wednesday, though no dangerous items were immediately discovered.
The House Homeland Security Committee will hold the first of four impeachment hearings against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Jan. 10.
The Hill's Brook Migdon looks at pushback from some Republicans against a proposed Department of Health and Human Services rule that would require child welfare agencies to place LGBTQ children in
"environments free of hostility, mistreatment, or abuse" where their identities are affirmed.

NEW THIS AFTERNOON

Demand for abortion pill increases amid court rulings

A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found requests for abortion medication, including from people who weren't pregnant, increased in the days following the Supreme Court's leaked draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade last year.

Telemedicine abortion pill provider Aid Access reported a tenfold increase in requests following the May 2023 leak. Requests dipped and then increased again amid conflicting court rulings about access to abortion pill mifepristone. The Supreme Court agreed to review a lower court ruling restricting access to the pill.

More than 48,000 requests between Sept. 2021 and April 2023 came from people who were not pregnant but wanted the medication in case they became pregnant.

💬 WEDNESDAY ONE-LINERS

What we're watching in 2024

We asked some of our colleagues at The Hill to each share one thing they're looking out for on their beats as we enter the new year.

📣 House leadership reporter Emily Brooks on Congress: "Last year showed that House Republicans often struggle to come to agreement on party-line measures, and House lawmakers expecting the 2024 election to put substantial lawmaking on the backburner. So this year, I'll be keeping an eye on how much House Republicans line up behind former President Donald Trump — who already has the full endorsements from all the top House GOP leaders."

📣 National politics reporter Julia Manchester on the GOP primaries: "Heading into 2024, I'm watching if New Hampshire and the other contest states after Iowa actually matter. Trump's campaign is trying to put a bow on the primary in Iowa but there's some indication that Haley could perform well in New Hampshire."

📣 Courts and legal reporter Zach Schonfeld on former President Trump's legal battles: "This year, we'll finally get the answer to whether Trump can successfully push back his four criminal trials until after the election, which would provide Trump avenues to derail or delay his prosecutions. Prosecutors and some judges have been adamant that they will not yield to the campaign cycle, but Trump's lawyers are pulling out the stops."

IN OTHER NEWS

Upcoming GOP debates, town halls

The Hill's Jared Gans fills us in on what to know about the upcoming GOP presidential debates and town halls, including the newly announced Fox News town halls on women's issues with Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis next week.

DeSantis and Haley are hovering neck and neck for (distant) second place behind former President Trump in both Decision Desk HQ/The Hill's and 538's national polling averages.

Trump files appeal against Colorado ballot ban

Former President Trump filed an appeal Wednesday, asking the Supreme Court to overturn a Colorado court ruling that disqualified him from the state's 2024 Republican primary ballot under the 14th Amendment.

Russia, Ukraine swap prisoners

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 213 Ukrainian soldiers and sergeants, 11 officers and six civilians were returned in a prisoner swap with Russia. Russian media outlet TASS reported Russia received 248 soldiers. The United Arab Emirates reportedly brokered the swap.