It's Thursday. It's nice that some things in life are easily predicted. For example, there will always be an eleventh-hour panic over a potential end-of-the-year government shutdown. Here's the situation: - The GOP is scrambling for plan B after Trump World tanked Johnson's funding plan.
- Johnson's Speakership role is hanging on by a thread.
- Fani Willis has been disqualified as prosecutor on the Trump Georgia election case.
- Russian astronauts are doing a spacewalk. Keep scrolling to watch it live.
I'm Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what's coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. A NOTE TO READERS: Today is our editor-in-chief Bob Cusack's last day at The Hill. He's been here for more than 20 years and has done so much for us and our readers. We will all really miss him. Read his note to readers this morning. |
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The CR can't come to the phone right now. Why? Because it's DEAD: |
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© GIPHY/2024 MTV Video Music Awards |
(I swear, there is always a perfect Taylor Swift lyric for these messes.) Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) bipartisan funding agreement to keep the government open past Friday died Wednesday, less than a day after it was unveiled. How it went down: First, conservatives were furious over the add-ons stuffed into the bill. Then, tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk took to social media platform X — which he owns — to repeatedly bash the 1,547-page bill. And then, President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance torpedoed the bill Wednesday afternoon. Punchbowl's Jake Sherman reports that there is some anger among Republicans that Johnson didn't rush the funding vote Wednesday before Trump came out against it. What do Musk, Trump and Vance want?: Trump and Vance want a clean government funding extension paired with a debt ceiling increase. They don't want any of the other goodies added onto the so-called "Christmas tree," as critics refer to it. Meanwhile, Musk has been on a social media tirade about spending — he has called for no bills to be passed until Trump takes office. That would mean a monthlong shutdown. Trump would do away with the debt ceiling entirely: Trump told NBC News this morning that he would support abolishing the debt ceiling. Related read, via The Washington Post: 'A government shutdown looked unlikely. Then Elon Musk took to X.' Now, what? |
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🎵 Oh, what fun it is to ride this wave to Friday night🛷❄️: | The clock is ticking ahead of Friday night's government funding expiration with no clear path to keep the lights on. One possible outcome: CNN reports that Republicans are considering stripping most of the add-ons (Baltimore bridge funding, changing jurisdiction of RFK Stadium, etc.) from the bipartisan funding bill and want to pass a clean funding extension and a debt ceiling hike. An open question is whether disaster relief and economic assistance to farmers would be included. Would Democrats back this plan?: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) suggested that Democrats will oppose another plan. "You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow," Jeffries posted on X. 📹 Watch Jeffries respond to the deal collapse FWIW: Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has declined to endorse the plan to abolish the debt limit, at least for now, reports The Hill's Alexander Bolton. 🗨️ Follow our live blog for funding deal updates today |
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From Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): "Democrats and Republicans spent months negotiating a bipartisan agreement to fund our government. The richest man on Earth, President Elon Musk, doesn't like it. Will Republicans kiss the ring?" Sanders posted on X. From Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas): "We have seen this over and over, and I'm just gonna sit back and sip my tea and wait on them to figure it out," Crockett told MSNBC's Alex Wagner. |
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Hey, Patrick McHenry. We may, uh, need you again: |
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) infuriated some House Republicans over his handling of the continuing resolution (CR). How so?: Republicans' small majority means there is little room for disagreements. For Johnson to corral enough votes, he had to work with Democrats on a deal. That deal involved added bills and priorities that Republicans were not happy with. Hey, rock. Howdy, hard place! This throws Johnson's Speakership into question: Some Republicans are questioning their support for Johnson after his handling of the ordeal. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) came out against Johnson on Wednesday. Keep in mind: The House will hold its Speaker vote on Jan. 3. Johnson cannot afford more than *one* Republican defection assuming all members are present. 😅 Read Emily Brooks and Mychael Schnell's reporting: 'Johnson spending deal throws Speakership into question as floor vote approaches' Why I jokingly mentioned McHenry: When Republicans couldn't agree on a Speaker following former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) ouster in 2023, retiring Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) served as the interim Speaker. (In fact, he was prank gifted a mini portrait earlier this week to commemorate that time.) |
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Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) floated tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk to serve as Speaker of the House. Technically, the Speaker does not have to be a member of Congress. |
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Mitt Romney's bestie: Retiring Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said about fellow outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.): "I don't think I've had a better friend in the United States Senate than Kyrsten Sinema. We are best friends" (From Semafor's Burgess Everett) Overheard at DCA: "Now boarding flight to Tampa, Group 1 and active military. Government contractors do NOT count as active military. I repeat, government contractors may not board at this time. Thank you." (From @OverheardWDC) Paris Hilton could see herself running for public office: Paris Hilton celebrated the House passing the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. The reality TV star was asked if she would ever run for public office and said she could "maybe see that happening." |
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An appeals court disqualifies Fani Willis:
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© Bloomberg via Getty Images |
"A Georgia appeals court on Thursday booted Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis's (D) office from the 2020 election interference case against President-elect Trump over her relationship with a top prosecutor on the case," reports The Hill's Ella Lee and Zach Schonfeld. Why?: "The panel described Willis's relationship with ex-special prosecutor Nathan Wade as a 'significant appearance of impropriety.'" What does this mean for Trump's Georgia election case?: "The court declined to outright dismiss Trump's indictment, but disqualifying Willis's office throws the future of the case further into doubt, which was already complicated by Trump's impending return to the White House." Read more: 'Fani Willis disqualified as prosecutor on Trump Georgia election case' |
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🍭 Celebrate: Today is National Hard Candy Day! 🎙️ The best thing I've heard today: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is a big fan of "Call Her Daddy" podcast host Alex Cooper, reports New York Magazine's Brock Colyar. Excerpt: "The day prior, she'd been interviewed onstage at the New York Times DealBook Summit. 'Who was that person who went before me that really wanted to meet me?' she asks one of several publicists on hand. It was Jerome Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve. Apparently, 'he's a huge fan.'" The full read 🧑🚀 Do the Michael Jackson moonwalk … you know, for the bit.: Two Chinese astronauts did a nine-hour spacewalk Tuesday, setting a new world record. 📹 Watch the footage ^ Plus, two Russian astronauts are conducting a spacewalk today. 💻 Watch the livestream 📺Neil Cavuto is leaving Fox: Longtime Fox News and Fox Business anchor Neil Cavuto is leaving the network after nearly three decades. (The Hill) |
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The House and Senate are in. President Biden is in Wilmington, Del., and Vice President Harris is in Washington. (all times Eastern) |
- 1:15 p.m.: A State Department press briefing. 💻 Livestream
- 4:40 p.m.: Biden and first lady Jill Biden leave Delaware and return to the White House.
- 9:15 p.m.: Harris leaves for Los Angeles.
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Let's end this on a happy note. . |
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