Wednesday, February 26 | By Alexis Simendinger & Kristina Karisch |
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| ▪ House narrowly approves GOP budget blueprint ▪ DOGE dominates Washington ▪ Donalds shakes up Florida's MAGA contingent ▪ Zelensky, Trump to meet in Washington on Friday |
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©️ The Associated Press | J. Scott Applewhite |
House adopts budget resolution |
It required 11th-hour lobbying by President Trump on the phone and hours of cloakroom jawboning by House GOP leaders before passage Tuesday night of a budget framework that aims to reset federal priorities after four years of Democratic governance. It sets the stage for the next significant hurdle: achieving Republican agreement on the details built into $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and a $2 trillion reduction in federal spending over a decade, using an exacting process known as budget reconciliation. The New York Times: Here's what's in the budget resolution. The House wants "one big, beautiful bill," Trump's stated preference. Senate Republicans have cleared their own budget framework, which envisions two budget reconciliation measures. The process Republicans have in mind counts on enacting Trump's agenda without needing Democratic support. The House vote of 217 to 215 capped a wild evening in which Republican leaders announced they were canceling floor action, only to reverse course 10 minutes later. In the end, three GOP members shifted from "no" to "yes": Reps. Victoria Spartz (Ind.), Warren Davidson (Ohio) and Tim Burchett (Tenn.). And Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) opposed the measure, as he previously said he would. Trump complimented both chambers. "I know the Senate's doing very well, and the House is doing very well, but each one of them has things that I like, so we'll see if we can come together," he said. The final tally also marked a dramatic turnaround for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his lieutenants, who faced off against four deficit hawks, skepticism among some other GOP hardliners and apprehension from moderates concerned about potential slashes to social safety net measures. Those misgivings have not been erased. Johnson understood for many weeks that with his narrow House majority, Republicans faced an uphill climb to approve tax cuts and spending priorities in a single piece of legislation built on selecting budgetary winners and losers. Republican moderates were balking at conservatives' pitch to reallocate resources from federal Medicaid. And conservatives demanded dramatic deficit reduction. MEDICAID A TRIPWIRE? Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) said he spoke to Trump multiple times this week, airing his concerns about potential Medicaid cuts proposed by House colleagues. The president "is concerned with Medicaid as well and does not want to hurt it, period," he said. Why do some Republicans fear political risks ahead of the 2026 elections? Because 71 percent of voters who back Trump say cutting Medicaid would be unacceptable, according to a Hart Research survey. And 82 percent of all voters say the same. Medicaid is a federal-state health care safety net for 72 million low-income Americans nationwide. The possibility of enacting tax cuts for the wealthy seemingly at the expense of the poor is seen as a risky narrative to sell to voters. Johnson argued for weeks that Republicans merely seek to root out "fraud, waste and abuse" in the program. During his campaign, Trump said Medicare and Social Security would be off-limits for cuts. Proposed Medicaid changes, which Republicans argue would be more like rearrangements of existing funds than cuts to benefits, could leave states with vast budget shortfalls, The New York Times reports. Republicans are considering a Medicaid change that could generate an estimated $560 billion in savings over a decade, the Times added, money the GOP wants to put toward extending Trump's 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of this year. Extending the tax breaks is projected to cost $4.5 trillion in the budget, meaning the party will have to find savings far beyond Medicaid if it hopes to transform Trump's entire wish list into law while avoiding additional red ink. ▪ The Hill: Republican tax cut ambitions and conservative demands to hold down spending are complicating aspirations for a bipartisan deal that can keep the federal government operating after appropriated funds expire on March 14. The GOP says it wants to find a solution before there's a federal shutdown. ▪ The Hill: Five obstacles facing the Republican tax agenda. |
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Smart Take
with Blake Burman |
| The dynamics should be fascinating. President Trump is scheduled to host his first Cabinet meeting later today, and the White House says Elon Musk will be in attendance. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Musk will attend the meeting to talk about the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) efforts and "how all the Cabinet secretaries are identifying waste, fraud and abuse at their respective agencies." The meeting comes as the White House also made something else very clear: Cabinet secretaries, not Musk and DOGE, will determine if government employees need to provide five bullet points on what they accomplished in the prior week. This meeting comes at a moment when the president first highlights the team he assembled — and how Musk fits in. |
Burman hosts "The Hill" weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation. |
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- The Hill's The Gavel: Courts become Trump's backstop.
- As a security precaution, the Federal Aviation Administration is closing runways at Reagan Washington National Airport when the president travels to and from the White House aboard Marine One. Commercial travelers in and out of National Airport are experiencing flight diversions and delays.
- The Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out an Oklahoma inmate's murder conviction and death sentence, saying Richard Glossip, who has pleaded not guilty, is entitled to a new trial.
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©️ The Associated Press | Jose Luis Magana |
CONTROVERSY FOLLOWS Musk and DOGE. After repeatedly refusing to identify the panel's administrator, the Trump administration on Tuesday pointed to Amy Gleason, a former U.S. Digital Service official, as the operation's acting administrator. With Gleason and Musk, Trump has sought to overhaul vast swaths of the federal government, but pushback from federal workers and courts alike has followed nearly every one of the task force's moves. And the efficacy of Musk's sledgehammer approach is questionable: Nearly 40 percent of the federal contracts that the administration claims to have canceled as part of its cost-cutting program aren't expected to save the government any money, according to the administration's own data. "It's like confiscating used ammunition after it's been shot when there's nothing left in it. It doesn't accomplish any policy objective," Charles Tiefer, a former University of Baltimore law professor and expert on government contracting law, told The Associated Press. "Their terminating so many contracts pointlessly obviously doesn't accomplish anything for saving money." The Hill: Who is Gleason, the interim administrator of DOGE? The push to dwindle down the federal workforce is running into headwinds that Trump had not experienced previously, write The Hill's Rebecca Beitsch and Al Weaver, as Senate-confirmed Cabinet and agency heads stand in his way of immediately carrying out DOGE's plans. Musk will have a chance to provide clarity about DOGE's operations today when he attends Trump's first Cabinet meeting of his second term. The tech billionaire's attendance comes as widespread confusion continues to plague agencies over a weekend directive by Musk requiring 2.3 million federal employees to email five bullet points describing a week's accomplishments. The White House said more than a million federal employees responded, about a third of the workforce. Still, confusion abounds: Many federal agencies, especially those dealing with national security, told employees not to reply or said a reply was voluntary. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed to reporters any Cabinet friction with the Musk-led overhaul of the federal government. "I would reject the premise of your question. … Everybody is working as one team, and the president respects the decisions of the Cabinet secretaries to tell their staff to respond to that email," she said, adding that agencies that are not responding are doing so because of national security concerns. Trump PLC: The president's C-suite approach to governance at the outset of his second term is drawing raves from many supporters and donors even as polls suggest the public may not be fully on board, The Hill's Brett Samuels reports. ▪ NPR: A group of 21 career civil servants whose team was folded into DOGE resigned on Tuesday, writing in a joint letter posted publicly that they refuse to use their skills to put Americans' data at risk and "dismantle critical public services." ▪ The New York Times: Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said Tuesday that more than 100 intelligence officers from 15 agencies had been fired for sexually explicit discussions on a government chat tool. ▪ NPR: Six probationary federal employees fired by Trump must get their jobs back at least through April 10, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the independent federal agency that hears employee complaints against the government, ordered Tuesday night. U.S. Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger determined he had "reasonable grounds" to believe the administration violated statute in terminating probationary employees at five different departments and the Office of Personnel Management "at will" without following procedure or providing reasons for each firing. ▪ CNN: Trump, who is intent on keeping illegal migrants out of the U.S., said he's creating a path to U.S. citizenship in exchange for a $5 million fee for a new "gold card." He said Tuesday he believes wealthy foreigners will pay to be permitted to live and work in this country. PERSONAL BUSINESS: Musk's plan to convert his social platform X into a payment company is looming large over the Trump administration's push to effectively dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), as questions arise about how he could personally benefit from rolling back the agency's oversight capabilities. However, as Musk draws nearer to his goal, he has used DOGE to take aim at the CFPB — the agency that increasingly regulates digital payment platforms. ▪ NBC News: "Effective nullification of congressional will" was a phrase used Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead in Seattle when he explained his ruling blocking Trump's effort to halt the nation's refugee admissions system, which appears in statute and was enacted with Congress. ▪ The Hill: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told NBC News on Tuesday, "When the executive basically blows by Congress, or rolls right over Congress, and we allow that, we're ceding our responsibility." ▪ The Hill: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. targets childhood psychiatric drugs; doctors push back. ▪ The Hill: There is no historical precedent for Trump's firing last week of so many top Pentagon military leaders at once. |
- The House will meet at 10 a.m.
- The Senate will convene at 10 a.m.
- The president will convene the first Cabinet meeting of his second term at 11 a.m. He will sign executive orders at 3 p.m.
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Profit Sharing: A Delta Tradition of Giving Back |
Over the last decade, Delta has shared over $10 billion with employees. We reward dedication because when our people thrive, our airline soars. Learn more about our commitment to shared success. Learn more. |
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©️ The Associated Press | Alex Brandon |
TALLAHASSEE TUSSLE: Trump's endorsement of Rep. Byron Donalds (R) for Florida governor exposes strains among Republicans in a state that has become the center of the party's universe. The public backing of Donalds has led many to ask whether the primary is effectively over, writes The Hill's Julia Manchester. On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who has also played a starring role in the state's GOP wins, took a swipe at Donalds, suggesting he has not played a role in conservative wins in that state. "Here's the bottom line: The governor does not want Byron to be the next governor," said one Florida Republican operative. NEW YORK CITY: Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) — who resigned in 2021 amid his denials of wrongdoing while facing accusations of sexual harassment and a pandemic-era nursing home controversy — is making final preparations to run for mayor and could announce his candidacy, possibly by video, as soon as this weekend, according to The New York Times. The Democratic mayoral primary is June 24, and embattled Mayor Eric Adams (D) is seeking reelection. OUT OF THE POOL: The president's staff, and not the independent White House Correspondents' Association founded in 1914, will determine the daily collection of journalists who can be part of the "pool" of journalists who rotate to cover the president during most events in Washington and out of town, the White House press secretary announced Tuesday. For many decades, new organizations dedicated to covering the president full-time as part of the White House press corps (while paying their own way to travel and report on presidents' activities), have served as the timely eyes and ears behind the scenes for other news organizations. The change is an offshoot of Trump's interest in controlling, including through litigation, access to his activities and decision-making exercised by major news outlets, including The Associated Press, CBS News and ABC News. Trump's theatrical love-hate relationship with the news media originated in New York City well before he entered politics and is well received by supporters. |
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©️ The Associated Press | Gleb Garanich, Reuters |
FROM KYIV TO WHITE HOUSE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to travel to Washington on Friday to meet Trump after officials agreed to terms on a draft minerals deal, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. Ihor Brusylo, deputy head of Zelensky's office, on Tuesday called Trump "a peacemaker and a dealmaker," while expressing hope that Washington would keep providing aid to his country. The senior Ukrainian official told NPR that a potential U.S.-Ukraine agreement on mineral resources could bolster economic partnerships. American officials proposed that Ukraine allow the U.S. access to its raw minerals to recoup billions of U.S. dollars designated to support Ukraine's fight against Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia was ready to work with U.S. companies to secure rare raw minerals within occupied Ukraine's borders in hopes of ending the conflict. Still, Moscow disputed Trump's Monday claim that Putin told him he approves of European peacekeepers as part of a potential accord with Ukraine to end the war. Trump said during a White House meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron that he had "specifically asked" Putin about peacekeepers and that Putin "has no problem with it." The U.S. and Russia are headed for another round of high-level talks in the coming weeks, the Kremlin said. The Hill: GOP lawmakers sound the alarm over Trump's Ukraine strategy. TARIFFS AND INTELLIGENCE: White House adviser Peter Navarro, whose portfolio includes trade, denied a Financial Times report on Tuesday that he wants Canada ejected from the so-called Five Eyes intelligence alliance because of the country's resistance to Trump's tariff policies. "We would never, ever jeopardize our national security, ever, with allies like Canada, ever," he said. Trump said Monday that tariffs to be levied on Canada and Mexico are on pace to take effect next week, despite efforts by both countries to beef up border security in response to Trump's claims about migrants and fentanyl. BBC: Trump has ordered an investigation of copper imports in what is a first step toward potential tariffs on the metal. |
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- Cuts for thee, but not for me: Republicans beg for DOGE exemptions, by Catherine Rampell, columnist, The Washington Post.
- The Fed must see what's wrong to do its job right, by Bill Dudley, columnist, Bloomberg Opinion.
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©️ The Associated Press | Guo Qingshan |
And finally… 🐶 It's a mountain, it's a puppy — it's Puppy Mountain! Onlookers have been drawn to a cliff face in the central Chinese countryside that bears a striking resemblance to a dog's head resting on the ground next to the Yangtze River, its snout perched at the water's edge. Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan posted the photo on social media on Valentine's Day with the caption "Puppy Mountain," and quickly went viral. Dog owners started to post pictures of their dogs to see which one had the closest resemblance. Many people traveled to see the mountain for themselves, and some even brought their dogs to take photos. |
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