Friday, May 16 | By Cate Martel |
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The big, beautiful migraine: | The Republican-led House Budget Committee just rejected the massive bill that makes up President Trump's legislative agenda. It's been a dramatic morning on Capitol Hill. The committee spent the morning marking up the megabill, but some key conservatives opposed it. Meanwhile, House Republican leaders have been trying to wrangle the votes to advance it. The committee then moved forward with a vote on the bill, but ultimately, five House Republicans joined Democrats and voted "no." This is a major setback for Republican leaders, who have been unable to give the president his legislative priorities since he took office in January. Now, what?: Republicans will regroup. Negotiations will continue with the GOP holdouts. To give you a sense of the morning drama: At one point this morning, three GOP hard-liners stormed off, prompting confusion, but then returned. What are the sticking points?: Cuts to Medicaid, state and local tax deduction, changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, etc. Then Trump stepped in to up the pressure: "STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE!," Trump posted on Truth Social, calling for Republicans to "UNITE" behind the bill. 🔎 Read Trump's message 🗨️ Today's live blog — this is what I recommend you follow today to stay updated on the evolving saga. The run of show for this bill: The bill still needs to make it out of committee before it can move to a full floor vote. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is still hoping to do this before Memorial Day weekend. *nervous laugh* If and when it does pass the House, the Senate will then need to take it up. The Senate is expected to make its own changes to the bill, so buckle in. 💻 Watch the House Budget Committee's meeting 🔎 Read the bill |
What is currently making Senate Republicans nervous: |
"Senate Republicans are unsettled by the Trump administration's decision to fire Cameron Hamilton, the acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), for speaking out against Trump's plan to shutter the agency," reports The Hill's Alexander Bolton. Why was the FEMA acting director fired?: "Hamilton testified to lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee earlier this month that closing FEMA would not be in the best interest of the American people. The next day, he was escorted out of FEMA's headquarters after losing his job." Why this has Republicans nervous: "The swift retaliation against an administration official over testimony before a congressional panel is jarring to Republican lawmakers, who worry that it could chill the willingness of officials to answer questions candidly at future hearings. And the move signals that the president is serious about eliminating FEMA, something that many Republican senators strongly oppose." Read Bolton's reporting: 'Trump's firing of FEMA director unsettles GOP senators' |
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JOIN OUR EVENT: Invest In America Thursday, June 5 at 8 a.m. EDT — Washington, D.C. |
Join The Hill for a half-day summit featuring titans from Washington and Wall Street, focused on solutions-oriented conversations that will deliver insights into the future of the domestic and global economy, covering everything from tariffs, investing, AI, crypto, taxes and more. Key speakers include: - Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
- Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio)
- Christine Todd Whitman, Former Administrator of the EPA
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Back to beautiful Washington, D.C.: |
President Trump left the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this morning and is returning to Washington. He touted major investment agreements from his trip. The deals Trump made: ➤ The White House announced a $600 billion agreement with Saudi Arabia (though the specifics appear to be lower than that figure). ➤ The White House touted a $243 billion economic deal with Qatar ➤ Trump signed a $200 billion deal with the UAE. What overshadowed his trip a bit: Trump accepting a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family. What we know A happy thing he's returning to: His daughter Tiffany Trump gave birth to a baby. Trump told reporters he's excited to see his new grandchild when he returns. What's on Trump's mind during his long flight back: Taylor Swift. 😅 He fired off a Truth Social post bashing the singer. "Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,' she's no longer 'HOT?'" No, really. This happened. | The Hill's Niall Stanage writes that "Trump's honeymoon is over; his political resilience isn't." How so?: On his 100th day in office, the situation looked grim. But things have sort of been looking up since. He's de-escalated the trade war for now, and the financial markets are looking better. He's also trying to lower prescription drug prices. He's not exactly popular by approval rating standards, but it's not as catastrophic as it seemed just weeks ago. |
The Atlantic: The MAGA-World Rift Over Trump's Qatari Jet Axios: Why Trump's second 100 days matter more The Washington Post: In Mideast, Trump cast himself as U.S. pitchman. What did he sell? The Wall Street Journal: He Calls Them Handsome, Attractive, Tough: Trump's Bromance With Arab Leaders The Hill: Boeing accelerates its momentum with win from Trump, Qatar |
Talking is a good first step: |
Ukrainian and Russian officials met today for the first direct peace talks since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. Who was there?: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, and Russian officials. Russian President Vladimir Putin skipped the trip. President Trump had publicly debated attending but ultimately opted to head home instead. |
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The House and Senate are out. President Trump is in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Vice President Vance is in Atherton, Calif. (All times EST) |
Today: Vance will attend a private, high-dollar fundraising dinner at the home of a former Facebook executive, per NBC Bay Area.
10:40 p.m.: Trump returns to the White House.
Sunday: Vance attends Pope Leo XIV's inaugural Mass.
3 p.m. Monday: The Senate returns. 📆 Today's agenda |
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