Wednesday, May 14 | By Alexis Simendinger & Kristina Karisch |
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| ▪ Trump's next stops: Qatar and UAE ▪ GOP on tax cuts, budget: "Failure not an option" ▪ Buttigieg: Gauging 2028 contest ▪ Zelensky: I'll talk to Putin, or no one |
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©️ Associated Press | Alex Brandon |
Trump hunts for deals across Gulf states, meets with Syrian leader |
President Trump is searching far and wide for deals on his multiday tour of oil-rich Gulf states this week, a trip primarily focused on U.S. investment with a side helping of diplomacy. Trump made his first stop on his Middle East tour in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, where he received a warm welcome from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and top U.S. and Saudi business leaders. The president announced $600 billion in investments from Saudi Arabia, including a $142 billion defense deal, and took steps to reframe relations with the Middle East, including through taking a softer — though still stern — tone with Iran following the regime change. The president's first official foreign trip of his second term mirrors his inaugural international trip as commander-in-chief in 2017, which also led him to Saudi Arabia, circumventing decades of presidential traditions. That defiance was on display Tuesday during Trump's foreign policy speech at the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh, where Trump blamed former President Biden for foreign policy stances that he argued strained Middle East partnerships. "The Biden administration's extreme weakness and gross incompetence derailed progress towards peace, destabilized the region and put at risk everything we worked so hard to build together," Trump said, calling the Biden administration "hostile" toward the region. Trump announced he will be lifting sanctions on Syria at the urging of allies in the Middle East in an effort to boost the new government in Damascus. Ahead of a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting this morning, Trump held a half-hour meeting with the new president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who came into power after the fall of the Assad regime in 2024. The meeting marked the first time in 25 years that the leaders of the two countries have met, and is likely to represent a turning point in the global acceptance of Syria's new government. The White House said Trump was referencing leaders including al-Sharaa in his speech Tuesday. "A new generation of leaders is transcending the ancient conflicts of tired divisions of the past," Trump said, "and forging a future where the Middle East is defined by commerce, not chaos." The president also offered an "olive branch" to Iran, a longtime U.S. adversary, amid discussions about Tehran's nuclear program. The Hill's Alex Gangitano and Brett Samuels break down five key takeaways from day one of Trump's trip. Axios: All Trump's roads lead to the Gulf. Hanging over the trip is the recent Qatari offer of a luxury Boeing 747 jet to serve as Air Force One — and then be passed to Trump's presidential library. Notably, a number of conservative figures and MAGA allies have criticized Trump's decision to accept the gift, including Nikki Haley, Ben Shapiro and Laura Loomer. GOP senators such as Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rand Paul (Ky.) have also raised concerns over the gift, citing potential espionage efforts and Qatar's human rights record. ▪ Defense One: Trump's Qatari Air Force One would pose massive security risks. ▪ The Washington Post: Before the Qatar plane controversy, Trump derided foreign gifts — and Qatar. ▪ The New York Times: Republicans on Capitol Hill seem unlikely to challenge Trump as he pushes ethics guardrails around profiting from the presidency to the breaking point. ▪ The Hill: Qatar Airways is set to announce that it secured an agreement to purchase 150 aircraft from Boeing while Trump is in Doha on Wednesday. Democrats are planning on putting as much scrutiny as they can on Trump's plan to accept the gift, writes The Hill's Al Weaver, arguing the public will agree that accepting the plane would amount to ethical and national security lapses. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), who have been among the leading voices in opposition, rolled out a resolution condemning "any acceptance of Presidential aircraft, or any other substantial gift, from a foreign government." The aircraft is valued at roughly $400 million. "It really should go without saying, but no president should be accepting a $400 million gift from a foreign country," Schatz said on the floor Tuesday afternoon. "It is gross, it is reckless, it is corrupt, and the outrage and the condemnation, especially on the Republican side, should be universal. There is no excuse or justification for this. It is wrong, and that is the end of the story." |
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Smart Take
with Blake Burman |
| Let the edits begin. House Republicans kicked off the week by releasing the draft text of the "big, beautiful bill." On Tuesday, three committees began the process of amending it in red ink. As you might expect with such sprawling legislation, the bill already has its fair share of debate. For example, deficit hawks like Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) are warning about the potential price tag. "We need to return to a reasonable pre-pandemic-level spending," Johnson told me Tuesday. "At a minimum, we shouldn't be increasing the deficit, and I don't see any scenario that they're discussing right now where we don't actually increase the deficit over 10 years with this big, beautiful bill." For all the focus on the House, keep in mind that it is a warning from a Republican senator, and that chamber will have its say as well. |
Burman hosts "The Hill" weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation. |
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- The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday it will be moving to take ingestible prescription fluoride products for children off the market, citing concerns that the mineral alters the gut microbiome of children.
- Inflation in April was tamer than anticipated but up over March, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. Economists are eager to see the consumer price index for May in data released next month to get a better gauge of prices and the impact of tariffs.
- The Hill's Niall Stanage describes winners and losers as Trump pivots on trade. The Washington Post rewinds months of Trump's trade turns with China to unpack the president's pullback.
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Protect Community Banks from Credit Card Mandates |
The Durbin-Marshall Credit Card Mandates will raise costs, limit credit access, and hurt local financial institutions. Carve-outs don't work. Small banks lose while corporate megastores cash in. Learn more. |
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©️ The Associated Press | Rod Lamkey Jr. |
The House Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Agriculture committees spent hours huddled separately Tuesday to markup centerpiece provisions of what Republicans and the president say will be transformative legislation to remake taxes, federal spending and the shape of government for years to come. The Energy and Commerce panel, searching for savings in the Medicaid program to offset the budgetary costs of tax reductions, did not lower the rate used by the federal government to pay states for Medicaid, a point of contention between moderates and conservatives. House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.), during a Tuesday news conference, expressed confidence that his GOP colleagues could reach an agreement on thorny tax provisions, including the state and local tax deduction, which divides House conservatives from moderates who represent high-tax states such as New York, New Jersey and California. "If we don't deliver on this, every single American — 207 million taxpayers — will face a 22 percent tax increase," Smith said, referring to tax provisions that will be sunset at the end of this year without congressional action. "So, failure is not an option." The Agriculture Committee's provisions as part of the House budget project would raise the age requirement for able-bodied adults without children to qualify for benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, or food stamps. And Republicans in the House propose to shift more of the costs to states. The bill updates the age requirement to 64, up from 54. House GOP members also want to close a loophole for work requirement waivers that states could request for areas with unemployment rates of more than 10 percent (CBS News). The Agriculture Committee was tasked with finding at least $230 billion in savings. Lawmakers await some of the key Congressional Budget Office estimates for legislative provisions in committees this week, which are to be folded into a final reconciliation measure. Congress's green eyeshade experts have estimated that the Energy and Commerce panel's provisions would reduce deficits by more than $880 billion over 10 years. ▪ The Hill: House Republicans placed a big bet this week in pairing Trump's favored tax rates with cuts to Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for low-income beneficiaries. ▪ The Washington Post: Here's how the president's "big, beautiful" budget legislation could change the federal government and the U.S. economy. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) would like his colleagues to pass the reconciliation measure by Memorial Day, an ambitious timeline considering the negotiating, finger-pointing and delays coming from Republicans. The measure will also have to carry the load to raise the nation's borrowing authority, a separate headache for Trump and the GOP. And the House legislation provided endless campaign targets for Democratic candidates who argue that Trump and Republicans favor tax breaks for the rich, paid for by average, working Americans. Johnson told reporters after meeting with a group of colleagues Tuesday that there will be a decision today on a higher state and local tax deduction, a continuing point of sharp disagreement between conservatives and moderates from high-tax blue states. The Speaker says he sees progress on the issue, but along the way, he's stirred mistrust among his colleagues over the tax bill. The House GOP bill aims for at least $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over a decade and up to $4 trillion in tax cuts. SENATE SUSPENSE: Whatever Johnson navigates through the House will face an uphill climb in the Senate. Medicaid cuts are unpopular among the GOP in the upper chamber, The Hill's Alexander Bolton explains. Deficit hawks say the proposed House budget savings fall short, while other Republicans, especially those from lower-income rural states, are unnerved that an estimated 8 million people would lose their health insurance, according to the CBO. ▪ Politico: Two more aides left Sen. John Fetterman's (D-Pa.) office in recent weeks, the latest in a stream of staff exits amid the senator's shifting political persona and questions about his health. ▪ The Hill: Rep. Shri Thanader (D-Mich.) moved Tuesday to force House floor action on seven articles of impeachment aimed at Trump on Thursday. Fellow Democrats are upfront about their displeasure. ▪ The New York Times: The Justice Department indicted a Wisconsin judge Tuesday on charges of helping an immigrant evade arrest by federal agents waiting outside her courtroom. Hannah Dugan is expected to appear in court Thursday. |
- The House will meet at 10 a.m.
- The Senate will convene at 10 a.m.
- The president began Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, and he'll end it in Doha. In Riyadh, Trump participated in a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council. He departed Saudi Arabia at midday to travel for a state visit at Amiri Diwan, Qatari amir's official workplace, in the afternoon, local time. The president is scheduled to spend several hours at his Doha hotel before arriving at Lusail Palace for a two-hour state dinner.
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©️ The Associated Press | Cliff Jette
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TRANSPORTATION TO IOWA: Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, confirmed on Tuesday he's considering a possible 2028 presidential run. Before headlining a town hall with veterans' group VoteVets Action Fund in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he said during a Substack Live interview with independent journalist Anand Giridharadas that he'll "assess what I bring to the table and how it's different than the others." Taking questions from the Iowa audience, Buttigieg, 43, took note of the divergent views within his party about how to reckon with the Trump administration and GOP majorities in Congress. "There's this theory out there that if we just hang back, don't do much, then the people in charge today will screw it up, then they'll get blamed for it and then we'll win," he said. "I disagree." The former South Bend, Ind., mayor and former Biden administration Cabinet member won the Iowa Democratic primary in 2020. He now resides in swing-state Michigan. Politico: Buttigieg's political future takes shape through town halls, fundraising texts and manosphere podcasts. GEORGIA: Democrats are throwing cold water on the possibility of Stacey Abrams mounting a third bid for Georgia governor, underscoring how the once-rising star's image has been tarnished by consecutive losses and recent controversies. Abrams hasn't publicly commented on the potential for making another run, writes The Hill's Jared Gans, but also hasn't ruled it out as she stays politically active. But at least some Democrats think their best chance to win a difficult battle for the governor's mansion next year would be turning to a new face. "There's not a lot of energy … or a large appetite within the state of Georgia amongst Democrats for a third Abrams run," said Georgia Democratic strategist Fred Hicks. "After that '22 election and all the things that have happened in the state since then, Democrats are really focused on trying to put forth a candidate they feel like can win next year." ▪ Roll Call: 18 months out, these are the 10 most vulnerable House members of 2026. ▪ The Hill: The Democratic National Committee has taken a first step toward possibly requiring a new election for two of its vice chairs, including David Hogg, who has stirred controversy with his call for primary challenges to longtime incumbents in safe seats. ▪ The Hill: Progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) endorsed Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D) in the state's Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday. ▪ Roll Call: The race to take on Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) expanded Monday after state Insurance Commissioner John King joined Rep. Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-Ga.) in the Republican primary. ▪ The New York Times: Biden, 82, was hospitalized Friday after a "small nodule" was discovered on his prostate that required "further evaluation." It is common for a man of Biden's age to experience prostate issues, but no additional details were released. |
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Protect Community Banks from Credit Card Mandates |
The Durbin-Marshall Credit Card Mandates will raise costs, limit credit access, and hurt local financial institutions. Carve-outs don't work. Small banks lose while corporate megastores cash in. Learn more. |
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©️ The Hill | Greg Nash and The Associated Press |
UKRAINE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raised the stakes ahead of a potential meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday by saying he wouldn't hold talks with any Russian official other than the president himself. Zelensky said he would travel to Turkey after Trump urged him to meet Putin, who suggested direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in the country on Thursday in response to the ceasefire-or-sanctions ultimatum from Kyiv's European allies. The possibility of a face-to-face meeting represents a challenge for Putin, who has not met with Zelensky since 2019 and has yet to confirm his attendance at the Istanbul talks. The Russian leader has repeatedly sought to undermine the Ukrainian president's legitimacy and suggested it would not be suitable for Moscow to negotiate directly with Kyiv. On the U.S. side, Rubio will attend the talks, Trump confirmed on Tuesday. The president has also floated the possibility of his own attendance. Additionally, Trump's senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg will travel to Istanbul. "I've also been working relentlessly to end the terrible bloodshed between Russia and Ukraine and, very importantly," Trump said in Saudi Arabia. "Talks are being held in Turkey later this week, probably on Thursday, and they could produce some pretty good results." The Washington Post: The new round of negotiations comes amid a long history of delaying tactics by the Russian side as the fighting in Ukraine grinds on. GAZA: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there is "no way" Israel will halt its war in Gaza, even if a deal is reached to release more hostages. His announcement is likely to complicate talks on a new ceasefire that seemed to gain momentum after Hamas released the last living American hostage on Monday. Netanyahu said Israeli forces were just days away from a promised escalation of force and would enter Gaza "with great strength to complete the mission. ... It means destroying Hamas." ▪ The New York Times: Israel's government has publicly dismissed warnings of extreme food shortages after it blocked aid deliveries to Gaza, but an internal analysis concluded that a crisis looms if food supplies are not restored. ▪ CNN: Israel hit a Gaza hospital as strikes resume following hostage release. ▪ The Washington Post: Who are the hostages believed to still be alive in Gaza? |
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- Trump the improviser has a head-spinning diplomatic week, by David Ignatus, columnist, The Washington Post.
- My brush with Trump's thought police, by Joseph E. Stiglitz, guest essayist, The New York Times.
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©️ The Associated Press | Argentina Supreme Court |
And finally … 🔎 World War II materials hidden or forgotten for decades around the world still turn up to surprise and fascinate historians and preservationists. An example announced on Sunday involves 83 crates of Nazi propaganda materials recently rediscovered in the basement of Argentina's Supreme Court, authorities disclosed. How did postcards, photos and swastika-decorated membership notebooks belonging to the Nazi Party wind up in Buenos Aires? According to details the court pieced together, the materials stashed in champagne crates were sent by the German Embassy in Tokyo to Argentina in June 1941 aboard a Japanese steamship. At the time, the large shipment drew the attention of authorities, who confiscated the crates, fearing the contents could affect Argentina's neutrality, which lasted until 1944. Argentina declared war on Germany and Japan in 1945. After World War II, Argentina became a haven for Nazis — thousands of whom are believed to have fled there, according to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish rights group. The Holocaust Museum in Buenos Aires plans to help inventory and preserve the Nazi artifacts stashed in a basement for more than eight decades. |
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