SAVE ACT STANDOFF: Congressional Republicans are wrestling with the path forward in trying to pass the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require proof of citizenship when voting. The president has placed it as his top legislative priority with the midterm elections on the horizon.
Trump has called for Republicans to change Senate rules to reestablish a talking filibuster, which would force Democrats to speak on the floor continuously to prevent a final vote on passing the legislation. He reiterated his declaration that he would not sign any other piece of legislation until the act passes while speaking to House Republicans at their three-day issues retreat Monday.
But Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) poured cold water on Trump's plans Tuesday, insisting that "the votes aren't there" to change the Senate's filibuster rules. He said he plans to bring the legislation to the floor next week, but its prospects are dim without changing the filibuster.
"The votes aren't there, one, to nuke the filibuster, and the votes aren't there for a talking filibuster. It's just a reality," Thune said. "I'm the person who has to deliver sometimes the not-so-good news that the math doesn't add up, but those are the facts and there's no getting around it."
Trump has added pressure on Thune and Senate Republicans through the heated primary runoff between Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Despite some reports that Trump plans to endorse Cornyn, whom national Republicans view as a much safer general election candidate, the president has yet to follow through.
The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports that Thune acknowledged he was concerned about the possibility of Trump being slow to back Cornyn because of the disagreement over the filibuster.
"Yeah, I mean, that's probably not a linkage that is in anybody's best interest because voting on the SAVE America Act is something we can do, but passage is not guaranteed," Thune said. "You have to make political decisions independent of what the final disposition of that might be on the floor."
At least so far, the leverage Trump may be asserting doesn't seem to be making a difference with Thune's view of the situation.
MEANWHILE, ON THE HOUSE SIDE: House Republicans are coming out of their retreat today looking to craft their own legislative agenda through the rest of the year after already passing the SAVE America Act.
The House GOP is seeking to push through a second massive spending package through the reconciliation process, which would only require a simple majority to pass in the Senate, to try to strengthen their economic messaging ahead of the midterms, The Hill's Sudiksha Kochi reports.
But accomplishing this won't be easy, with a tight timeline and razor-thin House Republican majority.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also raised the idea of using the reconciliation process to target what he described as waste, fraud and abuse in Democratic-led states.
Trump had pressured Johnson to turn to reconciliation last month during and after his State of the Union address, saying he wanted new personal and corporate tax cuts.
▪ The Hill: Johnson says Iran funding bill 'inevitable.'
▪ The Hill: Senate clears hurdle on bipartisan housing bill.
TRUMP TO KENTUCKY: The president is traveling to northern Kentucky today for an official visit, but political observers will be on the lookout for any attention he gives to the hometown House member, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).
Massie is a relatively rare detractor of Trump within the GOP, splitting with him on key issues such as tariffs and the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Most recently, the congressman bucked the president in voting for an unsuccessful resolution aimed at restricting Trump's war powers in Iran.
Trump has sharply criticized Massie for years, calling him names including "loser" and "moron." But he's stepped up his attention on ousting Massie this cycle, having endorsed his primary opponent, former Navy Seal Ed Gallrein.
Trump is visiting a packaging plant in Cincinnati before speaking in Hebron, Ky., in Massie's district. The president hasn't been shy about speaking out against Massie, and the visit will be an optimal time to cast a negative spotlight on his adversary.
▪ The Hill: Trump seeks to topple GOP foe in Kentucky.
RUNOFF COMING: The race to fill former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's (R-Ga.) vacant House seat will go to a runoff after no candidate secured a majority of the vote Tuesday.
Republican Clay Fuller, who received Trump's endorsement, and Democrat Shawn Harris will face each other in a runoff scheduled for next month.
More than a dozen candidates from both parties competed on the same ballot in the first round Tuesday, making the chances of one candidate winning outright unlikely.
Harris was the Democratic nominee for the seat in 2024, losing to Greene by nearly 30 points in the solidly Republican district.
Fuller will be the clear favorite in the district, and he will help give House Republicans a bit more breathing room in their narrow majority in the chamber if he wins. But the runoff means they will have to wait a few more weeks.
▪ The Hill: Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) fends off primary challenger.
TURNING TO RESERVES: The International Energy Agency (IEA) has reportedly proposed what would be the largest release of oil reserves in its history to reduce the soaring cost of oil since the conflict began.
The Wall Street Journal reported the release would be 400 million barrels of oil, more than double the current record of 182 million released in 2022 following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The IEA is expected to debate the proposal Wednesday, and it will be adopted if none of the 32 member countries object.
But officials told the Journal it could be delayed if just one country raises opposition.
The outlet noted past releases of reserves have had mixed results, with the 2022 release initially leading to a jump in oil prices before helping bring them down.
BONDI MOVES: Attorney General Pam Bondi has moved to a military base in the Washington, D.C., area after facing threats from drug cartels and critics of her handling of the Epstein files, The New York Times reported.
People familiar with the situation told the Times that she moved from an apartment in the city over threats that federal law enforcement has flagged. The threats escalated following the capture and prosecution of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January.
Bondi is just the most recent administration official to move into military facilities or near the capital after facing threats. Others who have relocated include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Hegseth.
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT: The Social Security Administration's internal watchdog is looking into a complaint alleging a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee had access to two sensitive databases and planned to share the information with a private employer, The Washington Post reported.
The agency's inspector general is investigating and has already notified members of Congress about the complaint, according to a letter sent to the leaders of four congressional committees that the Post reviewed.
The complaint alleges a former DOGE software engineer told co-workers that he possessed two restricted databases of citizens' information and had at least one on a thumb drive. The databases include records for more than 500 million Americans, living and dead, the Post reported.
The Government Accountability Office has also been conducting its own audit of DOGE's access to data, according to the outlet.
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