New - Intraparty divide over tactics in House, as conservative hardliners block quick passage of non-controversial bills and Marjorie Taylor Greene is forcing votes on adjourning. Senior Rs want focus on Biden agenda. “It’s a pain in the ass,” Upton says cnn.com/2021/03/09/pol…
"It's just pissing everyone off," said one senior House Republican member.
Added Buddy Carter: “Tactics without reason, they go nowhere.”
Yet there are no signs they’ll back down. “It's time to make some changes and until those changes start taking place we'll continue doing what we're doing,” Hice said. Greene: “I don't think there is many of my colleagues concerned with my tactics.”
Asked if his leadership team needs to take a firmer line with the rabble-rousers, Upton said: "It's my understanding that they've talked to them -- and it didn't work."
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Marsha Blackburn whacks DOJ nominee Vanita Gupta after pressing her on whether Gov. Cuomo's accusers should be believed. Gupta says they should be heard and investigated. Blackburn chides her response.
Here's how Blackburn answered questions about allegations against Roy Moore:
Q: But may I ask, do you find the allegations against him credible?
BLACKBURN: "What I find with the allegations is that there again this is going to be something that the people of Alabama need to decide."
Blackburn: "Whenever I hear of allegations, it is something that causes me concern that there would have been that type of activity or the accusation of that activity."
NEWS: Source familiar says a deal about to be announced soon on a way forward after hours of Senate standstill. Details TK
Dems will offer amendment at $300 per week through Sept. The first $10,200 of jobless benefits will not be taxed. It now only applies to households with incomes under $150K
It also extends "tax rules for business loss limitations" for an additional year, through 2026, per aide
Manchin: “We have reached a compromise that enables the economy to rebound quickly while also protecting those receiving unemployment benefits from being hit with unexpected tax bill next year.”
Sen. Tom Carper is the lead sponsor of amendment to extend jobless benefits that Democratic leaders are furiously trying to get Sen. Joe Manchin to support. And Carper just had a conversation with John Cornyn about where things stand. Per Cornyn, Carper told him: "We're stuck."
Cornyn added: "It sounds like a box canyon. I don't know why you put a bill on the floor and have a vote on something and you didn't know how the vote is going to turn out. That's kind of like whipping 101."
Cornyn added that he's heard separately that Manchin may vote for the GOP alternative, which has been offered by Sen. Rob Portman, in addition to the Carper amendment. That means both would likely be adopted. It's unclear though which proposal would take precedence.
- Dems fear he'll back the GOP plan to pare back jobless benefits
- GOP working to line up support from all 50 members
- Dems working to get him to back WH-Dem deal
- Manchin concerned about $10,200 in tax-free jobless benefits
- Senate in a standstill
The vote over increasing the minimum wage is STILL open, even though it started at 11:03am. They have left it open to prevent further Senate votes until they sort out their internal problems. GOP, meanwhile, confident that all 50 of their members will back Portman plan
Portman wouldn’t talk to reporters a minute ago. Why? He had Manchin on the phone
Manchin is getting a lot of interest from his fellow Democrats as they try to amend the bill with the new deal on jobless benefits. Manchin is NOT yet sold, per a senator. He’s weighing whether to support the amendment, which would require 51 votes in the 50-50 Senate
A number of Democrats huddled around Manchin on the floor. Sens. Jon Tester, Kyrsten Sinema, Catherine Cortez Masto all were huddled around him. Then Manchin walked over to talk with Sen. Rob Portman, who has an alternative jobless benefits to extend the benefit at $300 per week
The Dem plan would extend the jobless benefits through September and the first $10,200 of jobless benefits would be tax free. There is concern among Democrats that Manchin might not support the Dem compromise and back Portman’s plan instead.
Johnson says he’s not worried about being out of step with Wisconsin. “I've always aligned myself with the people who supported Trump," he said. "That's how I view it." Says target on him may even encourage him to run again.
"If anything it makes me feistier," said Johnson.
DSCC has not decided whether to get behind a candidate in primary to vie for Johnson’s seat, while NRSC is urging him to run. “I want him to run,” Rick Scott says