Evening Report — House, Senate GOP duel over budget path

Evening Report

TRUMP FIRST 100 DAYS

House, Senate GOP race to advance Trump agenda

THE RACE IS ON between Republican leaders in the House and Senate to see who can be first to create a budget with the greatest likelihood of passing President Trump’s agenda through a narrowly-divided Congress.

After weeks of wrenching, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday released the long-awaited House GOP budget blueprint, which will seek to roll Trump’s tax cuts and spending priorities into “one big, beautiful bill.”

The Hill’s Mychael Schnell writes:

“House Republicans are looking to use the budget reconciliation process to pass Trump’s domestic policy priorities — including border funding, energy policy and an extension of the 2017 tax cuts — which would allow the party to circumvent Democratic opposition in the Senate.”

A House panel will consider the budget resolution Thursday morning.

But Senate Republicans are moving a tick faster after marking-up their budget resolution Wednesday. The Senate’s approach would separate Trump’s spending priorities and tax cuts into two smaller bills.

It’s unusual for the Senate to cut in front of the House on a budget resolution, but Johnson has struggled to come to an agreement that satisfies the disparate demands of his unruly caucus.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) cast the upper chamber’s efforts as a backup plan if the House is gridlocked, given the razor-thin GOP majority in the lower chamber.

“To my Republican colleagues in the House, I'm pulling for one big, beautiful bill,” he said. “But there's a sense of urgency. I hope you will consider what we do if you cannot produce the one big, beautiful bill quickly.”

Congress faces a March 14 deadline to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.

DEMS PRIMED FOR A FIGHT

Democrats are licking their chops at the GOP budget turmoil, seeing it as a chance to extract concessions and get back at Elon Musk for how he’s gone about gutting federal agencies.

The Hill’s Mike Lillis reports:

“Democratic leaders are warning that they won’t support a funding package that includes steep cuts to their favored programs. Others would go a step further, saying they’ll oppose any bill that doesn’t answer the flood of executive actions from President Trump and the government-gutting efforts of Elon Musk.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Democrats don’t want a government shutdown, however:

“In terms of trying to get in the appropriations bills [language] undoing lots of the many things that they’ve done that are wrong. Yes, we’re certainly going to make an effort to do that.”

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) added:

“I’m not a cheap date… if you want us to be helpful, then you have to engage us. And we’re not going to just be there to bail you out.”

💡Perspectives:

• The Hill: The long and bumpy road to the new Trump economy.

• Issues & Insights: The Democrats doth protest too much.

• The Liberal Patriot: Independents will determine success or failure for Trump.

• The Guardian: RFK Jr has weird ideas about ‘making America healthy again.’

• The Hill: RFK Jr. is the health revolution America needs.

Read more:

• Republicans weigh ending Wall Street’s favorite tax break.

• GOP leaders downplay Medicaid cuts as they seek $2T in savings.

• Trump officials tell GOP lawmakers they need $175B to secure borders.

• Cook finds Republicans with advantage in 2026 Senate races.

CATCH UP QUICK

Consumer prices rose higher than expected in January, the fourth-straight month that inflation has gone up.
The Federal Communications Commission is opening an investigation into Comcast, the parent company of NBC Universal, over its diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Students have fallen behind in math and reading compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Flu activity is the highest it’s been in 15 years.

NEWS THIS AFTERNOON

Gabbard confirmed; RFK Jr. teed up

The Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard to be President Trump’s director of national intelligence on Wednesday, with all Republican senators voting in favor except for Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.).

Several GOP senators had expressed doubt about Gabbard, a former Democrat, over her heterodox views. But most Republicans came around in the days after her confirmation hearing, giving Trump another big win.

UP NEXT:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to be Health and Human Services secretary cleared a procedural hurdle on Wednesday, with all Republicans voting to move forward with his nomination.

Kennedy, who appears to have overcome GOP concerns about his anti-vaccine advocacy, could be confirmed as early as Thursday.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), a centrist Republican, said she’ll support Kennedy despite having “concerns” about his views on vaccines and “his selective interpretation of scientific studies.”

DAILY DOGE:

Trump has promised to abide by court orders restricting his early efforts to gut the federal bureaucracy, but the White House attacks on judges continued on Wednesday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt unloaded on what she described as politically-motivated rulings against Trump.

"The real constitutional crisis is taking place within our judicial branch, where district court judges in liberal districts across the country are abusing their power to unilaterally block President Trump’s basic executive authority,” she said. “We believe these judges are acting as judicial activists rather than honest arbiters of the law.”

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leader Elon Musk called for “an immediate wave of impeachments” in a post on X.

The DOGE subcommittee in the House, led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), held its first hearing Wednesday, launching what Republicans are calling a “war on waste.”

It appeared early on that the effort to root out waste and fraud in the government could potentially be a bipartisan effort.

However, Musk’s abrupt style and his sweeping early actions have enraged Democrats, who believe he’s too powerful and belligerent.

Rep. Melanie Stansbury (N.M.), the top Democrat on the subcommittee, accused Republicans of shielding Musk and Trump “as they are clearly breaking the law.”

The entire hearing became a referendum on Musk, with Stansbury sending him a direct message:

“Come and testify in front of the American people under oath, because we want to know what you’re up to,” she said.

Trump on Tuesday expanded Musk’s authority, ordering federal agencies to obtain DOGE approval before making new hires.

Musk defended DOGE in an Oval Office exchange with reporters.

“All of our actions are maximally transparent,” he said.

THE LATEST:

• Eight fired government watchdogs are suing the Trump administration.

Trump fired the inspector general for the U.S. Agency for International Development after he issued a report that was critical of the freeze on foreign assistance.

• A former DOGE employee “mistakenly” received access to a sensitive federal payment system at the Treasury Department for a brief period last week before the permission was revoked.

• A federal appeals court declined to temporarily block a lower court’s orders directing the Trump administration to unfreeze federal grants.

• The Office of Personnel Management is instructing agencies that they do not have to fire all federal employees still on probation. However, they’re encouraging agencies to remove any low performers.

💡Perspectives:

• CNN: Musk shows why he’s such a powerful ally for Trump.

• The Atlantic: Trump says the corrupt part out loud.

• Talking Points Memo: Musk is in charge of the U.S. government.

• The Wall Street Journal: JD Vance’s tweet about judges is no crisis.

• The Washington Post: Why DOGE is unconstitutional.

Read more:

• Red state education officials eager for end of Department of Education.

• GOP lawmakers urge Trump to respect federal court rulings.

• Former Secret Service leader Ronald Rowe is retiring.

IN OTHER NEWS

Trump talks to Putin about ending war in Ukraine

President Trump said Wednesday he held a “lengthy and highly productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war with Ukraine.

Trump said he’d call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to inform him that he’s authorized his national security team, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, national security adviser Michael Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to begin negotiations on ending the war “immediately.”

“No more lives should be lost,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that a return to Ukraine’s 2014 borders is an “unrealistic objective.” He also said the U.S. “does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome for a negotiated settlement.”

Trump struck a warm tone in describing his call with Putin, saying the two had agreed to work together on other issues, “including visiting each other’s Nations.”

This comes a day after a prisoner swap between Russia and the U.S.

Trump greeted American teacher Marc Fogel at the White House late Tuesday night after his release. Fogel was sentenced to 14 years in a Moscow prison in 2021 for carrying a small amount of medical cannabis.

The U.S. released Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnick, who pleaded guilty last year on money laundering charges. Find out more about Vinnick here.

Trump on Wednesday also secured the release of a journalist jailed in Belarus. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporter Andrey Kuznechyk served more than three years in prison on charges seen as politically-motivated.

💡Perspectives:

• The Hill: Dems’ reckless, rage-filled rhetoric could have deadly consequences.

• The Wall Street Journal: Defund the United Nations.

• The Hill: Don’t give up on saving honest journalism at USAGM.

Read more:

• Skeptical Republicans try to keep open mind on Trump’s Gaza plan.

• Trump picks oil industry vets for key energy, environment posts.

• Trump steel, aluminum tariffs to drive up car costs, industry leaders say.

• Why red states are pulling ahead in America’s clean energy race.

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