Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Tuesday she will vote against Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general . Why it matters: Collins' vote won't sink Blanche's nomination on its own . But it makes every remaining undecided Republican that much more important. - With Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) still absent from the Senate, Blanche, who is serving in an acting capacity, can afford to lose only two GOP votes, assuming all Democrats oppose him. - "While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political," Collins said in a statement . - "Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department's independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his…
Top Pentagon officials are already pitching reconciliation 4.0 to Senate Republicans behind closed doors, underscoring the need for a massive boost in military funds, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Thune hasn't embraced reconciliation 3.0. The White House is already looking beyond it. - Trump officials are quietly sketching out a lame-duck package that could pair significant Pentagon funding with other priorities, including a debt ceiling increase that will be necessary sometime in 2027. They see it as going hand in hand with the current effort to pass reconciliation 3.0. - The administration's case goes beyond replenishing weapons depleted by the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine . Officials are also sounding alarms about the need…
The president once again baselessly trashed Democrat-run cities over their supposedly “dirty,” dangerous conditions — to some rather indelible reactions.