President Donald Trump is trying to seal the deal on his 鈥渂ig, beautiful bill鈥 by using the power of political persuasion Tuesday in a closed-door meeting to unify divided House Republicans. The multitrillion-dollar package is at risk of collapsing ahead of planned votes this week.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also is on Capitol Hill, to defend the nearly 50% cuts to his department鈥檚 budget. He鈥檒l tell the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday that focusing on core priorities will strengthen the U.S. position on the global stage.
Trump hosted the 鈥檚 new loyalist leadership at the White House Monday night, to overhaul the national arts scene, and called 鈥 a 鈥渄ried out prune” after the rocker uses his stage to call out a “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.鈥
Here’s the latest:
Authors condemn Trump鈥檚 firing of the Librarian of Congress
Seven former National Ambassadors of Young People鈥檚 Literature, including such prize-winning authors as Jacqueline Woodson, Kate DiCamillo and Jason Reynolds, are condemning the Trump administration鈥檚 firing of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.
The librarian鈥檚 responsibilities include appointing the ambassador, a position the Library of Congress established in 2008 鈥渢o raise national awareness of the importance of young people鈥檚 literature.鈥
鈥淗er wisdom and vision, along with her unfailing ability to work impartially with all constituents, are unparalleled,鈥 reads Tuesday鈥檚 statement, with endorsers also including Jon Scieszka, Katherine Paterson, Gene Luen Yang and Meg Medina. 鈥淒r. Hayden鈥檚 dismissal is deeply disturbing and should alarm all Americans.鈥
Trump promised last September: I鈥檒l take care of SALT
The president鈥檚 pessimistic tone Tuesday toward raising the deduction on state and local taxes is at odds with what he promised as he campaigned for another term last year.
鈥淚 will cut taxes for families, small businesses and workers, including restoring the SALT deduction, saving thousands of dollars for residents of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and other high-cost states,鈥 Trump said last September during a campaign rally.
Trump had made this pledge while campaigning on Long Island, which is represented by Rep. Nick LaLota, one of the loudest proponents among House Republicans of increasing the SALT deduction.
Trump said as he walked into the House Republican conference meeting on Tuesday morning that increasing the deduction only helps Democratic governors.
Trump attacks Thomas Massie again: 鈥業 think he should be voted out of office鈥
The president took a swing at the Kentucky congressman, who has criticized how the GOP鈥檚 massive reconciliation bill will balloon the national debt.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think Thomas Massie understands government,鈥 Trump said when asked about Massie on Tuesday morning. 鈥淚 think he is a grandstander, frankly.鈥
Massie hasn鈥檛 made his plans explicit but is assumed to be a 鈥渘o鈥 on the bill, which raises the nation鈥檚 debt limit in addition to extending current tax rates and making significant investments in border security and defense.
Massie, a known maverick in the House Republican conference, has been targeted by Trump before 鈥 when the lawmaker was set to oppose a stopgap funding bill in March to keep the government running, Trump called for a primary challenger.
Trump insists getting rid of 鈥榳aste, fraud and abuse鈥 is the only Medicaid change he wants
Democrats claim the federal-state health care program for low-income people will be in for steep cuts under Trump鈥檚 bill. The Republican president insisted that 鈥渨e鈥檙e not changing Medicaid.鈥
Before entering the private meeting with the House Republicans caucus, Trump repeated that he only wants to cut 鈥渨aste, fraud and abuse鈥 from the program.
At least 7.6 million fewer people would have health insurance with the Medicaid changes proposed in the bill, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. And 3 million fewer people each month would receive food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Trump: State and local tax breaks benefit Democratic states
The president took a discouraging tone on increasing the federal SALT deductions 鈥 a must-have for a handful of blue-state Republicans.
Before entering his meeting with House Republicans on the party鈥檚 massive budget reconciliation bill, Trump said the people calling for larger federal deductions to offset state and local taxes are Democratic governors such as California鈥檚 Gavin Newsom, whom he called 鈥淣ewscum.鈥
鈥淭hose are the people that want this, and they鈥檙e Democrat states, they鈥檙e all Democrat states,鈥 Trump said. He said the 鈥渂iggest鈥 beneficiaries of SALT relief would be governors from New York, Illinois and California.
Trump has arrived at the US Capitol ahead of a meeting with House Republicans
Trump arrived after the short drive down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House.
He鈥檚 making to try to unite divided House Republicans behind his multibillion-dollar tax cut and spending package. Trump鈥檚 鈥渙ne big, beautiful bill鈥 is at risk of collapsing due to internal divisions even before scheduled votes this week.
Trump will address House Republicans behind closed doors at their weekly meeting.
Senate Democrats get first chance to publicly grill Trump鈥檚 top diplomat
Senate Democrats are getting their first chance to publicly confront Rubio over dramatic cuts in foreign aid and other major changes in U.S. foreign policy.
Democrats on the Foreign Relations Committee have urged the former senator for months to come answer their questions about the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Trump鈥檚 clashes with traditional allies including Canada and other drastic changes.
In her prepared remarks, the ranking Democrat, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, argues that the Trump administration has 鈥渆viscerated six decades of foreign policy investments鈥 and given China openings around the world.
鈥淢r. Secretary, I urge you to stand up to the extremists of the administration,鈥 Shaheen says.
鈥楾oday, America is back,鈥 Rubio will tell the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Rubio鈥檚 testimony echoes the line President Joe Biden used when he took office and ended many of Trump鈥檚 first-term 鈥淎merica First鈥 policies.
Rubio鈥檚 prepared remarks claim four months of foreign policy achievements, even as these efforts remain frustratingly inconclusive: the resumption of nuclear talks with Iran, efforts to bring Russia and Ukraine into peace talks and efforts to end to the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
And he鈥檒l praise agreements with El Salvador and other Latin American countries to accept migrant deportees, saying 鈥渟ecure borders, safe communities and zero tolerance for criminal cartels are once again the guiding principles of our foreign policy.鈥
Secretary of State is defending cuts of nearly 50% to his department鈥檚 budget
Marco Rubio says in his prepared remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday that the cuts serve America鈥檚 foreign policy interests by eliminating waste, duplicative programs and unnecessary personnel. He asserts that by focusing on core priorities, the cuts actually strengthen the U.S. position on the global stage.
鈥淓very bureau and o铿僣e will have a clear mission. The Department will speak with one voice, guided by our statutory mandates and national interests 鈥 not fads or fringe academic theories,鈥 Rubio will say.
The proposed budget of $28.5 billion reflects the recession of some $20 billion in what Rubio called 鈥渋deologically driven programs鈥 focusing on diversity, equality, inclusion and climate change.
Trump is heading to Capitol Hill to persuade divided GOP to unify around his 鈥榖ig, beautiful鈥 bill
Trump is heading to Capitol Hill early Tuesday to seal the deal on his 鈥渂ig, beautiful bill,鈥 using the power of political persuasion to unify divided House Republicans.
Trump has implored GOP holdouts to 鈥淪TOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE.鈥 But negotiations are slogging along and it鈥檚 not at all clear that the of extending the tax breaks while pumping in money for border security and deportations and imposing new limits on Medicaid has the support needed from the House鈥檚 slim Republican majority.
Conservatives are insisting on quicker, steeper cuts to federal programs to offset the costs of the trillions of dollars in lost tax revenue. At the same time, a core group of lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states want bigger tax breaks for their voters back home. Worries about piling onto the nation鈥檚 $36 trillion debt are stark.
is determined to push the bill forward and needs Trump to provide the momentum, either by encouragement or political warnings or a combination of both.
A key committee hearing is set for the middle of the night Tuesday in hopes of a House floor vote by Wednesday afternoon.
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Things are getting nasty between Springsteen and Trump
They have some similarities, Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump 鈥 guys in their 70s with homes in New Jersey and big constituencies among white American men middle-aged and older. And both, in very different respects, are the boss.
That鈥檚 about where it ends.
The veteran rock star, long a political opponent of the president, stood up as one of Trump鈥檚 most prominent cultural critics last week with a verbal takedown from a British stage.
As is his nature, Trump is fighting back 鈥 hard. He calls Springsteen a 鈥渄ried out prune of a rocker鈥 and is even bringing Beyonc茅 into the fray.
On Monday, the president should be investigated to see if appearances they made on behalf of his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, last fall represented an illegal campaign donation.
Opening a tour in Manchester, England, Springsteen last Thursday that 鈥渢he America I love, the America I鈥檝e written about that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.鈥
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Trump vows to turn the Kennedy Center around as he seeks to remake arts and culture in America
Trump hosted the 鈥檚 leadership at the White House on Monday night, reinforcing his efforts to overhaul the social and ideological dynamics of the national arts scene.
The meeting of the center鈥檚 board in the State Dining Room followed Trump its previous members and announcing in February that he鈥檇 serve as the board鈥檚 chair. The new board, which unanimously approved Trump as its chair, is stocked with loyalists.
Trump has called the center鈥檚 past programming 鈥渨oke鈥 and 鈥渢errible,鈥 while more broadly seeking to slash federal funding for the arts 鈥 complaining that too much programming promotes leftist ideology and political correctness. In his view, to his own liking can go a long way toward creating a new arts and social culture nationwide.
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Developer to resume NY offshore wind project after Trump administration lifts pause
The Trump administration is allowing work on a major offshore wind project for New York to resume.
The developer, the Norwegian energy company Equinor, said Monday it was told by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that a stop-work order has been lifted for the Empire Wind project, allowing construction to resume.
Work has been paused since Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last month directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and review the permits. Burgum said at the time that it appeared former President Joe Biden鈥檚 administration had 鈥渞ushed through鈥 the approvals. Equinor spent seven years obtaining permits and has spent more than $2.5 billion so far on a project that is one-third complete.
Equinor President and CEO Anders Opedal thanked President Donald Trump for allowing the project to move forward, saving about 1,500 construction jobs and investments in U.S. energy infrastructure.
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Trump signs a bill to make posting 鈥榬evenge porn鈥 a federal crime. He had the first lady sign, too
Trump on Monday signed into law the a measure that imposes penalties for online sexual exploitation that first lady helped usher through Congress, and he had her sign it, too, despite what sounded like a mild objection on her part.
鈥淐鈥檓on, sign it anyway,鈥 the president told his wife. 鈥淪he deserves to sign it,鈥 he said.
After she added her signature, the president held up the document to show both of their names to the audience at the ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. Melania Trump鈥檚 signature is merely symbolic since first ladies are not elected and they play no role in the enactment of legislation.
In March, Melania Trump used her first public appearance since resuming the role of first lady to pass the bill following its approval by the Senate.
At a signing ceremony, she called the new law a 鈥渘ational victory鈥 that will help protect children from online exploitation, including through the use of artificial intelligence to make fake images.
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