Questions for Noem
A lot has happened on Kristi Noem’s watch since she last appeared at a Capitol Hill hearing.
Her Department of Homeland Security was denied funding when appropriations were enacted for the rest of the government, and it’s still in a partial shutdown. Federal agents killed two US citizens in Minnesota. One person detained by ICE died in custody. And judges have blocked Noem’s decisions to terminate Temporary Protected Status for some immigrants, including those from Haiti.
So there’s a lot of potential avenues of questioning when Noem appears Tuesday and Wednesday before Senate and House judiciary committees.
Indeed, in today’s BGOV Budget, Sen. Thom Tillis argues lawmakers can’t fund DHS with Noem in charge.
- “Look, this is about, in part, a legitimate argument about ‘Why would we fund an organization that has an incompetent leader at the top,’ right?” the North Carolina Republican told reporters.
See Also: Minnesota Judge Threatens ICE With Contempt for Order Violations
Campaign ’26
President Donald Trump goes to Texas today, where Republicans on Tuesday will weigh in on whether incumbent Sen. John Cornyn deserves to be on the November ballot.
Trump, who hasn’t delivered an endorsement, is the wild card in that race. A word from him could help decide whether the race goes to a runoff, and by what margin. Cornyn’s opponents for the nomination are state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt.
According to AdImpact, more has been spent on ads in that campaign than for any past GOP Senate primary: $110 million. That price tag — and the drain on Republican donor dollars — will increase if no one cracks 50% of the vote and the nomination fight goes to a runoff.
Less expensive but also consequential: the Democratic primary, which has two hopefuls with national profiles, Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Sen. James Talarico.
See Also:
- Trump Bets His Affordability Ideas Will Win Over Anxious Voters
- GOP Latino Gains in Texas Face Midterm Stress Test with Primary
- Rahm Emanuel Argues He’s Still a Democratic Change Agent at 66
- Democrats Plot 2027 Affordability Agenda in Quest to Flip House
- Trump’s ‘MAHA’ Blitz Loses Momentum as Midterm Pressures Rise
Ex-Presidential First
Bill Clinton today will become the first ex-president forced to testify before Congress. He’s scheduled to be deposed near his home in New York’s Hudson Valley by members of the House Oversight Committee as part of its inquiry into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
It follows yesterday’s deposition of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“We have a lot of questions for her husband,” said the committee’s chairman, Rep. James Comer, who told reporters he hoped to release a video of the deposition within 24 hours.
Jamie Tarabay reports that a charity controlled by Epstein contributed $25,000 to the Clintons’ private foundation. Epstein also donated to Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign and his wife’s 2000 Senate campaign.
Bill Clinton took several trips on Epstein’s private plane before Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to Florida state charges that included procurement of a minor to engage in prostitution.
Hillary Clinton told reporters she’s confident her husband knew nothing about Epstein’s crimes. Read More
War Powers
Maeve Sheehey reports that Democrats are preparing to force a House vote next week on requiring Trump to seek congressional approval for military action in Iran.
Party leaders issued a statement saying they’ll move to compel a war-powers vote “as soon as Congress reconvenes next week.”
The US and Iran have resumed talks over the Islamic Republic’s atomic activities and have traded threats as Trump has ordered two carrier strike groups to the region as a warning. Those talks are to continue next week. Read More
Also Read:
- Pakistan Declares ‘Open War’ With Afghanistan After Clashes
- Deep Inside Putin’s War Machine, the Pain Is Starting to Show
Drugs and Guns
The Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments over whether the Second Amendment allows a federal law banning firearm possession by drug users — a case that puts the Trump administration in the position of advocating against gun rights.
The US solicitor general argues there are “compelling legal and historical reasons” to uphold the law, which the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held was unconstitutional absent evidence of impairment at the moment of possession.
Read More and Watch this Video
Eye on the Economy
An updated inflation reading comes out this morning: a gauge of wholesale costs called the Producer Price Index.
The new numbers will track changes since December, when the prices rose by the most in three months. Economists and investors closely track the PPI because several of its components feed into the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measurement.
Before You Go
Anthropic Rejects Latest Pentagon Offer, Escalating AI Feud
Netflix Drops Warner Bros. Bid, Leaving Paramount the Winner
Pentagon Laser Downs Customs Border Patrol Drone in Texas
The Pentagon accidentally shot down a US Customs and Border Protection drone on the Texas border with Mexico using a high-energy laser, according to people familiar with the matter, weeks after another incident led to confusion and exposed communication lapses among several US agencies.
Ninth Circuit Voids Order Restoring Federal Union Contracts
The Ninth Circuit sided with the Trump administration in throwing out a preliminary court order that required the government to recognize collective bargaining rights for thousands of federal workers.
Federal Reserve and US Attorney Remain Deadlocked Over Subpoenas
The
To contact the reporter on this story:
To contact the editors responsible for this story: