📰 SCOOP: House fiscal hawks warily accept Senate’s $9B Trump spending cuts package
The article discusses a $9 billion spending cuts package passed by the Senate that House fiscal hawks are considering accepting. This package, known as a rescissions package, involves spending cuts requested by the White House of funds already appropriated by Congress for the fiscal year. The House must pass the bill by Friday, with Republicans aiming to lower the Senate’s passage threshold from 60 votes to 51. Some House conservatives are leaning towards supporting the bill, which includes cuts to agencies like USAID and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. If the House passes the bill, it will then go to President Trump for approval.
📰 Trump’s NATO deal to arm Ukraine wins over GOP skeptics
Lawmakers who were previously against providing aid to Ukraine are now cautiously supporting President Trump’s plan to assist the war effort, which involves not using American taxpayer money for weapons sent to Kyiv. Trump, who had criticized Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in the past, has shifted his focus to Putin and now the U.S. will provide weapons to Ukraine using European funds. Vice President JD Vance is also in favor of this move. Trump’s decision to resume weapons shipments to Ukraine has led to a change in stance among Republican lawmakers, with some now supporting the idea of Europe paying for the aid. The new U.S.-NATO plan for Ukraine aid has garnered positive reactions from lawmakers who see it as a step towards ending the conflict and holding Putin accountable.
📰 Trump-signed fentanyl law will end ‘cat and mouse’ with traffickers, state attorneys general say
President Donald Trump signed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act into law, reclassifying fentanyl-related drugs as more dangerous substances to combat the opioid epidemic. The bill gained bipartisan support and places fentanyl-related substances permanently into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, requiring prison sentences for related crimes. The legislation addresses fentanyl analogues, synthetic opioids similar to the original drug, to make it easier for prosecutors to go after traffickers. Critics of the bill argue that harmless substances could be wrongly categorized and that it does not address the root causes of substance abuse. The new law is part of efforts to curb overdose deaths and stem the flow of illegal drugs into the country, with recent major drug bust operations and seizures of fentanyl by federal authorities.
📰 Big government, big problems: Public corruption highest in places with large bureaucracies, report says
A new analysis by the libertarian Cato Institute reveals that public corruption is a significant issue in the U.S., particularly in state and local governments with larger bureaucracies and stricter regulations. The study utilized Department of Justice data on corruption convictions across federal judicial districts from 2004 to 2023. Washington, D.C., emerged as the most corrupt location with 469 convictions and an annual rate of 3.49. Louisiana’s eastern district, encompassing New Orleans, ranked fourth with 430 convictions and a rate of 1.29, reflecting the area’s long-standing corruption issues. In contrast, New Hampshire demonstrated the lowest corruption levels, with only 13 convictions and an annual rate of 0.05, attributed to its status as the freest state with a small government. The Cato Institute suggests that larger governments with extensive spending and regulations tend to foster more opportunities for corruption, although other factors like cultural differences, education levels, and poverty rates may also play a role.
📰 Two Republicans vote against Trump’s $9 billion clawback of foreign aid, NPR funding
Senate Republicans successfully passed President Trump’s $9 billion clawback package, but two Republicans, Sens. Murkowski and Collins, joined all Senate Democrats in voting against it due to concerns about transparency and the impact on Congress’ power of the purse. Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, supported rescissions but criticized the lack of clarity on the cuts. Murkowski raised concerns about cuts to public broadcasting and attempted to modify the bill during the vote-a-rama. Despite their efforts, the modifications failed to pass, leaving some puzzled. Sen. Schmitt defended the rescissions package, emphasizing the need to highlight wasteful spending. The bill would cut funds from USAID and CPB, with some lawmakers understanding the dissenting senators’ perspectives on the issue. Sen. Tillis noted that Collins’ stance could impact bipartisan funding negotiations.
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