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The challenge that House Republicans on the Budget Committee are having as they seek to coalesce around the terms of a budget resolution to help enact President Donald Trump’s agenda is the latest manifestation of the challenge of governing with one vote to spare.
Republican members were at the White House on Thursday morning to meet with Trump about the way forward, as the committee had been unable to get to a markup of their budget resolution this week.
In any event, the Senate Budget Committee is planning to start working toward a two-step reconciliation process with a budget resolution next week, David Lerman and Aidan Quigley reported for Roll Call.
The math for House Republicans gets tighter, at least in the short term, with Rep. Elise Stefanik moving through the Senate confirmation process to be Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations. Once the New York Republican is confirmed and resigns her seat, the House Republican Conference will have 217 members, pending the outcome of a pair of April special elections in Florida that seem sure to bolster the party’s ranks.
And when Stefanik, the former chair of the conference, will be replaced in upstate New York appears to be a bit of an open question, with Democrats in the state Legislature circulating a proposal that could push back the date of the special election for the 21st District beyond the window allowed under current state law.
“If the special election is moved to the primary election date, there would be around an extra month-and-a-half or more of a vacancy,” the Adirondack Daily Enterprise explained. Then the special election for Stefanik’s seat, if the revised timeline were approved, could align with New York’s June 21 primary elections.
The New York Times reported that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Brooklyn Democrat, was working with state lawmakers on the effort. Jeffries told MSNBC on Tuesday evening that one of the goals of House Democrats will be to put pressure on GOP members from likely swing districts when it comes to more extreme elements of the Trump agenda.
“There are certainly 15 or 20 Republicans who are in swing districts who should be held accountable for pushing back against the extremism that is attempting to overwhelm the sanity of the American people,” Jeffries said. “And we’ve got to make sure that, on every issue, Republicans are held to account and that they can join us. If three Republicans — all it takes is three on any given issue to partner with the 215 members of the House Democratic Caucus to stop some of the madness from happening.”
Democrats already have their nominee for the eventual special election for Stefanik’s seat. County party officials announced dairy farmer Blake Gendebein as their choice on Tuesday.
Starting gate
Showing the money: We took a first look at how senators up for reelection next year have fared fundraising-wise after filing their 2024 year-end reports with the Federal Election Commission. Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff banked the most cash of the battleground senators up for reelection next year, ending December with $5 million on hand, while South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham had a whopping $15.2 million as he seeks to avoid a primary challenge.
Cassidy primary: Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy is backing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Health and Human Services secretary, but regardless of that, he faces a contentious Republican primary in 2026, with the Bayou State moving to a new, partisan system. Our colleague Lia DeGroot has more for Roll Call on the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
All-night Senate: The Senate was in session overnight as Democrats kept up their protest of Russ Vought’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget. Sens. Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Christopher S. Murphy of Connecticut had the late shift, which saw Schatz suggesting the pages look up what “jumping the shark” actually means. Here’s our dispatch on the overnight developments.
Pivot to video: Some Congressional Democrats are trying new ways of talking to voters, whether it be on podcasts about culture or sports or through social media videos, our colleague Jim Saksa reports. Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who both hold leadership roles focused on communications, are urging their colleagues to do more.
Take Five: Illinois Rep. Brad Sherman, who chairs the center-left New Democrat Coalition, told our colleague Justin Papp in a new Take Five interview that if voters have a good feeling about the economy, it allows candidates to then talk about other issues.
ICYMI
DNC election in review: Ken Martin is the new chair of the Democratic National Committee. The longtime leader of the Minnesota state party over the weekend bested a multi-candidate field that included Wisconsin state party chair Ben Wikler, who had the backing of Jeffries and Sen. Charles E. Schumer, the top two Democrats on Capitol Hill.
Guv watch: Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman is receiving encouragement to run for governor, an aide told Cowboy State Daily. Hageman unsuccessfully sought the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2018. In Michigan, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist is exploring a bid for governor rather than entering the state’s open Senate race. Former South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford is considering running again for his old job as governor. And in New Jersey, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac, a pro-Trump Republican, joined the crowded race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
#MISEN: Democratic state Sen. Mallory McMorrow is planning to enter the race for Michigan’s open Senate seat, which could also include former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, as well as former Rep. Mike Rogers on the Republican side. As Semafor reports, rumblings are already starting to emerge in Democratic circles about Buttigieg being a recent transplant to the state.
#KYSEN: Kentucky state Rep. Pamela Stevenson filed paperwork to run for Senate, allowing the Democrat to begin raising money for a campaign in the deep-red state. Stevenson, the state House minority floor leader, told the Lexington Herald Leader that she’s a “hopeful nominee.” Incumbent Mitch McConnell, the former Senate Republican leader, is up for reelection next year and hasn’t yet announced whether he’ll seek another term.
Campaign launches: In New Jersey, Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, announced a bid to challenge Republican Rep. Thomas H. Kean Jr. next year. Bennett, who hasn’t run for office previously, is the first Democrat to announce a challenge to the second-term congressman. And Democrat Saikat Chakrabarti, who was previously Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff, said on social media that he would challenge former Speaker Nancy Pelosi in her San Francisco-based seat.
Kent for NCTC: Joe Kent, a former two-time Republican House hopeful in Washington state, is being nominated to be director of the National Counterterrorism Center, the latest in a list of losing candidates getting roles in the Trump administration.
Minnesota (makes) nice: A nearly four-week standoff over control of the Minnesota House appears to be ending, with state Republicans and Democrats announcing Wednesday that they had reached a power-sharing agreement, Minnesota Public Radio reports.
Nathan’s notes
Don’t be surprised if Donald Trump tries to seek a third presidential term in 2028, Roll Call elections analyst Nathan L. Gonzales writes.
Nathan makes the case for taking the prospect seriously, even if Trump actually serving again is not constitutional.
What we’re reading
Midterm message: In a closed-door lunch this week, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott warned his GOP colleagues not to be complacent ahead of next year’s midterm elections, Axios reports. Scott, who hopes to flip at least two seats to grow his conference’s majority to 55, urged Republicans not on the ballot next year to raise money for the party and said incumbents should “control their own destiny.”
Musk poll: House Democrats have set their sights on Elon Musk, with Politico reporting on new polling from House Majority Forward, the nonprofit arm of super PAC House Majority PAC, that finds voters in battleground districts holding an unfavorable view of the tech billionaire and presidential adviser.
Florida friction: A political chill appears to be taking hold in the Sunshine State, The Associated Press reports, as Gov. Ron DeSantis dukes it out with Republican state legislators, with both sides hoping to spotlight their alliance with Trump. Meanwhile, the Miami Herald reports that DeSantis will soon get a chance at another political appointment, with Florida International University’s board of trustees expected to name his lieutenant governor, Jeanette Nuñez, as its interim president on Friday.
Cornhusker challenge: Trump’s immigration crackdown is worrying not just to the immigrant community in Nebraska but also to those concerned about the potential impact on the state’s agriculture industry, CNN reports.
The count: 36 percent
That’s the percentage of Americans who plan to place a Super Bowl bet this year, a new Marist Poll finds. More broadly, 65 percent now say they favor the availability of gambling either online or via an app.
Coming up
This weekend’s Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans offers up a chance to mix politics with pleasure, with Trump set to become the first president to attend the big game. A pre-recorded interview with Trump by Fox News’ Bret Baier will air on Fox’s pregame show during the 3 p.m. EST hour Sunday, reviving the tradition of a presidential sit-down with the network airing the Super Bowl.
Photo finish
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The post At the Races: Budget blues appeared first on Roll Call.
