Controversy Over Racially Charged Remarks Sparks Political Backlash in Congress Alternative options if preferred - Lawmakers Clash Over Racially Charged Comments in Virginia Redistricting Fight - Racially Charged Remarks Ignite Calls for Resignation in Congress

Key House Republican faces calls from Democrats to resign over radio interview Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) is facing calls to resign from Democratic colleagues who say she expressed agreement with a radio hosts remark that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) should get his cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.Why it matters: Kiggans, who denied agreeing with or condoning the language, is facing one of the most hotly contested reelection battles in the country. First they gutted the Voting Rights Act. Now they are using brazenly racist language to attack Black leaders, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) said in a post on X, calling for Kiggans to immediately apologize and resign.Rep. Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.), the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC and a close ally of Jeffries, told Axios in a text message that he also thinks Kiggans should resign.Kiggans posted that the host should not have used that language and I do not -and did not - condone it, adding, It was obvious to anyone listening that I was agreeing Hakeem Jefferies [sic] should stay out of Virginia.Driving the news: Richmond-based radio commentator Rich Herrera, during an interview with Kiggans on Monday, criticized Jeffries involvement in an effort to redraw Virginias congressional maps in Democrats favor.He spent $20 million-plus on our redistricting debacle we had. He now is talking about ... firing our Supreme Court justices, Herrera said. (A Jeffries-aligned non-profit, House Majority Forward, spent nearly $40 million on Virginias redistricting initiative).Herrera continued: If Hakeem Jeffries wants to be involved in Virginia politics, then I suggest he ... leave New York, move down here to Virginia, run for office down here, you can represent us. If not, get your cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.Thats right. Ditto. Yes. Yes, to that, Kiggans replied.What theyre saying: Former Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), who is running to unseat Kiggans, said in a post on X, The racist comments proudly endorsed today by Jen Kiggans ... are disgusting and beneath any elected official.House Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) wrote in a post on X: Rep. Kiggans must apologize then get the hell out of the House.What Kiggans said is disgusting, and I join the whips call for her to resign, Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), a Black Caucus member, said in a statement to Axios.Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) said: Apologize and get out or you will be shown the door in November.The other side: Kiggans said in her post on X, This is precisely whats wrong with Democrats. Every lie and distortion is intended to distract from getting their hats handed to them and the Virginia Supreme Courts clear message: stop trying to rig our elections.Democrats are trying to destroy Virginias court because they disagree with it. THAT is the real danger to our country, she added.A spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee referred to Kiggans statement.

axios · 9 days ago

Republicans turn ballroom fight into referendum on Trumps safety Senate Republican leaders plan to turn the political fight over the $1 billion request for security upgrades tied to the new White House ballroom into a referendum on President Trumps safety.Why it matters: Democrats think the $1 billion figure gives them a simple, bumper-sticker attack against Republicans for voters who are concerned about the cost of living.But Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said the funding is intended to secure the new facility and ensure the Secret Service has the resources needed to protect the president.Its a security-related measure, Thune told reporters on Monday. Youve got a president where there have been three assassination attempts in just the last two years.Between the lines: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will seek to heal growing friction with his Senate counterparts in remarks at Tuesdays Senate GOP lunch, Axios reported Monday.Johnson is expected to stress open lines of communication as Republicans gear up for reconciliation packages 2.0 and 3.0. It will mark Johnsons first appearance at a Senate GOP lunch this year.U.S. Secret Service director Sean Curran will also join the lunch as the Senate considers funding for presidential security and the need for security enhancements in the new ballroom, two sources told Axios.Zoom in: Thunes comments seem as directed at GOP holdouts as they are at Democrats.Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told reporters: Im looking forward to seeing the details this week.Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters: It was my understanding it was supposed to be paid for by private donations. Thats what the president has said.I have a feeling it may either not be in the bill or it may not pass the Byrd test, but well know probably more next week, said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who prefers to use private donations for the ballroom.The bottom line: Theyve become ballroom Republicans, said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

axios · 9 days ago

The invisible leaders: 2026 election ads blast Trump and AOC, ignore Johnson and Jeffries Expect to see much more of President Trump, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in midterm ads this year than House Speaker Mike Johnson or Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, strategists in both parties tell Axios.Why it matters: Billions of dollars will collectively be spent to elect Johnson or Jeffries as House speaker, but you probably wont even be able to tell by just watching the ads meant to achieve that goal.Neither congressional leader inspires the kind of partisan animosity that makes a politician the ideal attack ad bogeyman, according to party strategists working on House races.Instead, Trump likely will feature heavily in Democrats attack ads, while Mamdani, AOC, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), former Vice President Kamala Harris and even California Gov. Gavin Newsom are likely to appear in negative spots run by Republicans.Driving the news: An Axios review of ads on the tracking site AdImpact turned up just a handful of Republican ads run since last January that reference Jeffries (D-N.Y.).Derek Merrin, a GOP candidate in Ohios 9th District, is running an ad that juxtaposes Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) with Jeffries and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), with a voice-over saying the district doesnt need another politician.The National Republican Congressional Committee has been running an ad specifically targeting Jeffries, accusing him of plotting a Project 2026 to remake America with left-wing policies.Axios was unable to find any Democratic ads this election cycle that make explicit reference to Johnson (R-La.).Yes, but: Jeffries did emerge in political discourse on Monday in a different way.Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) is facing Democratic calls to resign after she said, Yes, yes to that in response to a radio host who said Jeffries should get his cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.Kiggans, who later denied the suggestion that she agreed with the comment and said she does not condone it, is locked in one of the most competitive House races in the country.Zoom out: Trump is nearly ubiquitous in Democratic ads, including those used against other Democrats in contested primaries.House Majority Forward, the nonprofit arm of House Democrats main super PAC, makes repeated references to Trump in ads blasting vulnerable GOP incumbents on tariffs, Medicaid cuts and rising prices.Between the lines: There is a storied history of political ad-makers trying to take down swing-district candidates by tying them to their partys congressional leaders.Pelosi was the prime example of this: She was an uber-popular Republican bogeyman as far back as 2006, before her first stint as speaker.But Jeffries and Johnson are both still somewhat new to their roles and have cultivated reputations of being inoffensive behind-the-scenes operators relative to the firebrands in their respective parties.A Democratic strategist also pointed to the fact that the party has explicitly hammered a message that casts Johnson as the deputy speaker playing second fiddle to Trump.

axios · 9 days ago

Virginia Democrats ask conservative-majority US supreme court to restore congressional map approved by voters – live Map designed to boost Democrats US House seats was thrown out by Virginias supreme court last weekSign up for the Breaking News US emailSpeaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump reiterated that Irans peace proposal was just unacceptable.The president went on to insist that he had a very simple plan, and maintained that Tehran could not have a nuclear weapon, without elaborating on the next negotiating steps. Continue reading...

theguardian · 9 days ago

Democrats ask the Supreme Court to halt a Virginia ruling blocking new congressional districts

news.yahoo.com · 9 days ago

US Supreme Court extends pause on decision narrowing abortion pill access

news.yahoo.com · 9 days ago

Supreme Court extends freeze on abortion pill restrictions The Supreme Court extended a freeze Monday on new restrictions for dispensing the widely used abortion pill mifepristone, allowing the continued mail-order prescribing of the drug.Why it matters: The extension, which runs through 5 p.m. Thursday, provides a reprieve for pharmacies, telehealth companies and clinicians caught up in the latest legal tussle over accessing the pill.Driving the news: Justice Samuel Alito extended a stay he granted a week ago in response to requests from drugmakers Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro to restore access to mifepristone via teleprescribing and the mails.Anti-abortion advocates have been calling for a rollback of a Biden administration policy that expanded access to mifepristone and removed a requirement that patients see a provider in person before getting the medication.The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month sided with Louisiana in a case challenging the Biden administration rules.Louisiana argued the federal rules undermined its laws protecting unborn human life and caused it to spend Medicaid funds on emergency care for women harmed by mifepristone.

axios · 9 days ago

Supreme Court temporarily extends access to abortion pill mifepristone The order effectively blocks a federal appeals courts imposed restrictions from taking immediate effect

independent · 9 days ago

Officials ask Supreme Court to restore Virginia voter-approved redistricting map This battle gained momentum last year when President Donald Trump encouraged Republican-controlled states to redraw their electoral maps

independent · 9 days ago

Inside the wild $25 million fight to oust top GOP Trump critic Thomas Massie The fight between Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and President Trump-backed rival Ed Gallrein is now the most expensive U.S. House primary in history — and its one of the nastiest, too.Why it matters: The race has turned into an all-out war of inflammatory accusations, savage insults and AI deepfakes.One pro-Gallrein super PAC ad features an AI-generated Massie dining and holding hands with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), accusing him of being in a throuple and cheating with The Squad on the America First movement.Pro-Massie groups have attempted to brutally undermine Gallreins MAGA credentials, labeling him woke Eddie and depicting the retired Navy SEAL in one AI-generated ad as a soldier abandoning Trump on a battlefield.Both candidates have attacked each other as being insufficiently conservative on a wide range of social issues, including diversity, equity and inclusion, transgender rights, Black Lives Matter, and immigration.By the numbers: All of this is backed up by more than $25.6 million in ad spending, according to AdImpact, which makes the fight between Massie and Gallrein the most expensive U.S. House primary in history.The record was previously broken in the 2024 election cycle when AIPAC spent a whopping $14.5 million to unseat Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), who was one of Congress most vocal Israel critics, in a race that saw $25.2 million in overall ad spending.The Kentucky 4th district race could end up clearing that figure by a significant margin, with a week still to go until the May 19 primary.State of play: Massie, a doctrinaire isolationist and one of the few Republicans willing to publicly criticize Israel, is facing a similar barrage from pro-Israel groups.The Republican Jewish Coalition has spent $4 million on ads supporting Gallrein, with AIPAC super PAC United Democracy Project spending another $2.6 million, according to AdImpact.Massies increasingly public breaks with Trump have made him the target of Trump-aligned group MAGA KY, which has spent $5.6 million on top of $1.3 million from the Gallrein campaign itself.Massie, a prodigious fundraiser, has spent $5.6 million on ads from his own campaign, with the pro-Massie groups Kentucky 4th PAC and Kentucky First PAC dropping another $4.6 million and $920,000, respectively.The intrigue: As if the tone of the race wasnt incendiary enough, a new ad goes so far as to portray pro-Gallrein donor Paul Singer, who is Jewish, with an unexplained rainbow star of David in the backdrop.The minute-long ad accuses Gallrein of being bought and paid for by the LGBTQ mafia. Singer, a billionaire financier and GOP megadonor, is gay and has donated to LGBTQ+ rights causes.If Gallrein wins, the weirdos take over, the ad says, with text describing Gallreins values as freak values.Massies campaign did not respond to requests for comment on this story, nor did Singer or his hedge fund Elliott Management. The details: The ad is being run by a group called Hold The Line PAC, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact.Hold The Line PAC previously spent in support of right-wing candidates Colton Moore in Georgias 14th district and Jody Barrett in Tennessees 7th district. Both lost special elections to more mainstream GOP rivals.Hold the Line PAC is spending $235,000 in TV ads supporting Massie and opposing Gallrein, and another $50,000 on campaign text messages, according to Federal Election Commission filings.Noel Fritsch, a conservative political consultant listed as the groups treasurer, did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Derrick Evans, a former West Virginia legislator and Jan. 6 rioter also associated with the PAC.Zoom in: The groups website says it is focused on Restoring Election Integrity & the Rule of Law by lobbying Republican lawmakers to crack down on processes such as mail-in voting.What theyre saying: Tom Massies time as a politician is coming to a close and its a shame to see him end his career this way, Gallrein advisor Tim Murtaugh said in a statement to Axios.The bottom line: Overall Massie is somewhat outgunned, with $10.7 million supporting him to $14.3 million supporting Gallrein.Its likely going to be a close race, with local GOP officials telling NOTUS they think Massie is genuinely vulnerable despite his popularity in the northeastern Kentucky district.

axios · 9 days ago

Johnson to address Senate Republicans amid escalating tensions House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will seek to heal growing friction with his Senate counterparts in remarks emphasizing unity during Senate Republicans weekly lunch Tuesday, Axios has learned.Why it matters: House and Senate Republicans have spent months clashing over virtually every major priority, despite their control of Congress and the White House.The disputes have ranged from ICE and Border Patrol funding, to the SAVE Act and a long-term extension of FISA. Johnson is expected to emphasize the need for open lines of communication as Republicans gear up for reconciliation packages 2.0 and 3.0. It will mark Johnsons first appearance at a Senate GOP lunch this year.U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran will also join Tuesdays lunch as the Senate considers funding for presidential security and the need for security enhancements for the new ballroom, two sources told AxiosThe big picture: House conservatives increasingly view the Senate as the main obstacle, while Senate Republicans deride what they characterize as unrealistic demands from House members. The dynamic has fueled repeated standoffs among congressional Republicans.I hate the Senate, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) told Axios late last month amid FISA disagreements. There are like two and a half good senators.Catch up quick: The House passed the Senates DHS funding legislation just before they left for recess, a bill Johnson had previously called a joke.House conservatives revolted over the Senates two-track strategy, which funded DHS while postponing additional ICE and Border Patrol money to reconciliation.Several House Republicans privately and publicly said the move deepened mistrust of Senate Republicans.Johnson and Thune openly clashed over the strategy last month after Johnson said he wanted to make changes. Whats next: Republicans now face a high-stakes push to pass a second reconciliation package with border funding by President Trumps self-imposed June 1 deadline.Last week, Senate Republicans moved to include $1 billion in security funding for Trumps ballroom but the move has already hit resistance among some moderates.It will be a politically tricky vote that Democrats are eager to frame as an affordability contrast.Another flashpoint: Republicans still have no clear path to a long-term Section 702 FISA extension.Congress has already approved two short-term extensions of the warrantless surveillance program without resolving major disputes.The House passed a three-year extension paired with a ban on a Federal Reserve-backed digital currency, which Senate Republicans oppose.Conservatives are continuing to push for warrant requirements and insist the crypto provision remain attached.And theres the SAVE Act: House Republicans have blasted Senate Republicans for months for refusing to get rid of the filibuster to advance the GOPs signature election bill.Editors note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.

axios · 9 days ago

Senate Democrats to fight Republicans $1bn funding plan for Trumps ballroom Chuck Schumer accuses GOP of asking working families to pay the price while Trump pockets the perks in letterUS politics live – latest updatesChuck Schumer, the US Senates top Democrat, has vowed to oppose a Republican plan to spend $1bn on security improvements for the ballroom Donald Trump is seeking to build on the White Houses former East Wing.The money is set to be included in a measure Republicans plan to pass that would allocate about $70bn to the federal agencies leading Trumps mass deportation campaign, with the intention of keeping them operational through the remainder of the presidents term. Continue reading...

theguardian · 9 days ago