Concepts of a Plan

Today’s notice: Are we any closer to a deal on health care subsidies? Democrats demand a public release of the double-tap strike video. And: Is it too late for Congress to tackle AI?

THE LATEST

‘A wildly unserious proposal’: That’s how Majority Leader John Thune’s spokesperson described Senate Democrats’ idea of extending the expiring ACA subsidies for three years.

Chuck Schumer warns it’s the “only one realistic path” to resolve concerns about spiking insurance premiums.

If that’s DOA, the alternatives Republican leadership would favor are still wildly unclear — and also competing against each other. The House has several bipartisan proposals floating around, each extending the credits for different stretches and addressing different issues, NOTUS’ Hill team reports.

“Everyone’s got their ideas,” Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said. “We’re just trying to thread a needle to get to 218, and 60. That’s it.”

Absent from the needle-threading? Donald Trump.

Mike Johnson said he’s planning to put one of the proposals to a vote, but without clarifying which one or when. In the meantime, a group of 15 Republicans and 20 Democrats have offered “CommonGround 2025,” which would extend the credits for one year, but with income caps and measures attempting to reduce fraud.

The group’s lead Republican, Rep. Jen Kiggans, said she hoped the proposal would “make it clear to the House and Senate leadership that defined ideas do exist that both sides of the aisle support.”

Open tabs: Boat at center of double-tap strike controversy was meeting vessel headed to Suriname: Admiral (CNN); Trump’s birthday replaces MLK Day as a free National Parks day (MS NOW); Violent threats pile up as Indiana Republicans confront pressure from Trump on redistricting (PBS); Trump Waives Southwest Airlines Fine For Holiday Meltdown (The Lever)

From the Pentagon

Subpoena power: “We can do that,” Sen. Mark Kelly said Sunday, confirming that he is exploring whether the Senate Armed Services or Intelligence Committees can compel the release of a video showing the now-infamous second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea in September. He was one of a number of Democrats whose calls to release more information about the controversial strike reached a fever pitch over the weekend.

Will they or won’t they? Trump said last week that he has no problem releasing the video — but when pressed about it Saturday, Pete Hegseth wasn’t so sure: “We’re reviewing that right now,” he said at the Reagan National Defense Forum, arguing a public release could compromise ongoing operations.

From the White House

Mixed reviews: “It is 10x more critical of Europe than Russia,” Republican Rep. Don Bacon posted on X about the National Security Strategy the White House published last week.

And the Kremlin appears to like it that way. A spokesperson for the Russian government told state media that it considers this posture from the Trump administration “a positive step,” the BBC reported.

The strategy, which calls for the restoration of “Western identity,” does take very seriously Europe’s changing demographics, warning it’s possible that “within a few decades at the latest, certain NATO members will become majority non-European.”

It also signals a noticeably softer approach toward Beijing. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, wrote in a statement that “it fundamentally ignores the threat posed by Russia and China.”

From your favorite podcast app

Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez joins NOTUS’ Reese Gorman for today’s episode of the On NOTUS podcast. The second-term lawmaker from Washington state talks about her unlikely path to Congress and how members can rise above the hyperpartisan mess that is Capitol Hill. Hint: It has to do with overly bright headlights and microplastics.

Every week, Reese sits down with a lawmaker and dives deep on their background, their journey to Washington, D.C., and what motivates them. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

THE BIG ONE

How does the standoff over regulating AI end?: It’s the supercomputers vs. a dial-up Congress right now, and the supercomputers are winning. Lawmakers have introduced hundreds of bills this year to try to regulate the AI industry with little success. Now, some tell NOTUS’ Samuel Larreal that the horse may have left the barn.

A bipartisan blame game: “The companies are able to stop everything in their tracks,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar told Samuel. “They’re hugely influential and they don’t want anything done,” Sen. Josh Hawley echoed.

With the tech industry threatening to dump money into elections to support pro-AI candidates, Democratic Rep. Bill Foster said the industry makes people so “scared and angry” that he’s holding out hope the needle will move.

“The idea that there’s this data center in my backyard that is doubling the price of electricity, or that AI is taking my jobs and that the government should do nothing about it is going to be a massive loser,” Foster told Samuel.

One case study: Republicans championed Taiwanese company Foxconn’s Wisconsin plant during Trump’s first administration. Now that it’s building data centers, two of the state’s always-bickering lawmakers, Reps. Derrick Van Orden and Mark Pocan, finally agreed on something: Van Orden said Wisconsinites “should not have to subsidize the power or water for a commercial entity.”

“All the more reason Congress should get its act together,” Pocan told NOTUS’ Jade Lozada.

NEW ON NOTUS

Gearing up for a fight: “Donald Trump is abusing his power and bringing the full weight of the executive branch to bear in an unconstitutional effort to intimidate Senator Kelly,” a spokesperson for the Arizona Democrat’s office told NOTUS’ Dave Levinthal about his decision to establish a legal defense fund in anticipation of FBI and Defense Department investigations.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin also formed her own fund after both senators appeared in a video last month telling military and intelligence community members they should refuse any “illegal” orders from Trump administration officials.

‘Lack of Loyalty’: That’s what Trump called Rep. Henry Cuellar’s decision to run for reelection as a Democrat after the president handed him a pardon, effectively suggesting that Trump regretted the decision now that Cuellar is refusing to switch parties. “Oh well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!” Trump added in a post on Truth Social.

More: Jasmine Crockett Confirms She’s Waiting Until Last Moment to Decide on Senate Run, by Amelia Benavides-Colón

Lawyer for D.C.’s Pipe Bomb Suspect Rejects Bongino’s Past Conspiracy Theories, by Jose Pagliery

The Debate Over Trans Rights Is Heating Up in Maine for the 2026 Election Cycle, by Torrie Herrington

NOT US

• Graham Platner Really Might Be Doomed. Pay Attention to Him Anyway. By Michael Kruse for Politico
  
• A Small Illinois City at the Center of a Seismic Shift in Abortion Access, by Elizabeth Williamson for The New York Times
  
• The Origin of Hegseth’s Anti-Beard Obsession, by Alex Wagner for The Atlantic

WEEK AHEAD

Monday: The Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether the president can remove commissioners of independent agencies.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett is holding an event, where she will reveal whether she is launching a Senate campaign.

Tuesday: Trump will travel to Pennsylvania to kick off a national tour touting his economic agenda.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments on a case challenging restrictions on coordinated campaign spending.

Wednesday: The Federal Reserve will conclude its last meeting of the year and announce whether to cut interest rates.

Thursday: The Senate Armed Services Committee has a hearing to examine Trump’s use of the National Guard in U.S. cities.

Friday: The White House is hosting a meeting with eight allied nations to chat about AI supply chain collaborations.

Date unclear: The Senate is expected to vote on a (yet-to-be-determined) health care proposal sometime this week.

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