Today’s notice: The early word from FEC filing day. What the FBI isn’t doing in the shutdown. A dog has a birthday party. The U.S. is going to do “price floors.” And: the politics of Saturday’s No Kings rallies.
THE LATEST
Lawmakers are spending big on security: Political lightning rods on both sides of the aisle are shelling out for personal security as the political climate reaches a boiling point. Since an updated Federal Election Commission rule went into effect on Jan. 1, federal candidates and committees have spent at least $9.9 million on security expenses, according to a NOTUS analysis of federal campaign finance data.
Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reported five- and six-figure security bills last quarter alone, Taylor Giorno and Dave Levinthal report.
Who’s down with FEC (yeah, you know me). Campaigns’ third quarter fundraising reports were due Wednesday — the first report for many candidates who announced their campaigns from July through September. Three quick takeaways, courtesy of NOTUS’ Alex Roarty:
Good news for Jared Golden: The moderate congressman from Maine’s 2nd District received about $1 million in total contributions during the last fundraising quarter, almost tripling the leading Republican in the field, former Maine Gov. Paul LePage, who collected just shy of $365,000. Golden still faces a credible primary challenger next year, but financially at least, he’s in good shape so far.
Hunt humbled: Speculation that Rep. Wesley Hunt was going to run for Senate in Texas (he finally got in the race this month) didn’t help the congressman’s fundraising. He raised only $380,000 last quarter, well short of the kind of fundraising numbers he needs going forward if he wants to keep up with opponents Ken Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn.
Seeing triple in Michigan: The Democratic Party’s most contentious three-way primary (at least this side of Maine) saw Rep. Haley Stevens raise more money than state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed — but she also spent more. Stevens, the perceived favorite of Democrats in Washington, raised $1.9 million but spent $1.2 million, while McMorrow raised $1.7 million and spent nearly $1.1 million, and El-Sayed raised almost $1.8 million and spent just over $1 million.
Open Tabs Capitol Police called to investigate swastika in GOP congressional office (Politico); Trump Team Plans IRS Overhaul to Enable Pursuit of Left-Leaning Groups (WSJ); Trump Signs Memo Expanding His Authority to Spend Federal Money (NYT);
From the shutdown
FBI can’t pay informants: Special agents are required to get a supervisor’s approval to pay sources, who get the money as a condition of their cooperation with ongoing investigations. But NOTUS’ Jose Pagliery reports that agents are being told during the shutdown, “don’t even submit it because it’s not going to be approved,” as one source put it.
From the Hill
Remember Epstein? Democrats do. NOTUS’ Daniella Diaz reports on how the caucus is pushing to keep the story going even as Republicans take advantage of the shutdown in an attempt to backburner it. The focus is on seating Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva and then kicking off the bipartisan discharge petition led by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna that would force a vote on releasing the DOJ’s case files.
The pressure could crank up imminently, Grijalva told Daniella. If Arizona AG Kris Mayes does not get a response from Mike Johnson to her letter demanding Grijalva be seated today, “I think that she’s gonna do something,” Grijalva said.
Across the Capitol: “I never expected in a million years all these people would come,” Sen. Jim Justice told NOTUS’ Tyler Spence about the sixth birthday party he threw for his bulldog, Babydog.
Weird to do this during a government shutdown? “My dad used to tell me, ‘Son, if you know and the good Lord knows, that’s all that matters,’ and I do know. I’m doing it because it’s Babydog’s birthday, and I love her to death,” Justice said. He told Tyler he paid for all the party supplies personally.
From the White House
Venezuela escalation: “We’ve almost totally stopped it by sea,” Trump told reporters yesterday, referring to the drug smuggling purportedly at the heart of recent U.S. attacks on boats departing from Venezuela. “Now we’ll stop it by land.”
The president seemed to confirm reports that the rules of engagement have changed when he said the U.S. is considering strikes on land. He also admitted that he had authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside the country — making them suddenly not so covert. When asked if those operations include taking out Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump wouldn’t say.
THE BIG ONE
What will Saturday bring? There’s a lot riding on this weekend’s scheduled redux of the No Kings rallies that first brought Trump opponents together back in June.
Progressive groups are bracing for federal provocation. “Deploying troops and armed, militarized federal agents into our cities is an intentional tactic to sow fear, to intimidate anyone who dares to disagree with [Trump],” Ellen Flenniken, No Kings lead for the ACLU, told NOTUS’ Emily Kennard. The group is spearheading deescalation training for rally attendees, including “what to do if you encounter military troops or federal law enforcement agents.”
Republicans are hoping for a messaging breakthrough. The rallies come in the midst of a government shutdown that has (for now) stitched together a badly torn Democratic coalition. Republicans are predicting the scenes of lefty rhetoric will give them a chance to divide Democrats once again.
Congressional Republicans are calling Saturday’s events “Hate America rallies.” Rep. Tom Emmer told Emily that Democrats in Congress are “appeasing the pro-terrorist wing of their party” by promoting the rallies. At the same time, they told NOTUS they expect Democrats to break on the shutdown once Saturday has come and gone. The GOP claim is Democratic leaders are fearful to make any moves right now, lest the Trump-focused rallies become about them.
NEW ON NOTUS
Clean energy switcheroo? The Trump administration is financing its $625 million investment in the coal industry with money that was originally appropriated for carbon capture programs and rural energy projects, NOTUS’ Shifra Dayak reports. “I don’t understand how they can possibly use funds that were provided for a carbon capture technology program to fund things that they are explicitly saying don’t need carbon capture,” a source familiar with the program told NOTUS.
U.S. eyes ‘price floors’: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday on CNBC that the administration plans to “set price floors” across a “range of industries” to combat China’s economic manipulation. No other details were given.
Price floors are minimum prices set by the federal government and are an economic tool typically used by communist governments. The U.S. economy has very few examples of them, with the minimum wage and agricultural subsidies being two notable exceptions.
More: Vance to Critics of Young Republicans’ Racist Group Chat: ‘Grow Up!’, by Brett Bachman
Brian Fitzpatrick’s Dem Challenger Touts Poll Showing Competitive Race, by Riley Rogerson and Avani Kalra
Trump Administration Imposes $1,000 Fee on Immigrants Seeking Parole, by Jackie Llanos
Sununu Expected to Jump Into New Hampshire Senate Race ‘Imminently’, by Reese Gorman
NOT US
- Don the Builder: Inside Trump’s White House makeover, by Marc Caputo for Axios
- The Last Days of the Pentagon Press Corps, by Nancy A. Youssef for The Atlantic
- My Coffee With Stephen Miller, by David Corn for Mother Jones
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