Today’s notice: A thin majority tests the Freedom Caucus’ influence in the House. Late-night procedural votes test patience in the Senate. And the AAPI community tests its loyalty to the Democratic Party.
A Caucus Is Born Free and Everywhere It Is in Chains
Since Donald Trump’s election, the House Freedom Caucus has faced three uncomfortable truths.
Truth One: There’s a sweet spot in a House Republican majority for the Freedom Caucus to be most effective. And it’s somewhere between a massive 30-something seat win, in which their voice becomes moot, and a one- or two-person margin, in which every Republican lawmaker has de facto veto power.
Truth Two: The Freedom Caucus has had a more tumultuous relationship with Donald Trump than you may assume for a group that’s known to be a cheerleader for the president-elect.
Truth Three: The caucus may disobey Trump even before he takes office.
Next term, the HFC is poised to face all three truths and a test of its relevance in a party that’s already embraced much of its mission.
Like its new chair, Rep. Andy Harris, told NOTUS, the strategy seems to be swimming with the MAGA current rather than against the tide like former Chair Bob Good did. (That didn’t go so well for him.)
“We’ll have more of a role in policy, since we’re going to have a Republican in the White House,” Harris told NOTUS as he rattled off the reasons why — as the HFC enters its second decade of existence — the Freedom Caucus is prepared to be a power broker next term.
“There’s no question about it,” Harris said. “Pound for pound, per capita, we are the strongest supporters of President Trump on Capitol Hill.”
What Goes Around…
Senate Republicans utilized parliamentary procedure to fight Democratic judicial confirmations last week. That might come back to bite them next Congress.
“You always have to be careful of what comes around, goes around,” Sen. Gary Peters told NOTUS.
Forced votes, roll calls, mandatory quorums — plus a deluge of motions and motions about motions — kept senators from both parties up past their bedtimes. Eventually they struck a deal: Democrats will forgo some judges to get others through abbreviated confirmations.
Both sides can claim it as a victory. But with only a few weeks until Democrats are in the minority, the resolution matters less than the precedent Republicans just established.
“I just know that there were a lot of times Leader McConnell warned us about things that came back to bite us,” Sen. Mark Warner said, grinning.
Front Page
- Trump Vowed to Take Over D.C., House Republicans Might Try to Make It a Reality: Rep. Andrew Clyde told NOTUS he’s introducing a bill next Congress to change the Home Rule Act. It wouldn’t be the city’s first power struggle with federal lawmakers.
- Trump’s Sentencing in New York Hush Money Trial Is Delayed Indefinitely: After multiple delays, it’s off for the foreseeable future.
- U.S. Officials Are ‘Very Concerned’ After Escalation in the War in Ukraine: But senators are broadly supportive of a recent change in Biden policy to allow Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, for strikes from Ukraine into Russian territory.
- Should Rahm Emanuel Be DNC Chair? Some House Democrats Don’t Think So: Illinois Democrats are starting to weigh in on his potential run.
The Fight for AAPI Voters
Asian American voters shifted toward Trump anywhere between 5 and 9 percentage points since the 2020 presidential race, according to exit polls. Those numbers have sparked some Democratic soul-searching and Republican smiling.
Yiatin Chu, a Republican who lost her race this month for a New York State Senate seat representing part of Queens, described what she heard from voters like this: “I would say when I speak to Asian voters in my district, specifically, but even around the city, in the past year, it’s more about being anti-Democrat than it’s necessarily about pro-Republican,” Chu said. “Like there is such a rebuke on what we’ve been living under, that something else must be better.”
Republicans are eager to keep AAPI voters in the fold and grow their support. One source familiar with the Republican National Committee’s outreach to AAPI voters told NOTUS that Trump “set the standard” for how to engage with Asian American communities. It’s a model the source thought other Republican candidates could follow in the future.
Christine Chen, the executive director of APIAVote, a nonpartisan civic engagement organization, said whether Asian American voters will continue to move to the right will be clearer once the Trump administration is actually underway.
“How [Trump’s] policies get implemented and the rhetoric that actually is utilized will also determine whether or not his base of voters from the Asian American community will continue to support him, or if they’ll be turned off by that,” Chen said.
Number You Should Know
1,625
That’s the total number of “Yeas” and “Nays” cast during last Monday’s marathon Senate session.
Not Us
We know NOTUS reporters can’t cover it all. Here’s some other great hits by… not us.
- People Are Rushing to the Doctor Before Trump 2.0 by Lindsay Gellman at The Cut
- The World’s Biggest EV Maker Has the Industry’s Worst Human Rights Appraisal by Carlton Reid at Wired
- When Pam Bondi Protected Foreclosure Fraudsters by David Dayen at The American Prospect
- Radek Sikorski wants to be Poland’s president. Is his wife’s Trump-bashing a problem? by Wojciech Kość at Politico EU
- An Idaho County Will Publish Everyone’s Ballots to Combat Mistrust by Mike Baker at The New York Times
Be Social
The look-alike contest craze hits #ThisTown.
A WINNER HAS BEEN DECLARED in the Jack Schlossberg lookalike contest pic.twitter.com/XyES1dRwgw
— Mark Alfred (@byMarkAlfred) November 24, 2024
Meet Us: Torrence Banks
Welcome to “Meet Us” where we introduce you to a member of the NOTUS team. Up today is Torrence Banks, who is an AJI fellow and reporter covering Alabama.
- Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
- Past: I received my bachelor’s degree in English with a journalism minor from Morehouse College, and a master’s in journalism from the University of Maryland. I have previously reported for the Miami Herald, U.S. News & World Report and Capital News Service.
- Why journalism: I enjoy storytelling and sharing other people’s stories. I also enjoy learning new things through interviewing and researching, both of which I get to do as a journalist.
- AJI highlight so far: I’ve enjoyed attending The Atlantic Festival and taking classes on sourcing from experienced reporters.
- Thing you can’t live without: Nike trail running sneakers.
- Best advice you’ve ever been given: You can’t live your life through the eyes of other people.
Tell Us Your Thoughts
Are you over the look-alike contests or do we actually need more?
Send your thoughts to newsletters@notus.org.
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Correction: A previous version of this newsletter incorrectly attributed a quote about Asian American voters in Queens. It was said by Yiatin Chu.