Jack Fitzpatrick ☘️

Covering Congress for MS NOW

Signal: jackfitzpatrick.62

[Jack Fitzpatrick ☘️ @jackfitzdc]

"I want to make sure it’s not mostly dead; I want to make sure it’s completely dead," Sen. Bill Cassidy says of Trump's $1.8 billion fund.

Republicans have a chance to block the payouts during today's votes on their ICE funding bill.

w/ @peggyreports
https://t.co/IfyMMqiWMr

[Jack Fitzpatrick ☘️ @jackfitzdc]

^^ Now likely tomorrow morning

[Jack Fitzpatrick ☘️ @jackfitzdc]

Senate voting now on the motion to proceed to their ICE-funding reconciliation bill. It appears to be on track to succeed, setting up a vote-a-rama on amendments likely tonight.

[David Weigel @daveweigel]

Since 2022, the share of Republicans saying "gay or lesbian relations" are "morally acceptable" has plunged from 56% to 35%.

[Senator John Cornyn @JohnCornyn]

The way to ensure the Trump retribution fund is more than mostly dead would be for Congress to put a stake through it. https://t.co/tOAAZPF9TF via @WSJopinion

[JM Rieger @RiegerReport]

Todd Blanche says the Justice Department is not moving forward with the anti-weaponization fund.

BLANCHE: We are not moving forward with the fund, period...

MENG: Not moving forward ever?

BLANCHE: Correct.

[Nora McKee @NoraReports]

@SenSanders confronts protesters against senate candidate Graham Platner outside of the DSCC.

“Are you with the Republican Party? Are you talking about morality and corruption with President Trump?”

[Jeff Stein @jstein_star]

Incredible scoop from @EricM_Katz

https://t.co/ZiuwwYKgge

[Max Tani @maxwelltani]

In an email to members, WHCD President Weijia Jiang says the WHCD is back on for July 24.

[Jack Fitzpatrick ☘️ @jackfitzdc]

Today's promise by DOJ — to abide by a court ruling against Trump's settlement fund — isn't winning over lawmakers in either party.

"We all have to follow the law," Sen. John Kennedy says. "That's why God made jails."

w/ @mychaelschnell
https://t.co/w0xrpOxF8C

[Jack Fitzpatrick ☘️ @jackfitzdc]

Democrats unsurprisingly are not buying the White House line about dropping plans for Trump's $1.8 billion settlement fund.

"For five minutes," Sen. Patty Murray said when I asked about the plan. "I don’t believe that."

She expects it to become an issue in appropriations talks.

[Mychael Schnell @mychaelschnell]

NEW: Sen. Bernie Sanders told me he’s “certainly not” rethinking his endorsement of Graham Platner following news that he sent sexually explicit text messages to women.

“My understanding is that his wife, Amy, who I've met, indicated they love each other, but maybe we focus on the issues facing the American people, the people of Maine, and not the marriage issues facing Graham Platner.”

[Natalie Alms @AlmsNatalie]

As first reported by @EricM_Katz and I

https://t.co/8Csz3CzjCa

[Igor Bobic @igorbobic]

🐸 Breaking frog news:

Cornyn tells me “you can sort of make your own interpretation” about the frog/scorpion parable he tweeted last week.

Is he the frog?

“If you want a friend in DC, get a dog.”

Is Trump the scorpion?

“If the shoe fits, wear it.”

[Jack Fitzpatrick ☘️ @jackfitzdc]

Dems are not persuaded:

[Adam Schiff @SenAdamSchiff]

If Republicans are serious about ending this brazenly corrupt scheme, they should have no problem voting for legislation banning any President from creating such a slush fund in the future.

Today, I'm introducing my bill, the Drain the Slush Fund Act, that would shut down this corruption scheme once and for all.

[Jack Fitzpatrick ☘️ @jackfitzdc]

DOJ says it disagrees with the court decision on Trump's settlement fund but will abide by it. Not quite a wholehearted repudiation of the plan.

[U.S. Department of Justice @TheJusticeDept]

The Department of Justice disagrees strongly with the decision on the Anti-Weaponization Fund put forth by the United States District Court Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, wherein the Court stated that, under no circumstances, may the Department of Justice proceed with the Anti-Weaponization Fund recently established in order to make up for the tremendous abuse, harm, and hate unfairly shown to so many people. This Fund was open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise. The Department will abide by the Court’s ruling.

[Mychael Schnell @mychaelschnell]

👀 As fallout continues over Graham Platner's sexually explicit texts, Janet Mills is reminding folks she's still on the ballot:

“People have the impression that I ‘withdrew’ or ‘dropped out,'” Mills (D) told @PressHerald, “but I simply suspended active campaigning. I am still on the ballot.”
https://t.co/Uhku7SkKs1

[Eamon Javers @EamonJavers]

I spoke to President Trump on the phone last hour about the end of negotiations with the Iranians. He told me: “I don’t care if they’re over, honestly. I really don’t care. I couldn’t care less. If they’re over, they’re over. If they’re not, you know, I think they took too much time. Frankly, I thought they started to get very boring.”

https://t.co/Erp6SKZ2Tx

[Alec MacGillis @AlecMacGillis]

Sign of the times: even in small-town New England, there's been a big drop in demand for white picket fences, as homeowners prefer tall vinyl ones for more privacy. “I smoke the cannabis but I feel awkward doing it in front of schoolchildren.” @DPAQreport:
https://t.co/4n3v6fL3Wq

[Senator Jacky Rosen @SenJackyRosen]

In the past year, Washington Republicans have made the biggest Medicaid cut in history and taken food assistance away from millions of Americans to give more of YOUR tax dollars to the ultra-wealthy. Hardworking families are now struggling to make ends meet as prices on groceries, gas, and other everyday essentials climb higher and higher.

Instead of doing anything to help, Donald Trump is trying to create a $1.8 billion slush fund, paid for with YOUR tax dollars, to give money to his political allies — including January 6 rioters who beat up police officers. This is downright corrupt – and while a federal judge has temporarily paused the creation of this illegal fund, I won’t sit idly by and let your money be misused in this way.

That’s why I’ll be introducing three bills to redirect these taxpayer funds from Trump’s slush fund into programs that ACTUALLY help lower costs for families and keep them safe. My bills will redirect the $1.8 BILLION slush fund money to SNAP, Medicaid, and law enforcement programs like those that help our local police departments hire more officers.

You work hard for your money and I’ll be damned if I let Donald Trump or anyone else use it for a slush fund for their friends. Let’s see if Washington Republicans agree.