Laura Weiss
@LauraEWeiss16
Congressional reporter @PunchbowlNews. prev: Roll Call, Hearst CT. Go birds. laura@punchbowl.news
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NEW: Sen. Chris Van Hollen is now open to a run against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
Van Hollen has "received an outpouring of calls and is now in active listening mode," according to a person familiar w/ his thinking around leadership
"The door is not shut," the person added
Van Hollen is a leading progressive & has said he needs commitments from Schumer before agreeing to support him for another term as leader. The Maryland Democrat has also been eyeing a presidential run
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SCHUMER says in a statement that Senate Dems are “united in our support for Abdul El-Sayed”
Comes after El-Sayed’s primary opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, endorses Republican Mike Rogers
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NEW in @PunchbowlNews AM: Senate R's are preparing to rush through judicial noms after the midterms
Judiciary Chair GRASSLEY is planning two judicial nomination hearings in Nov. when the Senate is in for less than 2 weeks. Additional hearings expected in Dec.
R's goal is to clear as many district and court judges as possible before the year ends & nom process resets. But this will intensify if the Senate flips & judicial noms would likely become a priority for floor time
MUCH MORE inside Grassley's push to confirm judges -
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News: DOJ is seeking a federal criminal indictment of former WH aide Cassidy Hutchinson on charges of lying to Congress in her Jan. 6 testimony
DOJ's Civil Rights Division brought evidence to a federal grand jury on Tuesday and is expected to present more evidence and additional witnesses later this month, per sources familiar with the plans. Hutchinson has not been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury, per the sources
MORE to come on this news from me and @bresreports in @PunchbowlNews Midday. Text subscribers got it first
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Sen. HUSTED says it’s a “Chuck Schumer play” to not provide the votes for his Ratepayer Protection Act & argues it shows Dems blocking affordability efforts
“Now they own it. The Democrats are obstructionists on lowering electricity prices for American consumers”
Big issue in OH Senate race - where Dems knocking Husted on past data center support
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On a diesel export ban, THUNE says he's had a number of convos about the option but many are concerned that it wouldn't have any positive impact on prices & it could create longer-term supply issues
"As we think about these things obviously we're giving consideration to not just the immediate political consideration but the long-term economic one too and what it does to that picture. So it's not as easy as one thinks."
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Sen. CORNYN joins call for an investigation & issuing subpoena to Donald Trump Jr.:
“I would support Senator Curtis’ request”
Cornyn sits on Judiciary & President Trump helped oust him in his primary
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Judiciary Chair GRASSLEY says he can’t yet say if he’d call Donald Trump Jr. in for a hearing — as Sen. Curtis requested in a letter
“I think the fact is that it takes time, and if you were going to ask me when you're going to have a hearing, there's no way I could answer that today.”
Adds: “I’m going to take his request seriously and sit down with staff and see what we can do.”
Also knocks Curtis, saying he probably realizes he should’ve given Judiciary R’s a heads up ahead of sending letter & notes that Curtis has his own oversight powers
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Top Judiciary Dem DURBIN responds and says he supports Sen. Curtis' request to subpoena Donald Trump Jr.
NEWS: Ways & Means Republicans are strongly considering dropping provisions on taxing mining/staking rewards from their crypto tax package, per multiple sources familiar w/ the plans
W&M expected to mark up the bill Wednesday. No final decisions have been made, per sources, but leaving out mining/staking rewards treatment would eliminate biggest sticking point w/ Dems
@PunchbowlNews Vault subscribers got the news first via text. MORE SOON in Sunday Vault
w/ @ccleffert
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