Lunchbreak Live

The House passes a bill reauthorizing Section 702 of FISA — or does it? … Articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Mayorkas will finally (!) be delivered to the Senate, but will there be a trial? … Joe Biden really really really wants to “forgive” student loan debt, even if the Supreme Court rules that he has no authority to do it, so he’s trying again … former President Trump and Speaker Johnson meet, talk to the press about a new bill to deter noncitizen voting … will this be the week that a Ukraine/Israel aid bill shows up on the House floor? … all this and more.

Late-breaking news: A New York appeals court says former President Trump can pony up $175 million within 10 days while he appeals, rather than $457 million … House and Senate finish funding the government; will it cost Speaker Johnson his job? … MTG files MTV against SMJ, but doesn’t make it “privileged,” so there won’t be a forced vote … Senate Republicans force Dems to walk the plank on tough amendment votes … all this and more.

House and Senate finally pass a full-year funding bill for about a third of the government, but leave the hard work for later … what about President Biden’s State of the Union address? … SCOTUS says it will hear arguments on April 25 in a key Trump case, which may delay trial until AFTER the election … should the government ban TikTok? Looks like it’s going to … all this and more.

Trump stays on the ballot and other news in this week's Washington Report.

House and Senate are in recess at last … the Senate passes a foreign aid/national security bill with no changes to border policy, but Speaker Johnson says it’s a no-go in the House — what happens next? … is Russia developing a space-based nuke to blind our satellites? … Putin’s strongest political opponent dies under mysterious circumstances in a Russian prison … the government is about to run out of money, again — does anyone care? … lots more on the Biden impeachment front and the Trump indictments front … all this and more.

A welfare bill disguised as a tax bill slips through the House — how? … Is DHS Secretary Mayorkas about to be impeached? … the text of the long-awaited Senate border deal lands with a loud thud, it’s DOA in the House … James Biden agrees to sit for a private deposition one week ahead of Hunter’s private deposition … the Supreme Court will hear that Colorado Trump ballot access cse … all this and more.

Christmas break is over, and House and Senate are back in town with deadlines looming — but, look, up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a TOPLINE NUMBERS AGREEMENT! … Hunter Biden’s defiance of a congressional subpoena will be fodder for Oversight and Judiciary Committees, which will both vote to hold him in contempt of Congress … Defense Secretary was hospitalized for four days before anyone at the White House knew … Homeland Security Committee will launch impeachment hearings against DHS Secretary Mayorkas … CO and ME knock Trump off the ballot, but the Supreme Court says “Not so fast!” … all this and more.

With the Christmas break fast approaching, House and Senate buckle down for a final week of legislating before heading out of town for three weeks ... the emergency supplemental for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and border security is still up in the air … Hunter Biden was indicted, but Joe Biden was protected … will the House vote to formally authorize an impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden? … all this and more.

House and Senate have five days to pass a bill funding the government; will they get it done? … GOP-led House Oversight Committee subpoenas Hunter and James Biden, son and brother to the president of hte United States … minor, but only minor, movement on Biden’s request for $106 billion for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and the southern border … all this and more.

House and Senate are back, government funding expires 11/17, and no one has yet discussed publicly whether or not Congress will pass another short-term Continuing Resolution to keep the government open — House Republicans will discuss this in Conference on Tuesday … House passes an Israel-only, IRS-rescission-funded emergency supplemental spending bill, but it’s DOA in the Senate … House Oversight Committee finds a dirfect payment to Joe Biden … Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville is drawing attention to problems at the Pentagon … all this and more.

The House FINALLY elects a new Speaker! … then the House gets back to work and passes another appropriations bill … up this week, another three approps bills in the House and a three-bill “minibus” in the Senate … will Biden’s request for $106 billion in emergency spending on Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and the border make it through Congress in one piece? … More guilty pleas in the GA election interference case, but to what end? … Chuck Grassley says there have been 40 different FBI/DOJ sources with criminal information about Joe Biden, but what’s been done to vet the information? … All this and more.

The House deposes a Speaker and looks for a replacement — will it be Jordan, or Scalise, or a player to be named? … Mayorkas reverses course and orders construction of new border wall … MTG hangs out with Code Pink; who’s advising her?! … Hunter pleads not guilty, and is now $10 million in debt on legal bills … what’s the latest on the spending fight? … all this and more.

Congress avoids a temporary, partial government shutdown by a healthy margin in both houses; what was the hubbub about, anyway? … continued aid to Ukraine is on the line … liberal lioness Dianne Feinstein dies at 90, and CA Gov. Gavin Newsom fills the seat with a black female, as he promised … updates on Biden crime family saga and the Biden impeachment inquiry … all this and more.

The clock is ticking on a government shutdown — less than one week left. What’s the latest? … Special Counsel Jack Smith tries to muzzle former President Trump … what’s the truth about US aid to Ukraine? … fact-checkers are rewriting their Biden-Ukraine narrative in light of new facts brought to light by Just the News … New Mexico’s Governor thinks the Constitution doesn’t apply … Hunter Biden is (finally!) charged with three felonies … all this and more.

House and Senate return from August recess a third of the way through September, to find a spending crisis staring them in the face … Dem mayors and governors learn the hard way that chickens have a tendency to come home to roost, at least when it comes to illegal immigration … Joe BIden used three different alias emails when he was VP! Who knew? … Can the 14th Amendment bar President Trump from a second term in the WH? No! … all this and more.

Whatever happened to Biden’s Iran nuclear arms deal negotiator, the one who lost his security clearance? … Illegal immigration is rising again, no matter what the Biden Administration says … Can the Constitution really prevent Donald Trump from serving again as president? A Florida lawyer thinks so, and sues to get an answer … Bombshell stories in the NYT and Politico reveal Hunter Biden’s lawyers’ intimidation and threats against DOJ attorneys … Viktor Shokin, at the center of the Ukraine controversy that goes back to Trump’s first impeachment, says he thinks that the BIdens were bribed … Trump indicted AGAIN for gibberish … all this and more.

House and Senate are gone until September — what awaits them when they return? … Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su has now waited longer for a confirmation vote than any cabinet nominee ever — will she ever get a vote? … State Dept gives House an update on the Biden envoy to Iran who lost his security clearance, but doesn’t say much … Hunter’s sweetheart plea deal blows up in the courtroomo; what’s next? … all this and more.

House and Senate begin consideration of the annual defense policy bill … Dems attack the Supreme Court, another Democrat (a Kennedy, no less!), and the First Amendment … Texas becomes largest GOP-led state to leave ERIC … IRS whistleblowers blow the doors off testimony before House Oversight … Grassley releases the FBI document with allegations of a $5 million bribe paid to Joe Biden, and you can read it for yourself! … All this and more.

House passes massive defense policy bill with lots of conservative amendments, now the Senate takes up its own version … Judge Doughty denies DOJ request to stay his order blocking comms between fed govt agencies and social media companies, so DOJ immediately appeals to 5th Circuit — will this go to SCOTUS? … new Hunter laptop email from 2015 reveals “ultimate purpose” of his million-dollar-a-year contract … IRS whistleblowers will testify in public in front of House Oversight Committee … FBI Director Wray was in the hot seat in front of House Judiciary last week … all this and more.

House Oversight Chair Comer threatens FBI Director Wray with contempt of Congress charge and finally gets his hands on a tip from a confidential informant that says that as vice president, Joe Biden took a $5 million bribe from a foreigner in exchange for policy action … 11 House conservatives take down a rule unexpectedly to demonstrate their influence over the course of House proceedings, in case Speaker McCarthy forgot … has China been spying on us from a base in Cuba for years? … former President Trump becomes the first former president, and the first leading opposition party presidential candidate, ever to be indicted by the federal government … All this and more.

What’s the latest on the debt ceiling negotiations? And what’s up with all this talk of President Biden using the 14th Amendment to the Constitution to bypass Congress and continue issuing debt on his own? … IRS whistleblower’s lawyers say he and his entire investigative team just got removed from the investigation, at the request of the DOJ … a federal judge in Florida smacks the Biden Administration for failing to follow the law on the border … all this and more.

The House passes a huge border security and immigration and asylum reform bill as Title 42 is lifted and tens of thousands crash the border … House Oversight Committee releases interim report on the Biden Crime Family showing millions of dollars received from foreign nationals, but no clue of what the payments were in exchange for … Dianne Feinstein returns to DC; will Schumer tee up the Julie Su confirmation vote now? … President Biden meets with congresional leaders at the White House to discuss debt ceiling; will they succeed in getting the fiscal house back in order? … All this and more.

Major news: a senior IRS official has asked Congress for whistleblower protection to discuss how political considerations have infected the Hunter Biden investigation … Remember that letter from 51 “Intelligence Community professionals” that said the Hunter Biden laptop story was Russian disinformation? Turns out it wasn’t spontaneous — it was generated from inside the Biden campaign! … House GOP rallies behind the “Limit, Save, Grow Act,” Speaker McCarthy’s opening bid on the debt ceiling negotiations … Senate Dems still trying to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein, but GOP Senators won’t have it … all this and more.

The House passes a major energy bill; will it move in the Senate? … it looks like AG Garland lied to Congress … Sen. Tuberville plays hardball with the Pentagon over taxpayer-funded abortion … Social Security and Medicare are running out of money … SO MUCH on the Trump indictment … all this and more. Tune in at 1 PM EDT!