Politics
Photo Gallery: Looking in, but fenced out
Thousands of supporters braved the cold outside of the Capitol as Trump was inaugurated.
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Trump’s first day meets frigid temperatures: attendees relocate inside to view the inauguration
Cold weather forced venue change for parade and swearing-in ceremony.
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Listen: Trump supporters converge for inauguration, excited for second term
Supporters waited in line for hours at Capital One Arena, some arriving before sunrise.
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Trump fans from around the country and abroad brave frigid temperatures to cheer his second inauguration
Thousands of people descended on Washington to witness Donald Trump’s second inauguration. As Trump was inaugurated inside the Capitol, his supporters stood in line outside several blocks further northwest, waiting to enter the Capital One Arena to view a livestream of the ceremony.
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Trump becomes the 47th President, orders borders closed for many would-be migrants
President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, vowing to usher the country back to its “Golden Age” and issuing a flurry of executive orders and actions on his first day back in office.
read moreInterior Secretary nominee Doug Burgum balances environmental priorities with Trump’s vision of “energy dominance” in confirmation hearing
WASHINGTON – Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior nominee, touted balance and innovation as key to achieving Trump’s vision of “U.S. energy dominance” in an amicable confirmation hearing Thursday.
As Interior secretary, Burgum will oversee approximately 20% of the country’s land, including national parks, and serve as President-elect Trump’s “energy czar.”
To Democrats opposed to drilling on public lands, Burgum stressed the national security importance of American energy independence for national security, championing President-elect Trump’s goals for “US energy dominance.”
“We cannot be in a position where we’re exposed to supply chains that depend on our adversaries,” said Burgum.
Sen. Angus King (D-Maine) pushed back on Burgum’s claims that getting reliable energy requires fossil fuels and that renewable energy sources provide only intermittent energy.
“You would agree, I think, that renewables, or intermittents, plus storage equals baseload,” said King, referring to energy generation that’s dependable.
Burgum, once on the shortlist to be Trump’s vice president, acknowledged the possibility for improvements in battery storage to make renewable energy a more dependable source. But he stressed that battery storage was a far off future and currently not practical.
“We can decarbonize traditional fuels cheaper than we can subsidize some of the renewables and that should be looked at,” said Burgum.
As governor of North Dakota, Burgum supported a carbon dioxide pipeline to store the gas deep underground. This was part of his plan to make North Dakota carbon neutral by 2030, largely through carbon capture technology, rather than scaling back on oil, gas and coal.
Environmentalists argue that capturing carbon dioxide from fossil fuels is too expensive and instead favor switching to solar, wind and other renewable energy sources.
Burgum’s embrace of drilling on public land was in lockstep with many Republicans like Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who both represent states with economies dependent on natural resources.
“Part of our challenge is not lack of resources,” said Murkowski. “Our big challenge, as you know, is access.”
Burgum encountered bipartisan unity from Senators on their desire to preserve the “outdoor economy.”
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) referred to her state’s natural resources as an “economic juggernaut,” and reminded the committee of the $1.2 trillion the outdoor recreation economy generates nationally each year.
Across the ideological aisle, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) recognized National Park sites “certainly contribute” to state tourism and the local economy.
Burgum readily agreed the “economic economy” must be protected. “We’ve got a big deferred maintenance issue, and we have a big opportunity,” he said, in reference to National Parks.
If confirmed, Burgum would oversee over 500 million acres of public land, nine bureaus and trust responsibilities to 574 federally recognized American Indian Tribes and Alaska Natives, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
“We’ve got an opportunity to have innovation, and innovation made around decarbonizing liquid fuels, but so we just have to make sure that we have balance. Because we need it all. We need it all,” said Burgum.
Witnesses express both support and concern during the second day of Pam Bondi’s Attorney General confirmation hearing
WASHINGTON — Three witnesses in support of Pam Bondi spoke about her love for people and the law, while two others expressed concern for the nominee’s ability to remain impartial, marking the second day of the confirmation for Attorney General.
Offering a subdued shift from the tense tone Wednesday, only slightly more than half of all senators on the Judiciary Committee attended the hearing as most lawmakers rotated in and out of the room during testimony.
The Judiciary Committee hammered on Bondi’s ability to remain apolitical.
“She really shielded me from the politics,” said Fla. Statewide Prosecutor Nicholas Cox when describing his time working with the nominee. “With all due respect, prosecutors, we don’t really want to be politicians.”
Lisa Gilbert, an opposition witness and president of the advocacy organization Public Citizen, said “it’s easy to see” how Bondi’s recent lobbying for corporate clients and foreign governments will inform her work in the Justice Department.
“This level of corporate entanglement just speaks to exactly the wrong incentives,” Gilbert said.
In his opening remarks, ranking member Dick Durbin (D–Ill.) spoke about Bondi’s repeated refusal to state that Trump lost the 2020 election.
“She was unable to say, just expressly, ‘Yes. Joe Biden received more votes than Donald Trump and was elected President in 2020.’” he said. “When a nominee for Attorney General is afraid to state a simple fact, then what does it say about the future of our democracy and the credibility of our system of justice?”
Witnesses supporting Bondi repeatedly spoke about her personal character.
“She has a real human touch about her,” said former Florida State Sen. Dave Aronberg (D), who added that he voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
As witnesses testified about Bondi’s legal experience, senators from both parties agreed on Bondi’s qualifications.
With a Republican majority on the Committee, Bondi’s confirmation appears likely, a win for Trump after his original pick, Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration days before the release of an ethics report detailing allegations of sexual misconduct and drug abuse while a member of Congress.
“She’s going to be confirmed. There’s no doubt about it,” said Sen. Katie Britt (R–Ala.) following the hearing.
Trump’s budget chief nominee hints at Project 2025 plans at confirmation hearing
WASHINGTON – Almost four years since Donald Trump first tapped him to lead the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought was itching on Wednesday for his return to the White House.
For almost three hours during his confirmation hearing, Vought dodged and weaved to avoid one question after another from members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, obviously frustrating Democratic senators who see him as a quintessential bureaucrat and yes-man to Trump.
After leaving office in 2021, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a conservative think tank, and helped carve out Project 2025, a 900-page blueprint to reshape Trump’s second term agenda.
Trump spent the majority of his campaign attempting to distance himself from Project 2025. But, days before the start of Trump’s second administration, Vought’s appearance on Wednesday signaled that Project 2025 and its many policy prescriptions are alive and well.
“I’m not here as a think tank president, I’m here as a nominee,” Vought responded to a question from Senator Andy Kim (D – N.J.) about whether he and Trump plan to exercise their powers within the boundaries of the Constitution. “I’m here on his behalf and for his agenda.”
He dodged questions early on from Democrats accusing him of failing to spend money allocated by Congress during Trump’s first term. He doubled down on his goal to slash federal spending. And most of all, he promised to abide by Trump’s agenda, whatever that becomes.
Chief to Project 2025 is its argument to consolidate the federal branch and replace the federal workforce with political appointees. In the report’s chapter on executive power he wrote, Vought explains that the authority of the president over federal agencies should be absolute. When asked by Senator Bernie Moreno (R – Ohio) whether that is the reality today during Wednesday’s hearing, Vought pounced on the question.
“It’s not the case currently, but it is something that as a policy objective, I think our founders would have envisioned it that way,” Vought said.
Vought’s responses drew frequent rebuke from the Democratic aisle. A phalanx of eager senators took turns poking at examples when they claimed Vought sidestepped the Constitution.
Senator Gary Peters (R – Michigan) asserted that Vought and the OMB’s had violated the law when it withheld $214 million military aid to Ukraine in 2019, which Vought denied.
“How do we negotiate with someone who says I’m just going to do what I want? ‘To hell with the Constitution,’” Peters said.
Later, Vought declined to say if he would fully commit to earmarking congressionally-approved funds if appointed to the post.
Other Democratic senators took the opportunity to rail against Vought’s seemingly unwavering loyalty to Trump — wondering if he would preserve certain long-standing federal programs while weighing the tall task of slashing federal spending.
It wasn’t long before Vought’s familiar circles of circumvention earned the chagrin of Democratic senators. Republicans spent the afternoon mostly musing over ways Vought could curtail federal spending
Senator Ben Johnson sat in front of a chart that showed spending levels way up since the pandemic.
“Do you see any rationale to continue those spending levels,” Senator Ben Johnson (R-Wisconsin) asked Vought.
In his remarks, Vought, who is predicted to breeze through the rest of his confirmation process, reiterated his top priorities to cut federal funding and consolidate executive powers.
Watch: Transportation Secretary nominee on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, came before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday. The former Republican Congressman from Wisconsin appeared to receive bipartisan support from lawmakers, including from fellow Wisconsinite Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D).
Watch the video report here:
A final White House brief amid ceasefire announcement
WASHINGTON – At the 537th and final White House press briefing of President Joe Biden’s administration, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre updated the press on reports of a ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas.
With just five days remaining before President Biden leaves office, the agreement offered a glimmer of hope for an end to bloodshed in the region after 15 months of war.
“This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, serve much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians who have been living in dire conditions, and it will reunite the hostages, including Americans, with their families after more than 15 months in captivity,” Jean-Pierre told reporters during the press briefing.
Jean-Pierre also reiterated Biden’s crucial role in diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement and highlighted the vital role of the United States in negotiations.
When probed by reporters on whether or not President-elect Trump should be credited, Jean-Pierre declined to comment and stated, “The president got it done.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Biden delivered remarks on the ceasefire agreement, which his administration helped to broker.
Biden outlined the three phases of the deal, with the first phase, which will last for six weeks, including a complete ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas. The second phase will include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire and the departure of Israeli forces from Gaza.
In his speech, President Biden emphasized that this is the “exact framework” of the deal that he proposed in May 2024, which received unanimous approval from the UN Security Council.
Both President Biden and Press Secretary Jean-Pierre noted that the Biden administration “coordinated closely” with incoming President-elect Donald Trump’s administration officials to facilitate a peaceful transfer of power.
A camera crew adjusts a tripod while White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters (Joshua Sukoff/Medill News Service)
At a Wednesday afternoon press briefing at the State Department, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State Matthew Miller addressed the Israel-Hamas ceasefire a few hours after the agreement was announced.
“That provides Israelis and Palestinians the incentives and insurances they need to achieve their long-sought national aspirations.”
In his closing remarks in one of his final speeches as president, Biden reiterated his satisfaction with the agreement. “As I prepare to leave office our friends are strong, our enemies are weak and there’s a genuine opportunity for a new future.”
During the final press conference of the Biden administration – Karine Jean-Pierre’s 306th – an emotional Jean-Pierre described her time as Press Secretary as the ‘honor of a lifetime.’
Additional reporting by Sofia Sorochinskaia.
Bondi faces heated confirmation hearing
WASHINGTON – Pamela Bondi, the former Florida attorney general and President-elect Donald Trump’s replacement nominee for U.S. Attorney General, faced a heated Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday. Bondi, tapped by Trump in November after the controversial withdrawal of then-nominee Rep. Matt Gaetz, fielded questions ranging from pardons to FBI Director nominee Kash Patel.
Senator Dick Durbin (D–Ill.), the committee’s ranking member, pressed Bondi on whether she could state, without reservation, “that Donald Trump lost the presidential contest to Joe Biden in 2020.”
Bondi responded with a line she would repeat throughout the afternoon: “President Biden is the president of the United States.” When asked about doubts regarding President Joe Biden winning the majority of votes in 2020, she pivoted to concerns about election integrity, stating, “No one from either side of the aisle should want there to be any issues with election integrity in our country.”
Durbin criticized her response as evasive, highlighting her previous advocacy for Trump’s 2020 campaign.
Senators repeatedly questioned Bondi’s ability to resist potential political interference from the White House. Bondi assured the committee, “The Justice Department must be independent and must act independently,” and vowed she would follow the Constitution and the law. However, Democratic senators expressed skepticism, citing her close ties to Trump, which include her role as a legal advisor during his first impeachment in 2019. Bondi is one of four of Trump’s personal attorneys in line for Justice Department jobs, with the others being Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer.
When asked about the controversial appointment of Kash Patel as FBI Director, Bondi praised Patel’s experience but denied knowledge of his alleged “enemies list,” asserting, “There will never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice under my watch.”
While Republican senators praised Bondi’s tenure as Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019 by highlighting her efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and human trafficking, Democrats continued to press her over 2020 election denialism. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said, “Ms. Bondi, you know there is a difference between acknowledging it. I can say that Donald Trump won the 2024 election. I may not like it, but I can say it. You cannot say who won the 2020 presidential election. It’s disturbing that you can’t give voice to that fact.”
Trump’s potential plan to pardon January 6th rioters was another point of contention for Democrats. Throughout the hearing, Bondi repeated that she would review pardon applications on a case-by-case basis and condemned violence against law enforcement when asked about her role in advising Trump. However, she avoided directly addressing whether such individuals deserved pardons, emphasizing a focus on facts and evidence.
Supporters, including Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), lauded Bondi for her qualifications and dismissed concerns over previous connections to Trump.
At the start of the hearing, Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) emphasized disappointment in some of the actions current Attorney General Merrick Garland and his department took at the time of his nomination, but urged the committee to act swiftly in pushing through her nomination.
“This committee should give Ms. Bondi the same benefit of the doubt that this committee gave to Attorney General Garland. President Trump has elected a nominee whose qualifications speak for themselves,” he said.
House committee threatens to ban telework for federal workers.
WASHINGTON –– House Republicans Wednesday proposed a ban on telework by federal workers after President-elect Donald Trump vowed to fire any teleworkers.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer, R–Ky., released a report compiled by his staff accusing the Biden administration of wasting billions of tax-payer dollars on office spaces that were vacant because the trend of telework continued long after the pandemic.
Coming just five days before Trump’s second inauguration, the debate over telework for federal employees showed Congress’ determination to carry out Trump’s agenda.
The proposed ban came after Trump vowed to fire all federal employees who continue to work from home. Democrats at the committee hearing warned that the American people and especially those who rely on Social Security would get worse service from the federal government, in part because many federal workers would quit.
The Social Security Administration has the highest rate of teleworking employees. Over 50% of Social Security employees still utilize telework, with 98% eligible for it.
Trump’s statement came after former Commissioner of the Social Security Administration Martin O’Malley signed an agreement in October to continue telework options for tens of thousands of staffers into 2029.
“Social security is struggling to serve more customers than ever. There is a growing mismatch between rising customers and declining staff,” O’Malley said, referring to previous staff cuts.
Meanwhile, conservative representatives said telework makes agencies less efficient.
“Wait times are high because your staff is at home, not working for the American people,” countered Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R – Ga.
Democrats argued that the proposed telework ban was an effort to follow Trump and his new Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
“It’s very clear that my colleagues across the aisle are doing the bidding of Trump who plans to sign an executive order ending telework,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D–N.M., “It’ll cut the federal workforce by 25% so this is really about purging the federal government.”
Speaker Mike Johnson, R–La., changed seats and began talking to Rep. Virginia Foxx, R–N.C, during Rep. Stanbury’s address.
Rep. Summer Lee, D–Pa., appealed to House Republicans to introduce policy on inflation and more pressing concerns.
“You have a trifecta, this hearing is pointless,” she said, referring to GOP control over the House, Senate and White House.
However, she said that now that the House created a new Department of Government Efficiency subcommittee, Democrats expect more hearings like this.
“We will probably do this same hearing five more times,” she said.
Incoming Black lawmakers say redistricting victories advance fair representation
When Democratic representative-elect Cleo Fields went to the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill during new member orientation in November, it was like stepping into the past. The Louisiana politician was back where it all began for him in 1993, when he served two terms as a representative of the Bayou state’s Fourth District.
“32 years ago, I started walking these halls,” Fields said. “To have never had a dream of actually coming back and walking the same halls, it was just a little surreal.”
He’ll represent Louisiana’s Sixth District starting in January, succeeding Republican Rep. Garret Graves. Almost 400 miles away in Mobile, Alabama, 39-year-old Shomari Figures is also getting ready to serve in Congress for Alabama’s second Congressional District, beating the Republican candidate and flipping the seat.
The incoming freshmen share more in common than party affiliation; after legal victories forced redistricting in both states, the states drew new maps, and created an extra majority-black district in each state, advancing equal representation in Congress. Fields and Figures intend to represent the needs of all their constituents and serve their interests in the House of Representatives.
Louisiana’s new map was created in January 2024 after legal battles led the state legislature to submit a new electoral map with two majority-black districts. The process began when multiple individual plaintiffs and civil rights organizations filed a lawsuit in federal district court in March 2022 against then-Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin. They successfully argued the previous electoral map violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) because it gave Black Louisianians, a group almost one-third of the state’s population, just a single majority-black congressional district out of the state’s six districts.
Figures’ district in Alabama was created through similar means.
The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Allen v. Milligan said the Alabama electoral maps likely violated the VRA too, and required the creation of a second majority-minority district. However, after negotiations on new maps, the new second district ended up being an almost-majority district.
Figures’ election victory set him on a path following in the footsteps of his family– a group of dedicated public servants in Alabama. His late father Michael Figures and uncle Thomas Figures prosecuted the Ku Klux Klan after the 1981 lynching of 19-year-old Michael Donald, bankrupting the United Klans of America. His father later served as president pro tempore of the Alabama Senate. His mother, Vivian Figures, took over her husband’s state senate seat after he died, and continues to serve there now.
After winning, Figures said he felt a strong sense of gratitude towards “the plaintiffs in the [Milligan] lawsuit and the people who fought and sacrificed so much decades ago to have a Civil Rights Act and a Voting Rights Act to get us in the position where we even had this opportunity in the first place.”
He said it’s “a very humbling feeling and an honor” to represent people in his hometown of Mobile.
Fields and Figures agree justice prevailed in the rulings, however, for the 62-year-old Fields, these victories are long overdue. He said it was frustrating during his time as a state legislator to see fair representation remain unmet.
It was also a problem he dealt with during his first stint in Congress. In his four years serving in the House, he represented what was the state’s second majority-minority district in a seat, he said, was constantly under attack. It was eventually dissolved after a 1997 Supreme Court decision deemed Louisiana’s map unconstitutional because of racial gerrymandering.
“I don’t understand why there are some people who just don’t feel that diversity and inclusion is important,” Fields said. “I mean, all of the people should enjoy the opportunity to participate in its government.”
On Capitol Hill, several Black members of Congress felt justice had been achieved thanks to the shifts in state maps and the resulting election victories. Even so, frustration remains.
Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), who was recently selected to serve as the next chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), called the previous maps “deliberate discrimination.”
“You would think in the 21st century, we wouldn’t be revisiting these old racially divisive issues,” said Clarke. “We still have to continue to fight and be vigilant around voting rights in America.”
According to Clarke, Fields and Figures will not only represent their districts but also advance the long-term push for building the coalition among black leaders on Capitol Hill. The CBC in the new Congress will be the largest yet with 62 members.
Some current members recall when the CBC was considerably smaller, like Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.). He was first elected to Congress the same year as Fields in 1992.
When Bishop first stepped foot inside the Capitol Building, the caucus had just 40 members. He said the steady increase has “strengthened the legislative muscle of minorities.”
At the same time, there are also worries that progress will be reversed, particularly in 2030, when state electoral maps will be redrawn after the decennial census. Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), who chaired the CBC from 1993 to 1995, said the outcome of the population count could put Black voters in the same position. He said state electorates may use the 2030 numbers to redraw the districts again and remove the second majority-minority districts in Louisiana and Alabama.
And that’s not the only factor potentially shifting the new Louisiana and Alabama maps back either.
Earlier this year, a group of 12 white Louisiana voters filed a lawsuit in a different federal court, alleging the new map unconstitutionally conducted racial gerrymandering in its own right. The federal court ruled to stop the new map from passing, but the Supreme Court argued it was too close to the election to issue a ruling, putting an emergency stay on the case and allowing S.B 8 to stand. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the lower-court case next year.
In Alabama, Secretary of State Wes Allen, the defendant in Allen v. Milligan, said in a statement that legal actions are not over and expressed hope for a full hearing in the future.
Nonetheless, CBC members, old and new, said the victory is a critical win in a constant battle for justice, one they say they’re willing to continue to wage.
“Opportunities have always come with scars and struggles,” Fields said. “It just proves that you gotta fight for every inch.”
Sweetening the Deal: the Senate’s Candy Distribution System
As reporters milled about the Capitol last month, pressing senators on Matt Gaetz’s nomination for Attorney General, I was fixated on one, far more pressing question.
“Senator, what’s your favorite candy from the candy desk?”
“Umm, Twix, it’s a good standby, nice to dip in milk,” replied Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
How did I get to this point, chasing down lawmakers for candy tips? Well first, some context.
The candy desk has been a Senate institution since the 1960s. Established by California Republican Senator George Murphy in 1965, each Senator in that spot — conveniently located on the Republican side of the aisle, near an entrance to the chamber — has continued to keep it full of candy (often from their home state) for their colleagues to enjoy.
The current occupant is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who, like all his confectionery-proprietor predecessors, is a Republican. Past occupants included 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain (R-Ariz.), and prominent Tea Party conservative Rick Santorum (R-Pa.)
This partisan asymmetry in sugar proliferation has not gone unnoticed by the Democrats, as I learned when I spoke to Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) about his sweet tooth.
“I don’t dig into the candy desk, there’s candy in my own drawer,” Luján said. “There’s KIND bars, there’s chocolate, there’s Jolly Ranchers. Cory [Booker of New Jersey] has all the good stuff. Talk to Senator Booker, he has all the good stuff.”
The plot thickened. Not only does Young manage the long-standing official candy desk, but Luján also has his own private stash, in addition to an unlicensed Democratic Candy Desk belonging to Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
At least five Senate desks hold candy — desk assignments via the U.S. Senate. (Coby Potischman/MNS)
I spotted Booker on his way out of a vote and pressed him on the specifics of his cache.
“By the way, literally my favorite question of the last two months,” he replied with a grin. “And I want to go into this with great detail. New Jersey, we think we’re the candy confection state. The M&M was invented in Newark, New Jersey.”
His staffer made clear that because the Senator is vegan, his candy trove is solely for his colleagues to enjoy.
“Mars, Inc. finally has returned,” Booker continued. “As a former mayor of Newark, we got them to bring their company back. So in my desk, I have peanut and plain, but I’ve learned now that the caucus is about four to one peanut-preferring people — the triple-Ps.”
Booker’s Senate subway train arrived, but he held the door open, as he had more to share.
“So I’ve got a lot more peanut M&Ms for the P-cubed people in there. Occasionally, though, I put my favorite from before I became vegan, the best of all of the M&Ms — and this is a fact, not an opinion — is the peanut butter M&Ms. Far superior.”
I thanked Sen. Booker for his insight, and soon after, came across another revelation.
“Whatever these are,” Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said, pulling a packet of Whoppers from his suit pocket. He had gotten them from neither Booker nor Young, but rather Minnesota Senator Tina Smith — yet another stash.
Sweetening the Deal (Produced by Coby Potischman/MNS)
I then came across Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), who told me that the M&Ms from Booker’s desk were her favorite. In fact, she said she had no idea that Todd Young’s Candy Desk even existed, and that she was only aware of Booker’s.
I knew that I had to find Sen. Young to get his thoughts.
Finally, I spotted him.
“It’s a pretty consequential question,” the Senator deflected when I asked about his favorite candy. “It’s kind of like asking me what my favorite child is. But what’s currently in it is the Rolos, Hershey’s with nuts, the Albanese gummi bears, and I think that’s the current stash. The other stuff is depleted, but we’re waiting on reinforcements.”
Young quickly shooed away another reporter pressing him about the nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense, ushering me into his elevator to continue my line of questioning.
“Please go ahead, let’s talk about candy,” he said.
I asked whether any action should be taken against his rivals.
“Unsanctioned and unlicensed candy desks are not a thing that greatly concern me,” Young explained. “If enforcement action is necessary, I’ll pursue those channels, but my sense is that existing norms and traditions will prevail, and that Senator Booker would respect the institution of the United States Senate enough not to besmirch it, by cluttering us with substandard and unsanctioned candy desks.”
I thanked Sen. Young for his help and set my sights on Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who told me that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are his favorite, but — in a new twist of fate — that he doesn’t get them from either Young or Booker.
“There’s ones in the back that are not the personal desks,” he explained, revealing yet another Senate candy supply.
The rabbit hole continued. Not only does the Senate chamber contain Sen. Young’s official Republican Candy Desk and Sen. Booker’s unofficial Democratic Candy Desk, but also Sen. Luján’s large personal stash, Sen. Smith’s supply of Whoppers, and seemingly multiple desks that the Senate staff fill with Reese’s.
Unfortunately, neither the Senate library nor other lawmakers could offer much insight into who operates the Reese’s desks, but I knew that I had to keep going. Are any other desks filled with confections?
Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), had some news.
“The candy desk that I have to stay out of is [Oklahoma Senator] Markwayne Mullin’s desk that’s next to mine on the floor of the Senate,” Lummis revealed. “Because he has his drawer full of candy, and so that’s the one that gets me, not the official one.”
What is in Mullin’s desk?
“Everything that you can imagine. Everything from Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to Pez, it’s just loaded to the gills with candy,” Lummis explained. “And it’s really bad when we have debates on the floor and you have to be there and listen, and his drawer is right there by my right hand.”
Lummis said that the start of the 119th Congress next month cannot come soon enough.
“I’m very much looking forward to moving my desk in the upcoming session, not because of Markwayne but because of his candy drawer. I have to get away from it.”
Listen: Sen. Casey’s legacy as a champion for disability rights
As Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey nears the end of his term, he, his colleagues, and activists reflect on his career of prioritizing disability rights and discuss what lies ahead.
During his time in office, Casey helped phase out subminimum wage payments for the disability community and helped people save for their futures with the ABLE program.
Now, as his three-term tenure comes to an end, Casey says his work on disability-related issues is far from over.
Listen to the podcast here:
DOGE leaders Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy meet with Republican lawmakers
WASHINGTON – The world’s wealthiest man, Elon Musk, and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramswamy met with congressional Republicans on Thursday to brainstorm ideas for the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which President-elect Donald Trump tasked them with leading.
Musk met with incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., in the morning, while Ramaswamy met with several other Republican Senators. In the afternoon, both joined House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in addressing a larger group of House and Senate Republican lawmakers.
After leaving Thune’s office accompanied by his son, X Æ A-Xii, Musk told a group of reporters, “I think we just need to make sure we spend the public’s money well.”
In response to a question about ending tax credits for electric vehicles, Musk said, “I think we should end all credits.” Currently, electric vehicle buyers can earn a tax credit up to $7,500 under the Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark climate law that President Joe Biden signed in 2022.
Trump tasked DOGE with advising the government on how to slash the federal budget. In a November 12 statement announcing the formation of DOGE, Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”
Musk and Ramaswamy wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed last month that they plan to take aim at over $500 billion in government spending and drastically reduce the number of federal employees. “The entrenched and ever-growing bureaucracy represents an existential threat to our republic, and politicians have abetted it for too long,” they wrote.
Ramaswamy, a former pharmaceutical entrepreneur, challenged Trump for the Republican nomination in 2024, but dropped out and endorsed him after a fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses. During his campaign, Ramaswamy called for half of the federal workforce to be fired at random based on the last digit of their Social Security number.
Musk is the longtime CEO of electric car company Tesla and space technology company SpaceX. After purchasing the social media website Twitter in 2022, which he later renamed X, Musk said he fired 80% of the company’s staff.
Addressing a pool of reporters before Thursday afternoon’s meeting, Speaker Johnson said specifics on DOGE’s plans would have to wait. “There won’t be a lot of detail for the press today,” he said. “And that’s by design, because this is a brainstorming session.”
Johnson praised Musk and Ramaswamy as “innovators” and “forward-thinkers,” arguing that their work would be crucial to delivering for taxpayers. “Government is too big, it does too many things, and it does almost nothing well,” Johnson said.
Critics of DOGE have warned it may target entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which make up roughly 50% of the federal budget. “I’m very worried about it,” said Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. “The President-elect has said that they won’t, but I think that they will propose it.”
Earlier this week, Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz became the first Democrat to join the congressional Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus.
The House DOGE Caucus was founded by Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., and Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, while the Senate DOGE Caucus is led by Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
Photos: First Lady Jill Biden decks the halls of the White House for the final time
WASHINGTON – First Lady Jill Biden unveiled the White House holiday theme for the final time during her husband’s presidency: a season of peace and light.
The White House offered tours of the decor on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. The theme was intended to encourage viewers to embrace the holiday season’s peace and light, and over 300 volunteers from across the country worked for a full week to deck the halls of the residence, according to a White House press release.
The decor featured a tree made of six stacked gold stars in honor of Gold Star military families, as well as a White House replica made of gingerbread, complete with a tiny skating rink and figure skaters on the South Lawn.
“As we celebrate our final holiday season here in the White House, we are guided by the values we hold sacred: faith, family, service to our country, kindness toward neighbors and the power of community and connection,” the President and First Lady wrote in a statement in the tour’s Holiday Guide Book. “It has been the honor of our lives to serve as your President and First Lady.”
The White House was adorned with 83 Christmas Trees this year. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
Over 28,125 ornaments were strung throughout the White House. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
The library featured ceramic trees and jars of candy. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
A vintage red truck with a teddy bear as its passenger was displayed in the Grand Foyer. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
An ornament on display on one of the East Room’s Christmas trees. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
The decor featured a horse-drawn sleigh. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
This display of bread and pastries was the main display in the China Room. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
A miniature version of the White House was made entirely of gingerbread. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
The U.S. Army Band performed Christmas carols as visitors toured the White House. (Caroline Killilea/MNS)
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Medill Today | January 22, 2025