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    Johnson Loses In First Round Of Speaker Votes

    By
    Patrick Houck
    -
    3
    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    As Republicans prepare for full Washington control…

    Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) has not yet secured reelection to his leadership post, leaving House Republicans temporarily rudderless as the GOP prepares to take full control of Washington.

    Unable to overcome challenges within his caucus, Johnson failed to emerge from the floor vote with his leadership intact. Concerns about potential defections escalated earlier in the week when Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) publicly opposed Johnson’s continued speakership. With no Democratic support, Johnson could not afford to lose even one more Republican vote.

    However, President-elect Donald Trump intervened to shore up support, engaging directly with skeptical lawmakers, including Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). Trump took to Truth Social on Friday morning, declaring Johnson was approaching “100% support” and framing the vote as a crucial moment for the ascendant GOP.

    “A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party and yet another acknowledgment of our 129-year most consequential Presidential Election!” Trump wrote. His active involvement underscored his determination to minimize Republican infighting as he prepares to enter office in just over two weeks.

    Trump’s concerns were rooted in his first-term struggles, where intra-party divisions often slowed his ambitious legislative agenda. In a statement of support for Johnson, Trump described the Louisiana Republican as “a good, hard-working, religious man” and emphasized the urgency of delivering relief to Americans from what he called the “destructive policies of the last Administration.”

    In a separate post on X, Trump urged Republicans to present a unified front, writing, “We have a Country to run, and many big problems to solve, mostly created by Democrats. REPUBLICANS, BE SMART AND TOUGH!”

    Despite this, members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus remained disenchanted with Johnson. When asked for his vote, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) sat still, refusing to comment.

    Other ideologically-aligned lawmakers, including Michael Cloud (Texas), Andrew Clyde (Georgia), Andy Harris (Md.) and Paul Gosar (Ariz.) followed suit with their own stoney-faced glares. Some of this group, including Chip Roy, returned to cast their votes for Johnson when the clerk of the House asked for them.

    However, three GOP members defected, causing Johnson’s efforts to reclaim the gavel to fail this time and making the process more challenging than he had hoped.

    As expected, Rep. Massie cast his vote for someone else—House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).

    Then, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) cast his vote for Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as speaker, ensuring that Johnson would fail to secure enough votes in the first round. Norman appeared visibly disdainful as his colleagues murmured disapprovingly around him.

    Lastly, Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) voted for Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) for speaker.

    Prior to the vote, Politico’s Olivia Beavers reported that a group of conservatives and potential opposition members against Speaker Johnson circulated a document outlining a “scorecard” of perceived failures by the 118th Congress.

    The vote took place as the 119th Congress convened for its first session. With the GOP poised to hold the presidency, Senate and House, expectations are high for the party to swiftly implement its legislative priorities.

    As Washington braces for this new era of Republican governance, the speaker of the House’s ability to navigate internal dynamics and work with Senate Republicans and the incoming Trump administration will be pivotal. The speaker will face an immediate challenge of uniting his conference and steering it toward fulfilling America First campaign promises in the days, weeks and months ahead.

    For now, it’s unclear if the House will go to a second vote or recess shortly for some deal making.

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News. This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Democrat Senator Signals Openness To Supporting Trump Nominees

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1

    A step in the right direction…

    Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) signaled during an interview on Sunday that he is open to voting to confirm some of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees.

    Kim made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Dana Bash when asked if he would be open to voting for Kash Patel for FBI Director or Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense.

    “I have had conversations with Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. I had to sit down with Senator Rubio. I’m still going through the process and I want to make sure I’m doing it right,” he said. “But those were good conversations, where we were able to dive in deep. And so I think that there are some nominees that are people I think I can work with.”

    He signaled that with some of Trump’s other nominees that he had questions about past remarks that they made.

    “I also am deeply concerned about what I have heard Mr. Patel say in the past and about going after things. Like, he is being nominated for a role to lead an agency that he has talked about dismantling, talked about the deep state and going after,” he said. “I was a career public servant before in the federal government. I worked under both Bush and Obama. I served the country, not a party. And I worry about some of the tones there.”

    “With Hegseth, I hope to have a chance to be able to speak with him, but some of what he said before about not thinking that women should serve in combat, some of the other allegations that we have heard about,” he added. “I have worked at the Pentagon before in the office of the secretary of defense. I know what that job is like. And I need to know whether or not he is up to the task.”

    WATCH:

    Donald Trump Makes Endorsement In Speaker Race

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0

    Days before Republicans are scheduled to convene for Friday’s House Speaker vote President-elect Donald Trump took the time to issue his “total endorsement” of Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) for the role.

    “Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

    Trump’s public endorsement could be a key to a win by Johnson, who can only afford a handful of GOP defections and be elected Speaker.

    Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has already come out as a “no” vote on Speaker Johnson’s reelection bid, putting the Louisiana Congressman in a precarious position.

    Multiple Republican lawmakers threatened to withhold support for Johnson’s bid for Speaker over his recent handling of the government shutdown negotiations.

    Multiple Republicans also suggested Elon Musk become the next Speaker of the House amid the negotiations.

    Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) suggested Elon Musk serve as Speaker in a post on X following contentious debates over the continuing resolution (CR).

    “The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress . . . ,” Paul wrote.

    “Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk . . . think about it .  . . nothing’s impossible. (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds).”

    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she would be open to supporting Musk to replace Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in a post quoting Paul.

    “I’d be open to supporting @elonmusk for Speaker of the House. DOGE can only truly be accomplished by reigning in Congress to enact real government efficiency,” Greene wrote on X.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates..

    Indicted Congressman Eyes Party Switch After Potential Presidential Pardon

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    2

    Speculation on Capitol Hill is building that Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), who is currently facing federal corruption charges, might consider switching parties if granted a presidential pardon. The potential shift has set political tongues wagging, fueled by Cuellar’s complicated legal battle and reactions from both sides of the aisle.

    The rumor is as follows:

    It’s alleged someone is going to receive a pardon and flip from blue to red in the House of Representatives.

    Now I fully believe that this person has only gotten indicted because of his wide open criticism of the current admin and his opposition to… https://t.co/WjCOGNNbca— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) December 26, 2024

    Cuellar, a conservative Democrat, was indicted in May following a two-year investigation by the Department of Justice. The probe, linked to an ongoing corruption case, began after FBI agents raided his South Texas home and campaign office. While initial details were sparse, reports alleged that Cuellar cultivated relationships with Azerbaijani and Mexican business leaders, leveraging his congressional position to advance their interests in U.S. policy.

    The indictment, if accurate, presents a damning picture. Between 2014 and 2021, Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, allegedly accepted $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities: an Azerbaijani state-owned oil and gas company and a Mexico City-based bank. Federal prosecutors claim these payments were funneled through bogus consulting contracts to shell companies under Imelda Cuellar’s name, with little to no actual work performed.

    In exchange, Cuellar allegedly influenced U.S. foreign policy to benefit Azerbaijan and supported legislative activities favorable to the Mexican bank. The charges against the Cuellars are sweeping, with potential penalties stacking up as follows:

    Two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery and acting as an unregistered foreign agent (up to 5 years each).

    Two counts of bribery of a federal official (up to 15 years each).

    Two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud (up to 20 years each).

    Two counts of violating laws against unregistered foreign agents (up to two years each).

    One count of conspiracy to commit money laundering (up to 20 years).

    Five counts of money laundering (up to 20 years each).

    Both Henry and Imelda Cuellar have pleaded not guilty, with the congressman insisting his actions were focused on serving South Texans. Despite the charges, Cuellar secured an 11th term in November, showcasing his political resilience among his constituents.

    President-elect Donald Trump has eagerly weighed in on the case. Writing on Truth Social shortly after the indictment, Trump accused the Biden administration of targeting Cuellar and his wife for his conservative stance on border policy.

    “Biden just indicted Henry Cuellar because the respected Democrat Congressman wouldn’t play Crooked Joe’s open border game. He was for Border Control, so they said, ‘Let’s use the FBI and DOJ to take him out!’” Trump wrote, calling the administration “D.C. Thugs” and labeling President Biden a “threat to democracy.”

    The drama surrounding Cuellar’s case, coupled with rumors of a potential party switch, has heightened tensions in Washington. Inside the Beltway, all eyes are on the congressman to see whether he will stay the course or make a stunning shift in a historically narrowly divided Congress.

    Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News

    Gaetz Sues House Ethics Committee In Final Bid To Block Report’s Release

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1

    Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) filed a lawsuit against the House Ethics Committee in a last-minute attempt to block the panel from releasing its report on the Florida Republican.

    Gaetz, who resigned from Congress last month, filed the lawsuit as several outlets reported on leaked drafts of the Ethics Committee’s report, which CNN and CBS say found “substantial evidence” that the ex-congressman violated House rules or Florida state laws

    The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., asks a judge to issue an emergency order blocking the report’s release. 

    Gaetz claims the committee is acting beyond its authority because it has no jurisdiction over him now that he has resigned from Congress. Gaetz’s attorneys said the report contains “untruthful and defamatory information” that would “significantly damage” his reputation.

    “The Committee’s apparent intention to release its report after explicitly acknowledging it lacks jurisdiction over former members, its failure to follow constitutional notions of due process, and failure to adhere to its own procedural rules and precedent represents an unprecedented overreach that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections,” Gaetz’s attorneys wrote.

    The suit names the Ethics Committee and its chair, Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.), as defendants.

    “These claims would be destroyed in court — which is why they were never made in any court against me,” Gaetz told The Hill on Monday.

    The Ethics Committee continued investigating Gaetz after the DOJ declined to charge the Florida Republican, probing allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, dispensing special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship and seeking to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.

    In a lengthy statement posted on X last week, after news broke that the panel reversed course and voted to release its report into Gaetz, the ex-congressman defended his conduct, saying it was “embarrassing, though not criminal.”

    The panel is expected to publicly release the report as early as Monday.

    Read the full report:

    807818265-Committee-ReportDownload

    Report: Justice Dept. Seeks To Block Jan. 6 Defendants From Trump Inauguration

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    10
    Tyler Merbler, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Justice Department attorneys are pressuring federal judges to reject petitions from at least two Jan. 6 defendants who are requesting that they be allowed to return to the nation’s capital for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

    Fox News reports:

    Cindy Young, convicted of four misdemeanors for her involvement in the riot at the Capitol, and Russell Taylor, who pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy charge, both petitioned the courts to allow them to return to Washington, D.C., despite provisions of their sentences requiring them to stay away. 

    “Contrary to Young’s self designation that she ‘poses no threat of danger to the community,’ Young presents a danger to the D.C. community, including the very law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol on January 6, 2021,” U.S. attorneys said in response to Young’s petition. The federal attorneys cited calls from Young “for retribution against those involved in January 6 prosecutions” and argued that she has failed “to recognize the seriousness of her actions.”

    A request from Taylor, who was invited to attend the inauguration by members of Utah’s congressional delegation, is also being challenged by attorneys at the Department of Justice who argue that the serious nature of his crimes should preclude him from being able to “return to the scene of the crime.”

    “He is asking for the Court to bless his desire to return to the scene of the crime, and the Court should not look past his criminal conduct the last time he was on Capitol grounds,” the U.S. attorneys wrote in a filing to U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth. The attorneys added in their court filing that, while they had granted previous travel requests to other defendants involved in the Capitol siege, those approvals were to support people’s continued employment, and the requests did not involve travel to the nation’s capital. 

    There remains uncertainty around whether Trump will pardon any, some, or all of those defendants who were convicted of crimes as a result of their involvement in the U.S. Capitol siege that occurred in 2021. 

    Trump has said at times that pardons will be reserved for those who remained peaceful on that fateful day; however, at other points he has suggested a blanket pardon for all those who were convicted. 

    Republicans Float Elon Musk As House Speaker Alternative

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Republicans are keeping their options open…

    On Thursday, multiple Republicans suggested Elon Musk become the next Speaker of the House.

    Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) suggested Elon Musk serve as Speaker in a Thursday morning post on X following contentious debates over the continuing resolution (CR).

    “The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress . . . ,” Paul wrote.

    “Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk . . . think about it .  . . nothing’s impossible. (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds).”

    Later Thursday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she would be open to supporting Musk to replace Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in a post quoting Paul.

    “I’d be open to supporting @elonmusk for Speaker of the House. DOGE can only truly be accomplished by reigning in Congress to enact real government efficiency,” Greene wrote on X.

    “The establishment needs to be shattered just like it was yesterday. This could be the way,” she added.

    Musk is the co-leader of President-elect Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), an advisory panel focused on cutting spending and the size of the federal government.

    The Speaker is not required to be an elected member of the House.

    Trump Defends House Speaker Amid Mutiny Threats

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Is House Speaker Mike Johnson on the brink of betrayal?

    President-elect Trump on Thursday said Speaker Johnson (R-La.) can likely remain in the leadership role if he cracks down on spending, while Johnson is reorganizing plans to fund the government ahead of Friday’s deadline to avert a shutdown.

    “If the Speaker acts decisively, and tough, and gets rid of all of the traps being set by the Democrats, which will economically and, in other ways, destroy our country, he will easily remain speaker,” Trump told Fox News Digital in an interview on Thursday morning.

    Some GOP lawmakers have questioned their support for Johnson over to his handling of the end-of-year spending deal, which has thrown his grasp on his gavel into uncertain territory ahead of the critical Jan. 3 vote.

    On Wednesday, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) pledged to oppose Johnson on the House floor next month and a handful of other Republicans are not saying if they will support him.

    When asked why he wouldn’t back his fellow Republican, Massie told The Hill it was due to “all the grievances I had this summer, when we tried to vacate. And then this bill.”

    Trump told Fox News Digital that he warned Republicans against supporting legislation that doesn’t tackle the debt limit, calling for those lawmakers to be primaried.

    “Anybody that supports a bill that doesn’t take care of the Democrat quicksand known as the debt ceiling should be primaried and disposed of as quickly as possible,” he said.

    One House Republican told the Washington Examiner that House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) is the most likely replacement for Johnson if House Republicans decide they need new leadership.

    Emmer is among the most experienced leaders of the House Republicans, having led the National Republican Congressional Committee from 2019 to 2023 before being elected Republican whip in 2022.

    Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) was floated by the House Republican as the second most likely House speaker replacement.

    Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) was floated as the third most likely candidate by the House Republican, a consistent favorite among the conservative wing of the party.

    Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, was a leading figure in pursuing an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. He unsuccessfully ran for the speakership in October 2023, losing to Johnson

    D.C. Waitress Fired After Vowing To Refuse Service To Trump Officials

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    6

    A Washington, D.C.-based server has been fired after proudly saying in an interview that she planned to refuse service to Trump officials.

    The server was previously employed by Beuchert’s Saloon on Capitol Hill. She took part in a report by Washingtonian magazine about how the service industry would respond to President-elect Donald Trump’s team if they patronized her place of employment.

    Most individuals who were interviewed remained anonymous, but Suzannah Van Rooy provided her real name. 

    “I personally would refuse to serve any person in office who I know of as being a sex trafficker or trying to deport millions of people,” the server told the outlet, as The Daily Wire previously reported. “It’s not, ‘Oh, we hate Republicans.’ It’s that this person has moral convictions that are strongly opposed to mine, and I don’t feel comfortable serving them.”

    “People were a lot more motivated the first time around to do those kinds of shows of passion. This time around, there is kind of a sense of defeat and acceptance,” Van Rooy added. “But I hope that people still do stand up to this administration and tell them their thoughts on their misbehavior.”

    Beuchert’s Saloon denounced Van Rooy’s comments and confirmed she was no longer employed there, per Fox News Digital. The neighborhood restaurant and bar called her statements “reprehensible” and “unforgivable.”

    “Recent comments made by a member of staff who had no authority to speak on behalf of our entire restaurant have been, quite rightly, flagged as inappropriate, hostile, intolerant, and unacceptable. This staff member does NOT speak for us as a restaurant,” Beuchert’s Saloon said in a statement.

    Beuchert’s saloon provided a follow-up after the backlash from the employee’s comments.

    “Not only do Ms. Van Rooy’s comments clearly violate our zero-tolerance policy on discrimination, but her decision to sign into our social media accounts in the middle of the night to post her own rhetoric in wildly offensive responses to comments is a further breach of conduct and protocol. She has no authority to speak on our behalf, and her comments do not reflect the positions of over twenty other people who make up our staff,” the statement said.

    “For these reasons as well as the sheer dismay and disgust we feel at her unforgivable behavior, Ms. Van Rooy has been dismissed immediately. Our staff and families (many of whom are personally offended by Ms. Van Rooy’s comments about them) are still reeling from what Ms. Van Rooy said and did, and we as a restaurant are simply horrified to be associated with base prejudice.”

    Report: House Panel Holds Secret Vote To Release Gaetz Ethics Findings

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    6
    Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    The House Ethics Committee voted secretly to release the investigatory report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).

    According to reports from CNN, the committee has voted to release the ethics report despite Gaetz’s resignation from Congress last month.

    CNN reports:

    The vote, which has not previously been reported, amounts to a stark reversal for the panel after it had voted along party lines in late November not to release the results of the investigation. The decision to release the report suggests that some Republicans ultimately decided to side with Democrats on the matter, and it is unclear if the committee will once again change course now that it has voted.

    When the committee voted last month to shelve the report, Gaetz was President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be attorney general. Since then, Gaetz withdrew himself from consideration for the Senate-confirmed post, though he maintains frosty relations with many in his party and is still active in GOP politics.

    It is exceedingly rare for an ethics report to be released after a member has left Congress, though it has happened on a couple of occasions in the past. The committee revisited the issue behind closed doors earlier this month after a feud over the report spilled into public view before Thanksgiving.

    The Ethics Committee’s report concludes a years-long probe into numerous allegations against Gaetz, including whether he engaged in sexual misconduct, used illicit drugs, “shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gifts,” according to an announcement by the panel last summer.

    Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crimes.

    Gaetz, in a statement posted on the social platform X, pointed to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) decision not to charge him after investigating allegations of a sexual encounter with a 17-year-old, claiming he was “FULLY EXONERATED.” He did, however, admit to an “embarrassing” past.

    “In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated – even some I never dated but who asked. I dated several of these women for years. I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18.  Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court – which is why no such claim was ever made in court,” Gaetz wrote. “My 30’s were an era of working very hard – and playing hard too. It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life.  I live a different life now.”

    Speaker Mike Johnson has spoken out against releasing the report due to Gaetz’s sudden resignation once Trump announced him as his initial attorney general choice. Johnson has acknowledged he has no role on the operations of the panel, which has traditionally operated separately from leadership.

    Gaetz, who was reelected to the seat last month prior to his resignation, has said he has no plans of returning to Congress next year.

    “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” he told Charlie Kirk in an interview last month.

    Gaetz is also reportedly planning to join One America News Network (OANN) next month.

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