Joe Biden, in his lengthiest public remarks since he revealed his cancer diagnosis in May, said some of his presidency’s key accomplishments were “changing so rapidly” under the Trump administration and that European leaders had sought his advice since he left the White House, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Said Biden: “Many of the things I worked so damn hard, that I thought I changed in the country, are changing so rapidly.”
“President Trump’s marquee domestic policy bill was stalled in the House on Wednesday, with the chamber frozen in place as Speaker Mike Johnson labored to overcome resistance in his own ranks and push the measure to a final vote,” the New York Times reports.
“After a day of private cajoling by Mr. Johnson at the Capitol and Mr. Trump at the White House, party leaders expressed optimism that they might soon be able to move ahead. But by early evening, they had yet to lock down the votes to do so, particularly among a bloc of fiscally conservative Republicans who were dismayed by its cost and demanding changes that could derail it altogether.”
Wall Street Journal: “The number of House Republicans who have said they would oppose the Senate version of the legislation had been seen as sufficient to block its passage, though past standoffs have been resolved following pressure campaigns by the president and party leaders.“
“A federal judge in the District of Columbia barred the Trump administration Wednesday from expelling asylum seekers from the United States, dealing a major blow to the administration’s efforts to curtail crossings at the U.S. southern border,” the Washington Post reports.
“In a 128-page decision, U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss invalidated a proclamation that President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office that declared an ‘invasion’ on the border and invoked emergency presidential powers to deport migrants without allowing them to apply for asylum.”
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House Republicans have ground to a halt on the floor as they try to move forward on the massive reconciliation package, Punchbowl News reports.
The House GOP leadership told lawmakers to return to their offices while they try to round up the votes.
There is no guarantee the vote will happen today.
James Carville told Jim Acosta that he’s deeply concerned about what President Trump will do to allow Republicans to keep control of Congress.
Said Carville: “I don’t put anything past him, nothing! To try to call the election off, to do anything he can. He can think of things like that that we can’t because we’re not accustomed to thinking like that.”
He added: “You know people come up to me all the time and say, ‘James. I’m really scared!’ I said, ‘you should be, you have every reason to be scared. Don’t kid yourself.’”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) “enthusiastically” told NOTUS that he has a “vote bloc of 10” lined up against President Trump’s megabill.
Meanwhile, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) signaled to reporters that the Republican conference appears to have “reached a critical mass” of holdouts.
“The president of the United States didn’t give us an assignment. We’re not a bunch of little bitches around here, okay? I’m a member of Congress. I represent almost 800,000 Wisconsinites.”
— Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), talking to reporters.
“More than a hundred House Democrats lined up in a vain effort to offer identical amendments to the GOP megabill that would prevent cuts to Medicaid and federal food assistance,” Politico reports.
“Democrat after Democrat asked on the floor for unanimous consent that the amendment be made in order for debate. It served not only as a messaging tool but also to further delay the advance of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) predicted a tough battle ahead for President Trump’s megabill, describing the situation as a “shit show,” The Hill reports.
Said Greene: “There’s no way that Speaker Mike Johnson has the votes in the House for this.”
She added: “It is really a dire situation.”
“Republican leaders aren’t only scrambling to find the votes to push their megabill through the House, they’re also dealing with an unexpected procedural issue that could complicate floor consideration of the ‘big, beautiful bill,'” Politico reports.
“Long story short, that means once the House begins debate on the procedural measure, Johnson doesn’t have a ripcord he can pull to delay or reschedule voting. Moreover, Democrats would be free to deploy a variety of delay tactics, including motions to adjourn or table the measure.”
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) said that if Republicans “can’t get a one-paragraph rule right,” they shouldn’t be trusted to pass an 870-page bill.
The House Freedom Caucus is circulating a memo sharply criticizing the Senate-passed GOP megabill as Republican leaders work to secure hard-liners’ votes Wednesday, Politico reports.
President Trump is ramping up a pressure campaign on House Freedom Caucus members as he tries to get his “Big Beautiful Bill” across the finish line ahead of his July 4 deadline, Politico reports.
Said one White House official: “He’s been working the phones pretty consistently over the last several days, and members have been calling him as well. He’s going to get it over the finish line.”
ProPublica: “Before states banned abortion, one of the gravest outcomes of early miscarriage could easily be avoided: Doctors could offer a dilation and curettage procedure, which quickly empties the uterus and allows it to close, protecting against a life-threatening hemorrhage.”
“But because the procedures, known as D&Cs, are also used to end pregnancies, they have gotten tangled up in state legislation that restricts abortion.”
“Reports now abound of doctors hesitating to provide them and women who are bleeding heavily being discharged from emergency rooms without care, only to return in such dire condition that they need blood transfusions to survive.”
A former FBI agent accused of egging on rioters to attack police during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol is now serving in the Justice Department as part of the so-called “Weaponization Working Group,” ABC News reports.
Charlie Sykes: “The word in the Capitol was that Murkowski had planned to vote against the bill if she was not the decisive vote; but would vote yes if she was. As you attempt to parse that political logic, note that a profile in courage it is not.”
“And so ends Murkowski’s brief stint cosplaying as a Woman of Principle. And I would argue that makes her even worse than other collaborators and toadies.”
“She pretended to be better; and might have been. But it was all bullshit.”
“And listen to this quote from Senator Murkowski, who just caved and voted for this. You’re gonna love this. She said, ‘My hope is that the House is gonna look at this and recognize that we’re not there yet.’ I mean, my question to her is, if you really believe that, then why the hell did you vote for this bill? It doesn’t make any sense!”
— Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), quoted by Mediaite.
Bulletin of Atomic Scientists: “Although Iran may well have every reason—both practical and strategic—not to pursue direct weaponization of its remaining 60-percent enriched HEU, this is a different issue from whether it has the technical capability to do so. The prevailing assertion that Iran needs ‘weapons-grade’ uranium enriched to at least 90 percent uranium 235 to build a nuclear explosive device—widely repeated by government officials, the media, and commentators alike—is simply wrong.”
A new JPMorgan Chase analysis finds that a critical group of U.S. employers would face a direct cost of $82.3 billion from President Trump’s current tariff plans, a sum that could be potentially managed through price hikes, layoffs, hiring freezes or lower profit margins, the AP reports.
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.
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