Five takeaways from combative Democratic debate

Five takeaways from combative Democratic debate-thehill: Centrist Democratic contenders slugged it out with their liberal counterparts on the first night of the second Democratic debate on Tuesday. The debate featured 10 candidates, including progressive stars Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) going toe-to-toe against more centrist candidates like Montana Gov. Steve Bullock.

House GOP fears retirement wave will lead to tsunami

House GOP fears retirement wave will lead to tsunami-thehill: House Republicans plotting to win back their majority in Congress fear they are on the brink of a massive wave of retirements that could force them to play defense in a high-stakes presidential election year. Three House Republicans said last week they would not seek another term next year, catching party strategists off guard. Those announcements came earlier than in a typical election cycle, when members who are ready to hang up their voting cards usually wait until after the August recess or after the Christmas break.

Nerves on display as Democrats face do-or-die moment in Detroit

Nerves on display as Democrats face do-or-die moment in Detroit-thehill: Democratic presidential hopefuls are already throwing punches ahead of next week’s debates in Detroit, underscoring the pressure candidates are under to have a big moment and ensure their survival in the crowded race. The timing and ferocity of the infighting reflects a stark reality for many of the candidates, it’s desperation time for those who are struggling to qualify for the third debate and who may be making their final appearance in front of a national audience next week.

Pelosi rebounds after weeks of infighting

Pelosi rebounds after weeks of infighting-politico: The speaker leaves Washington for the summer recess after securing a $2.7 trillion budget deal and holding firm on impeachment. Pelosi shepherded enough Democrats to back her grand fiscal bargain with President Donald Trump that she didn’t need a single GOP vote, a decisive victory for Democrats and a stark rebound for the speaker after a chaotic month that laid bare painful divisions within the caucus.

Why Trump swallowed a budget deal that bleeds red ink

Why Trump swallowed a budget deal that bleeds red ink-politico: Trump looked to his friend and Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin to work with Pelosi and McConnell to strike a budget deal that avoids another risky spending fight until after the 2020 election.

Budget deal on track despite grumbling on the left and right

Budget deal on track despite grumbling on the left andright-politico: Capitol Hill leaders are increasingly confident that a massive two-year budget bill will clear Congress before the August recess, buoyed by President Donald Trump's endorsement and minor opposition from the left and right. The deal is expected to win wide support from across the House Democratic caucus on the floor this week, according to multiple lawmakers and aides. Some progressive Democrats have grumbled about the deal, but none have threatened to oppose it outright, and leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are still discussing it internally.

Trump, Democrats clinch two-year budget deal

Trump, Democrats clinch two-year budget deal-thehill: President Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reached a two-year budget deal Monday that also suspends the debt ceiling through July 2021, capping days of furious negotiations. The agreement, spearheaded by Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, sets the top-line numbers for overall defense and nondefense spending for fiscal 2020 and 2021.

Democrats say White House offer on budget deal has 'nonstarters'

Democrats say White House offer on budget deal has 'nonstarters'-politico: Democrats said there are "nonstarters" in a new White House offer that includes $1.1 trillion in options to offset spending increases in a two-year spending agreement that would raise the budget caps and hike the debt limit. The Trump administration’s demand to offset the spending increases represents a significant hurdle to finalizing a deal, with the administration seeking at least $150 billion in cuts.

Mnuchin says deal reached on overall spending levels

Mnuchin says deal reached on overall spending levels-politico: The Trump administration and congressional leaders have “reached an agreement“ on overall spending levels in a two-year deal to raise the budget caps, in addition to settling on a two-year debt limit increase, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday morning.

AdvaMed once again calls on Congress to repeal the medical device excise

AdvaMed once again calls on Congress to repeal the medical device excise tax-mpn: Trade association Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) calls on Congress to repeal the medical device excise tax following the passage of the Cadillac tax repeal.

House passes repeal of Obamacare tax on high-cost plans

House passes repeal of Obamacare tax on high-cost plans-rollcall: The House passed, 419-6, legislation Wednesday to repeal the so-called Cadillac tax, pleasing health insurers, unions and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers who have long pushed to scrap the levy. The measure would permanently repeal the 40 percent excise tax on high-cost employer-provided health insurance, which was envisioned as a key way to pay for the 2010 health care law. The tax, which Congress twice delayed from taking effect, is set to go into effect in 2022.

Senate Republicans pray Trump will take budget deal

Senate Republicans pray Trump will take budget deal-politico: Congress and the White House are moving toward an ambitious budget deal, but the big question still remains: What will President Donald Trump do? Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican senators are pushing Trump to accept an agreement with Democrats that would avoid stiff budget cuts, steer clear of a potential default and provide a huge measure of certainty through the presidential campaign.

Health care continues to define, divide 2020 Democratic field

Health care continues to define, divide 2020 Democratic field-rollcall: Declaring that “starting over makes no sense,” former Vice President Joe Biden said Monday that he would build on Democrats’ signature 2010 health insurance overhaul and that plans offered by rivals for the presidential nomination would reverse gains made under President Barack Obama.

Mnuchin: Parties moving closer on debt limit, spending caps

Mnuchin: Parties moving closer on debt limit, spending caps-rollcall: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday that White House and congressional leaders are “getting closer” to a deal that would raise austere spending caps as well as the statutory debt ceiling. Mnuchin told reporters at a briefing on cryptocurrency regulation that he planned to speak with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, later Monday. The two have been having regular conversations since last week, including a Saturday phone call.

Republicans make U-turn on health care

Republicans make U-turn on health care-thehill: Senate Republicans are reversing course and now taking a hard look at health care legislation to replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act in case the courts strike down former President Obama’s signature achievement. There’s a sense of urgency among GOP lawmakers to come up with a plan to replace the most popular components of ObamaCare after a panel of appellate judges on Tuesday aggressively questioned whether the law passes legal muster following Congress’s repeal of the tax penalty for not having insurance.

Democratic senators want candidates to take Swalwell's hint and drop out

Democratic senators want candidates to take Swalwell's hintand drop out-thehill: Senate Democrats hope Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D-CA) decision to drop out of the crowded presidential field is a sign of things to come. The anxiety in the Senate about the crowded race mimics the nervousness of Democratic voters who worry their party will blow a second presidential contest against President Trump and who see the 25-candidate race as a hindrance.

GOP frets over nightmare scenario for Senate primaries

GOP frets over nightmare scenario for Senate primaries-thehill: Republicans are facing an early headache of nightmare primary fights as they plot to keep control of the Senate. In Alabama and Kansas, two deep-red states that should be safe GOP seats, the party is facing bids from conservatives Roy Moore and Kris Kobach, respectively, who are viewed as unelectable in a general election and have a history of stealing the national spotlight.

High anxiety hits Senate over raising debt ceiling

High anxiety hits Senate over raising debt ceiling-thehill: Senators are growing anxious that they might have to vote to raise the nation’s debt ceiling in a matter of weeks given new estimates that the government could hit its borrowing limit earlier than expected. The debt limit was exceeded earlier this year, and the Treasury Department is now taking steps known as “extraordinary measures” to prevent the government from going over its borrowing limit.

Democrats look to demonize GOP leader

Democrats look to demonize GOP leader-thehill: Democrats want to flip the script on Republicans by using Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as the poster boy for next year’s congressional elections. They think they can use the self-described “Grim Reaper” in swing races in the same way Republicans have demonized Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in previous election years.

Swalwell drops out of presidential race, announces House reelection bid

Swalwell drops out of presidential race, announces House reelection bid-thehill: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) dropped out of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary on Monday, making him the first major candidate in the crowded 2020 primary field to end a presidential bid.

Billionaire activist Tom Steyer announces presidential bid

Billionaire activist Tom Steyer announces presidential bid-thehill: Tom Steyer, the billionaire philanthropist and liberal activist, announced on Tuesday that he would seek the Democratic presidential nomination, reversing course after saying months ago that he would not mount a campaign.

Three Democrats should drop White House campaigns and run for Senate

Three Democrats should drop White House campaigns and run for Senate-thehill: National polling is beginning to show the profound impact of the recent Democratic presidential debates, and highlight why some candidates need to reconsider their campaigns.

Sanders slips in polls, raising doubts about campaign

Sanders slips in polls, raising doubts about campaign-thehill: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is slipping in polls following the first Democratic debate, raising questions about whether he can recapture the insurgent energy that nearly carried him to the party's presidential nomination in 2016. Three new polls released after the first Democratic debate show Sanders falling into fourth place behind former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Democratic debates kick off Iowa summer sprint

Democratic debates kick off Iowa summer sprint-thehill: Two back-to-back debates marked a pivot point in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, earning millions of dollars and tens of thousands of new donors for leading and long-shot candidates alike, and kicking off a new phase that begins this week in cities and towns across Iowa. Virtually all the 25 contenders will make swings through the first-in-the-nation caucus state over the Fourth of July week, marching in parades and stumping in town halls and living room house parties.

The Memo: Debates reshape Democratic race

The Memo: Debates reshape Democratic race-thehill: The 2020 Democratic presidential race has burst wide open after two debates. Joe Biden, the former vice president who has until now been the unarguable front-runner, has been badly weakened. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) has reinvigorated a campaign that was at risk of becoming stagnant. And Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) accelerated her momentum with a dominant performance in the first and less contentious debate.

Internal cracks emerge in GOP strategy to avoid shutdown

Internal cracks emerge in GOP strategy to avoid shutdown-thehill: Senate Republicans are struggling to unite behind a plan to fund the government after budget talks have ground to a halt. Congress has until the end of September to prevent the second government closure of the year, but Republicans are struggling to overcome the first roadblock, agreeing to top-line defense and nondefense figures or deciding what comes next if they can’t.