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Alex Brandon/AP
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| Congress |
| The Future of the Republican Senate Is in John’s Hands |
| Mitch McConnell’s decision to step down as Republican leader later this year after 17 years will inevitably move the party more in line with Donald Trump. Now, the “Three Johns,” — Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota, Conference Chairman John Barrasso of Wyoming and Texas’ John Cornyn — are front-runners for the job. “I mean, at this point, we all know who’s interested. I plan to support John,” said Sen. J.D. Vance. Most Republican senators stayed noncommittal on Wednesday however. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina predicted some members may take issue with either Cornyn or Thune due to their closeness with McConnell. McConnell’s surprise announcement left a lot of questions unanswered about what Congress will accomplish before then. But it clearly resolved a different matter: McConnell — and Republican senators who share his view of America’s role in the world — don’t fit in Donald Trump’s party. Vance, a Trump ally, said he hopes McConnell’s replacement will be “a little bit more responsive to my concerns that the country has become over-extended, diplomatically and militarily.” Read more from the NOTUS team on where Senate GOP leadership lands next and our story on how the Republican Party has moved past McConnell. |
| Defense |
Maya Alleruzzo/AP
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| Democrats Aren’t Quite Ready to Abandon Lloyd Austin |
| Democrats will be watching the defense secretary closely as he appears today before the House Armed Services Committee for a hearing on his failure to properly disclose his January hospitalization. Most Democratic lawmakers who spoke with NOTUS expressed concern over the lack of transparency but were willing to hear Austin out. Rep. Seth Moulton was not one of them. “This is not a time we can have a part-time secretary of defense,” said Moulton, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and combat veteran who publicly called for Austin’s resignation. Read more from NOTUS’ John T. Seward. |
| Announcement |
| Deadline for AJI Reporting Fellowship Is March 4 |
| We are now accepting applications for the Allbritton Journalism Institute Class of 2024-2026. Every September, AJI welcomes 10 early-career reporters to D.C. for a two-year fellowship. Fellows are paid $60,000 per year to take classes with some of the country’s best journalists and to write for NOTUS, where they cover politics, policy and government. Apply here, and read more about the fellowship here. The deadline is March 4. |
| New On Notus |
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
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| Groups Hoping to Oust Sinema Want Senate Ethics to Probe Her Private Flights |
| A coalition of 14 groups in Arizona, organized by a PAC that aims to oust Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, filed a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee on Wednesday, NOTUS has learned, asking them to look into Sinema’s use of public money for private plane travel. Read more from NOTUS’ Tara Kavaler. |
| Texas |
Eric Gay/AP
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| Trump Is Trying to Oust Ken Paxton’s Foes in Texas |
| Donald Trump is yet again using endorsements as a way to retaliate against his enemies and even his friends’ enemies. The former president posted a slew of endorsements of Texas state House candidates and three judicial candidates who are challenging incumbent Republicans. In each of the 14 endorsements, he noted that the incumbent had voted to impeach or strip authority from Attorney General Ken Paxton, who, just like Trump, has been indicted in several different legal cases. Read more from NOTUS’ Ryan Hernández. |
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