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The Daily Politic Briefing - 21/05/2025

The Daily Politic Briefing - 21/05/2025

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 Welcome to The Daily Politic Briefing! Good morning and thank you for joining us for today's comprehensive look at the most significant political developments shaping our nation. I'm your host, bringing you the latest from Washington and beyond as major legislation hangs in the balance and critical negotiations unfold across party lines. In today's briefing, we'll examine Speaker Johnson's tentative SALT cap deal with blue-state Republicans, the controversial megabill heading for a potential vote today, concerning Budget Office projections about wealth distribution, environmental policy battles between California and the EPA, crucial Medicare drug pricing negotiations, proposed Interior Department budget cuts, delayed defense policy measures, a congressional ethics case generating partisan friction, and surprising bipartisan movement on cryptocurrency legislation. Let's begin with the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson has struck a tentative agreement with blue-state Republicans to increase the cap on state-and-local tax deductions to $40,000. This breakthrough could enable passage of what's being called a "big, beautiful bill" as soon as today. Leadership is working overnight to accelerate the phase-out of clean energy tax credits as a sweetener for conservative hard-liners, with the Rules Committee convening at 1 a.m. to begin debate. The Congressional Budget Office has delivered some troubling projections about this legislation. Their preliminary report suggests the megabill would increase assets for the wealthiest Americans while reducing them for the lowest-income households through cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs. This has intensified debates, with fiscal hawks pushing for deeper Medicaid cuts – a move that moderates and potentially even former President Trump might oppose, as he reportedly told House Republicans not to "mess with" the safety-net program. On environmental policy, Senate Republicans are challenging California's emission standards through the Congressional Review Act process. Majority Whip John Barrasso privately argued to fellow Republicans that this fight centers on Senate authority, as they prepare to vote on overturning three EPA waivers. Meanwhile, the clean-energy industry warns that Republican proposals to curtail climate legislation could jeopardize manufacturing projects nationwide. Turning to healthcare, AARP has launched a strong defense of Medicare's prescription drug negotiation powers. The organization warns that delaying this ability would cost taxpayers billions and increase costs for seniors, urging Congress to stand with older Americans rather than pharmaceutical companies. Interior Department funding faces uncertainty as House appropriators pushed back against proposed cuts of nearly a third of the department's budget. Representative Mike Simpson directly told Secretary Doug Burgum that they "likely do not see eye to eye" on reductions affecting national parks, tribal school infrastructure, and other critical programs. Defense policy developments are also tied to the megabill saga. House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers announced they won't vote on the annual defense policy measure until Republicans pass their funding package in both chambers. The proposed plan includes $150 billion in additional military spending, contributing to the administration's goal of $1 trillion in defense funding. In congressional ethics news, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is leading Democrats in support of Representative LaMonica McIver, who faces a felony charge for allegedly pushing Homeland Security agents during an immigration detention center incident. Jeffries has condemned the charge as baseless and politically motivated. Finally, some unexpected bipartisanship is emerging on cryptocurrency legislation, with Senate Democrats supporting initiatives from across the aisle. In a surprising development, Senator Jacky Rosen helped advance Republican Senator Ted Cruz's No Tax on

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