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Tag Archives: Politics

Sen. Thom Tillis in stepping aside goes the way of other Republicans who have challenged Trump

Sen. Thom Tillis in stepping aside goes the way of other Republicans who have challenged Trump

By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) — Flake. Corker. Romney.

And now, Sen. Thom Tillis.

The roll call of Republican senators in the U.S. Congress who have called it quits, rather than endure a political career sideways with President Donald Trump, is long, notable — and apparently, still growing.

Tillis, the GOP senator from North Carolina, announced his decision not to seek reelection Sunday, a stunning moment, given its timing.

It arrived a day after Trump trashed Tillis online, threatening to campaign against him, after the senator revealed he would oppose Trump’s big tax breaks bill because of its deep cuts to Medicaid that he warned would devastate his state.

“My goal is not to undermine the president,” Tillis told the Associated Press and others late Sunday night at the U.S. Capitol.

“But why not do it right? And why not take the time to make sure that we’re not going to have unintended consequences, which will also have, I think, substantial political consequences next year if we’re not careful.”

The senator, like others before him, has run up against the limits of his own perceived truth-telling, particularly when it goes against the views of the president or threatens the White House agenda.A tough reelection became tougher

Tillis’ reelection in the Tar Heel State was already expected to be difficult, a $600 million campaign, he said he was told. Democrats see the state as a prime pick-up opportunity in next year’s elections as they try to flip the seat and retake majority control of the Senate from Republicans.

Turning 65 later this year, Tillis said he had been weighing his decision, and having put a cancer diagnosis behind him was charting the next phase of his life. A former House speaker in North Carolina, he noted he has been in office for some 20 years.

But Trump’s unchallenged grip on the party, and his singular ability to not only tank political careers but also deeply influence the views of Republican voters, leaves little room for dissent.

Most GOP senators who confronted Trump during his first term – Arizona’s Jeff Flake, Tennessee’s Bob Corker and Utah’s Mitt Romney, who was the only Republican to vote to convict Trump in both of his Senate impeachment trials – have long since stepped aside.

Tillis bristled at those comparisons.

“No, no, no. Look, I am an unlikely senator,” Tillis said.

He insisted, “I don’t like any of the trappings that many senators like up here. I like doing work. I like going home, and I like being with my family. That’s me.”Tillis wants Trump to succeed

Tillis, as he walked back to his Senate office, told the story of living in a trailer park in Nashville as a teen with his family, before branching out on his own.

At about 16, he had been a cook at a roadside diner, “like a Denny’s,” he said, but found that the waiters made more money with tips, so he switched. He was grossing about $10,000 a year. Then he moved on to a warehouse job, earning about the same pay, and was able to move into the trailer of his own.

That’s one reason why he opposes Trump’s tax bill: he says it’s not the kind of relief the president is promising for working Americans. Take the president’s no tax on tips plan, he said.

“Thom Tillis the waiter gets a tax break. Thom Tills the warehouse worker doesn’t,” he said.

“Why can’t we figure out a way to give it to both of them versus something that catches an applause line in Las Vegas?”

Tillis went on, “I would love to have told the president this story. Instead of people getting gimmicky and targeting things — and not looking at the inherent unfairness of that policy and the additional billions of dollars we have to spend on that — which is forcing the Medicaid debate.”

He said, exasperated, “Folks, pull back.”Trump and Tillis talk

Tillis did talk with Trump over the past several days. On Friday night he said he had a good call with the president and shared his concerns with the bill.

But once the president lashed out against him Saturday night, that was about it.

“I told the president after that post that it’d probably be a good time for him to start looking for replacements,” Tillis said

In a speech later Sunday, Tillis appeared somewhat liberated, free to publicly call the bill as he saw it, a betrayal of Trump’s promises.

“I’m telling the president that you have been misinformed: You supporting the Senate mark will hurt people who are eligible and qualified for Medicaid,” he thundered from the chamber floor.

Colleagues have been taking notice. Democrats in particular can’t help but remember another pivotal moment when Republicans were trying to cut health care and a single GOP senator stood up and said no.Tillis, McCain and health care

Sen. John McCain famously voted thumbs down against the Republican plan to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, in a stunning setback during Trump’s first term in the summer of 2017.

Tillis brushed off that comparison, too.

“We’re gonna get the tax bill done,” he said.

But he said, the president has advisers that are “politically too cute by half, and they’re having fun while we’re having to implement suboptimal policy that will degrade the enormous impact and the legacy that this president could otherwise have.”

And as he heads for the exits next year, Tillis said “if they continue to do this, I’ll start spending some time focusing on just who those people are.“

____

This story has been corrected to fix the Tillis quote in the ‘Trump and Tillis talk’ sub-headline, with quote beginning, ‘I’m telling the president,’ to change misled to misinformed.

States brace for impact as Trump’s big bill nears completion in Congress

States brace for impact as Trump’s big bill nears completion in Congress

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s tax cut bill could have large implications for states. The legislation nearing completion in Congress could reduce federal funding to states for Medicaid and food assistance programs. But in many states, it’s too late to do much about it this year. Tuesday marks the start of a new budget year in 46 states. Though a few are still working, many state legislatures already have adjourned and had to craft a budget without knowing whether their federal funding would be cut. Some states have set aside money as a precaution. Others are tentatively planning to return in special sessions.… Continue Reading

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina won’t run in 2026 after opposing Trump’s bill

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina won’t run in 2026 after opposing Trump’s bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina says he won’t seek reelection. That news Sunday comes one day after he announced his opposition to President Donald Trump’s tax breaks and spending cuts package because of its reductions to health care programs. The announcement from the two-term senator surprised senior Republicans with its timing, but not necessarily the substance. Tillis had planned to announce his reelection plans later this year, likely September at the latest, but had been heavily leaning in favor of retiring. That’s according to a person close to the senator who was granted anonymity to discuss internal dynamics. His decision creates a political opportunity for Democrats seeking to bolster their numbers in the 2026 midterm elections.… Continue Reading

Senate Republicans advance Trump’s tax and spending cuts bill after dramatic late-night vote

Senate Republicans advance Trump’s tax and spending cuts bill after dramatic late-night vote

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans voted in a dramatic Saturday session, clearing a key procedural step as they race to pass President Donald Trump’s big bill of tax breaks, spending cuts and bolstered deportation funds by his July Fourth deadline. The vote tally was 51-49 but only after a tense night. Proceedings came to a standstill as senators huddled in negotiations on and off the floor for hours. There’s still a long weekend of work to come. Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition. If the Senate can pass the bill in the days ahead, it would need to return to the House for more votes before it could reach the White House.… Continue Reading

Chief Justice Roberts warns against heated political words about judges

Chief Justice Roberts warns against heated political words about judges

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts is warning that elected officials’ heated words about judges can lead to threats or acts of violence by others. Roberts’ comments Saturday at a judicial conference come at a time when threats against judges are on the rise. Roberts didn’t identify anyone by name. But he was clearly referring to Republican President Donald Trump and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer when he said he’s felt compelled to issue public rebukes of figures in both parties in recent years. Roberts said the danger is that people might pick up on such criticism. He cited “serious threats of violence and murder of judges just simply for doing their work.”… Continue Reading

Supreme Court limits nationwide injunctions, but fate of Trump birthright citizenship order unclear

Supreme Court limits nationwide injunctions, but fate of Trump birthright citizenship order unclear

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court has ruled that individual judges lack the authority to grant nationwide injunctions, but the decision leaves unclear the fate of President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship. The outcome Friday was a victory for Trump, who has complained about individual judges throwing up obstacles to his agenda. But a conservative majority left open the possibility that the birthright citizenship changes could remain blocked nationwide. The Republican president’s order would deny citizenship to U.S.-born children of people who are in the country illegally. Trump says the court’s decision is “amazing” and a “monumental victory for the Constitution,” the separation of powers and the rule of law.… Continue Reading

States can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court rules

States can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court rules

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court is allowing states to cut off Medicaid money for Planned Parenthood amid a wider Republican-backed push to defund the organization, the country’s largest abortion provider. The 6-3 ruling was handed down Thursday. The case centers on funding for other health care services Planned Parenthood provides in South Carolina, but the ruling could have broader implications for Medicaid patients. South Carolina argued no public money should go to the high-profile abortion provider, even if it it’s not paying for abortions. Planned Parenthood says patients go there for things like contraception and cancer screenings, in part because it can be hard to find a doctor who takes the publicly funded insurance.… Continue Reading

North Carolina judges issue mixed ruling on governor’s appointment powers

North Carolina judges issue mixed ruling on governor’s appointment powers

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina trial judges have issued a mixed ruling for Democratic Gov. Josh Stein and Republican legislative leaders in litigation over recent law changes that eroded gubernatorial powers. A three-judge panel on Tuesday unanimously struck down as unconstitutional a law that placed some limits on whom the governor could choose to fill vacancies on appellate courts. But the judges let stand provisions that take away some of Stein’s appointments to the state Utilities Commission and Building Code Council. The order can be appealed. Stein and predecessor Roy Cooper have sued many times over state laws that have shifted authority away from the governor.… Continue Reading

Trump announces a ceasefire in Iran-Israel war; Iran to halt its fire if Israel stops its strikes

Trump announces a ceasefire in Iran-Israel war; Iran to halt its fire if Israel stops its strikes

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump says that Israel and Iran have agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” soon after Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites. Iran said that as long as Israel stopped its attacks early Tuesday morning, it would halt theirs. Israel did not immediately acknowledge any ceasefire but there were no Israeli strikes reported after 4 a.m. local time. Heavy Israeli strikes continued in Tehran and other cities until shortly before that time. Israel in other conflicts has stepped up its strikes just before ceasefires took effect.… Continue Reading

Israel targets Iran’s government and a key Tehran prison as Iran launches more attacks on Israel

Israel targets Iran’s government and a key Tehran prison as Iran launches more attacks on Israel

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel says it hit Iranian government targets in Tehran in a series of strikes that followed a salvo of missiles and drones fired by Iran at Israel earlier in the day in the wake of the Trump administration’s massive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend. Israel’s Defense Ministry said it hit targets in Tehran, including the notorious Evin Prison and the security headquarters of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guards. The Israeli military also confirmed it hit roads around Iran’s Fordo enrichment facility to obstruct access to the site on Monday. The underground site was one of those hit in Sunday’s attack by the U.S. The Israeli military did not elaborate.… Continue Reading

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