Good Thursday evening. In this edition: Senate goes nuclear to speed up confirmation process; Trump pays respects at 9/11 ceremony; and C-SPAN's StudentCam competition returns.
Senate Republicans triggered the so-called nuclear option to change the chamber's rules to speed up the confirmation of President Trump's nominees after months of Democratic obstruction.
The chamber voted 53–45, along party lines, to set a new precedent that most nominations can be confirmed "en bloc," or in groups, rather than having to process each one individually.
The rule change, which is loosely based on a previously floated Democratic proposal, comes after months of Democrats slow-walking the president's civilian nominees, forcing time-consuming votes on each one.
"We are more than seven months into President Trump's current term, and the Senate has yet to confirm one single civilian nominee by unanimous consent or voice vote."
The change applies to sub-Cabinet level and executive branch picks.
It excludes Cabinet officials, Supreme Court justices and federal judges, who must still be confirmed one by one.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blasted Republicans for the unilateral change, warning it would turn the Senate into a "rubber stamp" for the White House.
"This move by Republicans was not so much about ending obstruction, as they claim. Rather, it was another act of genuflection to the executive branch," he said on the floor.
"This is a sad, regrettable day for the Senate, and I believe it won't take very long for Republicans to wish they had not pushed the chamber further down this awful road."
Sen. Thune has teed up 48 nominees that will now be allowed to be confirmed by a single vote, which is expected to happen early next week.
That vote would allow Republicans to begin to clear the backlog of more than 140 nominees, which Sen. Thune said would require more than 600 votes to process under the previous rules.
It's the latest instance of a Senate majority leader turning to the nuclear option to alter the chamber's rules without buy-in from the minority party.
In 2013, then-Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) used it to allow all executive branch nominees to be confirmed by a simple majority, as opposed to the previous 60-vote threshold
In 2017, then-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took it a step further to allow Supreme Court nominees to be confirmed by a simple majority vote.
Americans gathered for ceremonies at Ground Zero, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed 24 years ago during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The names of the victims were read, bells chimed, bag pipes played, and moments of silence were held at the exact times the planes crashed.
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended the ceremony at the Pentagon, where 184 service members and civilians were killed when hijackers steered a plane into the military's headquarters.
"On that fateful day, savage monsters attacked the very symbols of our civilization. Yet here in Virginia, and in New York, and in the skies over Pennsylvania, Americans did not hesitate," he said.
"They stood on their feet, and they showed the world that we will never yield, we will never bend, we will never give up, and our great American flag will never, ever fail."
The president thendeparted for New York City, where he's expected to participate in another observance at a Yankees game.
C-SPAN's StudentCam returns for its 22nd year, continuing to challenge students across the country to think critically about issues that affect their community and nation.
This year's theme — "America's 250th Anniversary: Exploring the American Story through the Declaration of Independence" — asks students to examine the founding document's influence.
C-SPAN and its cable and satellite TV partners invite middle and high school student filmmakers of all levels to enter the documentary contest, which awards $100,000 in cash prizes.
The grand-prize winner will receive $5,000, and smaller cash prizes will be awarded to students in first, second and third places, as well as honorable mention categories.
Winners will be announced in March, with the top winning videos to air on C-SPAN in April.
Check out the competition details and please forward to any students or teachers you think might be interested in reflecting on the semiquincentennial!
In other news…
President Trumpsaid he will posthumously award conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was murdered Wednesday at Utah Valley University, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. "We miss him greatly, yet I have no doubt that Charlie's voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on," he said. The manhunt for Mr. Kirk's killer continues after both persons of interest were released from custody.
The Housevoted226–197 to increase criminal penalties for undocumented immigrants who illegally enter the U.S. or reenter after having been deported or denied entry. Eleven Democrats joined all Republicans in voting in favor. The Stop Illegal Entry Act now heads to the Senate.
A bipartisan group of senators called for Russia to be added to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism over its alleged mass abduction of Ukrainian children. "This is what terrorists do. They rape, they murder, they kidnap," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said at a press conference introducing the bill. "If Russia doesn't want to be a state sponsor of terrorism under U.S. law, return the children."
U.S. Capitol Policeresponded to a bomb threat at the Democratic National Committee's headquarters on Capitol Hill, which was determined not to be credible. "Out of an abundance of caution, Capitol Police is conducting an interior sweep of the building. As DNC Chair Ken Martin has said, political violence in every form has no place in our country," the DNC said in a statement.
Rep. Thomas Massie's (R-KY) discharge petition is now one signature shy of the 218 needed to force a vote on a bill that would compel the Justice Department to release the Epstein files. Rep. James Walkinhaw (D-VA), who was sworn in Wednesday after a winning a special election, was the latest signatory. Rep. Massie is expected to hit the mark later this month after a special election in Arizona's 7th District, which a Democrat is expected to win.
Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) announced he will not seek reelection next year after just two terms in the House. "Over the July 4th weekend, standing in floodwaters alongside my neighbors, I had a moment of clarity," he said in a statement. "It reminded me that while the work in Washington is important, my family, my community, and my state need me here — closer to home."
Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, was found guilty of attempting a coup to stay in power after losing the country's 2022 election. He was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison. Four out of five of Brazil's Supreme Court justices voted to find the former president and seven other defendants guilty. President Trump, a close ally, called the decision "surprising," referring to Mr. Bolsonaro as "a good man."
Nadine Menendez, the wife of former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), was sentenced to four and a half years in federal prison for her role in a corruption and foreign influence scheme. Her husband is currently in prison on an 11-year sentence for trading influence for cash, gold bars and a Merecedes convertible.
For your radar…
The Senate and House both return for legislative business on Monday.
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