| | | | |  | | By Ursula Perano | | Presented by |  | | | With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team
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Texas. Sen. Ted Cruz has declined to endorse John Cornyn for GOP leader. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | LACKING THE LOVE IN TEXAS Senate Republicans running for the GOP conference’s top three leadership spots all have the support of their home-state senator. Except one notable exception. Sen. Mike Rounds has endorsed fellow South Dakota Republican John Thune for Senate GOP leader. Sen. Cynthia Lummis is backing her Wyomingite partner Sen. John Barrasso for GOP whip. Even in the contested conference chair race, home-state senators quickly backed their peers. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said last week that he will support Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) for Republican conference chair. Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) told Inside Congress on Wednesday he will support Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) for the same role. The one place this isn’t true: Texas. Sen. Ted Cruz has declined to endorse John Cornyn for GOP leader, telling us he’s “keeping an open mind and listening to all the candidates who are running.” He detailed commitments he wants from candidates for leader, including for them to ensure an open amendments process. Cornyn passed altogether on a question about whether he’s expecting Cruz’s support. “I have one rule when it comes to leadership races: They're not run in the press,” said Cornyn, who widely announced his run in the press last month. “So I don't begrudge you asking, but I'm not going to talk about it.” Not all home-state senators are best buds, but for two Republicans, Cornyn and Cruz have had some notable and well-documented rifts. There’s the ideological front, given Cruz is unabashedly conservative and Cornyn has been more of a bipartisan dealmaker in recent years. Or maybe Cruz still recalls when Cornyn refused to endorse him for president in 2016. (We would note that Cornyn has generally stayed away from endorsing in contested presidential races, until this year at least.) But Cruz didn’t endorse Cornyn in 2014 when the senior senator was facing a primary challenger, either. Then there’s some home-state political bickering, like how Cruz denounced the effort to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Cornyn, in a very different style, still likes to troll Paxton in social media. Paxton has floated a primary challenge to Cornyn, who’s up for reelection in 2026. Both Cruz and Cornyn did endorse each other for their most recent reelection bids in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Though we should add: It’s early. There are only a handful of public endorsements in the leadership races at all. And other candidates are likely to hop in. Both Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) have been floated, though neither has made any announcements yet. The Senate GOP’s leadership elections will happen via secret ballot after the November elections. There is one sign of hope for Cornyn’s chances with his fellow Texan: Cruz said Wednesday that he thinks Cornyn’s proposal to term-limit the GOP leader, similar to term limits on the GOP whip and conference chair, “makes a lot of sense.” — Ursula Perano
| | | | A message from Coinbase: Crypto doesn't just move money forward, it moves America forward. Hear from builders and policymakers about use cases for crypto in housing, health care, privacy, and finance that move money and America forward at Coinbase’s Update The System Summit. Come join us this Wednesday, March 20, at the Capital Turnaround in Washington, DC, by signing up here. | | | GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, March 20, where we send our condolences to Dan Kildee and his family. MEMBER PAY RAISES AXED AGAIN Members won’t get a pay raise this year, keeping congressional salaries at the same rate they’ve been since 2009. Language blocking the increase was written into the Legislative Branch appropriations bill, a person familiar told Inside Congress. While Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries supported the wage increase, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer blocked it from being included, the person said. Schumer’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. News of the omission rankled some lawmakers who’d advocated for the increase. “I hope we can get it done. I don't know that it’s possible. Federal employees get [a cost of living increase]. Unless we want all rich people in the Congress, we ought to keep them,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). Roll Call first reported the development. Long-awaited legislative text on the six remaining appropriations bills, including that one, could still come Wednesday night or get pushed to Thursday. Regardless, Speaker Mike Johnson will have to waive a rule that gives lawmakers 72 hours to review legislation before it heads to a floor vote in order to avert a shutdown — a fact that’s irritating conservatives. “It’s stupid. We should not do that,” House Freedom Caucus member Chip Roy said Wednesday. “We were really cooking, in my opinion, in regular order. And then some things went off the rails and now we're a little bit back to the usual way of doing things where things are cooked up behind closed doors and dropped on us and you get less than 72 hours. That's not going to carry the day.” — Nicholas Wu and Daniella Diaz, with assist from Caitlin Emma
| | | | GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE. | | | | | WHAT’S NEXT IN GOP’S BIDEN IMPEACHMENT House Republicans’ Wednesday impeachment inquiry hearing with two of Hunter Biden’s former business associates didn’t yield any major developments in their investigation, as they’ve struggled to find a smoking gun that clearly links actions taken by Joe Biden as president or vice president to his family’s business deals. Republicans are expected to make a decision at some point about whether or not to pursue impeachment articles — though they don’t currently have the votes for impeachment. But they still have items to check off their investigative to-do list, including a report detailing their findings and legislative recommendations. Items on their list include:
- Some Republicans are floating trying to hold Hunter Biden in contempt after he skipped the hearing, and there’s still an interest in hearing publicly from former business associate Devon Archer (who also declined to come to the hearing Wednesday but his attorney asked the committee to propose alternate dates).
- Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) still wants to speak with two career DOJ tax officials who were involved in the years-long federal investigation into Hunter Biden.
- Comer issued a subpoena to AT&T for Hunter Biden’s records, and has said that he also needs documents from the National Archives. Plus, he said on Wednesday that he is still waiting to get credit card information that he subpoenaed.
Worth noting: Comer has said he wants to propose new ethics, lobbying and financial disclosure rules. And in a brief interview, he said that he is actively working on drafting legislation that he wants to roll out “pretty soon.” He also acknowledged that, given the GOP’s slim majority, it would need to have bipartisan buy-in because “there will be some Republican against it. They’ll say: ‘Well this could impact Trump.'" — Jordain Carney
| | | | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. | | | | | KING OF KINGS AND CHAIR OF CHAIRS
House Democrats named Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) to succeed Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) as their new Assistant Leader Wednesday. Neguse, who ran uncontested, is considered a rising star in the party.
“I think he’s going to be great,” Clyburn said after the election. In a statement, Neguse said he was “looking forward to continuing to work alongside every member of our incredible Caucus to get the job done.” Note: There’s still some ambiguity around the assistant leader’s place in Democrats’ leadership structure. See our previous reporting for more on the dynamics at play. What’s next: Neguse’s election means Democrats will need to hold another leadership election, scheduled for April 16, to fill his previous position as the chair of the party’s messaging arm, known as the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. Current co-chairs Reps. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), as well as former co-chair Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), are all vying for the open spot. Escobar officially launched her bid Wednesday in a letter to colleagues. — Nicholas Wu | | We’re here always for Salud Carbajal content. Jared Moskowitz wore a Vladimir Putin mask to a hearing today. Thom Tillis posted a very disturbing voicemail his office got about the TikTok legislation. Becca Balint used the scooter her daughter gave her to get votes Wednesday. QUICK LINKS Lankford pursuing Senate leadership bid for next Congress, from Burgess Everett Schumer vs. Netanyahu: Senate leader's Israeli government critique keeps shaking the Hill, from Ursula Perano and Anthony Adragna Pelosi: Biggest challenge to U.S. is 'negativity’ Trump 'has spewed forth into our country’, from Cassie Semyon at NY1
| | | | A message from Coinbase:   | | | TRANSITIONS Make sure to send your transitions to insidecongress@politico.com. TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House and Senate are in session.
| | | | A message from Coinbase: The Update The System Summit will bring together builders and policymakers to discuss the pivotal role policy has to play in determining how American innovation can flourish. Together, we’ll discuss how crypto and web3 move money forward for Americans and small businesses by improving the speed and costs to move money. We'll also explore how crypto can help address important real-world issues around housing, health care, and privacy in America. Our technological leadership depends on our ability to navigate what's new with what's right; this summit aims to equip all of us for the journey ahead. | | | | THURSDAY AROUND THE HILL 9 a.m. Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern and other RSC members will unveil their FY2025 budget proposal. (HVC Studio A) 10 a.m. Rep. Jimmy Gomez and the Congressional Renters Caucus will host a press conference on the Renters Agenda. (House Triangle) 11 a.m. Rep. Robin Kelly and others will have a press conference on gun violence and the release of "The Kelly Report: A Vision for a Safer America." (House Triangle) 12 p.m. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders will announce the reintroduction of the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act. (House Triangle)
| | TUESDAY’S ANSWER: Kevin Diestelow was the first to correctly guess that George W. Bush and John Kennedy were the two presidents who had their fathers attend their inaugurations in Washington. TODAY’S QUESTION, from Kevin: Which Architect of the Capitol, who designed its current dome, began his career designing a number of buildings in the downtown of West Chester, Pennsylvania, giving it the nickname “the Athens of Pennsylvania” The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening. Follow Daniella on X at @DaniellaMicaela. | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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