Politico:
Democrats are powering ahead with their response to the Capitol attack after months of gridlock and partisan sniping that had stalled progress on the security funding and commission. And while McCarthy said Friday he hadn’t formally signed off on the commission agreement, the deal between House Homeland Security Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and ranking member John Katko (R-N.Y.) does include some key concessions to Republicans.
In changes sought by Republicans, the proposed 10-person commission includes an even split between members chosen by Republicans and Democrats. It also ensures members of the commission can only issue subpoenas in a bipartisan manner. The commission is only able to issue subpoenas through a majority vote, or by agreement between its chair and vice chair. Democrats choose the chair. Its report will be due by the end of the year.
‘An Act Of Pure Cowardice’: Cheney Ouster Draws Dismay From GOPers And Dems Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) arrives for a House Republican press conference on Capitol Hill on March 9, 2021. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) May 12, 2021 1:45 p.m.
Rep. Liz Cheney’s (R-WY) removal as House Republican Conference Chair on Wednesday has lawmakers, including some of her GOP colleagues, worrying about the grim implications of the party punishing one of its leaders for acknowledging the indisputable fact that Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden.
Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) told TPM reporter Tierney Sneed and other journalists outside the House chamber that he had voted to save Cheney, saying that she was being “canceled” by the conference (an incredibly rare instance of a Republican complaining about canceling outside the context of Dr. Seuss or other meaningless culture war grievan
“I think the fact that the president hasn’t met with the leaders of the House and the Senate on a bipartisan basis until now is pretty telling,” he said.
Cornyn, however, said how the meeting turns out is up to Biden and that Republicans are willing to cut a deal, although on a package costing only a fraction of what the White House has proposed.
“If he’s willing to work with us, we’re willing to work with him, but so far it’s been ‘my way or the highway,’” he added.
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Biden and McConnell have only spoken twice since the Jan. 20 inauguration, aides note. Biden called McConnell in late March to talk about infrastructure, and the two leaders spoke in February about the situation in Myanmar.