House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) came out against even entertaining the idea of bringing to the House floor a Senate bill that would limit the President’s authority to unilaterally impose tariffs.
The bipartisan legislation was introduced by Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA); seven Republican senators have already signed onto the effort to take back some of Congress’ authority on tariffs from the President. In some ways, the legislation has become a vehicle for Republicans to vocalize their concerns about Trump’s tariffs, which have sent the stock marketing tanking even before the levies kick in on Wednesday.
Rep. Dan Bacon (R-NE) said he would introduce similar legislation in the House today, in an effort to get Congress to assert its sole authority over tariff policy — which, he said, Congress should not have ceded to the President. (It’s unclear if Bacon is referring to the longtime policy that allows presidents to declare emergencies to which he can respond with tariffs, or recent moves by his chamber. House Republican leadership slipped language into a procedural vote last month when the House was working on passing legislation to avert a shutdown that, essentially, blocks the lower chamber from being able to take a vote on legislation that would end tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China this year. At the time, it was seen as a way to guard against House Republicans having to take a vote on a politically bad, for them, issue.)
Trump’s White House has already reportedly communicated with members of Congress that it would veto the Senate’s version of the bill if it passed both chambers. Per Axios:
“If passed, this bill would dangerously hamper the President’s authority and duty to determine our foreign policy and protect our national security,” according to a statement of administration policy that was sent to congressional offices today.
“If S. 1272 were presented to the President, he would veto the bill.”
Johnson told reporters this afternoon that he has no plans to bring Bacon’s bill, or even a Senate version of the legislation, to the House floor for a vote, arguing that Congress needs to give Trump “space” as he is “engaging and trying to fix” trade deficits.
“We’re going to give him the space necessary to do it, and we’ll see how it all develops,” Johnson said Monday, per Politico.
“I think you’ve got to give the president the latitude, the runway to do what it is he was elected to do,” he said.
Aileen Cannon’s Clerk Gets Swanky Gig
Based on what we know of Cannon’s actions throughout the classified documents case, the Trump White House and its influence over DOJ personnel decisions, the news is perhaps not surprising. The clerk, Christopher-James DeLorenz, served as a law clerk for Cannon for 10 months, including during the period that she oversaw then-special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of Trump for hoarding classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Per ABC News:
A former law clerk to the federal judge who dismissed the classified documents case against President Donald Trump is now serving in the Justice Department directly under Trump’s former defense lawyer Todd Blanche, who is now serving as the nation’s number-two law enforcement official.
Christopher-James DeLorenz has been serving as a Counsel in the Deputy Attorney General’s office since President Trump took office in January, according to officials and DeLorenz’s public LinkedIn page.
Roberts Pauses Deadline To Return Maryland Man
Chief Justice John Roberts placed an administrative stay on US District Judge Paula Xinis’s order requiring the Trump administration to “facilitate and effectuate” the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The Maryland man had been wrongfully deported to a notoriously brutal men’s prison in El Salvador and Xinis had ordered the government to begin the process of his return to the U.S. by 11:59 p.m. Monday.
As is the court’s practice, Roberts didn’t provide an explanation for his stay order and said it will apply “pending further order of the undersigned or of the court.”
The order comes hours after a three-judge federal appeals court panel unanimously refused to lift Xinis’ deadline.
RFK Admits Vaccines Work
In remarks that have already set off his base of anti-vax supporters, Trump’s HHS Secretary RFK Jr. conceded on Sunday that the best way to stop the spread of measles in the U.S. is to get the vaccine. He made the remarks on Twitter after visiting the family of a second child who died in Texas.
I came to Gaines County, Texas, today to comfort the Hildebrand family after the loss of their 8-year-old daughter Daisy. I got to know the family of 6-year-old Kayley Fehr after she passed away in February. I also developed bonds with and deep affection for other members of…
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) April 6, 2025
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There’s too much heinous, lying, scummy, buttlikkin, insane BS going on in all the posts to know where to start commenting…
Anger, and can’t come up with a way to direct it constructively yet…
So Mike Johnson, who doesn’t have a bank account if I recall correctly, is totally fine with all of this and no worries whatsoever that he might be voted out. The guy seems shady as hell with his little angelic smirk all the time. What has Trump promised him?
it would be a shame if no big beautiful bills passed until that tariff bill passed with veto proof majorities. Not that this would happen.
Little mikey and the short fingered vulgarian will received their just desserts. They are so full of themselves now, but justice will prevail.
Mike Johnson, King of the Lickspittles? Or does the Chief Justice get that title? So many are vying for it. …Yet I think Donny’s too old and too greedy to ever reward them much…And if there are history books post-Trump, they’re going to look like cowards and idiots. Yet they persist. …Johnson must figure MAGA voters – and funders? – will reward him. But I don’t see what’s in it for the Supremes…It’s one thing to be the instrument of putting a right-wing government in power. I can see why they might consider that a great accomplishment. But what if the right-wing government is led by a childish ignoramus who even fucks things up for many of the rich?That seems to be a questionable accomplishment by anyone’s standards.