Morning Report — DOGE leaders, Speaker woo lawmakers

In today’s issue:

• Musk, Ramaswamy seek lawmakers’ support
• Trump’s Defense pick on Senate “death watch”
• Trans rights head to the courts
• South Korean president faces impeachment threats

It’s charm offensive time on Capitol Hill.

In a quest to convince lawmakers of their plans to radically transform the federal government and cut costs, businessmen Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy met with Republican lawmakers in both chambers Thursday. But they had few good answers for how the new “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) will meet its lofty goals of slashing $2 trillion in spending during a buzzy meeting with GOP lawmakers.

Musk and Ramaswamy, who were appointed by President-elect Trump to lead the efficiency panel, heard plenty of suggestions about how to cut spending and government waste — including some ideas that have circulated among conservatives for years. But The Hill’s Emily Brooks and Miranda Nazzarro report some members left the meeting highly skeptical that Musk and Ramaswamy will be able to get anything approximating $2 trillion in spending cuts through Congress.

“These guys are going to get their eyes open,” said one Republican lawmaker, pointing to the razor-thin majority in the House and the problem of the filibuster in the Senate.

The GOP will have a 219-215 House majority in January because of former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) decision to leave Congress after his brief nomination as attorney general. But that margin will shrink to 217-215 when two other Republicans leave for Trump administration posts.

“They’re gonna offer a lot of solutions that are gonna roll off the tongue real easy, but look at the margins,” the member said of Musk and Ramaswamy. “They’re just not gonna have the horsepower.”

▪ The Hill: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) unveiled her “DOGE Acts” to cut spending and freeze federal hiring, as well as salaries.

▪ The Hill: Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said DOGE will be a “waste of time” unless Congress acts on the “things that they’re talking real big about.”

▪ The Hill: Before addressing lawmakers, Musk met with incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.).

▪ NBC News: Musk spent a quarter-billion dollars electing Trump, according to new campaign reports.

Across the aisle, DOGE has been met with varying degrees of skepticism. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) told CNN on Thursday that the efficiency advisory team, which dubs itself a “department” is “illegal and unconstitutional.” It is not a federal agency, department or congressionally approved commission, but rather a Trump-designated advisory group. 

Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called Musk a “smart guy” and Department of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a prominent vaccine skeptic — “right” about America’s “unhealthy society.” Sanders told Business Insider that many things Musk did during Trump’s campaign were “really ugly,” but he is a “very smart guy” who is right to call for an independent audit of the Defense Department.

“We need a strong military, but we don’t need all the waste and profiteering and the fraud that exists in the Pentagon right now,” Sanders said.

▪ Politico: The Education Department, the agency Trump wants to eliminate, also has the power to enact his biggest campaign promises.

▪ The Washington Post: Trump wants to move federal jobs out of D.C. Here’s what happened the last time.

Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is wooing his sharpest critics in the House GOP ahead of his official election for Speaker on the House floor, working to eliminate opposition and secure the strongest leadership mandate possible in a razor-thin majority. In the latest development, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) — one of the leaders of a move to oust Johnson earlier this year — is no longer ruling out supporting Johnson for Speaker, The Hill’s Emily Brooks reports. The two chatted over the Thanksgiving break and have been having conversations that appear to be leaving a positive impression on Massie. 

Massie cautioned that he is “not to the support levels yet.” But his openness to voting for Johnson is a major development, given his prior opposition. Earlier this year, Massie had said he would not vote for Johnson “come hell or high water.”

Massie’s softening on Johnson comes as the Speaker has also secured the backing of his most vocal former critic, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). There is little appetite among Republicans to show any fractures as the party is set to take trifecta control of government, in a boon for Johnson. Trump has also publicly supported the Speaker.

Still, nothing is certain.

“I think there’s so much stuff up in the air, nobody’s going to know until January 3,” Massie said.

SMART TAKE FROM THE HILL’S BOB CUSACK:

Trump and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill need to secure big and early wins in 2025. 

The GOP has ambitious plans for its first 100 days in office next year, and party officials know they need to put points on the board before they tackle the hard stuff, most notably extending the Trump tax cuts.

Senate Republican leaders have indicated they want to move two budget reconciliation bills next year. The first would be on border security, the military and energy. Those issues by and large unite the Republican Party and it’s reasonable to assume Trump could be signing the first reconciliation measure by the spring. 

That would push the tax debate until later in the year, which is a wise strategy. With narrow majorities in Congress, getting a tax cut bill done will be an enormous slog. And don’t be surprised if Republicans eventually have to abandon reconciliation as a strategy and turn to Democrats to get a measure passed. 

Momentum in politics is extremely important, and Trump lost a bunch of it when the GOP ObamaCare repeal effort flopped in 2017. This time around, the Trump team is more focused. Trying to get tax cut legislation done quickly would have been a disaster.

3 THINGS TO KNOW TODAY: 

▪ More than 40 percent of full-time workers do not have access to workplace retirement savings plans and nearly 50 percent of workers do not get matching contributions from employers, according to Fidelity Investments.

▪ The Hill’s annual Top Lobbyist List is out. A new administration, pending tax legislation, expectations for tariffs and other legislative and regulatory changes mean lobbyists will be busy helping clients navigate a changing nation’s capital. 

▪ What you can do to prevent cervical cancer is The Hill’s third installment in a special series. 

LEADING THE DAY 

© The Associated Press | Allison Robbert

LOSING DEFENSE? Pete Hegseth, Trump’s embattled choice to be Defense secretary, is defiant that he is not withdrawing from a pending nomination for which Republican senators privately warn he would not find sufficient votes, according to The Hill’s interviews Thursday.  

“It’s on the death watch,” one Republican senator said. “There’s seven or eight [Republican] votes against him. It’s a matter of time.”

Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer, has the public backing of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and other Senate Republicans, but the fact that Trump has floated Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as a Plan B for the Pentagon is a sure sign that the former Fox News personality, accused in detail of alleged sexual misconduct, financial irregularities and episodes of excessive alcohol consumption, has become a Trump liability.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a key vote, remained noncommittal about Hegseth during a Thursday interview on Fox News. Referring to a 45-minute meeting she had with Hegseth on Wednesday, Ernst, a survivor of sexual assault, said additional background vetting is required. “I do appreciate his service to the nation. I also am a combat veteran so we talked about a number of those issues, and we will continue with the vetting process. I think that is incredibly important,” she said.

In 2021, Ernst, who faces voters in 2026, worked with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) on legislation to overhaul the system for handling military sexual assault cases. That year, Congress approved a two-year process to strip the military chain of command of its responsibility for sexual assault prosecutions, a decision that military leaders had long resisted but advocates for survivors had long sought.

Hegseth has denied a sexual assault allegation, which led to his nondisclosure agreement with the alleged victim but no criminal charges. Hegseth said the hotel incident involved consensual sex. As Hegseth meets with senators and prepares for a confrontational confirmation process, he expects to face questions about how the Pentagon would handle assault cases under his leadership.

Hegseth maintained Thursday during an interview that he has Trump’s full support and would give up alcohol if he were to lead the Pentagon. Quitting drinking is “not hard for me because it’s not a problem for me,” he continued. “This is the biggest deployment of my life and there won’t be a drop of alcohol on my lips while I’m doing it.” 

Pardoning Trump would be “appropriate” in New York: Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said Thursday during a TV appearance that Trump deserves a pardon for New York felony convictions. The president-elect’s lawyers have sought dismissal of the case. 

“I think that it’s undeniable that the [federal] case against Hunter Biden was really politically motivated, but I also think it’s true that the trial in New York for Trump was political as well,” the senator told “The View,” referring to the president’s controversial pardon of his son on Sunday. 

“In both cases I think a pardon is appropriate, and I really think collectively that America’s confidence in these types of institutions have been damaged by these kinds of cases, and we cannot allow these types of institutions to be weaponized against our political opponents,” Fetterman added. 

Trump was convicted on 34 counts in Manhattan of falsifying business records related to hush money paid to a porn star. The judge dismissed the case in advance of Trump’s return to the White House. Presidents have clemency power in federal but not state or municipal criminal proceedings.

Diplomacy: The president-elect announced Thursday that he will nominate former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) to be U.S. ambassador to China. Trump also said he will nominate Brandon Judd, a retired former president of the National Border Patrol Council union, to be U.S. ambassador to Chile. 

White House science and technology: Trump appointed tech entrepreneur and investor David Sacks, a longtime Musk friend, to be a “czar” for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency while also leading a group of White House science and technology advisers. It was not immediately clear how Sacks as an adviser for AI and cryptocurrencies will intersect with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, created by statute in 1976, and its offshoot, the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology (PCAST). The president-elect on social media Thursday said Sacks, co-host of the popular podcast “All-In” and head of venture capital firm Craft Ventures, “will safeguard Free Speech online, and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship” and “work on a legal framework so the Crypto industry has the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive.” President Biden issued an executive order in 2023 describing the government’s general AI principles and Trump vowed to repeal it. Biden just weeks ago issued an AI national security memorandum.

Other appointments: Caleb Vitello, the assistant director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Firearms and Tactical program,is the president-elect’s choice to serve as ICE acting director. To serve as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner, Trump named Rodney Scott, a 30-year veteran of the Border Patrol who resigned as CPB chief in 2021. Trump chose Miami ICE special homeland investigative agent in charge Anthony Salisbury to be deputy homeland security adviser with the White House Homeland Security Council, serving under incoming deputy White House chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller. 

Old business in the House: Lawmakers Thursday scuttled a Democratic-led effort to release the House Ethics Committee investigative report on Gaetz, who withdrew from consideration to be attorney general in Trump’s 2025 Cabinet. GOP leaders moved to table the resolution, dismissing it from consideration before it could be brought up for a final vote. Nearly all Republicans fell behind party leadership to defer the measure, except for Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.). The matter returned to the panel and despite the vote this week, the report could still see the light of day. 

Redraft a draft idea: GOP senators on Thursday sought support to delete provision from the National Defense Authorization Act that proposes to require women to register in case there’s a future U.S. reinstatement of the military draft. 

Trump and Big Pharma: The president-elect hosted the chief executives of Pfizer, Eli Lilly and PhRMA at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday, where they discussed how the public and private sectors can collaborate on finding cures for cancer, among other topics. The Biden administration championed the goal of accelerating cures for cancer through its “Cancer Moonshot” initiative through the National Cancer Institute.

📺 Trump will be interviewed today by NBC’s “Meet the Press,” for broadcast Sunday.

WHERE AND WHEN  

• The House will meet at 9 a.m. The Senate meets Monday at 3 p.m. 
• The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief at 11:45 a.m. Biden will attend a 6 p.m. performance of “The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day” to honor American veterans and their families on the eve of the 83rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He will offer remarks in the East Room.
• Vice President Harris is in Washington and has no public schedule.
• First lady Jill Biden is in Doha, Qatar.
• The White House daily press briefing is scheduled at 2 p.m.
• Economic indicator: The Labor Department at 8:30 a.m. will issue the jobs report for November.

ZOOM IN

© The Associated Press | Jacquelyn Martin

Transgender rights activists, including Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst and whistleblower, on Thursday protested a new policy barring transgender people from using single-sex facilities on the House side of the Capitol complex that match their gender identity. Johnson announced the new bathroom policy late last month, following a similar effort by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) to block trans people from Capitol facilities, a move she said was “absolutely” motivated by the election of Sarah McBride (D-Del.), set to be the first openly transgender member of Congress.

Montana state lawmakers rejected a proposal to bar Democratic state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the state’s first transgender legislator, from using the women’s restroom at the state Capitol, with several Republicans voting with all Democrats to defeat the measure. 

“L.W.”, a trans teenager from Tennessee, had her day in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The Washington Post accompanied the 16-year-old, who is among the plaintiffs in the highly anticipated case concerning Tennessee’s ban on gender transition care for minors.

A rare Democratic bright spot: California was a rare source of success for Democrats nationally this November. Nearly a month after Election Day, Democrats clinched their final House win in the Golden State, netting them four of the six most competitive California congressional races. Their strong showing, despite a statewide rightward shift that echoed national trends, ousted three incumbent Republicans and brought Democrats within a stone’s throw of capturing the chamber.

While deep dives are still to come, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (Calif.) said Wednesday that better candidates, more resources and driving a message on “quality of life issues” helped push Democrats over the top.

ELSEWHERE

© The Associated Press | Ng Han Guan

MARTIAL LAW: Police and prosecutors in South Korea on Thursday opened separate insurrection investigations against President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed attempt to impose martial law, while his party said it opposed a planned vote to impeach him. The announcement came as Yoon accepted the resignation of his defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, who played a key role in the chaotic six-hour period of martial law.

On Friday, the ruling party’s leader Yoon must be removed from power for trying to impose martial law, as the government denied reports it was preparing to issue another martial law declaration.

The New York Times: A South Korean general gives a confused account of a failed crackdown.

FRANCE: Marine Le Pen, the face of France’s far right, said her country can overcome its government collapse to deliver a budget in “a matter of weeks” — so long as the next prime minister is prepared to narrow the deficit more slowly. Le Pen spoke just hours after voting to topple the government of Michel Barnier by backing a no-confidence motion over the 2025 budget plans.

▪ The Guardian: Why did France’s government collapse and what happens next?

▪ The Economist: France steps into deep trouble. It has no government and no budget, and is politically gridlocked.

▪ NPR: France’s toppled government adds to the European Union’s bigger political problems.

▪ The Hill: Trump will travel to Paris for Saturday’s reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral as French President Emmanuel Macron seeks to bolster his standing with the president-elect. First lady Jill Biden will represent the U.S. at the event.

MIDDLE EAST: Amnesty International accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, which Israel strongly denied. The human rights group said its conclusion was based on “dehumanizing and genocidal statements” by Israeli officials, digital images and witness testimony and must serve as “a wake-up call” to the international community.

The Wall Street Journal: The surprising advance by opposition forces in Syria’s civil war poses a conundrum for Israel and the West: Victory by either side presents risks.

OPINION 

■ Trump’s disdain for the transition process is ominous, by The Washington Post editorial board.

■ Le Pen is mightier than the sword, by John Authers, columnist, Bloomberg Opinion.

THE CLOSER

© The Associated Press | LM Otero

And finally … 👏👏👏 Bravo to winners of this week’s Morning Report Quiz! Holiday travel was not a stranger to our readers.

Here’s who went 4/4: Stan Wasser, John van Santen, Rick Schmidtke, Lynn Gardner, Linda Field, Harry Strulovici, Jeremy R. Serwer, Mark Williamson, Pam Manges, Luther Berg, Carmine Petracca, Chuck Schoenenberger, Lou Tisler, Gary Kalian, Jaina Mehta Buck, Robert Bradley and Savannah Petracca.

Thanksgiving travel this year again broke records. According to AAA, nearly 80 million people traveled at least 50 miles from home for the holiday.

Dec. 1 broke records as the busiest day for commercial air travel in the U.S. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 3 million passengers in one day.

Increased travel means more Americans carry some of their holiday foods with them on airplanes. TSA allows green bean casseroles, cooked macaroni and cheese in a pan and cooked or uncooked stuffing in a bag or a box to glide past security checkpoints. Thus, the answer we looked for was “all of the above.”

Last month, a stowaway heading to Paris managed to sneak onto a Delta Airlines flight in New York. (She faces U.S. charges.) 

Stay Engaged 

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