- There is a time for everything, a time for every activity, a time to listen intently to Congressional hearings, a time to fear for the future, a time to be petty and enjoy this video of Ted Cruz being cut off mid-speech at the Faith and Freedom Coalition. This single bullet point is that time. Enjoy watching Cruz’s iconic awkwardness, revel in the idea that even Evangelical conservatives have little to no respect for him, and then move on to the rest of today’s devastating news. [The Hill]
- The Financial Choice Act passed the House today. The bill rolls back sizable portions of the financial reform act Dodd-Frank, passed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The bill, which Paul Ryan described as the “crown jewel” of GOP’s financial deregulation plans, gives the president “power to fire the heads of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a consumer watchdog agency created under Dodd-Frank, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, at any time for any—or no—reason.” It also allows banks to chose whether or not to comply with Dodd-Frank or holding on to more capital. Seems like something that Donald Trump will definitely misuse. [CNN/Reuters]
- Mitch McConnell “took steps to fast track” the GOP’s ongoing efforts to repeal Obamacare. McConnell held closed-door meetings on the legislation during James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee. [Huffington Post]
- The Obamacare repeal has already hit a snag over, you guessed it, abortion. According to a report, Republicans are “worried” that the anti-abortion language in their health care bill could run afoul of the Senate’s rules which state that only budgetary changes are allowed. [Politico]
- Benghazi enthusiast Trey Gowdy is now the chair of the House Oversight and Government Committee. [USA Today]
- Donald Trump’s personal lawyer released a statement after Comey’s appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee. [CNBC]
- Sarah Sanders insists that the “president is not a liar.” In other news, I’m the queen of England. [Politico]
- Senator Chris Murphy says that Donald Trump should follow Comey’s lead and testify under oath. Gotta love a man with impossible dreams. [Talking Points Memo]
- Kris Kobach, one of the Trump campaign’s immigration policy advisors and notoriously anti-immigration politician, is running to be the governor of Kansas. [Kansas City Star]
Here are some tweets the president was allowed to publish:
Amazingly, not a single tweet from the president today. His son, however, seemed to be tweeting for him. Here are some highlights from Trump’s very relatable and definitely insightful spawn:
This has been Barf Bag.