Capitol

• Republicans have returned to Capitol Hill to begin their legislative agenda, though they face immediate complications including demands from Donald Trump and the absence of Mitch McConnell. • The sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has created further uncertainty for the GOP's leadership and scheduling. • Despite these setbacks, the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled two days of confirmation hearings for Todd Blanche, Trump's nominee for acting attorney general.

• Congress returns to Washington on Monday to tackle a dense legislative agenda before the upcoming August recess and the midterm election cycle. • Lawmakers face a constrained timeline to address several key priorities, though the specific legislative goals were not detailed in the report. • The return to the Capitol is overshadowed by the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham, adding a layer of mourning to the political proceedings.

Lawmakers face obstacles, including demands from Trump, Mitch McConnell’s absence and Graham’s sudden deathRepublican lawmakers return to the Capitol this week facing a lengthy to-do list and Donald Trump’s demands for new voting restrictions, as Democrats jockey for an advantage ahead of the November midterm elections.Lawmakers from both parties are eager to highlight before voters legislative victories ahead of the midterms, where control of Congress is at stake. But for Senate Republicans, who are already navigating an array of demands from Trump, their agenda grew further complicated over the weekend with the death of Lindsey Graham, the budget committee chair who is a key player in negotiating a party line bill to fund additional defense spending and other priorities outlined by the president. Continue reading...

• Maj. Jason Watson was detained by authorities while protesting at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, where he called for the impeachment of Donald Trump. • Watson was reportedly wearing his military uniform during the demonstration, which followed a scheduled news conference. • Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink issued a statement on Thursday emphasizing that all Airmen and Guardians must comply with laws and policies regarding political participation and uniform wear.

• Senate Republicans held a late-night vote on Wednesday to reject a war powers resolution, moving to appease President Donald Trump after he berated them for opposing his war in Iran. • The move follows a face-to-face confrontation where Trump harangued GOP senators for allowing a vote to block his military actions on Tuesday, specifically targeting Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy. • This internal conflict has stalled general Senate business and diverted the GOP's focus away from key election-year issues regarding affordability.

US president says ‘I’d pay the kind of money they deserve’ amid questions over his administration establishing fundDonald Trump declined on Sunday to definitively rule out compensating individuals who were charged with assaulting police officers when his supporters attacked the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 toward the end of his first presidency.Trump did that in an interview on NBC News’s Meet the Press, where he spoke in support of what his administration calls an “anti-weaponization” fund, arguing that people who entered the Capitol while Congress was preparing to certify Joe Biden’s victory over him in the 2020 presidential election had been treated unfairly by prosecutors and should receive compensation. Continue reading...

Ryan Nichols is the latest such person to face charges after he allegedly brandished a gun during an argumentThe number of president’s supporters accused of committing new crimes after Donald Trump pardoned them for their roles in the 6 January 2021 US Capitol attack recently increased to at least five.Ryan Nichols, 35, became the latest such Capitol attacker on 10 May, when authorities in Harleton, Texas, say he threateningly displayed a handgun to a person with whom he was arguing in a church parking lot. Continue reading...