3 RIFTS TEARING APART CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS It’s not exactly shocking to see tension between House and Senate members from the same party – especially when that party is navigating divided government. But the schisms between congressional Republicans are starting to pile up so high, it’s a wonder that GOP lawmakers can even see each other from opposite sides of the Capitol. Senate Republicans won’t say it out loud, but they’re operating in a different universe than their House counterparts. While the House GOP tries to regain its footing after a dysfunctional fall with a leadership that’s firmly behind Donald Trump, its Senate colleagues in the minority have more of a natural interest in seeking bipartisan deals … and leaders who aren’t as gung-ho behind Trump, who’s prone try to kill said deals. The growing House-Senate divide lately isn’t all about Trump, but he’s certainly a central driver. Listen to the anonymous ally of Speaker Mike Johnson who told Jordain and Burgess this morning that the House GOP sees itself as more closely aligned with the average Republican voter, particularly when it comes to Ukraine aid (which Trump would turn off) and immigration (which Trump doesn’t want to tackle until he can return to the White House). Here’s a look at the three biggest issues splitting the Hill GOP right now: The Senate’s border deal: Senators are gearing up to vote as soon as this week on a long-awaited bipartisan proposal to tighten border security policies in exchange for unlocking aid to Ukraine and Israel – but Johnson has already made clear it’s dead on arrival in his chamber. Johnson has repeatedly said House Republicans want a border plan as close as possible to the conservative migration legislation they passed along party lines last year, known as H.R. 2. And dozens of House Republicans voted against Ukraine aid in the last vote lawmakers took on sending aid to the country. McConnell, eager to approve aid to Ukraine to help in its war against Russia, is going to push the deal to his members once it’s done. But unless Johnson softens his resistance to what would be a relatively right-leaning border agreement, it’s hard to see Senate conservatives joining McConnell to approve a deal that would only run aground across the building. “Talk about the height of hypocrisy: A guy who talks about this crisis at the border. He ran his first campaign on it, and he continues to talk about it,” Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said of Trump on Monday. “And now, suddenly, Donald Trump doesn't want to do something about it.” The tax agreement: On this one, at least, the speaker and the Senate minority leader are more or less on the same page. Johnson has not yet endorsed a rare bipartisan tax deal brokered by Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.). And McConnell is deferring to Wyden’s GOP counterpart on the Finance panel, Sen. Mike Crapo (Wyo.) – who has not quite embraced the tax bill but called it a “starting point.” But there’s still plenty of potential for the tax plan to pit Republican against Republican. While the House is still expected to take up the tax plan this week, GOP leadership is not done shopping it around to rank-and-file members. The legislation would temporarily expand the child tax credit as well as undo restrictions on popular business breaks, beef up subsidies for affordable housing and increase disaster assistance. House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (R-Va.) told reporters Monday he was against the child tax credit, however, and wants the legislation passed under a rule for debate, which would make whipping harder for Johnson and other GOP leaders. Johnson is also facing opposition from blue-state Republicans because the deal doesn’t raise the cap on federal deductions for state and local taxes, colloquially known as SALT, which is a priority for Republicans in states with high taxes like California and New York. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer endorsed the Smith-Wyden deal, and the White House has signaled support for the legislation. Impeaching Mayorkas: The House Committee on Homeland Security is set to take up articles of impeachment for embattled Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday. Impeachment is expected to pass along party lines in the committee and come before the full House as soon as next week. While it’s likely that House Republicans will find the votes to air their frustration with Biden administration border policy by recommending to boot Mayorkas, expect Senate Republicans to leave the message on read. Because Democrats control that chamber, it’s essentially inconceivable that the 67 votes needed to convict him at trial would materialize. The long-term question: Let’s say Republicans manage to hang onto the House and take the Senate this fall. Can their members in both chambers find a way to work together? — Daniella Diaz, with assists from Burgess Everett and Jordain Carney
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