House panel advances funding bill to reopen government, teeing up tight floor vote

By: The Hill

Published on: February 3, 2026, 2:23 am

The House Rules Committee on Monday night advanced legislation to end a partial government shutdown, teeing up what will be a tight vote on the House floor for House Republican leadership. The panel advanced the funding package 8-4 along party lines. The legislation, passed by the Senate last week, consists of a so-called minibus of...

Maryland Democrats advance new congressional lines in state House

By: The Hill

Published on: February 3, 2026, 1:35 am

Maryland Democrats advanced a new set of congressional lines that would eliminate the state’s one remaining GOP-held House seat on Monday. The Maryland House of Delegates voted 99-37 to advance a new House map that would give Democrats an 8-0 edge in their congressional delegation. The state currently has a 7-1 Democratic edge. The legislation...

Texas Democrat sworn in to House, shrinking GOP margin to 1 vote

By: The Hill

Published on: February 3, 2026, 1:09 am

Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas), a former Harris County, Texas, attorney, was sworn in as a member of the House on Monday after winning the special election runoff for the late Rep. Sylvester Turner’s (D-Texas) seat last week. “It's been more than 330 days since the people of the 18th Congressional District had representation, had a...

Newsom’s anti-Trump public health platform

By: The Hill

Published on: February 3, 2026, 12:54 am

Click in for more news from The Hill {beacon} Health Care Health Care   The Big Story Newsom’s anti-Trump public health platform California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has positioned himself and his state as the frontline in opposing the new public health guidelines coming from the Trump administration, a strong platform as a 2028 presidential...

4 issues to watch as Homeland Security funding fight escalates

By: The Hill

Published on: February 3, 2026, 12:37 am

Congress is staring at a steep climb to finalizing a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as progressives and conservatives each try to throw their weight after the shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis. The House aims to send the five-bill minibus and a two-week DHS continuing resolution to President Trump’s desk...

Colin Allred blasts Talarico, backs Crockett in Texas Senate primary

By: The Hill

Published on: February 3, 2026, 12:13 am

Former Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) criticized state Rep. James Talarico (D) for allegedly referring to him as a “mediocre Black man” and said he would be backing Talarico’s opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), in the Senate Democratic primary for Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) seat. Talarico disputed that he made such a description of Allred, calling it a "mischaracterization." In...

Clintons reverse course, agree to testify in House Epstein inquiry

By: The Hill

Published on: February 3, 2026, 12:09 am

Former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as part of the panel's investigation into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The news marks a stunning about-face that came after months of negotiations and as the House Rules Committee was preparing...

Crypto bill hits road bumps as midterms loom

By: The Hill

Published on: February 2, 2026, 11:39 pm

{beacon} Technology Technology   The Big Story Crypto bill hits road bumps as midterms loom A major cryptocurrency bill hit several road bumps in the Senate in recent weeks, dimming the legislation’s prospects in a midterm election year when policymaking efforts are expected to face a shorter runway. © Greg Nash Efforts to advance the...

Planned Parenthood drops challenge over Trump administration Medicaid cuts

By: The Hill

Published on: February 2, 2026, 11:30 pm

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) has filed to voluntarily dismiss its lawsuit against the Trump administration that sought to challenge the decision to cut off Medicaid funding to abortion providers. The PPFA on Friday filed a notice of voluntary dismissal in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. The organization filed its lawsuit in...

Senate Republican on government funding: 'It'll be a clown circus for a few days'

By: The Hill

Published on: February 2, 2026, 11:23 pm

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Monday said the process of funding the government will “be a clown circus for a few days” amid a partial government shutdown. “I think that by the end of the week, the House and the Senate will have passed 11 of the 12 appropriations bills. Now, it'll be a bumpy...

Judge allows fifth wind project to keep building

By: The Hill

Published on: February 2, 2026, 11:19 pm

{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment   The Big Story Judge allows fifth wind project to keep building A federal court on Monday halted the last of five stop work orders issued by the Trump administration in December to block major offshore wind farms, giving the wind energy industry five legal wins in a row...

Trump suggests GOP should 'take over' voting process in multiple states ahead of midterms 

By: The Hill

Published on: February 2, 2026, 11:15 pm

President Trump suggested in an interview with former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino on Monday that Republicans should “take over” the voting process in more than a dozen states ahead of the November midterms. “The Republicans should say, 'We want to take over — we should take over the voting — the voting in at...

Musk says SpaceX has acquired xAI

By: The Hill

Published on: February 2, 2026, 10:49 pm

Elon Musk’s spacecraft and satellite communications company SpaceX has acquired his AI company xAI, the tech billionaire said Monday. “SpaceX has acquired xAI to form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform,” he wrote...

Trump plans to roll back mileage standards for heavy pickup trucks and vans

By: The Hill

Published on: February 2, 2026, 10:46 pm

The Trump administration plans to roll back vehicle mileage standards for heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, it announced in a letter to manufacturers Friday. In the letter, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator Jonathan Morrison said the administration would propose to roll back the standards, which were tightened under the Biden administration. “NHTSA is moving forward...

Trump will keep 'structure' of Kennedy Center intact during $200M in renovations

By: The Hill

Published on: February 2, 2026, 10:15 pm

President Trump said on Monday he intends to leave the basic structure of the Kennedy Center intact during upcoming renovations which are expected to last two years and cost upwards of $200 million. “I’m not ripping it down. I’ll be using the steel,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office after announcing a new strategic...