Politics

On Capitol Hill, it's 'back to school' all over again

Published

4 months ago

September 3, 2024

Press Room

On Capitol Hill, it's 'back to school' all over again

It’s back to school time on Capitol Hill.

But not really until next week.

What?

Even though millions of kids returned to school just after Labor Day, the end of August, or, in some cases, even earlier in August, Congress still isn’t in session yet for the fall term.

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That comes on Monday, September 9. That’s when the House and Senate come back for legislative action for the first time in more than a month. The Senate last voted on August 1. The House was supposed to be in session until then as well. But the House shaved an entire week off its schedule in July, abandoning Washington a week earlier.

But things around the Capitol are starting to return to normal.

And yours truly – along with some members of the Congressional press corps – began filtering back into the Capitol this week.

Reporters and staffers alike are returning to Capitol Hill and falling back into the congressional groove as both chambers’ recesses draw to a close. (Aaron Schwartz/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

My mother taught second grade for decades in Ohio. And she would usually return to school for a few days in late August for meetings and to prepare her room for the new school year.

So, some Congressional aides, the administrative staff and some reporters came back to the Capitol this week to “prepare their rooms” for the new school year.

But the analogies of Congress returning to session just like students filing back into the classroom is imperfect. This isn’t the start of a new Congress. People don’t have new teachers and new lockers. There aren’t new kids from other schools. The promise and energy of opportunity associated with a new year doesn’t permeate the air. Everything is pretty much the same as it was on Capitol Hill in September as it was in July. The “true” start of the “school year” comes at noon on January 3, 2025 when they swear-in the 119th Congress. That’s when new people appear. There are new chairmen and chairwomen of committees. Some lawmakers get new offices. The Capitol usually throbs with optimism.

BORDER SENATOR AND FORMER HARRIS VP SHORT-LISTER CLAIMS ‘NO EVIDENCE’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS VOTE

The only thing students and Members of Congress have in common at this time of year is the desire to get out of school. That universal yearning is common year round among students and lawmakers. Everyone wants to get out. Be free. Be on recess.

Perhaps it’s only appropriate that they call a Congressional break “recess.” However, some optics-conscious lawmakers frequently refer to such respites as the more dignified and anodyne “district work period.”

Can you imagine students referring to anything after 7th period as “the homework period?” The “Algebra II Augmentation?” How about the “Earth Science Addendum?”

If there’s any comparison to be found between American students and their congressional representatives, it’s the shared yearning for their so-called summer “recess.” (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Pray tell, what would college students call spring break in Panama City? “Sprint Semester By the Sea.” Perhaps “A Guide To Local Open Container Laws.” Maybe “A Survey of Legal Systems in the Caribbean.”

But back to Congress.

It’s an election year. And lawmakers utterly can’t wait to get out of here – even though they haven’t really been here all summer.

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The legislative traffic in Congress was light all year. The assassination attempt of former President Trump and the backroom struggle among Democrats to convince President Biden to step aside consumed the bulk of everyone’s attention this summer. The last major bills Congress tackled came in April. Congress finally approved a set of bills to fund the government – which were due last October. And Congress greenlighted assistance to Israel and Ukraine. Other than that, Congress didn’t have a lot to do other than to get through the conventions. Now it’s on to the election where both the House and Senate are divided by a razor’s edge. The same with the Presidential election. So there’s not a lot to do on Capitol Hill. And lawmakers who are retiring or lost their primaries are more than happy to skip out of Washington early.

So this is hardly “back to school.” In Congressional terms, the fall is often reminiscent of what students encounter in the spring. It’s getting hot out. The mind wanders. Teachers struggle to keep everyone focused. Everyone is looking forward to summer break. It’s a little like the seasons are reversed in Congress.

Another apt comparison: Congress, like school, doesn’t let out until its delegates have completed their coursework – which, on Captiol Hill, equates to funding the government. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The House is slated to meet next week for four days. Then four days the week of September 15. And finally, five days the week of August 22. That’s it until Tuesday, November 12. But there is even chatter that the House could (I’ll underscore could) give back the final week of September – if Congress has funded the government and there’s no chance of a shutdown on October 1. That’s when the government’s new fiscal year begins.

Yes, like school, Congress must complete its work before recess. But sometimes Congress doesn’t meet the deadline and needs a remedial course. “Summer school.” Only that’s “fall and winter school” in the eyes of Congress. Or even “spring school.” Remember, it took Congress until this past April to fully fund the government last time. They burned through three seasons alone right there. It’s not quite clear what the principal would have done with students as delinquent as this Congress finishing its work.

But like students, Congress has similar motivations. Anything to get home. Go to the beach. Take a break. Or, in this case, campaign.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: WHAT A ‘YACHT ROCK’ SUMMER LOOKS LIKE ON CAPITOL HILL

House Republicans are struggling with fundraising. Democrats are on the charge after the switch out with Vice President Harris. Both parties know the House will hinge on a handful of seats. And it’s likely that whichever party captures the White House will dictate the party in control of the House in 2025.

So both sides have equal motivation.

It’s similar in the Senate – although it’s a tougher challenge for the Democrats to maintain their narrow 51-49 majority. West Virginia is likely gone after the retirement of Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.V., who caucuses with the Democrats. And Democrats must hold swing seats in red states like Ohio and Montana. That’s to say nothing of maintaining seats in battleground states like Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

So school is back for now. And it doesn’t even matter if Congress hits the books between now and the end of the term. A big test is coming up. The voters will deliver quite the education to lawmakers on election day.

Chad Pergram currently serves as a senior congressional correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

Politics

Biden Awards Medal of Freedom to Pope Francis

Published

5 hours ago

January 12, 2025

Press Room

Biden Awards Medal of Freedom to Pope Francis

President Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction to Pope Francis on Saturday, granting one of the nation’s highest honors to a figure he called “the People’s Pope.”

“Pope Francis, your humility and your grace are beyond words, and your love for all is unparalleled,” Mr. Biden wrote on X. “You are a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world.”

Mr. Biden honored the pontiff during a weekend in which he was scheduled to meet with the pope in person at the Holy See. The president, however, canceled the three-day trip to Italy to coordinate the federal response to raging wildfires in Los Angeles, according to a White House statement.

Rather than the usual award ceremony, in which the president places the award around the neck of the recipient, Mr. Biden posted on X an image from the Oval Office in which a military aide presented the medal. The White House announced the honor after Mr. Biden spoke to Pope Francis on Saturday and informed him of the award.

It was the first time during Mr. Biden’s term that he had awarded the medal “with distinction,” a more prestigious version of the honor. Mr. Biden received the recognition from President Barack Obama in 2017. Other recipients include Pope John Paul II and Colin L. Powell.

Mr. Biden, a Catholic, has seen Pope Francis as an admired ally on the global stage and turned to him as a sounding board, and the pope has lobbied for Mr. Biden to use his presidential power during his final weeks in office.

Last month, Pope Francis called Mr. Biden and asked him to commute the sentences of those on federal death row. Days later, Mr. Biden used his clemency power to soften their sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole, sparing their lives.

A citation included in the White House announcement for the award said that Pope Francis was “unlike any who came before.”

“His mission of serving the poor has never ceased,” the statement read. “A loving pastor, he joyfully answers children’s questions about God. A challenging teacher, he commands us to fight for peace and protect the planet. A welcoming leader, he reaches out to different faiths.”

Mr. Biden awarded the honor days after bestowing the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 18 leaders of the political, financial and celebrity establishment.

Politics

Pence reveals words exchanged with President-elect Trump at Carter funeral

Published

6 hours ago

January 12, 2025

Press Room

Pence reveals words exchanged with President-elect Trump at Carter funeral

Former Vice President Mike Pence revealed his brief exchange with President-elect Trump, which was caught on camera at former President Carter’s state funeral.

The pair have not been seen publicly together since leaving the White House in disagreement over the 2020 election results. At the service at the National Cathedral, Pence stood up to shake Trump’s hand, and they appeared to exchange pleasantries.

Former second lady Karen Pence, who was seated next to her husband, did not stand up or acknowledge Trump.

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In an interview with Christianity Today, Pence said he “welcomed” the opportunity to speak with Trump.

“He greeted me when he came down the aisle. I stood up, extended my hand. He shook my hand. I said, ‘Congratulations, Mr. President,’ and he said, ‘Thanks, Mike,’” Pence said.

Former Vice President Al Gore, left, watches as former Vice President Mike Pence, center, shakes hands with President-elect Trump before a state funeral service for former President Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Jan. 9, 2025. (Mandel Ngan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Pence also recalled one of his final conversations with Trump in 2021, when he told Trump he would continue to pray for him. Trump responded, “Don’t bother,” the outlet reported.

“I said, ‘You know, there’s probably two things that we’re never going to agree on. … We’re probably never going to agree on what my duty was under the Constitution on Jan. 6.’ And then I said, ‘And I’m never going to stop praying for you,’” Pence told Christianity Today. “And he said, ‘That’s right, Mike, don’t ever change.’”

He said he kept his word.

RFK JR. SAYS HE PLANS TO ALSO MEET WITH DEMS IN BID TO GET CONFIRMED AS TRUMP HHS HEAD

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks before former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, at a campaign event, Nov. 1, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

While the two appeared to remain cordial at the service for Carter, Pence told the outlet he doesn’t think Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is the right fit to manage Health and Human Services and was concerned about former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard serving as national intelligence director.

Fox News Digital reached out to Trump and Advancing American Freedom, a public policy advocacy organization founded by Pence, for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this article.

Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.

Politics

Newsom to Trump: 'Respect the pleas of 40 million Americans'

Published

6 hours ago

January 11, 2025

Press Room

Newsom to Trump: 'Respect the pleas of 40 million Americans'

President-elect Donald Trump has not responded to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s invitation to tour California’s fire damage, Newsom said Saturday afternoon.

Newsom sent a letter on Friday inviting the incoming president to California to meet with fire victims, survey the devastation in Los Angeles County and join him in thanking first responders. The invitation, which the governor’s office said was emailed to Trump’s team, marked a slight change in tone in the political battle between Newsom and Trump, with Newsom imploring Trump not to politicize the tragedy.

Newsom delivered an acid-laced reply when asked Saturday whether he expected Trump to respond to the invitation.

“He’s an incoming American president,” Newsom told a reporter Saturday as he stood on a Los Angeles airport tarmac in front of a hulking CalGuard Black Hawk helicopter. “I would expect any leader of the free world, the most powerful person in the United States of America, to respect the pleas of 40 million Americans that happen to live in the state of California, hundreds of thousands of people that are still evacuated and a recovery effort that includes, right now, cadaver dogs to look for human remains, to be here for the American people at a time of emergency and a time of recovery.”

Trump’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger echoed Newsom’s call with her own invitation to Trump on Saturday, imploring the incoming president to stand with county residents as they rebuild.

A catastrophic cluster of fires has wrought unprecedented destruction on the greater Los Angeles area in recent days, leveling thousands of structures and killing at least 13 people. The rebuilding effort will cost billions and test relationships at all levels of government.

President Biden, who has a close relationship with Newsom, has pledged that the federal government will cover 100% of disaster assistance costs to California for the next 180 days. But Biden leaves office on Jan. 20, and the recovery effort will likely sprawl for years to come.

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with reporters at LAX on Saturday.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

Newsom whose term in office ends in 2026, is widely seen as eyeing the White House. As governor, Newsom took advantage of the state’s position as the liberal antithesis to Trump to elevate his own national profile during the president-elect’s first term.

The war of words between the two men on social media and in news headlines gave Newsom an opportunity to define himself as a fighter for Democratic values that he argued the Trump regime sought to erode. Newsom and California similarly gave Trump a chance to call out the follies of Democratic rule, endearing the president to his own base.

Less than 36 hours after Trump won the 2024 presidential election, Newsom called a special session of the Legislature to give the California Department of Justice an extra $25 million to wage legal battles against the incoming administration.

The special session immediately reignited the California versus Trump narrative from four years ago, though Newsom has attempted to downplay any political motivation and said his experience proved the need to prepare to protect environmental policies, abortion access and other state priorities.

When asked Saturday whether he regretted calling the special session and publicly reigniting tensions with the incoming president, Newsom emphatically pushed back.

“Our preparing for the inevitable — which is an assault on our values, our diverse communities — we would be absolutely remiss not to prepare for that,” Newsom said, citing the myriad lawsuits the state litigated with Trump during his tenure and prior threats to withhold disaster assistance from the people of California.

But he also suggested that he worked as closely with Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic as any Democratic governor in America, taking the slightly more measured approach that he has put forth. During the president-elect’s first term, Newsom and Trump also maintained a friendly behind-the-scenes relationship, which appears to have since dissipated.

Newsom has forcefully pushed back on right-wing attacks on social media in the wake of the fires on social media in recent days and launched a website Saturday to actively debunk misinformation about the fire. The site refutes claims from Fox News that California cut its firefighting budget and shoots down allegations in social media posts about the state mismanaging forest lands.