With less than two days until the government shuts down, the ball is in the Senate’s court to pass a short-term funding bill.
Faced with a choice of backing the House-passed six-month continuing resolution (CR) or opposing it and triggering a shutdown, Democrats are privately signaling they’ll help the GOP reach the needed 60 votes. A floor vote is not expected until Friday.
President Trump started the day by threatening Europe with more tariffs, this time on its wine and Champagne. “The European Union, one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World, which was formed for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the United States, has just put a nasty 50% Tariff on Whisky,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump meets Thursday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The bilateral chat comes as the U.S. is in the thick of trying to find a ceasefire deal in Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Kremlin early in the day knocked down the American proposal for pausing hostilities. Yet the White House’s chief negotiator, Steve Witkoff, is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow late Thursday.
Meanwhile, the White House abruptly changed its plan for its leadership at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pulling its nominee Thursday morning, an hour before Dave Weldon’s confirmation hearing in front of a Senate panel.
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