Trump puts Republicans in a bind on the DHS shutdown: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to From the political officea daily newsletter bringing you the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News Politics team from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

In today’s edition, Sahil Kapur looks at the latest rift between President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans. Additionally, Lawrence Hurley reports on oral arguments in a Supreme Court case that could have significant implications in the medium term.

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—Adam Wollner

Trump puts Republicans in a bind over DHS shutdown

Analysis by Sahil Kapur

President Donald Trump rejected a way out of closing the Department of Homeland Security and instead called on congressional Republicans to refuse any deal with Democrats unless they agree to pass the SAVE America Act, his sweeping bill aimed at overhauling elections nationwide.

Trump initially made this claim last night on Truth Social and doubled down on it today in Memphis.

“You don’t have to vote quickly. Don’t worry about Easter, go home. Actually, do this one for Jesus. OK, do this one for Jesus,” Trump said, referring to the upcoming congressional recess.

“The most important element of homeland security is voter identification and proof of citizenship,” he added, highlighting two of the main elements of the SAVE America Act. “No one can vote on Homeland Security without a voter ID or proof of citizenship.”

His theory boils down to pairing a bill that Democrats oppose (a DHS funding measure with no restrictions on immigration enforcement) with another bill that Democrats oppose (the SAVE America Act) — and hoping that will cause Democrats to cave in and support both items.

It’s no surprise that Trump’s proposal quickly failed on Capitol Hill – among both parties.

“I think you all know that’s not realistic,” the Senate Majority Leader said. John ThuneRS.D., told reporters this afternoon when asked about Trump’s strategy to link the two bills.

The senator Roger MarshallR-Kan., expresses it this way: “I agree with the goal, the objective, but it is much easier said than done. »

And Senate Minority Leader Chuck SchumerDN.Y., called the idea “ridiculous” and “insensitive,” calling it Trump’s “tantrum.”

“He doesn’t care about the American people. He cares about his own election. He thinks the SAVE Act, which won’t pass, will change the way elections are conducted,” Schumer said during his speech. “And he’s using millions and millions of Americans as hostages. How can our Republican friends across the aisle accept this? It stinks on the face of it.”

The bottom line: It takes 60 votes in the Senate to pass funding for DHS, as well as the SAVE America Act. Neither has the votes, and Trump’s strategy has likely moved Congress further away from a deal on reopening DHS than it was 24 hours ago, when there was at least a regular line of communication between the White House and the border czar. Tom Homan visit the Capitol for bipartisan meetings.

Trump’s comments illustrate how eager he is to pass his election bill, which he has called his No. 1 priority. But it gave Democrats an opportunity to try to pin blame on him for the DHS shutdown and progressively worsening airport chaos.

The exit path supported by some Republicans would essentially encompass the Democratic offer to fund the TSA and noncontroversial agencies within DHS, while keeping ICE for a separate bill. Republicans favoring the idea say they can pass an ICE funding bill themselves through a filibuster-proof “reconciliation” process, while excluding Democrats and refusing their demands.

But at least for now, Trump’s latest demand leaves that strategy in limbo.

Katie Taylor and Scott Wong contributed reporting.

✈️ Read more: ICE agents sent to airports to help TSA as partial shutdown continues, by Suzanne Gamboa, Julia Ainsley and Laura Strickler

Supreme Court conservatives appear skeptical of mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day

By Lawrence Hurley

Conservative Supreme Court justices have questioned whether states should be allowed to count ballots sent on time but arriving after Election Day.

The court today heard more than two hours of arguments as president Donald Trump has stepped up its opposition to mail-in voting and urged Congress to ban it in most cases.

The court is considering a Mississippi law, similar to measures taken in 13 other states, that allows mail-in ballots to be counted as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

Based on the oral arguments, the court is narrowly divided on whether a federal law setting election dates prevents ballots from being received after that date. Some justices also questioned whether a ruling imposing limits on late-arriving ballots would also raise questions about the legality of early voting.

California, new York And Texas are among the states with laws comparable to those of Mississippi. Mail-in voting eligibility differs by state, with Mississippi limiting it to a list that includes the elderly and disabled.

If the court strikes down Mississippi’s law, it would upend election rules in affected states, as well as potentially for people who live overseas, including members of the military. A total of 29 states allow extended deadlines for overseas voters and military personnel, according to a brief filed by former national security officials.

While the Constitution gives states a major role in overseeing elections, the legal issue revolves around federal law that sets Election Day as the Tuesday following the first Monday in November.

Justice Samuel Alitoone of six conservatives on the floor, echoed some of Trump’s concerns that late-arriving ballots can give the appearance of fraud by dramatically altering the trajectory of an election as votes are counted.

He asked whether the court should consider Congress’s decision to set an election date “for the purpose of combating fraud or the appearance of fraud” when evaluating Mississippi’s law.

Read more →

That’s all that’s coming from the politburo for now. Today’s newsletter was written by Adam Wollner.

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