Main Topic: Declining interest and waning support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign.
Key Points:
1. Low attendance at recent campaign events in New Hampshire and Iowa, with only about 30 people showing up at a meet-and-greet event in New Hampshire.
2. DeSantis' campaign strategy of emphasizing retail politicking and policy ideas has not resulted in a significant change in his campaign's trajectory.
3. Financial struggles and declining poll numbers have raised concerns among donors and allies about the viability of DeSantis' campaign.
Main Topic: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rejects Donald Trump's claim that he won the 2020 presidential election.
Key Points:
1. DeSantis firmly states that Joe Biden is the president and that Trump lost the election.
2. DeSantis acknowledges problems with the 2020 election but dismisses theories of it being stolen.
3. DeSantis criticizes Trump's handling of the Covid-19 crisis and its impact on mail-in voting.
Main Topic: Strategy for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary debate
Key Points:
1. Defend former President Donald Trump from attacks by Chris Christie
2. Call upstart contender Vivek Ramaswamy "fake" and "take a sledge-hammer" to him
3. Blast President Joe Biden and the press, and give a positive vision for the country
Republican Congressman French Hill of Arkansas has expressed his hope to avoid a government shutdown by urging House Republicans to pass the remaining 11 appropriation bills and potentially use a brief continuing resolution, while emphasizing the need for conservative negotiation and not institutionalizing last year's priorities.
Former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor advises Republican colleagues not to pursue a government shutdown unless they have a clear plan to come out as winners, citing the failed attempt to block Obamacare in 2013 as a major political headache that did little to hinder its rollout.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's interference with private businesses for ideological reasons contradicts traditional Republican principles and is economically irresponsible, as seen in his legal battle with Disney and support of the Bud Light boycott, which has cost the state millions and jeopardized its pension plan.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warns House Republicans that a government shutdown would be detrimental to the Republican Party both politically and in terms of policy change.
House Republicans are working to find a plan that will keep the government funded and avoid a shutdown, but face opposition from conservative lawmakers who want deeper spending cuts attached to the proposed legislation.
Sen. Ron Johnson has offered to stand down on blocking government funding bills in return for a vote on legislation that would prevent future shutdowns by keeping the government funded at the previous year’s spending levels, a move that contrasts with House Republicans who are trying to use the possibility of a shutdown to force votes on conservative priorities.
Former President Donald Trump has urged congressional Republicans to let the government shut down in an attempt to undermine the criminal proceedings against him, although a shutdown would not impede his ongoing indictments.
Hard-right Republicans are pushing for a disruptive federal shutdown as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's latest funding plan fails, leaving no endgame in sight and resulting in the White House telling federal agencies to prepare for a shutdown.
Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin has suggested that he will support a bipartisan government funding bill only if another bipartisan bill, the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, also gets a vote, which aims to prevent federal shutdowns by triggering a Continued Resolution that maintains federal spending at its current level.
Susan Collins, the Senate's influential Republican centrist, warns her party that a government shutdown would be a mistake both substantively and politically, signaling to the House that the Senate's patience with conservative dysfunction is wearing thin.
Lawmakers are preparing for a possible government shutdown as President Joe Biden's administration advises agencies to update their shutdown plans, while congressional Republicans debate on how to proceed before the current spending plan expires.
Former President Donald Trump has endorsed the tactics of far-right House Republicans, who prefer a government shutdown rather than compromise with the Democratic-led Senate and White House, further complicating House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's attempts to avoid a funding lapse.
Former President Trump urges Republicans to stand firm in the face of a potential government shutdown, asserting that President Biden will be blamed if it happens.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and a small group of hard-right Republicans are leading the country towards a government shutdown, which conservative commentator Charlie Sykes refers to as a "Seinfeld shutdown" because it is essentially about nothing and there is no endgame in sight.
Republicans pushing for a federal government shutdown are facing criticism from party moderates and risking the loss of key services and financial impact, but are driven by hard-right Republicans who oppose any measures supported by President Biden.
A government shutdown is increasingly likely as hard-line Republicans oppose a bipartisan bill to fund the government.
The US is facing the possibility of a government shutdown as Republicans demand deep spending cuts, risking furloughs of federal workers and halting various services.
As hard-right Republicans push for a government shutdown, GOP members like Rep. Mike Lawler are working to prevent backlash from voters in their swing districts won by President Biden.
House Republicans are frustrated and without a clear plan to avert a government shutdown as the deadline for funding runs out today, with no agreement in sight.
Republican leaders admit that they lack support to prevent a government shutdown, which would cause economic harm to millions of American families, as the deadline approaches.
House Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene blames Democrats for the imminent government shutdown occurring when funding expires on Saturday, as Republicans and Democrats struggle to reach an agreement on a new funding bill, risking furloughs for federal workers and potential backlash in Congress.
