Comment on State panel hopes to finish budget deliberations Thursday

The Senate voted along party lines to bypass an impeachment trial for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, effectively dismissing House Republicans’ charges, Punchbowl News reports. All Democrats voted to uphold Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s points of order that both impeachment articles should be deemed unconstitutional. This ended the proceedings.

The Chinese Embassy has held meetings with congressional staff to lobby against the legislation that would force a sale of TikTok, Politico reports.

“President Joe Biden urged the House and Senate to quickly approve Speaker Mike Johnson’s multi-part plan to get aid to Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific,” Politico reports. Said Biden: “The House must pass the package this week and the Senate should quickly follow. I will sign this into law immediately to send a message to the world: We stand with our friends, and we won’t let Iran or Russia succeed.” Politico: Democrats signal they’re open to helping Johnson on foreign aid as conservatives revolt. The last thing in the world Mike Johnson wanted was Biden’s endorsement.

Former attorney general William Barr effectively endorsed Donald Trump, despite having previously criticized Trump’s conduct while in office and comparing him to a “defiant, 9-year-old kid,” the Washington Post reports. Said Barr: “I’ve said all along, given two bad choices, I think it’s my duty to pick the person I think would do the least harm to the country, and in my mind, that’s — I will vote the Republican ticket.”

“Donald Trump’s campaign has found a new way to press for badly needed cash,” Politico reports. “In a letter received by Republican digital vendors this week, the Trump campaign is asking for down-ballot candidates who use his name, image and likeness in fundraising appeals to give at least 5 percent of the proceeds to the campaign.” They add: “Any split that is higher than 5% will be seen favorably by the RNC and President Trump’s campaign and is routinely reported to the highest levels of leadership within both organizations.”

Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ) “remains unconscious after suffering a heart attack on April 6, indicating that the congressman’s medical condition is substantially more severe than had been initially revealed,” the New Jersey Globe reports. “His prognosis is uncertain, and his potential return to Washington is unclear.”