Supreme Court Vacancy Watch Day 82: What Are Gop Senators Doing For Their Summer Vacations?

Reps. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) and Wesley Hunt (R-TX) are under review by the House Ethics Committee for payments to private clubs from their campaign committees, Punchbowl News reports. In both cases, the Office of Congressional Ethics – the non-partisan ethics watchdog – recommended that the Ethics Committee open full-scale investigations. The Ethics panel announced today it is still evaluating the cases.

Donald Trump is “dozing on and off” during his criminal trial today, the New York Times reports.

“House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries stepped in to save Speaker Mike Johnson this week after months of patiently taking the pulse of his conference,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The question now is whether he would save the Republican chief again—and what he would demand in return.” “No one is ruling out a further challenge to Johnson, particularly as another must-pass spending bill—and likely more Republican discord—looms in September.

“High-level hostage negotiations in Cairo were put on hold Thursday, according to officials briefed on the negotiations and Egyptian state media, with one official saying that anger had flared among participants over Israel’s incursion into the southern Gazan city Rafah,” the New York Times reports. “The pause is a setback given that some people watching the negotiations closely had seen signs that an agreement might be in reach this week.

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) “will continue his efforts to distinguish himself as a border security hard-liner on Thursday by becoming the first Senate Democrat to back an immigration bill that has been championed by Republicans in both chambers of Congress,” ABC News reports. “The Laken Riley Act would require federal officials to apprehend and detain undocumented immigrants who commit crimes such as burglary, shoplifting or larceny until these individuals are removed from the United States.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel was strong enough to fight alone as the United States warned that it could cut military aid to the country, the Washington Post reports. Said Netanyahu: “If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone.”