Berkley Faces Ethics Investigation

“President-elect Donald Trump’s aides are readying unconventional strategies to implement at least some recommendations from a new government spending commission with or without congressional approval,” the Washington Post reports. “Although changes to government spending typically require an act of Congress, Trump aides are exploring plans to challenge a 1974 budget law in a way that would give the White House the power to unilaterally adopt the Musk commission’s proposals.” “It is unclear if Trump will ask Congress to approve changes to the budget law or first appeal to the courts to do so, though aides have previously endorsed either approach.”

Amid all the House leadership election developments yesterday, Republicans clinched a deal that could make the tight majority somewhat easier to manage: Conservative hard-liners agreed to raise the threshold for the infamous “motion to vacate” — i.e., ousting a sitting speaker — from one vote to nine, Politico reports.

The Bulwark: “None of the attorneys had what Trump wants, and they didn’t talk like Gaetz. Everyone else looked at AG as if they were applying for a judicial appointment. They talked about their vaunted legal theories and constitutional bullshit. Gaetz was the only one who said, ‘yeah, I’ll go over there and start cuttin’ fuckin’ heads.’” Playbook: “The Gaetz-for-AG plan came together yesterday, just hours before it was announced, Meridith tells us.

“Pennsylvania’s nationally watched U. S. Senate race is headed to a recount after Sen. Bob Casey did not waive an automatic recount,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

New York Times: “This parade of loyalists is Mr. Trump’s first show of force to Senate Republicans, who will be under immense pressure to either confirm his nominee or sidestep that process altogether. But it is also something of a denial-of-service attack against one of the checks on the presidency: Mr.

“A historically long and divisive fight to choose one speaker. A near default on the federal debt, followed by a mutiny on the House floor and multiple government shutdown scares. The ouster of the speaker, followed by weeks of paralysis and another vicious fight over who should lead next,” the New York Times reports. “For almost two years, House Republicans have barely been able to overcome their own intraparty feuding to keep the government functioning.