{"id":171604,"date":"2025-11-12T14:04:18","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T14:04:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/house-set-to-vote-on-deal-to-end-shutdown-amid-democratic-splits-us-politics-live-the-guardian\/"},"modified":"2025-11-12T14:04:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T14:04:18","slug":"house-set-to-vote-on-deal-to-end-shutdown-amid-democratic-splits-us-politics-live-the-guardian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/house-set-to-vote-on-deal-to-end-shutdown-amid-democratic-splits-us-politics-live-the-guardian\/","title":{"rendered":"House set to vote on deal to end shutdown amid Democratic splits \u2013 US politics live – The Guardian"},"content":{"rendered":"

In new batch of emails released by House Democrats, Jeffrey Epstein told Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump \u2018spent hours\u2019 at his house with one of his victims
In a new batch of emails released by Democrats<\/a> on the House oversight committee, Jeffrey Epstein wrote that Donald Trump knew about the late financier and sex-offender\u2019s crimes. In the three emails released, Epstein apparently told his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump \u201cspent hours\u201d<\/strong> at his house with one of Epstein\u2019s victims.
In two other emails to author Michael Wolff, Epstein wrote that \u201cof course he knew about the girls\u201d<\/strong>, referring to the now-president. According to the exchanges, Epstein also solicited Wolff\u2019s advice about how he should handle Trump discussing their friendship in an interview with CNN. \u201cI think you should let him hang himself,\u201d Wolff writes. \u201cIf he says he hasn\u2019t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency. You can hang him in a way that potentially generates a positive benefit for you, or, if it really looks like he could win, you could save him, generating a debt.\u201d
In a statement, the committee\u2019s ranking member, congressman Robert Garcia said: \u201cThe more Donald Trump<\/a> tries to cover up the Epstein files, the more we uncover. These latest emails and correspondence raise glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding<\/strong> and the nature of the relationship between Epstein and the President.\u201d
The Epstein investigation is likely to receive revived interest as the House prepares to return from recess, vote on a bill to reopen the federal government, and Mike Johnson is set to swear in representative-elect Adelita Grijalva. The newly minted lawmaker is set to be the 218th signature needed on a discharge petition<\/strong>, a procedural tool that would force a vote on the House floor to release the full tranche of Epstein investigation records<\/strong>.
A last-minute provision in the federal spending bill heavily restricting hemp-derived products such as CBD and THC drinks could lead some Republicans<\/a> to vote against the spending bill which, if passed, could end the government shutdown as early as today. <\/strong>
Kentucky is one of the largest producers of hemp in the country, and Republicans in the state have shown strong support for the hemp industry. Jonathan Miller, an advocate for the hemp industry and former Kentucky state treasurer, said that \u201cKentucky is really ground zero for the rebirth of hemp\u201d \u2013 a niche industry until the 2018 farm bill allowed a much wider variety of legal products.
On Monday night, Kentucky senator Rand Paul broke with the Republican party and voted against the bill because of the hemp provision, which was revealed at the 11th hour and which Paul tried unsuccessfully<\/a> to have removed.
The House is set vote on the bill later today, and needs 218 votes to pass. There are 219 Republican House members, but Kentucky representatives James Comer, Thomas Massie and Andy Barr have all spoken out against the ban.<\/a>
Massie said, according to Louisville Public Media<\/a>: \u201cI detest the tactics that are being used to try to get the ban enacted into law.\u201d
The alcohol industry has been divided in its lobbying for the provision. Alcohol distributors, who also distribute THC beverages, wrote a letter calling for regulation rather than an outright ban<\/a>, while the American Distilled Spirits Alliance supported the ban.<\/a>
Donald Trump is in Washington today. While has no public events on his official schedule, as we noted earlier, he\u2019s set to host a private dinner for financial executives this evening. The press pool will be there.
Also today, press secretary Karoline Leavitt<\/strong> will host a White House briefing at 1pm ET. We\u2019ll make sure to bring you the latest lines as it gets under way.
The deal has split Democrats<\/a>, with many senior figures saying they should have held out for the extension of health insurance subsidies at the heart of the shutdown battle, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
\u201cPathetic,\u201d California governor Gavin Newsom<\/strong>, widely seen as a 2028 Democratic presidential frontrunner, posted on X.
Despite opposing the bill vocally and voting against it, Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer<\/strong> has faced calls from some lawmakers in his party to step down for failing to corral his senators.
For Democrats, the wavering was especially galling as it came just days after election wins that put Donald Trump<\/strong> on the back foot for the first time since his White House<\/strong> return.
Democratic wins in New York City<\/strong>, New Jersey<\/strong> and Virginia<\/strong> in particular highlighted the issue of affordability, a weak spot for billionaire Trump and the Republicans<\/a> ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
But Senate Republicans have promised Democrats a vote on health insurance, with millions of Americans set to see their \u201cObamacare\u201d costs double without an extension of the subsidies.
The health care issue has itself threatened to cause a rift in Trump\u2019s \u201cMake America Great Again\u201d coalition.
Trump said on Monday one-time ally Marjorie Taylor Greene<\/strong> had \u201clost her way\u201d after the congresswoman made critical comments, including that she was \u201cdisgusted\u201d that premiums could double for her own grown children.
Top Democrats have vowed to oppose the government funding bill, in large part because it does not directly address the extension of health insurance subsidies that are to expire at the end of this year. But it is likely to pass the House<\/strong> because it only needs a simple majority, which Republicans<\/a> narrowly have, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
From the start, Donald Trump<\/strong> had piled pressure on Democrats by letting the shutdown be as punishing as possible and refusing to negotiate on their demands on health insurance.
A million federal workers went unpaid, food benefits for low-income Americans came under threat and air travelers faced thousands of cancelations and delays ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Transportation secretary Sean Duffy<\/strong> warned on Tuesday that the chaos could get worse by the weekend if the shutdown persists, with air traffic controllers unable to be paid and authorities ordering further slowdowns in flight traffic.
\u201cYou\u2019re going to have airlines that make serious calculations about whether they continue to fly, full stop,\u201d Duffy told reporters at Chicago\u2019s O\u2019Hare international airport<\/strong>.
Polls have shown that voters increasingly blamed Trump\u2019s party as the shutdown dragged on past its 40th day, reports AFP.
But it was the Democrats<\/a> who caved and gave Republicans the extra votes they needed on Monday under Senate<\/strong> rules, without securing the key concessions they wanted.
\u201cHealth care of people all across this country is on the brink of becoming unaffordable,\u201d top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries<\/strong> told reporters on Tuesday as he vowed to maintain the fight for lower costs.
Israeli<\/strong> president Isaac Herzog<\/strong> said he received a letter from US<\/strong> president Donald<\/strong> Trump<\/strong> on Wednesday asking him to pardon prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/strong>, who is on trial in three separate corruption cases, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the ongoing court cases, with no ruling yet delivered, and his supporters have dismissed the trials as politically motivated.
In a speech to the Israeli parliament in October, Trump suggested to Herzog that he pardon Netanyahu.
According to AFP, Herzog\u2019s office said in a statement:
<\/path><\/svg>This morning, President Isaac Herzog received the attached letter from US President Donald Trump, calling on him to consider granting a pardon to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In the letter, Trump says he is writing to Herzog at a \u201chistoric time, as we have, together, just secured peace that has been sought for at least 3,000 years\u201d. It adds:
<\/path><\/svg>I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive war time prime minister.
While I absolutely respect the independence of the Israeli justice system \u2026 I believe that this \u2019case\u2019 against Bibi \u2026 is political, unjustified prosecution.
Netanyahu and his wife, Sara<\/strong>, are accused in one case of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewellery and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favours.
He is also accused of attempting to negotiate more favourable coverage from two Israeli media outlets in two other cases.
The statement from Herzog\u2019s office said the Israeli president holds Trump \u201cin the highest regard and continues to express his deep appreciations for President Trump\u2019s unwavering support for Israel\u201d. It added:
<\/path><\/svg>Alongside and not withstanding this \u2026 anyone seeking a presidential pardon must submit a formal request in accordance with the established procedures.
John F Kennedy<\/strong>\u2019s grandson Jack Schlossberg<\/strong> has said he will run for the US House<\/strong> next year, announcing Tuesday that he was seeking a key New York<\/strong> seat set to be vacated by longtime Democrat Jerry Nadler<\/strong>.
\u201cThis district should have a representative who can harness the creativity, energy and drive of this district and translate that into political power in Washington,\u201d Schlossberg said in a campaign video posted on social media late Tuesday.
In an email to supporters, Schlossberg, a Democrat, said that his campaign will officially launch on Wednesday.
Schlossberg has drummed up a large following on social media with frequent posts weighing in on national issues, including taking aim at his mother\u2019s cousin, health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr<\/strong>.
Last month, he posted on Instagram an image of a Halloween costume for \u201cMAHA Man,\u201d in reference to Kennedy\u2019s Make America Healthy Again message and described it as including such things as measles.
Nadler, who is serving his 17th term in <\/a>Congress<\/a><\/strong>, announced in September that he will not run for reelection next year, suggesting to the New York Times that a younger Democratic lawmaker in his seat \u201ccan maybe do better, can maybe help us more.\u201d
The 12th District<\/strong> includes Manhattan\u2019s Upper West Side<\/strong>, Upper East Side<\/strong> and midtown<\/strong>.
A political commentator and writer whose work has been published in such news outlets as The Washington Post, Politico and Time magazine, Schlossberg joins a crowded field of contenders already vying for the 12th congressional district seat.
More than 252 Venezuelans<\/strong> expelled to El Salvador<\/a><\/strong> under Donald Trump\u2019s mass deportation policy suffered systematic and prolonged torture and abuse, including sexual assault, during their detention, according to a report published on Wednesday.
The report<\/a>, compiled jointly by Human Rights Watch (HRW)<\/strong> and Cristosal<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 a group investigating violations in Central America<\/strong> \u2013 says conditions at El Salvador\u2019s sprawling \u201cterrorist continent center\u201d (Cecot)<\/strong> breached the UN<\/strong>\u2019s standard minimal rules for the treatment of prisoners. It cites \u201cinhumane prison conditions, including prolonged incommunicado detention, inadequate food\u201d and other shortcomings.
The groups accuse the Trump administration<\/a> of willful complicity in the suffering deportees endured after being flown to El Salvador in March and April, insisting that it ordered the men\u2019s deportation while fully aware that they would be mistreated or even face threats to their lives.
They are calling an \u201cindependent investigation\u201d by the US justice department, although they admit the prospect is unlikely. They are also demanding the Trump administration<\/a> stop deporting third-country nationals to El Salvador.
US connivance in what is depicted as a systematic pattern of torture and human rights abuses evokes comparison with the scandal at Bahghdad\u2019s Abu Ghraib facility<\/strong> during the \u201cwar on terror\u201d, they say.
Juanita Goebertus<\/strong>, HRW\u2019s Americas director, said:
<\/path><\/svg>We reached the conclusion that the Trump administration is complicit in systematic torture and enforced disappearances of the Venezuelans sent to El Salvador.
Donald Trump is expected to host a private dinner at the White House tonight<\/strong> with several top business executives, including the chief executives of Nasdaq and JPMorgan Chase<\/strong>, an administration official told Reuters.
The gathering underscores Trump\u2018s effort to deepen ties with corporate leaders as his administration rolls out new initiatives aimed at strengthening US capital markets<\/strong> and rebuilding critical domestic supply chains<\/strong> seen as vital to national security. JPMorgan, the nation\u2019s largest bank, has announced a decade-long, $1.5trn investment program<\/strong> aimed at industries central to US national security and economic resilience, including supply chain and manufacturing, defense and aerospace, energy independence, and frontier technologies.<\/p>\n

A White House official confirmed that Trump was meeting with financial leaders, but did not confirm a guest list.
Jamie Dimon, the head of the bank, has previously defended the independence of the Federal Reserve amid Trump attacks<\/a> and had warned that swingeing tariffs made a recession more likely<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Good morning and welcome to our coverage of US politics<\/a> with the US House of Representatives expected to vote today to end the longest government shutdown<\/strong> in the nation\u2019s history. It comes as anger flares among Democrats over the Senate compromise that drops an extension of key healthcare subsidies.
After keeping the chamber idle for more than 50 days<\/strong>, the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, has recalled lawmakers to Washington to consider the short-term funding bill, which would keep the government open through January. The measure, advanced by a coalition of Senate Republicans<\/a> and a handful of Democrats<\/strong>, would avert further chaos but leaves millions facing potential increases in healthcare premiums.
The deal has exposed sharp divisions among Democrats<\/strong>. Progressive groups have accused Senate leaders of betrayal and even called for Chuck Schumer to step down despite not backing the deal himself. House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that Democrats are unlikely to back the bill<\/strong>, calling it \u201ca Republican refusal to address the cost-of-living crisis\u201d.
Johnson can only afford to lose two votes in order to pass the bill, and the Kentucky representative Thomas Massie<\/strong> is likely to vote no. But Republican leaders have expressed optimism that the legislation will pass, and be sent to Trump for his signature.
Stay with us to see what happens.<\/p>\n

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In new batch of emails released by House Democrats, Jeffrey Epstein told Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump \u2018spent hours\u2019 at his house with one of his victimsIn a new batch of emails released by Democrats on the House oversight committee, Jeffrey Epstein wrote that Donald Trump knew about the late financier and sex-offender\u2019s crimes. In the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":171605,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-171604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-us","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=171604"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171604\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/171605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=171604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=171604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=171604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}