Manu Raju

Manu Raju @mkraju

The Senate is expected to scrap this afternoon's procedural vote on the issue -- in order to give time for the bill's text to be drafted and for an official CBO score. The goal is to pass the bill next week, Romney said. $10B is less than half of what the WH was seeking — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Romney told us they have “an agreement in principle” on a $10B Covid relief deal — says it’s completely paid for (mostly from redirecting money from the American Rescue Plan) — and he’s briefing his conference now. He says it needs to get scored by CBO before procedural vote — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Romney and Murkowksi — probably the only two other potential GOP yes votes on Jackson — have been chatting it up on the floor — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Romney told us they are “close” to a bipartisan deal on a $10 billion Covid aid package. He plans to brief GOP senators at lunch today — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

“I’ll address it next week,” Toomey told me about Judge Jackson. He met with her today and won’t say which way he is leaning. He is retiring at the end of the year but voted against her for DC Circuit — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

RT @PoliticsReid: "On any given day, he's an embarrassment.” — Sen. Richard Burr on Rep. Madison Cawthorn, from @MZanona @mkraju - https://… — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

The price tag they are now exploring is around $10 billion after they dropped roughly $5 billion that was meant to go to international Covid response efforts. Sen. Mitt Romney is expected to brief the conference at lunch on the state of the talks. — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Thune says Republicans haven’t decided whether to back a procedural vote on Covid relief this afternoon given that a deal hasn’t been reached yet on the bill.  Rs “would prefer not to vote for something until it's agreed upon, notwithstanding our negotiators’ best efforts.” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Pelosi stops short of calling on Thomas to resign, but suggests he should recuse himself "if your wife is an admitted and proud contributor to a coup of our country." Says the House should pass a stand-alone bill to impose a code of ethics on Supreme Court justices — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Pelosi says a gas tax holiday has “appeal” but “the con is the oil companies don't necessarily pass that on to the consumer. We’re losing money in the highway trust fund … and it goes to the oil companies...We cannot write a law that requires them to pass it on.” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Cawthorn has lost support among Republicans in his conference, has his state’s senators publicly bashing him including one who is pushing a primary against him — but he’s relying on his ties to Trump to survive. https://t.co/nEzCCNFC2m — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

On revived talks, Manchin said, “I'm talking about fixing, fixing the tax code. That's the one thing we all agreed was wrong.” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Manchin says he thinks Biden's plan to release barrels of oil from Strategic Petroleum Reserve would be "very helpful." He also made clear that renewed talks about passing a slimmed-down version of BBB still needed to take a back seat to cutting deficit and reducing inflation — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

This means that Senate Judiciary will almost certainly deadlock 11-11 on Monday. She'll get confirmed next week, but the universe of GOP votes is small -- only Romney and Murkowksi are seen as potential YES votes (besides Collins) Some say they're still undecided, such as Toomey — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Graham calls Jackson an "evasive" witness and says he will vote NO on her nomination "after a thorough review of her record." Just last year, Graham supported her for DC Circuit, the second most important court in the land He has said SCOTUS is different in explaining his shift — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Asked Chuck Grassley, who is probing Hunter Biden's activities, about Trump call on Putin to release dirt on Bidens: “I'm just going to concentrate on my own investigations of Biden. I didn't know what he said and I don't want to answer your interpretation of what he requested.” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Schumer on Covid aid talks with Republicans. “The gap has been narrowed greatly and we're intent on working with Republicans to cross the finish line because this is vital for our country,” he said on floor — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Manchin tells us that the administration should drop plans to scrap Trump-era Title 42 border policy. Asked why he’s opposed to lifting Title 42. “Oh my goodness. Just watch the news y'all put out every day, what’s coming across.” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

RT @NatashaBertrand: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today that according to NATO's intel, "Russian units are not withdrawing… — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Lindsey Graham plans to announce his position on Judge Jackson on the floor at 11a. He was one of three Republicans who voted for her for DC Circuit but he is very likely a no now for Supreme Court — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

McConnell continues to be mum about his future after next Congress when he plans to run for leader again. “You’ll have to wait and see,” he says at @PunchbowlNews event to @JakeSherman @apalmerdc — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

“It comes down to focus on the district, producing results for the district, and in my opinion, Mr. Cawthorn hasn't demonstrated much in the way of results over the last 18 months," GOP Sen. Thom Tillis told us about why he’s backing Cawthorn’s primary foe https://t.co/nEzCCNFC2m — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

RT @jimsciutto: —>> “We’ve seen Russian soldiers – short of weapons and morale - refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipme… — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

CNN Poll of Polls (average of six most recent national polls) March 14-29 Biden Job Approval   Approve      40% Disapprove   54% — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Richard Burr, the senior GOP senator from NC, told me he stays out of primaries. But he added of Cawthorn: “On any given day, he’s an embarrassment.” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Asked if it were appropriate for Trump to make ask, he said: “The appropriateness of things that Trump asks for is more amusing to you than it is to me. We have a current president who is, you know, way more concerning to me frankly than what the former president might be doing” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

“I think anybody that has information about crimes that have been committed, all the rest of us would obviously reveal that. Criminals don’t generally do that. In other words, I think, it is perhaps amusing to you that he requested it. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for it” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Asked Kevin Cramer about Trump’s Putin/Biden dirt comment, and he said: “I don’t know if he has dirt on Biden. If he does, he should reveal it, but he is a war criminal so I don’t expect that he’s right now sitting around thinking about ways that he can reveal other information.” — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

Schumer and McConnell chatting as they leave classified briefing on Ukraine. No comment from either of them https://t.co/3NVUitqtIP — PolitiTweet.org

Manu Raju @mkraju

“My message to Putin is he needs to go,” Lindsey Graham says about Trump urging Putin to dish out dirt on Biden. On Trump’s comments: “It’s not something I would do.” — PolitiTweet.org