Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here.
In today’s issue:
▪ House to take up funding bill
▪ Grijalva set to be sworn in
▪ Trump threatens absent air traffic controllers
▪ Mamdani energizes young Dem candidates
Democrats from both chambers of Congress and differing wings of the party are furious after eight Senate Democrats voted with Republicans to advance a measure to reopen the government.
The Senate passed the spending bill Monday night, and House leaders said they would vote on it as early as 4 p.m. on Wednesday. President Trump said he would “abide by the deal” once it reaches his desk.
House Democrats are widely expected to oppose the bill, while a few moderate members may buck the party and vote for it. Republicans will be operating with an ultranarrow majority to get it to Trump for a signature.
The agreement has also reignited a debate among Democrats over the party’s direction and the right leaders to chart the path forward, with several progressive House members and those running next year calling for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to be replaced.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) released a statement declaring his opposition to the agreement before it passed a procedural vote on Sunday. The House will return from an extended two-month recess to vote on the measure.
“We will not support spending legislation advanced by Senate Republicans that fails to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits,” Jeffries said. “We will fight the GOP bill in the House of Representatives, where Mike Johnson will be compelled to end the seven week Republican taxpayer-funded vacation.”
The Hill’s Mike Lillis and Sudiksha Kochi report tensions are boiling over within the Democratic Party, just a week after the party was riding high off its sweeping success in last Tuesday’s elections.
“What Senate Dems who voted for this horseshit deal did was f— over all the hard work people put in to Tuesday’s elections,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), a former head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, posted on the social platform X. “Healthcare matters. Not platitudes.”
The Hill’s Al Weaver reports how the blowback Schumer is receiving renews questions about his future as leader of Senate Democrats.
Although Schumer blasted the measure and voted against it, his critics are blaming him for not keeping his caucus in line and allowing eight of his members to vote for the proposal without a provision to extend the ObamaCare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year.
Schumer previously prompted liberal fury in March after he broke with most of the party to support a Republican-crafted continuing resolution composed without Democratic input. This time, the New York Democrat did support his colleagues standing their ground and rallying around the expiring subsidies, but progressives have voiced continued distrust.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) called on Senate Democrats to replace Schumer as leader, arguing that he can’t meet the moment.
“Senator Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced. If you can’t lead the fight to stop healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for Americans, what will you fight for?” Khanna wrote on X.
The eight Senate Democrats who voted to advance the measure have defended the move, arguing Republicans were not budging in their demands that the government reopen before discussing a vote on health care subsidies.
The lawmakers also grew increasingly concerned about the impact on air travel from absences and staff shortages after air traffic controllers worked 40 days without paychecks. Thousands of flights have been canceled or delayed in recent days, and disruptions have been expected to get worse heading toward Thanksgiving.
“When these controllers are keeping airplanes safe in the air, I don’t want them worried about the paychecks and problems that they have at home,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said, explaining his vote.
While most Democrats have criticized the bill, centrist Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar (Texas) and Jared Golden (Maine) are two who have signaled they plan to support the measure, giving Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) some breathing room to advance it in the House.
“It’s too bad it was closed, but we’re going to be opening up our country very quickly,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday.
▪ The Hill: Shutdown end brings health care test for GOP.
▪ The Hill: Why eight Democrats decided to end the shutdown.
Smart Take with Blake Burman
Now it’s on to the House, after the Senate passed its government funding measure. The deal has infuriated most on the left because it doesn’t directly address expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, which have been central to the funding fight. Instead, it tees up a vote on the issue in the Senate before the end of the year.
“This deal, if it survives, doesn’t actually fund the government. It kicks the can down to Jan. 30,” Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) told me.
His answer raises the question of whether Congress will pick up and move on from this fight, or whether we’re headed for another shutdown in a few months. When I asked Casten if the government will close again in February, he only said, “Let’s hope not.”
Yes, we are likely on the way toward ending the longest-ever government shutdown. However, the deal didn’t materially change any policy. It makes me wonder if this is the whole show, or just the first act.
Burman hosts “The Hill” weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation.
3 Things to Know Today
1. Trump has asked the Supreme Court to toss a jury’s finding that he was liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll. This would mark the first time that the legal saga over Carroll’s allegations against Trump reached the high court.
2. The president’s proposal to distribute $2,000 tariff rebate checks to all Americans under a certain income threshold could cost twice as much as the revenue the import taxes have brought in, according to an analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
3. Administration officials are planning to propose resuming oil drilling off California‘s coast for the first time in decades, according to a draft map viewed by The Washington Post. Officials are also envisioning an expansion of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Alaskan coast.
Leading the Day
GRIJALVA STANDOFF ENDING: The pending return of the House this week will bring an end to the weekslong standoff over the swearing-in of Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.).
Johnson reportedly plans to swear in Grijalva as the “first order of business” before the House holds a vote on the government funding bill, bringing an end to seven weeks of the congresswoman-elect being stuck in limbo as she waited to take office.
Grijalva won a special election to fill the seat previously held by her father, the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), on Sept. 23. But Johnson ended the House’s session early, canceling votes for weeks amid the shutdown.
What followed was the longest time in modern history any elected member of Congress has waited to be sworn in.
Grijalva is set to become the 218th signature on a discharge petition that will force a vote on releasing the government’s files related to Jeffrey Epstein. All House Democrats and four House Republicans have signed the petition so far, leaving them just one signature short of forcing a vote.
Critics alleged that Johnson was purposefully canceling votes during the shutdown to delay Grijalva’s signature and a vote on the Epstein files. The Speaker rejected that claim, maintaining that he was following precedent in not swearing in new members when the House was out of session.
He vowed that he would swear in Grijalva once Democrats voted to reopen the government.
Grijalva said in a statement that she was traveling to Washington, D.C., to “hopefully” be sworn in, while saying the delay shouldn’t have happened. She had for weeks repeatedly criticized Johnson for not giving her the oath of office, arguing it caused her to be “essentially a tourist” in D.C.
“For seven weeks, 813,000 Arizonans have been denied a voice and access to basic constituent services,” she said Monday. “This is an abuse of power that no Speaker should have.”
While Johnson has said the Epstein petition isn’t the reason he delayed swearing in Grijalva, he and other members of House GOP leadership have opposed the petition, arguing it’s unnecessary as a congressional investigation into the late sex offender is ongoing.
A tentative vote on releasing the files also may not be welcome news to Trump, who has seemed to want to move on from conversations surrounding Epstein. The president has sought to distance himself from his past ties to Epstein and brushed off the push for more disclosure as a distraction and a “Democrat hoax.”
▪ ABC News: House Democrat probes reports of Maxwell clemency application.
SCOTUS DECISIONS: The Supreme Court on Monday rejected one case that could have overturned its ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide while granting a hearing on another that could have major implications for how elections are conducted.
The attempt from Kim Davis, a former Kentucky county clerk, to get the court to reconsider its landmark 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision was considered a long shot, but it came as some conservatives had hoped the court might be open to it, particularly after its 2022 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.
The bench still includes three members who dissented from the majority in the Obergefell ruling.
But the court declined to take up the case in a brief order without any noted dissents.
Davis gained national attention after the Obergefell ruling for her refusal to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples on grounds of her religious beliefs.
Her main argument didn’t directly ask the court to overturn its ruling. Instead, she was challenging a jury’s decision to award damages to a couple she refused to grant a license.
She argued she had a private First Amendment religious defense and later tacked on an argument for the court to overturn Obergefell. But the court turned it away.
Justices will hear a challenge on whether states can accept mail-in ballots sent by Election Day but received after polls close, which could be a critical case ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) had gone after the practice, following Trump’s repeated criticism of mail-in voting. Sixteen states, including Mississippi, have statutes allowing ballots to be counted after polls close if they are postmarked by Election Day, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The RNC convinced a lower court to strike down Mississippi’s law, and now GOP officials in the state are asking the court to overrule that decision. Oral arguments are expected to take place next year, with a decision likely by the summer.
That would be in time to potentially change how elections are conducted in those 16 states next year, but it would continue to have implications for elections far beyond that.
▪ The Hill: Supreme Court doubtful on religious man’s prison damages claim.
TRUMP’S AIR TRAFFIC THREAT: Trump went after air traffic controllers who have skipped work during the shutdown, calling for anyone who doesn’t return to work to be “docked.”
“You didn’t step up to help the U.S.A. against the FAKE DEMOCRAT ATTACK that was only meant to hurt our Country,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “You will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record. If you want to leave service in the near future, please do not hesitate to do so, with NO payment or severance of any kind!”
He also called for those who worked during the shutdown to receive a $10,000 bonus.
Staffing shortages among air traffic controllers, already an issue for years, have gotten worse as the shutdown has continued, with many federal employees required to work without pay. An increased number of workers have been recorded calling out sick, as happened during previous shutdowns.
That has led to mounting delays and cancellations as the government has remained shuttered. The Federal Aviation Administration has begun reducing flight capacity by up to 10 percent at 40 major hubs throughout the country to ensure safety amid the staffing shortages.
The drop started at a 4 percent decline on Friday, but it’s set to rise to 6 percent on Tuesday.
More than 2,200 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were canceled on Monday, while more than 7,500 were delayed, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
Even after the government reopens, days are expected to pass before the aviation industry can fully return to normal operations.
▪ The Associated Press: Airport pain worsens.
▪ The New York Times: Where flights have been canceled.
SYRIAN PRESIDENT VISIT: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa made history Monday as the first leader of his country to visit the White House, holding closed-door discussions with Trump.
Much anticipation had built up for the visit, as Trump has sought to improve relations with Syria and accelerate its reemergence in the international community after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime last year.
But Trump kept the meeting private, an unusual move for the president, who often opens up the White House to reporters and photographers when meeting with a foreign leader, The Hill’s Laura Kelly reports.
The president later expressed confidence in al-Sharaa and the future of Syria.
“He’s a very strong leader. He comes from a very tough place, tough guy. I like him. I get along with him,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “We’re going to do everything we can to make Syria successful.”
TRUMP-MTG CONTROVERSY: Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) traded barbs on Monday after the president hosted Syria’s leader.
Greene criticized Trump in a post on X for hosting al-Sharaa at the White House, saying he should be more focused on domestic issues like health care.
“I would really like to see nonstop meetings at the WH on domestic policy not foreign policy and foreign country’s leaders,” Greene said in her post.
The Georgia Republican has broken with much of the rest of her party on several occasions in recent weeks, including on the release of the Epstein files and extending the health care subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. Yet she has remained a strong supporter of Trump and has previously avoided criticizing him directly.
Trump responded to the criticism from Greene later Monday, saying she “lost her way.”
“I don’t know what happened to Marjorie. Nice woman, but she’s lost her way,” he told reporters.
“When somebody like Marjorie goes over and starts making statements like that, it shows she doesn’t know,” Trump said, adding he’s “surprised at her.”
BBC LAWSUIT? Trump is threatening to sue the BBC for $1 billion for the documentary the outlet released last year that included an edited video of him speaking ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
The threat came after two top officials for the outlet stepped down amid backlash over the edit, which didn’t include Trump telling his supporters at the Ellipse to demonstrate peacefully at the Capitol before the riot ensued.
Trump’s attorneys demanded the broadcaster retract the documentary by Nov. 14.
“Failure to comply will leave President Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to recover damages for the overwhelming financial and reputational harm that the BBC has caused him to suffer, with all rights and remedies being expressly reserved by President Trump,” a letter sent to the BBC and shared with Fox News digital said.
A BBC spokesperson told The Hill that the organization will review the letter and respond.
If Trump goes through with legal action, it’ll be just the latest in a string of lawsuits he’s filed against various media outlets, alleging defamation against him. He has settled with some outlets like ABC News and CBS News, while a judge has dismissed a lawsuit against The New York Times.
BLACK BOX REMOVED: The black box warning on women’s estrogen-based products for hormone-replacement therapy will be removed, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Monday.
“For more than two decades, the American medical establishment turn[ed] its back on women. Millions of women were told to fear the very therapy that could have given them strength, peace and dignity through one of life’s most difficult transitions, menopause,” Kennedy said at a briefing.
Kennedy and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Martin Makary argued that a study from more than 20 years ago that suggested hormone replacement therapy could potentially accelerate preexisting breast cancers in a woman’s body has been “misrepresented.”
“The Women’s Health Initiative study was the largest study ever done in U.S. history, a $1 billion study at the time, and you just heard how that study was misrepresented and created a fear machine that lingers to this day,” Makary said. “There’s no statistical significance in the increase in breast cancer. If we don’t have statistics, then we don’t have science.”
A few top women’s health groups have declared their support for the move, including the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists and The Menopause Society.
But the latter still said some potential risks exist for women, particularly those older and further away from menopause onset. The group said women should review the risks in detail when starting therapy.
Makary said the decision would apply to bioidentical and synthetic hormones, and the decision would be left to individuals and their doctors.
When & Where
The president will travel to Arlington National Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony in honor of Veterans Day at 11 a.m.
The House and Senate are out today for Veterans Day.
Zoom In
MAMDANI RALLIES YOUTH: New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (D) is driving a surge of young Democratic candidates inspired by the young state lawmaker’s rise.
The Hill’s Surina Venkat reports that more than 4,000 people have inquired since last Tuesday about running for office through Run for Something, a progressive group working to recruit and support young candidates running for office. Ally Boguhn, the organization’s senior communications and marketing director, credited Mamdani’s win for the increase in registrations.
“When polls closed in New York, and they started calling that race, we saw another spike,” she said.
Mamdani has had a stunning year going from a little-known New York State Assembly member to being mayor-elect of the country’s largest city. The first Muslim elected mayor in New York City’s history, he’s also set to be one of its youngest leaders ever, at just 34 years old.
Boguhn said a surge of more than 10,000 people signed up to run for office through the organization in the two weeks after Mamdani pulled off an upset win in the Democratic primary against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The organization called it the “largest organic surge of candidate recruitment” it had ever seen.
Democratic candidates from Illinois congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh to Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson, who is running for Rep. Steve Cohen’s (D-Tenn.) House seat, cited Mamdani as an inspiration.
“The volunteer strategy was phenomenal,” Pearson said. “I believe in people power movements to create change, and he helped create and curate a people power campaign that I think was absolutely inspiring for people in New York and outside of New York.”
▪ The New York Times: Mamdani fills top posts with government veteran, close aide.
▪ Axios: “Mamdani becomes MAGA’s immigrant boogeyman.”
ANOTHER DEM RETIREMENT: Another long-serving House Democrat announced their retirement on Monday, with Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.) saying she won’t seek reelection in 2026.
The 80-year-old Watson Coleman has represented New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District for a decade. She is the first African American woman to represent the Garden State in the House.
The longtime progressive said she made her decision after “many personal conversations” with her family and expressed confidence that now is the right time to “pass the torch.”
Her decision seems likely to set off a competitive primary to succeed her in the solidly Democratic-leaning district.
It comes after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced last week that she would retire at the end of her term after nearly four decades in Congress.
Many Democrats have pushed for a changing of the guard within their party over the past year amid concerns about aging leaders.
Axios reported that Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the 86-year-old former House majority leader, is also likely to retire. Hoyer hasn’t announced his plans for next year.
Elsewhere
SARKOZY OUT ON APPEAL: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been released from prison after a Paris appeals court granted his request to be released under judicial supervision pending appeal of his September conviction.
Sarkozy became the first former French head of state in modern history to be sent to prison after he was found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 presidential campaign. He was ordered to report to prison on Oct. 21 but immediately filed for early release.
Prosecutors alleged that Sarkozy accepted funds from Libya at the direction of its then-leader Moammar Gadhafi.
Sarkozy has maintained his innocence and said he never asked Gadhafi for financing. The terms of his release include not leaving French territory and not contacting key individuals, including co-defendants and witnesses.
An appeals trial is expected to take place potentially in the spring.
“I had never imagined I would experience prison at 70. This ordeal was imposed on me, and I lived through it. It’s hard, very hard,” Sarkozy said.
▪ Reuters: Sarkozy back at home pending appeal.
PALESTINIAN REFUGEE PLAN: The U.S. is supporting a plan to house thousands of Palestinians in the eastern part of Israeli-occupied Gaza, The Atlantic reported.
U.S. officials have called them Alternative Safe Communities, where communities of vetted Gazans would be separated from the Hamas-controlled western side of Gaza, where most live. The military lead overseeing the effort to implement Trump’s peace plan recently told colleagues that the communities should have a medical center, a school, an administrative building and “temporary housing” for about 25,000 people.
A senior administration official told the outlet that at least one community will be built. But the criteria for Palestinians to qualify remains unclear.
The development is the latest in the U.S. plan to try to rebuild Gaza and create a longer-lasting peace in the region with a ceasefire pausing two years of fighting.
Opinion
A warning about data, AI and partisanship, The Hill’s Chris Stirewalt writes.
2025 election results reveal choice for Democrats in 2026, 2028, Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Adam Green writes in The Hill.
The Closer
And finally … Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is set to appear in a new holiday-themed Netflix special called “With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration” that will debut on Dec. 3.
It’ll be an offshoot of her ongoing Netflix series “With Love, Meghan,” which premiered in March.
“Together, friends and family deck the halls, create holiday feasts, craft heartfelt gifts, and share lots of laughs — with simple how-tos to follow at home. It’s a holiday wonder with warmth, tradition, and a generous dose of joy,” a release from Netflix states, CNN reported.
The announcement comes after multiple outlets reported that Meghan is returning to acting after an eight-year hiatus that began when she left the TV series “Suits” following her engagement to Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. She’s reportedly set to appear in the upcoming Amazon MGM Studios film “Close Personal Friends.”
