House Republicans made a last-minute change to the $1,000-per-baby MAGA Accounts in their sweeping tax bill: Calling them "Trump Accounts" instead.
Why it matters: It's the latest in a series of attempts by congressional Republicans to display their loyalty to the president through legislation — and the one that is most likely to be signed into law.
Republicans have also pushed to codify his proposed land-grabs with bills allowing him to negotiate the purchases of Greenland and the Panama Canal. One proposed renaming Greenland to "Red, White and Blueland."
Driving the news: House Republicans tucked the renaming into an 11th-hour amendment to their "One, Big Beautiful Bill" — a hulking fiscal package to extend the Trump tax cuts and cut $1.5 trillion in spending.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is moving to hold a vote on the package as early as early Thursday morning after GOP hardliners softened their opposition on Wednesday.
The Trump Accounts would seed $1,000 for every American baby born starting in 2026. The original name — MAGA — stood for "money account for growth and advancement."
The other side: Democrats railed against the late-stage change at a Rules Committee hearing on the amendment.
"You all would be screaming bloody murder if we named savings accounts after Barack Obama," said Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.).
Said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.): "Why don't we call it the Trump Diaper Savings? It could be TDS, because I think the only way you end up with a stupid name like this is if you have TDS."
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said Wednesday she is filing a resolution to expel Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) from Congress after the Justice Department charged her with allegedly assaulting law enforcement.
Why it matters: The resolution is a long shot — and Mace isn't yet forcing a vote on it — but Republicans seem intent on punishing McIver and two other House Democrats who were involved in a scuffle with ICE officers.
The three-page measure says McIver "must be held accountable to the highest standards of conduct in order to safeguard the public's faith in this institution."
McIver, who has denied assaulting law enforcement, responded in a post on X: "In the South I think they say, 'bless her heart.'"
Driving the news: Mace said in a press release she would introduce an expulsion resolution but let the House Ethics Committee consider it, rather than forcing a House floor vote on it.
The Justice Department has charged McIver with assault on a law enforcement officer based on footage of her elbowing an ICE official outside a migrant detention facility in Newark earlier this month.
McIver has said she was the one who was assaulted and accused the Trump administration of pursuing a political prosecution.
Democrats have rallied around her and her fellow New Jersey Democrats, saying they had every right to conduct oversight of the detention center.
Zoom out: In addition to Mace's expulsion measure, Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.) introduced a resolution to censure her and launch a House Ethics Committee investigation.
Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) introduced a resolution to strip committee assignments from McIver and Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) and Rob Menendez (D-N.J.).
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said last week that expulsion is "not likely" because it requires a two-thirds majority, but said Republicans were "looking at what is appropriate."
The intrigue: Mace cited the expulsion of former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), saying it "set [a] precedent for expelling Members charged, but not yet convicted, of serious criminal offenses."
Santos was expelled in an overwhelming bipartisan vote in 2023 after being charged with nearly two dozen criminal counts, including wire fraud and money laundering.
House Republicans' internal negotiations on the "One Big, Beautiful Bill" went south Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, with GOP hardliners publicly digging in their heels against the legislation.
Why it matters: Some of the anger centers on a deal House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is nearing with blue-state Republicans to raise the State and Local Tax Deduction cap.
"I think, actually, we're further away from a deal because that SALT cap increase upset a lot of conservatives," House Freedom Caucus chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) said in a Newsmax interview.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), another GOP holdout, told Axios in a text message: "THINGS ARE NOT LOOKING GOOD!!"
State of play: Johnson and a group of House Republicans from New York, California and New Jersey were close to a deal on SALT as of Tuesday night, Axios' Hans Nichols reported.
The deal would have raised the SALT cap to $40,000 a year for those making up to $500,000.
The income phaseout would grow by 1% for 10 years, and then the deduction would become permanent.
Yes, but: Johnson's right flank has long been skeptical of the SALT cap, which would increase the deficit and disproportionately benefit taxpayers in high-tax Democratic states.
Some conservative hardliners also feel the bill doesn't go far enough in cutting Medicaid and nutrition assistance spending.
"This bill actually got worse overnight. There is no way it passes today," Harris said on Newsmax.
What they're saying: Johnson said in a CNN interview that "no one is delighted" with the SALT cap deal, but that right-wingers "understand the necessity of our handling this issue and keeping the majority."
As for timing, Johnson — who has hoped to hold a vote on the bill as early as Wednesday — said "we plan to do it tonight. That's my plan."
Harris has other ideas: "We may need a couple of weeks to iron everything out, but it's not going anywhere today."
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, died Wednesday morning at 75 years old, his family said.
What they're saying: "It is with immense sadness that we share that our devoted and loving father, husband, brother, friend, and public servant, Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, passed away peacefully at his home this morning," the family said in a statement.
Connolly had been battling with esophageal cancer, prompting him to announce last month that he would step aside as ranking member of the Oversight panel.
In their fury over the Trump administration's charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), House Democrats are planning to ramp up oversight visits to ICE facilities, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The prosecution effort has, to a shocking degree, galvanized Democrats on an issue that perennially divides them — with even the party's centrist border hawks railing against it.
"Members are getting increasingly angry and frustrated at the overreach, and now one of our members has been singled out for intimidation," said House Administration Committee ranking member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.).
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), a moderate, told Axios: "Democrats should be all over oversight. ... We have to double down. We have to do more."
What we're hearing: Several House Democratic groups have discussed organizing oversight visits to ICE facilities during the next week's recess, multiple lawmakers familiar with the conversations told Axios.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) told Axios that "many of us were going to go visit anyway, and we're going to move those visits as soon as we can."
"We actually discussed at our Progressive Caucus meeting ... doing more of those visits," said Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas), who said members want to show they "will not be cowed" by Trump.
What happened: McIver was charged with two counts of assaulting law enforcement officers in connection with a scuffle she and other House Democrats had with ICE officials in New Jersey earlier this month.
The confrontation occurred outside the Delany Hall detention center, a migrant holding facility that the Democrats alleged is being operated by a private prison company without the proper permitting.
The lawmakers — along with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested at the scene — made an unannounced visit to conduct oversight of the facility.
The Trump administration has accused McIver of elbowing officers as they arrested Baraka, but she has said she was the one who was assaulted.
What they're saying: Democrats from across the political spectrum have condemned the charges as baseless, accusing the Trump administration of trying to intimidate them into not conducting oversight.
"My hope is that we don't let what the administration is doing — trying to stifle our voices — shut us down," said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), the chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition.
"When the shoe was on the other foot, we allowed Republicans to do these unannounced visits. There was no stopping them from doing that, there was no bulls**t like that," said Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.).
Rep. Rob Menendez (D-N.J.), one of the lawmakers who was with McIver at Delany Hall, told Axios: "The idea that we're going to change course or do anything other than we've done previously is just not the case."
What to watch: In addition to group trips, some individual House Democrats are already talking about making their own visits to nearby ICE facilities while back in their districts over the Memorial Day break.
"I think we should be doubling down, and I think what you're hearing from our members is we need to be spending next week doing these visits," said Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.).
"I'm prepared to go to the detention centers in Indiana," she added. "If they're going to arrest me, then so be it."
Some of the first House Democrats to call for former President Biden to drop his reelection bid in 2024 saw firsthand signs of his deterioration as early as 2023, according to a new book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson.
Why it matters: Many top Democrats, including White House officials, donors and lawmakers, ignored what they were seeing for months or even years. Others, the book says, noticed Biden's shortcomings but kept quiet.
In the end, it was self-preservation that spurred many Democrats to finally drop the charade and urge Biden to get out of the race after his disastrous presidential debate.
The book "Original Sin" is based on interviews with more than 200 people, mostly Democratic insiders, with knowledge of the events that unfolded during the final two years of Biden's presidency. Almost all of the interviews took place after the 2024 election.
Driving the news: Thompson and Tapper write that a White House Christmas party in 2023 was a watershed moment for several Democratic lawmakers.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, was "stunned" to see Biden "completely out of it" while interacting with guests at the photo line.
Upon leaving the party, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and his wife, Liz, "remarked on how frail the president looked and how lethargic he seemed compared with the previous December."
Zoom in: For Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), the book says, the epiphany came even earlier.
During a trip to Ireland in April 2023, Quigley saw Biden rapidly go from energetic to drained. "This was how his father, Bill, had been before he died," the authors write.
"Biden, Quigley thought, needed to go to bed for the rest of the day and night. He wasn't merely physically frail; he had lost almost all of his energy. His speech was breathless, soft, weak."
The other side: "There is nothing in this book that shows Joe Biden failed to do his job, as the authors have alleged, nor did they prove their allegation that there was a cover-up or conspiracy," a Biden spokesperson told Axios.
"Nowhere do they show that our national security was threatened or where the President wasn't otherwise engaged in the important matters of the Presidency. In fact, Joe Biden was an effective President who led our country with empathy and skill."
Some Democrats have leapt to Biden's defense, with Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) saying in a CNN interview that he "never saw anything that allowed me to think that Joe Biden was not able to do the job."
Zoom out: Smith, Moulton and Quigley were among the first House Democrats to call on Biden to withdraw his bid for reelection after his debate with Trump in June 2024.
But they and other House Democratic colleagues had largely kept quiet up until that point.
Former Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who challenged Biden in the Democratic primary, had "tried to get other Democrats to talk about the president's decline, but no one was willing to say anything publicly," the book says.
The former congressman is quoted as saying later: "The whale who spouts gets harpooned."
Between the lines: At a debate watch party, one House Democrat who watched the calamity unfold exclaimed to House Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.): "I just lost my job."
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) heard from swing-district House Democrats who "were getting polling back that indicated Biden's campaign was going to drag dozens of them down with it," the book says.
Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) said at a closed-door Democratic caucus meeting: "I lived through the 2010 bloodbath — we lost sixty-three seats. That could happen again."
This story is adapted from the book, "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson.
The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee plans to grill the Department of Justice on its decision to charge Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) with assault on law enforcement, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Democrats have roundly condemned the charges as an intimidation effort aimed at chilling their oversight of the Trump administration's deportation policies.
What they're saying: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) told Axios he will "definitely" be questioning the Justice Department on the decision-making behind the charges, potentially in the form of a letter.
"It's a terribly troubling situation. It's an absolute assault on congressional powers," he said of the assault charges against McIver.
Raskin is the co-chair of House Democrats' rapid response and litigation task force and has been working to prepare for a potential constitutional crisis.
Zoom out: Other Democrats said they similarly expect concrete actions in response to the DOJ's charging decisions — particularly if prosecutors move forward with the case.
"We're just still having discussions, figuring out the best way to respond," said Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), a member of Democratic leadership.
Frost said House Democrats are also coordinating with McIver "to ensure what we do doesn't hurt more than it is helping."
Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) told Axios: "If the Trump administration proceeds to press baseless charges ... then I think you will see the public and Democratic officials ramp up our tactics."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
The chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee told Axios the House GOP's campaign arm will stick with its policy of not intervening in Republican primaries if President Trump tries to knock off incumbents.
Why it matters: Trump told reporters on Tuesday that House Republicans who vote against his "big, beautiful bill" could "possibly" face primary challenges, saying they would be "knocked out so fast."
Trump said Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a key holdout on the bill who the president tried and failed to primary in 2020, "should be voted out of office."
What they're saying: NRCC chair Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), asked about Trump's comments, told Axios, "I don't want to comment on something I didn't hear."
But, pressed further on whether the NRCC would get engaged to protect GOP incumbents targeted by Trump, he said: "We don't do primaries."
The NRCC has long had a formal policy of not spending in GOP primaries — though Republican leadership has occasionally faced accusations of meddling in primaries to protect incumbents.
Speaker Mike Johnson is still facing a bloc of persistent right-wing holdouts on his "big, beautiful bill" even after President Trump urged House Republicans to support it in a closed-door meeting.
Why it matters: Johnson (R-La.) and his leadership team are hoping to bring the marquee tax and spending cut legislation to the floor for a vote as soon as Wednesday, but that timeline is at risk of slipping away.
"I don't think the votes are going to be there this week, the margins are very narrow," said House Freedom Caucus chair Andy Harris (R-Md.), adding, "In its current form, I can't support the bill."
Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), a former Freedom Caucus chair, told Axios: "I don't know that anything's changed … I need to see text."
Zoom in: Blue-state Republicans pushing for an increased State and Local Tax Deduction signaled they were also unswayed to take the $40,000 cap proposed by GOP leadership.
"As it stands right now, I do not support the bill," Rep Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) told reporters.
Rep. Nick Lalota (R-N.Y.) told Axios: "I remain a 'no' on the bill."
State of play: Johnson is grappling with contradictory demands from various House GOP blocs.
The SALT caucus' demand for an increased tax break for high-income, blue-state residents cuts directly against right-wingers' desire to reduce the bill's deficit impacts as much as possible.
Johnson's right flank is also pushing for Medicaid cuts that many moderates oppose — in part because it would clobber their constituents.
Harris also said Trump's demand that the bill increase the debt ceiling could be a sticking point, saying he could "lose some votes" if it goes beyond $4 or 5 trillion.
What to watch: Most Republicans who still oppose the bill nevertheless said they will continue to participate in negotiations to try to get to yes — even if those talks don't proceed at the pace Trump prefers.
LaLota said he is "eager to have more discussions with my leadership about how we can meet the goal."
Axios' Victoria Knight contributed reporting for this story.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
President Trump warned congressional Republicans on Tuesday not to "f**k around" with Medicaid, a stark pushback to conservative lawmakers demanding steeper cuts to the program in "one big, beautiful bill."
Why it matters: Trump is already floating political retribution for Republican holdouts who don't get in line.
He also tore into Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has been a firm "no" on the bill throughout the process, blasting him publicly and privately as a "grandstander" and saying he should be "voted out of office."
Trump also warned the GOP's blue state holdouts not to push too hard on the SALT deduction cap.
What we're hearing: The president stressed to GOP lawmakers that they should limit Medicaid cuts to targeting waste, fraud and abuse.
Coming out of the meeting, that was a message right-wingers who have pushed for substantial Medicaid cuts echoed: "That's where we should focus our reductions," said Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).
Still, some on the right are still holding out for meaningful enough cuts to offset the deficit impact of the bill's tax cuts. SALT caucus members, too, are digging in.
Zoom in: House Freedom Caucus chair Andy Harris (R-Md.), a key holdout on the bill, said he wants stronger limits on Medicaid provider taxes, which states use to help finance their share of the program's costs.
"Even the Democrats call the provider tax a scam, and yet the provider tax is mostly intact in the bill in its current form," he said.
That's in direct conflict with the demands of moderates like Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), who said those limits are "non-starter."
The big picture: Millions of people could lose health coverage if the current reconciliation bill's Medicaid cuts become law.
"President Trump and Republicans are protecting and preserving Medicaid for the Americans who the program was intended to be a lifeline for: pregnant women, children, disabled individuals, and seniors," White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Axios' Emily Peck.
That White House list of people who need Medicaid doesn't include the poorer working-age adults without kids who gained coverage under the Affordable Care Act's expansion of Medicaid.
Axios' Peter Sullivan contributed reporting for this story.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
The Justice Department charged Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) on Monday over a scuffle with law enforcement outside an ICE facility in New Jersey this month.
Why it matters: McIver is the first federal officeholder targeted by the Trump administration as they aggressively prosecute politicians who open themselves to legal liability while opposing the president's mass deportations.
McIver has strongly denied assaulting law enforcement during the clash, saying she was the one who was assaulted. In a Monday statement, she called the charges against her "purely political" and said they are "meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight."
The Department of Homeland Security has pointed to body camera footage of what they say is McIver elbowing an ICE agent during the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
What's happening: Alina Habba, acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey announced on X she was dropping the case against Baraka, but charging McIver with assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement. Habba accused the Democrat of violating the U.S. Constitution during the scuffle.
"No one is above the law — politicians or otherwise," Habba said in a statement. "It is the job of this office to uphold justice, regardless of who you are. Now we will let the justice system work."
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem echoed those comments in a post to X, saying: "If any person, regardless of political party, influence or status, assaults a law enforcement officer as we witnessed Congresswoman McIver do, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Baraka in a statement the City of Newark shared on its social media accounts welcomed the dismissal of the case against him and expressed support for McIver:
Mayor Ras J. Baraka statement on dismissal of Delaney Hall Trespassing Charge.
Catch up quick: McIver, Baraka and Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) and Rob Menendez (D-N.J.) were at the Delany Hall detention center in Newark this month to protest its use as a migrant holding facility.
The lawmakers argued that they were there to conduct legitimate oversight based on accusations that GEO Group, the private prison company operating the facility, lacked the proper permitting.
In addition to Baraka and McIver, the FBI also arrested a Wisconsin judge last month for allegedly helping an undocumented defendant avoid arrest by ICE agents. She was indicted and pleaded not guilty this week.
What they're saying: McIver said in her Monday statement the charges against her "mischaracterize and distort" her actions.
"This administration will never stop me from working for the people in our district and standing up for what is right," she added.
"I am thankful for the outpouring of support I have received and I look forward to the truth being laid out clearly in court," she added.
What to watch: House Republicans have floated additional repercussions for the three lawmakers, with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) accusing them of "wildly inappropriate behavior."
"I think it's pretty clear that the law was violated," the speaker said at a press conference this month, floating censure, removal from committees and expulsion as possible punishments.
He acknowledged the two-thirds threshold for an expulsion vote would be a difficult hurdle to clear given Democrats' unity around defending their colleagues.
Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) has introduced a resolution to remove the trio from their committees.
Why it matters: Green, unlike Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), has a history of following through on this sort of thing. He repeatedly forced unsanctioned impeachment votes against Trump during his first term.
Still, senior Democratic lawmakers and leadership aides told Axios that Green should expect to come under the same kind of pressure that Thanedar faced to back off his efforts.
"I think the same standard would be applied," said one House Democrat.
Driving the news: Green said in a letter sent to fellow House Democrats' offices that he "will call for a vote to impeach authoritarian President Donald John Trump at a time to be determined."
The impeachment measure includes a single article charging Trump with "causing the devolution of democracy within the United States of America into authoritarianism with himself as an authoritarian President."
Green told Axios on Wednesday that he would force such a vote despite what he anticipated would be anger from his Democratic colleagues. "I'm sure people will let me know how they feel," he said.
The other side: "Every action taken by President Trump and his administration is fully lawful and firmly rooted in the will of the American people," said White House spokesperson Liz Huston.
"This desperate impeachment stunt is nothing more than a reckless political act that the American people see right through," she added.
Between the lines: Most House Democrats are reluctant to take an impeachment vote out of fear that any such effort will be widely viewed as premature and overtly political at this stage.
Democratic leadership wants nothing to do with these efforts, in part because it forces vulnerable House Democrats to choose between appeasing their grassroots base and not alienating swing voters.
With Republicans in control of both chambers, Democrats are also clear-eyed that impeaching Trump — let alone convicting him in the Senate — is virtually impossible at this stage.
Thanedar was the subject of considerable anger from House Democrats for his unsanctioned efforts.
Yes, but: Green is known to go his own way, even heckling Trump during his speech to a joint session of Congress in March to the point where he was escorted out of the chamber.
But Green has become something of a celebrity among the Democratic grassroots for that incident and for his vow to pursue impeaching Trump, which he first floated in February.
Spokespeople for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional statements.
A House Democrat abruptly scrapped his plans to force a vote on impeaching President Trump, which was set to come to the House floor on Wednesday, three sources familiar with the matter told Axios.
Why it matters: Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) was under considerable pressure from Democratic leadership to pull the vote, which had angered many of his colleagues.
One House Democrat told Axios they "saw about 50 members pow-wowing with him on the floor" before his decision to pull the vote.
"I think they made him realize, like, 'If you do this, there's not going to be anyone here in the caucus that wants to have anything to do with you."
What he's saying: Thanedar said in a statement that "after talking with many colleagues, I have decided not to force a vote on impeachment today."
"Instead, I will add to my articles of impeachment and continue to rally the support of both Democrats and Republicans to defend the Constitution with me."
Between the lines: Many Democrats were infuriated by Thanedar's rogue effort, which they saw as premature and overtly political.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) blasted his impeachment push as "idiotic" in a closed-door House Democratic caucus meeting Wednesday morning, with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) backing him up.
Even Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas), who planned to vote against a GOP motion to quash Thanedar's measure, called it "doomed" and "unserious" in a note to CPC members.
Yes, but: The headaches may not be over for House Democratic leadership — Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who has been teasing articles of impeachment for months, told Axios he still plans to force his own vote.
Asked about the backlash about Thanedar, Green suggested he is clear-eyed but not worried: "I'm sure that people will let me know how they feel."
Green told Axios he is "already working on multiple articles," but didn't say when he may unveil them.
The House Democrat who spoke to Axios on the condition of anonymity said they expect the "same standard" that Thanedar faced from leadership will be applied to Green.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
Democrats are at war with themselves over their aging leadership, but many of the party's oldest members of Congress are still running for reelection in 2026, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: YoungerDemocrats have been engaged in a fierce, internal fight to sideline the 70- and 80-year-olds who they say hold too much sway over the levers of power in their party.
The debate is resurfacing with a fury this week as the forthcoming book "Original Sin"by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson reveals new details about former President Biden's deterioration as he sought reelection last year.
Older lawmakers' refusals to step aside could lead to potentially dozens of contested primaries, Democratic strategists and lawmakers told Axios.
"I wouldn't be surprised if a third of our members have primaries, because that's the energy that's out there," said one House Democrat.
State of play: Of the 30 House Democrats who are 75 or older, more than half told Axios they plan to run again in 2026.
That includes Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), 86; Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), 82; John Garamendi (D-Calif.), 80; Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), 80; Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), 80; Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), 78; Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), 78; Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), 77; Al Green (D-Texas), 77 and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), 77.
Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), 77; Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), 76; Richard Neal (D-Mass.), 76; Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), 76; Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), 75 and Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), 75, are also on the list.
So is Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), 70, who suffered a stroke last May that forced him to miss House votes the rest of the year.
Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), 76, who froze up during a House floor speech in February due to a partial seizure, "does intend to run for reelection," his spokesperson said.
Zoom in: House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), 85, declined to say what she will do in 2026, as did former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), 85, and Reps. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), 82, and Alma Adams (D-N.C.), 78.
Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), 83, told Axios he will decide in "maybe a month" whether he plans to run again. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), 80, is also undecided.
Only Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), 80, and Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), 75, have said they are retiring. Connolly is also stepping down as the ranking member of the Oversight Committee as he battles esophageal cancer.
What we're hearing: For many members, the decision-making rests on a simple calculation: 2026 is poised to be a good election year for their party. Why not take one more chance to be in the majority?
Cleaver told Axios that "like everybody, I would love to be in the majority, and there are some unfinished things here that I have on my agenda."
"If it appears that we're going to win the majority back, some people ... thinking about [retirement] might stay just for that one more session," he added.
Zoom in: Other Democrats believe the influence and institutional knowledge they have accrued over decades shouldn't be so easily discarded.
"My constituents need help from D.C. and I'm effective in bringing home important funding," said Cohen.
Watson Coleman told Axios: "I've been around a while. ... Some wisdom, at least, is important to what we're going through right now."
"It's taken me 12 years to become ranking member on a subcommittee for Appropriations," said Frankel. "It's important to me and my constituents."
The other side: A second House Democrat who spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer candid thoughts about their older colleagues said it is "insane" that so many of them are running again.
"Everybody always says 'throw the bums out,' but they don't mean their person," the lawmaker added, arguing it would be "100%" better for these lawmakers to bow out voluntarily rather than face bloody primaries.
A third House Democrat said, "Everyone has to really do a self-assessment and ask themselves: 'Am I in the best position to do everything I can to protect the American people?'"
Some older members —but not all — are in that position, they added.
The bottom line: Many older lawmakers aren't conceding anything when it comes to their health and vigor.
Said Thompson, the ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee: "I'm good. My health is good."
"I'm an active, energetic member who is doing the work," said Waters, the top Democrat on the Financial Services Committee.
Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) on Wednesday added his name to the list of House Republicans who are not fully satisfied with his party's massive tax and spending cuts bill during the Axios Future of Health summit in D.C.
Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will need virtually every House Republican to vote for the package,, but he has struggled to appease all corners of his conference.
Asked by Axios' Victoria Knight if a Medicare physician pay update in the bill is enough for him, Murphy said, "No. It's not [enough]."
Murphy said doctors working in private practices are struggling to make ends meet under the current fee schedule.
What he's saying: "It's not a big ask, good gosh. And when we have the SALT people that are asking for $1 trillion — it's not enough," Murphy said.
But Murphy said he has "made it very clear to leadership he is not going to vote on a product that doesn't fix it completely," exclaiming, "Sorry, not sorry!"
Asked if it's a red line, however, Murphy demurred slightly: It's a "beige line," he said.
A rogue Trump impeachment push was criticized as "idiotic" and "horrible" in a closed-door House Democratic meeting Wednesday, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The comments from Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) were met with applause from lawmakers and backed up by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), according to six sources familiar with the matter.
Nadler, the former top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, called Rep. Shri Thanedar's (D-Mich.) efforts "idiotic" and urged Democrats to vote for a Republican motion to kill his articles of impeachment.
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) said at the meeting that Democratic leadership will vote for the GOP motion.
State of play: The House is set to vote Wednesday evening on Republicans' motion to "table" Thanedar's seven articles of impeachment — which accuse the president of corruption, abuse of power and "tyranny."
Thanedar has ruffled feathers with his impeachment efforts, which many lawmakers believe is tied to his contested Democratic primary — a suggestion he denies.
Nadler was among the four lawmakers who were briefly listed as co-sponsors on the measure before withdrawing.
Sources previously told Axios that Thanedar wrongly led colleagues to believe leadership was supporting his efforts and added them as co-sponsors without notifying their staffs.
What we're hearing: Nadler argued that all Democrats should vote to table the articles of impeachment, according to multiple lawmakers and aides who were in the room.
He said that unity against the measure would help protect House Democrats who are politically vulnerable — either to primary challengers who say they need to do more to fight Trump, or general election opponents who would use a vote for impeachment against them.
"People's sense is that it's a total distraction and waste of time given [that there is] no path to victory," a senior House Democrat who was in the room told Axios.
The other side: Thanedar said in a statement to Axios, "I'm pursuing impeachment because the president has committed clear, impeachable crimes."
"I've heard from my constituents and people around the nation that they want this President held accountable and that's what I am doing," he added.
Zoom in: Pelosi, who as speaker oversaw Democrats' two impeachments against President Trump in his first term, echoed Nadler's criticism but did not explicitly urge Democrats to vote to table, sources said.
She said that, in the past, the party has always adopted a measured strategy when it comes to impeachment in order to avoid the appearance it being a purely political.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
House Democrats erupted into fury and profane invective Tuesday as Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) forced a vote on his rogue efforts to impeach President Trump.
Why it matters: The vote could be tough for many Democrats, who feel impeachment is politically foolish but are facing demands from their grassroots to mirror Trump's shock-and-awe tactics.
"It's going to cause Democrats in [competitive] seats to make tough decisions," said one House Democrat.
Several lawmakers told Axios they believe Thanedar's impeachment efforts are clearly aimed at galvanizing support in his contested Democratic primary.
A senior House Democrat, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer insights into the private reactions of their colleagues, told Axios: "People are pissed."
Driving the news: Thanedar took to the House floor Tuesday afternoon to notice his seven articles of impeachment as privileged, which forces the House to vote on them within two legislative days.
In other words, the House has to act by Thursday. Republicans will likely introduce a motion to table — or kill — Thanedar's measure.
The measure accuses Trump of a litany of offenses, including abuse of power, corruption and "tyranny," mostly related to his consolidation of power and his personal finances.
What we're hearing: "This is the dumbest f***ing thing. Utterly selfish behavior," said a third House Democrat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about a colleague.
A fourth House Democrat said of Thanedar, simply: "What a dumbs***."
A fifth called Thanedar's maneuver "irrelevant" because Republicans motion to table "will succeed," predicting some Democrats may vote for the GOP motion.
The first House Democrat who spoke anonymously said it's "a waste of f***ing time."
Zoom in: Some Democrats also see Thanedar's push as a distraction from their party's efforts to message against Republicans' massive tax cut bill.
"We need to focus on reconciliation," said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), the chair of the New Democrat Coalition. "100% of our energy is on dealing with this."
Flashback: Thanedar first raised the ire of his colleagues last week by listing several colleagues as co-sponsors on his impeachment articles based on vague conversations without looping in their staffs.
Sources also alleged Thanedar misleadingly intimated that his articles were drafted in coordination with and with support from Democratic leadership.
Thanedar introduced his articles the same day that Democratic state Rep. Donavan McKinney announced plans to challenge Thanedar. The latest move to force a vote comes one day after Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) endorsed McKinney.
"He's really just doing it for himself," said the first House Democrat.
The other side: Asked about his colleagues' comments, Thanedar told Axios "Mr. Trump has conducted unconstitutional activities. He has conducted impeachable actions, and I have to do my constitutional duty."
Thanedar said he has "communicated" with leadership but "didn't seek permission," adding that he will not withdraw his motion "unless someone can convince me that many of my articles are incorrect."
Asked about suggestions that the effort is related to his primary, he said: "It's too early — 15 months. I'm not worried about that. It's not about elections ... it's about doing the right thing."
"The rest of the members have to look into their own conscience and make a decision: is this impeachable conduct or not?" he added.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
A House Republican is introducing a measure to kick a trio of New Jersey Democrats off their committees over a physical confrontation with law enforcement outside an ICE facility last week.
Why it matters: The effort comes as the Department of Homeland Security is threatening to arrest the lawmakers for allegedly assaulting ICE officers.
The lawmakers have said they were the ones who were assaulted during a clash over the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
Driving the news: Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) is introducing a one-page measure that would kick all three members off their committees, according to a copy obtained by Axios.
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) serves on the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rob Menendez (D-N.J.) on the Energy and Commerce Committee and Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) on the Small Business and Homeland Security panels.
The measure was first reported by Fox News. Spokespeople for the three Democrats did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The other side: "This is just another attempt to distract from the reality of what Republicans are seeking to do: strip healthcare away from 13.7 million Americans and slash programs that strengthen our communities," Menendez, Watson Coleman and McIver said in a joint statement.
"Members of Congress have a legal right to conduct oversight at any DHS detention facility without prior notice, and that's exactly what we were doing last week," they said.
"This week, we're back in Washington doing exactly what New Jerseyans sent us here to do: delivering for them."
What happened: The lawmakers went to the Delany Hall detention center in Newark to protest its reopening for use as an ICE holding facility for detained migrants.
Democrats have argued that the facility, run by private prison company GEO Group, lacks the proper safety and security permitting.
The House members were eventually given a tour, but Baraka was arrested for allegedly trespassing.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) on Tuesday started the clock for the House to vote on his seven articles of impeachment against President Trump.
Why it matters: House Republicans will likely move to table — or kill — the Thanedar's motion, forcing Democrats into a tough position on a vote many of them would rather not take.
Thanedar's move forces the House to take action by the end of the week, unless he withdraws his motion.
Spokespeople for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) did not respond to requests for comment.
The details: Thanedar's 29-page impeachment resolution accuses Trump of a litany of offenses, including obstruction of justice, abuse of power, corruption and "tyranny."
Many of the charges relate to Trump's consolidation of power through DOGE, as well as his personal finances and emoluments.
Thanedar introduced the articles late last month, shortly after drawing a second primary challenger.
What he's saying: Thanedar told Axios in a brief interview at the Capitol that there is "some communication" with Democratic leadership, but, "I didn't seek permission, I just communicated."
Asked about his Democratic colleagues' anger towards his efforts, Thanedar said Trump "has conducted unconstitutional activities. He has conducted impeachable offenses, and I had to do my constitutional duty."
The Democratic National Committee is moving forward with a challenge to David Hogg's election and that of another DNC vice chair just months after they attained their roles.
Why it matters: The challenge centers on a procedural squabble, but Hogg, 25, is alleging it is connected to his plans to spend $20 million trying to oust older Democratic members of Congress in primaries.
"It is ... impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to help reform the party which loomed large over this vote," Hogg said in a statement.
Driving the news: The DNC's credentials committee voted 13 to 2, with 3 abstentions, to void the February elections of Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta as vice chairs.
The resolution will now go to a full vote of DNC members. If it passes, the election for the two vice chair roles will be re-administered.
A losing candidate in the February vice chair race, Kalyn Free, has alleged that Hogg and Kenyatta were elected under a flawed tabulation process.
Zoom in: Hogg said in his statement he had "nothing to do with" the alleged procedural flub and that "too many leaders in the Democratic Party are asleep at the wheel."
He has caught the ire of many congressional Democrats with his plans to try to oust veteran Democratic lawmakers through his PAC, Leaders We Deserve.
Martin said in a statement he is "disappointed to learn that before I became Chair, there was a procedural error in the February Vice Chair elections."
The other side: Pro-Trump operative and influencer Alex Bruesewitz put out a statement blasting the vote as a "coup" and saying he "strongly" opposes removing Hogg as a DNC vice chair.
"David Hogg's activism has significantly bolstered support for President Trump, inspiring countless Americans to align with the MAGA movement," he quipped. "His influence as a skilled operative has been invaluable."
Editor's note: This article was updated to include comment from DNC Chair Ken Martin and Pro-Trump operative and influencer Alex Bruesewitz.
