The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Thomas’s ethics questions stir GOP unease

by Elizabeth Crisp - 04/20/23 12:30 PM ET

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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.

TALK OF THE MORNING

Republican senators worried by Thomas ethical issues:

Some Republican senators are now expressing unease about reports that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accepted tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of hospitality, luxury travel and other favors from a billionaire conservative mega-donor. Could that prompt ethics reforms?

Reporting by ProPublica showed that Thomas didn’t disclose luxury trips from Texas real estate magnate Harlan Crow or a property deal between the two.

“I think we are moving dangerously close to a place where the public has lost faith and trust in the credibility of our governing institutions. They don’t trust the court, I don’t think what’s going on with Justice Thomas is helping anything,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told the Hill.

Murkowski said she’s spoken to other senators about a plan to require the Supreme Court to adopt a judicial code of conduct.

The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports more on the issue here.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill) has asked Chief Justice John Roberts to testify before Congress on May 2 about the court’s ethical standards amid the controversy surrounding Justice Clarence Thomas.

It’s Thursday, April 20. I’m Elizabeth Crisp, filling in for Cate, with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up.

Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. Send me your tips, add me to your media lists and share your gossip on the upcoming White House Correspondents Association dinner: ecrisp@digital-staging.thehill.com and follow me on Twitter @elizabethcrisp.

Economy

Many Americans are already feeling the squeeze from inflation:

The stock market is closely watching and warning about a possible economic recession, but in a recent poll, nearly half of respondents believed the nation was already in a recession.

The poll also found that about 41 percent of Americans surveyed had begun taking precautions and steps to beef up savings, but a closer look at the data revealed disparities by income.

The Hill’s Aris Foley reports on the situation here.

In Congress

📈 House GOP’s long-awaited debt limit bill — a $1.5T increase:

The House GOP’s debt limit bill pairs an increase for the coming year with what Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said would be about $4.5 trillion in savings in the next decade.

The long-awaited plan — dubbed the Limit, Save, Grow Act — proposes reverting discretionary spending caps to 2022 levels and limiting growth to 1 percent each year over the next decade.

The Hill’s Emily Brooks and Aris Folley break down the details.

🧑‍⚖️ In the White House

Biden judges remain stalled by Feinstein’s absence:

The extended absence of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has hurt President Biden‘s ability to advance his judicial nominations because she is on the essential Judiciary Committee and Republicans refuse to let the Democrats replace her on the panel while she’s out. The Hill’s Brett Samuels breaks down what’s happening.

“As lawmakers returned from recess this week, there are 15 judicial nominees who have already had hearings but are waiting to be voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and six additional nominees waiting for hearings before the panel,” Samuels reports.

🏃 2024

RFK Jr. makes run official:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made his long-shot Democratic run for president official. The prominent anti-vaxxer and son of a political dynasty gave a speech on his run on Wednesday. More from The Hill here.

Trump touts Florida support:

In the Florida man vs. Florida man squabble over the 2024 race, former President Trump is gloating that he’s getting significant support from Sunshine State Republicans over the state’s Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). (The Hill)

☁️ In other news

Deadly storms hit the US:

At least two people have died in Oklahoma after severe storms hit the central part of the country with tornadoes and hail overnight, and tens of thousands of people have been without power this morning.

Read more from The Hill here on the storms and stay with TheHill.com for updates.

🐥 Notable tweets

Clinton enters the Disney debate:

No signs that she’s running for the White House again, but former first lady and ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton isn’t shying away from taunting Republicans ahead of 2024.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential GOP presidential candidate, has been waging a war with the Walt Disney Company over its business dealings in the state and open support for LGBTQ rights.

Clinton chimed in on the dispute with a tweet this week: “As Republicans declare war on Disney, I know whose side I’m on…” with a throwback photo of her, former President Clinton and their daughter, Chelsea, with a birthday-themed Donald Duck.

That’s a hot take 🔥:

Conservative political commentator Ann Coulter set the Twitterverse ablaze Wednesday night suggesting a “compromise solution” on abortion, racking up thousands of views and hundreds of retweets.

“Ban abortion for registered Republicans only,” she tweeted shortly after 6 p.m., quickly sending her name to one of the top trending topics on the social media site.

⏱ On tap

The House started at 9 a.m., and the Senate came in at 10 a.m. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in D.C.

7:30 a.m.: President Biden received the President’s Daily Briefing.
8:30 a.m.: Biden started the fourth virtual leader-level meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate.
10 a.m.: Julie Su, Biden’s Labor Secretary nominee, began her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
10 a.m.: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg began his department’s House Appropriations Committee budget hearing.
1 p.m.: Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre briefs reporters.
2:15 p.m.: Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi and Environmental Protection Agency deputy administrator Janet McCabe visit the Brentwood Reservoir community solar site in Northeast D.C.
2:30 p.m.: Biden hosts a bilateral meeting with President Gustavo Petro of Colombia at the White House.

Here’s the full schedule of today’s committee hearings.

All times Eastern.

🧀 In lighter news

Today is National Cheddar Fries Day! Didn’t realize that was a celebrated thing, but you can’t go wrong with cheese and fries. It could also be because it’s 4/20.Celebrate appropriately! And related: Our Nextstar friends can school you on the travel rules for cannabis.

And because you made it this far, check out this pup that got a rude awakening!