Kerry Picket
Articles by Kerry Picket
OMB Director Russ Vought slams GAO for calling pause of funding EV charging program ‘illegal’
President Trump's Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought is condemning the Government Accountability Office for saying the Transportation Department's pause on funding of a Biden-era electric vehicle charging program is illegal. Published May 23, 2025
Holdouts among Senate Republicans could sink Trump’s agenda bill after its narrow passage from House
Senate Republicans said Thursday that they are eager to delve into President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" and begin to make their own changes to the House-passed legislation by the July 4 weekend. Published May 22, 2025
House GOP leaders forge on with plans for late Wednesday or early Thursday vote on Trump agenda bill
House Republican leaders vowed to bring President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" to the floor late Wednesday or early Thursday, after shutting down a push from the House Freedom Caucus to secure more changes. Published May 21, 2025
House Freedom Caucus pushes GOP leaders to delay vote on Trump agenda
Hard-line conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus are pushing GOP leaders to delay plans for a Wednesday vote on the "big, beautiful bill" carrying President Trump's agenda. Published May 21, 2025
Trump pressure fails to shore up House GOP support for his big agenda bill, negotiations drag on
President Trump's plea for House Republicans to pass his "big, beautiful bill" this week without protracted squabbling fell on deaf ears from disparate corners of the conference that still demand changes to the legislation before it hits the floor. Published May 20, 2025
Man pardoned over Jan. 6 riot arrested and charged for breaking into Virginia home
A Virginia man who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has been charged with felony burglary months after President Trump pardoned him. Published May 20, 2025
Trump slams ‘grandstander’ Rep. Massie for opposing his massive agenda bill
President Trump accused Rep. Thomas Massie of grandstanding with opposition to his "big, beautiful bill" and said voters should punish him. Published May 20, 2025
Trump pushes Republicans to drop SALT, Medicaid demands and pass his massive agenda bill
President Trump told House Republicans during a closed-door meeting at the Capitol on Tuesday to drop their push for further changes to the "big, beautiful bill" and pass it this week. Published May 20, 2025
U.S. to pay out almost $5 million to family of Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt
The federal government is expected to pay out about $5 million to the family of Ashli Babbitt to settle a lawsuit brought by her estate. Published May 19, 2025
House investigators question FBI witness about James Comey using ‘honeypot’ spy on Trump campaign
House Judiciary Committee investigators have spoken to an FBI whistleblower about FBI Director James B. Comey's alleged off-the-books spying on President Trump's 2016 campaign. Published May 19, 2025
White House pushes back on Moody’s U.S. credit downgrade
The White House pushed back Monday on speculation that President Trump's economic agenda contributed to Moody's downgrading of the U.S. credit rating. Published May 19, 2025
Congresswoman leading reparations movement says wealthy Black Americans deserve payments, too
A House Democrat who introduced a resolution calling for the U.S. to spend trillions of dollars on reparations for Black Americans says there won't be an income cap for receiving the payout. Published May 16, 2025
Trump’s wheeling and dealing in Middle East secures $1.2 trillion from Qatar
President Trump had secured nearly $2 trillion in deals for U.S. companies, including more than $1.2 trillion in economic investment by Qatar, by the time his Middle East trip began its second leg Wednesday. Published May 14, 2025
Trump’s rollback of criminalizing regulatory infractions gets bipartisan support in Congress
Congressional lawmakers are seeking a bipartisan path to codify President Trump's order easing regulations that sometimes make people into criminals for breaking laws they have no reason to know exist. Published May 14, 2025
Trump urges Syrian president to establish relations with Israel
President Trump Wednesday on his second day during his trip in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, called on Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to establish ties with Israel. Published May 14, 2025
Bipartisan lawmakers offer legislation to codify Trump’s order to reduce costs of prescription drugs
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle offered up legislation to codify President Trump's executive order intended to reduce the costs of prescription drugs. Published May 12, 2025
Trump tackles drug prices, forces Big Pharma to charge Americans same low prices charged abroad
President Trump on Monday resurrected his "Most Favored Nation" policy, which he promised would cut pharmaceutical drug prices by 30% to 80%. Published May 12, 2025
Trump announces executive order to slash drug prices up to 80%
President Trump announced Sunday night that he plans to reduce pharmaceutical drug prices by 30% to 80% by establishing a "Most Favored Nation" policy. Published May 11, 2025
Trump expected to sign executive order linking Medicare drug costs to foreign prices
President Trump is expected to make another effort to cut drug prices significantly by binding the government's costs for certain medicines to reduced prices in other countries. Published May 9, 2025
Karoline Leavitt: Trump fired the librarian of Congress for promoting DEI and ‘inappropriate’ books
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Carla Hayden was fired as librarian of Congress because she promoted DEI and pushed "inappropriate books" for children. Published May 9, 2025
