What we're covering
• Health care plans fail: The Senate rejected a GOP plan that focused on expanding health savings, and also denied a Democratic proposal to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies for three more years. The White House vowed to roll out a new approach on health care “very soon.” Enrollees could see monthly payments soar in January if enhanced subsidies lapse this month.
• Tanker seized: The oil tanker the US seized off the Venezuelan coast will travel to an American port, where US authorities intend to take possession of its cargo, the White House said, as President Donald Trump continues his pressure campaign on the country.
• Contentious House hearing: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and other top Trump security officials defended the administration’s immigration and national security policies today as they faced questions from lawmakers. A top Democrat called on Noem to resign, accusing her of putting her own interests above the agency she directs.
Catch up on some other key political headlines today
We’ve been focused on the fate of health care legislation in Congress, the oil tanker seized by the US off the Venezuelan coast and a global threats hearing in the House. But here’s a quick roundup of other news that developed in politics today:
Redistricting in Indiana: The Indiana Senate today voted down a plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts to produce two more GOP-friendly seats, rejecting President Donald Trump’s months-long campaign to pressure the Republican supermajority in the deep-red state to bend to his will.
Freed from custody: Kilmar Abrego Garcia was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody this afternoon following a federal judge’s order. The administration has struggled in recent weeks to find a country to quickly deport him to.
No case against Letitia James: A grand jury, for a second time, declined to bring a new indictment against the New York attorney general who defeated Trump and his company in court, according to multiple sources.
Task force meeting: White House officials abruptly postponed the final meeting of a Trump-created task force charged with shaping the future of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, roughly two hours before it was set to begin, according to three sources familiar with the decision.
Fed problems for Trump: The next chair of the Federal Reserve might already be a disappointment to the president – even before they’re named. Trump has demanded aggressive cuts to interest rates next year, but that’s looking more and more like an uphill battle due to the outlook for the economy in 2026 and the stark divisions within the central bank’s powerful rate-setting committee.
Hegseth investigation: The Pentagon did not conduct a routine investigation into the impact of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s disclosure of sensitive military information in a group chat on Signal earlier this year and whether it damaged national security – in part because Hegseth never authorized it, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Pentagon probe: The US Navy has submitted its recommendations on potential punishments, if any, for Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over his participation in a video that reminded US troops they have a duty to refuse illegal orders, a Pentagon official told CNN.
Least-productive Congress: After Trump’s election, some GOP lawmakers argued that Congress should effectively give up its prerogatives and do whatever the all-conquering Trump told them to do. The problem with that is that Trump didn’t seem to want lawmakers to do much of anything. The result: Only 47 bills passed by Congress have been enacted this year, according to GovTrack. That puts this Congress on track to be by far the least productive in modern history.
CNN’s Eric Bradner, Bryan Mena, Aaron Blake, Hannah Rabinowitz, Casey Gannon, Katelyn Polantz and Kaitlan Collins contributed to this report.
Speaker Johnson throws cold water on demand by vulnerable Republicans to extend enhanced ACA subsidies
House Speaker Johnson threw cold water Thursday on demands from vulnerable members of his conference who want to extend the enhanced Obamacare subsidies that will soon expire.
Johnson told CNN he’s speaking with all Republicans, including the swing-district members, to find a solution that satisfies the needs of “all” of their constituents.
“We’re working on a package of legislation that will reduce premiums for all Americans, not just 7% of them, and I’ve been talking to every one of these colleagues in the tough districts about that. So stay tuned. There’s more to come,” he said when pressed further about the subsidies.
GOP Rep. Bacon bashes Trump for being "weak" on Russia and attacks his handling of Venezuela
GOP Rep. Don Bacon said it’s “not right” that the Trump administration hasn’t been more forthcoming about aggressive actions toward Venezuela and warned that the US will be seen as “weak” on the world stage.
Asked about the recent seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, Bacon said while he believes the US had a “reason for it” and was going after already sanctioned oil, “I just wish the president, his team, would come in and tell us what their plans are for Venezuela.”
Pressed on the lack of briefings for all of Congress on the issue, Bacon said, “it’s not right. That’s all I’ll say. It’s not good. I mean, you don’t expect a lot of support if you don’t try to get support.”
Bacon urged the administration to release video of the double-tap strike against an alleged drug boat, saying, “we should release it all and be transparent…it’s good for the citizens to see and everybody can make up their mind.”
On Ukraine, Bacon said, “I think that this national security strategy was a total blunder, and the Europeans right now are sick to their stomach seeing their best ally being weak,” adding, “it bothers me we have a Republican that’s being weak on Russia and bad towards our allies.”
“Ronald Reagan would never do this. They’re saying that he’s the new Reagan. This is more like Chamberlain than Reagan. So, and there’s a lot of us feel that way. I’m a little more vocal,” he said, asking “why are we being harder on Europe than we are in Russia?”
Rep. Burchett accuses swing-district Republicans of being beholden to insurance companies
GOP Rep. Tim Burchett argued that his swing-district colleagues are anxious about the impact of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expiring because “the insurance companies got their ear, and they’re going to lose their support.”
“And I get it,” the congressman continued, explaining that “millions of dollars in campaigns” are at stake.
“Under the ‘big, beautiful bill,’ we eliminated a lot of waste, abuse and fraud, which cut into their profits and their stock prices plummeted, and then what did they do? They raised, they raised rates on the rate payers, American citizens, and their stock prices went back up. We’ve got to get a hold of it,” he said.
Asked if House Speaker Mike Johnson should oppose bringing any ACA tax credit extension to the floor, Burchett responded, “If there is something in there that says there’s an agreement that we are going to make some changes, then I could see us voting for it. But just throwing more money, trillions of dollars, in a broken system that everybody says is broken, to me, is not a solution.”
Rep. LaLota warns of "economic impact" on "anxious" constituents of failing to extend ACA subsidies
GOP Rep. Nick LaLota, who represents a key New York swing-district, acknowledged that failing to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies beyond the end of this year would be a blow to many of his constituents pocketbooks, though he thinks the system needs deep reform.
Asked by CNN of the political impact of the House leaving for the year without a solution, LaLota responded, “I’m more interested in the economic impact of constituents like mine. That’s our responsibility here. I’ve always thought that good government is good politics.”
“We’re all anxious in this environment where prices are high,” he said, arguing that the GOP “inherited a tough situation” from the Biden administration, “but we’re hard at work trying to fix it.”
LaLota backs multiple proposals by moderate Republicans to extend ACA subsidies for two years, while also enacting reforms to “help get to the issues as to why Obamacare has been so darn expensive.”
Pressed on the likelihood that Johnson will not advance any of these bills, LaLota defended the attempt by some House Republicans to gather enough signatures to force their legislation to the floor and “ensure that this matter gets a vote before we go home for the holidays.”
GOP lawmaker warns Republicans of political consequences of rejecting extension of health care subsidies
GOP Rep. Don Bacon warned of the political consequences of House Republicans not putting forward a plan to address expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
“There’s an appetite out there on the Republican side for just a common sense, realistic plan, and that’s what I think we’re offering,” he said, referencing a bill he’s cosponsoring that would temporarily extend the credits with some reforms.
“We’re not going to make major changes to health care in the near term. So this is the realistic way to go,” he said, adding “all these folks are going to go back home, and you’re going to have to look voters in the eye and say, we’ve done nothing while their premiums going up like 2000 a month.”
Asked about Speaker Mike Johnson’s resistance to committing to bring an ACA credits extension to the floor, Bacon said while his GOP colleagues think “this is a Democrat problem, but we’re in charge.”
“The costs are skyrocketing, and I don’t want to throw good money after bad but if we do nothing, all of our constituents are going to be paying a lot more for, for their premiums. That’s unacceptable,” he said.
Powerful GOP senator says it's wrong for the military to try to punish Democratic senator
Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said it’s not appropriate for the military to try to punish Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly for a video he participated in calling on service members not to follow illegal orders.
It’s a strong indictment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s high-profile efforts to discipline Kelly, who served in the Navy for many years, from a powerful chairman with oversight of the military.
Asked by CNN if it’s appropriate for Kelly to be punished by the military, Wicker shook his head no. And after a follow up question, replied, “you asked me that question, and my answer is no.”
He would not elaborate nor say if he would call on Hegseth to end the effort against Kelly.
A Pentagon official told CNN on Thursday that the US Navy has submitted its recommendations on potential punishments for Sen. Kelly over his participation in the video.
Late last month, Hegseth requested advice from the Navy Secretary, who oversees the military branch Kelly served in for more than two decades, on how to proceed to potentially punish Kelly for participating in the video, which Hegseth has claimed amounted to serious violations of the military’s code of justice.
Leavitt grows defensive as she stands by Trump's comment that Americans might need to cut back on purchases
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt grew defensive over the White House’s handling of the economy in exchanges with reporters Thursday, standing by President Donald Trump’s comments that parents should “give up” certain products this Christmas if they have affordability concerns and insisting things have improved under Trump’s watch.
The exchange kicked off when CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked about Trump’s comment Tuesday to an audience in Pennsylvania about cutting back on purchases. “You don’t need 37 dolls for your daughter. Two or three is nice,” the president said.
If the economy was as strong as Trump suggested, Collins asked, why was he telling parents their kids only needed two or three dolls?
Leavitt responded that Americans may have to pay “a dollar or two more” for some products, but would see better quality by buying American.
“What the president is saying is that if we want products made right here in America, if we want them to be made from American small businesses, which is a large part of the reason the president has effectively implemented tariffs, then we’re going to have better quality products right here in the United States,” she said.
Leavitt then criticized press coverage of affordability concerns, claiming incorrectly that reporters did not cover inflation under the previous administration, as she sought to push back on questions from Collins and CBS’s Nancy Cordes about the current state of the economy.
“The president inherited 2.9% in January, today, it’s at about 2.5%, so we’re trending in the right direction with more to come,” she said. “Nobody reported on it being high under Biden, my predecessor was standing at this podium. But now you want to ask me a lot of questions about it, which I’m happy to answer, but I will just add, there’s a lot more scrutiny on this issue from this press corps than there was.”
Inflation has been accelerating since the spring, CNN reported last month. As of September, the year-over-year inflation rate had increased for five consecutive months.
The September rate, 3%, was the same as the rate in January, when Trump returned to the White House.
"Oval Office is like Grand Central Terminal," White House says when asked about bandage on Trump's hand
The White House reiterated on Thursday that bandages seen on President Donald Trump’s hand are because of bruises that stem from frequent hand shaking and his daily dose of aspirin.
“He is also on a daily aspirin regime, which is something his physical examinations has said as well, which can contribute to that bruising that you see,” Leavitt added.
Remember: The White House gave the same explanation for the bruising back in July when Trump was examined for swelling in his legs and diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency.
CNN’s Betsy Klein contributed to this post.
Republicans and Democrats trade blame over failed health care votes
Lawmakers pointed fingers Thursday afternoon, with no clear path forward on health care and Covid-era Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at year’s end.
He called zero-premium plans “prone to fraud” and highlighted a proposal he has put forth with Sen. Susan Collins to cap incomes and eliminate those plans.
Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn similarly called Obamacare “a fraud,” adding that “it’s unsustainable.”
Democrats, meanwhile, are arguing that Republicans are leaving families behind.
Vermont Sen. Peter Welch called the stalemate “a failure of Congress” and added that “the president has an iron grip over what the Republicans do, and he’s abandoning these families.”
White House criticizes judge who ordered Abrego Garcia's release
The White House on Thursday criticized the federal judge who ordered that Kilmar Abrego Garcia be released from ICE custody “immediately,” while signaling the administration is likely to appeal.
“The White House, the administration, oppose this activism from a judge, who is really acting as a judicial activist, which we’ve unfortunately seen in many cases across the country,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said of district Judge Paula Xinis.
“Abrego Garcia is present in our country illegally. He is a proven human trafficker. He is a proven gang member. The administration has evidence of that,” Leavitt said at Thursday’s press briefing.
“As you saw from the Department of Homeland Security, they issued a statement saying they’ll continue to fight this legal battle in court,” she added.
Abrego Garcia was returned to the United States in June after a tense legal battle over his wrongful deportation. He was charged by US authorities upon his arrival for allegedly helping to smuggle undocumented immigrants into the country. He has pleaded not guilty and was briefly detained in Tennessee over the charges before being released in August.
Trump unconcerned about ties between Putin and Maduro, White House says
The White House said President Donald Trump isn’t worried about warm ties between autocratic leaders of Venezuela and Russia, who spoke by phone earlier Thursday.
“I don’t think that would be concerning to the president at all,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said when questioned about the call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
The two leaders held a phone call in which Putin expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and reaffirmed his support for Maduro’s policies, according to a Kremlin readout.
The Kremlin also said that the two leaders expressed an intention to carry out various “joint projects” related to the economy, trade and energy.
The conversation came at a moment of tension between the United States and both countries. Trump has grown frustrated at Putin for not agreeing to end the war in Ukraine, and has been mounting pressure on Maduro through a military buildup in the region.
Thompson calls out Noem for leaving worldwide threats hearing early
The ranking Democratic member of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, ridiculed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for leaving today’s hearing early.
Thompson called Noem a “liar” after she said she was leaving for a FEMA meeting, which was canceled.
“We were told that she’d be here until 1 o’clock, but she left significantly earlier,” Thompson said. “This is an embarrassing display from someone who can’t take the heat, is disrespectful to the committee and the Constitution, the separation of powers.”
The FEMA meeting, which CNN reported earlier was abruptly canceled, was set to be the final session of the task force convened by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
Members were set to vote on a final report and a list of recommendations to reform the agency, which would then head to the White House for further review.
The Department of Homeland Security referred CNN to the White House for comment. The White House did not immediately respond.
"Up in the air" whether US sends representative to Ukraine talks this weekend, White House says
The United States is still weighing whether it will send a representative to continued talks with Ukrainian and European officials in Paris this weekend – because it wants “action” on peace, rather than talk, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
“If there is a real chance of signing a peace agreement, if we feel like those meetings are worthy of someone on the United States’ time this weekend, then we will send a representative,” Leavitt said at a press briefing Thursday. “It’s still up in the air whether we believe real peace can be accomplished and we can truly move the ball forward.”
Leavitt stressed that President Donald Trump is “extremely frustrated with both sides of the war” and “sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting.” She also confirmed that Trump is aware of Ukraine’s latest response to the US-drafted peace proposal.
“He doesn’t want any more talk. He wants action. He wants this war to come to an end,” Leavitt said, adding that the administration “has spent more than 30 hours” engaging with the Russians, Ukrainians and Europeans in the past couple weeks.
CNN reported earlier Thursday that American, European and Ukrainian officials will convene this weekend for further talks on a peace plan, according to a European official.
As for the United States participation, Leavitt said, “Stay tuned.”
White House vows to roll out new approach on health care "very soon"
The White House said Thursday that the administration is still seeking ways to avert a spike in Affordable Care Act premiums, promising to share more on its plan “very soon.”
“You’ll hear more from the president and the White House on that very soon,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at the briefing. “The president and Republicans are currently coming up with creative solutions and ideas to lower health care costs for the American people.”
Leavitt declined to say what those plans would entail, or whether the White House planned to release them before the expiration of key enhanced ACA subsidies at the end of the year.
The Senate earlier on Thursday voted down dueling health care bills, rejecting a Democratic measure to extend the current subsidies for three more years and GOP-backed legislation that would have boosted health savings accounts while allowing the subsidies to expire.
Trump declined to endorse the Republican bill prior to the vote. But Leavitt said he is still “prepared to take action on health care, and he wants Republicans on the Hill to do the same.”
Seized tanker will go to American port, where the US will take possession of its oil
The oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude the United States seized this week will travel to an American port, where US authorities intend to take possession of its oil cargo, the White House said.
The day after the tanker was seized in the Caribbean Sea, US teams were aboard interviewing crew members and taking relevant evidence, press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at the White House.
She said US will adhere to the law in seizing the oil.
“There is a legal process for the seizure of that oil, and that legal process will be followed,” Leavitt said.
The Justice Department had executed a seizure warrant for the vessel for its ties to sanctioned Iranian entities. Leavitt said Trump’s move to seize the tanker, along with ongoing operations targeting alleged drug boats in the region, underscored the president’s commitment to maintaining security in the Western Hemisphere.
“The president is committed to stopping the illegal flow of drugs into our country. He’s also fully committed to effectuating this administration’s sanction policy. And that’s what you saw and the world saw take place yesterday,” she said.
Schumer skewers GOP after Senate deadlocks on health care votes
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of pushing Americans “off the side of a cliff” after most GOP senators rejected his party’s proposal Thursday to extend Covid-era Obamacare subsidies.
“This is such a crisis and they’re busy playing games,” Schumer said.
Asked if Democrats would consider a Republican compromise that includes anti-fraud reforms, Schumer made clear there’s no path forward if GOP leaders are opposed to such a compromise.
“Look the Republicans voted against this 13 times. The onus is on them,” Schumer said.
The Democratic leader was noncommittal on whether he could support any of the proposal from centrist House GOP lawmakers, in the form of a discharge petition.
“I’m not going to prejudge what the House does,” Schumer said.
He also suggested that Democrats would not force more votes in January because then, as Schumer said, “the toothpaste was out of the tube.”
Senate rejects Democratic bill that would extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits
The Senate rejected a Democratic bill to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits for another three years, just weeks before they are set to expire on January 1.
The vote was 51-48, with Sens. Susan Collins, Josh Hawley, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan voting with Democrats to support the measure. The proposal needed 60 votes to advance toward final passage.
Democrats have been pushing for months to extend the enhanced ACA subsidies in order to avert skyrocketing premiums for many Americans in the new year. The party made the tax credits a cornerstone of the government shutdown fight.
If the enhanced subsidies lapse, enrollees will see their premium payments more than double — or about $1,000 — on average, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group. And roughly 2 million more people are expected to be uninsured next year if they lapse, according to CBO.
Republicans, who have struggled to coalesce around an alternative, offered earlier Thursday their own plan to lower health care costs without extending the subsidies. It was also rejected by the Senate, drawing a week of health care infighting to a close.
Now that the proposals have failed as expected, some centrists are hopeful that real bipartisan work can begin. But it’s still not clear whether GOP leadership has an appetite to have that fight among its ranks.
CNN’s Tami Luhby and Sarah Ferris contributed to this report.
FEMA Review Council abruptly postpones meeting
The FEMA Review Council has abruptly postponed its meeting scheduled for Thursday afternoon, which was expected to be the final session of the task force convened by President Donald Trump earlier this year, according to three sources familiar with the cancelation.
Members were set to vote on a final report and a list of recommendations to reform the agency, which would then head to the White House for further review.
It appears Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who co-chairs the council, was unaware of the postponement before word started spreading. CNN first learned about the cancelation through multiple sources just before 12:00 pm ET Thursday. At 12:06 pm, during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Noem told lawmakers: “I have to actually leave this hearing early, because the FEMA review Council is giving their report today on suggestions for changes to FEMA. I have to co-chair it. I will be leaving soon to have to go do that.”
CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and White House for comment.
Trump, who will ultimately decide whether to implement the proposed changes, has not commented on the council’s proposal.
A copy of the recommendations, obtained by CNN, shows the council does not propose eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as Trump and Noem previously suggested. Instead, the report recommends cutting the agency’s workforce in half, changing its name, shifting most disaster aid to a block grant system and raising the threshold for states to qualify for federal assistance after a storm.
The most contentious recommendation is to keep FEMA under the Department of Homeland Security. Several agency veterans, state officials and some council members have argued that FEMA should be more independent. Public comments also overwhelmingly favored an independent FEMA, according to three sources familiar with the discussions.
Key moments from today’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other top Trump national security officials faced questions from lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee about the administration’s immigration and foreign policy.
Here are key moments from today’s hearing:
- Call for DHS secretary to resign: Rep. Bennie Thompson, the committee’s ranking Democratic member, called on Noem to resign after accusing her of putting her own interests above the agency she oversees.
- FBI director absent: Thompson ridiculed FBI Director Kash Patel for not attending. “Today’s hearing is supposed to be one of the most important exercises of this committee’s oversight jurisdiction,” the lawmaker said.
- Lacking specifics on Antifa: Michael Glasheen, the FBI’s operations director of the National Security Branch, testified that the amorphous, left-wing group Antifa was the “most immediate” domestic threat to the US — but when pressed, he could not provide basic information about it.
- No order to address “enemy within”: Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of US Northern Command, told senators he has received no orders regarding an “enemy within,” despite comments from President Donald Trump earlier this year telling senior officers to be prepared for a “war from within.”
- Foreign cyberattacks: The US homeland faces persistent cyber threats from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and criminal ransomware gangs, and the line between state and criminal hackers is often blurred, Glasheen said.
- Protester disrupts: As Noem made her opening remarks, a protester began shouting against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. “Stop ICE raids!” yelled the demonstrator, who was holding a sign and a cross.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was interrupted by protesters holding anti-ICE signs during her Thursday testimony before the House on threats to national security.
