Washington On One - March 24, 2025

THE LEDE:  Trump moves to shutter Department of Education…Trump sends second aircraft carrier to Middle East in ramp up against Houthis…Columbia University agrees to Trump demands in effort to get back federal funding…White House strikes deal with major law firm to lift sanctions…DHS shuts down internal watchdog agencies that advocated for immigrants…Trump picks Boeing to build next-generation fighter plane…The Trump administration is importing millions of eggs from Turkey and South Korea, with other countries likely to be contributing in the coming weeks…The Small Business Administration will slash more than 40 percent of its staff, amounting to 2,700 people… Johnson & Johnson will spend $55 billion in the U.S. over the next four years on manufacturing, research and technology investments, the drug giant said Friday…As the Trump administration continues its tit-for-tat tariff battle, the European Union has taken a step back on its retaliatory tariffs: delaying their planned measures on American whiskey and other goods from March 31 until mid-April…The United Kingdom updated its advice for travel to the United States, warning of harsh consequences for British passport holders who violate U.S. immigration laws. Germany also updated its U.S. travel advice after three citizens were detained…The Taliban on Thursday released American hostage George Glezmann, 66, after holding him for more than two years in Afghanistan. The former Delta Airlines mechanic was freed following negotiations between U.S. and Qatari officials, acting as intermediaries…Former First Lady of Massachusetts, Kitty Dukakis, tireless advocate who shared her struggles with the public, dies at 88…RIP former GOP Utah Rep.  Mia Love…

NUMBERS: The new Federal Reserve forecast 1.7% for GDP growth in 2025…Fed holds rates steady

HEARINGS OF NOTE:  Tuesday: The House Agriculture Committee will host a hearing on the CFTC at 50 years old. The House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on expanding access to capital across America with several witnesses, including Steve Case.   U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger will testify in front of the House Appropriations Committee about the security of the Capitol complex.  The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on America’s trade negotiation priorities.  The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on Frank Bisignano’s nomination to be commissioner of the Social Security Administration. The Senate Intelligence Committee will have its worldwide threats hearing.  Wednesday: The House Appropriations Committee will host NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy for an NTSB oversight hearing. The House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on a “new era for the CFPB.”  The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will host the heads of NPR and PBS for a hearing entitled “Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the heads of NPR and PBS Accountable.” NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher and PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger are slated to appear.  The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on the status of the military service academies with the superintendents of West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy.  Thursday: The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing about the DCA mid-air collision. Homendy, Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau and Brigadier Gen. Matthew Braman, the director of Army Aviation, will testify.

WELCOME BACK:  Congressional Republicans return to Washington this week facing a harsh reality: their legislative agenda is stalled. Despite earlier victories on spending, House and Senate Republicans remain divided over how to advance President Trump’s sweeping plan that ties tax reform to energy, defense, and border policies. Speaker Mike Johnson wants a budget deal by early April, but major issues—deep spending cuts, tax priorities, and how to pay for extending the 2017 tax cuts—remain unresolved. House Republicans refuse to draft a bill without a fiscal outline from the Senate, while Senate Republicans are skeptical the House can pass its own plan. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is stepping in to help break the logjam, but frustration is mounting. As Sen. Chuck Grassley put it: “Talk, talk, talk.” With Medicaid cuts, tax break fights, and swing-district concerns all in play, GOP lawmakers acknowledge a deal is still weeks—or months—away.

THAT OTHER COEQUAL BRANCH:  President Trump’s allies in Congress are targeting federal judges who have blocked key elements of his second-term agenda. After U.S. District Judge James Boasberg halted deportations of Venezuelan migrants, Trump called for his impeachment. Freshman Rep. Brandon Gill filed articles accusing Boasberg of abuse of power—part of a broader push by House conservatives to punish judges seen as obstructing Trump. Judges Paul Engelmayer and Amir Ali have also faced GOP threats for rulings on data access and foreign aid, respectively.  However, impeachment for political decisions is historically rare and unlikely to succeed. Only 15 federal judges have been impeached, and just eight removed—usually for criminal conduct, not ideology. The precedent set by the 1804 failed impeachment of Justice Samuel Chase underscores the high bar. Chief Justice John Roberts echoed that view, warning against politicizing the judiciary. Even if the House votes to impeach, Senate removal remains virtually impossible.

WATCH THIS SPACE:  President Trump on Thursday called for an end to nationwide injunctions, urging the Supreme Court to intervene after a series of legal setbacks. “Unlawful Nationwide Injunctions by Radical Left Judges could very well lead to the destruction of our Country!” he posted on Truth Social, accusing judges of overstepping their authority. Trump also attacked Chief Judge James Boasberg, who recently blocked the deportation of Venezuelan migrants. Federal judges have halted several Trump administration actions, including bans on transgender military service and agency personnel changes. Sen. Josh Hawley said he will introduce legislation to limit nationwide injunctions.

THE FED:   Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell pointed to the administration’s on-again-off-again tariffs while explaining why the central bank is opting to stand pat rather than cut its benchmark interest rates now.   Since his campaign, Trump has made no secret of his interest in seeing the Fed cut rates. But further progress may be “delayed,” Powell said Wednesday without mentioning the president’s name.  At the same time, the central bank is still projecting two rate cuts this year but forecasting slower growth in 2025 and 2026, compared with its December outlook, Powell told reporters. He described the economy as being on solid footing overall. 

DEPT. OF EDUCATION:  President Trump signed an executive order Thursday to begin dismantling the Department of Education, calling it a “historic action” long sought by conservatives. While fully eliminating the department requires an act of Congress, the order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to scale it back significantly. Trump vowed to preserve core functions—like Pell Grants, Title I funding, and disability programs—by relocating them to other agencies.  Before the order, McMahon had already laid off over 1,300 employees, cutting the department’s workforce in half. The White House said critical functions mandated by Congress would remain, but broader responsibilities would shift to states.  Democrats and teachers' unions condemned the move, warning it would harm vulnerable students and lead to legal challenges. NEA President Becky Pringle called the plan a “wrecking ball” targeting public education. While GOP lawmakers support the goal, legislative efforts to abolish the department face steep hurdles in the Senate.

DEPT. OF EDUCATION:  Trump said Friday that several functions that were once housed under the Department of Education (DOE) will be moved to other agencies following his executive order gutting the DOE.  Student loans will be handled by the Small Business Administration, which is cutting its own workforce by 40 percent.  Programs benefitting students with disabilities will be run out of the Department of Health and Human Services.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY:  The university, which was accused by the Trump administration of not doing enough to address antisemitism during protests against the Israel-Hamas war, has agreed to ban face masks during protests on campus. It also said it would place its Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies Departments and the Center for Palestine Studies under the authority of a new senior vice provost, according to a document the university said it shared with the federal Education Department, the Department of Health and Human Services and the General Services Administration.

DOD:  Two top GOP defense lawmakers are rejecting Pentagon plans to overhaul the U.S. military command structure in Europe. Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker and House Chair Mike Rogers said they won’t approve “unilateral changes,” including ending America’s role as NATO’s supreme commander. While they back Trump’s push for greater allied defense spending, their opposition signals internal GOP resistance. Retired officers warn the changes, though cost-saving, could weaken U.S. influence and disrupt military operations

PAUL WEISS:  President Trump has agreed to rescind an executive order targeting the law firm Paul Weiss in exchange for concessions, including $40 million in pro bono work on conservative causes. The firm pledged to abandon its diversity policies and support projects like Trump’s antisemitism task force and “fairness in the justice system.” The order, issued March 14, would have restricted Paul Weiss’s access to government contracts due to its past ties to attorney Mark Pomerantz, who investigated Trump. A similar order against another firm was recently blocked by a federal judge for likely violating constitutional protections against viewpoint discrimination.

LEADER SCHUMER:  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer defended his support for a GOP-backed stopgap spending bill, pushing back on criticism from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and fellow Democrats. “What we got, at the end of the day, is avoiding the horror of a shutdown,” Schumer said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press. Pelosi had accused Schumer of giving ground without securing concessions, saying, “I don’t give away anything for nothing.” Schumer maintained there was no real leverage and argued a shutdown would have empowered Donald Trump to further weaken the federal government. While some Democrats voiced frustration over the decision, Schumer stood firm, insisting he acted out of conviction. His move earned rare praise from Trump, who said Schumer had “guts.” Pelosi clarified that she still supports Schumer, despite their disagreement. As murmurs grow within the party about Schumer’s leadership, he dismissed comparisons to past Democratic missteps and said firmly, “I’m not stepping down.”

DOCTOR OZ:  Sen. Josh Hawley wants Mehmet Oz, Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to disavow his past positions on abortion and gender affirming care for minors, our colleague Robert King reports. Oz has previously made comments supporting gender affirming care and expressing ambivalence towards abortion. Hawley said he hopes Oz has changed his views to match the president.  Hawley’s vote would not be needed for Oz’s confirmation. But the Republican senator recently illustrated his influence after successfully pressuring the newly appointed chief counsel of the Food and Drug Administration to resign over her past work defending abortion access.

CODIFING DOGE:  Senate Republicans are urging the Trump administration to send Congress a formal rescissions package to legitimize controversial spending cuts led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). While GOP lawmakers see a vote as a way to protect cuts from legal challenges, the White House appears hesitant, recalling the failed 2018 attempt to claw back $15 billion. This time, cuts could total up to $500 billion, heightening GOP concerns about blowback. Some Republicans, including Sen. Rand Paul and Vice President JD Vance, are pushing for congressional buy-in, but others fear political fallout from voting on unpopular cuts. Trump has questioned the constitutionality of the rescissions law itself, complicating the path forward. Still, a successful vote could bolster the GOP’s fiscal messaging and help offset costs in a broader tax and defense package. Senate leaders expect any request to come only after DOGE completes more of its internal review—if it comes at all.

THE NEW USAID?:  Trump administration officials are circulating a proposal to overhaul U.S. foreign aid, aiming to streamline programs and better counter China’s global influence. The plan would rename USAID as the U.S. Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance, narrow its mission, and embed it within the State Department. Economic-focused agencies like the Millennium Challenge Corporation and U.S. Trade and Development Agency would merge under the International Development Finance Corporation to promote private investment abroad. Politically oriented efforts—such as democracy promotion and anti-trafficking—would shift to State. The proposal reflects Trump’s transactional foreign policy and prioritizes aid tied to U.S. interests, accountability, and measurable outcomes.

UKRAINE:  U.S. and Russian officials are meeting today in Saudi Arabia for technical-level peace talks focused on land, energy, and shipping, with the Trump administration aiming for a deal within weeks. Envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism, while the Kremlin struck a more cautious tone, saying talks are just beginning. The talks follow U.S.-Ukraine negotiations in Riyadh, which offered some reassurance to European allies—now alarmed by Witkoff’s weekend interview praising Vladimir Putin and dismissing European peacekeeping efforts as “a posture and a pose.”  His comments have deepened European concerns about waning U.S. support. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are leading efforts to formalize a European peacekeeping plan, while EU leaders prepare a broader strategy for defense without the U.S. Tensions are also rising over Trump’s push to acquire Greenland, prompting backlash from Danish and Greenlandic leaders ahead of high-level U.S. visits to the island this week

GAZA:  Israeli forces expanded their ground offensive in Gaza on Thursday, killing at least 80 Palestinians in a new wave of strikes, according to health officials in the enclave. Hamas fired its first rockets since Israel broke a two-month ceasefire and resumed heavy strikes on Gaza this week, killing more than 500. Israel's defense minister threatened earlier this week to open “the gates of hell” in Gaza if Hamas refuses to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demands.   In Israel, protesters flooded the streets in opposition to Netanyahu’s restarting of the war. Demonstrators accuse the government of continuing the war for political reasons and ignoring the plight of the 59 hostages still held by Hamas.