POLICY RUNDOWN FEDERAL AID HALT — In a two-page memo Monday night, the Office of Management and Budget ordered all federal agencies to temporarily suspend “all federal financial assistance,” while making clear that Social Security and Medicare won’t be affected, our Jennifer Scholtes reports. INTENSE NEW SPOTLIGHT — The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s mild-mannered new chair, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), is about to get thrust into some hyper-partisan battles as he takes a leading role on Trump’s agenda — including possibly slashing hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid, our Ben Leonard reports. “He's going to face, for the first time in his political career, a hostile media,” said House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.). “Special interests will come out of the woodwork to oppose any type of potential savings that he proposes.” PROBING THE PANAMA CANAL — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is using his position atop the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee to draw more attention to a Trump priority: taking back the Panama Canal. Cruz told Ben on Monday he expects to use a hearing today to focus on Trump’s concerns about undue Chinese influence at the canal, as well as how the canal’s operations may be impacting U.S. shipping. China and Panama have denied interference, and Panama has pushed back against Trump’s desires to acquire its canal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is headed to Panama this week. ‘GREENLAND IS NOT FOR SALE’ — Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Danish lawmaker Aaja Chemnitz issued a joint statement Monday criticizing Trump’s threats to annex Greenland, per our colleague-across-the-pond Seb Starcevic. Their view: “Americans must view Greenland as an ally, not an asset.” MEANWHILE, IN DORAL — In a news conference, Johnson backed Trump’s trade war threat against Colombia and shrugged off concerns about Trump’s firings of inspectors general, our Meredith Lee Hill reports. But Johnson demurred when asked if he supported Trump’s suggestion that the California wildfire aid should be tied to forcing the state to implement voter ID requirements. RECRUITING KEMP — Senate Republicans are trying to draw Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp into the 2026 race against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Thune told Jordain he’s already spoken to Kemp about the contest and anticipates that conversation won’t be the last, adding in a brief interview, “He would be a great candidate.” It’s not just Thune. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the chair of the Senate GOP campaign arm, told Semafor that he’s met with Kemp. The best of POLITICO Pro and E&E:
THE BEST OF THE REST Tillis Assured Hegseth’s Former Sister-in-Law Her Testimony Could Convince GOP Senators to Vote No, from Lindsay Wise at WSJ The Race for Dick Durbin’s Senate Seat Has Already Begun, from Helen Huiskes at NOTUS. Donald Trump Ignores Federal Laws As He Moves To Reshape Washington, from Igor Bobic at HuffPost Sen. Whitehouse says people need to ‘chill’ with speculating over his RFK Jr. vote, from Eli Sherman at WPRI CAPITOL HILL INFLUENCE Mimi Bair is now a VP at McGuireWoods Consulting. She previously was legislative director for Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas). JOB BOARD Alexandra Bell is now communications director and senior adviser to Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.). Sara Robertson is now press secretary on the House Education and Workforce Committee. Molly Vaseliou is now associate administrator for public affairs at the EPA. She most recently was communications director for Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and served at the EPA in the first Trump administration. Kristin Sleeper will be deputy undersecretary for natural resources and environment at the USDA. She previously worked as professional staff for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the House Ag Committee. Jordan Wilson is now director of modernization and innovation for the Committee on House Administration in addition to serving as director of member services. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) are looking for law clerks for the summer. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is looking for a digital communications director. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Justice Amy Coney Barrett … Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) … Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) and Jeff Crank (R-Colo.) … Robert Satloff of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy … former Reps. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.), Tom Downey (D-N.Y.) and Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.) … Achim Bergmann … Leslie Jones of American Forests … Ted Greener of the Association of American Railroads … Future Caucus’ Blaine Volpe … Karalee Geis of the House Judiciary GOP (30) … Lot Sixteen’s Helen Kalla TRIVIA MONDAY’S ANSWER: Kevin Diestelow correctly answered that William Howard Taft is the only person who has served as a Cabinet secretary, Supreme Court justice, and president of the United States. TODAY’S QUESTION, from Kevin: Who was the first president to be inaugurated wearing long trousers rather than breeches? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com.
| 
