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Republican senators are expressing shock and disbelief that conservative allies of former President TrumpDonald TrumpPennsylvania's GOP-controlled Senate to spend up to 0K on election investigation Trump congratulates Rittenhouse on acquittal The Memo: Rittenhouse verdict reverberates across polarized nation MORE in the House threatened to strip colleagues who voted for the $1 trillion infrastructure bill of their committee assignments.

The incredulous reactions of Republican senators to a motion filed in the House to boot Rep. John KatkoJohn Michael KatkoLawmakers increasingly anxious about US efforts against Russian hackers GOP senators appalled by 'ridiculous' House infighting House votes to censure Gosar and boot him from committees MORE (N.Y.) from his position as the top-ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee because of his vote for the infrastructure bill reveal the chasm that is opening up between the Senate and House GOP conferences.

While Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOvernight Defense & National Security Presented by Boeing Senate punts on defense bill On The Money House Democrats pass Biden's big bill The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by ExxonMobil - House to vote on Biden social spending bill after McCarthy delay MORE (R-Ky.) has created something of a bulwark against Trumps complete takeover of the Republican Party, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin McCarthyOvernight Health Care Presented by Emergent Biosolutions Boosters for all Overnight Energy & Environment House passes giant climate, social policy bill On The Money House Democrats pass Biden's big bill MORE (R-Calif.) has made public shows of loyalty to the former president and done little to rein in the most rambunctious and provocative pro-Trump conservatives in his conference.

The starkly different attitudes among Senate and House Republicans were laid bare this week when Trumps allies in the lower chamber made a push to punish the 13 GOP colleagues who voted for infrastructure legislation by threatening their committee assignments.

The calls for retaliation are coming from a small number of conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus and are unlikely to result in lawmakers actually being kicked off committees, but the fact that theres even a serious discussion of it is causing heartburn.

Senate Republicans warn that taking such a drastic step against fellow Republicans over a good-faith policy disagreement would be foolish and dangerous to the long-term health of the party.

Thats absolutely nuts, Sen. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyBiden says he's 'considering' a diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics GOP senators appalled by 'ridiculous' House infighting In dramatic shift, national intelligence director does not rule out 'extraterrestrial' origins for UFOs MORE (R-Utah) said of talk in the House of stripping Republicans who voted for the infrastructure bill of their committee seats.

The infrastructure bill was bipartisan. It was voted for by Mitch McConnell, he said, arguing that it will now be tougher for Democratic leaders to persuade centrists such as Sen. Joe ManchinJoe ManchinOvernight Energy & Environment House passes giant climate, social policy bill Equilibrium/Sustainability Presented by Southern Company Climate crisis driving child marriages: report Biden hails House passage of key piece of his domestic agenda MORE (D-W.Va.) to vote for a bigger climate and social spending bill because funding for popular hard infrastructure priorities moved separately.

Republicans were smart to support it, insisted Romney, who was one of 19 Senate Republicans who voted for the infrastructure legislation.

Sen. Richard ShelbyRichard Craig ShelbyGOP senators appalled by 'ridiculous' House infighting The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by ExxonMobil - House Democrats eye big vote on Biden measure Democrats scramble to figure out shutdown strategy MORE (Ala.), the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the threatened retaliation against House Republicans draconian.

Shelby, who has served in Congress since 1979, opposed the infrastructure bill, joining most of his GOP colleagues in voting against the legislation in August.

But he said hed never heard talk about stripping a lawmaker of a committee assignment because of how he or she cast a vote on a particular piece of legislation.

Another Senate Republican who voted for the infrastructure bill called talk of meting out punishment against House colleagues who voted for the bill ridiculous.

Thats utterly, utterly ridiculous, and McCarthy ought to squelch that, the lawmaker said. They dont have caucus discipline.

McCarthy has referred a motion by Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), a member of the House Freedom Caucus, to oust Katko as the top-ranking Republican on the Homeland Security panel to the House GOP Steering Committee.

The Steering Committee can refer the motion to the full 213-member House Republican Conference for a vote or ignore it.

Katko told The Hill on Wednesday afternoon that he didnt know what would happen with the motion.

Senate Minority Whip John ThuneJohn Randolph ThuneMcConnell, Schumer hunt for debt ceiling off-ramp The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by ExxonMobil - Gosar censured as GOP drama heightens US may default before Christmas if debt ceiling isn't raised: analysis MORE (R-S.D.), who also voted against the infrastructure bill, warned that retaliating against fellow Republicans who vote for things they believe are in the best interests of their constituents is a dumb move.

Thats just not a smart thing to do, he said. Retaliatory actions like that, I think, are counterproductive in the long run.

We have that situation over here once in a while where somebody votes for something and its disappointing to us but the most important vote is always the next vote, not the last vote, he added.

Senate Republican leaders suffered a huge disappointment in 2017, when moderate Sens. Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann MurkowskiThree female senators call NYT coverage of Sinema's clothes 'sexist' GOP senators appalled by 'ridiculous' House infighting The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by ExxonMobil - House Democrats eye big vote on Biden measure MORE (R-Alaska), Susan CollinsSusan Margaret CollinsThree female senators call NYT coverage of Sinema's clothes 'sexist' Overnight Defense & National Security Presented by Boeing US mulls Afghan evacuees' future GOP senators appalled by 'ridiculous' House infighting MORE (R-Maine) and John McCainJohn Sidney McCainGOP senators appalled by 'ridiculous' House infighting MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace, Chris Christie battle over Fox News Trump's attacks on McConnell seen as prelude to 2024 White House bid MORE (R-Ariz.) voted with Democrats to defeat legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which was a top Republican priority.

But there was no talk whatsoever in the wake of that vote of punishing those lawmakers.

And the show of respect paid off a few months later when all three Republicans voted to narrowly pass Trumps Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, 51 to 49.

Collins also helped give Trump a major win when she cast a key vote to confirm his second nominee to the Supreme Court, Brett KavanaughBrett Michael KavanaughRace is not central to Rittenhouse case but the media shout it anyway GOP senators appalled by 'ridiculous' House infighting Joy Reid compares Kyle Rittenhouse's 'male white tears' to Justice Kavanaugh's MORE, after a rancorous confirmation proceeding during which she came under heavy pressure to vote no.

Senate Republicans say the bitter infighting among House Republicans raises serious concerns about their future ability to govern if they win back control of the lower chamber in the 2022 midterm elections, which political handicappers now say is a likely prospect.

Thune said the 13 Republicans facing punishment will be with the Republican conference over there on most issues and if you start isolating and singling out individual votes, its not going to be conducive to having a united majority in the long run on issues where you really need it.

Sen. Rob PortmanRobert (Rob) Jones PortmanOvernight Defense & National Security Presented by Boeing US mulls Afghan evacuees' future Hillicon Valley Presented by Ericsson DOJ unveils new election hacking charges GOP senators appalled by 'ridiculous' House infighting MORE (R-Ohio), who led the group of centrist Republicans who negotiated the bipartisan infrastructure bill and who attended a signing ceremony at the White House on Monday, said the bill would have been much different if it didnt have any Republican input.

Im hesitant to get involved in House politics, but I think thats a very bad direction if they go that way, he said of the prospect of GOP lawmakers losing committee assignments or being punished in other ways for supporting more funding for roads, bridges, airports, public transit and expanded access to broadband internet.

People voted for the legislation because it was in the interests of their constituents. Its very popular back home. If you take that approach that youre going to punish people for voting for whats in the interest of the people they represent, you may end up with real problems, he said.

Senate Republicans see the backlash against colleagues who voted for the infrastructure bill as being driven primarily by Trump, who on Wednesday released an invective-filled statement bashing Republican lawmakers for giving President BidenJoe BidenPennsylvania's GOP-controlled Senate to spend up to 0K on election investigation Biden's pick for Arizona's US Attorney confirmed by Senate Overnight Health Care Presented by Emergent Biosolutions Boosters for all MORE a major policy accomplishment.

Mitch McConnell couldnt stop the first Bill so 19 Senators, including himself, joined in. Thats what he does if you cant beat them, join them, Trump fumed in his statement.

But McConnell says he has no regrets about supporting the legislation, which he called a godsend for his home state.

He argued that Republicans improved the bill by taking the Democrats proposed tax increases off the table and not touching the 2017 tax cuts.

From my Kentucky point of view, it was extremely good for our state. Im proud of my vote, he said.

Scott Wong contributed.

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GOP senators appalled by 'ridiculous' House infighting | TheHill - The Hill

Minnesotas top coronavirus official met with the states top Republican for the first time Friday afternoon in a Zoom call that could have ramifications for the states COVID response.

The ultimate impact remained unclear of the private meeting between Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller, R-Winona. Miller came into the leadership post in September and can wield heavy influence in determining if the Republican controlled Senate will allow Malcolm to keep her job.

Miller described the meeting as productive, and a Malcolm spokesman said the pair discussed a range of COVID-related matters.

Malcolm was appointed by Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, three years ago. As the pandemic response has become politically polarized, Malcolms tenure or a potential end to it at the hands of Republicans has become a central obstacle to progress in a series of changes to state laws and regulations generally agreed upon by member of both parties.

Those changes include a suite of waivers that would allow flexibility to bring on more staff for hospitals, long term care centers, home health care programs and day care centers. In addition to having the support of Walz, Miller and other elected officials, leaders from those sectors have asked state officials for the changes. Little has happened, though, since Walz proposed them Oct. 6.

Miller and several other top Republicans have declined to say whether they favor sacking Malcolm, whose recommendations throughout the pandemic have generally been in lockstep with public health and infectious disease leaders worldwide. Leading into the meeting, Miller said one of his goals with Malcolm was to relate the concerns of constituents of his and other lawmakers, especially Republicans, whose residents have become increasingly opposed to the top-down feel of edicts from Walz, Malcolm and other leaders.

Miller issued the following statement Friday:

I appreciated the opportunity to meet with Commissioner Malcolm this afternoon. The conversation was productive, and its my hope this will be a starting point for improved collaboration with the Governor and his administration.

A spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Health released the following statement:

Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm shared with Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller an update today on the status of the pandemic in MN and the extraordinary actions the Department of Health is taking to slow the spread of COVID-19, support our significantly strained hospital and long term care systems and make it as easy as possible for Minnesotans to get vaccinated or get their booster shots as quickly as possible. The two also discussed her extensive public health experience and expertise,and the Commissioner talked with the Majority Leader about the importance of working together on a number of legislative items that would help address hospital and long-term care capacity concerns.

Commissioner Malcolm provides all 201 legislators regular briefings on the COVID pandemic and the response and looks forward to continuing to work with the Majority Leader and Legislature to address the current state of the pandemic.

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MN health commissioner and top Republican have productive meeting - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

By Ariane de Vogue, CNN Supreme Court Reporter

(CNN) -- Two challengers to the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for large employers are trying to ensure that their case is decided as quickly as possible by a majority of judges appointed by Republican presidents.

They are asking that the challenges be heard by the full federal appeals court where Republican-appointed judges outnumber those nominated by Democrats nearly 2-to-1, bypassing the possibility of a liberal-leaning three-judge panel hearing the case.

Such a move to leapfrog usual procedures would speed up resolution of the appeal by cutting out the customary step of the three-judge panel but also could have strategic benefits for the challengers who argue that the administration exceeded its authority in issuing the mandate that employers of 100 or more workers require them to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

That's because the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals -- which was chosen by ping-pong ball lottery to hear the cases -- is composed of 10 active judges nominated by Republican presidents and six by Democratic presidents.

The thinking goes that a full panel of judges on the conservative-leaning court is more likely to rule against the government than three randomly selected judges. Under most circumstances, a dispute is assigned to a three-judge panel, and then there is an opportunity to ask the full court "en banc" to hear an appeal after the panel rules.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which falls under the US Labor Department, unveiled the new rules on November 4, citing its authority to issue an emergency temporary standard to protect employees if they are exposed to a "grave danger." It requires employers with 100 or more employees to ensure that their employees are fully vaccinated or undergo regular testing and wear a face covering at work.

Eighty-four million workers at-large employers would be covered by the rules, scheduled to fully take effect on January 4.

The mandate came under immediate challenge from Republican-led states and some private employers who charge that OSHA exceeded its power. Liberal-leaning unions joined in too, arguing in some cases that OSHA has the authority to go further and issue a more stringent mandate.

The conservative Buckeye Institute, representing Phillips Manufacturing & Tower Company and Sixarp LLC, is one of the groups asking for "en banc" review. Notably, it is working with a conservative boutique law firm -- Consovoy McCarthy -- that also represented former President Donald Trump's lawyers during his battle to shield his tax returns. The firm is also behind a major affirmative action case heading to the Supreme Court.

In court papers, the Institute's lawyers argue that review by more judges on the court is necessary because the mandate presents issues of "exceptional public importance." They say that if OSAH prevails, it will raise "fundamental questions about the relationship between citizen and the government," and it will mean "there is no limit to the federal government's authority in pandemics."

A second challenger making the request is the conservative Alliance Defending Freedom, representing businesses opposed to the mandate. In court papers, its lawyers argue that it is necessary to resolve the dispute quickly because the mandate is based on a "rarely used law of questionable applicability" and was issued without following the necessary procedural protocols.

According to Jonathan Adler, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, all of the active judges will vote on the so-called "en banc" petition. It will take a majority of the active judges on the court to grant review. It is rare on the 6th Circuit to agree to such a request, particularly before a three-judge panel has had the opportunity to rule.

"The challengers are seeking en banc review because they think this ensures them of a more favorable panel, and it's better than taking their chances on a random draw of three judges," Adler said.

At the moment, OSHA is complying with a directive from the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals and is no longer reaching out to large private companies to help them comply with the emergency rule that mandates vaccinations or weekly testing for employees, according to the agency website.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified the Buckeye Institute's role in the case.

The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

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Opponents of Biden's vaccine mandate seek to ensure a majority of Republican-appointed judges hear case - WDJT

The Congress of the United States is not Arkham Asylum, the psychiatric hospital and prison in Batmans Gotham City.

Though if you watched the mad ranting of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who spoke on the House floor for eight and a half hours from Thursday night until early Friday morning, you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. For most of his speech there was almost no audience. For all of his speech he made no sense. His marathon babblefest achieved nothing whatsoever. But he blatherbustered on and on, full of, as Shakespeare would say, sound and fury, signifying nothing.

For a few hours during the address, McCarthy was surrounded by some other notable characters who seemed to wander in from a summer stock production of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. There was Louie Gohmert, who once suggested we consider moving the moon as a way of controlling rising sea levels. Also there for a bit was North Carolina nitwit and serial liar Madison Cawthorn, the man who once said James Madison signed the Declaration of Independence and who urged conservative mothers to raise their boys to be monsters, spitting his chaw juice into a paper cup. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, who once compared the Jan. 6 riot to a normal tourist visit, sat next to Greg Pence, the MAGA-loving brother of the vice president Trumps mob of normal tourists sought to hang.

Days earlier, McCarthy had been talkifying from that same lectern in an effort to protect Paul Gosar from consequences for posting an anime video depicting him killing congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Biden. Gosar is also noted for his ties to extreme right-wing groups, his support of insane conspiracy theories, and the fact that his siblings banded together to campaign against him because they felt he was unfit for office. Gosar is also a dentist, which makes things clearer. And worse.

Gosar, despite McCarthy chin-wagging, was ultimately censured by the members of the House who are actually willing to take a stand against murdering each other. Notably, that included only two Republicans. Similarly, hours after McCarthys nocturnal emissions came to an end, the bill he stood in opposition toBidens Build Back Better initiativewas approved by the House of Representatives. (Yes, thats right, McCarthy made the calculation that he should break the House record for the longest speech ever delivered from its floor by standing in opposition to providing hearing aids for the elderly, pre-K for children, home care for those who needed it, help for the environment, and more jobs for Americans.)

These House shenanigans will come as no surprise to those who have watched the body over the past several years. We have seen one congressman sue a fictional cow that was making fun of him. We saw another, cuckoo-for-Cocoa Puffs congresswoman kicked off committees for endorsing political violence. McCarthy says both Marjorie Taylor Greene and Gosar will be put back on committees should Republicans retake the house, where they would work alongside the likes of Lauren Boebert, an extremist-supporting high school drop-out whose restaurant once managed to poison 80 people at a local fair, even as all three are being investigated by the House Select Committee to determine whether or not they provided aid and comfort to the insurrectionists who invaded the Capitol on Jan. 6.

There is no question that Gosar and Greene and Boebert cheered on the mob that interfered with the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in U.S. history. And these three are far from the only Republican lawmakers who are actively anti-democratic, have supported the Big Lie about the last election, and are continuing to try to put an end to the principles on which the institution in which they serve was founded.

Do not for a minute assume the insanity is limited to the House. Pro-coup senators like Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley not only have paid no price for their active support of an assault on the Capitol, they now have, thanks to Senate rules, the power to undermine U.S. national security purely on the basis of their own individual, demonstrably bad, judgement.

You see Senate rules permit any U.S. senator to block the confirmation of presidential nominees for top jobs. They dont have to have a reason. They dont have to defend their decision. They can simply phone in a nope to the Senate cloakroom and the nominee will not come up for a vote until they relent. Using this technique, these two guys have blocked scores of nominees for critical national security positions from ambassadors to senior departmental officials, put the U.S. at risk by doing so, and theres nothing any of us can do about it. Cruz alone blocked over 50 such nominees.

Again, theyre not alone. Just this week, Marco Rubio blocked the nomination of Ambassador Nicholas Burns as envoy to China. Rubio argued he was worried Burns would be too soft on China. There is no evidence to support this argument. In fact, Burns, one of the most distinguished professional diplomats in the modern history of the U.S. State Department, once served in the No. 3 job in the George W. Bush State Department working with noted pro-communists like Condoleezza Rice, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Bush himself. Even Cruz, who seemed intent to indiscriminately block Biden State Department nominees, had expressed his satisfaction with Burns. But given Senate rules, Rubio can do whatever he wants for as long as he wants whether his action is based on facts or wholesale ignorance or pure pettiness.

Not only is the Congress full of loons now, many of whom are grossly unfit for office, but even those who are qualified on paper are now behaving in grossly irrational or unethical ways. And all this is compounded by the fact that the rules of this particular nuthouse are broken. You know, like the filibuster rule that allows a minority of senators elected by an even small minority of Americans to block progress including essential steps that may provide the only path we have to preserving our democracy.

For now, at least, the inmates arent running the asylum, just gumming up the works while delivering long speeches. But if Republicans retake the House and the Senate next year, things can get much, much worse.

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The Republicans Have Turned Congress Into Arkham Asylum - The Daily Beast

Chris Christie has been cosplaying the respectable Republican for a while now, but we here in his home state of New Jersey remember. We remember the screaming at teachers, we remember the government shutdowns, we remember the beach vacation he took during that shutdown and we remember his shameless groveling over the four years of the Trump administration during which he gladly humiliated himself and enabled a man who actively tried to overthrow Democracy. He just wrote a book about how to save the Republican party, which is the moral equivalent of breaking someones legs and standing outside the emergency room to sell them crutches.

Christie was a loyal member of team Trump until it became convenient for him not to be. If Trump rang he came running. COVID-laden Supreme court nominee reception? Thank you, Sir, may I have another. Debate prep? My pleasure Mr. President. Now, he happily tells anyone with a camera that the GOP must move on from Trump, and wouldnt you know it, hes available for the job.

I have no doubt in my mind that if it becomes advantageous for Christie to rejoin team Trump a year or six months from now he would disavow everything he wrote or said that cast aspersions on the fearless leader and fall in line. Maybe this time Trump will actually make Christie Attorney General instead of stringing him along for four years. Or maybe the former president will just drag him on stage at a rally to mock him again. I remember that. I wonder if he does.

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Chris Christie is here to rescue the Republican Party | Sheneman - nj.com