Nov 25, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Trump taps James Braid as top congressional liaison

Stef W. Kight

President-elect Donald Trump attends a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

President-elect Trump announced Monday that James Braid will be the next director of the Office of Legislative Affairs — a key role between Congress and the White House.

Why it matters: Braid worked on the Hill for years — including as policy director of the House Freedom Caucus.

Braid has been a top policy staffer for Vice President-elect Vance while he has been in the Senate and served as chief of staff to former Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) and Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.).
Braid worked in legislative affairs at the Office of Management and Budget during the first Trump administration.

The bottom line: With GOP control of the House, Senate and the White House, close coordination between the three will be key to Trump moving on his nominations and legislative priorities — fast.

Staffers for congressional leadership met on Monday to start hatching out plans for using a maneuver called reconciliation to get around the Senate's 60-vote filibuster, a source familiar confirmed to Axios.

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Trump taps James Braid as top congressional liaison

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