The Republican Study Committee (RSC), the largest bloc of conservatives in the House, proposed raising the retirement age "to account for increases in life expectancy" in its annual budget blueprint.
Why it matters: The RSC is made up of roughly 80% of the House GOP. The proposal is a wish list for what policies House Republicans may pursue if they take back the White House and the Senate.
Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) reiterated to Senate Republicans that imposing term limits on the Senate leader is a bad idea during a Wednesday meeting about the direction of the conference, according to two sources in the room.
Why it matters: As the longest-serving Senate party leader, McConnell's voice will carry weight as a divided conference decides whether to stick with the old guard or look for younger, more MAGA-friendly leaders.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said Wednesday he plans to invite President Biden to testify as part of the panel's impeachment inquiry.
Why it matters: It's a long-shot attempt to salvage an impeachment inquiry that even Republicans are skeptical will result in an impeachment vote – and try to cast Biden in a negative light.
House Republicans' idea of inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress is being met with skepticism from their Democratic counterparts.
Why it matters: The proposed speech is a transparent effort by Republicans to draw a stark contrast with Democrats after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) harshly criticized the Israeli leader.
Millions of older Americans are at risk of losing some of their Social Security benefits after defaulting on student loans, Democratic lawmakers said in a letter urging the Biden administration to act.
Why it matters: Seniors are one of the highest risk categories with reports showing nearly 40% of borrowers aged 65 or older in default.Federal programs that claw those funds back mean seniors lose as much as $2,500 in Social Security benefits annually.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Senate Republicans on Wednesday that invading Rafah is necessary to defeat Hamas — and criticized Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's call for Israeli elections as "wholly inappropriate."
Why it matters: Netanyahu's virtually briefed Republicans at a time when tensions have been rising between the Israeli prime minister and U.S. Democratic leaders over the war in Gaza.
Schumer declined a similar briefing from Netanyahu for Senate Democrats, saying that such briefings shouldn't be partisan.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked to address Senate Democrats at their caucus lunch on Wednesday but was turned away by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Schumer last week called for elections in Israel and levied harsh criticism on Netanyahu, a major move from the highest-ranking Jewish official in the U.S. government.
A bipartisan group of senators is introducing legislation to provide federal support for state and local judges' security, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Threats against public officials have been on the rise in recent years, with judges particularly fearful after a 2020 shooting at the home of Judge Esther Salas that killed her son and wounded her husband.
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee's marquee hearing on Hunter Biden's business dealings quickly devolved into squabbles between committee members and witnesses on Wednesday.
Why it matters: It's an increasingly familiar scene for the committees leading the impeachment inquiry into President Biden as they've held numerous highly charged hearings.
A leading progressive group is throwing its support behind Reps. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), a member of the "Squad," and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) as they both face establishment forces in their 2024 primaries, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Pro-Israel groups have moved to boot progressives from their seats in November, and Lee has been one of the top focuses of that effort.
The judge overseeing former President Trump's Georgia election subversion case granted a pathway Wednesday for Trump to appeal his decision to allow Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to remain at the helm of the prosecution.
Why it matters: By granting a "certificate of immediate review," Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee enabled Trump's lawyers to appeal the decision to the Georgia Court of Appeals before the start of a trial, Trump lawyer Steve Sadow wrote in a post on X.
Former President Trump suggested this week that a national 15-week abortion ban with exceptions could be "very reasonable," embraced by even his party's right flank, without taking a firm position.
President Biden will announce $20 billion in grants and loans for Intel to expand its semiconductor production at a stop in Arizona on Wednesday, a move the administration claims will lead to 10,000 new jobs in the swing state.
Why it matters: Biden is heading into the 2024 election with a massive cash advantage over former President Trump.
Sidelined characters from former President Trump's past campaigns — "crazies," some of his top advisers call them — are reattaching themselves to his inner circle now that he's locked up the Republican nomination.
Why it matters:Trump's 2024 campaign has been notable for its rigor: Top advisers have largely steered clear of the most controversial far-righters who surrounded Trump in the past. But ex-advisers, conspiracy theorists and convicted felons are now knocking on the campaign's door — and some are getting in.
Former President Trump cruised to easy wins in five Republican presidential primaries Tuesday, and his candidate of choice in Ohio's crucial Senate race won — but once again, there were signs Trump has work to do in shoring up support in his party.
Why it matters: Trump, the only GOP candidate still running for president and the party's presumed nominee, once again saw a big percentage of Republican voters — almost 20% in most of Tuesday's contests — cast ballots for someone else.
Texas' strict new immigration law giving state police powers to arrest people on suspicion of illegally crossing the Mexico border was back on hold late Tuesday, hours after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed it to take effect.
The latest: A federal appeals court temporarily blocked the law, known as SB 4, from taking effect in a 2-1 order late Tuesday.
Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno has won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Ohio, AP projects.
Why it matters: Moreno will take on incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown in November, in what is expected to be a toss-up race that could swing the balance of the Senate.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is tentatively scheduled to speak virtually to Senate Republicans during their regular lunch meeting Wednesday, two Senate sources familiar with the plan tell Axios.
Why it matters: The invitation comes after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for elections for a new government in Israel and harshly criticized Netanyahu's handling of the threat of Hamas.
Why it matters: It's a dynamic with which Republicans on the Hill will need to re-familiarize themselves as Trump steps back into the political spotlight.
