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As President Biden works to shore up support on Capitol Hill following his disastrous debate performance, Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci discuss the factors at play for congressional Democrats. How can Hakeem Jeffries maintain unity? What is the impact on down-ballot races? And what should House Republicans be doing amid all this? Plus, the appropriations process inches forward, the Senate’s workload remains a mystery, and the left emerges victorious across the pond.

Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

Politico: Hill Dems brace for fight over Biden’s future to get worse

Politico: Biden’s Survival Plan: Decry ‘Elite’ Critics, Appeal to His Base

Politico: House Republicans request interview with White House physician

WaPo: Trump running mate decision nears, with Vance, Rubio at center of talks

NBC News: House and Senate races draw renewed focus for Democrats after Biden's bad debate

NYT: McCarthy’s Revenge Tour Rolls On, With Mixed Results

Axios: Rep. Celeste Maloy holds razor-thin lead in GOP primary re-election bid

BBC: UK election: What's happened and what comes next?

The Guardian: France election: surprise win for leftwing alliance keeps Le Pen’s far right from power

The House is back from recess and so are hosts Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci. Appropriations bills are front and center this week, but the duo is also keeping their eyes on some other long-running topics, including Speaker Johnson’s oversight prongs, House primaries and the Senate leadership race – not to mention the Presidential debate and the British general election. With little time before the next recess, Congress has a lot to cover.

Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

The Hill: House set to dive into spending bills

Punchbowl: House GOP Oversight misses Biden, but his allies pay the price

WaPo: The establishment wins: Primary voters keep backing incumbents

CNN: The ‘MAGA civil war’ that threatens to claim another conservative Republican

NYT: What to Know About Jamaal Bowman’s Bitter Democratic Primary Race

Politico: Conservatives rock race to replace McConnell with hardline push

Axios: McConnell eyes his next move

Reuters: UK PM Sunak's Conservatives set for heavy election defeat, polls forecast

The Telegraph: Welcome to the most unpopular G7 summit ever

Politico: Scorched-earth summer: Biden, Sunak and Macron go negative

As the fallout from the Trump verdict continues to shape Congress, hosts Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci debate the latest moves from Republicans in the House and Senate targeting the Biden admin: will the vote to hold Merrick Garland in contempt succeed? What other actions can the House take? And can Mike Lee and other GOP senators hold up the Senate? Later, more Primary Watch and a lesson in optics management from British PM Rishi Sunak.

Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

Washington Examiner: House GOP jump-starts push to hold Garland in contempt of Congress

New York Times: After Trump’s Conviction, House Republicans Vow Again to Target His Foes

New York Times: Far-Right Vows to Tie Up the Senate to Avenge Trump Are So Far Mostly Empty

AP: Speaker Johnson appoints two Trump allies to a committee that handles classified intelligence

BBC: Sunak's D-Day absence: How the PM walked into an election blunder

With the House set to debate its first appropriations bill, hosts Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci analyze the outlook for appropriations season and some other happenings around Capitol Hill. They discuss the Fauci hearing, ICC sanctions, the border, and reproductive rights. Plus, some musings on elections taking place on both sides of the pond: House primaries and the UK general election.

Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

Roll Call: Scalise lays out ambitious summer appropriations timetable

NBC News: Fauci parries with Republicans in combative hearing about Covid's origins and possibility of a lab leak

Semafor: Speaker Mike Johnson promises a Republican mega-bill that would define Donald Trump’s second term

Axios: Behind the Curtain: Speaker Johnson's secret muse

Politico: Senate border vote fails again, losing support from both sides

CBS News: Senate Democrats to unveil package to protect IVF as party makes reproductive rights push this month

New York Times: U.K. 2024 General Election: What to Know

After falling short months ago, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is bringing up the bipartisan immigration bill for another vote – what’s the play? Hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller are joined by new co-host Mike Ricci, a partner at Seven Letter and former top advisor to Speakers Ryan and Boehner, to try to make sense of Schumer’s actions and a few other topics bedeviling Capitol Hill. The trio discuss upcoming votes related to Israel, President Biden’s battle with the House Oversight Committee over executive privilege, and the outlook for the appropriations process. Plus, a check-in on Rep. Tom Cole’s primary.

Hosts: Brendan Buck, Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

Reuters: Schumer says US Senate will try again to pass border bill

ABC News: Biden asserts executive privilege over audio of interview with special counsel Hur

CNN: House committee meeting devolves into chaos as Greene and Ocasio-Cortez trade barbs

Axios: House Republicans "curry favor" with Trump trial visits

Politico: Greg Steube has achieved a rare feat: Successfully forcing a bill to the House floor

Punchbowl: Spending wars are back as House GOP seeks big cuts

The chips fell with the House resoundingly voting to table a motion to oust Speaker Johnson. Hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller dive into the next moves for the key players: Will Marjorie Taylor Greene trigger another vote? How will Speaker Johnson maintain party unity? And will anyone face consequences for their vote? Plus, a discussion of the FAA reauthorization and some drama in primary races.

Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

Brendan’s Politico OpEd

Politico: Greene's rebellion sparks new talk of consequences for House GOP rebels

Axios: Congress plans all-out brawl with Biden over pausing Israel arms transfers

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Marjorie Taylor Greene’s constituents mixed over effort to oust House speaker

KFOR: Who is Paul Bondar, running to unseat Tom Cole? We found him.

Is this the week that Marjorie Taylor Greene finally forces a vote to remove Speaker Johnson? Following a marathon meeting in the Speaker’s Office Monday afternoon, Greene and her allies leave us waiting on what’s next. In the meantime, hosts Annalyse Keller and Brendan Buck break down what to watch if a vote moves forward. They also discuss Johnson’s reported comments about punishing troublemaker members and changing the rules for the Motion to Vacate. And they get into the drama last week with a handful of Republicans joining Democrats to pass a rare motion to recommit. All that before being joined by Andrew Solender, congressional reporter for Axios, to talk about how Democrats are viewing all this chaos and how long Johnson can count on them to keep his job. 

Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Brendan Buck

Guest: Andrew Solendar

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

CNN: Speaker Johnson faces threat of ouster vote in pivotal week as he meets with Marjorie Taylor Greene

Punchbowl: What Johnson told big donors behind closed doors

The Hill: GOP hard-liners use rare procedural move to block leadership-backed bill

Axios: Democrats warn Mike Johnson: Don't get used to us saving you

More like Motion to Vacation… With foreign aid passed and a light floor schedule this week, hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller take a look down the road at what Congress needs to accomplish between now and the election, starting with FAA reauthorization. Then they discuss the latest developments with Speaker Johnson and the Motion to Vacate before offering an update on impeachment.

Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

The Hill: FAA bill adds 5 long-distance flights to Reagan National airport

CNN: Johnson calls on Columbia University president to resign during tense news conference

Punchbowl: Jim Jordan ramps up his inside game

CNN: How the House GOP’s Biden impeachment effort fell apart

On a special bonus episode of CONTROL, hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller break down how Speaker Johnson got the foreign aid package over the line and what the fallout may be. Will he survive a Motion to Vacate? Can the “coalition government” of Republicans and Democrats keep the House functioning? And what else can Congress get done the rest of the year?

Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

Brendan’s NYT oped

AP: The House passes billions in aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle. Next is the Senate

Politico: Bipartisan outrage boils over at threat to Johnson’s speakership

WaPo: Senate votes to dismiss impeachment charges against Mayorkas

Iran’s attack on Israel has scrambled the House calendar – with an aid package now the top priority. Hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller debate what will be included and how it can get through Congress. Then, they turn their attention down south where former President Trump offered support for Speaker Johnson, who also scored a win with the FISA vote. Can he capitalize on the momentum or will failed rule votes trip him up?

Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed

NYT: Johnson Says the House Will Vote on an Israel Bill in the Coming Days

WSJ: Mike Johnson Nears Big Decision: Help Israel, Ukraine or Both?

NYT: Trump to Meet an Embattled Johnson, Putting Their Tortured Ties on Display

USA Today: 'I stand with the speaker.' Trump backs Speaker Mike Johnson amid rebellion from right

CNN: House passes modified surveillance bill after it failed earlier this week