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Race against time: How Congress barely made July 4 deadline on ‘big, beautiful bill’

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Football and basketball coaches are experts in clock management.
So are lawmakers.
Coaches are adept at either burning or saving just enough time on the clock to execute a play – or prevent the other team from doing so.
Congressional clock management is very different.
TRUMP $3.3T MEGABILL SETS HOUSE RECORD FOR LONGEST VOTE IN HISTORY
Whatever lawmakers say they will do – it will always take them a profoundly longer period of time in which to do it.
That’s why the temporal politics of passing President Donald Trump’s «big, beautiful bill» overwhelmed everyone who works on Capitol Hill over the past few weeks.
That ranges from the lawmakers themselves to the aides, journalists, Capitol custodians and U.S. Capitol Police officers.
To wit:
Congressional Republicans have churned through variations of frameworks and iterations of the big, beautiful bill since February. But things finally got serious when the House adopted its formal version of the package on May 22, beating the Memorial Day goal by four days.
There was chatter that the Senate would tackle the House’s package the week of June 9. Then that fell to the week of June 15. The idea was that the Senate would process its version of the bill that week and then allow the House to sync up during the week of June 22.
Then those hopes were dashed.
That’s to say nothing of the Senate at least voting to proceed to even start debate at the very end of the week of June 15.
Here’s what really happened. And it underscores just how protracted the process can be on Capitol Hill, especially with a very complicated and controversial piece of legislation.
On Monday, June 23, Republican senators talked about taking a procedural vote to launch debate on the big, beautiful bill as early as Wednesday or Thursday, June 25 or 26. Such a vote would require just 51 yeas. But the bill wasn’t ready. Republicans were still crafting and drafting the bill to comport with Senate budget rules. The GOP also aimed to write the legislation in a fashion to court 51 yeas to crack the procedural hurdle and formally start debate.
Midweek came and the Senate never took a procedural vote. Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., opposed starting debate on a bill that was not complete.
So midweek morphed into the weekend, and when the Senate convened on Saturday, June 28, Fox News was told the chamber would take a procedural vote to begin debate around 4 p.m. ET.
SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ THROUGH KEY TEST VOTE
Well, you guessed it.
The Senate did not trigger that vote until 7:31 p.m. Saturday. And the 15-minute vote turned into a three-hour and 38-minute affair. The Senate closed the vote at 11:09 p.m.
Saturday – with Vice President JD Vance nearby in case his services were necessary to break a tie.
They were not.
At least not on the dais.
But Vance played a pivotal role in negotiating with Johnson, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and others to greenlight the Senate starting on the bill.
However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., then compelled Senate clerks to read the entire 940-page bill out loud from the dais. That enterprise consumed just under 16 hours of floor time. The clerks – their voices cracking and hoarse – concluded a few minutes after 3 p.m. on Sunday. This marked the first time a senator required the clerks to verbally read a bill before the Senate since 2021.
So, once the clerks concluded their oratory, it was believed that the Senate might go all night with its marathon voting session – known as a «vote-a-rama» – and try to finish the bill sometime by dawn Monday.
But this is Congress time.
Senators didn’t even begin the vote-a-rama until 9:40 am Monday. Twelve hours later, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., suggested it was time to «start figuring out» a final group of amendments that were necessary to conclude the bill.
Some groaned at that notion. One senator told Fox News that 12 hours later was a little late in the game to «start figuring out» something of that magnitude.
The Senate then toiled throughout the night Monday and into Tuesday. Thune and the GOP leadership finally cut a deal with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, on rural hospitals to marshal her vote. The Senate approved the bill late Tuesday morning after an all-night session. Vance was back to break the tie in what is called a «Van Halen» vote. The tally was 50-50 since three GOP senators defected. But Vance’s vote in favor made the roll call «51-50.»
For those who are uninitiated in the Van Halen discography, «5150» was Van Halen’s first album with new lead singer Sammy Hagar, supplanting David Lee Roth. It went to No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
Then, it was on to the House.
HOUSE ADVANCES TRUMP’S MASSIVE AGENDA BILL AFTER FREEDOM CAUCUS CAVES
The House Rules Committee serves as a gateway for legislation to head to the floor. It convened a meeting early Tuesday afternoon. The Senate would soon send its revamped version of the big, beautiful bill across the Capitol Dome for the House to align. The Rules Committee then proceeded to meet until around 1 a.m. Wednesday, prepping the bill for the floor.
That meant the House could vote by late Wednesday afternoon.
But there was a problem.
House GOP leaders discovered what they termed a «technical error» in the rule. The entire House must first approve the rule before debating legislation on the floor. So the House needed to vote on the fix first. That vote started early Wednesday afternoon – and continued for another seven hours and 31 minutes. That established a record for the longest roll call vote in House history, topping a vote of seven hours and 21 minutes in 2021.
Some Republicans weren’t at the Capitol. But they held the vote open to buy time to work on skeptical GOP members who may be holdouts.
And around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., decided to double-dog dare anyone who was against the bill to put their voting card where their mouth was. Republican leaders closed the «technical correction» vote and proceeded to a vote on the «rule.» If the House adopted the rule, it could formally debate the bill. The House was stuck if its members failed to approve the rule.
The tally board behind the dais in the House chamber populated relatively quickly. All 216 Democrats said no There were also four GOP no votes – and several who refused to vote yes. Republicans could only lose three votes and still pass the rule. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was a yes on the rule – even though he opposed the bill. He then switched to no as the vote dragged on. However, Massie ultimately supported the rule in the end.
HAKEEM JEFFRIES BREAKS KEVIN MCCARTHY RECORD WHILE STALLING TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’
Reps. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., Keith Self, R-Texas, Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., were no votes throughout the vote. But around 1 a.m., there was movement. The holdouts and some of those who voted no met with Johnson and other GOP leaders. That seemed to pry loose the votes of the holdouts and opponents – except Fitzpatrick.
But there was a problem.
Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa. – who had not voted – drove home to Pennsylvania. So everyone at the Capitol patiently waited for Perry to return. He did around 3:30 a.m. Thursday. Everyone but Fitzpatrick voted as a bloc in favor of the rule. The House had the votes to begin debate on the rule.
It looked as though the House might vote around daybreak on the actual bill itself.
But the office of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., had told Fox News on Wednesday that Jeffries intended to speak for an hour or so at the end of debate. There’s a custom in the House where top leaders of both parties are yielded «a minute» to speak on the floor. But this is a «magic minute.» As a courtesy to those leaders, they speak as long as they want.
Jeffries began speaking just before 5 a.m. Thursday – and finally concluded eight hours and 45 minutes later just after 1:30 p.m. ET Thursday. Jeffries shattered the mark of eight hours and 32 minutes established by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in 2021. McCarthy set the record as minority leader.
So those House members hoping to hop an early morning flight and get home for July 4 would have to wait.
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Mike Johnson didn’t speak nearly as long as Jeffries. But he did observe that the late President Ronald Reagan once said that no speech should run longer than 20 minutes.
Johnson spoke for 23 minutes.
And then the House voted, finally passing the bill 218-214 at 2:31 p.m. Thursday. Fitzpatrick and Massie were the only GOP noes.
It is said that we never have enough time in life. And if you work on Capitol Hill, you’ll probably have even less thanks to congressional clock management.
INTERNACIONAL
Día Mundial del León: las razones por las que está más amenazado que nunca, según expertos de la Universidad de Oxford

El león, cuyo nombre científico es Panthera leo, fue durante miles de años uno de los animales más abundantes y conocidos de África y de partes de Asia. En el pasado, estos grandes felinos vivieron en regiones muy extensas, pero hoy su espacio natural fue reducido dramáticamente.
Hoy es el Día Mundial del León, una efeméride que está dedicada a concientizar y apoyar la conservación de una de las especies más emblemáticas del mundo.
El número de leones salvajes disminuyó en más del 33% en las últimas dos décadas, y un nuevo estudio al que tuvo acceso Infobae reveló que en la actualidad se enfrentan a peligros que ponen en riesgo su existencia en muchas regiones.

“La especie sufrió descensos dramáticos tanto en el tamaño de su población como en su distribución durante las últimas décadas”, advirtieron los científicos de Sudáfrica, Reino Unido y Bélgica, que publicaron la investigación en la revista Global Ecology and Conservation.
La situación es delicada porque la mayoría de los grupos son pequeños y están alejados unos de otros. Si la situación no cambia, los leones podrían desaparecer de varios lugares y su futuro está en peligro.
Los autores pertenecen a la Universidad de Oxford en el Reino Unido, la organización Conservation Science Unit y a la Universidad de Kwazulu-Natal, en Sudáfrica y la Universidad de Amberes en Bélgica, entre otras instituciones.
En diálogo con Infobae, Claudio Bertonatti, naturalista y museólogo, doctor Honoris Causa por la Universidad Maimónides en Buenos Aires y miembro de la Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Ázara, comentó tras leer el estudio: “El león es un animal que tiene una relación con los seres humanos desde la Antigüedad».

Se trata de “un ser biocultural, que se destacó por representar la nobleza y la fuerza en África. Con el paso del tiempo, las tribus lo mataban pero también lo veneraban. En Europa, con el circo romano se utilizaron leones de Asia, y más tarde, cuando los diezmaron, se cazaban en el norte de África”, precisó.
“Los problemas en cuanto a la conservación se agravaron en el último siglo con las capturas y el tráfico de los animales para espectáculos y falsos zoológicos en otras regiones del mundo”, recordó.
El león africano es uno de los felinos más grandes que existen. Un macho puede pesar hasta 190 kilos y una hembra hasta 130 kilos. Los machos tienen melena, un pelo largo y llamativo alrededor de la cabeza y el cuello.
Viven en manadas, donde cada individuo tiene un rol: las hembras cazan en grupo y los machos suelen proteger el territorio.
Como depredadores tope, los leones ocupan el lugar más alto de la cadena alimentaria. Cazan animales como cebras, antílopes y búfalos, y casi siempre cazan juntos. Esta forma de vida social les permite conseguir presas grandes y protegerse mejor de los peligros.
Los investigadores que hicieron el nuevo estudio quisieron saber cuántos leones quedan y cuáles son los problemas que enfrentan para poder cuidarlos mejor en el futuro.

Para averiguar la situación, los científicos reunieron información de relatos hechos por guardaparques, mapas de reservas, investigaciones anteriores y datos de collares con GPS.
También analizaron informes sobre zonas de leones, ataques a ganado, caza y cuánto espacio tienen los leones para vivir.
Compararon mapas antiguos y actuales, lo que permite identificar dónde los leones desaparecieron y dónde aún viven. El informe lo dejó claro: “Los leones siguen en menos de una cuarta parte de su área original”. Esto significa que perdieron mucho espacio natural.
Hoy la mayoría de los grupos de leones actuales son pequeños y están separados entre sí. Esto es un problema porque la empobrecida diversidad genética los hace más vulnerables y propensos a enfermarse y a que nazcan menos crías sanas.

La mayor amenaza encontrada es la pérdida de hábitat, o sea, la disminución de los lugares naturales donde pueden vivir los leones a causa del crecimiento de la población humana y las tensiones con la agricultura y la ganadería.
Cuando las presas naturales escasean, los leones a veces cazan ganado de la gente y esto crea conflictos. Otro gran peligro son la caza ilegal y el tráfico comercial de sus partes.
Los científicos también estudiaron cómo las enfermedades y la baja diversidad genética, que pasa cuando hay pocos leones en una zona, afectan a los grupos. Observaron que en los parques bien vigilados, los leones viven mejor y pueden crecer en número.
Para los expertos, no basta con cuidar solo una zona. Se necesita que gobiernos, organizaciones de conservación y la población que vive cerca trabajen juntos para proteger de verdad a los leones africanos.

El análisis muestra que la mayoría de los leones vive en áreas protegidas y que, fuera de estos lugares, están en grave peligro de extinción.
“La mayoría de las subpoblaciones siguen siendo vulnerables debido a su pequeño tamaño, aislamiento o amenazas persistentes”, mencionaron.
Los investigadores identificaron acciones que pueden beneficiar a la conservación de los ejemplares.
Cuando los parques nacionales están bien dirigidos y tienen buena vigilancia, los leones sobreviven y se reproducen mejor.
El control continuo, con herramientas como collares GPS, ayuda a saber dónde están y qué problemas pueden tener.
La investigación destaca la importancia de que muchos países trabajen juntos. El esfuerzo mundial y local da esperanza para que las poblaciones de leones logren recuperarse.
Pero alertaron que la fragmentación de los hábitats y el aislamiento de los grupos de leones bajan la diversidad genética y pueden causar más enfermedades o problemas de salud.
La caza furtiva, el comercio ilegal y los conflictos con personas explican en gran parte la disminución del león africano. Para cambiar esto, se necesitan leyes claras, control fuerte y apoyo de la comunidad.

Una recomendación más es crear corredores ecológicos: zonas que unen parques y reservas para que los leones se puedan mover y encontrar con otros grupos.
Los científicos piden más vigilancia y penalidades más duras para quienes cazan o venden partes de los animales.
El uso de collares GPS es otra ayuda importante. Permite saber dónde están los leones y actuar rápido si pasa algo.

El león se encuentra clasificado como vulnerable en la Lista Roja de Especies Amenazadas de la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (UICN).
“Ya se advirtió en la evaluación de 2023 que sus poblaciones están disminuyendo a nivel global. Sería importante que las acciones basadas en evidencia científica se lleven a cabo de manera urgente”, opinó Bertonatti.
Subrayó: “Sería un triste fracaso para la humanidad que se pierda una de las especies más emblemáticas de nuestro mundo. ¿Cómo se lo explicaríamos a los niños del futuro?«
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EXCLUSIVE: Duncan says Trump’s attacks justify his switch from GOP to Democratic Party: ‘He’s making my case for me’

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EXCLUSIVE – Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan says President Donald Trump’s social media attacks criticizing his move from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party validates his major switch in political affiliations.
«Failed former Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, of Georgia, is a total loser,» Trump wrote early Friday on his Truth Social platform.
The president charged that Duncan was «never able to get anything done, all he ever did was complain. We didn’t want him in the Republican Party any longer, so I’m told he became a Democrat. Good riddance Geoff. You don’t even have a chance!!!»
Asked about the criticisms, Duncan told Fox News Digital in an exclusive national interview hours later, «I think he’s making my case for me that the Republican Party no longer wants to love their neighbor. There’s nothing in that tweet or Truth Social post or whatever that shows any sort of attitude that I want to be a part of.»
FORMER LT. GOV. GEOFF DUNCAN ABANDONS GOP TO JOIN DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan of Georgia this week switched parties and became a Democrat. (Getty Images)
«So I wish him the best of luck. I hope he figures out how to run this country better than he is now for the next couple of years. But I’m proud to not be a Republican, especially with him at the tip of the spear,» Duncan highlighted.
In announcing his decision, Duncan cited several policy issues that played a part in his decision to change parties, including health care, Medicaid, gun safety, immigration and poverty.
He wrote that his time in office taught him the best way to «love my neighbor» is through public policy.
Duncan told Fox News, «I find it easier to love my neighbor as a Democrat It’s not a perfect landing spot, but it gives me a better opportunity each day when I wake up to love my neighbor.»
GEORGIA GOP EXPELS FORMER LT. GOV. GEOFF DUNCAN FROM PARTY, CITING ALLEGED DISLOYALTY
Duncan, a former health care executive and minor league baseball player, served in Georgia’s legislature for four years before running and winning election as lieutenant governor in 2018. He decided against seeking re-election in 2022.
After leaving office, Duncan – who was a vocal GOP critic of Trump’s repeated efforts to reverse his razor-thin November 2020 election defeat in battleground Georgia to former President Joe Biden – worked towards what he said was «healing and rebuilding a Republican Party that is damaged but not destroyed.»

Then-Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan gives an address at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics on Oct. 20, 2021, in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News )
Duncan endorsed Biden in the 2024 presidential race and later supported Vice President Kamala Harris after she replaced Biden at the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket. Duncan spoke in a high-profile speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last August.
The Georgia Republican Party expelled him from the GOP earlier this year.
«Neither party is hitting it out of the park. You don’t have to look any further than the stats to see that Republicans have their issues. Democrats certainly have their issues,» Duncan told Fox News. «I’ve tried this reform thing before on the Republican side, and Donald Trump has sucked the life and future out of the Republican Party, in my opinion.»
Duncan’s old boss, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, is term-limited and cannot seek re-election next year. Duncan confirmed to Fox News that he’s considering a 2026 run for governor.
«My family and I are certainly not ready to make that big of a decision right here, right now. But it is something that we’re considering for sure. I mean, my phone has continued to ring for months on end, from Democrats, independents and even some folks on the right that want us to consider this,» Duncan said.
Asked about his timetable, Duncan said «2026 is coming like a freight train. And certainly, if this is a decision that we go forward with, it’ll have to be within, within a few months.»
Duncan emphasized that «if Democrats, especially in Georgia, want to be successful, they’re going to have to live in the middle and not the fringes. They’re going to have to have a moderate slate of candidates that are able to use common sense to provide their leadership. And I think there’s a gravitational pull in that direction.»
Nearly half-a-dozen Democrats in Georgia have already launched gubernatorial campaigns, including former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who later worked in the Biden administration.
Pointing to the two leading Republicans running for governor, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and state Attorney General Chris Carr, Duncan said «I hope we’re able to sit back and find a Democratic candidate that can win the governorship and not allow a governor Trump to show up for four years in the state, because that’s exactly what’s going to happen.»
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«The Republican slate is going to be dominated by whoever Donald Trump endorses, and that person is going to be a sock puppet for Donald Trump,» Duncan argued. «And no Georgian wants that. No Georgian wants the inconsistencies of Donald Trump to manage how their kids are educated, how their streets are kept safe and how government interacts with those that need it the most.»
Looking ahead to next year’s elections, when Georgia will once again be in the national spotlight, Duncan said «Georgia is going to continue to be the political center of the universe, as we watch the Senate race shape up. As we watch this governor’s race shape up. I do think Georgia has an opportunity to lead the rest of the country, and I hope we take advantage of that.»
Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.
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INTERNACIONAL
EEUU alertó a sus ciudadanos sobre riesgos de inversión en Nicaragua tras la aprobación de una ley de “confiscación masiva” de terrenos

La Oficina de Asuntos del Hemisferio Occidental del Departamento de Estado de EEUU emitió este sábado una advertencia dirigida a los ciudadanos estadounidenses, instándolos a actuar con cautela al considerar inversiones en Nicaragua. El comunicado se emite a raíz de la reciente aprobación de la Ley de Territorio Fronterizo, que declara propiedad del Estado nicaragüense una franja de 15 kilómetros a lo largo de todas las fronteras nacionales, medida calificada por el gobierno estadounidense como una “confiscación masiva”.
Según la alerta difundida por dicha oficina de EEUU a través de la plataforma X, “la confiscación masiva por parte del régimen de Murillo-Ortega, de todas las tierras en un radio de 15 kilómetros dentro de las fronteras de Nicaragua, devasta decenas de comunidades y pone en peligro la vida y el sustento de miles de personas en toda la región”.
La embajada de Estados Unidos en Managua replicó la advertencia y agregó: “Cualquier estadounidense que esté pensando en invertir en Nicaragua debe tener cuidado”.
La Ley de Territorio Fronterizo, adoptada el martes pasado por la Asamblea Nacional de Nicaragua, fue promovida por los copresidentes Daniel Ortega y Rosario Murillo. La ley define como “territorio fronterizo” todo el espacio comprendido desde el límite fronterizo convencional hasta los 15 kilómetros hacia el interior, y establece que estos terrenos son propiedad exclusiva del Estado, bajo el resguardo del Ejército de Nicaragua.
El contenido de la ley, que fue aprobada en un procedimiento expedito sin pasar por consulta en comisión, derogó la anterior Ley de Régimen Jurídico de Fronteras. Previamente, ese régimen especial regulaba el manejo territorial de la franja fronteriza terrestre, marítima y aérea, e incluía medidas para promover el desarrollo sostenible y salvaguardar la soberanía nacional.
El artículo 2 de la nueva normativa establece que “para salvaguardar la soberanía y seguridad nacional, la integridad territorial, la independencia del país y la paz, el territorio fronterizo es propiedad del Estado nicaragüense”.
Diversas organizaciones de derechos humanos, así como movimientos de oposición y gobiernos de la región, han expresado preocupación por el posible impacto sobre propiedades privadas y comunales. Críticos de la ley, como el economista nicaragüense desnacionalizado Juan Sebastián Chamorro, afirmaron que la designación estatal afecta no solo a ciudades y comunidades enteras, sino a negocios, cultivos y actividades productivas, incluyendo camaroneras y plantaciones de naranja.

La disposición legal carece de mecanismos claros de compensación o consulta previa a los afectados, lo que ha generado fuertes cuestionamientos. El Movimiento Campesino de Nicaragua, cuyos representantes se encuentran exiliados en Costa Rica y Estados Unidos, sostuvo que esta es “un proceso de confiscación más” que trastoca los territorios indígenas y afrodescendientes previamente demarcados y titulados.
La controversia también llegó al ámbito internacional. La ex comandante guerrillera Dora María Téllez, exiliada en España, denunció en su cuenta de X que la medida busca facilitar “una gran confiscación” dirigida a beneficiar negocios mineros desarrollados junto a empresas de China.
Pese a que el régimen nicaragüense ha asegurado a través de medios oficiales que la ley “no afecta” a los residentes en la franja fronteriza, opositores nicaragüenses en el exilio y diferentes sectores de la sociedad civil sostienen que se trata de una maniobra que pone en riesgo el patrimonio y el sustento de miles de personas.
Daniel Ortega, presidente de Nicaragua de 1985 a 1990 y en el poder nuevamente desde 2007, y Rosario Murillo, mantienen un control estrecho sobre la sociedad nicaragüense desde 2018, tras las protestas antigubernamentales que ese año dejaron más de 300 muertos según la ONU. Ortega y Murillo han atribuido esas movilizaciones a un supuesto “golpe de Estado” promovido por Washington.
(Con información de AFP y EFE)
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