Well -Vinding to the online version of From the policy tablea night bulletin that brings you the latest report and analysis of the NBC New House Politics team, Capitol Hill and the campaign.
In today’s edition, we examined John Fetterman’s place in the Senate, where the Pennsylvania Democrat is increasingly on an island. In addition, Kristen Welker visualizes her interview with transport secretary Sean Duffy at this Sunday’s “Meet The Press”.
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– Adam Wollner
An isolated John Fetterman confronts colleagues and staff as he jumps his duties in the Senate
Allan Smith, Sahil Kapur, Scott Wong and Frank Thorp V have a profoundly reported story this afternoon with Senator John Feterman, D-PA., Based on 18 former employees, Pennsylvania employees, and Congresses and Congress employees, both businesses and many of the business, both for the senator.
Fetterman’s behavior received a renewed scrutiny after a recent new York magazine article detailing concerns about his mental health of one of his closest advisers, as well as some frustration of the Democrats that Fetterman is not on the same page as many other party members when it comes to facing Trump and his agenda.
Here are some of the main lines of history:
- Fetterman was open to confirming Pete Hegseth to the Secretary of Defense, according to two people familiar with his thinking, then Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., I wanted to talk to his individual colleague. But Fetterman refused to talk to one of the most senior and respected members of Caucus.
- Two sources familiar with the scholarship said Fetterman was “rude and discharge” to Senator Jeanne Shaheen, DN.H., who wanted to discuss a republican bill designed to punish the International Criminal Court for issuing arrest warrants to Israeli authorities. He also suggested to her that he would be more inclined to help him if she put him on the Foreign Committee – something she didn’t have the power to do.
- From April 2024 until March this year, Fetterman lost 77 of 381 votes, according to Govtrack. This placed it in the 90th 99 percentile among all senators in terms of total votes lost during each three -month calendar stretch at that time.
- Fetterman jumped 25 of the 26 hearings or business meetings that the Senate Commerce Committee held this year, with the first hearing he participated in Thursday, after New York magazine article was published. He lost all nine of the audiences and business meetings that the Senate’s internal security committee has held this year and ignored every 11 times the Senate Agriculture Committee gathered in 2025.
- A Democratic Legislator of the Pennsylvania Chamber who talked to NBC News said on Thursday that he had no interactions with Fetterman in recent months.
Read more of the team →
Transport Secretary Duffy confronts the concerns of Newark Airport
While Americans are preparing for a summer of busy travel plans, the news cascade on issues at Newark Liberty International Airport has paused.
Some radar screens serving the airport decreased for 90 seconds on Friday, days after reports that air traffic controllers temporarily lost communication with an aircraft. And there were a number of delays in one of the busiest airports in the country.
This is why I talked to Transport Secretary Sean Duffy to this Sunday’s episode of “Meet The Press” to ask him the questions in the minds of Americans now about the safety and aircraft transport infrastructure.
The lower line: Duffy told me that she feels safe flying inside and outside Newark, and that America’s airspace is the “safest”.
But there is no silver bullet to correct concerns about the infrastructure. While Duffy said a specific Newark correction should be completed by the end of summer, the air traffic modernization plan released on Thursday will take three years to complete.
“This is a system, which – 25, at best, sometimes 50 years. Congress and the country have not paid attention, right? They expect it to work. And now I think the lights are flashing, the sirens are turning and are saying, ‘Listen, we have to fix it,'” said me duffy.
Do not miss Duffy this Sunday, as well as exclusive interviews with Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. And Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
What to know about the Trump government today
- Trump’s leading consultant Stephen Miller said the government is “analyzing” ways to end the protections of due process for unauthorized immigrants in the country.
- Trump’s last -minute effort to increase taxes on the richest Americans is coming across an opposition saw in the Republican Party, with some insecure of how serious the proposal is.
- Another issue for Trump’s “beautiful and beautiful bill”: Four New York Republicans issued an exciting statement rejecting an offer that said that came from President Mike Johnson, R-LA, and the house’s main tax writer on how to expand state and local tax deduction.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Congress leaders that the US will probably reach the debt ceiling by August.
- Trump signaled a willingness to cut the current 145% US rate in China before trade negotiations between the two countries. He wrote in a social post of the truth: “80% tariff in China looks right! Even Scott B.”, seeming to refer to Bessent.
- Trump abruptly dismissed Congress Librarian Carla Hayden, the first woman and the first Afro -American to hold the position.
- FBI Director Kash Patel’s schedule was lighter about intelligence briefings and heavier in the appearances at pro -sporting events, raising worries that he is not taking work seriously enough.
✉️ Mala -Correio: Democrats look for their next leader
Thanks to everyone who sent us and emails! This week’s question comes from Frank Mona III:
“Anyone will become the standard bearer of Democrats nationally (and if so, who?) Or do you think it will remain a group of governors, congress and senatorial leaders, all with overlapping messages?”
To respond to this, we turn to the national political reporter Ben Kamisar. Here is his answer:
Historically, unless a political party has a president in the White House or a presidential candidate, he usually does not have a single standard holder.
This is because, without this kind of unifying force, there is usually no unique approach to leading a national political party. Instead, there are groups of politicians trying to grab the cloak of different party wings. In recent years, on the Democratic side, there have been people like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who have captured the energy on the left, and people like Nancy Peluck and Chuck Schumer who spoke to the party’s establishment.
This is why we are seeing the whole group of possible potential presidential hopes 2028 on the Democratic side trying to create different tracks rather than trying to be the singular standard carrier. And this dynamic will not change until the presidential appointment contest comes at high speed in a few years.