Capitol agenda: Nervous GOP waits for Trump’s Texas pick

Senate Republicans are holding their breath ahead of President Donald Trump’s critical choice in Texas: an establishment GOP candidate vs. a MAGA firebrand.

The president announced Wednesday his incoming endorsement in the Texas GOP Senate runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Senate leaders have urged the president to throw his support behind Cornyn to avoid a grueling 12-week showdown that could burn $100 million or more in GOP donor money.

There’s hope from some of Cornyn’s allies, who believe things are aligning in the incumbent’s favor, as he appears on track to win a plurality in Tuesday’s voting.

A swift endorsement would also let Senate Republicans pivot their resources toward holding onto seats that Democrats are targeting. That could now include Montana, after GOP Sen. Steve Daines announced Wednesday night that he would not seek reelection.

“I hope it’s going to be soon,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Wednesday about an official Trump nod, hours after making his latest plea on Cornyn’s behalf to the president.

He’s not alone. Multiple other Republicans have pressed the president to back Cornyn ever since he advanced to the primary runoff Tuesday, according to three people granted anonymity to describe private conversations.

They warned Trump that if scandal-plagued Paxton becomes the nominee, it could cost Republicans a seat they have held since 1961. There’s even more GOP anxiety now that state Rep. James Talarico secured the Democratic nomination — a candidate many believe could give Democrats their best chance at flipping the seat.

“There’s nothing more powerful than President Trump’s endorsement,” Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) said in an interview for POLITICO’s “The Conversation” Wednesday. Britt said Cornyn is “without a doubt the candidate to win in November.”

However, anxious Republicans are acutely aware that the president has always been fond of Paxton, a MAGA firebrand who eagerly joined Trump’s effort to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 win.

“We need to hold that seat which means we need to nominate someone who is going to win in November,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso told POLITICO. “The person that will win in November is John Cornyn.”

What else we’re watching: 

— War powers resolution vote: House Republican leaders are confident a bipartisan Iran war powers resolution will fail Thursday, after the Senate on Wednesday rejected an attempt to rein in Trump’s authority to pursue the war. GOP Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio are bound to break ranks with their party to support the effort. But a small group of Democrats are expected to oppose the resolution.

— Kids online safety markup: The House Energy and Commerce Committee will debate Thursday over the latest GOP proposal to set national standards for kids’ online safety as Democrats warn it weakens state protections. Expect a partisan clash over how far Congress should go in regulating tech companies and preempting state laws.

Jordain Carney, Alex Gangitano, Liz Crampton, Calen Razor, Ruth Reader, Alfred Ng and Gabby Miller contributed to this report.