Abby Livingston

New York

Congressional Contributor at Puck

@PuckNews writer, Almanac of American Politics. Ex-TX Tribune, Roll Call, CNN, NBC, soap opera intern. I ❤️ Springsteen, softball, Longhorns & America

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Articles

Curb Your DOGE

2 months ago | puck.news | Abby Livingston

Over the weekend, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, along with New York's Letitia James and 17 other Democratic attorneys general, sued the Trump administration, securing a preliminary injunction to stop Elon Musk and his DOGE minions from accessing the Treasury Department's internal payment and data systems, which includes Social Security numbers and banking information.
Why Democrats Are Staying Quiet on Trump’s Cabinet Nominees

Dec 10, 2024 | puck.news | Abby Livingston

Earlier today, in what was widely perceived as a significant boost to Trump’s entire slate of nominees, Joni Ernst stated that she is keeping an open mind about secretary of defense nominee Pete Hegseth, following a concerted MAGA pressure campaign to force uncooperative Republican senators to acquiesce to the president-elect’s agenda.
The Dems’ Changing of the Guard, One Committee at a Time

Dec 6, 2024 | puck.news | Abby Livingston

Just as the woebegone 118th Congress seems incapable of ending without a bang, amid an already combustible lame duck session ahead of Donald Trump’s return, a leadership battle over the House Agriculture Committee is quickly becoming Capitol Hill’s hottest schoolyard brawl. Democrats, still kicking themselves for not deposing an 82-year-old Joe Biden earlier in the cycle, are now fiercely debating how to re-energize their ranks with young blood. And the results have spilled out into public view.
Will the Senate Actually Confirm Pete Hegseth?

Dec 3, 2024 | puck.news | Abby Livingston

It’s no secret that four of Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees—Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, Kash Patel at the F.B.I., Tulsi Gabbard as D.N.I., and R.F.K. Jr. at H.H.S.—face uncertain futures on the Hill. Indeed, almost everyone is wondering whether Senate Republicans will reject their troubled nominations or whether they’ll sail through, but some early signs are emerging.
DOGE-Ball: Elon vs. The F-35

Nov 30, 2024 | puck.news | Abby Livingston

It was probably inevitable that Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and incoming co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency, would come after the most expensive system in the most expensive corner of the U.S. government.
About Tulsi Gabbard…

Nov 20, 2024 | puck.news | Abby Livingston

There are few politicians more qualified to weigh in on Donald Trump’s cage-rattling nominations of Tulsi Gabbard and Pete Hegseth than Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democratic senator-elect from Michigan—a blue wall state, notably, that Kamala Harris lost.
How Long Can the Hakeem Jeffries Honeymoon Last?

Oct 30, 2024 | puck.news | Abby Livingston

One of the strange little secrets of Capitol Hill is that being stuck in the minority can be a lot more fun; there’s a glee and purity of purpose to be found in bomb-throwing at the speaker and raining hell on the majority. And while every member would prefer to be in power, a whole host of managerial headaches arise when you have to govern. But that was never much of a problem for Democrats under Nancy Pelosi, who ruled the caucus with a velvet glove and an iron will for 20 years.
Rep Suzan DelBene on Dems’ Chances to Win Back the House

Oct 29, 2024 | puck.news | Abby Livingston

While her House colleagues were whipping votes in the state legislature and earning law degrees, Suzan DelBene was toiling away at Microsoft, developing Internet Explorer and Windows. Now that the congresswoman from Washington’s 1st district is the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, she’s putting her M.B.A. to good use—building a cash-rich line of defense against a former and possibly future president who has promised to push executive power beyond any past precedent.
“Hybrid Ad” Warfare & Post-Pelosi Bogeymen

Sep 26, 2024 | puck.news | Abby Livingston

Republican ads against Democrats often featured Nancy Pelosi, while Democrats linked G.O.P. incumbents to, say, Paul Ryan and his proposed Medicare cuts. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Campaigns are releasing new ads at a breakneck pace, and a skim through what seemed like 100 recent spots revealed an odd trend: Neither party has a national bogeyman to use in ads against down-ballot candidates. Instead, ad after ad features random cameos from not-that-famous politicians.
With 2 Months to Go, Who’s Ahead in the Race for the House?

Sep 10, 2024 | puck.news | Abby Livingston

As the White House and Senate campaigns settle into a period of intense general election trench warfare, sucking up most of the oxygen in the political realm, it’s also worth taking a look at the House races that will determine which party wins the gavel. After all, the plotlines are equally juicy and consequential: Will D.C.C.C. chairwoman Suzan DelBene manage to win back the House for Democrats and install Hakeem Jeffries as the first Black speaker?