House Republicans are holding a hearing, led by Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), pushing a bill that would limit abortion rights in DC. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton was denied her request to testify. It is a generally accepted courtesy that if a member of Congress wants to testify at a hearing they are granted that. The committee is “considering legislation that would ban abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy in the District,” First Read DMV writes.

The Washington Post: “Rep. Trent Franks’ (R-Ariz.) bill, the District of Columbia Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, would prohibit all D.C. abortions beyond 20 weeks except to save the life of the mother, based on the much-debated idea that fetuses beyond that point are capable of feeling pain. The measure will be the subject of a 4 p.m. hearing before the House Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution, which Franks chairs.”

More: “D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (D) also gave his take, sarcastically suggesting that if Franks ‘feels this strongly’ about how the District runs itself, ‘I would invite him to become a candidate for D.C. Council.’”

And: “Traditionally, the minority party in the House is allowed to invite the testimony of one witness. For this hearing, Democrats have tapped Christy Zink, a D.C. resident who has spoken publicly before of having an abortion at 21 weeks after tests showed her fetus had life-threatening brain anomalies. Republicans have asked three doctors to testify. A Republican Judiciary Committee aide who requested anonymity to discuss the decision said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.), the subcommittee’s top Democrats, ‘has complete discretion as to whom the Democrats’ witness is. Nadler chose a D.C. resident, Christy Zink. Nadler could have invited Ms. Norton, but he didn’t.’ But members of Congress are usually allowed to testify at a hearing, separate from any witness quota, if a bill specifically impacts their districts.”

Politico: “Republicans aren't repeating the mistake they made earlier this year, when a male-heavy panel during a hearing on contraception prompted Norton and other Democrats to walk out in protest. Christy Zink, a George Washington University professor who was forced to have an abortion late in her pregnancy due to complications, will testify.”

DCist: “On yesterday's Rachel Maddow Show, Norton called Franks' bill a ‘straight-out cowardly case of bullying’ and said that ‘abundant precedent’ existed for allowing members of Congress to speak during committee hearings—even if they're not a member of that committee.”

Signs of another debt ceiling fight emerged Wednesday as President Obama hosted Congressional leaders at the White House. Press Secretary Jay Carney said the president warned against another last-minute deal to raise the debt limit, even as House Speaker John Boehner insisted this week on spending cuts equal to or higher than the amount the debt ceiling is raised. 

Associated Press: "The Republicans who control the House are using cuts to food aid, health care and social services like Meals on Wheels to protect the Pentagon from a wave of budget cuts come January. The reductions, while controversial, are but a fraction of what Republicans called for in the broader, nonbinding budget plan they passed in March. Totaling a little more than $300 billion over a decade, the new cuts are aimed less at tackling $1 trillion-plus government deficits and more at preventing cuts to troop levels and military modernization. The House Budget Committee meets Monday to officially act on the measure, the product of six separate House panels. It faces a likely floor vote Thursday."

"Democrats, as they aggressively seek to turn women’s concerns into a rallying call of the presidential election, are leaning heavily on female candidates to retain control of the Senate. From Massachusetts to Hawaii, a record number of Democratic women - six incumbents and at least five challengers - are running for seats this year. That eclipses 1992’s vaunted ‘Year of the Woman,’ when 10 women sought entry into the country’s most exclusive political chamber," The Boston Globe writes.

Brendan Hoffman / Getty Images

Congressional hopeful Tammy Duckworth arrives at a World War II Memorial ceremony to pay tribute to World War II veterans of the Pacific in this file photo on March 11, 2010 in Washington, DC.

There’s a proud tradition of service members and veterans of the military serving in Congress, but a new generation of political leaders, forged by tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, are poised to possibly join their ranks next year.

The 2012 elections could send as many as 20 veterans of those two wars to Washington. While they would join many other lawmakers in having a background in military service, these veterans are of a different class – both younger in age, and experienced in a new era of warfare. Two of those veterans, one soldier and one Marine, spoke to NBCPolitics.com about their journeys to the campaign trail.

“We think that citizens are looking for a new generation of leadership to take our country in a much better direction,” said Josh Mandel, a 30-year-old former Marine who was elected as Ohio’s state Treasurer in 2010.

Mandel, who served two tours in Iraq, is running for Senate against incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, and he’s viewed as one of the GOP’s rising stars. This is his first bid for national office, and has said his campaign’s main focus is on economic and job-related issues.

Jay Laprete / AP

Senate hopeful Josh Mandel, celebrates his win as the Ohio State Treasurer, in this file photo, with his wife Ilana on stage at the Ohio Republican Party celebration Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010, in Columbus, Ohio.

But his campaign has taken every opportunity to remind voters of his two combat tours in Iraq. The campaign’s first TV ad, titled “Boots,” features multiple references to military service and includes a photograph of Mandel on duty in Iraq. At the end of the ad, Mandel is lacing a pair of combat boots while a narrator says "Washington is broken and needs new leaders. And this Marine is ready to answer the call."

Military service is just as much a part of Democrat Tammy Duckworth’s bid for a seat in Congress from Illinois.

A former combat aviator for the Army, Duckworth is a double amputee who lost both her legs and severely injured her right arm in 2004 when her helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents. She ran for Congress in 2006, but lost by less than three points to Republican Peter Roskam. Following that electoral defeat, Duckworth spent five years working for the Department of Veterans Affairs – first as director of the Illinois office, then as an assistant secretary of public and intergovernmental affairs in Washington. In 2011, she resigned to launch her campaign for the 8^th congressional district in Illinois, which had been redrawn following the 2010 census.

Stan Honda / AFP/Getty Images

President Elect Barack Obama and Iraqi war veteran Tammy Duckworth, place a wreath at The Bronze Soldiers Memorial in this file photo, November 11, 2008 on the Lakefront in Chicago, Illinois.

“I would not have sought public office if I had not been wounded,” Duckworth said. She recounted meeting Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama while she was recovering at Walter Reed Army Hospital. She said Obama, who at the time was serving on the Veterans Affairs Committee, “would come through and visit people in the hospital.” She added, “he would come through without a lot of fanfare because he was just a junior senator.” As a result of these meetings, she was urged to consider a career in politics. “It was Sen. Durbin who called and said ‘Barack and I have been talking and we really think you should consider running for office.” She said prior to being injured, she “ would not have had the bravery to do it.”

Both Mandel and Duckworth have enjoyed the support of influential figures in their respective parties. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Arizona Sen. John McCain, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio have either endorsed or campaigned for Mandel.

Recommended: GOP infighting gives Democrats hope of picking up Indiana Senate seat

Duckworth has attracted national attention since her entrance into politics and time spent at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Obama political organization strongly supported her during her primary battle this spring.

Combat veterans who exit the military and seek to enter the world of public service are afforded the unique opportunity to highlight their experience not only with other veterans, but also with other voters who might look toward candidates with a proven ability to lead under fire. It’s a quality of great political value as voters become hungry for leaders to help break through the partisan gridlock in Congress.

Both Mandel and Duckworth spoke about the maturity instilled by their experiences.

Mandel describes his deployments as a “maturing and eye-opening experience,” and added that they gave him a “renewed confidence in the next generation” of citizens. “By serving with so many young people with intelligence and talents far beyond my own I came home with a great optimism about where our country is going,” he said.

And Duckworth contends that her background primes her to work with other veterans in Congress, regardless of their party affiliation. “We’ve got to find something to reach out to one another, and if I can do it through BS-ing with someone about what a jerk my drill sergeant was, then that’s what I’m gonna do,” Duckworth said. “Or talking about not showering for weeks or what our favorite MREs [meals ready to eat] were and then talk about what we can do together and maybe co-author a bill.” 

She added, “It’s probably sacrilegious of me to say that I want some Republicans to win, but I want some Republican Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to win. I’d like to win and I want to see them in Washington, and I want for us to work together just as that post-World War II [generation] worked together to try and do something.”

Both of them said they feel especially motivated to tackle issues like veterans’ health, but Duckworth and Mandel each acknowledged that the top issue for them – and most other campaigns this fall – is the economy.

Their experience allows them to speak with a degree of credibility on issues of importance to the military community, and also provides them with some political insulation, too.

Duckworth’s Republican opponent in November, Rep. Joe Walsh, faced a serious backlash after questioning her military service. “What else has she done? Female, wounded veteran … ehhh, she is nothing more than a handpicked Washington bureaucrat,” Walsh was quoted as saying by POLITICO.

She said the comments are more than simply a personal attack. “I think he’s really dismissed the service of the 24 million veterans in this nation, and that’s a really disturbing thing for a sitting congressman to say. Anybody who has served their country in uniform, whether or not they gave their legs, has done a whole hell of a lot for their country.”

Mandel’s time as a Marine has also helped him fend off Democratic attacks about his relative inexperience in political office. “We think the code and the experience and integrity of veterans is something that Americans want in their leaders,” he said.

Duckworth echoed that sentiment, “Our men and women in uniform have guaranteed the quality of their work with their lives … . When my crew chief looked at me and said ‘Tammy I did the maintenance on this helicopter, and I did everything I was supposed to do’ and he handed me the keys … he guaranteed the quality of his work with his life.”

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) admitted this morning that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had a moral point to their letter criticizing the House GOP Budget drafted by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) for its cuts to safety net programs valued by the poor saying, “Yes,” but he wished “they’d take a bigger look and the bigger look is if we don’t make decision these programs won’t exist.”

Yesterday the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops sent letters to various House Committees asking them to “resist” some of the trillions in dollars of cuts called for in the Ryan Budget. In a letter to the House Agriculture Committee the bishops said to members “resist for moral and human reasons unacceptable cuts to hunger and nutrition programs.” The letter continued “if savings need to be achieved, cuts to agricultural subsidies and direct payments should be considered before cutting anti-hunger programs that help feed poor and vulnerable people.”

When asked by NBC News about the letters, Boehner, a church-going Catholic, said America’s debt was what distressed him. “What's more of a concern to me is the fact that if we don't start to make some decisions about getting our fiscal house in order there won't be a safety net," he said. "There won't be these programs.”

Boehner, though, also acknowledged the importance of America’s social safety net, calling it "critically important."

“And so, when you look at the fact we have to make hard decisions, it's about trying to make sure that we're able to preserve these programs that are critically important for the poorest in our society," he said.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wading into policy fights on Capitol Hill is nothing new. The group was steadfastly opposed to healthcare reform unless there was a guarantee that no taxpayer money could be involved in subsidizing abortion.

Earlier this year, the bishops actively opposed the Obama administration’s ruling that contraception should be covered in the insurance plans of religiously affiliated employers who may be opposed to such methods of birth control.

Catholic Democratic members have been critical of the bishops in the past for not focusing enough on another tenet of Catholic doctrine, the aiding of the poor. One House Democrat of the Catholic faith who asked not to be named, told NBC News, “I’m glad they’re finally being consistent lobbying for Catholic teaching.”

The tax debate cometh: Obama and Democrats to focus on tax fairness… GOP to focus on tax hikes… American Crossroads to begin its advertising blitz soon… Crossroads also admits that Obama -- so far -- is winning the tax debate… Gingrich calls Romney “far and away the most likely” GOP nominee… Santorum remains off the campaign trail… Conservative groups begin their fire on Lugar… And over the holiday weekend, Grassley called Obama “stupid” in Twitter message.

Jason Reed / Reuters

President Barack Obama delivers remarks before signing the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act in the Rose Garden of the White House, April 5, 2012.

*** The tax debate cometh: Given that Americans across the country will be filing their tax returns this week, don’t be surprised if the issue of taxes takes center stage in the political debate. Indeed, Democrats are emphasizing tax fairness and the so-called “Buffett Rule.” So the Obama campaign today is holding a conference call (with Sen. Dick Durbin, and Wisconsin Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin) demanding that Mitt Romney explain why he opposes wealthy Americans paying a lower effective tax rate (due to their investment income) than folks in the middle class. On Tuesday, President Obama (as opposed to candidate Obama) will deliver a speech in Florida on the Buffett Rule. (We’ve now reached the point in the election cycle where the White House and the campaign are holding back-to-back events on the same issue). While Democrats will be emphasizing tax FAIRNESS, Republicans will be stressing that such talk amounts to tax HIKES. The top communications aide to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell fired off this email this morning: “How many jobs would the Buffett Tax create? How will the Buffett Tax ease the pain at the pump?”

*** Here comes the Crossroads ad blitz: The New York Times reports that premiere GOP Super PAC, the Karl Rove-backed American Crossroads, is planning to begin its advertising blitz against President Obama -- probably this month. But Crossroads officials “said they would focus the bulk of the first phase from May through July, which they believe is a critical period for making an impression on voters, before summer vacations and the party conventions take place.” More: “Steven J. Law, the group’s leader, said the ads would address the challenge of unseating a president who polls show is viewed favorably even though many people disapprove of his handling of the economy. Basically, Mr. Law said, ‘how to dislodge voters from him.’” A Democratic polling firm found that, among independents it surveyed, Obama has a higher FAV rating than Romney even as these voters ideologically appear to be more Republican leaning. Democrats were on the wrong end of this problem both in 1984 and 2004 when the incumbent Republican president had a higher FAV rating with swing voters who seemed to be more sympathetic to the Democratic agenda.

*** Crossroads admits that Obama so far is winning the tax debate? Returning to our discussion above about the coming tax debate, the New York Times piece on American Crossroads’ ad blitz had the group implying that the White House is winning the tax argument -- at least for now. “Crossroads research suggests that Mr. Obama’s campaign has started to gain traction among critical swing voters by arguing that Republicans, including Mr. Romney, favor an ‘economic plutocracy’ in which middle-class voters can no longer count on financial security, even though they work hard and play by the rules. ‘His argument is: “The reason you feel bad is not because I’ve been an inadequate president but because the rules of the game are stacked against you,”’ Mr. Law said. Calling it a ‘dystopian vision,’ he added, ‘that narrative has some gravitational pull.’”

*** Gingrich calls Romney “far and away the most likely” GOP nominee: On Friday, NBC’s Alex Moe wrote that Newt Gingrich and his campaign march on -- but with fewer paying attention. And on Sunday, he admitted on FOX that Romney is “far and away the most likely” GOP nominee. He also said, per the AP, that running for president “turned out to be much harder than I thought it would be." And: "I do think there's a desire for a more idea-oriented Republican Party, but that doesn't translate necessarily to being able to take on the Romney machine.”

*** Santorum remains off the campaign trail: As NBC’s Andrew Rafferty noted over the weekend, Rick Santorum will not campaign today so he can continue to stay at the side of his 3-year-old daughter Bella in the hospital. "Rick Santorum will not hold any campaign related events on Monday so that he and Karen can remain in the hospital with their daughter Bella. The entire Santorum family is incredibly grateful for the outpouring of prayers and support," Santorum spokesman Hogan Gidley said. Bella suffers from Trisomy 18, a chromosomal defect that claims the lives of most children born with it in their first year. The reason for her hospitalization this week hasn't been released. This, Rafferty adds, is the second time during the campaign that Bella has needed to be taken to a hospital. Santorum canceled events in late January after Bella was rushed to a Virginia hospital when she developed pneumonia in both lungs.

*** On the trail: In addition to Santorum, all the GOP candidates are off the campaign trail today.

*** Conservative groups begin their fire on Lugar: In advance of Indiana’s May 8 primary, the conservative group Club for Growth is going up with a new TV ad hitting Dick Lugar (for voting for the bailouts, tax hikes, and Obama’s Supreme Court justices) and supporting GOP primary foe Richard Mourdock, according to Politico. And the National Rifle Association is going after him with this TV spot, which states that Lugar “has become the only Republican candidate in Indiana with an ‘F’ rating from the NRA.” The ad then shows a photo of Lugar standing next to Obama. 

*** “Stupid is as stupid does”: The day before Easter and the day after Passover began, longtime GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) fired off a tweet calling President Obama “stupid.” The tweet: “Constituents askd why i am not outraged at PresO attack on supreme court independence. Bcause Am ppl r not stupid as this x prof of con law.” (Grassley doesn’t hold a law degree, by the way.) He then added, “Possibility of peace and freedom for Syria gets more remote as PresO plays along w the farce of Kofi Annans negotiatios there Barack wakeup.” First Read has reached out to Grassley’s office for comment, but has yet to hear back. Grassley’s tweets came a couple days after Nebraska Senate candidate Jon Bruning attacked GOP primary rival Don Stenberg during a debate for following his daughter on Twitter. “‘I'd like to know why does a 62-year-old man want to follow a 14-year-old girl on Twitter,’ Bruning said. ‘She said, “Dad, that's kind of creepy.”’” 

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Iowa's senior senator and prolific Tweeter, Republican Chuck Grassley, sent a harshly worded message Saturday that intentionally slighted the president.

Aides say Grassley personally Tweeted: "Constituents askd why i am not outraged at PresO attack on supreme court independence. Bcause Am ppl r not stupid as this x prof of con law."

While Grassley's Twitter account had been previously hacked, this time the use of the word "stupid" was his own. Aides say, "The Tweet is Sen. Grassley's. He is saying that it doesn't speak well of any constitutional law professor to not understand Marbury v Madison. The people understand the independence of the judiciary. So he thinks most Americans are smarter on the Constitution."

In a second Tweet, Grassley wrote,"Possibility of peace and freedom for Syria gets more remote as PresO plays along w the farce of Kofi Annans negotiatios (sic) there Barack wakeup."

Eric Cantor’s press shop has a leader again.

Veteran GOP operative Doug Heye, who most famously served as the communications director at the Republican National Committee during Michael Steele’s tenure there, will return to Capitol Hill to head the House majority leader’s messaging operation. Heye is a constant fixture as a GOP talking head on national cable shows, and he utilizes a down-home style often injecting WWE references into his punditry.

Heye replaces Brad Dayspring, who left Cantor’s Capitol Hill staff last month to work for Cantor “Young Guns” issue advocacy organization. A Democratic aide familiar with both men told NBC News, “While Dayspring was a pitbull for Cantor who liked to agitate, Heye is a calmer still effective hand. He’s less about conflict and more about making his boss look the best.”

More importantly, many on Capitol Hill feel Heye’s signing will usher in a stronger more unified bond with Speaker John Boehner’s press team. At times since the GOP took back the House majority, there has been a well-documented rift between the Boehner and Cantor camps about messaging on major issues. A GOP source who asked not to be quoted so that person could speak candidly about the hiring said, “Heye at Cantor’s office will help foster a close and effective working relationship [with Boehner’s office.] Doug is a talented veteran who brings valuable communications experience and perspective to the job.” 

Heye’s presence will further continue the softening of Cantor’s public image, which took a hit when many blamed him for the collapse of the “grand bargain” debt deal between Boehner and President Obama last summer. Recently, Cantor has pushed bipartisan bills through the House to help small businesses and ban insider trading by members of Congress.

For Roscoe Bartlett, Tuesday's congressional primary in Maryland will be the easy part. The hard part, however, will come in November.

Bartlett -- the second-oldest member of the House (he's a month older than John Dingell) -- is the incumbent in the Maryland's redrawn 6th congressional district. Often described in profiles as "quirky", Bartlett is without a doubt one of the most idiosyncratic (and interesting) members of Congress. A 10-term congressman, Bartlett is a goat farmer, an inventor, and a former college professor who holds a Ph.D. in physiology. He's a member of the Tea Party caucus, opposed the wars in Afghanistan and Iran, and was the first member of the GOP caucus to buy a Toyota Prius.

He's also a marked man.

Maryland's new map was redrawn by Democrats who wanted to take him out. The 6th district -- which comprised most of the western part of Maryland -- was redrawn to also include a good chunk of Washington, DC suburbs of Montgomery County. The result is what was once rural solidly Republican district -- giving President Obama nearly 40% of the vote in 2008 -- is now a Democratic district that gave Obama 56% of the vote. According to Cook Political Report, it's the biggest redistricting swing in the country.

Bartlett is not going down with a fight, however; he's raised more money than all seven of his Republican primary opponents combined. Nothing if not cantankerous, Bartlett insists he's the only Republican that can hold onto the seat. He's expected to win his primary fairly easily, but faces a big challenge in November.

The Democrats are running a bitter campaign to take on Bartlett. State Sen. Rob Garagiola was thought to be the favorite, and the district was reportedly redrawn to help his chances. But that rankled others, especially wealthy financier John Delaney. Delaney, who founded commercial lender CapitalSource, has chipped in $1.3 million of his own fortune into his campaign so far.

The race has turned nasty as Garagiola has attacked Delaney as a "loan shark" foreclosure profiteer, and highlighted the fact that Delaney doesn't live in the district (his residence is just outside the new lines.) Delaney has fired back trying to cast Garagiola as an "Annapolis insider" who once worked as a lobbyist. The state Democratic establishment is clearly favoring Garagiola: Steny Hoyer has endorsed him, and late this week Gov. Martin O'Malley did as well.

Delaney claims support from Bill Clinton.

“The House easily passed Budget Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) $1.028 trillion fiscal blueprint today, ending months of GOP infighting over spending levels but scuttling hopes of passing the appropriations bills in regular order this year,” Roll Call writes.

House GOP leaders on Thursday brandished their newly passed 2013 budget as the foundation of the Republican fall election campaign,” The Hill writes. “The Democratic response is ‘bring it on.’ They said they are eager to run against what they are dubbing the Ryan-Romney plan, which they say destroys Medicare, hobbles the economy and provides a tax break windfall to the rich.”

The House passed the Republican's budget proposal, authored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), largely along party lines, 228-191. It needed 218 to pass.

Of note: 10 Republicans voted against the proposal, which is up from the only four Republicans, who voted against the Ryan budget last year. No Democrats voted for it.

But this budget's journey is now effectively over, as even if Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the Senate minority leader, forced a vote on the bill, it would not pass.

The GOP budget would:

- Decrease spending levels for FY 2013 to $1.028 trillion, which is less than what was agreed upon during last year's debt limit deal
- Cuts deficit by $5.3 trillion compared to Obama's budget proposal
- Would not balance the budget until 2040
- Would rework the automatic defense cuts scheduled as a result of the Supercommittee's failure
- Would drastically change Medicare for people under 55, turning the program into a "voucher" program where new members pick between private insurance programs as well as the current Medicare program.
- Would initiate comprehensive tax reform, which would reduce the number of tax brackets from the six we have now to only two, among other things.

Vote breakdown:

Yea: 228R, 0D
Nay: 10R, 181D
Total: 228Y, 191N

GOP Reps voting nay:
Amash
Barton
Duncan (TN)
Gibson
Huelskamp
Jones
McKinley
Platts
Rehberg
Whitfield

“The House on Thursday is poised to approve Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) budget measure, which would give Republicans a much-needed lift after months of intra-party squabbling,” The Hill says.

“After two failed efforts to pass a short-term extension of surface transportation law, House Republican leaders plan to take up a 90-day extension today in an effort to avert a shutdown of federal highway programs on Saturday,” Roll Call reports.

“House Republicans went on the offensive Wednesday in the fight over federal transportation funding, with a plan to pass an extension under normal House rules before they adjourn for recess,” The Hill writes. “A 90-day extension of current law that provides funding for road and transit projects, which expired in 2009, was sent to the House Rules Committee on Wednesday evening.”

“Hoping to use the two-week Easter recess to ramp up the GOP’s attacks on President Barack Obama’s energy policies, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy laid out a messaging agenda today designed to highlight the differences between the two parties’ energy development proposals,” Roll Call reports.