OnPolitics: Steven Bannon's contempt trial begins after defying House Jan. 6 committee

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ICYMI: House Democrats passed two bills Friday that would protect abortion rights and the women who travel across state lines for the procedure. But there are major questions about whether either bill can get past a 50-50 Senate and reach President Joe Biden's desk.

What were the bills? The Women's Health Protection Act of 2022 would enshrine Roe v. Wade into federal law. The Ensuring Access to Abortion Act would protect a patient's right to travel for legal abortions.

The legislation now moves to the Senate, where the Women's Health Protection Act failed to advance in May. It garnered only 49 votes instead of the 60 votes needed to overcome the filibuster.

Even though the bills may be doomed to fail in the Senate, they provide Democrats the opportunity to get Republicans on the record about abortion before the midterms. Citing polls showing most Americans supporting access to abortion, Democrats have said the Roe decision could help them hold onto the majority in the fall, though some analysts say the economy is more likely to be the top issue among voters.

Biden abandons plan to nominate anti-abortion judge: The White House retreated from its plans to nominate conservative, anti-abortion attorney Chad Meredith as a federal judge in Kentucky, with the White House citing opposition from a surprising source: Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

It's Amy and Chelsey with today's top stories out of Washington.

Steve Bannon heads to contempt trial this week for defying Jan. 6 committee

With jury selection beginning Monday, the swagger former White House strategist Steve Bannon and his defense team displayed months ago appears to have faded after a federal judge last week rejected multiple requests for a postponement, setting the stage for Bannon's confrontation with the government.

“I'm never going to back down. We're going to go on offense,” Bannon told a scrum of reporters outside the federal courthouse after charges were leveled late last year.

What has he been charged with? Bannon faces two counts of contempt for his refusal to appear for a deposition and another involving his refusal to produce documents, despite a subpoena from the House committee, which has held a series of hearings this summer featuring damning testimony from former Trump administration officials. Each count carries a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, as well as a maximum fine of $100,000.

Why does the committee want to talk to Bannon? The committee's interest in seeking Bannon's testimony centers, at least in part, on two telephone contacts the former strategist had with Trump on Jan. 5, 2021.

After their initial Jan. 5 call, Bannon said on his podcast, “All hell is going to break loose tomorrow."

“It’s all converging and now we’re on, as they say, the point of attack,” Bannon said. “Right, the point of attack tomorrow. I’ll tell you this. It’s not gonna happen like you think it’s gonna happen. It’s gonna be quite extraordinarily different. And all I can say is strap in.”

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Real quick: stories you need to read

• Cruz against same-sex marriage ruling: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said the Supreme Court's 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage should be reconsidered.

• Atlanta-area DA considers Trump testimony: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis must decide whether to call former President Donald Trump before a grand jury as part of a wide-ranging criminal investigation.

• Did Trump attempt to tamper with a witness?: The Justice Department will weigh if Trump's alleged call to an unnamed witness was an attempt to hamper the Jan. 6 committee's investigation into the attack on the Capitol.

• Investigation into deleted texts: The Jan. 6 panel expects the Secret Service to hand over a cache of texts reportedly deleted on the day of the insurrection by Tuesday.

• Biden's focus on Iran's nuclear access: Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid pushed the president to change course on deterring Iran from accessing nuclear weapons.

Was Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia worth it?

Biden wrapped up his 4-day trip to the Middle East with meetings in Saudi Arabia – a country he had previously vowed to shun due to its human rights abuses.

But the president deemed the summit necessary to achieving his Middle East strategy, including improving human rights.

"No country gets it right all the time – even most of the time – including the United States," Biden said.

The president attended the GCC+3, a summit of Middle Eastern leaders representing the Gulf Cooperation Council plus Egypt, Iraq and Jordan. He also met one-on-one with the leaders of Iraq, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates and announced $1 billion in food security assistance for the Middle East and North Africa.

Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is also part of Biden’s goal in the region even as he seeks to build political, economic and security connections. But his visit to Saudi Arabia raised questions as to whether the oil-rich nation might help mitigate record-high fuel costs in the U.S.

While no commitments were announced, Biden noted that the OPEC+ group of oil-producing nations increased production and he expects to see "further steps in the coming weeks."

No more Department of Education? Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who served during the Trump administration, said the agency "should not exist." --Amy and Chelsey

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steven Bannon contempt trial begins after defying Jan. 6 committee