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👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Welcome back to Congress Nerd Daily. I hope today was everything for you. President Donald Trump traveled this afternoon to Michigan’s 7th Congressional District—a top House Democratic pickup target—to tout tariffs alongside General Motors executives, argue they have fueled the automaker’s strongest year ever and campaign with GOP gubernatorial candidate John James, House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain and the district’s incumbent member, Tom Barrett. During remarks at the GM proving grounds, Trump also renewed his push for the SAVE America Act (much more on that below), attacked mail voting and said the U.S. was engaged in “very friendly negotiations” with Iran over a potential deal.

THE LINEUP

• Trump presses Thune to delay August recess over doomed SAVE Act

• McConnell remains out of public view

• Schiff unveils trip of online safety bills

• Craig wins Walz backing

THE LEAD

With fewer than 100 days until an election that will determine the balance of power in Washington and shape the final two years of his presidency, President Trump has yet to pivot to the kitchen-table issues that polls consistently show voters care about most.

Instead, he has remained focused on legacy projects such as the White House East Wing ballroom and proposed Triumphal Arch, the war in Iran and the SAVE America Act—the conservative election bill that would impose new federal restrictions on nearly every stage of the voting process.

Before leaving for August recess last week, House Republicans adopted a budget blueprint that would unlock $10 billion through the reconciliation process to encourage states to adopt parts of the SAVE America Act’s voter ID requirements. But the House-passed framework lacks the support needed to advance in the Senate.

After a conservative influencer urged the Senate to remain in session until it passed the SAVE America Act, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) pledged on X to withhold his consent to adjourn once the chamber finishes its work next Thursday. At least five other Senate conservatives have since joined him.

Trump escalated the pressure this morning, urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) in a Truth Social post not only to pass the SAVE America Act but also to eliminate the legislative filibuster to do it.

“The Dumocrats will do it on day one, and can’t believe how lucky they got with this Senate leadership,” Trump wrote. “Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!”…

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THE POWERS THAT BE

McConnell remains out of public view:​ ​Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a statement this afternoon he is working to return to a full Senate schedule but will miss this weekend’s Fancy Farm picnic as he continues physical therapy following his June fall.…

THE POLICY DESK

Schiff unveils trio of online safety bills: Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced three bills to update federal guardrails for the digital age…

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THE TRAIL

Craig wins Walz backing: Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz endorsed Rep. Angie Craig in the Democratic Senate primary, calling her the strongest candidate to keep the seat in blue and citing her record of winning competitive races statewide.…

👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Welcome back to Congress Nerd Sunday. I hope your weekend was everything for you.

FIRST THINGS FIRST: The House has begun its five-week August recess, but the Senate still has two weeks to answer a familiar question: How much can it realistically accomplish before Washington empties for the summer?

The biggest floor vote this week will be procedural. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has set up a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to a House-passed bipartisan tax bill that Republicans plan to use as the legislative vehicle for a Russia sanctions package championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Whether supporters can assemble the 60 votes needed to begin debate will be the clearest test yet of the sanctions bill’s viability following Graham’s death.

The week will also be shaped by services honoring Graham, beginning on Tuesday in the U.S. Capitol before moving to the Washington National Cathedral and then returning to South Carolina on Wednesday.

Beyond sanctions, Senate leaders are juggling a crowded agenda. Appropriators are trying to negotiate a bipartisan continuing resolution that could fund the government through the November midterm elections, while the chamber is expected to take up Jay Clayton’s nomination to serve as director of national intelligence with a vote to limit debate on the matter scheduled for Monday evening.

Lawmakers are also seeking time agreements to consider the bipartisan Clarity Act and the Protect College Sports Act, two complex measures that will require weeks of floor time to process without unanimous consent to expedite debate.

Beyond the floor, several Senate committees will tackle major policy and personnel fights before senators head home.

Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical advisor to former President Joe Biden, returns to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for testimony before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, while the HELP Committee examines artificial intelligence’s impact on the workforce and the Aging Committee explores how deepfakes, chatbots and other AI tools are fueling scams targeting older Americans.

On Thursday, the Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as attorney general, the HELP Committee will consider Keith Sonderling’s nomination for labor secretary and the Commerce Committee will examine the next generation of intelligent networks designed to create self-optimizing communications systems.

Hovering over the Senate’s final two weeks before recess is President Donald Trump’s fresh demand that lawmakers adopt the House-passed budget resolution to unlock a third reconciliation bill for military funding, farm aid and election grants tied to the SAVE America Act’s voter ID requirements.

Thune has repeatedly said the votes are not there and has indicated he does not plan to bring the resolution to the floor before senators leave Washington. That all but guarantees Trump’s pressure campaign will continue, adding another layer of tension between the White House and Senate Republicans as Thune tries to steer the chamber toward bipartisan wins on sanctions, government funding and other major priorities before the August break.

THE LINEUP

• How House Democrats plan to sell their vision for an Affordable America

• Senate Dems press Pentagon on Iran casualty reporting

• Bipartisan bill targets tax filing scams

• Jackson officially wins Maine nod

THE LEAD

Today marks 100 days until Election Day and House Democrats are kicking off a five-week campaign designed to persuade voters they’re not only ready to replace Republicans this fall but prepared to govern once the new Congress starts in January.

Internal messaging guidance obtained by Once Upon a Hill shows the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee has spent the past month building a district work period around “Fighting for an Affordable America,” the affordability-focused tagline first reported in Congress Nerd last Thursday.

The effort asks lawmakers to organize nearly every public appearance during the August recess around three messages: lowering the cost of groceries, gas and housing; delivering affordable health care for every American; and “holding the crooks accountable.”

The guidance, distributed to members on Friday under the banner of DPCC Chair Debbie Dingell (Mich.), describes the next 100 days as House Democrats’ “final sprint” and tells lawmakers the recess is “a time to prove that House Democrats are meeting the moment.”

The DPCC has been developing the rollout for the past several weeks. The entire August break will revolve around the new messaging framework, with individual days highlighting issues such as Medicaid, Social Security, voting rights and attacks on women and diverse communities, while broader weeks of action reinforce the overarching affordability message.

The internal guidance reflects a notable refinement in House Democrats’ messaging.

For much of the past year, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and other Democratic leaders have emphasized lowering costs, fixing the nation’s “broken health care system” and cleaning up corruption. The new framework keeps affordability at its center while sharpening the latter two messages into promises of “affordable health care for every American” and “hold the crooks accountable.”

A source familiar with the matter declined to explain precisely how Democrats landed on the new corruption language but said “‘crooks’ is widely applicable and ‘accountable’ delivers the accountability people want in comparison with the blatant Trump administration corruption from top to bottom.”

Jeffries repeatedly previewed the new language during his final Capitol press conference last week before lawmakers left Washington.

“We’re committed to a country that provides affordable health care for every American, and we also are committed as Democrats to hold the crooks accountable, who’ve been robbing the American people blind, and that includes a whole lot of folks in this town and folks across the country.”

Pressed later to define that third pillar, Jeffries argued Democrats intend to use a future House majority to investigate what he called “the most corrupt administration in American history,” while contrasting Republican perceived focus on billionaires and mega corporations with Democrats’ populist economic message.

Jeffries appeared this afternoon in Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district alongside Gov. Josh Shapiro and Democratic nominee Bob Brooks, the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, as Democrats look to unseat Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.), one of the nation’s most competitive House races this cycle.

The messaging push coincides with a broader party-wide effort to frame affordability as the defining issue of the fall campaign.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released a memo this morning arguing the political environment continues moving in Democrats’ favor as Republicans defend rising costs, tariffs and last year’s unpopular One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The committee also launched a new digital advertising campaign targeting voters in battleground districts across the country with messages tying vulnerable House Republicans to higher everyday costs.

Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee marked the campaign’s 100-day milestone with more than 425 organizing events across 42 states and four territories this weekend, including canvasses, voter registration drives and community events designed to reach voters before the fall stretch.

Senate Democrats are embracing a similar argument.

“One hundred days out from Election Day, Senate Democrats are well-positioned to win the majority, with multiple paths to get there,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) said in a statement. “Over the next 100 days, Democrats will tirelessly make our case in every battleground state – and come November, voters will elect a Democratic Senate majority that delivers real results and puts the American people first.”

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THE POWERS THAT BE

Senate Dems press Pentagon on Iran casualty reporting: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and 11 Senate Democrats demanded a full accounting of every U.S. service member killed, wounded or injured during Operation Epic Fury, citing discrepancies between the Pentagon’s public casualty figures and official statements that they say have obscured the war’s human toll. In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and senior military leaders, the lawmakers requested answers by Thursday on casualty totals, traumatic brain injuries, undisclosed attacks in Jordan and the military’s mass-casualty response capabilities.

📬 The best stories often start with a conversation. If you’ve got insight, context or something others are missing, my inbox is open. Send me tips, scoops or just say hi: michael@onceuponahill.com.

THE POLICY DESK

Dems target foreign money loophole: Sen. Kelly, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) introduced legislation to bar U.S. companies that are majority-owned or controlled by foreign entities from spending unlimited sums in American elections, arguing current campaign finance law has failed to keep pace with the globalization of corporate ownership. The proposal comes as foreign ownership of U.S. stocks has grown from roughly 4% in 1986 to about 40% today, a shift the lawmakers say has created a loophole that undermines the longstanding prohibition on foreign nationals influencing federal elections while preserving the rights of Americans living in the United States to make political contributions.

Pressley unveils maternal health package: Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced the MOMMIES Act, a sweeping proposal to expand Medicaid coverage and improve access to postpartum, reproductive and community-based care as Democrats seek to reverse the nation’s rising maternal mortality rate and narrow persistent racial disparities in pregnancy-related deaths. Pressley also introduced the Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act, which would discourage the shackling of pregnant people in custody, expand maternal health services in prisons and jails, support alternatives to incarceration for pregnant individuals and primary caregivers, and launch the first comprehensive federal study of maternal and infant health among incarcerated people.

Bipartisan bill targets tax filing scams: Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the IRS’s electronic filing system by preventing scammers from using stolen Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFINs) to file fraudulent tax returns and steal sensitive taxpayer information. The SECURE Tax Filing Act would require tax software providers to verify that participating tax professionals are using legitimate EFINs before they can access the IRS e-filing system, closing a loophole lawmakers say has enabled identity theft and tax refund fraud.

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THE TRAIL

SC stays first as DNC expands early map: The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted on Friday to recommend a six-state early presidential primary calendar for 2028, keeping South Carolina first, followed by Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia—a lineup that elevates Black, Latino, labor and suburban voters at the outset of what is expected to be a wide-open nomination fight. The proposal still requires approval from the full DNC next month, but it offers an early glimpse at how party leaders want future candidates to prove they can assemble the coalition Democrats need to win back the White House.

Jackson officially wins Maine nod: Maine Democrats officially selected former state Senate President Troy Jackson as their U.S. Senate nominee on Saturday, moving quickly to unify the party after Graham Platner withdrew from the race amid allegations of sexual assault, which he has denied. Jackson now heads into one of the country’s most closely watched Senate contests against five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins, giving Democrats a fresh start in a race that could help determine control of the chamber.

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Congress sent mixed signals today on President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, with the House approving a bipartisan war powers resolution seeking to require congressional authorization for continued U.S. military action while the Senate narrowly failed to advance a similar measure just hours later.

The House approved its resolution, 214-208, with unanimous Democratic support and four Republicans—Reps. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)—joining in favor. In the Senate, a resolution sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) fell short, 47-49. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was the only Republican to vote yes after Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who previously backed similar legislation, missed the vote. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) switched from supporting an earlier resolution to opposing this one.

The votes came as congressional Republicans continue searching for a path to approve tens of billions of dollars in emergency military funding requested by the Trump administration. House Republicans have already advanced a reconciliation framework that would unlock up to $73 billion in additional defense spending, but Senate Republican leaders have been reluctant to embrace reconciliation as the vehicle, leaving the administration’s broader funding strategy in limbo heading into the August recess.

THE LINEUP

• Trump bets voluntary pledge can head off electricity backlash

• Schumer honors fallen Capitol Police officers

• Democrats renew nationwide IVF legislation

• Democrats dominate independents in new survey

THE LEAD

President Donald Trump this afternoon expanded the White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, enlisting more governors, utilities and technology companies in a voluntary effort designed to reassure Americans they won’t end up subsidizing the electricity needed to power the artificial intelligence boom…

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THE POWERS THAT BE

Schumer honors fallen Capitol Police officers: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) commemorated the 28th anniversary of the fatal 1998 shooting at the U.S. Capitol, honoring Detective John Gibson and Officer Jacob Chestnut for sacrificing their lives to protect the Capitol…

THE POLICY DESK

Democrats renew nationwide IVF legislation: Senate Democrats reintroduced the Right to IVF Act, a legislative package that would establish a nationwide right to access in vitro fertilization, require most employer-sponsored and public health insurance plans to cover fertility treatment, expand IVF benefits for servicemembers and veterans, and require coverage through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program…

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THE TRAIL

Democrats dominate independents in new survey: New Emerson College polling suggests Democrats continue to hold a sizable national advantage ahead of this year’s midterms, with likely voters favoring a Democratic congressional candidate over a Republican by 11 points, 53% to 42%…

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Johnson scored a House sweep: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) notched three major victories on the House floor this afternoon, steering the annual defense authorization bill, a purported congressional stock trading ban and a budget resolution unlocking a third reconciliation package through his narrow majority.

None is guaranteed a path through the Senate, where Republicans remain divided over a third reconciliation bill, while the stock trading ban and the House-passed NDAA face uncertain prospects in the upper chamber. But after weeks of floor setbacks and conservative revolts, the votes demonstrated Johnson’s ability to hold together a narrow and ideologically divided Republican majority when it mattered most.

The NDAA cleared the House 216-212 with seven Republicans opposed and six Democrats crossing party lines to support it. The congressional stock trading ban passed 232-198 with 13 Democrats joining most Republicans. The reconciliation budget resolution squeaked through 216-214 with every Democrat opposed alongside Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) and independent Kevin Kiley of California, who conferences with Republicans. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) missed all three votes and has not voted this week.

THE LINEUP

• Inside House Democrats’ new affordability push ahead of the midterms

• Schumer’s bid to block AF1 spending fails

• Warnock rolls out voting rights agenda

• Talarico targets AI data centers

THE LEAD

House Democratic leaders this evening began laying out both the message and governing agenda they want members to campaign on during the August recess, rolling out a new affordability-focused slogan while previewing the legislative priorities they hope to pursue if voters return them to the majority.

During a members-only meeting of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, leaders unveiled the new tagline—“Fighting for an Affordable America”—and urged lawmakers to center their conversations with voters on lowering the cost of living, according to multiple sources in the room.

Leadership also emphasized message discipline, encouraging members to keep their pitch simple and repeat it consistently as they fan out across the country for the monthlong district work period, a source told me…

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THE POWERS THAT BE

Schumer’s bid to block AF1 spending fails: Senate Democrats unsuccessfully sought unanimous consent to pass the Presidential Airlift Security Act, a bill from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) that would prohibit the Pentagon from spending federal funds to procure, modify or maintain foreign-owned aircraft for presidential airlift…

THE POLICY DESK

Warnock rolls out voting rights agenda: Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) unveiled a sweeping proposal calling on a future Democratic Congress to investigate state lawmakers who redrew congressional maps after the Supreme Court’s Callais decision to determine whether they illegally discriminated against Black voters…

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THE TRAIL

Talarico targets AI data centers: Texas Senate candidate James Talarico unveiled a plan to eliminate billions of dollars in state tax breaks for AI data centers, require tech companies to pay for their own electricity and water infrastructure, and give local communities more authority over whether new facilities can be built…

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MI-07 primary fallout: My reporting on William Lawrence’s previously unreported archived posts criticizing former President Barack Obama quickly became part of the MI-07 Democratic primary, with rival Matt Maasdam citing the story to sharpen his contrast with Lawrence in one of Democrats’ top House pickup opportunities.

“President Obama was the kind of leader we need more of right now—someone who led with courage, conviction, and a strong moral compass,” Maasdam said on X, noting it was “reported this weekend” that Lawrence said Obama’s legacy was one of “cowardice and betrayal.”

“Democrats need to unite and stand up to Donald Trump and defend our democracy, not tear down the legacy of leaders who did,” he added.

Maasdam, a retired Navy SEAL, served as a military aide to Obama and carried the “nuclear football,” the briefcase containing the communications equipment and authentication materials the president uses to authorize a nuclear strike.

On the House floor tonight: The House will meet for an 8:30 p.m. vote series on amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act and a continuing resolution to extend government funding through the midterm elections. House Democratic leaders have urged their members to oppose the NDAA, arguing the NDAA’s $1.15 trillion defense topline is excessive. (As I reported Sunday evening, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) is likely to oppose the bill. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, opposes the CR because it doesn’t explicitly prevent dollars from being allocated to Border Patrol.

THE LINEUP

• Dems confront a new dilemma in their push to oust Hegseth

• Thune announces Rotunda ceremony for Graham

• Schumer escalates Trump corruption attacks

• Fields exits Congress after Louisiana redraw

• Senate Dems back Black women’s equal pay resolution

THE LEAD

As Democrats intensify their calls for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s removal, some are also beginning to grapple with a question they haven’t had to answer before: What if President Trump simply replaces him with someone they view as equally unqualified—or even worse?

Interviews with Democratic lawmakers over the past day show no sign they’re backing away from demands that Hegseth leave the Pentagon. But after Trump replaced former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard with officials many Democrats also oppose, lawmakers offered different answers when asked whether another Cabinet shakeup would meaningfully change the administration’s national security leadership…

📬 The best stories often start with a conversation. If you’ve got insight, context or something others are missing, my inbox is open. Send me tips, scoops or just say hi: michael@onceuponahill.com.

THE POWERS THAT BE

Thune announces Rotunda ceremony for Graham: Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced that the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) will lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on July 28…

THE POLICY DESK

Senate Democrats back equal pay resolution: Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) led all 47 members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in introducing a resolution recognizing Black Women’s Equal Pay Day and renewing calls to close the longstanding wage gap facing Black women…

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THE TRAIL

Fields exits Congress after Louisiana redraw: Rep. Cleo Fields (D-La.) announced today that he will not seek another term in the House and instead will run for an open Louisiana state Senate seat, ending a brief return to Congress after winning election in 2024…

👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Welcome back to Congress Nerd Daily. I hope today was everything for you.

My condolences to the families of 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, who the Defense Department this morning identified as the two service members killed in action during the Iranian missile and drone attack in Jordan over the weekend. Gonzales was from Carrollton, Texas, about 40 minutes from where I grew up, a reminder that losses like these are never as distant as they can sometimes seem.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump will attend the dignified transfer ceremony Tuesday evening at Dover Air Force Base. May their memories be a blessing.

THE LINEUP

• Thune casts doubt on Johnson’s latest SAVE strategy

• Schumer launches anti-corruption push

• Ossoff presses RFK Jr. over CDC cuts

• Elizabeth Warren backs Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan

THE LEAD

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) acknowledged this afternoon that Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) strategy of attaching the SAVE America Act to must-pass legislation in the House could complicate Senate Republicans’ efforts to clear their agenda before the August recess.

The top Senate Republican did not dispute that Johnson’s insistence on pairing the election bill with unrelated House-passed measures could make it harder to move legislation through a chamber where most bills still require 60 votes to advance.

“If it’s anything that they want to see become law, yeah,” Thune told me when asked whether the House strategy complicates the Senate’s work.

He said Republicans would continue looking for “all legislative windows” to advance the bill but acknowledged the chamber’s procedural limits.

“If it’s attached to something that we absolutely have to get done, and it’s attached in a way that can’t get 60 votes here in the Senate, then yeah, it’ll be a challenge.”

Thune’s comments underscore the balancing act Senate Republicans face as they try to satisfy President Trump and House conservatives while navigating a chamber where most legislation still requires 60 votes to advance. Even under unified Republican control of Washington, GOP leaders remain constrained by Senate rules that allow Democrats to block bills lacking bipartisan support…

📬 The best stories often start with a conversation. If you’ve got insight, context or something others are missing, my inbox is open. Send me tips, scoops or just say hi: michael@onceuponahill.com.

THE POWERS THAT BE

— SCHUMER LAUNCHES ANTI-CORRUPTION PUSH: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) launched a new Senate Democratic anti-corruption working group and released a report accusing President Trump of using the presidency for personal financial gain…

THE POLICY DESK

— OSSOFF PRESSES RFK JR. OVER CDC CUTS: Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) criticized Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the administration’s decision to end a CDC surveillance program tracking Cyclospora cayetanensis, the parasite behind the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak, arguing the move weakened the nation’s food safety infrastructure…

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THE TRAIL

— DCCC HAULS IN $37.4 IN Q2: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $37.4 million during the second quarter, including $16.4 million in June, bringing its cycle-to-date fundraising to $198 million with $79 million cash on hand…

👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Welcome back to Congress Nerd Sunday. I hope your weekend was everything for you. This is the last week the House will be in session before the August recess.

THE LINEUP

• Obama posts become new flashpoint in Michigan House primary

• Two U.S. service members killed, unidentified remains recovered in Jordan

• House GOP agenda lookahead

• Committee hearing preview

THE LEAD

Previously unreported archived social media posts show Democratic congressional candidate William Lawrence repeatedly criticizing former President Barack Obama, adding a new dimension to an escalating intraparty dispute over the progressive candidate in one of Democrats’ top House pickup opportunities.

The posts, made between November 2020 and October 2021, surfaced as Lawrence faces mounting criticism over past comments about Black Democratic leaders ahead of Michigan’s Aug. 4 Democratic primary to challenge Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.) in the battleground 7th Congressional District.

Lawrence wrote in one November 2020 post, “I’m here for all the disgusted Obama memoir reviews. In spite of it all, I still want to love the man. But goddamn, what a missed opportunity.”

Nearly a year later, Lawrence described Obama’s legacy as one of “cowardice and betrayal.” In another post, he called Obama’s Cabinet a “murderers’ row” of “neoliberals.”

The archived posts expand on reporting published last week by HuffPost, which highlighted earlier comments in which Lawrence described Black U.S. political leaders as a “pillar” of the “capitalist, imperialist” American establishment whose support for Democratic leadership “defangs the white left.”

The controversy has quickly become a flashpoint in a nationally watched Democratic primary that could help determine control of the House next year.

“William Lawrence cannot be trusted to advocate for Black Americans. We need real allies in Congress,” CBCPAC spokesperson Chris Taylor told me in a statement. “William Lawrence is a weak division peddler who spit on the legacy of Black civil rights leaders, mocked President Obama’s service, and ran an ill-conceived effort that handed Michigan to Donald Trump in 2024.”

Taylor added that Democratic voters “should reject him and vote for anyone else.” Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam are also vying for the Democratic nomination.

Rolling Sea Action Fund, a CBCPAC-aligned organization, launched an advertising campaign last week urging Democratic primary voters to reject Lawrence.

The political fallout has extended beyond outside groups.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who represented the district before winning election to the Senate in 2024 and has typically stayed out of Michigan Democratic primaries, endorsed Maasdam in the race. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has called Lawrence’s previously reported comments “deeply disturbing,” while CBC leaders have publicly condemned them.

At the same time, Lawrence has continued to receive support from the party’s progressive wing.

He is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC and Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who joined Sanders, El-Sayed and Lawrence at a campaign rally in Lansing this afternoon, has declined to endorse in the House primary despite appearing at the event.

Lawrence’s campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment, including after I shared the archived posts and extended my deadline for a response. Slotkin’s political operation did not respond to a request for comment and an Ocasio-Cortez campaign spokesperson could not be reached before publication.

However, Lawrence responded publicly last week to criticism over previously reported comments about Black Democratic leaders.

He said those remarks were taken “out of context and weaponized by my political opponents,” called his wording “clumsy,” and said he regretted his choice of words. He wrote that the comments did not reflect his beliefs and said Black Americans “are and have been at the forefront of the fight to realize the very best American ideals of freedom and justice for all.”

The race has emerged as one of the country’s most closely watched Democratic primaries, with establishment Democrats warning that a divisive contest could complicate the party’s effort to unseat Barrett in a district viewed as critical to winning back the House majority.

War in Iran latest: Democrats are expected to intensify their criticism of the war in Iran after two U.S. service members were killed in Jordan over the weekend. U.S. Central Command this afternoon said that forces recovered unidentified remains at the attack site that are undergoing examination to determine whether they belong to the missing servicemember.

Separately, the military said another U.S. servicemember was killed and a second was injured Saturday in northern Iraq during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. Officials are withholding the identities of the dead and missing pending notification of their families.

The U.S. launched another round of strikes against Iran on Saturday, saying the operation was intended to retaliate against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for the attack and degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Security concerns in Jordan: The U.S. Embassy in Jordan said this morning that Jordanian authorities had evacuated the international airport and seaport in Aqaba and advised Americans to avoid travel to military bases in the country. (The State Department ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. personnel and eligible family members from the region in early March because of deteriorating security conditions.)

Jordanian officials, however, disputed the embassy’s account. A government spokesperson said no security threats had been recorded in recent hours and that both the airport and seaport in Aqaba were operating normally.

The State Department said the security environment remains complex and warned that heightened regional tensions could lead to further escalation.

“U.S. diplomatic facilities, including outside the Middle East, have been targeted,” the department said. “Groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and/or Americans throughout the world.”

Trump seeks to expand Russia sanctions bill: President Trump also injected a new wrinkle into the Senate’s bipartisan Russia sanctions legislation, urging congressional Republicans to broaden the measure to include Iran.

“That’s what Lindsey wanted to do,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who reached an agreement with the White House on the legislation the day before his death earlier this month. “And it was going to happen. IMPORTANT!!!”

As introduced, the bill would dramatically expand U.S. sanctions on Russia by imposing sweeping financial, energy and trade restrictions on the Russian government, its military, oligarchs and foreign entities supporting Moscow’s war in Ukraine. It would also impose steep tariffs on countries that continue to purchase Russian oil or natural gas or that help Russia evade sanctions.

It remains unclear whether Trump’s call to fold Iran into the legislation will strengthen or complicate the bipartisan coalition of more than 60 senators backing the bill.

NDAA: Adam Smith (D-Wash.) is expected to oppose the $1.15 trillion 2027 National Defense Authorization Act this week in what would mark a notable break for the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee and reflects Democratic caucus’s concerns over Republicans’ defense spending plans and expected culture-war amendments that could erode the bipartisan coalition that has traditionally carried the annual NDAA.

“Our country faces threats and DoD has modernization needs, but I cannot and do not support meeting these needs by making massive cuts to critically important domestic programs and slashing taxes,” Smith said in a statement. “Based on the rule that failed on the House floor two weeks ago, the bill is likely to be loaded up with toxic amendments that continue the right-wing culture war assault on the LGBTQ+ community and preempts State and local laws under the guise of military readiness.”

Smith’s opposition comes days after Senate Democrats took the extraordinary step of blocking debate on the chamber’s NDAA over President Trump’s handling of the war in Iran, underscoring how one of Congress’s most bipartisan annual bills is becoming increasingly entangled in broader fights over national security, defense spending and Republican policy riders.

Government funding: House Republican leaders are expected to bring a clean continuing resolution to the floor this week that would keep the government funded through Dec. 4, an unusually early attempt to avoid a Sept. 30 shutdown while buying negotiators more time to finish the FY2027 appropriations process.

“Republicans are going to be unable to move any continuing resolution without the support of House and Senate Democrats,” Jeffries told reporters last week. “And if they take a my-way-or-the-highway approach, we’ve seen how that worked out in the past.

If the measure clears the House, Republicans are likely to argue they have already acted to prevent a shutdown, potentially shifting pressure onto Democrats if the bill stalls or funding lapses this fall. The stopgap would come as Congress remains well behind schedule on annual spending bills, with lawmakers facing another packed agenda before the August recess.

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ON THE FLOOR

House rule bills: While the NDAA, continuing resolution and reconciliation budget resolution will dominate floor attention, the House Rules Committee will meet tomorrow afternoon to prepare for floor consideration several lower-profile measures and an ethics bill that’s likely to spark partisan debate, which is where we’ll start.

The Stop Insider Trading Act would bar members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children from purchasing individual stocks while in office and require advance public notice before selling covered securities. It is aimed at restoring public trust in Congress, though Democrats are expected to argue the bill falls short by exempting the president, vice president and Supreme Court justices from the trading restrictions.

Polling consistently shows bipartisan majorities believe lawmakers shouldn’t be allowed to trade individual stocks while making policy that can affect financial markets. Leadership in both parties has long resisted bringing a ban to the floor.

But Republicans are trying to seize the mantle on ethics. For years, rank-and-file Democrats largely drove the push for a congressional stock trading ban. By bringing the bill up now, House Republicans can argue they’re responding to public frustration with Washington—even though the proposal is narrower than many Democrats and outside watchdogs prefer.

Members who have campaigned on banning congressional stock trading will have to decide whether supporting an incomplete bill is better than opposing it in hopes of a broader ban. Expect some Democrats to vote yes while criticizing the bill as insufficient, rather than rejecting it outright.

Lawmakers are also scheduled to vote on the Main Street Capital Access Act, a banking reform package intended to expand access to credit by easing regulatory burdens on community banks and encouraging new bank formation, and the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act, which would extend the Social Security Administration’s authority to test pilot programs that help disability beneficiaries enter or reenter the workforce without changing SSDI eligibility or benefit levels.

Suspensions: The House will also consider a broad bipartisan package of suspension bills spanning health care, biomedical research, government oversight and science policy.

Among the most notable measures are bills to permanently authorize the NIH’s INCLUDE Project for Down syndrome research and IMPROVE maternal health initiative, reauthorize programs supporting ALS therapies, Alzheimer’s and dementia provider training, traumatic brain injury research, school-based health centers, stem cell transplantation and the dental workforce, and expand Medicare access to ultralightweight wheelchairs.

Government reform measures would require public disclosure of billions of dollars in previously opaque federal contracting agreements, strengthen whistleblower protections for federal contractors, increase oversight of megaprojects that run years behind schedule or billions over budget, modernize technology procurement and tighten accountability for health care providers participating in the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act. Lawmakers will also vote on legislation to strengthen biosecurity standards for synthetic DNA purchases and accelerate next-generation geothermal energy research.

Senate: The Senate is expected to continue processing judicial nominees and other executive branch nominations this week, with GOP leaders also weighing whether to bring up additional privileged legislation or nominations as they determine the path forward on Reconciliation 3.0 and the Trump administration’s supplemental funding request.

But the floor schedule remains unusually fluid as senators travel between Washington and South Carolina for memorial services honoring Sen. Graham on Tuesday and Wednesday. Attendance could complicate the timing of votes and other floor business, particularly if Republicans need near-full attendance to advance closely contested nominations.

📬 The best stories often start with a conversation. If you’ve got insight, context or something others are missing, my inbox is open. Send me tips, scoops or just say hi: michael@onceuponahill.com.

COMMITTEE WATCH

Monday: The week begins with a pair of evening markups. The House Energy and Commerce Committee will consider a sprawling package of 29 bipartisan bills covering health care, AI-driven electricity demand, energy infrastructure, public safety and efforts to combat illicit drugs, while the House Intelligence Committee will mark up the annual Intelligence Authorization Act, which sets funding levels, legal authorities and congressional oversight for the U.S. intelligence community.

Tuesday: The busiest day of the week features several hearings and markups with broad political implications. The Senate Appropriations Committee will examine the Trump administration’s $87.6 billion emergency supplemental funding request for defense, Iran operations and other priorities. The House Judiciary Committee will mark up a bill that House conservatives say would codify President Trump’s border security policies into law, while the House Intelligence Committee will assess emerging national security threats 25 years after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Elsewhere, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on Haiti’s terrorist gangs, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets and Rural Development will examine consumer protections in sports prediction markets, the House Oversight Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency will scrutinize the Smithsonian over allegations it has reshaped historical narratives and the House Administration Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation will explore ways to improve public access to legislative data and information.

Wednesday: The House Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing on proposals to reform the government shutdown process, including testimony from Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) and former Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young. Later, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight will examine conditions at New Jersey’s Delaney Hall ICE detention center.

Friday: The House Education and Workforce Committee will conclude the week with a field hearing in Augusta, Georgia, on how artificial intelligence is creating opportunities across America’s workforce.

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

The House is moving again: After two weeks of paralysis, Speaker Mike Johnson finally broke a conservative revolt and got the House floor moving again—but only after cutting another deal on the SAVE America Act and holding the day’s first vote open for 40 minutes. (FWIW, Johnson had to pull a veterans’ benefits bill to avoid another floor embarrassment two days later though.)I also explained how a private Dear Colleague letter from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries amounts to his clearest public roadmap yet for resetting the Democratic Party’s approach to U.S. support for Israel after the current security agreement expires. Read more →

Democrats’ election strategy enters a new phase: Ahead of the sixth anniversary of John Lewis’s death, Democratic lawmakers, voting-rights leaders and faith organizers used a Capitol Hill gathering to launch what they hope will become the party’s next major election-protection push ahead of the 2026 midterms. I also reported on how the event foreshadowed Democrats’ response to President Trump’s renewed focus on election conspiracies and the SAVE America Act, including a new 100-day mobilization campaign culminating in 1,000 marches to the polls. Read more →

In my latest COURIER column: As millennials and Gen Z candidates increasingly seek higher office, their decade-old social media posts are becoming a new form of opposition research. Drawing on my interviews with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Maxwell Frost, I examined why both Democrats believe the ultimate judgment belongs to voters—not consultants, operatives or political media. Read the column →

Read more

IN THIS EDITION

• Blanche rejects Democrats’ claims of politicized DOJ

• Clark splits with Jeffries on Israel aid

• House GOP releases Reconciliation 3.0 blueprint

• Trump pushes ICE to resume traffic stops

• CBC backs independent investigation in Nolan Xavier Wells death

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Blanche rejects Democrats’ claims of politicized DOJ

👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Welcome back to Congress Nerd Daily. I hope today was everything for you.

Todd Blanche spent nearly five hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee today defending his record as President Donald Trump’s deputy attorney general and arguing he would lead the Justice Department independently if confirmed as attorney general.

Democrats weren’t buying it.

Instead, they repeatedly cast Blanche as an extension of Trump’s personal legal operation, pressing him on everything from the now-abandoned $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund and the blanket Jan. 6 pardons to the Epstein files, politically sensitive prosecutions and the Justice Department’s relationship with the White House.

Republicans, meanwhile, largely used their time to reinforce Blanche’s case while focusing on issues including the Jack Smith investigation, medication abortion, election integrity and immigration enforcement.

The hearing also unfolded against a newly uncertain political backdrop following the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who was expected to support Blanche’s nomination in committee. If Democrats remain united in opposition, Republicans will have even less room for defections than anticipated, putting additional attention on senators including John Cornyn (R-Texas), who told reporters afterward he remains undecided, and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who appeared more satisfied with Blanche’s assurances.

The fund that wouldn’t go away: The anti-weaponization fund dominated much of the hearing, drawing questions from both Republicans and Democrats.

Blanche repeatedly insisted the proposal is finished.

“It is a moot issue, meaning there is no weaponization fund,” Blanche said. “The weaponization fund is dead. It’s not moving forward.”

He told Cornyn the Justice Department decided independently not to pursue the fund before informing President Trump and argued there was nothing left to debate.

Still, Cornyn remained skeptical.

Later, he told reporters he remains undecided on Blanche’s nomination because he still wants assurances the proposal cannot be revived—a notable sign the issue continues to complicate Blanche’s confirmation even after the department abandoned it.

Tillis, another closely watched Republican vote, struck a different tone, urging Blanche to “stick a fork in this turkey” by helping draft legislative language to permanently end the debate.

Democrats question Blanche’s independence: Democrats repeatedly returned to the same central question of whether Blanche would serve the Justice Department or President Trump.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) challenged Blanche on whether the DOJ operates independently from the White House.

Blanche responded that the Justice Department “like every single department in the executive is part of the executive,” while insisting elsewhere that he would faithfully follow the law.

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) pressed him on whether a president has the authority to direct investigations of perceived political enemies, while Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) questioned Blanche about prosecutions involving former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.

Booker argued senators shouldn’t judge Blanche by the promises he made during the hearing but by the decisions he has already made as deputy attorney general.

“This isn’t a confirmation hearing,” Booker said. “This is more of a performance review.”

He accused Blanche of repeatedly favoring Trump’s interests over those of the Justice Department.

“You seem to be favoring the interests of a president over the powerful. You’ve chosen Trump over truth. You’ve chosen corporations over the Constitution,” Booker said. “The attorney general’s client is not the president; it’s the American people.”

The stakes of that debate were visible inside the hearing room.

Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), who is facing federal charges stemming from last year’s confrontation outside Newark’s Delaney Hall immigration detention center, stood quietly in the back of the hearing room as senators questioned Blanche. Her office circulated a fact sheet accusing Blanche of personally overseeing key decisions in the case, an allegation that underscores Democrats’ broader argument that the department has become increasingly willing to pursue politically sensitive cases against Trump’s critics.

The familiar flashpoints: The hearing repeatedly circled back to issues that have defined Blanche’s tenure as deputy and acting attorney general.

Democrats criticized Trump’s blanket Jan. 6 pardons, questioned Blanche’s authorization of subpoenas targeting New York Times reporters in what he described as a classified leak investigation, pressed him over the handling of the Epstein files and challenged his role in politically sensitive prosecutions.

Blanche pledged to devote Justice Department resources to limiting the unlawful distribution of mifepristone by mail, defended Trump’s constitutional pardon authority, reaffirmed support for pursuing sanctuary jurisdictions and argued that the SAVE America Act would strengthen the DOJ’s ability to protect federal elections.

He also reiterated that his meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell resulted in no additional criminal charges and said he never discussed a pardon or a prison transfer with her.

More than Trump’s lawyer? One of the day’s more personal moments came when Blanche responded to criticism that his career has become synonymous with representing Trump.

“I am a prosecutor. I’m a career prosecutor,” Blanche said, pointing to his years at the Justice Department and in the Southern District of New York before joining Trump’s legal team.

Representing Trump for less than two years, he argued, “does not define my career.”

That defense echoed earlier testimony when Blanche rejected the suggestion that he and Trump are personal friends.

“I’m his lawyer,” he said. “I’m not sure there’s very many people who have ever had a criminal defense attorney who calls that person their friend.”

What’s next: The committee is expected to move toward a vote on Blanche’s nomination in the coming days, although the timeline could shift following Graham’s death.

Immediately after Tuesday’s hearing, Judiciary Democrats spoke out against the nomination, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) appeared alongside Epstein survivors and family members to continue their opposition campaign.

The hearing will continue tomorrow morning with testimony from an outside witness panel that reflects many of the issues senators debated during the nominee’s appearance.

Scheduled witnesses include former Attorney General John Ashcroft, former Justice Department Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer, Epstein survivor and advocate Dani Bensky, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation President Jon Adler and Jennifer Bos, the mother of murder victim Megan Bos.

Clark splits with Jeffries on Israel aid: Across the Capitol, the House rejected an amendment by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to the 2027 State Department funding bill that would have stripped $3.3 billion in foreign aid to Israel.

The amendment failed, 314–104. But the vote laid bare Democrats’ continuing divide over Israel: 103 Democrats voted for the proposal while 98 opposed it. Another 10 Democrats voted present.

The vote also exposed a rare public divide at the top of the House Democratic leadership team. While House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) opposed the amendment, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) supported it. The number-two House Democrat argued that the proposal is overly broad and politically motivated but that Congress can no longer continue providing Israel with unconditional military assistance because the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu-led Israeli government has failed to comply with U.S. laws, interests and values.

The disagreement is notable because Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar have spent the past three years projecting an unusually disciplined and unified leadership team despite repeated episodes of Republican dysfunction. On one of the most politically sensitive issues facing the caucus, however, they are publicly taking different positions.

The House passed the underlying funding bill, which, as I explained in last night’s edition, will head to the Senate with the SAVE America Act attached after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) agreed to pair the voter ID and proof-of-citizenship legislation with a must-pass appropriations bill to reopen the House floor following a multiweek rebellion by conservative hardliners demanding Senate action on the election measure. The SAVE America Act does not have the votes to pass the Senate, meaning it will almost certainly have to be stripped from the package before the spending bill can reach President Trump’s desk.

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IN THE KNOW

Confirmation carousel: Blanche’s session dominated today’s hearing schedule, but two other Trump nominees also faced senators. Jay Clayton defended his handling of subpoenas targeting New York Times reporters and sidestepped repeated questions about the 2020 election during his Intelligence Committee hearing for director of national intelligence, while CDC director nominee Erica Schwartz sought to reassure lawmakers—especially Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.)—that she would protect scientific integrity and vaccine policy from political interference.

House GOP releases 3.0 blueprint: House Republicans took the first formal step toward a third party-line bill this morning by releasing a budget resolution directing four committees to draft legislation that would increase the deficit by up to $95 billion over the next decade. Most of that spending—$73 billion—would fund President Trump’s war in Iran and other defense priorities, while the remainder would provide $12 billion in farm aid and $10 billion for election-security provisions tied to the SAVE America Act.

The four committees have until Sept. 11 to report legislation to the Budget Committee, which plans to mark up the resolution tomorrow ahead of a possible House vote next week. But the proposal also highlights how preliminary the effort remains: It includes no spending offsets, tax provisions or Senate reconciliation instructions, leaving major policy and procedural hurdles before Republicans can send a third reconciliation bill to Trump’s desk.

📬 The best stories often start with a conversation. If you’ve got insight, context or something others are missing, my inbox is open. Send me tips, scoops or just say hi: michael@onceuponahill.com.

Trump pushes ICE to resume traffic stops: Trump this morning urged ICE to resume traffic stops less than a day after the Department of Homeland Security paused most non-urgent vehicle stops following the fatal shootings of two undocumented immigrants in Maine and Texas, appearing to undercut his administration’s new guidance.

“We must be strong, tough, and smart, and we CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, arguing that suspending the tactic would benefit criminals. He instructed ICE officers to “be judicious, fair and smart” and “go back and do your very important job.”

The pause came after Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she urged Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Monday night to halt all non-urgent vehicle stops until agents receive additional training and investigators determine what happened in Monday’s fatal ICE shooting in Biddeford.

“The automobile stops should be halted until those investigations are completed, and we have a better sense of what happened,” Collins said. She also defended the agency, saying calls to abolish ICE “would make our country less safe.”

Trump’s comments come as public opinion has turned against the agency’s enforcement tactics. Recent polling has found majorities of Americans disapprove of ICE’s performance and believe its immigration enforcement has gone too far, though views remain sharply divided along partisan lines.

CBC backs independent investigation: The Congressional Black Caucus this morning joined calls for an independent investigation into the death of Nolan Xavier Wells, saying his family, the Mississippi community and the nation deserve a full, transparent and timely accounting of the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death. The caucus also commended attorney Ben Crump, Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network for pressing for greater transparency and amplified their call for an independent probe. Wells’ death has drawn national attention amid lingering questions about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and the investigation that followed.

Ossoff posts $20M quarter: Sen. Jon Ossoff’s (D-Ga.) reelection campaign raised $20 million in the second quarter and entered July with more than $42 million in cash on hand, according to figures released by the campaign.

The campaign said nearly 90% of contributions were $100 or less, with an average donation of $42 across more than 474,000 contributions. Ossoff also raised more than $1.5 million through joint fundraising accounts, including with the Democratic Party of Georgia.

The Georgia Democrat is the only Senate Democratic incumbent seeking reelection in a state President Trump carried in 2024 and is already facing significant Republican spending, including a planned $44 million investment from the Senate Leadership Fund.

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Sanders doubles down in key primaries: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will campaign this weekend with Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed before heading to Minnesota on Monday for a get-out-the-vote rally with Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan, underscoring his effort to boost progressive candidates in two of Democrats’ highest-profile Senate primaries.

In Michigan, Sanders will be joined by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for rallies in Detroit, Lansing and Grand Rapids ahead of the Aug. 4 primary. He’ll then headline a Minneapolis rally for Flanagan alongside Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Attorney General Keith Ellison and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) as Minnesota Democrats enter the campaign’s final stretch.

Bipartisan hepatitis bill introduced: Reps. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) introduced bipartisan legislation to create a federally coordinated program to eliminate hepatitis C—a curable viral liver disease—by expanding testing and treatment, particularly for underserved populations. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the proposal would reduce federal spending by $6.6 billion over the next decade by increasing access to curative therapies and preventing costly complications from untreated infections.

Read more

THE LINEUP

• The future of Graham’s gavels

• Darline Graham Nordone appointed to finish her late brother’s term

• Speaker Johnson sets stage for Reconciliation 3.0

• ICE shooting reshapes Maine Senate contest

• Stevens, El-Sayed earn dueling endorsements in Michigan Senate primary

FIRST THINGS FIRST

The future of Graham’s gavels

👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Welcome back to Congress Nerd Daily. I hope today was everything for you.

Trump primetime speech this week: President Donald Trump announced this afternoon that he will address the nation on Thursday at 9 p.m. He didn’t share the topic of the speech.

McMaster taps Graham Nordone: South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) this afternoon appointed Darline Graham Nordone to complete the term of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), following his sudden death on Saturday evening.

“Lindsey has always been there for me,” she said. “And now I will be there for him.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) applauded McMaster’s decision.

“Lindsey’s legacy will continue through Darline, and I look forward to welcoming her soon,” he wrote on X.

President Trump announced on Truth Social this morning that he recommended McMaster pick Graham Nordone to serve out the remainder of the term.

“This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!” the president wrote.

Graham Nordone and Graham were incredibly close as the late senator cared for his sister when she was a teenager after their parents passed away. Now she will care for the Senate seat her brother held for nearly 25 years while several South Carolina Republicans campaign to replace Graham on the ballot for the November midterm elections.

Graham’s Senate desk is covered with a black cloth and topped with a vase of white roses.

The next power struggle: Beyond filling Graham’s Senate seat, Republicans will eventually have to decide who inherits the committee gavels he leaves behind—a choice that could offer an early window into the conference’s priorities next Congress.

Budget: Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin appears well positioned. He’s the panel’s next-most-senior Republican who doesn’t already chair another committee and has reportedly expressed interest in the job.

In the historically unlikely event Republicans retain unified control of Washington after the midterms, Johnson would be well positioned to shape the GOP’s next reconciliation push. But even under divided government, the Budget Committee would remain a prominent platform for advancing his brand of fiscal conservatism and deficit politics.

Judiciary: This prominent panel presents a more consequential ideological choice.

Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri are next in line by seniority among Republicans on the panel.

A Lee chairmanship would elevate one of the conference’s leading constitutional conservatives, while Cruz’s legal background could make him a natural steward of Trump’s judicial nominees—including any future Supreme Court vacancies. Hawley, meanwhile, would signal a different direction, using the committee to press his populist agenda on Big Tech, online child safety and corporate power.

Lee currently chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, while Cruz chairs the Commerce Committee.

Thune said this afternoon that Graham’s Judiciary replacement has not yet been determined.

Graham’s cause of death: The Washington, D.C. medical examiner said on Sunday evening that Graham died from aortic dissection, a medical emergency where a major blood vessel coming out of his heart suddenly tore. The tear was caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a long-term hardening and narrowing of his arteries. It’s one of the most common forms of heart and vascular disease.

The medical examiner emphasized that these are preliminary findings. The death certificate remains pending while toxicology and microscopic tissue testing are completed, which is standard procedure in many sudden deaths.

The final report will confirm the official cause and manner of death.

FWIW: Within hours of Graham’s sudden death, rampant speculation emerged that the late senator died from a heart attack. But Graham’s preliminary cause of death is different. A heart attack is caused by a blockage in the arteries supplying the heart muscle, while an aortic dissection is a tear in the wall of the body’s main artery. Both can cause sudden collapse and chest pain, but they are different medical conditions.

Iran war latest: President Trump this morning announced the reinstatement of a U.S. naval blockade targeting Iranian shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, declaring the United States the “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait” in a move that further escalates the administration’s confrontation with Tehran and clouds the prospects for near-term diplomacy. Trump also said the U.S. would seek reimbursement equal to 20% of cargo shipped through the strategic waterway to cover the costs of providing security, though he did not explain how such a system would operate.

“Donald Trump promised that he was elected not to start wars in the Middle East, but to stop them,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told reporters this afternoon. “He then turned around, along with compliant Republicans, and launched a reckless and costly war of choice in Iran that’s ongoing, and now has been taking place for more than 100 days, with over $100 billion in taxpayer money being wasted, while leaving Iran in a stronger position than they were in before the war, and the American people economically in a weaker position, particularly as it relates to high gas prices.”

Approps watch: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter this morning that Senate Republicans cannot pursue a partisan appropriations process and then blame Democrats if funding negotiations collapse, insisting Democrats want to avoid a government shutdown and remain ready to negotiate bipartisan spending bills. He also positioned the funding fight as part of a broader battle over affordability, congressional oversight, government corruption and protecting elections from what he called Republican efforts to undermine them.

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GOVERNMENT FUNDING

Johnson sets stage for Reconciliation 3.0

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said House Republicans will move this week to adopt a budget resolution that would unlock a third reconciliation bill after meeting for hours Monday at Camp David with House Budget Committee Republicans, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and White House officials.

While the speaker didn’t outline the package’s contents, Republicans are widely expected to pursue roughly $350 billion in additional defense spending alongside other remaining Trump priorities, potentially including pieces of the SAVE America Act that could face steep procedural hurdles under the Senate’s Byrd Rule.

The announcement comes as Johnson tries to recover from the latest legislative setback of his speakership. Before Republicans can turn to another party-line package, the speaker first has to restore control of the House floor after conservatives sank a procedural rule before the Independence Day recess despite leadership’s attempt to satisfy them by pairing the House-passed SAVE America Act with the annual defense authorization bill.

That failed vote forced House leaders to shelve action on the NDAA, the fiscal 2027 State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill and several bipartisan measures. Assuming Johnson can reunite his conference this week, lawmakers are expected to consider legislation banning payment card companies from assigning merchant category codes that specifically identify firearms retailers, making daylight saving time permanent, advancing the State Department funding bill and approving a bipartisan package of veterans’ health care and benefits reforms.

Even if Republicans adopt the budget resolution this week, Johnson still faces significant political and procedural obstacles. The House is scheduled to meet for only one additional legislative week after this one before the August recess, leaving little time to draft, mark up and pass another reconciliation package. Deficit hawks are also expected to insist that any new defense spending be fully offset by domestic spending cuts Republicans have yet to agree on.

And even if Johnson clears those hurdles, the Senate remains an open question. Thune has stopped short of committing his conference to another party-line package, saying he’ll first wait to see whether the House can pass a budget resolution and what legislation ultimately emerges. That leaves the fate of a third reconciliation bill dependent not only on Johnson’s ability to unify his own conference, but also on whether Senate Republicans conclude another reconciliation fight is worth having.

Jeffries told reporters this afternoon that he expects every House and Senate Democrat to oppose the effort.

“What’s in front of us right now relates to the legislative process and the appropriations process and the notion that Republicans are prepared as early as this Wednesday to move another budget to give the so-called Department of War more than $75 billion at least to continue Operation Epic Failure in the Middle East,” Jeffries said. “What we need to do is to stop this effort to use taxpayer dollars to continue this failed war in the Middle East that the American people have rejected from the beginning, and have soured on even more over the last several months.”

Republicans have already passed two reconciliation bills this Congress—including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the major tax-and-spending package Trump signed into law last year, and the Secure America Act, enacted last month, to provide roughly $70 billion for immigration enforcement through the remainder of Trump’s term.

📬 The best stories often start with a conversation. If you’ve got insight, context or something others are missing, my inbox is open. Send me tips, scoops or just say hi: michael@onceuponahill.com.

CAMPAIGNS

ICE shooting reshapes Maine Senate contest

A fatal ICE shooting of a man in his 20s during a confrontation in southwestern Maine this morning injected one of the country’s most politically charged issues directly into the state’s newly formed Democratic mini-primary—the emergency nominating convention triggered by the sudden withdrawal of former nominee Graham Platner following sexual assault allegations.

The shooting comes as the battle lines between the establishment and progressive wings of the party are being redrawn over immigration enforcement ahead of the July 25 convention, where county delegates will choose a new Senate nominee.

The progressive litmus test: Progressive candidates vying for Platner’s former base are responding to the shooting by calling for hardline anti-ICE platforms. Platner originally won the June primary as an outsider progressive by sharply criticizing the Trump administration’s “Operation Catch of the Day” in Maine and calling for ICE to be “dismantled.” In the aftermath of the shooting, several progressive contenders have argued county delegates should choose a nominee who will aggressively challenge what they describe as federal overreach.

Pressure on moderates: Moderate candidates—including those previously aligned with Governor Janet Mills—are facing renewed pressure to sharpen their immigration messaging as they compete for progressive convention delegates. While Mills has sharply criticized ICE’s tactics, progressives have long argued she has not gone far enough. Candidates associated with her wing are now under pressure to respond forcefully to the shooting while avoiding criticism from the left over civil rights and immigration enforcement.

The Collins contrast: The replacement nominee will immediately face incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in one of the country’s most competitive Senate races. The shooting is likely to become a central line of attack against Collins, whose critics have already sought to tie her to the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.

Candidates addressing the July 25 convention are expected to present themselves as strong defenders of Maine communities while arguing Collins has not done enough to challenge the administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

“The shooting in Biddeford requires a full and impartial investigation of what happened,” Collins said in a statement. “It is my understanding that the Biddeford Police have secured the site and that the FBI is investigating.”

The backstory: The Department of Homeland Security said the man—identified by immigrant advocates as a 26-year-old Colombian national—was subject to a final removal order and alleged he “weaponized” his vehicle, prompting an ICE agent to open fire.

A nearby witness told a local news station they saw an unmarked law enforcement SUV attempt to ram a small white car before armed agents wearing green ICE vests pulled the heavily bleeding man from the vehicle. Doorbell camera audio captured what sounded like at least four gunshots, according to the station.

The Maine Attorney General’s Office, the FBI, the Maine State Police and the Maine Department of Public Safety are investigating the shooting. The Biddeford Police Department is providing scene security, and the ICE agent involved has been placed on administrative leave.

Mills and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) have both questioned ICE’s expanding presence and enforcement tactics in the state. The shooting is the second fatal ICE-involved shooting reported nationwide in less than a week, following a separate fatal encounter in Houston. Civil rights organizations have called for immediate protests in Biddeford and demanded an independent investigation.

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LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Anti-weaponization fund fallout: A federal judge cast fresh doubt on the Trump administration’s abandoned plan to create a $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund, suggesting the lawsuit that produced the proposal may have been used to legitimize an unprecedented transfer of taxpayer funds while questioning whether broader legal protections for Trump and his businesses remain in effect despite the administration later saying the fund was dead.

The proposal drew bipartisan criticism because it would have used the Treasury Department’s permanent Judgment Fund to establish a new executive branch compensation program without a specific appropriation from Congress.

Reproductive justice: Reps. Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) introduced a resolution marking America’s 250th anniversary by declaring reproductive justice a fundamental human right and endorsing policies including abortion access, universal health care, maternal health care, paid family leave and comprehensive sex education. The largely messaging measure also calls for ending Hyde Amendment-style federal funding restrictions on abortion and condemns the criminalization of pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage, abortion and stillbirth.

New endorsements: Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary is becoming an increasingly clear proxy fight over the party’s ideological direction, with outgoing Sen. Gary Peters abandoning his previous neutrality this morning to endorse Rep. Haley Stevens, while Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) threw her support behind former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed.

Peters said Stevens would be “ready on day one to fight for Michigan,” adding another establishment endorsement after backing from Leader Schumer and other Senate Democrats.

The dueling endorsements underscore the coalition each candidate is assembling ahead of the Aug. 4 primary.

Stevens has consolidated support from much of the Democratic establishment, while El-Sayed continues to build momentum on the left with backing from Omar, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in one of the cycle’s most closely watched Democratic nomination fights.

AGs sue to block Paramount-Warner Bros. merger: A coalition of 12 Democratic state attorneys general sued today to block Paramount’s proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing the deal would further consolidate the television and film industries at the expense of consumers, workers, movie theaters and other businesses.

The lawsuit comes as some congressional Democrats have warned they would pursue legislation or oversight to unwind the merger if they regain one or both chambers in November.

“A Paramount-Warner Bros. megamerger would mean higher costs and fewer choices for Americans,” Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said. “Good news: the states are stepping up to block this antitrust nightmare. This fight isn’t over.”

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👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Welcome to Congress Nerd Flash, a special edition of Once Upon a Hill’s reported evening briefing. I hope you’re having a great weekend so far.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican whose three decades in Congress made him one of the most influential voices on national security, the federal judiciary and President Donald Trump’s agenda, died Saturday night at 71.

Graham’s office said in a statement that the seven-term senator died following what it described as a “brief and sudden illness.” It did not disclose a cause of death or provide additional details, saying only that his family was requesting privacy as they grieve.

His death leaves Senate Republicans without one of their most experienced lawmakers and opens a series of consequential questions for Congress and South Carolina politics.

Graham’s death came less than 24 hours after returning from Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and announced progress on a new Russia sanctions package, an ending that reflected the role he occupied for much of his Senate career as one of Congress’s most outspoken advocates for an assertive American foreign policy.

He was scheduled to appear on NBC’s Meet the Press this morning.

A sudden loss: “Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!” President Trump posted to Truth Social early this morning. “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) expressed deep grief after learning of Graham’s death.

“He was a trusted adviser and colleague to me and many others, and numerous presidents and heads of state have relied on his counsel,” Thune said. “His influence on the federal judiciary, our national defense, and his beloved South Carolina will be felt for generations.”

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said Graham always put his faith, family, and South Carolina first.

“Lindsey remained committed to public service and doing what he loved,” Scott added. “He always introduced levity and brought wit to the most challenging moments. Lindsey will be missed.”

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A “South Carolina story”: Graham was raised in a working-class family whose parents operated a restaurant and pool hall. He became the first member of his family to graduate from college.

He served as an active-duty Air Force Judge Advocate in the South Carolina Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. He retired as a colonel after more than three decades of military service that shaped his identity as a legislator and informed nearly every major foreign policy position he took.

Graham was elected to the South Carolina House in 1992 during the Republican Party’s rapid growth in the state before he was elected to the U.S. House two years later, where he served as one of the House managers during President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial. During his eight years in the lower chamber, he established his reputation as a constitutional conservative and developed a close friendship with the late John McCain (R-Ariz.).

“Lindsey’s story is a South Carolina story,” Rep. Sheri Biggs (R-S.C.), who now represents Graham’s former House district, said in a statement.

After Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), Graham was elected to the Senate in 2002 and served continuously until his death, earning reelection in 2008, 2014 and 2020.

A consequential career: During the George W. Bush era, Graham was viewed as a defense hawk, an immigration reform advocate, an institutional conservative and a bipartisan dealmaker. He worked closely with McCain and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), a trio that became known for aggressive interventionist foreign policy.

By the 119th Congress, he chaired the Senate Budget Committee, a largely procedural panel that he transformed into the engine room of President Trump’s legislative agenda. He helped engineer the budget resolutions that unlocked the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the Secure America Act, then emerged as one of the most vocal advocates for using reconciliation a third time to enact additional Republican priorities—including defense funding and, if procedurally possible, elements of the SAVE America Act.

In addition to Budget, Graham’s major committee assignments also included Appropriations, Judiciary and Environment and Public Works. On Appropriations, he chaired the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, giving him significant influence over diplomacy and foreign aid. As Judiciary Chair during Trump’s first term, he helped oversee confirmation of numerous federal judges, including Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

He was once again set to be the top Senate Judiciary Republican in the next Congress.

Foreign policy was Graham’s defining issue. Unlike many modern Republicans, he remained a traditional Reagan-era internationalist who held core positions on strong NATO support, expansive American military power, robust defense spending and aggressive sanctions. Graham also strongly advocated for a close U.S.-Israel alliance, strong support for Ukraine and willingness to use force against Iran when necessary.

“He was a powerful advocate for America who believed strongly in the NATO Alliance and was actively working to bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said about Graham.

Zelenskyy said America and the world lost a leader committed to freedom in the U.S. and across the world.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Graham understood that the security of Israel and America is inseparable.

“Israel has lost one of its greatest friends,” Netanyahu added. “America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”

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The Trump transformation: Perhaps no relationship defines Graham’s career more than his with Trump.

When Graham ran for president during the 2016 cycle, he sharply criticized Trump and called him unfit for office. By the end of Trump’s first term, Graham had become one of the president’s closest Senate allies.

Following January 6, Graham briefly appeared to distance himself, but the break proved temporary. Within months, he had re-emerged as one of Trump’s most reliable Senate defenders.

By the time of Trump’s return to office, Graham functioned as a trusted informal adviser, Senate foreign-policy surrogate, public defender on Sunday television, and behind-the-scenes negotiator. Yet he still occasionally departed from Trump on tactical or international questions.

This shift from outspoken Trump critic to close ally attracted criticism across the ideological spectrum, with claims that Graham was politically inconsistent.

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The road ahead: Graham was up for reelection this year and comfortably won renomination last month with 57% of the vote, avoiding a runoff under South Carolina law, which requires a majority to win outright. His closest challenger, conservative activist and businessman Mark Lynch, finished second with 29%, while the remaining candidates split the rest of the vote.

Graham’s death sets in motion an unusual process to replace him on the November ballot since he won the GOP nomination.

South Carolina law requires the GOP to hold a new special primary rather than allowing party leaders to choose a replacement. Candidate filing opens the second Tuesday after the vacancy occurs and lasts one week. The special primary is held 11 weeks later, with a runoff two weeks after that if no candidate wins a majority. The winner becomes the Republican nominee for the general election.

The midterm elections are 16 weeks away.

👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Welcome to Congress Nerd Flash, a special edition of Once Upon a Hill’s reported evening briefing. I hope you’re having a great weekend so far.

One of Congress’s biggest bipartisan legislative achievements of President Donald Trump’s second term became law on Saturday at midnight—without his signature.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act took effect automatically after Trump publicly declined to sign the measure on Friday, saying he was withholding his approval to pressure the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act. (He also renewed his call for Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster if necessary to advance the election legislation.) Rather than veto the legislation, the president allowed it to become law.

Congressional leaders from both parties were confident that they had the votes to override a veto if the president rejected the measure. The bill passed the House with 358 votes, or roughly 92% of members voting, and cleared the Senate 85–5, a margin of about 94%. (A two-thirds majority in both chambers is required to override a veto.)

Democrats seized on the combination of Trump’s inaction on a key affordability measure and his obsession with what they view as a voter suppression bill to press their case that Trump is principally interested in clinging to power instead of easing the kitchen-table stress working families say they’re facing.

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“Republicans would rather make it harder for you to vote than easier to afford a home,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) posted on X in response to Trump’s announcement. “When people show you who they are, believe them.”

Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass,) argued in a statement that Trump refused to sign the bill because there was nothing in it for him personally.

“No gold-encrusted ballroom, no Qatari jet, no $2 billion crypto deal. Nothing in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing except ways to make housing more affordable,” Warren said. “Donald Trump couldn’t pick up the pen because he just isn’t interested in lowering costs on American families.”

House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) called the bill a victory for Congress and for the American people, whose resilience she credited despite what she views as Trump’s abandonment of his core campaign promise to lower the high cost of living.

“Trump may have dismissed the bill as a ‘big yawn’but the millions of Americans struggling with high housing costs couldn’t disagree more,” Waters said. “When Americans demanded housing relief, let the record be clear: Congress responded to their calls while Trump refused to act.”

📬 The best stories often start with a conversation. If you’ve got insight, context or something others are missing, my inbox is open. Send me tips, scoops or just say hi: michael@onceuponahill.com.

Politically, Trump’s decision risks undercutting one of the few bipartisan accomplishments Republicans had hoped to campaign on this fall. In conversations over the past several weeks, Republican lawmakers and aides repeatedly pointed to the housing package as a tangible answer to voters’ concerns about affordability and a chance to shift attention from the politically divisive One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Instead, a measure GOP leaders envisioned as a midterm messaging asset has become another flashpoint in Trump’s effort to pressure Senate Republicans on an unrelated priority.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act combines dozens of housing and banking provisions aimed at increasing housing supply, lowering costs and expanding homeownership. The bipartisan package also includes new restrictions designed to limit institutional investors from outcompeting families for single-family homes. Trump had been scheduled to sign the bill during a Capitol ceremony days after House passage before abruptly canceling the event about 90 minutes beforehand to pressure the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act instead.

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THE LINEUP

• Trump outlines new foreign policy vision at NATO Summit

• Beshear presses McConnell for health update amid vacancy questions

• Vance takes anti-fraud message to Wisconsin

• House conservatives press WNBA over Caitlin Clark treatment

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Trump outlines new foreign policy vision at NATO Summit

👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Welcome back to Congress Nerd Daily. I hope today was everything for you.

Platner latest: As Democrats await Graham Platner’s decision on whether to exit the race, Maine Democratic leaders are making clear that any replacement will be chosen by the party—not by Platner himself—as jockeying over potential successors begins.

The Platner campaign pushed back on claims from Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson that Platner was attempting to influence the selection of a successor. Party leaders said the nominee alone decides whether to withdraw, but if he does, the party—not Platner—will choose the replacement.

Democratic leaders are trying to prevent the transition from becoming a factional fight. According to multiple reports, some within Platner’s orbit have floated preferred successors, prompting party officials to emphasize that the replacement process will be independent.

The short list includes former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah and former Rep. Katie Porter’s chief of staff Jordan Wood, among the names most frequently mentioned.

Others reportedly under consideration include state Rep. Valli Geiger, Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban, former Maryland environmental official David Costello and social worker Paige Loud, while Gov. Janet Mills and Rep. Jared Golden are not expected to run.

The practical deadline is July 13. If Platner withdraws by then, Democrats have roughly two weeks to select a new nominee to challenge Susan Collins. Missing that window would make replacing him substantially more difficult.

ICYMI: “Five things the Platner scandal tells us about Democrats”

Meanwhile, at NATO… President Donald Trump arrived at NATO’s annual summit seeking to cement what he called a historic victory on allied defense spending. He left having sketched a far broader vision for American foreign policy—one that couples renewed military pressure on Iran with a recalibrated approach to Ukraine, warmer ties with Syria and Turkey and a more transactional relationship with America’s traditional European allies.

The whirlwind day came less than 24 hours after U.S. forces resumed military operations against Iran, turning what had been expected to be a summit centered on NATO unity into a showcase for how Trump intends to wield American power across multiple global flashpoints.

Iran: Trump’s sharpest rhetoric focused on Iran, which he accused of violating a fragile ceasefire by attacking commercial shipping after requesting a pause in fighting during funeral observances for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. While insisting Iran’s military had been effectively destroyed, Trump also questioned whether further negotiations were worthwhile, floated reimposing a naval blockade and warned the United States was prepared to strike again if necessary.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said overnight strikes targeted coastal defense systems, drone and missile infrastructure, surveillance capabilities and other assets Iran could use to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, adding that additional targets remained available if Trump ordered more military action.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) argued the renewed fighting reflected a broader strategic failure.

“This is what happens when an incompetent president launches a war with no objective, no plan, and no exit strategy,” Schumer said, calling on the administration to return to negotiations, consult Congress and comply with lawmakers who previously voted to end the conflict.

The renewed escalation also arrives as Americans rethink the country’s role abroad.

A March survey commissioned by the Searchlight Institute found voters simultaneously favor a strong military, continued cooperation with allies such as NATO and avoiding prolonged military conflicts—suggesting a more nuanced view of U.S. engagement than traditional foreign-policy debates often assume.

Against that backdrop, Tre Easton, the institute’s vice president, argued the bipartisan consensus that shaped Washington’s approach to national security for decades has largely collapsed and said the survey helps explain why voters often hold positions that seem contradictory to policymakers.

“The bipartisan consensus around national security issues and foreign policy issues, that’s gone. That is dead,” Easton told me this afternoon. “The D.C. foreign-policy establishment needs to wake up and smell it.”

Ukraine: Trump also delivered some of his most consequential comments on Ukraine in months following an extended meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said the United States would help Ukraine manufacture Patriot air-defense interceptors, suggested Kyiv could receive additional Patriot systems in the near term, expressed openness to visiting Ukraine and said Washington was discussing purchasing Ukrainian-made drones.

Although Trump again declined to commit to specific security guarantees or set a timeline for ending Russia’s invasion, the remarks nevertheless marked a noticeably more supportive public posture toward Kyiv than he has often adopted.

A bipartisan congressional delegation attending the summit echoed that message, arguing Russian President Vladimir Putin is negotiating for time rather than peace and urging the administration to follow through on commitments to provide additional air-defense capabilities while increasing pressure on Moscow.

Easton said the apparent tension between supporting alliances while opposing prolonged military involvement reflects where many voters now stand.

“They want the United States to have the biggest, baddest military in the world, but they don’t want you to use it,” he said.

Redefining America’s alliances: Throughout the summit, Trump argued NATO had fully embraced his long-running demand that allies dramatically increase defense spending, repeatedly describing “tremendous love” and “unity” among allied leaders behind closed doors while urging countries to move more quickly toward the alliance’s new 5% defense spending benchmark.

Yet even as he celebrated NATO’s cohesion, Trump continued to redefine America’s relationships with individual partners.

He publicly criticized Spain over defense spending and suggested economic retaliation remained on the table. He praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for staying out of the Iran conflict and signaled openness to restoring Turkey’s access to the F-35 fighter program. He also praised Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and backed removing Syria from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism before Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Congress had been formally notified of the administration’s intent to do so.

The moves reflected an increasingly transactional approach to alliances: rewarding countries Trump believes advance U.S. interests while publicly pressuring those he argues do not.

A changing political landscape: Easton said the geopolitical landscape presents Democrats with a challenge that extends beyond opposing Trump’s decisions on a case-by-case basis.

“The burden of proof has shifted to us,” he said. “We can’t just assume that people will understand that these alliances are good. We have to explain to individuals why this matters, how this affects their lives directly and why this will be better for them versus the alternative.”

Whether Trump’s strategy ultimately succeeds remains an open question.

But today’s events made one thing clear: the president is pursuing a foreign policy that blends military force, alliance-building and transactional dealmaking across multiple fronts simultaneously.

As fighting with Iran resumes and negotiations over Ukraine continue, Congress is likely to spend the months ahead debating both Trump’s decisions abroad and what America’s role in the world should look like after the post-Cold War consensus Easton argues has begun to unravel.

AF1 switcheroo: Trump is returning from Turkey aboard the legacy Air Force One rather than the Qatari-gifted aircraft he used to fly to the NATO summit, an unusual switch that came one day after the resumption of U.S. military strikes against Iran.

Trump said on Truth Social that the newer aircraft would instead travel to Europe for stops at U.S. military bases so service members could tour it, calling the detour “totally worth doing.” The White House did not immediately explain why the president changed aircraft for the trip to the United Kingdom or whether the newer plane would continue to Royal Air Force Mildenhall without him aboard.

The president declined to directly address whether security considerations factored into the decision when pressed repeatedly by reporters. Instead, he called the presidency “a very dangerous profession,” noted that he is “number one on the kill list for Iran,” and reiterated that the aircraft would visit military bases in Europe. The exchange left unanswered whether the operational change was driven solely by Trump’s stated desire to showcase the aircraft or by renewed tensions with Iran.

As I reported in last Wednesday’s edition, the gifted aircraft has faced scrutiny because reports have indicated it has not yet received the full defensive and secure communications capabilities installed on the Air Force’s purpose-built presidential aircraft, though the administration has not linked those concerns to this afternoon’s change in travel plans.

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THE SENATE

Beshear presses McConnell for health update amid vacancy questions

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear this morning publicly urged Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to provide a fuller accounting of his health, arguing that voters deserve greater transparency about his ability to serve as questions continue surrounding the longtime Republican leader’s weeks-long hospitalization.

“Over the last several weeks, Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and wellbeing, and ability to hold office in the United States Senate,” Beshear wrote in a one-page letter. He asked McConnell to “fully update Kentuckians regarding the current status of your health,” adding that public officials have a responsibility to communicate openly about “one’s ability to serve.”

The letter arrives as scrutiny of McConnell’s condition has expanded beyond concerns about the 84-year-old senator’s recovery to questions about congressional representation. While McConnell’s office has said he is recovering, Kentucky’s 2024 Senate vacancy law means any vacancy could carry unusually high stakes for both the state and the narrowly divided Senate.

The Republican-backed law stripped Beshear of the authority to appoint an interim senator, instead requiring a special election. Depending on when a vacancy occurred, the law’s timelines could collide with Kentucky’s November general election calendar, raising unresolved legal questions about when voters could choose a successor. In the meantime, the seat would remain vacant.

With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority, even a temporary vacancy could complicate floor math as Congress looks to tackle 2027 appropriations bills, defense policy legislation and other major items later this year.

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TRUMP 2.0

Vance takes anti-fraud message to Wisconsin

Vice President JD Vance traveled to Wisconsin today to promote the administration’s anti-fraud initiative while mixing official business with overt political messaging ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Speaking at the 128th Air Refueling Wing alongside Centers for Medicare & Medicaid chief Mehmet Oz, Vance highlighted the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud’s efforts to combat waste in Medicaid, Medicare and other federal benefit programs before urging voters to elect Republicans committed to expanding those efforts.

He also endorsed Rep. Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race, accused Democratic Gov. Tony Evers of withholding SNAP and Medicaid enrollment data from the administration, and renewed his call for voter ID and passage of the SAVE America Act.

During a question-and-answer session, Vance also addressed renewed tensions with Iran, warning that the U.S. military would respond if Tehran again threatened commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. He said the administration’s agreement with Iran depends on the regime keeping the waterway open and ending attacks on commercial vessels, adding that if it resumes those attacks, “we’re gonna knock the hell out of them.”

The trip also included a closed-door Republican National Committee fundraiser in Milwaukee that was not opened to the press.

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CULTURE WARS

House conservatives press WNBA over Caitlin Clark treatment

A group of Republican Study Committee members pressed WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to explain how the league plans to protect players following a series of high-profile on-court incidents involving Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.

In a letter led by RSC Chair August Pfluger (R-Texas) and Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), the lawmakers argue Clark has helped fuel the league’s recent boom in popularity while facing repeated unnecessary physical contact, citing incidents in which she has been hip-checked, poked in the eye and struck in the throat. They also point to reports suggesting some attacks against Clark may be racially motivated and say that, if discrimination or retaliation is creating a hostile work environment, investigations by the Justice Department, Labor Department or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission could be warranted.

Clark has unquestionably accelerated the WNBA’s growth since entering the league in 2024, driving record audiences and broader mainstream attention, though the league was already experiencing rising investment, viewership and cultural relevance before her arrival. That attention has also intensified scrutiny of the league’s physical style of play—which has long been a defining feature of professional basketball—and contributed to a broader conversation about race, gender and online abuse. Black players, in particular, have spoken publicly about racist harassment tied to the attention surrounding Clark and the league’s rapid rise. The RSC’s letter brings that multifaceted debate squarely into congressional politics.

The lawmakers requested answers by July 24 on the league’s process for reviewing physical play, disciplining overly aggressive conduct and protecting players from online harassment and off-court threats.

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First Things First

The expiration of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s one-year Medicaid funding restriction on Planned Parenthood has ended one of the anti-abortion movement’s biggest congressional victories since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. But neither supporters nor opponents expect the fight to end there.

The provision, which expired over the July 4 weekend, barred Medicaid reimbursements to providers that perform abortions beyond the narrow exceptions permitted under federal law, including most Planned Parenthood affiliates. Although Medicaid already cannot generally pay for abortions under the Hyde Amendment, the provision prevented Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursements for other covered health services, including contraception, cancer screenings and STI testing.

Now that the restriction is no longer in effect, Planned Parenthood says its health centers in eligible states can once again bill Medicaid for covered services. But the organization’s political arm expects congressional Republicans to pursue another attempt to permanently cut off federal funding, potentially through a future reconciliation package or another legislative vehicle.

A year of disruption: Nora Walsh-DeVries, vice president of political and legislative affairs at Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said the provision’s expiration offers immediate operational relief, but cannot undo what she described as lasting damage from the past year.

“From a practical perspective, based on the statutory text and what we can understand from the Big Not-So-Beautiful Bill, as we like to call it, we understand that, as of July 4, Planned Parenthood health centers that are in eligible states should be able to bill Medicaid for services provided starting on that day and going forward,” Walsh-DeVries told me this afternoon. “So, from a practical perspective, that is what we know to be true.”

The organization released a report last week arguing that nearly 30 Planned Parenthood health centers closed during the year the restriction was in effect, affecting clinics that collectively served about 41,000 birth control patients annually. The report also says Medicaid visits fell by roughly 25%, or more than 250,000 visits, compared with the previous year.

Walsh-DeVries said the impact extended beyond abortion services.

“After a year of defund, nearly 30 of our health centers have closed, and tens of thousands of patients have been forced to either forgo access to essential lifesaving care or potentially get it somewhere else, if that was even really on the table,” she said. “Patients really paid the cost of this very politically motivated attack.”

She also pointed to disparities among states.

“We know that in states that did not make emergency funds available to cover the cost for Medicaid patients at Planned Parenthood, or that only could cover the cost partially, health centers closed at double the rate compared to states that fully covered the cost of care that was taken away by defunding,” Walsh-DeVries said.

Planned Parenthood’s report says 14 states committed more than $400 million in emergency funding to help offset the loss of Medicaid reimbursements.

Congress isn’t finished: The provision’s expiration comes as anti-abortion organizations continue pressing congressional Republicans to permanently end federal funding for Planned Parenthood—a long-standing priority that gained new momentum after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision returned abortion policymaking to elected officials.

Walsh-DeVries said Planned Parenthood is already preparing for another legislative fight.

“It’s definitely the next phase,” she said. “We absolutely know that, despite this expiration, we’re still really on the defense and know that Republicans are going to stop at nothing to try to permanently defund Planned Parenthood, whether that’s through a third reconciliation bill or something else. It’s just something we have to be constantly preparing for.”

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) reiterated his interest in a third party-line reconciliation bill yesterday on Fox News. The House Freedom Caucus sent Johnson a letter last week with a series of demands for reconciliation 3.0, including an extension of the defund provision.

Walsh-DeVries also identified the annual Labor-HHS appropriations bill as another measure the organization is watching closely.

“I think definitely another reconciliation package. And then the Labor-HHS bill that’s in the House right now includes a defund too,” she said. “Any moving legislation—they can always try to slide something in there that has a defund question.”

Spokespeople for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Americans United for Life did not respond to requests for comment before publication.

Walsh-DeVries argued the policy failed to achieve its stated objective when I asked her what she would tell lawmakers who supported the provision.

“The real-life implications here is that people were not able to receive all kinds of care,” she said. “Cancer screenings went down, birth control visits went down—all the gamut of the proactive health care that we provide that keeps people healthy, that keeps people safe. You didn’t make abortion less likely to happen in this country. You just made people less safe, and you gave people less choices as to where they can get good, high-quality health care.”

Despite the expiration, Walsh-DeVries said Planned Parenthood views the past year as a preview—not the conclusion—of the congressional battle over reproductive health funding.

“The provision has expired, but the threat is still really, really, really there.”

👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Thank you for reading Congress Nerd Daily. It’s recess so members are abroad on official foreign visits or as part of congressional delegations, as you’ll read below. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is in Taiwan to underscore the United States’s support for Taiwan’s democracy following a trip to Japan to meet with high-level business leaders. Send me tips, scoops or just say hi: michael@onceuponahill.com.

In the Know

Platner weighs “best path forward” after sexual assault allegation: Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner said this afternoon that he is weighing the “best path forward” for his campaign after publicly denying a former girlfriend’s allegation that he sexually assaulted her in 2021.

In a video posted roughly 30 minutes after the allegation became public, Platner called the accusation “troubling, serious and false,” adding, “Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false.”

Rather than explicitly committing to remain in the race, Platner acknowledged the political fallout surrounding the allegation.

“Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins,” he said.

Platner argued his campaign had built an unprecedented grassroots movement, pointing to the record 154,058 Mainers who voted in the Democratic primary, and said his supporters “deserve to see that vision come to fruition.”

The statement leaves unanswered whether Platner intends to continue as Democrats’ nominee or ultimately step aside as party leaders and allies assess the fallout from the allegation.

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WH devotes daylong push to kids’ investment accounts: President Donald Trump spent today turning the launch of Trump Accounts into a daylong White House showcase, using two events to promote one of the signature family-focused provisions of last year’s reconciliation law.

The rollout began with an Oval Office ceremony linked to simultaneous opening bells at the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq before shifting to a Rose Garden luncheon with lawmakers, business executives and corporate partners backing the program. Trump urged parents to enroll through TrumpAccounts.gov, praised Wall Street’s participation and thanked Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for helping shepherd the policy into law.

Created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Trump Accounts provide eligible children born between 2025 and 2028 with a one-time $1,000 federal investment in a tax-advantaged account that can later be used for expenses such as higher education, purchasing a first home or starting a business. Families, employers and other contributors can make additional deposits, with the funds invested in a diversified stock index fund.

The White House has increasingly centered the program in its economic messaging, arguing it will expand wealth-building opportunities through long-term investing. The policy also reflects a rare area of conceptual overlap with Democratic “baby bonds” proposals championed by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), though Republicans structured the accounts around market-based investing rather than reducing wealth inequality through larger income-targeted government contributions.

Trump used the Rose Garden event to thank companies supporting the initiative, tout a strong stock market and argue the accounts will give more Americans a financial stake in the economy, underscoring the administration’s effort to make the program a lasting part of its domestic economic agenda.

Congress joins allies as NATO confronts defense, Ukraine and Trump questions: NATO leaders will convene Tuesday and Wednesday in Ankara, Türkiye, for a summit expected to focus on turning allies’ recent defense spending commitments into concrete military capabilities while reaffirming long-term support for Ukraine and addressing new security challenges stemming from instability in the Middle East. The gathering comes as President Trump continues to press European allies to assume a larger share of the alliance’s defense burden, making the meeting another closely watched test of the administration’s approach to NATO.

A bipartisan, bicameral delegation including Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), along with Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), is attending the summit to reinforce congressional support for the transatlantic alliance and meet with NATO officials and foreign counterparts. Durbin said the trip offers Congress an opportunity to underscore its commitment to NATO amid concerns that Trump’s rhetoric has strained U.S. relationships with longtime allies.

The lawmakers are expected to meet with allied officials as Congress prepares to shape FY2027 defense funding and oversee the administration’s national security priorities.

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“ICE’s internal watchdog is now investigating online critics” by Maddy Varner: “The Office of Professional Responsibility has opened more than 100 cases over what ICE officials call ‘incidents of doxing and threats’ against ICE employees.”

”Sorry, AI is not giving us a four-day workweek” by Jeanne Lipman: “The very leaders rhapsodizing about a shorter workweek are demanding more time, not less, from their employees.”

“It turns out banning teens from social media is hard” by John Hermann: “Early lessons from Australia’s law booting kids off platforms like Instagram and YouTube.”

Programming note: Congress Nerd Sunday will not publish this Sunday, July 5. The newsletter will return to your inbox on Monday, July 6. Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸

In this evening’s edition:

• AOC backs El-Sayed in #MISEN

• June jobs fall below expectations

• House Ethics says it has no sexual misconduct settlement files

First Things First

For the past week, House Democrats have marked the first anniversary of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by reminding voters what they say the law has cost American families.

Rep. Jennifer McClellan wants to start a different conversation.

In a policy agenda shared exclusively with Once Upon a Hill ahead of its public release, the Virginia Democrat argues that Democrats should complement their campaign against Republicans’ signature domestic policy law with an affirmative vision of their own—one that defines family policy less through cultural debates than through the everyday costs of raising children, caring for loved ones and building economic security.

“All American families deserve stronger support, and I propose a better path to provide it,” McClellan told me in a statement. “My agenda centers on adopting legislative priorities through a family-focused lens that does more than play into culture wars and partisan games.”

The timing is notable.

House Democratic leaders have spent the week accusing Republicans of using the law to finance tax breaks for wealthy Americans through cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance while pointing to rising health care costs, hospital closures and declining Affordable Care Act enrollment as evidence of the law’s effects one year later.

McClellan’s proposal starts from that same premise but looks beyond the anniversary messaging to a broader question: what should Democrats offer voters instead?

Beyond opposing H.R. 1: Developed in collaboration with the center-left think tank Third Way, the All-American Family Agenda is organized around two pillars: supporting family formation and strengthening family well-being. Rather than serving as a comprehensive party platform, the document is intended to provide lawmakers and advocates with a family-centered framework for future policymaking.

The proposal explicitly contrasts with the Heritage Foundation’s vision of family policy, arguing that the government should support families in all their forms rather than promoting a single model centered on traditional gender roles or cultural norms.

Instead, McClellan organizes the agenda around lowering the barriers that make family life increasingly unaffordable.

Its recommendations include expanding access to reproductive health care and contraception, protecting IVF and fertility treatments, improving maternal health, strengthening adoption and kinship care programs, making child care more affordable, creating a national paid family and medical leave program, expanding housing affordability, lowering prescription drug costs and supporting unpaid family caregivers.

The document also makes clear that McClellan views those goals as incompatible with the current law, arguing that her vision “cannot be achieved until the harmful provisions of H.R. 1 … are reversed or reformed.”

That framing distinguishes the proposal from the week’s broader Democratic messaging. While party leaders have focused on documenting the consequences of Republicans’ law, McClellan is beginning to sketch what a Democratic governing agenda could look like if the party returns to power.

Reclaiming the family conversation: The agenda arrives as Democrats continue searching for a durable economic message after losing unified control of Washington nearly two years ago.

Throughout the document, McClellan argues that the government should make it easier—not harder—for Americans to decide whether, when and how to build a family, contending that affordability, health care, housing and caregiving have become larger obstacles to family life than the cultural issues that often dominate political debate.

“I envision an America in which everyone is free to plan when, and whether, and how to start a family, free from the fear that a pregnancy may be too costly or complicated, and free to work and care for loved ones without living paycheck to paycheck,” McClellan said.

The rollout is also notable because of who’s making the argument. McClellan, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus and the New Democrat Coalition who serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is positioning family policy as an umbrella for many of the issues Democrats already prioritize—from reproductive freedom and maternal health to housing affordability, paid leave and lowering health care costs.

Whether other Democrats adopt that framework remains to be seen. But after a week spent prosecuting Republicans’ signature legislative achievement, McClellan is making the case that Democrats also need to articulate a governing vision of their own—one rooted not only in what they oppose, but in what they would build next.

👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Thank you for reading Congress Nerd Daily. How are you spending the holiday weekend? Whatever you do, stay cool and be safe. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), House Democrats and leaders of the America250 Commission gathered this afternoon at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia to commemorate the nation’s founding. FYI: America250, the congressionally created commission overseeing the nation’s 250th anniversary, is separate from Freedom 250, the Trump administration’s task force for its anniversary events. Send me tips, scoops, or just say hi: michael@onceuponahill.com.

In the Know

Hiring slows, jobless rate dips: Employers added 57,000 jobs in June, well below economists’ expectations and the weakest monthly hiring pace in four months, offering fresh evidence that the labor market is losing momentum even as the unemployment rate unexpectedly ticked down to 4.2%.

The report also revised April and May payroll gains down by a combined 74,000 jobs, reinforcing a broader slowdown in hiring. Healthcare continued to lead job growth while retail and manufacturing shed jobs. Wage growth remained modest, and labor force participation edged lower.

The mixed report is likely to fuel competing political narratives. Democrats are expected to argue the slowing pace of hiring reflects an economy losing steam under President Donald Trump, while the White House can point to the lower unemployment rate as evidence the labor market remains resilient.

As I mentioned at the top, the report arrives as Democrats mark the first anniversary of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, arguing that the law has raised costs and weakened the economy through cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and clean energy incentives. Republicans, meanwhile, continue to argue the legislation laid the groundwork for stronger long-term economic growth.

The data is unlikely to settle the debate over interest rates on its own, with policymakers expected to place greater weight on upcoming inflation data before considering any changes.

AOC deepens Michigan Democratic divide: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) endorsed Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, breaking with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is backing Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.).

The endorsement is Ocasio-Cortez’s first in a Senate primary this cycle and comes as El-Sayed has gained momentum in one of Democrats’ most closely watched nomination contests. The former Wayne County health director already has the support of Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), while state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Mich.) has consolidated backing from another faction of Senate Democrats, including Elizabeth Warren (Mass.).

The race to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) has become a proxy fight over the Democratic Party’s direction, with establishment leaders arguing Stevens is best positioned to defeat likely Republican nominee Mike Rogers, while progressives see El-Sayed as the candidate best suited to energize the party’s base. Ocasio-Cortez said Democrats face an “existential” moment and argued El-Sayed gives the party its strongest chance to win in November.

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Democrats warn OMB rule politicizes grants: Senate Democrats are demanding that the Trump administration withdraw a proposed rule they say would dramatically expand presidential control over federal grants, warning it would undermine Congress’s spending authority and inject politics into decisions traditionally guided by law and expert review.

In a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, all 47 Senate Democrats argued the proposal would allow agencies to suspend or terminate grants “at any time for any reason,” making it harder for states, local governments, universities and nonprofits to rely on federal funding. The senators said the rule would also empower political appointees to override expert peer-review recommendations, particularly for scientific research, and impose vague requirements that grants advance the president’s policy priorities.

The letter cites recent grant cancellations involving mental health programs, disaster mitigation projects and transportation funding as evidence that the administration has already exercised grant authority in ways that create uncertainty for recipients.

Democrats also contend the proposal weakens financial oversight by removing requirements that grant recipients follow the Government Accountability Office's internal control standards and that it exceeds OMB’s legal authority under the Chief Financial Officers Act. They urged Vought to rescind the rule, arguing it violates Congress’s constitutional power of the purse and would make federal grantmaking less transparent, less predictable and more partisan.

Ethics panel says it has no records: The House Ethics Committee said Thursday it does not possess the records sought under Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-Ky.) resolution requiring the release of taxpayer-funded congressional sexual misconduct settlements, but called on the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights to disclose any information it maintains.

The statement came two days after the House overwhelmingly approved the resolution, 420-0, with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) voting present. The measure directs both the Ethics Committee and the OCWR to preserve and publicly release records identifying any member who settled sexual harassment or sexual abuse claims using taxpayer funds, along with the amount of each settlement.

The committee emphasized that it does not investigate or administer sexual harassment lawsuits or settlements. It noted that Congress overhauled the Congressional Accountability Act in 2018, requiring automatic referrals whenever a member reimburses the Treasury for a sexual harassment settlement paid from public funds. According to the committee, it has not received any such referrals since those reforms took effect.

While maintaining it has no responsive records, the committee said it supports greater transparency and urged the OCWR to comply with the House resolution by releasing any information it has regarding taxpayer-funded settlements involving members of Congress.

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“Trump’s anti-patriotic trap” by Anne Applebaum: “The president celebrates only some Americans. But patriotism is not about who’s in the Oval Office.

“How toxic masculinity took over the Texas Senate race” by Samantha Grasso: “The battle between James Talarico and Ken Paxton has been overwhelmed by demagogic gender politics.”

“Anthropic added a new security measure to get back into the Trump administration’s good graces” by Hugo Lowell: “The government has removed restrictions on Anthropic’s Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models—but there were strings attached.”

First Things First

Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) inability to reopen the House floor this week did more than derail Republicans’ legislative agenda. It also handed House Democrats an unexpected reprieve from having to take what many privately viewed as one of the year’s most politically difficult votes.

For two days, Democratic leaders had been preparing members for an expected vote on an amendment from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to eliminate roughly $3.3 billion in U.S. military assistance to Israel from the annual State Department and foreign operations spending bill—a proposal that underscored the party’s continuing divisions over the war in Gaza.

But Johnson’s failed attempt to revive House business prevented the vote from ever happening, allowing lawmakers to leave Washington early for the Independence Day recess without having to publicly stake out a position on one of the caucus’ most divisive issues.

Whether they’ll be able to avoid it next time remains an open question.

A vote that never came: Even before Republicans’ procedural collapse, Democrats weren’t convinced the House would ever reach the amendment.

A person inside Tuesday morning’s House Democratic Caucus meeting told me members recognized there was a real possibility Republicans would fail to pass the procedural rule needed to begin debate on the appropriations bill and the annual National Defense Authorization Act.

House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) publicly echoed that assessment after the meeting.

“We’ll see if Republicans can pass a rule,” Aguilar told reporters, declining to announce leadership’s position on the amendment while acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding the floor schedule.

Hours later, his skepticism proved warranted.

The House rejected the rule after 13 Republicans joined Democrats in opposition, prompting GOP leaders to cancel the remainder of the week’s legislative business.

“Our focus was on fighting to defeat this rule in a uniform way and to continue to try to stop Republicans from doing damage to the American people,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told me after the vote.

The vote left the defense authorization bill, the State Department funding measure and several other items unfinished until lawmakers return later this month.

It also postponed a politically fraught decision that Democratic leadership had spent days preparing the caucus to make.

Behind closed doors: The conversation began during a virtual caucus meeting Sunday led by House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who, as I reported in Sunday’s edition, urged members to look beyond the amendment’s headline.

According to a person on the call, DeLauro warned that Massie’s proposal was drafted so broadly it could affect far more than military assistance to Israel. She argued the language created significant uncertainty because it could also disrupt embassy operations, funding for Palestinian programs and other diplomatic activities.

Members continued the discussion during Tuesday morning’s in-person caucus meeting.

“Everyone knows the vote is going to be split. Get over it,” one person inside the room told me, describing the overall mood.

The debate itself remained measured despite the high stakes.

Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) described the discussion as “very cogent,” saying members engaged in a “robust discussion on both sides” without the meeting devolving into personal conflict.

Aguilar offered a similar assessment, saying members expressed “a variety of thoughts” while respecting colleagues who reached different conclusions.

“This is my position, but I respect other people’s position,” Aguilar said members repeatedly told one another during the meeting.

The careful tone reflected leadership’s effort to manage one of the caucus’ most persistent political fault lines without allowing it to fracture broader party unity.

Delayed, not resolved: Even as leaders acknowledged the disagreement over Israel, they also tried to keep members focused on what they see as Democrats’ stronger political argument.

The rule that failed Tuesday would have also cleared the way for House consideration of a resolution marking the one-year anniversary of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—the sweeping Republican law Democrats argue cut health care and nutrition assistance to help finance tax cuts benefiting wealthy Americans and large corporations while dramatically increasing funding for immigration enforcement.

Aguilar argued that debate should remain at the center of Democrats’ public messaging.

While acknowledging that the Israel amendment was “tough and emotional” for many Americans, he noted that the underlying appropriations bill is unlikely to become law in its current form after negotiations with the Senate.

“What is law is Republicans and Trump taking away health care from folks,” Aguilar said. “That’s real. It’s felt by folks.”

Johnson’s procedural defeat delayed, rather than resolved, Democrats’ internal debate over Israel.

The State Department funding bill could return after the Independence Day recess, meaning lawmakers will likely confront the amendment—or a similar proposal—later this month.

When they do, Republicans’ procedural failures will no longer shield Democrats from one of the most difficult votes they’ve faced since the war in Gaza reshaped the party’s politics.

👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! How is it July already?! I hope you’re staying cool wherever you are. Thank you for reading Congress Nerd Daily. Send me tips, scoops or just say hi: michael@onceuponahill.com.

In the Know

Democrats seek answers before Blanche hearing

Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats are pressing Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to respond to dozens of unanswered oversight requests before the panel takes up his nomination to permanently lead the Justice Department later this month.

Led by Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), every Democratic member of the committee sent Blanche a letter arguing the committee cannot adequately evaluate his nomination without answers to what they described as a growing backlog of ignored or incomplete congressional oversight requests. They set a July 8 deadline for responses ahead of Blanche’s July 15 confirmation hearing, which will also serve as the committee’s annual Justice Department oversight hearing.

The letter argues Blanche bears responsibility for the department’s responsiveness because he now serves as acting attorney general after previously serving as deputy attorney general.

Democrats say the department has failed to fully respond to inquiries spanning more than a year on issues including the handling of the Epstein files, immigration enforcement, January 6 pardons, career staff dismissals, ethics, voting rights, national security, cryptocurrency conflicts and alleged politicization across the department.

The move is unlikely to delay Blanche’s nomination on its own, but it sharpens Democrats’ effort to make the confirmation hearing as much about the Justice Department’s recent conduct as Blanche’s qualifications to lead it.

🔓 This edition is in front of the paywall. But if you want the Tuesday and Thursday editions, plus the Sunday lookahead, upgrade your subscription for full access to every edition and the complete archive. Whether you’re taking the votes, writing the bills, running the campaigns, shaping the message or trying to influence any of the above, Congress Nerd Daily helps you see around corners before everyone else catches up.

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Trump debuts Qatari jet

President Trump made the first official presidential trip aboard the Boeing 747-8 gifted to him by Qatar on Wednesday, using the aircraft for a trip to North Dakota that immediately revived questions over the administration’s acceptance of the luxury jet.

Trump traveled to North Dakota to visit the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library ahead of its July 4 opening, marking the aircraft’s debut as Air Force One after months of security and communications upgrades.

Before departing, Trump defended the gift, arguing the United States would have been foolish to reject a plane he described as a needed replacement for the aging presidential fleet while Boeing continues work on the delayed next-generation Air Force One aircraft.

The flight comes as Democrats continue scrutinizing the administration’s handling of the transfer. In the letter from Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats to Blanche mentioned in the previous item, lawmakers demanded the acting AG produce a legal memorandum concluding that President Trump’s acceptance of the Qatari aircraft was “legally permissible,” arguing the document is among dozens of outstanding oversight requests that should be resolved before Blanche’s confirmation hearing.

The administration has maintained the transfer complies with federal law, while critics continue to raise constitutional, ethical and national security concerns about accepting such a valuable gift from a foreign government.

Four Senate battlegrounds tighten

A new round of New York Times/Siena College polls suggests Democrats remain within striking distance in four of the cycle’s most closely watched Senate races, underscoring the party’s multiple paths to reclaiming the majority next year.

The surveys found competitive contests in North Carolina, Alaska, Iowa and Ohio, where Democratic candidates are either running even with or within striking distance of their Republican opponents despite the states’ recent Republican lean.

The results reinforce Democrats’ strategy of expanding the map beyond traditional battlegrounds. North Carolina remains their clearest pickup opportunity, while Alaska continues to emerge as a genuine toss-up following former Rep. Mary Peltola’s entry into the race. Iowa and Ohio, two states that have shifted right over the past decade, also remain competitive enough to force Republicans to spend heavily defending seats they once expected to hold comfortably.

The polling comes as Republicans defend 23 of the 35 Senate seats on the ballot this cycle, compared with 13 for Democrats and the two independent senators who caucus with them. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to reclaim the majority, making sustained competitiveness across several Republican-held states a central part of their 2026 strategy.

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Colorado delivers primary shockwaves

Colorado Democrats delivered one of the clearest signals yet that the party’s primary electorate is still in an anti-establishment mood, producing a string of high-profile upsets that could reshape the national conversation heading into the midterms.

The biggest surprise came in the governor’s race, where Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated Sen. Michael Bennet for the Democratic nomination, ending Bennet’s bid to succeed term-limited Gov. Jared Polis and handing one of the party’s best-known senators a stunning primary defeat.

The political shockwaves continued in Denver, where 29-year-old progressive Melat Kiros unseated 15-term Rep. Diana DeGette in one of the cycle’s biggest House upsets. In the battleground 8th District, state Rep. Manny Rutinel won a crowded Democratic primary and will face Republican Rep. Gabe Evans in one of the nation’s marquee House races this fall.

Not every incumbent fell. Sen. John Hickenlooper turned back a progressive challenge from state Sen. Julie Gonzales to secure renomination.

All told, the results reinforced a trend that has emerged in recent Democratic primaries: voters are increasingly rewarding younger, more confrontational candidates while showing a growing willingness to replace longtime party leaders, even in deep-blue states.