Bondi time
Pam Bondi heads to the House Judiciary Committee as Democrats move to center DOJ accountability and Epstein survivors ahead of a high-stakes oversight hearing.
Today in Congress
👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Attorney General Pam Bondi will go before the House Judiciary Committee this morning in what’s expected to be a live stress test of President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.
The session is billed as routine DOJ oversight, but it will be a backdrop for lawmakers to hash out whether the department is being run as an independent law-enforcement agency or as a political instrument. Bondi’s tenure has been shaky from the jump: She came in with deep personal and political ties to Trump, has faced internal morale problems at DOJ, and has been dogged by accusations that enforcement decisions—from how prosecutors are reassigned to how judges are publicly criticized—are driven more by loyalty tests than by law. It’s a tension that has only grown as Main Justice has taken unusually aggressive stances toward the courts and shown reluctance to fully explain its handling of politically sensitive cases.
Expect Republicans to defend her as cleaning up a “weaponized” department, and Democrats to press her on whether the Justice Department under her watch is still following the rules it’s supposed to enforce.
Ahead of the hearing, members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, including those who serve on the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, will host a press conference with Epstein survivors—as Congress advances its fight for accountability, survivor justice, and transparency from Bondi’s agency.
Happenings
All times Eastern.
The House is in at 11 a.m. and will vote at 12:15 p.m. on a rule to allow debate and a floor vote on three bills, including the SAVE America Act. The House will vote at 5:15 p.m. on final passage of the bills. A vote on a Democratic-led resolution to repeal the emergency declaration underpinning President Trump’s tariffs is also expected.
New Democrat Coalition Chair Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) and Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) will hold a news conference at 9:45 a.m. on the NDC’s Affordability Agenda.
The House Judiciary Committee will hold an oversight hearing at 10 a.m. on the Department of Justice.
The House Financial Services Committee will hold an oversight hearing at 10 a.m. of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The House China Competition Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on the Chinese Communist Party’s gaslighting and manipulating to marginalize Taiwan.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on the potential impacts of a DHS shutdown.
The House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections will hold a hearing at 10:15 a.m. on building an AI-ready America.
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing at 10:15 a.m. on the prescription drug supply chain.
Rep. John Larson and House Ways and Means Democrats will hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. to introduce a resolution of inquiry probing DOGE data collection at the Social Security Administration.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), CBC Chair Emerita Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) and CBC members will hold a news conference at 11:45 a.m. on the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on Black Americans.
The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance will hold a hearing at 2 p.m. on homeownership and the role of the secondary mortgage market.
The House Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia Subcommittee will hold a hearing at 2 p.m. on U.S. foreign policy in South Asia.
The Senate is in at 2 p.m. No votes are scheduled at this time.
The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee will hold a hearing at 3 p.m. to examine how to build a 21st-century VA health care system.
President Trump will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel at 11 a.m. in the Oval Office, receive the Champion of Coal award at 4 p.m. in the East Room and meet with Special Envoy to the United Kingdom Mark Burnett at 5:30 p.m. in the Oval Office.
In the Know
— Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and DWC Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) introduced Virginia’s Law, a bill that would scrap federal statutes of limitations for adult survivors of sexual abuse, allowing victims to sue traffickers and abusers whenever they’re ready—closing a loophole that protected figures like Epstein. The announcement, made alongside survivors and Virginia Giuffre’s family, underscores a broader Democratic push to rewrite the rules that long shielded powerful abusers from accountability.
— Presumptive nominee Analilia Mejia declared victory in the NJ-11 Democratic primary, casting the result as a people-powered upset after a 10-week sprint fueled by grassroots organizing, small-dollar donations, and union and movement backing. In victory remarks, she leaned heavily into affordability, healthcare, and democracy reform—while sharply criticizing AIPAC and big-money spending as threats that voters rejected at the ballot box.
— Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) led the Washington state delegation in rolling out a House resolution honoring the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX win, turning a dominant championship run into official congressional bragging rights. The resolution follows a round of friendly playoff wagers DelBene made with colleagues as the Seahawks knocked off the 49ers, Rams, and Patriots on their way to the title.
Read All About It
“The left needs a sharper AI politics” by Ross Douthat: “The future may put progressive theories of work and human nature to the test.”
“The massive energy crisis we’re not talking about enough” by Umair Irfan: “Around the world, energy is becoming abundant—there’s just one problem.”
“I’ve been using two of the most hyped tech tools. One of them finally lost me.” by Alex Kirshner: “ChatGPT is losing the chatbot wars—and Sam Altman can only blame himself.”