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👋🏾 HI, HEY, HELLO! Welcome back to Congress Nerd Daily. I hope today was everything for you. The midterms are in 49 days. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was back at the Capitol today for his official portrait unveiling in Statuary Hall, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) hosting a reunion of sorts for McCarthy-era Republicans. McCarthy, whose nine-month speakership ended with his historic removal in 2023, said he’d “do it all again.”
Crockett leaves questions unanswered
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) repeatedly declined this afternoon to address the backlash over her decision to honor R&B singer Chris Brown with a congressional recognition, hours before a Texas state lawmaker who joined her onstage apologized for his participation and acknowledged that their appearance failed to accomplish one of its intended purposes: encouraging Texans to vote in the midterms.
Once Upon a Hill approached Crockett outside the House Democratic cloakroom and offered the Texas Democrat several opportunities to respond to the criticism, say whether she thought it was fair or provide additional context about how the appearance came together.
The exchange was not contentious. Crockett remained for several minutes and ultimately continued speaking with this reporter at length off the record. But she repeatedly made clear that she did not want to revisit the substance of the controversy publicly.
“I am not talking about this,” Crockett said when asked whether she thought the criticism was fair.
Crockett acknowledged that critics were entitled to their views but declined to elaborate on her own.
When asked why she did not want to discuss the matter, Crockett said she believed continuing to engage would prolong a controversy that was drawing attention away from issues affecting Americans’ daily lives.
“Obviously, I am becoming a bigger distraction than issues that are impacting their everyday lives,” Crockett said. “If I do an interview, then that means there’s less time that people are talking about the things that really hurt them every day.”…
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Policy Desk
Iran war nears $40B price tag
The war with Iran cost the Defense Department an estimated $38.1 billion through Aug. 1, according to a new CBO analysis requested by House Budget Ranking Member Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.). The estimate includes munitions, equipment losses, additional flying hours, operations and higher fuel costs but excludes some expenses CBO could not calculate. CBO estimates continued fighting costs roughly $2 billion to $3 billion per month depending on its intensity and found conflict-driven energy prices are contributing to higher inflation. The agency relied on government databases and public reporting after the Pentagon did not respond to its information requests.
Pressley proposes restitution for survivors
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) introduced legislation today to establish a federal restitution program for survivors of sexual violence whose rights were violated by the government, including survivors of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The bill would allow eligible survivors to petition the U.S. Court of Federal Claims for compensation and establish a specialized office to adjudicate claims. Awards would cover economic and non-economic losses with a minimum payment of $123,000. Pressley unveiled the measure alongside survivors and survivors’ advocates at a Capitol Hill press conference.
Tax relief for sexual-assault survivors
Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced bipartisan legislation to exempt settlement payments received by sexual-assault survivors from federal income taxes regardless of whether they can demonstrate a physical injury. Under current law, damages generally qualify for the exclusion when they stem from physical injuries, which lawmakers say can leave survivors without visible injuries facing tax bills on their settlements. The bill would instead allow a court decision or settlement agreement identifying the damages as stemming from sexual assault to establish eligibility for the exemption. The House unanimously passed its version in April.
Casar calls for AI diplomacy
Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) called on the U.S. to pursue international agreements to prevent the development of dangerous AI models, arguing that the country should try to end rather than win an AI arms race. Speaking at the Pro-Human Assembly in Washington, Casar said AI diplomacy should become a major U.S. foreign-policy priority and urged action at next week’s United Nations gathering. His remarks come after he and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) proposed legislation to create a Cabinet-level AI safety agency, monitor frontier systems and ban the development of artificial superintelligence.
The Trail
DCCC expands Red to Blue
House Democrats added independent Bill Hill in Alaska, progressive activist Will Lawrence against Rep. Tom Barrett in Michigan’s 7th and Mitchell Berman against Rep. Bryan Steil in Wisconsin’s 1st to the DCCC’s Red to Blue program. The additions bring the committee’s roster of top recruits to 40—and Lawrence’s elevation is notable after party leaders previously held off amid scrutiny of his past social-media posts.
DCCC also launched ads in eight battleground districts—AZ-06, FL-09, FL-25, NM-02, OH-09, PA-10, TX-15 and WA-03—while continuing spending in seven others. The new investment doubles the committee’s media spending from last week, when it put $1.6 million into its first coordinated TV buys of the general election.
Senate Dems bring labor into election protection
Senate Rules Ranking Member Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and members of Senate Democrats’ Election Protection Task Force convened labor leaders for a roundtable on organized labor’s role in voter education, turnout and responding to potential election interference. The meeting is the latest piece of the task force’s broader preparations for the midterms, which have included an election-observer program and congressional responses to potential federal intervention in election administration.
El-Sayed rolls out Black policy agenda
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed unveiled his THRIVE agenda focused on Black communities, including proposals on minority-business lending, affordable housing and homeownership, maternal health, clean water, HBCUs and voting rights. The plan also calls for Medicare for All, nationwide expansion of Michigan’s RxKids program and tuition- and debt-free higher education.
HMP expands its ad offensive
House Majority PAC launched a new wave of TV and digital ads across 15 districts in 10 states, targeting Republican incumbents and candidates on health care, tariffs, Iran and ethics while boosting Democrats on biography and economic issues. The Democratic super PAC is also going bilingual in several battlegrounds, with English and Spanish ads in California’s 48th, Texas’ 15th, 28th and 34th districts.
ICYMI
President Trump sharply criticized the Supreme Court after its Monday-night decision keeping his USPS mail-ballot restrictions blocked for the midterms, saying the justices who ruled against him were “not the people I interviewed” for the Court.
A GAO review estimates the administration’s 2025 workforce-reduction effort helped push federal salary costs for employees on paid administrative leave to roughly $9.5 billion—about six times the 2023 level. Approximately 144,000 workers were placed on leave through the Deferred Resignation Program. The administration promoted the resignation program as a money-saver.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper barred the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts board from adding Donald Trump’s name to the building or renaming its grounds for him, ruling that Congress must authorize changes to the congressionally established memorial. The Trump-appointed board subsequently voted to close the center for repairs.
Read All About It
“Why Americans hate data centers” by Tanner Greer: “Neighbors of computing clusters don’t see any advantages, just costs.”
“Are Texas Democrats finally reaching the mountaintop?” by Sam Russek: “The Texas Democratic Party once owned the state. It even did some good things. Then it collapsed, and boy, has it stayed collapsed, Ah, but if James Talarico wins…”
“‘My husband has no friends’” by Monica Corcoran Harel: “For some wives, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes … managing their spouse’s social life?”