Exclusive: Archived Obama posts add new scrutiny for William Lawrence
Plus: The latest in the war in Iran, House GOP agenda lookahead and a preview of a busy committee schedule.
👋🏾 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.
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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.
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 →