Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ralph Norman (SC-05)
Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill Act with a vote of 215-214-1.
Statement:
“The House just secured BIG WINS for taxpayers in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” said Rep. Norman on Thursday. “This bill, while not perfect, secured the following wins for the American people:
A. Tax cuts for all American families are made permanent
B. Border security funding to enable the deportation of illegals
C. No tax on tips & overtime
D. Prohibits funds for transgender treatments
E. Protects life by restricting Medicaid funds for Planned Parenthood
Now let me be clear — I didn’t just cast a vote. I worked my tail off during this process to make this bill better for the American taxpayer. I fought tooth and nail to include key changes that were non-negotiable for me:
1. Work requirements for Medicaid recipients were moved up from 2029 to 2026
2. Biden’s Green New Scam tax credits for wind and solar repealed faster
Leadership isn’t about making the perfect the enemy of the good, but it’s about moving the ball forward without selling out your principles. My vote was about securing the wins we’ve fought for and continuing to move forward in the fight to rein in Washington’s cancerous spending.
South Carolinians expect results, and this bill is a step toward restoring trust, accountability, and common sense in government. The American people sent us here to stop reckless spending, and today we delivered.“
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon(PA-5)
Washington, D.C.— Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, today joined Reps. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, in leading Judiciary Committee Democrats to demand that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and White House Counsel’s Office provide legal memoranda that reportedly blessed Donald Trump’s efforts to flout the clear text of the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause in order to justify his accepting a luxury private jet from the State of Qatar without seeking the consent of Congress.
“President Trump is reportedly relying on memos that you authored, at his request, to accept a $400 million airplane from the State of Qatar—described in media reports as a ‘flying palace’ and ‘the most luxurious private jet in the world’—without obtaining, or even seeking, Congress’s consent. Any legal memo purporting to make such a claim would obviously fly in the face of the text of the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause, which explicitly prohibits the President from accepting any ‘present [or] Emolument . . . of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State’ unless he has ‘the Consent of Congress.’ Accordingly, we are writing to request that you provide the Committee on the Judiciary with these memos immediately as their analysis and conclusions are apparently the basis for the President’s decision to disregard the plain text of the Constitution,” wrote the members.
On May 11, an ABC News report revealed President Trump’s plans to accept a $400 million private jet from the Qatari Royal Family to use as Air Force One—a lavish and unconstitutional gift which he intends to transfer to his personal presidential library foundation at the conclusion of his term.
Reports indicate that the DOJ and White House Counsel’s Office are aiding Trump’s efforts to paper over this clear Constitutional violation and reportedly drafted an analysis for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arguing that it is legal for the Department of Defense to accept the aircraft as a gift and later turn it over to Trump’s presidential library.
The Constitution is clear that Congress—not the Attorney General or the White House Counsel—has the exclusive authority to approve or reject a gift “of any kind whatever” given to the President by a foreign government.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s involvement in this matter is particularly egregious given her clear conflict of interest. Bondi was previously a registered foreign agent of the Qatari government, earning $115,000 per month to lobby on its behalf.
Trump’s acceptance of this unprecedented and unconstitutional gift has sparked bipartisan criticism and outrage, with even Republican Members of Congress and conservative media raising concerns about national security risks and the appearance of corruption. Additionally, this allegedly “free plane” likely will cost taxpayers billions of dollars to overhaul to meet “all the survivability, security and communications requirements of Air Force One.”
Judiciary Democrats requested that Attorney General Bondi and White House Counsel David Warrington provide all documents and communications related to or purporting to justify or provide legal analysis regarding the constitutionality of the President’s acceptance of the Qatari plane; all documents and communications related to an agreement between the State of Qatar and the United States regarding the transfer of the plane; and all documents related to whether Attorney General Bondi should recuse herself in matters related to emoluments from Qatar.
The letter comes after Judiciary Democrats filed a Resolution demanding Trump comply with the Constitutional rules on foreign gifts by seeking the consent of Congress before accepting the Qatari plane.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon(PA-5)
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) today released the following statement:
“This weekend was marked by two extraordinary statements from the Trump White House – statements which, in any other presidential administration, would have generated immediate condemnation and dismissals.
“On Friday, White House Senior Advisor Stephen Miller announced that the Trump administration, including the President, was considering suspending habeas corpus – the fundamental constitutional right to have a court determine whether or not someone is being held illegally. The Constitution’s Suspension Clause, the second clause of Section 9 of Article I, specifically states that habeas corpus cannot be suspended, except when an invasion or rebellion endangers public safety. In fact, it has only been invoked four times in the history of our nation, twice during the Civil War, and it is a power that belongs to Congress, not the President.
“As justification for the suspension of habeas corpus, Mr. Miller cited the administration’s string of losses in the courts, threatening that the administration might suspend habeas corpus depending on “whether the courts do the right thing or not.”
“Although this White House has repeatedly cited non-existent national emergencies to justify its illegal and unconstitutional actions, the suspension of habeas corpus would be a direct assault upon one of the founding principles of our Constitution.
“In addition, on Saturday, ICE agents physically accosted three members of Congress who were conducting lawful oversight at a privately-run Newark detention facility. The mayor of Newark was arrested outside the facility, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) subsequently announced that it was considering arresting the members of Congress.
“During the first Trump administration, Congress was forced to pass a law requiring ICE to admit members of Congress for unannounced inspection visits after ICE denied such visits. The members present for Saturday’s visit had waited several hours before armed and masked ICE agents provoked the confrontation with the mayor and arrested him.
“Of course, these actions come in the wake of other White House attempts to subvert the rule of law and constitutional boundaries, including deporting individuals with no due process and efforts to intimidate courts by, among other things, threatening to impeach judges with whose decisions they disagree and arresting a Wisconsin state judge who challenged ICE’s authority to arrest someone without a judicial warrant.
“These assaults upon the rule of law – the underpinning of our nation which ensures that all in this country are treated fairly and equally, and that the government is not allowed to act arbitrarily – are part of a growing body of action by the second Trump administration.
“As this administration continues to undertake mass deportations without due process, it is absolutely critical for all Americans to understand that without due process, no one is safe from being falsely accused of being a noncitizen, a criminal, or a threat to national security, and being detained or wrongfully deported to a foreign prison. And in fact, we have seen all three of these scenarios occur already.
“We are at a critical inflection point. Regardless of whether one favors the goals of this administration, the tactics it is using constitute a clear and present danger to the constitutional protections for every American.
“Congress could put an end to these illegal activities immediately through legislation. This would require some Republicans to put their duty to the Constitution and country over their fear of retaliation by the administration.
“While Democrats are clear-eyed about the danger presented by this administration’s actions, until a majority of Congress is willing to act, we must rely upon the courts and the community.
“The courts have, by and large, stayed or rejected the White House’s illegal power grabs as they have been challenged in court.
“Americans must continue to reject clear and present dangers to their freedoms as well – at the ballot box, in their outreach to their elected representatives, and in their refusal to stay silent.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon(PA-5)
Chester, PA – Congresswoman Scanlon (PA-05) today announced the winners of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition following a reception on Sunday, April 27 to honor PA-05 high school art students.
Photos from this event are available here for media use.
The Congressional Art Competition is an annual art competition open to students in grades 9 to 12 who reside in Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District. Participating students are offered the opportunity to showcase their talent by submitting original artwork for a district-wide competition. The winning artwork hangs in the U.S. Capitol complex for a full year.
“Art is a powerful platform for self-expression and can be a moving source of hope and inspiration,” said Rep. Scanlon. “It reflects our personal, cultural and social perspectives as well as its impact on our well-being. This is why each year I look forward to having this opportunity to view our community through the eyes of our student constituents.”
A team of volunteer judges comprised of local artists and art educators scored submissions for originality, craftsmanship, use of elements of art, and use of principles of design in 9 categories: painting, black and white drawings, color drawings, collages, printmaking, mixed media, computer-generated art, black and white photography, and color photography.
This year’s best in show was awarded to Jayasri Prasad from Garnet Valley High School for her black and white drawing titled “Air Dry”.
Additional category winners are as follows:
Painting:
First place: Ziman Zou, Strath Haven High School
Second place (tie): Coco Conner, Radnor High School and Devon Ferkler, Springfield High School
Third place (tie): Eva Kahlert, Upper Darby High School and Ava Emery, Garnet Valley High School
Drawings, Black and White:
First place: Jayasri Prasad, Garnet Valley High School
Second place (tie): Dayton German, Sun Valley High School and Carolin Chen, Springfield High School
Third place: Chloe Lau, Radnor High School
Drawings, Color:
First place: Juliana Dreyer, Garnet Valley High School
Second place: Cindy Yang, Radnor High School
Third place: Abigail Kotch, Garnet Valley High School
Collages:
First place: Aashritha Sama, Garnet Valley High School
Second place: Grant Wessel, Sun Valley High School
Third place: Zakiyah Sanyeneh, Sun Valley High School
Prints:
First place: Theo Tempesta, Garnet Valley High School
Second place: Amvi Vyas, Garnet Valley High School
Third: Ella Barry, Garnet Valley High School
Mixed Media:
First place: Madeson Gilbert, Springfield High School
Second place: Ella DiBonaventura, Strath Haven High School
Third place: MacKenzie Cameron, Springfield High School
Computer Generated Art:
First place: Evan Brooks, Garnet Valley High School
Second place: Sarah Bagonis, Strath Haven High School
Third place: Mira Caplan, Radnor High School
Color Photography:
First place: Laila Roe, Strath Haven High School
Second place (tie): Ming Cerdan, Strath Haven High School and Mikayla Leary, Sun Valley High School
Third Place: Emma Ross, Strath Haven High School
Black and White Photography:
First place: Alyssa Iorio, Springfield High School
Second place: Dalina Thach, Sun Valley High School
Third place (tie): Orli Schoff, Strath Haven High School; Nolan Spivey, Springfield High School; and Isaac “Cheetah” Lothrop, Strath Haven High School
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon(PA-5)
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) and Rep. Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) today led 43 House colleagues in condemning the diversion of U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) resources to assist aggressive deportation efforts by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The USPIS is the federal law enforcement arm of the USPS, tasked with supporting and protecting the USPS, its employees, infrastructure, and customers by enforcing the laws that defend the United States’ mail system from illegal or dangerous use. The USPIS’ core functions include fighting mail fraud, assaults on postal workers, and the use of the mail system for drug distribution. Reallocation of USPIS’ time and resources to supplement DHS’s operations will severely impact the primary responsibilities of the USPIS.
The USPIS came to the public’s attention during the first Trump administration when it arrested Trump advisor Steve Bannon for mail fraud. A few months later, that administration restricted USPIS’ law enforcement powers.
“In recent years, chronic underfunding and politicization of USPS functions have seriously restricted the activities of the Inspection Service. The USPIS has cut back on staff and jurisdiction, even as crime against mail carriers is on the rise – having the USPIS take on additional tasks at this time drastically limits their ability to protect their own employees,” the members wrote.
“Using the U.S. Postal Service requires people to share address data, credit card numbers, IP addresses, and other critical financial information that could result in real harm if made public. Millions of Americans depend on the reliability and privacy of the USPS to receive personal items such as tax documents, medication, and mail-in ballots. It is deeply concerning that immigration enforcement agencies have access to the USPS’s sensitive data systems, and the use of the USPS to facilitate deportations raises serious constitutional and civil liberties concerns. The U.S. Postal Service should not be operating as a surveillance arm of federal immigration enforcement,” the members continued.
Amidst ongoing threats to disband the USPS Board of Governors, fire thousands of USPS employees, and fold the USPS into the Department of Commerce, this reportedly placed pressure on the Inspection Service to abandon its primary responsibilities in favor of assisting the administration’s mass deportation agenda. Despite their objections, the Inspection Service is being forced to participate in order to avoid the same fate as other critical agencies, such as the Department of Education or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
“As Members of Congress, we demand that you terminate any general access by the Department of Homeland Security or any immigration enforcement agency to USPS’s broad data systems. We also ask for a commitment from your administration to refrain from any further actions to undermine the Postal Service’s critical role as an independent, depoliticized agency of the federal government. We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your swift response,” the members concluded.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon(PA-5)
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, today joined Reps. Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Ranking Member of the Oversight Subcommittee, Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, Hank Johnson (GA-04), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet, and Lucy McBath (GA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, in releasing the following statement in response to Justice’s (DOJ) unfounded targeting of Representative LaMonica McIver (NJ-10):
“The targeting of Representative McIver is a blatant attempt to intimidate Members of Congress and to block our oversight of this administration’s actions, which have been enjoined more than 150 times by federal courts. We stand by Representative McIver’s exercise of her constitutional rights and duties. If you come for the legal rights of one of us, you come for the rights of all of us.
“Members of Congress have the right to conduct oversight, full stop — whether that’s holding Cabinet officials accountable or visiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. Representative McIver was performing her proper oversight role, a role she was elected by the American people to do — and even participated in a one-hour tour after the incident occurred.
“Charging Members of Congress for doing our jobs is a dangerous precedent to set. It reveals the increasingly authoritarian nature of this Administration and its relentless, illegal attempts to suppress any dissent or oversight, including from judges, Members of Congress, and the American people, which check lawless executive power. Representative McIver has our full support, and we will do everything in our power to help fight this outrageous threat to our constitutional system.”
Background:
Section 527 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47) explicitly states that the Department of Homeland Security cannot prevent Members of Congress from “entering, for the purpose of conducting oversight, any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security used to detain or otherwise house aliens […]. The law goes on to state that “Nothing in this section may be construed to require a Member of Congress to provide prior notice of the intent to enter a facility […] for the purpose of conducting oversight.”
Ground search efforts were underway today in the area of Gairloch Rd., Lansdowne Station, as the missing persons investigation into the disappearance of Lilly and Jack Sullivan continues.
Seventy-eight trained searchers from nine ground search and rescue organizations, including, Colchester County, Pictou County, Halifax, Strait Area, East Hants, Eastern Shore, Musquodoboit Valley, Pugwash, and Eastern Shore, were engaged today in an effort to advance the ongoing investigation and locate Lilly and Jack.
Searchers continued to focus on specific areas around Gairloch Rd. and the nearby pipeline, where a boot print was previously located. A total of 8.5 square kilometres has now been grid-searched.
The search was supported by Nova Scotia Public Safety Field Communications and EHS Emergency Preparedness Special Operations.
The Nova Scotia RCMP would like to thank all of the search and rescue volunteers who have dedicated more than 10,000 hours of their time, searching in very challenging conditions, to help find Lilly and Jack and support the missing persons investigation.
Any future searches will be determined based on the course of the investigation.
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 2, 2025.
Your smartphone is a parasite, according to evolution Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachael L. Brown, Director of the Centre for Philosophy of the Sciences and Associate Professor of Philosophy, Australian National University vchal/shutterstock, The Conversation Head lice, fleas and tapeworms have been humanity’s companions throughout our evolutionary history. Yet, the greatest parasite of the modern age is no blood-sucking
As the NRL edges into Darwin, does the AFL need to be more proactive in the NT? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney The Northern Territory government recently announced the Dolphins, the NRL’s newest team that entered the league in 2023, would play a home game at TIO Stadium in Darwin every year from 2026 to 2028. The Dolphins
What is populism? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Moffitt, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Monash University In 2017, in the wake of Brexit and Donald Trump’s first election win, populism was named the “word of the year” by Cambridge University Press. Almost a decade later, we might have thought the term’s popularity
Bougainville wants independence. China’s support for a controversial mine could pave the way Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna-Karina Hermkens, Senior Lecturer and Researcher, Anthropology, Macquarie University Bougainville, an autonomous archipelago currently part of Papua New Guinea, is determined to become the world’s newest country. To support this process, it’s offering foreign investors access to a long-shuttered copper and gold mine. Formerly owned by the
Australia’s plan to protect its trade in war is flawed. We can’t do it with nuclear submarines Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Palazzo, Adjunct Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at UNSW Canberra, UNSW Sydney If war breaks out someday between the United States and China, one of the major concerns for Australia is the impact on its trade. Our trade routes are long and
Three years after the Jenkins report, there is still work to be done on improving parliament culture Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Maley, Senior Lecturer in Politics, School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University Three and a half years ago, then-sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins’ Set the Standard report was handed to federal parliament, commissioned after Brittany Higgins’ allegations of sexual assault in Parliament House, which
Police aren’t properly trained for mental health crises – but they’re often the first responders. Here’s what works better Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panos Karanikolas, Research officer, Melbourne Social Equity Institute, The University of Melbourne Rosie Marinelli/Shutterstock In an emergency, police are often the first called to the scene. But they are rarely equipped to deal with complex mental health crises. Following recent parliamentary inquiries and royal commissions there has
These 5 roadblocks are standing in the way of energy-efficient homes Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jaime Comber, Senior Research Consultant in Energy Futures, University of Technology Sydney Westend61, GettyImages We all want homes that keep us warm in winter and cool in summer, without breaking the bank. However, Australian homes built before 2003 have a low average energy rating of 1.8 stars
With interest rates on the way down, could house prices boom? Here’s what research suggests Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Jenny Evans/Stringer/Getty With the Reserve Bank of Australia easing monetary policy, interest rates are on the way down. Already this year, mortgage pre-approvals had begun to rise, suggesting many aspiring home buyers are excited by the prospect of
Scandalous mormons, dystopian Buenos Aires and Nicolas Cage down under: what to watch in June Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claudia Sandberg, Senior Lecturer, Technology in Culture and Society, The University of Melbourne As we head into a new month of streaming, here’s a fresh wave of TV ready to challenge, transport and entertain you. This month’s picks span genre and geography, from an eerie dystopian Buenos
How Israel manufactured a looting crisis to cover up its Gaza famine By Muhammad Shehada Since the onset of its genocide, Israel has persistently pushed a narrative that the famine devastating Gaza is not of its own making, but the result of “Hamas looting aid”. This claim, repeated across mainstream media and parroted by officials, has been used to deflect responsibility for what many human rights experts
PNG faces deadline for fixing issues with money laundering and terrorist financing ANALYSIS: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent Papua New Guinea has five months remaining to fix its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) systems or face the severe repercussions of being placed on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) “grey list”. The FATF has imposed an October 2025 deadline, and the government is scrambling
Phil Goff: Israel doesn’t care how many innocent people, children it’s killing COMMENTARY: By Phil Goff “What we are doing in Gaza now is a war of devastation: indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians. It’s the result of government policy — knowingly, evilly, maliciously, irresponsibly dictated.” This statement was made not by a foreign or liberal critic of Israel but by the former Prime Minister
You might have seen those heartwarming and often funny viral videos where parents or carers engage in long “talks” with young babies about this and that – usually just fun chit chat of no great consequence.
They’re often very sweet, and it’s lovely to see the babies’ faces lighting up at the sound of their mother or carer’s voice, or seeming to talk back. In one, the baby appears to reply in an accent strikingly similar to their carer’s:
So, what’s going on when we chat like this to babies? And is it better to chat to them in the tone and pace we’d use when talking to other adults, or is it OK to talk in a slower, higher pitched, sing-song voice?
Here’s what the research shows so far.
Talking to your baby matters
When you speak with your baby, they are exposed to a rich tapestry of sounds and movements. Can babies make sense of all this input?
Well, by the time they’re born babies are already highly experienced with their mother’s voice as well as other language sounds they’ve heard while in utero.
They also prefer to hear the story their mother read aloud regularly in the final weeks of pregnancy, compared to a different story – regardless of who is reading it.
So, although newborns are yet to understand the meaning of these words, they are already tuned in to the importance of language.
Given the vast exposure that most young babies have with their parent’s voice, passively listening to mum or dad talking is likely to be comforting.
Time spent together in close physical contact with a highly familiar person producing familiar sounds creates a safe, secure space rich in learning opportunities.
Babies can learn a lot about conversational style from just listening to and watching the way their parent communicates.
In fact, babies mimic their parents’ gestures, which can help build their vocabulary over time. The social context influences language skills.
Time spent in close physical contact with a familiar person producing familiar sounds creates a safe learning space for baby. Photo by Josh Willink/Pexels
What if I run out of things to say?
If you’re not a fan of monologuing to your baby, don’t worry. They’re not missing out.
In fact, constant exposure to long monologues by a parent is unlikely to provide the baby with a particularly supportive language environment for developing their understanding or production of words.
Adult language is extremely complex. It takes a lot of experience with language before a string of sounds like “Yourdadlikeschocolatemoltenlavacake” can be interpreted as individual words linked to people, objects, or concepts.
“Parentese” is characterised by the use of higher pitch sounds, elongated vowels, and a slower pace of speaking. Real words are presented in a sing-song, happy voice.
Time spent talking together in face-to-face interactions best supports language development. Tomsickova Tatyana/Shutterstock
Speaking ‘parentese’
Parentese is not the same thing as “baby talk”. Baby talk involves the use of nonsense words, and the modelling of incorrect speech sounds and grammar. A baby is not being supported to learn the word “water” if they are repeatedly presented with a nonsense label like “waa waa” for their drink.
One US study found that when parents were trained to use parentese with their infants at six and ten months, the infants showed an increase in babbling and said more words at 14 months, compared to infants of parents who did not receive this training.
Other research has shown consistent use of parentese in the early years can help build the complexity of children’s language skills at five years of age.
Learning to talk is not simply the product of hearing lots of words. In the first weeks of life, infants are already beginning to produce coos and murmurs that both parents and outside observers judge to be intentional vocalisations.
Try responding to these sounds by imitating them and then interpreting what your baby might be trying to say. This enables them to take a turn as a social partner in the conservation.
At the youngest ages, time spent talking together in face-to-face interactions best supports language development.
With age, babies become increasingly interested in the objects in their environment.
Try responding to your baby’s sounds by imitating them and interpreting what they might be trying to say. Halfpoint/Shutterstock
So, what should I do?
An effective way to boost language learning from about nine months of age is to notice what’s captured your baby’s attention and talk about that.
Try labelling and describing what your baby is looking at, playing with, pointing at, or babbling towards.
Research by colleagues and I found encouraging parents to engage in 15 minutes of this kind of talk a day with their 11-month-olds for a month was effective in promoting vocabulary growth at 15 and 18 months.
Overall, a rich language environment is created by engaging with your baby in a wide range of activities – via games, songs, and reading aloud – not just having focused conversations.
Jane Herbert has received funding for these projects: 2012-15: Does promoting parents’ engagement with their infants benefit language development?” Nuffield Foundation (approx. £200,000). D Matthews (PI, University of Sheffield), JS Herbert (University of Sheffield), and J Pine (University of Liverpool). 2011-12: Does promoting parents’ engagement with their infants benefit language development? British Academy Small Research Grant (£7,500). Co-PIs: D Matthews (University of Sheffield), JS Herbert (University of Sheffield), and J Pine (University of Liverpool).
Election day was over four weeks ago. Yet the outcome in one House of Representatives remains unclear. That is the formerly Liberal Sydney electorate of Bradfield.
In real time, you can watch the lead tilt between Liberal hopeful, Gisele Kapterian and her teal independent rival, Nicolette Boele. The difference between them has been as small as one vote. As of Monday, that had shifted to 12 votes in the Teal’s favour. Still too close even for Antony Green to call.
What are the processes for resolving ultra-marginal results? And, more broadly, what accountability is there for problems in campaigning or the running of the election, such as the allegation that voters in one NSW town were misled about how to vote?
First, to the Bradfield saga. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has until July 9 to declare the result. It then certifies a list of successful candidates, which it “returns”, attached to the original writ the governor-general used to formally begin the election.
Electoral challenges
Within 40 days of the writ being returned, any candidate or elector from the seat can “petition” its result. That’s not a petition calling for parliament to handle the matter. It means a formal pleading to the Court of Disputed Returns. For national elections, that means the High Court.
Remarkably few seats are challenged in Australia. On the happy side, this is because our election agencies are very professional. It’s also a matter of legal principle, arithmetic and resources.
To succeed in a challenge, you must show the outcome was likely to have been affected, by errors or breaches of the electoral act. With more than 100,000 voting in House of Representatives electorates, even a 0.5% margin means convincing a judge that a 500-vote lead was uncertain.
The last successful petition nationally was 12 years ago. The AEC admitted some lost ballots meant that the last couple of Western Australian Senate seats could have been different. The whole race had to be re-run.
In Bradfield, there’s no suggestion of impropriety. So it’s not like the last unsuccessful petition, from 2019, where the Liberals survived claims that misleading how-to-vote posters, directed at Chinese language speakers, might have affected the result.
Instead, the Bradfield loser would focus on disputed ballots. That would mean, for example, votes where their scrutineers noted some uncertainty. Such as whether a “1” was a “7”. A judge can then give a binding ruling on the intent of the ballot.
The loser might also try to find evidence of people being wrongly denied a ballot or wrongly issued one. The 40-day period to marshal evidence is strict.
Besides time limits, a challenger needs lawyers and risks paying the other side’s (and perhaps the AEC’s) legal costs if they lose the hearing.
Counts and recounts
Australian election counts are very thorough. This is in contrast to the United Kingdom, where local officials literally rush to be the first to declare, in the wee hours of Friday morning after voting closes at 10pm on a Thursday.
The figures we see on election night are “indicative” only, drawing on counts in thousands of polling places. Every ballot is transferred to a more central location, for official tallying. Ballots for weaker candidates are reviewed multiple times, as they pass on according to each elector’s preferences.
When a seat is ultra-close, the law permits a complete recount. AEC policy is to conduct one whenever the result is within 100 votes: in Bradfield, the initial result was a mere eight votes.
A losing candidate can also request a recount. Teal independent Zoe Daniel did that in her Melbourne seat of Goldstein, where Liberal Tim Wilson finished 260 votes ahead.
Recounts are resource intensive. So the AEC agreed to review all “1” votes for those candidates, and ballots put in the “informal” or invalid pile. Wilson finally won by 175 votes. A challenge to a margin of that size seems very unlikely.
Bad form or protest? Informal votes
What of votes that couldn’t be counted? We call these “informal”. Given turning-out to vote is compulsory – and the requirement to give preferences – Australia has long had a lot of informal ballots.
Upwards of half tend to be accidental, caused by people misnumbering the ballot or not understanding the rules. The highest rates are in seats with many new citizens from overseas, especially as long ballots of many of candidates is becoming common.
Votes that cannot be counted are called ‘informal’, and can be a source of dispute in a seat count. Shutterstock
Maybe more than half, however, are deliberate, intended as protests against the system or parties. These include blanks and those scribbled with (sometimes obscene) comments. As faith in parties has declined, informals have risen. Also, due to “automatic enrolment”, more people are enrolled than ever, including some who’d rather not be. Informal ballots this year reached 5.6% of turnout. For perspective, that’s up just 0.4%.
Voters in the small town of Missabotti in the New South wales seat of Cowper, however, were miffed to find their polling booth had a 45% informal rate. That’s quite an outlier, even for a seat where electors had to rank a dizzying 11 candidates.
There are allegations a polling official misled some electors, by telling them they only had to number “6” candidates for the House. That is the rule for the Senate, not the House.
As preferences are not mandatory at NSW state elections, it’s understandable voters may have heeded such advice rather than the actual rule on the ballot. Such an error would be embarrassing for the AEC. But it could hardly ground an election challenge: the Nationals held Cowper by almost 5,500 votes.
Does that mean there’s no accountability? Anyone affected does not get to vote again. But the AEC is investigating. And after every election, it is grilled by a parliamentary inquiry that the public can contribute to.
In the end, every vote should be sacred. In reality, elections are huge logistical events and nothing is perfect. But there are courts and inquiries to offer remedies and improve things for the future.
Graeme Orr does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
As we head into a new month of streaming, here’s a fresh wave of TV ready to challenge, transport and entertain you.
This month’s picks span genre and geography, from an eerie dystopian Buenos Aires, to a witty, awkward cyborg hero. Reality TV also gets a scandalous twist with the return of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. And Deaf President Now! delivers a powerful documentary on a historical milestone for Deaf rights.
There’s something for every kind of viewer — and every kind of mood.
The Eternaut
Netflix
Argentine sci-fi The Eternaut opens with a group of old friends in Buenos Aires meeting to play the card game truco on a hot summer night – when things suddenly get eerie.
The power goes out and a poisonous snowfall starts to blanket the city, killing thousands of people instantly. The survivors must get answers, quickly, as they start to grasp the true strength of their invisible enemy.
Based on Héctor Germán Oesterheld’s 1950s comic of the same name, The Eternaut portrays apocalypse through a deeply local and political lens – and in doing so has struck a chord in Argentina.
Directed by Bruno Stagnaro and led by Argentine film icon Ricardo Darín, as protagonist Juan Salvo, the series emphasises the power of collective heroism, and subtly critiques the current government’s uncompromising neoliberal approach.
It also pulses with national pride. Buenos Aires is not glamorized; real neighbourhoods are shown as classic Argentine tango, rock and folk plays in the background. Most importantly, Argentine identity is celebrated through themes of community spirit, grassroots resistance, and ingenuity in times of crisis.
The Eternaut feels both timely and timeless. Its slogan, “no one survives alone,” resonates for a country that has been long marked by both trauma and resistance efforts.
Its emotional weight is further deepened by Oesterheld’s legacy, including the tragic disappearance of him and his family members under the military rule of the 1970s.
With a second season on the way, this series is a powerful ode to Argentina.
Murderbot, Apple’s adaptation of Martha Wells’ science-fiction novella, All Systems Red (2017) is a satisfying combination of action, sci-fi and comedy. The show centres on a security unit (SecUnit) – an indentured private security cyborg – who secretly cracks the programming of its governing chip, granting itself autonomy.
Murderbot (Alexander Skarsgård), as it dubs itself, is both horrified and fascinated by humans. It’s far more afraid of eye contact, emotions and direct conversation than any physical danger. It’s also obsessed with mainlining media, particularly the ridiculous soap opera The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.
Murderbot is hired, reluctantly, by some hippy scientists from a group of “freehold” planets – ones that exist outside the Corporation Rim – to act as protection on a scientific expedition. It goes quickly awry.
Wells’ award-winning novella, the first in an equally good series, limits us to the first-person perspective of the sarcastic cyborg. The series expands this frame beautifully, building on the source material’s dry humour to create a world that is both goofy and grounded.
And while there are serious themes at play, such as the way SecUnits are effectively enslaved, and the violent capitalist dominance of the Corporation Rim, the show is not heavy. Skarsgård offers a pitch-perfect performance of the awkward, anxious robot – its eyes flickering in horror as the scientists try to befriend it.
The opening minutes of the first episode are clumsy and on-the-nose, but ignore them. This otherwise well-designed and well-directed show cracks along with brisk, highly-entertaining 22-minute episodes.
– Erin Harrington
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, season two
Disney+
Season one of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives had us hooked at the end of 2024. Now, the women have returned for an explosive 10-episode second season.
The reality series follows a group of Mormon women living in Utah. While the title may have you anticipating stories of faith and motherhood, the show is more focused on the personal lives of Mormon mothers who rose to TikTok fame due to scandal and infamy.
Season one saw the women grapple with balancing traditional Mormon values with their online lives and subsequent businesses (along with the fallout from a “soft-swinging scandal”). Season two further highlights infidelity, jealously and money.
Old characters are brought back, with finger-pointing ex-husbands and former alienated friends adding to the fray. Police are called, insults are thrown and many of the women delve deeper into their pasts.
The show flips flops between difficult moments such as processing the death of loved ones and difficult pregnancies, with parties and poorly executed party games. At one point the women play pregnancy roulette (a game no one should recommend), and take pregnancy tests which are anonymously read out to the group. Chaos ensues.
And after watching, you can search for the TikTok accounts of the stars and watch new drama unfold in real-time – or watch them “correct” and expand on past situations based on their own perspectives – far removed from show’s editors.
– Edith Jennifer Hill
Deaf President Now!
Apple TV+
Deaf President Now! is a stirring documentary about an iconic student uprising at Gallaudet University, the world’s only Deaf university, in 1988. The film chronicles how Deaf students – tired of being led by hearing leadership – decided to take things in their own hands come the 1988 Gallaudet presidential election.
With two of the three candidates being Deaf, the appointment of Elisabeth Zinser, a hearing candidate unfamiliar with Deaf culture, sparked outrage. Fuelled by decades of marginalisation, the students barricaded campus gates, burned effigies of Zinser and marched to the Capitol, calling for Deaf leadership in Deaf spaces.
It worked. The protest forced Zinser’s resignation and ushered in Irving King Jordan, Gallaudet’s first Deaf president.
The film juxtaposes historic footage with present-day interviews with key leaders of the movement, allowing them to tell their stories their own way. These reflections, delivered in American Sign Language (ASL), underscore how storytelling itself can become an act of resistance for Deaf people.
At the same time, the documentary wrestles with a paradox. Co-directed by Deaf activist Nyle DiMarco and hearing filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, the film exemplifies how Deaf storytelling still often has hearing involvement, especially when the story is packaged for a mainstream audience.
Nevertheless, the release of Deaf President Now! couldn’t have been more timely. With disability rights in the United States threatened under Trump, the film is a call to action. It reminds us Deaf culture isn’t just about language: it’s about Pride, self-determination and visibility.
In Lorcan Finnegan’s The Surfer, our unnamed protagonist (Nicolas Cage) is returning to his former Australian home from the United States. He is newly divorced, and trying to buy a beachside property to win back his family.
He takes his teenage son (Finn Little) for a surf near the property, but they are run off by an unfriendly pack of locals.
Returning alone to the beachside car park to make some calls, he is besieged there by the same gang, and this continues over the next several days. The gang is led by a terrifying middle-aged Andrew Tate-esque influencer, Scally (Julian McMahon), who runs the beach like a combination of a frat bro party and wellness retreat.
It is impossible to think of an actor other than Cage who could make a character like this so enjoyable to watch. Cage’s distinctively American confidence has no resistance to the terrifying switches of Australian masculinity from friendly to teasing to violent.
The Surfer is an absolute blast. A lot of the fun is in anticipating each dreadful humiliation – and it somehow turning out worse than you could have expected.
The Surfer beautifully captures the natural surroundings, stunning views and shimmering heat of Australian coastal summer. At the same time, a confined, semi-urban feature like a beachside car park feels bleak and uninviting.
As a film setting, it is both a spectacular wide-open vista and stiflingly claustrophobic – a perfect mechanism for The Surfer’s psychological horror.
The story of serial killers, Fred and Rose West, has been highly narrativised since their shocking crimes were discovered in Gloucester in 1994. The horror of the Wests lies in the juxtaposition of their seemingly ordinary suburban family and what was hidden beneath the foundations of their home.
Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story takes us back to the moment of that revelation via previously unheard interview tapes and recordings of the property search – and of Rose while she was kept in a safe house. Family home videos add to the disturbing sense of the couple’s duplicity.
Interviews with the family of some of the victims emphasise the ongoing pain caused by the Wests, who preyed on vulnerable young women. Meanwhile, Fred’s interviews reinforce his determination to protect his wife: “I trained Rose to do what I wanted. That is why our marriage worked out so well.”
Many details of the Wests’ true horror, however, are absent: the incredible torture suffered by the victims; Fred and Rose’s own childhoods of abuse and Fred’s earlier assault of young girls, including his own sister; and any reference to the couple’s surviving children and the extraordinary abuse they suffered.
The horror of this new documentary is present in the couple’s habitual lies, their casual attitude to violence and murder, and their refusal to take responsibility for their many crimes. Yet it only scratches the surface of the Wests’ true horror story.
– Jessica Gildersleeve
The Four Seasons
Netflix
The Four Seasons follows three 50-something affluent couples as they holiday together over the course of a year.
Friends since college, the group’s easy camaraderie is upended by Nick’s (Steve Carroll) bombshell decision to leave his seemingly unsuspecting wife, Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver), after 25 years of marriage. The announcement sends shockwaves through the other couples, testing their own relationships.
Adapted from Alan Alda’s bittersweet 1981 comedy of the same name, the series preserves the film’s narrative conceit, unfolding over four seasonal mini trips. Episode one opens in full spring at Nick and Anne’s bucolic lake house.
Given the luxury on display, you’d be forgiven for mistaking The Four Seasons as another entry in the “rich-people-behaving-badly” genre. But while there’s plenty of quips and snarky humour, what unfolds is ultimately much kinder – less a scathing indictment of wealth and more a gentle exploration of the banalities of love and middle age.
The show’s creators make the most of the expanded running time to humanise the sextet. The open marriage between gregarious Italian Claude (Marco Calvini) and husband Danny (a marvellous Colman Domingo) updates the source material without sliding into tokenism or homonormativity.
The prickly Type-A Kate (Tina Fey) and peacekeeper Jack (Will Forte) provide the series’ beating heart, in a relationship that feels lived-in and familiar.
Despite its focus on ageing, loss, mortality and grief, The Four Seasons offers comfort viewing at its finest, best enjoyed with a cup of tea and a loved one who’s known you for decades.
– Rachel Williamson
Gemma King receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Claudia Sandberg, Edith Jennifer Hill, Erin Harrington, Grace Russell, Jessica Gildersleeve, Rachel Williamson, Samuel Martin, and Sofya Gollan do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Rachael L. Brown, Director of the Centre for Philosophy of the Sciences and Associate Professor of Philosophy, Australian National University
vchal/shutterstock, The Conversation
Head lice, fleas and tapeworms have been humanity’s companions throughout our evolutionary history. Yet, the greatest parasite of the modern age is no blood-sucking invertebrate. It is sleek, glass-fronted and addictive by design. Its host? Every human on Earth with a wifi signal.
Far from being benign tools, smartphones parasitise our time, our attention and our personal information, all in the interests of technology companies and their advertisers.
In a new article in the Australasian Journal of Philosophy, we argue smartphones pose unique societal risks, which come into sharp focus when viewed through the lens of parasitism.
What, exactly, is a parasite?
Evolutionary biologists define a parasite as a species that benefits from a close relationship with another species – its host – while the host bears a cost.
The head louse, for example, is entirely dependent on our own species for its survival. They only eat human blood, and if they become dislodged from their host, they survive only briefly unless they are fortunate enough to fall onto another human scalp. In return for our blood, head lice give us nothing but a nasty itch; that’s the cost.
Smartphones have radically changed our lives. From navigating cities to managing chronic health diseases such as diabetes, these pocket-sized bits of tech make our lives easier. So much so that most of us are rarely without them.
Yet, despite their benefits, many of us are hostage to our phones and slaves to the endless scroll, unable to fully disconnect. Phone users are paying the price with a lack of sleep, weaker offline relationships and mood disorders.
From mutualism to parasitism
Not all close species relationships are parasitic. Many organisms that live on or inside us are beneficial.
Consider the bacteria in the digestive tracts of animals. They can only survive and reproduce in the gut of their host species, feeding on nutrients passing through. But they provide benefits to the host, including improved immunity and better digestion. These win-win associations are called mutualisms.
The human-smartphone association began as a mutualism. The technology proved useful to humans for staying in touch, navigating via maps and finding useful information.
Philosophers have spoken of this not in terms of mutualism, but rather as phones being an extension of the human mind, like notebooks, maps and other tools.
From these benign origins, however, we argue the relationship has become parasitic. Such a change is not uncommon in nature; a mutualist can evolve to become a parasite, or vice versa.
Smartphones as parasites
As smartphones have become near-indispensible, some of the most popular apps they offer have come to serve the interests of the app-making companies and their advertisers more faithfully than those of their human users.
These apps are designed to nudge our behaviour to keep us scrolling, clicking on advertising and simmering in perpetual outrage.
The data on our scrolling behaviour is used to further that exploitation. Your phone only cares about your personal fitness goals or desire to spend more quality time with your kids to the extent that it uses this information to tailor itself to better capture your attention.
So, it can be useful to think of users and their phones as akin to hosts and their parasites – at least some of the time.
While this realisation is interesting in and of itself, the benefit of viewing smartphones through the evolutionary lens of parasitism comes into its own when considering where the relationship might head next – and how we could thwart these high-tech parasites.
On the Great Barrier Reef, bluestreak cleaner wrasse establish “cleaning stations” where larger fish allow the wrasse to feed on dead skin, loose scales and invertebrate parasites living in their gills. This relationship is a classic mutualism – the larger fish lose costly parasites and the cleaner wrasse get fed.
Sometimes the cleaner wrasse “cheat” and nip their hosts, tipping the scale from mutualism to parasitism. The fish being cleaned may punish offenders by chasing them away or withholding further visits. In this, the reef fish exhibit something evolutionary biologists see as important to keeping mutualisms in balance: policing.
Could we adequately police our exploitation by smartphones and restore a net-beneficial relationship?
Evolution shows that two things are key: an ability to detect exploitation when it occurs, and the capacity to respond (typically by withdrawing service to the parasite).
A difficult battle
In the case of the smartphone, we can’t easily detect the exploitation. Tech companies that design the various features and algorithms to keep you picking up your phone aren’t advertising this behaviour.
But even if you’re aware of the exploitative nature of smartphone apps, responding is also more difficult than simply putting the phone down.
Many of us have become reliant on smartphones for everyday tasks. Rather than remembering facts, we offload the task to digital devices – for some people, this can change their cognition and memory.
Governments and companies have only further cemented our dependence on our phones, by moving their service delivery online via mobile apps. Once we pick up the phone to access our bank accounts or access government services, we’ve lost the battle.
How then can users redress the imbalanced relationship with their phones, turning the parasitic relationship back to a mutualistic one?
Our analysis suggests individual choice can’t reliably get users there. We are individually outgunned by the massive information advantage tech companies hold in the host-parasite arms race.
The Australian government’s under-age social media ban is an example of the kind of collective action required to limit what these parasites can legally do. To win the battle, we will also need restrictions on app features known to be addictive, and on the collection and sale of our personal data.
Rob Brooks receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Rachael L. Brown does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Bougainville, an autonomous archipelago currently part of Papua New Guinea, is determined to become the world’s newest country.
To support this process, it’s offering foreign investors access to a long-shuttered copper and gold mine. Formerly owned by the Australian company Rio Tinto, the Panguna mine caused displacement and severe environmental damage when it operated between 1972 and 1989.
Australia views Bougainville as strategically important to “inner security arc”. The main island is about 1,500 kilometres from Queensland’s Port Douglas.
Given this, the possibility of China’s increasing presence in Bougainville raises concerns about shifting allegiances and the potential for Beijing to exert greater influence over the region.
Australia’s tangled history in Bougainville
Bougainville is a small island group in the South Pacific with a population of about 300,000. It consists of two main islands: Buka in the north and Bougainville Island in the south.
Bougainville has a long history of unwanted interference from outsiders, including missionaries, plantation owners and colonial administrations (German, British, Japanese and Australian).
Two weeks before Papua New Guinea received its independence from Australia in 1975, Bougainvilleans sought to split away, unilaterally declaring their own independence. This declaration was ignored in both Canberra and Port Moresby, but Bougainville was given a certain degree of autonomy to remain within the new nation of PNG.
The opening of the Panguna mine in the 1970s further fractured relations between Australia and Bougainville. Landowners opposed the environmental degradation and limited revenues they received from the mine. The influx of foreign workers from Australia, PNG and China also led to resentment. Violent resistance grew, eventually halting mining operations and expelling almost all foreigners.
Under the leadership of Francis Ona, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) fought a long civil war to restore Bougainville to Me’ekamui, or the “Holy Land” it once was.
After the war ended, Australia helped broker the Bougainville Peace Agreement in 2001. Although aid programs have since begun to heal the rift between Australia and Bougainville, many Bougainvilleans feel Canberra continues to favour PNG’s territorial integrity.
In 2019, Bougainvilleans voted overwhelmingly for independence in a referendum. Australia’s response, however, was ambiguous.
As Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama, a former BRA commander, told me in 2024:
We are moving forward. And it’s the people’s vision: independence. I’m saying, no earlier than 2025, no later than 2027. My benchmark is 2026, the first of September. I will declare. No matter what happens. I will declare independence on our republican constitution.
Major issues to overcome
Bougainville leaders see the reopening of Panguna mine as key to financing independence. Bougainville Copper Limited, the Rio Tinto subsidiary that once operated the mine, backs this assessment.
But reopening the mine would also require addressing the ongoing environmental and social issues it has caused. These include polluted rivers and water sources, landslides, flooding, chemical waste hazards, the loss of food security, displacement, and damage to sacred sites.
Many of these issues have been exacerbated by years of small-scale alluvial mining by Bougainvilleans themselves, eroding the main road into Panguna.
Some also worry reopening the mine could reignite conflict, as landowners are divided about the project. Mismanagement of royalties could also stoke social tensions.
Violence related to competition over alluvial mining has already been increasing at the mine.
The Bougainville government cannot deal with these complex issues on its own. Nor can it finance the infrastructure and development needed to reopen the mine. This is why it’s seeking foreign investors.
Open for business
Historically, China has a strong interest in the region. According to Pacific researcher Anna Powles, Chinese efforts to build relationships with Bougainville’s political elite have increased over the years.
Chinese investors have offered development packages contingent on long-term mining revenues and Bougainville’s independence. Bougainville is showing interest.
Patrick Nisira, the minister for commerce, trade, industry and economic development, said last year the proposed Chinese infrastructure investment is “aligning perfectly with Bougainville’s nationhood aspirations”.
The government has also reportedly made overtures to the United States, offering a military base in Bougainville in return for support reopening the mine.
Given American demand for minerals, Bougainville could very well end up in the middle of a battle between China and the US over influence in the new nation, and thus in our region.
Which path will Bougainville and Australia take?
There is support in Bougainville for a future without large-scale mining. One minister, Geraldine Paul, has been promoting the islands’ booming cocoa industry and fisheries to support an independent Bougainville.
The new nation will also need new laws to hold the government accountable and protect the people and culture of Bougainville. As Paul told me in 2024:
[…]the most important thing is we need to make sure that we invest in our foundation and that’s building our family and culture. Everything starts from there.
What happens in Bougainville affects Australia and the broader security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific. With September 1 2026 just around the corner, it is time for Australia to intensify its diplomatic and economic relationships with Bougainville to maintain regional stability.
Anna-Karina Hermkens receives funding from the Australian Research Council to follow and analyse Bougainville’s journey towards independence.
Stage four of a major state-wide South Australia Police (SAPOL) operation has garnered impressive results in the fight against domestic and family violence, including 66 arrests across a recent two-week period.
Operation Storm’s fourth dedicated anti-domestic abuse operation ran from April 28, 2025, to May 12, 2025, with 331 police officers targeting 411 offenders and attending 408 addresses throughout the state to locate high risk domestic abuse offenders, issue intervention orders and ensure offender’s bail conditions were met.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Linda Williams said, overall, Operation Storm has improved the safety of hundreds of victims and children in South Australia.
Operation Storm has resulted in the arrest of 311 domestic abuse offenders and the issue of 98 intervention orders since its commencement in July 2024.
Within the eight weeks of dedicated days to Operation Storm in the 2024/2025 period, SAPOL has utilised 1175 police members to investigate 1423 domestic violence offenders in South Australia, seeing 1636 addresses attended and 516 support referrals for offenders to access rehabilitation services.
“The recent days of action demonstrate we will continue to check on high-risk individuals, we will take action against offending, we will monitor compliance of bail and intervention order condition to help protect victims and prevent future domestic and family violence offending,” Deputy Commissioner Williams said.
“I commend the hundreds of dedicated officers across the state for their commitment to deterring domestic abuse and referring offenders to behaviour change programs.
“This operation sends a strong message that domestic and family violence will not be tolerated, and those who commit serious criminal offences will be held accountable and can expect to come to the attention of SAPOL.”
The conclusion of the first 12 months of Operation Storm has seen the following outcomes:
Arrests 311
Reports 73
Warrants cleared 71
Offences charged 657
Bail compliance checks 239
Intervention Orders issued 98
Support referral provided 516
Firearm Prohibition Order searches 26
Stalking Cautions issued 17
During Stage 4 of the Operation a 22-year-old Evanston Gardens man was among the arrests following a domestic disturbance. Police attended his home after he threatened to stab the family dog and then threatened family members with a knife. He was arrested for Aggravated Assault, Property Damage, and Assaulting an Emergency Services worker.
In another case, a 44-year-old Berri man, who is recorded as a high-risk domestic abuse offender, was arrested for five counts of Aggravated Assault and Cause Harm, including several strangulation offences. The man was taken into custody, and a full non-contact police intervention was issued at the Berri Magistrates Court. The man was remanded in custody.
“All members of our community have a right to be safe, and we encourage anyone experiencing family and domestic violence to contact police,” Deputy Commissioner Williams added.
“If you’re not confident or comfortable in talking to a police officer, go to a family violence service provider and they will assist you and contact police if necessary.
“We continue to monitor and assess risk, while sharing the information with other services as part of a multi-agency response.”
Meanwhile, Operation Storm has strengthened accountability for people who choose to use violence with specific and measurable targets, as outlined it the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032.
If this media release has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732 or by visiting www.1800respect.org.au. Help and support are also available through Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call triple zero.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman William Timmons (SC-04)
Timmons on S.C. Supreme Court Ruling in Planned Parenthood v. South Carolina
Congressman William Timmons (SC-04) released the following statement in response to the South Carolina Supreme Court’s ruling in Planned Parenthood South Atlantic v. South Carolina:
“Today’s decision is a powerful affirmation of our state’s unwavering commitment to defending the most fundamental right of all — the right to life. South Carolina continues to stand on the side of the unborn, and I applaud the Court for upholding our laws that protect innocent life. As a nation, we must remain steadfast in preserving the sanctity of life, and I will always fight to ensure that the voices of the unborn are heard and protected.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman William Timmons (SC-04)
Congressman William Timmons (R-SC) joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers today in reintroducing a resolution to establish a new Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking. The effort seeks to improve how Congress uses data and evidence to craft effective, accountable legislation.
The lawmakers—members of the Congressional Fix Congress and What Works Caucuses—are working together to ensure that federal policymaking is informed by what works, not by politics. The proposed commission will provide Congress with the tools, expertise, and information it needs to evaluate programs and make data-driven decisions on behalf of the American people.
“Congress has a responsibility to ensure taxpayer dollars are invested in programs that actually deliver results,” said Congressman Timmons. “This bipartisan commission will strengthen our ability to use data, evidence, and real-world outcomes to shape policy that works. It is a smart step toward better governance and more effective stewardship of public resources.”
The commission’s charge will be to review and recommend ways to integrate federal data and evidence into the legislative process, helping lawmakers better assess the effectiveness of federal programs and make informed policy choices. The move builds on the legacy of the original 2016 Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission, which led to landmark bipartisan legislation including the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act signed into law by President Donald J. Trump.
“With the Trump Administration and a Republican-led Congress focused on cutting waste and increasing efficiency, it is more important than ever that we ensure federal programs are delivering results,” Timmons added. “This commission will help us do just that—by putting facts and data at the center of policymaking.”
The resolution has received broad support from leading organizations in the evidence-based policy space, including Results for America, the Partnership for Public Service, the Data Foundation, USAFacts, and the American Idea Foundation—all emphasizing the importance of using data to improve public outcomes and ensure taxpayer dollars are well spent.
Congressman Timmons remains committed to delivering results for the American people through smart, accountable, and effective governance.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman William Timmons (SC-04)
Congressman William Timmons (SC-04) announced his continued support as an original cosponsor of the Fiscal Commission Act, a bipartisan initiative introduced by Representatives Bill Huizenga (R-MI) and Scott Peters (D-CA). The legislation seeks to establish a bipartisan, bicameral fiscal commission tasked with developing solutions to improve the nation’s medium- and long-term fiscal health.
“Our national debt has surpassed $36 trillion, posing a significant threat to our economic stability and the well-being of future generations,” said Rep. Timmons. “It’s imperative that Congress confronts this issue head-on. The Fiscal Commission Act represents a critical step toward restoring fiscal responsibility and ensuring the longevity of essential programs like Medicare and Social Security.”
The proposed commission would comprise 16 members, including lawmakers from both chambers and private sector experts. Its mandate is to craft comprehensive recommendations to address the nation’s fiscal challenges. Importantly, the legislation requires Congress to vote on the commission’s proposals without amendment, ensuring timely consideration of its findings.
Rep. Timmons emphasized the urgency of the situation: “If we fail to act now, the consequences will be dire. Interest payments on our debt are already outpacing critical expenditures, and without intervention, we risk undermining the financial security of millions of Americans.”
The Fiscal Commission Act has garnered bipartisan support, reflecting a shared commitment to addressing the nation’s fiscal challenges. Rep. Timmons’s involvement underscores his dedication to collaborative solutions that prioritize the country’s long-term economic health.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman William Timmons (SC-04)
In a new op-ed in The Post and Courier, Congressman William Timmons (SC-04) makes the case against a proposed luxury hotel development on Paris Mountain, which has stirred strong public reaction across the Upstate. Residents and local officials have voiced serious concerns over traffic, safety, environmental impact, and preservation of Paris Mountain. With over 13,000 signatures opposing the project, the debate underscores a critical moment for the future of one of Upstate’s most cherished natural landmarks.
In case you missed it…
Paris Mountain is a jewel of the Upstate. We must protect it. The Post and Courier Rep. William Timmons (SC-04) April 23, 2025
As a conservative congressman representing the Upstate, I feel compelled to address the troubling proposal for a 153-room hotel development on Paris Mountain. My family has proudly resided at the foot of this iconic landmark for over 60 years, and I never imagined that we would be facing a situation where the integrity of Paris Mountain could be compromised. This beautiful mountain has always been regarded as a jewel of our region, and it has historically been protected as such.
The land proposed for this hotel has been designated as an Environmentally Sensitive District by Greenville County Council since the 1980s. This zoning was put in place to safeguard the unique natural resources of the area, and it reflects the community’s longstanding commitment to protecting our environment. Yet now, a developer with minimal experience who has acquired a narrow strip of land adjacent to Furman University is looking to sidestep these essential protections through annexation into the city of Travelers Rest.
In 2013, Furman University annexed into Travelers Rest using a narrow strip of land. As a result, the city now arguably has the authority to annex and develop Paris Mountain. However, this move threatens to undermine our community’s commitment to environmental stewardship. If Travelers Rest annexes the property, the city would rezone it, and the developer has applied for Flexible Review District zoning for the purpose of building a hotel and effectively discarding decades of preservation efforts.
The hotel proposed by the Divine Group features plans for 153 rooms, an event space for over 750 guests, a convention center, office space and dining facilities, with the capacity to accommodate over 1,000 people. This level of development raises several serious concerns.
First and foremost is safety. The proposed entrance on Altamont Road, a narrow and precarious route that crosses Paris Mountain, is already known for accidents involving both vehicles and cyclists. Our first responders are challenged by the difficult terrain when responding to emergencies, the fact that Altamont Road is the only way in and out of Paris Mountain, and an evacuation could quickly become hazardous if Altamont Road were to be blocked. A serious fire could even force the fire department to shut down Poinsett Highway to access water from Furman’s Lake.
Moreover, the Environmentally Sensitive District designation is in place to protect land deemed environmentally sensitive. This area features steep ravines that lead to the headwaters of the Reedy River, making it nearly impossible to avoid significant erosion and damage to the local ecosystems. Allowing commercial development in such an area is simply inappropriate and conflicts with the principles of good governance and responsible development we hold dear.
It is shocking to see the proposed annexation get this far. If the city were to approve this hotel development, we would open the floodgates to further urban encroachment on Paris Mountain, jeopardizing its natural beauty and environmental integrity. We should not allow urban sprawl to tarnish the character of our region — Paris Mountain deserves better.
Public sentiment against this development has also been overwhelmingly clear. The Greenville County Council — representing over 580,000 residents in the Upstate — unanimously passed a resolution opposing both the hotel and the removal of Environmentally Sensitive District protections, marking an exceptional show of solidarity in protecting our natural resources. Furthermore, more than 65% of adjacent property owners have voiced their objections, and over 13,000 signatures have been collected on a petition requesting that the city reject this proposal.
Finally, I must express my concerns regarding the qualifications of the developers. Their budget for this project is 40% less than what was required to construct the Grand Bohemian Hotel in downtown Greenville, and their experience primarily consists of developing gas stations and laundromats, not complex hotels in challenging environmentally sensitive locations. Entrusting our beloved landscape to developers without significant experience in similar projects is irresponsible.
I urge the Travelers Rest City Council to heed the voices of their constituents and recognize the extensive issues presented by this proposed development. Additionally, I encourage members of the Legislature to enact measures that protect environmentally sensitive lands throughout South Carolina, including Paris Mountain, from urban sprawl. Together, we should fight to ensure that Paris Mountain remains a cherished part of our Upstate identity for future generations.
Congressman William Timmons represents South Carolina’s 4th Congressional District.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman William Timmons (SC-04)
Congressman William Timmons (SC-04) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1 — the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:
“I proudly voted YES on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, advancing President Trump’s America First Agenda, Congressman Timmons said. “This historic legislation permanently cuts taxes for South Carolina’s hardworking families, strengthens border security, restores fiscal responsibility, enhances earned benefits, bolsters our military for peace through strength, and unleashes American energy dominance.
Congressman Timmons continued, “South Carolinians and Americans nationwide demanded bold change, and this bill delivers. I thank President Trump and my colleagues for their efforts and urge the Senate to swiftly pass this bill to enact the America First Agenda our citizens overwhelmingly support.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07)
Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) spearheaded a letter joined by 72 of her House colleagues, to the House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee requesting that Congress allocate funding for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). The Trump Administration’s sweeping changes to our immigration system, termination of immigration judges, and mass deportation agenda threaten the integrity, operational efficiency, and fairness of our immigration courts. It is critical that EOIR has the resources to hire additional qualified immigration judges and provide them with sufficient case processing capacity—both to address the current backlog of more than 3.6 million pending immigration court cases and to ensure due process in an impartial and timely manner.
“Currently, our immigration courts face a staggering backlog of more than 3.6 million active pending cases, which EOIR has cited as the largest single issue facing the immigration courts today,” the members wrote. “This growing backlog impedes our immigration system, creating significant barriers for people legally seeking asylum, migrants, pregnant women, and people with disabilities that seek to remain in the United States. These complex cases can take up to seven years before receiving a hearing, leaving migrants, families, and communities in legal limbo as they await hearings and decisions. At a time when President Trump is making sweeping changes to our immigration system that threaten the integrity, operational efficiency, and fairness of our immigration courts, adequately funding EOIR is essential to a well-functioning and fair immigration system.
“It is crucial that Congress continues to support and invest in EOIR to ensure a well-functioning immigration system to adjudicate our immigration laws consistent with our values and address the growing backlog of pending cases,” the members continued. “We strongly urge you to allocate the highest possible funding and include report language for EOIR funding to go towards the hiring of additional highly qualified judges, the hiring of additional judge teams, the modernization of case management system, the building and expansion of immigration courtroom spaces, and funding of the Legal Orientation Program.”
In 2022, 2023, and 2024, Congresswoman Fletcher led similar letters requesting congressional funding to address the immigration courts’ backlog by hiring more highly qualified immigration judges.
To read the full text of this year’s letter, click here.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07)
Today, during the Energy & Commerce Committee’s consideration of the Republican budget bill, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) introduced an amendment to stop Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. Federal funding helps Planned Parenthood provide annual exams, cancer screenings, pap smears, STI testing, family planning, and other essential health care for women in every state across our country. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that this Republican effort would increase the deficit by $300 million. To watch the amendment introduction, click here or on the video below.
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Congresswoman Fletcher’s amendment strikes Section 44126 of the bill, which, if enacted, would implement a 10-year ban on federal Medicaid payments.
After introducing the amendment, Congresswoman Fletcher questioned Republicans and their counsel about the policy decision to eliminate access to one of the most trusted providers of reproductive health care nationwide. To watch the exchange, click here or on the video below.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07)
Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Votes Against Disastrous Republican Budget Reconciliation Bill
Washington, May 22, 2025
Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted against Republicans’ Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget reconciliation bill – which they call the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, H.R. 1, and which is estimated to add trillions to the national debt while cutting essential programs.
“At a time when families across our community and our country are struggling with rising costs, the House Republican budget bill makes devastating cuts to programs that they rely on every day while increasing deficit spending and the national debt,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “This bill takes from the poor to give tax cuts to the rich. It is going to make life harder, not better. It is going to make things more expensive, not less. And its deep cuts to programs that Americans rely on for their health and security. Nearly 14 million Americans are estimated to lose their health care coverage and millions of kids, seniors, and people with disabilities to lose food assistance because of the provisions in this bill. The American people deserve better than what is in this bill—and we can do better. For these reasons, I voted no.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07)
Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Congresswoman Val Hoyle (OR-04), and Congressman Joe Neguse (CO-02) led 35 of their House colleagues in sending a letter to the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies requesting that Congress reject President Trump’s attempt to gut the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) and instead fund it at a level of at least $656 million in the upcoming appropriations package. This funding would allow OAR to continue its critical mission to prepare our communities for life-threatening natural disasters and to keep the U.S. at the forefront of atmospheric and oceanic research and science.
“Recent reporting on the President’s FY26 budget proposal shows that the Trump Administration plans to effectively eliminate OAR,” the members wrote. “The proposal includes a $485 million cut to OAR’s budget, which is a nearly 75 percent cut, and a directive to transfer any remaining research funding to other divisions of NOAA. The proposed budget would ‘eliminate all funding for climate, weather, and ocean laboratories and cooperative institutes.’ It also does not include funding for Regional Climate Data and Information, Climate Competitive Research, National Sea Grant College Program, or the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. This shortsighted and dangerous proposal would cripple United States (U.S.) leadership in scientific research and leave our communities less prepared to face extreme weather events. As hurricane season quickly approaches, OAR’s advancements in predicting extreme weather events are more important than ever. The research and data resulting from the OAR Hurricane Research Division’s partnership with the U.S. National Hurricane Center have saved countless lives and nearly $5 billion per major U.S. hurricane landfall.”
“Stronger science for forecasting severe weather and communicating impacts will protect communities and save lives,” the members continued. “Robust funding will enable NOAA and its research institution partners to continue their long and proud history of partnering with industries and other government agencies to provide that cutting-edge research.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07)
Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Hosts Town Hall Meeting with Fort Bend County Commissioner Dexter McCoy
Houston, May 30, 2025
Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) held a town hall with Fort Bend County Commissioner Dexter McCoy, where they provided an update and answered questions.
“With so much happening in Washington, it is critical that our community stay engaged and informed,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher. “From cutting Medicaid and health care access, to implementing barriers to Social Security, to cutting funding for medical research, the House Republicans’ and the Trump administration’s recent actions and inaction are undermining the rule of law, separation of power, and the progress we have made as a society. I was glad to join Fort Bend County Commissioner Dexter McCoy to hear from residents of Texas’ Seventh Congressional District about their priorities and concerns at a time when it is more important than ever to work together for our community and country.”
Since her election to office, Congresswoman Fletcher has held dozens of events in the community to hear directly from residents of Texas’ Seventh Congressional District. For information about past and future events, click here.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chip Roy (R-TX)
On Medicaid Expansion:
“The President United States, President Trump, and his Secretary of Treasury, Treasury Bessent, are doing a fantastic job, and the Secretary has laid out a objective of obviously, getting our deficits down to 3% of GDP through strong economic growth, through the tax policy that we want to extend, that the President put forward. I believe that’s one piece of the puzzle that we must go do. But right now, we are not going to address the key drivers of spending that will make it impossible for the President and the Secretary to achieve that objective. Bond markets are on a knife’s edge. You know that, and I know that, and that is necessary for the free flow of capital to have that economic growth. If we continue to allow Medicaid to consume our budget and allow us to continue to drive that budget up so deficits go up, then we’re not going to be able to achieve those objectives.”
“Medicaid right now is now a trillion dollar higher baseline than when we came in under Biden. We are spending $620 billion a year on Medicaid, compared to $400 billion in 2019 and if we allow this to continue where we’re, as you said, continue to fund the able body in massive expansion states, heavily in blue states. If we were doing that at a seven times dollar value, imagine that, if you’re listening to this, we the federal government are funding Medicaid seven times higher for the able bodied than for those who need it, the vulnerable, the sick, the people who truly Medicaid was designed for. What kind of a country does that? It’s ridiculous.”
“And by the way, if we do this, we’re going to cement Obamacare, and the 10 non expansion states like Texas will have incredible pressure to expand, and that will eat up all of the so called savings in this bill, which, by the way, are back loaded. You know that, and I know that. And if you have back loaded savings, they never materialize. That means deficits go up, and under our bill, debt will be $56 trillion in a decade. That’s not winning. We’ve got to change it. Republicans should do better.”
On Flaws in Current Medicaid Reforms:
“I couldn’t believe it when I read those were the provisions that the work requirements were supposed to be the core engine of Medicaid reform, which isn’t good enough. You have to deal with Medicaid. You have to deal with the expansion population. You have to do with the you have to deal with the money laundering. But the work requirements were basic. They don’t kick into 2029 they have waivers even once they kick in.”
On Fiscal Responsibility and Medicaid Reform:
“We should do the right thing. Let’s do the fiscally responsible thing. But here’s what’s really important. Let’s make sure that people who are vulnerable and are sick they’re the ones that the program is focused on. Let’s preserve capital and free up our health care system so we can drive down health care prices and free it up for the average hard working American. We have plans to do that, strong, robust health savings accounts, getting the competition back into the system. We can do that, and you can do that by drawing down all these subsidies on Medicaid, which are subsidizing blue states and massive expansion states at the expense of the non expansion states and the vulnerable at the expense the expense of the vulnerable for the able body, I think that’s a mistake.”
“We should not be giving Medicaid to anyone who is ineligible, including those who are illegal, and we should kill all the scams the blue states are using to launder federal money to all of their ridiculous programs. Republicans should lead to support the president. They’re not right now. I can’t support the bill as it is.”
On Gaining Republican Support:
“There’s a good chunk of my colleagues that are with me on the fiscal conservative side, but they’re also struggling because they’re deferential to the president, which I understand.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chip Roy (R-TX)
Washington, D.C. — Representative Chip Roy (TX-21) issued the following statement tonight after the House Budget Committee voted to advance the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill”.
Congressman Roy said:“Tonight, after a great deal of work and engagement over the weekend, the Budget Committee advanced a reconciliation bill that lays the foundation for much needed tax relief, border security, and important spending reductions and reforms. Importantly the bill now will move Medicaid work requirements forward and reduces the availability of future subsidies under the green new scam.
But, the bill does not yet meet the moment – leaving almost half of the green new scam subsidies continuing. More, it fails to end the Medicaid money laundering scam and perverse funding structure that provides seven times more federal dollars for each dollar of state spending for the able-bodied relative to the vulnerable. This all ultimately increases the likelihood of continuing deficits and non-Obamacare-expansion states like Texas expanding in the future. We can and must do better before we pass the final product.
As such, I joined with 3 of my colleagues to vote “present” out of respect for the Republican Conference and the President to move the bill forward. It gives us the opportunity to work together this week to get the job done in light of the fact our bond rating was dropped yet again due to historic fiscal mismanagement by both parties. This bill is a strong step forward – and I am proud of Chairman Arrington, the Speaker, and my colleagues for the work we did to make progress with the White House. But we have to do more to deliver for the American people.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chip Roy (R-TX)
Washington, D.C. — Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) spoke in the House Budget Committee hearing this morning on the current state of reconciliation.
Rep. Roy said in Budget Committee:
“I appreciate my friend from Texas, the chairman, and you know, my Democratic colleagues keep telling things that are not true. The vast majority of Americans will get tax benefits under this bill. It’s just simply false to say that that’s not true. Hardworking Americans who will benefit from the standard deduction increase, hardworking Americans who will benefit from child tax credits and lower tax rates—stop saying things that aren’t true. Those things are true. The fact is, we have money in here for the border to undo the damage of Joe Biden. We have more money in here for defense to undo the damage of Joe Biden, but we also address Medicaid and Medicaid spending goes up. Stop lying. Medicaid spending goes up. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are profoundly unserious when it comes to being real about what’s happening with the numbers. I applaud Chairman Arrington. I applaud my colleagues on this side of the aisle for taking a step forward in dealing with the spending problem in this town.
But I have to now admonish my colleagues on this side of the aisle: this bill falls profoundly short. It does not do what we say it does with respect to deficits. The fact of the matter is, on the spending, what we’re dealing with here is tax cuts and spending a massive front-loaded deficit increase. That’s the truth. That’s the truth. Deficits will go up in the first half of the 10-year budget window. And we all know it’s true, and we shouldn’t do that. We shouldn’t say that we’re doing something we’re not doing.
The fact of the matter is, this bill has back-loaded savings and front-loaded spending, nowhere near the Senate Budget top line, by the way. The Senate Budget top line of six and a half trillion dollars, which, by the way, is what we were pre-COVID, inflation-adjusted, on interest, on Medicare and Social Security. And if we would reform Medicaid, we could actually get to the core of the problem, but we refuse to do it. And I’m not going to sit here and say that everything is hunky-dory when this is the Budget Committee. This is the Budget Committee. We are supposed to do something to actually result in balanced budgets, but we’re not doing it. Look at what happens under deficits… Only in Washington are we expected to bet on the come that in five years, everything will work, then we will solve the problem.
We have got to change the direction of this town, and to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle: yes, that means touching Medicaid. It went from $400 billion in 2019 to $600 billion this year. It’ll be over a trillion in the 2030s. We are making promises that we cannot keep. We do need to reform it. We need to stop giving seven times as much money to the able-bodied over the vulnerable. Why are we sticking it to the vulnerable population, the disabled and the sick, to give money to single able-bodied male adults? We shouldn’t do that. We should reform it. But guess what? That message needs to be delivered to my colleagues on this side of the aisle too.
We are writing checks we cannot cash, and our children are going to pay the price. So I am a no on this bill unless serious reforms are made today, tomorrow, Sunday. We’re having conversations as we speak, but something needs to change, or you’re not going to get my support.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chip Roy (R-TX)
Hays County, Texas — Representative Chip Roy (TX-21) offered his congratulations today to thirty-six stellar high school students across Texas’ 21st congressional district who achieved the Exceptional Senior Award (ESA). This award is in its sixth year of existence.
ESA winners have consistently displayed high levels of character, leadership, integrity, and diligence. These virtues are evident through their philanthropic activities, academic success, and reputations among peers and teachers.
Congressman Roy said:“I am proud of all that the incredible young men and women of Texas’ 21st Congressional District have achieved. Texans have reason to be optimistic about our great state’s destiny with them as our future leaders.”
Rep. Roy is deeply grateful to the families of these exceptional seniors for their love and support throughout their educational journeys. He would also like to thank the faculty of schools across his district who recommended these individuals for the ESA.
The Exceptional Senior Award winners, Class of 2025:
Ms. Victoria Allen,Geneva School of Boerne
Ms. Sophia Arreguin,Memorial Early College High School (New Braunfels)
Ms. Anneliese Bacon,Harper High School
Mr. Keegan Ballard,Dripping Springs High School
Ms. Kaitlyn Best,New Braunfels High School
Ms. Taylor Bloom,Our Lady of the Hills Catholic School (Kerrville)
Ms. Sienna Carter,Medina Secondary School
Mr. Stephen “Finn” Cone,Kerrville Christian Homeschoolers
Mr. Corey Cook,Boerne Champion High School
Mr. Jonathon Davenport,Wimberley High School
Ms. Perry Faught,Blanco High School
Ms. Evelyn Garrett,Tivy High School (Kerrville)
Ms. Jalyn Lamb,Bandera High School
Ms. Jillian Land,Bracken Christian School (Bulverde)
Mr. Cole Leidy,New Braunfels Christian Academy
Ms. Casey Loewer,LBJ High School (Johnson City)
Ms. Madeline McAdams,Regents School of Austin
Ms. Audrey McFarlane,Heritage School of Fredericksburg
Ms. Schreiner Meredith,Nueces Canyon High School
Mr. Aidan Nolen,San Marcos Academy
Ms. Kaylin O’Rourke,Boerne Area Christian Homeschoolers
Ms. Aven Ottmers,Fredericksburg High School
Ms. Katelynn Salazar,Leakey School
Ms. Kinsley Sawyer,Boerne High School
Ms. Abbigail Shultz,Hill Country Preparatory High School (New Braunfels)
Ms. Athena Sorenson,Davenport High School (Garden Ridge)
Ms. Hailey Turner,Hill Country Christian Homeschool Association (Kerrville)
Mr. Brody Vanacker,Ingram Tom Moore High School
Ms. Hope Van Geffen,Comfort High School
Ms. Donna Verkamp,St. Anthony Catholic High School (San Antonio)
Mr. Aidan Williams,Gloria Deo Academy (Bulverde)
Ms. Peyton Wilson,Canyon High School (New Braunfels)
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chip Roy (R-TX)
Washington, D.C. — Representative Chip Roy (TX-21) issued the following statement after the House passed The One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
“After much deliberation, I voted yes on H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Months ago, I worked to ensure that any tax cuts or extensions would be connected to an equal or greater amount of spending cuts to force fiscal discipline. The good news is that the bill technically held true to that framework by yielding modest deficit reduction over a 10-year budget window. Importantly, it does this by cutting spending $1.5 trillion over 10 years, reforming programs like Medicaid and SNAP with work requirements, and improving healthcare freedom by expanding health savings accounts to allow use with Direct Primary Care. But the good things didn’t just happen by accident. My fellow budget hawk colleagues and I, including many in the House Freedom Caucus, forced reforms that were critical to making the bill more responsible. We:
Accelerated Medicaid work requirements 3 years from 2029 to 2026.
Helped stave off further Obamacare expansion by aligning State Directed Payments (SDPs) in Medicaid to the rates of Medicare in Medicaid expansion states while allowing states that have not expanded Medicaid (ex., TX) to have SDPs at 110% of Medicare.
Froze the state provider taxes to ensure states don’t grow their money laundering schemes.
Paid Texas and other states back for their border efforts under the Biden administration.
Began to claw back the “Green New Scam” put on steroids by the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) corrupt subsidies – namely by putting in place a required construction start within 60 days of enactment and a much earlier “in service” requirement of 12/31/28 – all designed to limit the reach of subsidies.
To be clear, I didn’t vote for the bill without significant reservations. For example, in classic Washington fashion, the bill produces sizable deficits in the first 5 years while achieving “savings” in the future, which means we’ve got to bring forward more savings than I already fought for. And as with most major bills in Washington, this bill was rushed, mashed together, and crammed through the House without sufficient time to review every item carefully. We should do better. The Medicaid money laundering scam was not reformed sufficiently, and far too many of the new green scam subsidies continue to operate. And inexplicably, we funded high-tax state jurisdictions with a $350 billion tax deduction for their “SALT” tax deductions – something I strongly oppose. But even though I supported this bill out of the House, this bill needs massive improvements if we are to make a dent in our deficit or to change the trajectory of this country. We must reduce deficits much further, even as we continue to work to FULLY repeal the IRA’s unreliable energy subsidies and reduce the damage done by Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. We can do this most efficiently with state block grants – but we can also reduce the 90% FMAP for able bodied people – ensuring states are not getting seven times more money for able bodied adults with no children over the most vulnerable in traditional Medicaid – and reducing provider taxes to end the unnecessary inflation of costs in healthcare. I stand ready to work with my colleagues in the Senate to continue to get this bill right before sending it to the President’s desk.”
