Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in National Review arguing that hospitals are failing to comply with federal regulations requiring them to display their prices for medical care clearly. Kennedy explains how his bill, the Hospital Transparency Compliance Enforcement Act, would help the Trump administration enforce price transparency rules and save patients money.
Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
“It can be scary to go to the hospital when you are sick or injured, but it can be even more terrifying to get the bill.
“Many Americans have no way of knowing how much a hospital will charge them for a routine medical procedure until weeks later when the bill arrives in the mail. This doesn’t happen anywhere else. If I wanted to know the exact price of every mayonnaise at the grocery store, I could pull up the website and tell you in two minutes.
“This lack of transparency not only allows hospitals to charge breathtakingly high prices without fear of competition from other facilities, but it also allows them to charge different patients different rates for the same procedure.”
. . .
“Congress can help the Trump administration hold these hospitals accountable by doubling the fines of those who refuse to comply. My Hospital Transparency Compliance Enforcement Act would increase penalties for noncompliance to as much as $11,000 per day for large hospitals.
“American consumers, employers, and insurers could have saved an estimated $80 billion if President Trump’s original price transparency order had been enforced under President Biden. Families cannot afford for Congress to sit by while hospitals continue to ignore our rules to the detriment of patients.
“If Louisianians can find the price of a side of mashed potatoes at any of the 600 Cracker Barrel locations around the country, they ought to be able to find the price of a blood test at the nearest hospital, too. Hospitals cannot keep denying patients the information they need to make the best decisions for their families.”
Read Kennedy’s op-ed here.
Text of the Hospital Transparency Compliance Enforcement Act is available here.
Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Thom Tillis released the following statement on the importance of an independent Federal Reserve:
“The independence of the Fed is paramount. Terminating Chairman Powell risks a protracted legal battle with potential economic consequences like the disruptions we briefly saw in U.S. Treasury and dollar markets yesterday. These impacts will only threaten the foundation for long-term economic growth, including all the economic progress made by President Trump over the last six months. While dramatic fluctuations may not make the wealthy lose sleep at night, they can seriously harm those working-class Americans I grew up with who are already struggling to get by.”
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Bill Text (PDF)
Washington (July 17, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Representatives Doris Matsui (CA-07), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), and Brad Schneider (IL-10) today reintroduced the Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act, legislation that would improve America’s public health response to climate change by establishing an Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). OCCHE was originally established by President Biden’s Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. In January 2025, President Trump eliminated OCCHE and terminated its staff. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) are cosponsors of this legislation.
The reestablished OCCHE would support climate health research, health impact monitoring, and climate resilience initiatives within the health sector. In addition to codifying OCCHE, the bill would also direct the Secretary of HHS to develop a National Strategic Action Plan to assist health professionals in preparing for and responding to the public health effects of climate change.
“Climate change is making people and the planet sicker, and we need a national treatment plan to address the worst effects,” said Senator Markey. “While the Trump administration tries to fire everyone with any ability to fight the health impacts of the climate crisis, and while Republicans pass bills that kick millions of people off their health care, we are demanding a different future—one with a resilient health system that protects us all. My Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act will put us on track for a healthier, and brighter, future.”
“Climate change is already endangering the health of Americans nationwide,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “President Trump and his Republican allies want to bury their heads in the sand, but we’ve seen the life-threatening effects of climate change in the Sacramento region, as flooding and wildfires are becoming more frequent and more intense. These impacts will only worsen as climate change accelerates. The Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act will ensure our healthcare system is prepared to face this new reality.”
“The climate crisis is a persistent threat to our way of life – it is not just an environmental threat but is a public health emergency,” said Congressman Schneider. “The Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act will help ensure we are better prepared and supplied to protect the health and well-being of our communities and our planet. I’m proud to co-lead this bill with Reps. Matsui, Barragán and Carbajal and I’m hopeful that the coordination and investment it promotes will strengthen our ability to confront the health impacts of climate change head on.”
“Climate change is already impacting the environment around us, and those changes bring real risks to our public health,” said Congressman Carbajal. “Our country must have a clear strategy for meeting these mounting threats to our air, water, and food supplies. This legislation marks a key step forward to defending both our environment and our well-being.”
“Climate change is a very real problem that affects millions of Americans, from the growing health challenges they face to the care they receive,” said Congresswoman Barragán. “Yet, the Trump administration has undermined our federal agencies’ ability to protect our communities from climate change, especially as many of our underserved communities often fall through the cracks. That is why I am proud to co-lead this bill with Representative Matsui, which prioritizes public health and protects the environment by making sure that our agencies have the proper tools and resources they need to help combat climate change.”
“The Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act of 2025 would implement an evidence-based approach to protecting Americans from the health threats of hazards like extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and storms. Data shows these climate-related events are increasing in severity and frequency,” said Jenny Keroack, Director of Program Strategy & Management in Health Care Without Harm’s U.S. Climate Program. “As a civil servant who worked at the now-defunct HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, I was proud to help health care organizations support their patients and staff in the face of climate threats. We must redouble these efforts and use all of our public health tools to safeguard our communities from natural disasters and extreme weather.”
“The climate crisis is also a health crisis and requires a robust whole-of-government approach to combat it,” said Ranjani Prabhakar, Legislative Director, Healthy Communities at Earthjustice Action. “From extreme heat to intense natural disasters, climate change is causing and exacerbating negative health outcomes in communities across the country. We thank Senator Markey and Rep. Matsui for recognizing the critical link between climate and public health and obligating the government to act.”
Specifically, the Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act would:
Formally establish an Office of Climate Change and Health Equity within the Department of Health and Human Services.
Provide technical support to state and local health departments to develop preparedness plans and conduct community outreach.
Enhance modeling of environmental and disease data and expand research into the relationship between climate change and health.
Prioritize communities who have been disproportionately harmed by the climate crisis.
Improve monitoring of infectious diseases and environmental health indicators.
Develop a National Strategic Action Plan for climate and health.
Require health impact assessments to determine how current and proposed laws, policies, and programs would protect against the health impacts of climate change.
This legislation is endorsed by Health Care Without Harm, American College of Physicians, Center for Organizing, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Public Citizen, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Earthjustice, Climate Justice Alliance, and the International Transformational Resilience Coalition.
Senator Markey has introduced several pieces of legislation to address the intersecting climate and health crises, including the Green New Deal for Health Act, which he introduced with Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17) in 2023.
In July 2025, along with Representative Barragán, Senator Markey introduced a resolution recognizing climate change as a growing threat to public health and calling for a coordinated federal strategy to protect communities from worsening climate-fueled harms.
Last Congress, Senator Markey introduced the Protecting Moms and Babies against Climate Change Act with Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-04), the Preventing HEAT Illness and Deaths Act with Representative Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), and the Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act with Representatives Paul Tonko (NY-20) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01).
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Donald Norcross (1st District of New Jersey)
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01), co-chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus, joined Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35), AFGE President Dr. Everett B. Kelley, National Federation of Federal Employees President Randy Erwin, and IFPTE President Matthew Biggs to announce a discharge petition on the Protect America’s Workforce Act, forcing a vote on the House floor to overturn President Trump’s executive order that stripped collective bargaining rights away from over one million federal workers.
A discharge petition is a procedural tool that can be used to bypass House Republican leadership and force a vote on the Protect America’s Workforce Act. If 218 representatives sign on to the discharge petition, the bill will come to the House floor for a vote.
“I’ve spent my life fighting for workers’ rights, at the bargaining table, on the picket line, and now in Congress. President Trump’s executive order to strip federal workers of their collective bargaining rights is a clear union-busting tactic, plain and simple,” said Congressman Norcross, co-chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus and an IBEW member. “This week, I fought back against this illegal attack on workers by authoring an NDAA amendment to restore collective bargaining rights for defense workers, which passed with bipartisan support. Now, the Protect America’s Workforce Act discharge petition is our chance to ensure ALL federal employees have their collective bargaining rights restored.”
The Protect America’s Workforce Act, introduced by Representatives Jared Golden (ME-02) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), is a bipartisan effort to protect the collective bargaining rights of federal employees. The bill directly counters President Trump’s executive order issued on March 27, which eliminated collective bargaining rights for unionized federal employees, including the Department of Defense.
Earlier this week, Rep. Norcross introduced an amendment to the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to block Trump’s illegal attack on collective bargaining rights for Department of Defense (DoD) employees. The amendment passed out of committee, with three Republicans voting in favor of it.
Rep. Norcross, a co-founder of the Congressional Labor Caucus, is a union electrician by trade, a former union organizer, and was president of an AFL-CIO regional labor council for nearly two decades.
Task Force Will Combat Emerging Transnational Criminal Threats
HOUSTON—The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston Field Office and FBI Houston announced the establishment of a regional Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) on July 17 to combat emerging threats from transnational criminal organizations in Southeast Texas.
The task force was created as a regional component to the national Homeland Security Task Force established by the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice pursuant to an Executive Order issued by President Donald Trump on January 29, 2025, to protect the American people from invasion by transnational criminals.
The Houston HSTF’s objective is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations operating in Southeast Texas through a collaborative, whole-of-government approach. To accomplish this mission, the HSTF will conduct intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional investigations targeting drug trafficking, money laundering, weapons trafficking, human trafficking, alien smuggling, homicide, extortion, kidnapping, child exploitation, and other transnational crimes. The task force will work closely with state and local partners to identify, investigate, and eliminate violent criminal organizations and associates operating in communities throughout Southeast Texas.
“As transnational criminal organizations, foreign terrorist organizations, drug cartels, foreign gangs and other bad actors continue to evolve and become more sophisticated, it’s vital that we work together as a law enforcement community to find transformative ways to confront emerging threats,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “This is especially true in Southeast Texas where we face a myriad of unique border-related challenges and threats from transnational criminal organizations. By establishing this permanently integrated multi-agency task force with dedicated personnel from federal, state and local law enforcement working side-by-side with a common mission, we will be better postured to detect and respond to any type of threat we might face.”
“Foreign terror organizations who profit off violence, drugs, and human lives now face a united front unseen before in Houston,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “For the first time, law enforcement and intelligence agencies are focused on hunting down and eradicating transnational criminals within Houston communities. Federal, state, and local police will coordinate with the U.S. Intelligence Community and overseas partners to efficiently eliminate newly designated terrorists wreaking havoc in our neighborhoods.”
The Homeland Security Task Force will be headquartered in Houston and have a satellite office in Corpus Christi. The heads of HSI Houston and FBI Houston will co-lead the task force with input from a regional executive committee comprised of leaders from participating agencies. Task force personnel will include law enforcement agents, intelligence analysts, and professional staff.
Participating agencies will include the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigative Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Director, U.S. Attorneys from the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas, and other federal, state, and local partners.
For more news and information on the Houston Homeland Security Task Force follow @FBIHouston and @HSIHouston on X.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
“This bill gives a green light to the self-enriching crypto schemes we’ve seen where officials at the highest levels of power, including in the White House, have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in personal profit.”
“The American people deserve crypto legislation that is fair, transparent, and accountable—not a bill that opens the floodgates to conflicts of interest and weakens investor protections.”
Video (YouTube)
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) delivered a floor speech in which she assailed the CLARITY Act, harmful legislation that lacks consumer protections and would legalize Donald Trump’s crypto corruption and brazen abuse of power. In her remarks, Rep. Pressley condemned the bill as a green light for self-enriching crypto schemes and urged Congress to instead pass crypto legislation that is fair, transparent, and accountable.
A full transcript of her remarks is available below and the full video is available here.
Transcript: On House Floor, Pressley Assails CLARITY Act as Green Light for Corruption, Financial Abuse House of Representatives July 17, 2025
Thank you, Ranking Member Waters.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in vigorous opposition to the CLARITY Act.
This bill gives a green light to self-enriching crypto schemes where officials at the highest levels of power, including in the White House, have generated hundreds of billions of dollars in personal profit.
We need legislation that stops financial abuse, not encourages it, especially during a time when the SEC has dropped enforcement actions against major crypto firms and undermined investor safety.
Across our country, millions of working families are battling rising costs, our elders are targeted by financial scams, and investors are trying to recover from volatile markets, but Republicans are ignoring all of that to prioritize the crypto industry’s wish list.
To be clear: the people deserve crypto legislation that is fair, transparent, and accountable—not a bill that opens the floodgates to conflicts of interest and weakens investor protections.
The CLARITY Act fails that test.
Republicans’ need some clarity alright, moral and legislative.
I agree with Ranking Member Waters, this is really the CALAMITY Act and I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the launch of the Veterans Accommodations Toolkit, a resource aimed at increasing employment rates and participation in apprenticeship programs for disabled American veterans.
Released ahead of National Hire a Veteran Day and the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the toolkit supports the Trump Administration’s goals to combat the cost-of-living crisis and expand the number of Registered Apprenticeships to one million new active apprentices nationally.
Developed by the department’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service and the Office of Disability Employment Policy, the Veterans Accommodations Toolkit offers tips and strategies on ways to enhance workplace supports and accommodations designed to facilitate the recruitment, hiring, training, and retention of disabled American veterans in apprenticeship and other employment settings. The toolkit includes resources that not only help disabled veterans, but also benefit employers, apprenticeship sponsors, and workforce development specialists.
“Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much to secure our freedoms,” said Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “One of the most meaningful ways we can honor their service is by increasing employment opportunities for all veterans, including the disabled. By supporting our distinguished veterans through Registered Apprenticeships and other job opportunities, the Veterans Accommodations Toolkit will ensure they have every tool at their disposal to build valuable skills, earn a paycheck, and provide for themselves and their families.”
Currently, more than 5 million American veterans aged 18 or older have service-connected disabilities. Each year, roughly 200,000 service members – including approximately 22,000 who have some type of disability – transition to the private sector and many remain unemployed after transition. The employment rate for working-age veterans with disabilities is 43.5%, compared to 79.8% for nondisabled veterans. The toolkit aims to help close this employment gap and get skilled, capable Americans back into the workforce.
Learn more about the Veterans Accommodations Toolkit.
I would like to congratulate the House of Representatives on passing the GENIUS Act and commend the work both the House and Senate put into this important legislation. Advancement of this bill to President Trump’s desk marks a historic milestone for crypto entrepreneurs, financial market participants, and everyday Americans. I would like to thank Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill, Senator Cynthia Lummis, and my longtime friend Senator Bill Hagerty, who sponsored this legislation, for their leadership in advancing this much-needed legislation.
Blockchain and crypto asset technologies have the potential to revolutionize America’s financial infrastructure and deliver new efficiencies, cost reductions, transparency, and risk mitigation for the benefit of all Americans. Innovators experimenting with these exciting technologies deserve clear rules of the road, which the GENIUS Act provides for payment stablecoins. Over the coming months and years, I look forward to watching the market leverage the regulatory framework provided by the GENIUS Act to go to market with payment stablecoins solutions that make transactions quicker, cheaper, and safer—all while maintaining robust risk safeguards.
Financial innovation is critical for making the U.S. the best and most secure place in the world to invest and do business. This is an important step to spur innovation by providing the crypto industry with clear rules of the road. Today’s passage of the GENIUS Act sends a powerful message that this Administration is charting a new course. I look forward to continuing to work to make America—already the world’s leader in financial market innovation—the center of crypto asset innovation as well.
SACRAMENTO – As Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders continue to work on extending the state’s preeminent climate program – Cap-and-Invest – new reports out this week highlight how critical the program is to the state’s economic future, and how uncertainty is costing the state billions.
According to a study released by the Environmental Defense Fund and Greenline Insights, extending Cap-and-Invest, also known as Cap-and-Trade, through 2045 is “expected to generate 287,000 jobs, $55 billion in economic growth, and $232 million in net savings for households.” Extending the program is estimated to “raise a minimum of $47 billion for California Climate Investments.”
That builds on the program’s $28 billion already invested in the last 10 years – which has wiped out emissions equivalent to taking 80% of the state’s gas cars off the road.
This comes as another report released this week shows the need for extension this year. According to Clean and Prosperous California, the program has lost up to $3 billion in potential revenue in the past year due to poor auction results “caused by uncertainty over legislative extension.”
Clean and Prosperous California reports: “We expect California will continue losing between around $600 million and $1 billion in revenue from each quarterly auction until the California legislature reauthorizes the cap-and-trade program.”
As Governor Newsom, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, and Senate Pro Tempore Mike McGuire said in April announcing efforts to extend the program this year: “Cap-and-trade is a huge success and, working together, we’ll demonstrate real climate leadership that will attract investment and innovation to deliver the technologies of tomorrow, right here in California.”
Press releases, Recent news
Recent news
Jul 16, 2025
News What you need to know: With the Trump administration illegally terminating grant agreements funding California high-speed rail, Governor Newsom said the state is “putting all options on the table” to fight Trump’s action. SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom issued…
Jul 16, 2025
News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Jennifer Osborn, of Orangevale, has been appointed Director at the California Department of Industrial Relations. Osborn has been Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of…
Jul 16, 2025
News What you need to know: Governor Newsom visited local businesses in the Los Angeles area that have been impacted by the federal government’s indiscriminate immigration raids, called on Trump to end his deployment of soldiers, and shared new “know your rights”…
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)
July 17, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Today, Inland Empire Representatives Norma Torres and Pete Aguilar, joined by Reps. Raul Ruiz, Judy Chu, and Mark Takano, sent a letter demanding immediate action from the Department of Labor (DOL), Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to fully reopen the Inland Empire Job Corps Center in San Bernardino, California. The letter also calls on DOL to follow recent federal court orders to keep the Job Corps Centers open and for the Trump Administration to reverse its reckless May 29 announcement to shut down the Job Corps program, which provides at-risk youth career pathways in business and industry.
The Job Corps is a national program with over 120 centers across the country offering tuition-free education and job training to low-income youth ages 16-24. The center in San Bernardino has served the Inland Empire community for decades. On May 29, the Trump Administration started shutting down Job Corps Centers, forcing hundreds of students, many of whom live in the Inland Empire Job Corps Center, to leave the campus with just a few days’ notice and limited support.
Congress appropriated nearly $1.8 billion to Job Corps programs in Fiscal Year 2024, with funding continuing at that same level in Fiscal Year 2025. The Trump Administration’s decision to shut down the program contradicts its own stated goals of putting American workers first and will take away opportunities for young people in the Inland Empire, especially at a time when many industries, such as construction and manufacturing, are facing labor shortages.
“As Members of the Inland Empire Congressional Delegation, we express our extreme concerns regarding your announcement to implement a nationwide “phased pause” in the Job Corps program. This led to the abrupt changes for the Inland Empire Job Corps Center at 3173 Kerry St. in San Bernardino that serves our communities, forcing more than 120 students to leave,” said the members. “The Job Corps program has, for over 50 years, offered tuition-free education for low-income young people ages 16 through 24 to help complete their high school education, train them for good-paying careers, and help them get jobs. As such, we demand you strictly follow the federal court’s June 4, 2025, temporary restraining order and June 25, 2025, preliminary injunction.”
“The Job Corps program currently serves around 25,000 young Americans nationwide, offering them a lifeline and the opportunity to learn critical vocational and technical job skills to enter the workforce. Since 2023, more than 6,200 Californians have enrolled in Job Corps, with more than 2,400 of them coming from the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles. Until the abrupt and chaotic changes, the Inland Empire Job Corps Center served 340 students, teaching them much-needed skills to work in careers and trades industries, such as automotive, construction, homeland security, manufacturing, transportation, health care.”
“We demand that DOL take swift action to reopen the Inland Empire Job Corps Center and allow students to return and resume their program. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to a prompt response,” the members continued.
Representatives Torres and Aguilar are committed to working with local partners to protect the futures of Job Corps students and the economic health of the Inland Empire.
This briefing assesses the economic, financial, and monetary implications of the tariffs announced by the Trump administration for the EU. Starting with an overview of US measures and EU countermeasures, it analyses the impact on the EU economy across sectors and member states, explains monetary policy challenges for the ECB, and discusses strategic options for European policymakers. As the situation evolves rapidly, the assessment provided in this briefing reflects information available as of 15 July 2025, with updates to follow as developments unfold.
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
***WATCH: Senator Murray’sopening remarks***
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered the following opening remarks as the committee meets to consider the draft fiscal year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies and Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations acts.
Senator Murray’s opening remarks, as delivered, are below:
“Thank you very much, Chair Collins.
“We are here to resume consideration of the CJS bill and to take up the MilCon-VA bill—and I do want to thank our MilCon-VA subcommittee leaders, Senator Boozman, and Senator Ossoff for all of your hard work.
“It is a good thing that by working together, we were able to put together a solid bill that invests in folks back home. This is the way the process should work: Senators coming together and finding common ground on common sense investments.
“ButI do have to acknowledge the elephant in the room here. It is no secret the path to advancing more of our bills is going to be harder because of the unprecedented, partisan rescissions bill that Republicans just passed.
“It is extremely frustrating to see so many of the colleagues that have worked with us to pass funding bills turn around and vote to rip away the funding that we all agreed on.
“I have never seen anything like it because the Senate has never done anything like it. We have never—until now—passed a purely partisan rescissions bill. It is a dangerous new precedent. And it poses some hard questions my colleagues across the aisle need to start answering. Because Russ Vought has not been subtle: round two of these partisan cuts are on their way soon. He said that this morning.
“So, what do my colleagues want to do? Do they want to turn this into the Rescissions Committee? Because that is one path we could end up going down, and as of now we are one big, alarming step down it.
“It is not the path I want go down. I want to see us turn back to what has historically made this Committee so powerful—and so worth being on—in the first place. Which is working together to advance bills that deliver for our constituents and get signed into law. And it is unfortunate that many members of this body have voted to make that a whole lot harder. That is the reality—and there is no ignoring it.
“Now, I do believe our work here is as important as ever: writing bills that make the voice of the Senate, and the voices of our constituents heard, instead of letting Donald Trump and Russ Vought make the decisions with a forever CR. There is no doubt in my mind the bills that we negotiate—together—will be far preferable to the partisan House bills that cut like there’s no tomorrow or another slush fund CR.
“We have already seen this President abuse the power from the last CR to ignore our bipartisan decisions, spend taxpayer dollars as he sees fit, and rob money from blue states—exactly as I warned about. We’ve already learned that lesson the hard way. We cannot throw in that towel again and let OMB hold up funding for our states or zero out projects we secured for folks back home. That’s part of why bipartisan bills are so important. But everyone has to understand, getting to the finish line always depends on our ability to work together in a bipartisan way. And it also depends on trust—trust.
“And as I warned on the floor, bipartisanship doesn’t end with any one line being crossed, it erodes over time—bit by bit. And frankly, I am alarmed by how quickly that erosion is happening right now, over the last six months, and certainly over the last 24 hours.
“We are racing in the wrong direction, and it is really on my colleagues across the aisle to decide if they are going to hit the brakes or go over the cliff. The question of whether forging a bipartisan path is hopeless or not will depend very much on whether this Committee is able to lock arms, and whether our colleagues will defend bipartisan deals from a budget chief who believes quite plainly that Congress—and appropriators—should have as little say as possible on federal spending.
“I appreciate that two Republican members of this Committee ultimately took a principled stand against the partisan rescissions package, I really hope that more will join us in standing up for our power of the purse.
“Now, turning back to the bills before us today—the MilCon-VA bill is one that I care very deeply about. As the daughter of a World War II veteran, the programs we fund in our MilCon-VA bill are very personal to me.
“Doing right by our vets, getting them the care they need and the support they were promised, is a moral obligation. I’ll have more to say as we debate the bill—including areas I’d like to have done more.
“But the bottom line is—it delivers the funding needed to support safe and updated infrastructure for our troops and their families and to keep our word to our veterans.
“As the Chairman noted, we will also take up the CJS bill. I spoke last week about the serious concerns I share with Senator Van Hollen. And it is frustrating that after a bipartisan amendment was taken up, instead of advancing the bill, we recessed and are only now taking it back up with consideration of a partisan amendment.
“My hope is that we can ensure the integrity of the process for the FBI site, and it’s protected along with the prerogatives of this committee. I am prepared to see what happens as this bill moves forward but will probably vote no if it does not get addressed.
“With that, I will turn it back over to Chair Collins.”
Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today released the following statement after voting to pass President Trump’s rescissions request to cut $9 billion in wasteful spending found by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“Living within your budget means making some hard, and not so hard, decisions,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This is a long overdue step towards addressing America’s spending problem.”
Cassidy has continuously pushed for defunding NPR.
Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today released photos with President Trump during the signing of his Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act, which gives law enforcement another tool by permanently scheduling fentanyl-related substances (FRS) as Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act.
“Proud to work alongside President Trump to take this historic step against the scourge of fentanyl. Together, we will make America fentanyl-free!” said Dr. Cassidy.
During the event, President Trump thanked Cassidy for his effort to pass the bill. Cassidy released a statement immediately following the bill signing yesterday.
Click here to download photos from the meeting.
Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
Washington – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) issued the following statement after the passing of the rescissions package.
“The American people gave us a mandate to eliminate wasteful spending and address our $37 trillion national debt. Early this morning, the Senate voted to pass the first rescissions package, cutting $9 billion in waste, fraud, and abuse,”said Senator Marshall. “Kansans’ taxpayer dollars deserve careful stewardship and efficient use—this is another promise made, promise kept by President Trump. Delivering significant savings that the American people voted for.”
By the Trump Administration’s own estimates, the rule will cause up to 1.8 million people to lose their health insurance
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led with the attorneys general of Massachusetts and New Jersey, a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit challenging an unlawful final rule promulgated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would create significant barriers to obtaining healthcare under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Trump Administration’s final rule would make numerous amendments to rules governing federal and state health insurance marketplaces which the administration estimates will cause up to 1.8 million people to lose their health insurance, while causing millions more to pay increased insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs like copays and deductibles. The final rule also excludes coverage of gender-affirming care as an essential health benefit (EHB) under the ACA. In the lawsuit, the attorneys general argue that the HHS and CMS rule is arbitrary and capricious, contrary to law, and violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The coalition is also seeking preliminary relief, and a stay, to prevent the challenged portions of the final rule from taking effect in the Plaintiff States before the August 25 effective date.
“Far from delivering on their promises to drive down costs and ‘make America healthier’ the Trump Administration’s HHS and CMS are doing their best to make it harder and more expensive for Americans to obtain health insurance and access care,” said Attorney General Bonta. “These sweeping changes would impose onerous verification requirements, junk health insurance premiums for some consumers, shorten enrollment periods in federal and state healthcare exchanges like Covered California, deprive up to 1.8 million Americans of health insurance, drive up out-of-pocket healthcare costs and so much more. It’s unlawful and it’s wrong – we’re meeting the Trump Administration in court to defend Americans’ healthcare coverage.”
Congress enacted the ACA in 2010 to increase the number of Americans with health insurance and decrease the cost of healthcare. Fifteen years later, the Act continues to meet its goals, with annual enrollment on the ACA marketplace doubling over the past five years, resulting in over 24 million people signing up for health insurance coverage in plan year 2025 on the ACA exchanges and receiving subsidies to make such coverage affordable, including millions of people in the Plaintiff States. Now, with less than four months until open enrollment for plan year 2026 begins, the Trump Administration’s final rule would abruptly reverse that trend, erecting a series of new barriers to enrollment that will deprive up to 1.8 million people of insurance coverage by the Administration’s own estimates, and significantly drive up the costs incurred by Plaintiff States in providing healthcare, including increasing state expenditures on Medicaid, uncompensated emergency care, and funding other services provided to newly uninsured residents.
California has approximately two million ACA plan enrollees, the third highest of any state. The final rule by HHS would make substantial changes to the operation of the ACA marketplaces, including adding new bureaucratic barriers, imposing an automatic monthly charge on all automatically reenrolled consumers who qualify for $0 premiums, shortening the open enrollment period for signing up for health coverage, and making other changes which will make coverage less affordable for millions of individuals nationwide. The final rule would also exclude gender-affirming care as an EHB on federal exchange plans, leaving states responsible for paying for the portion of insurance premiums attributable to any such coverage (but the availability of such care in California would not be impacted).
In the lawsuit, the attorneys general argue that the HHS and CMS rule is unlawful, arbitrary and capricious, and would cause significant harm to states and their residents. All of the challenged marketplace changes implemented by the final rule will be harmful to individual consumers and state and local governments. The final rule imposes burdensome and costly paperwork requirements, limits the opportunities to sign up for health coverage, substantially increases cost-sharing limits, and forces exchanges and consumers to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to prove eligibility for coverage and subsidies. These changes will result in direct and immediate costs to States as well as harms tied to decreased enrollment.
In filing the lawsuit, California Attorney General Bonta, Massachusetts Attorney General Campbell, and New Jersey Attorney General Platkin are joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
A copy of the complaint and motion for preliminary injunction will be made available here and here.
Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, during his weekly press call with Nebraska media, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) discussed the One Big Beautiful Bill and his work to protect America.
Watch the video here.
“Lasting prosperity depends on lasting security,” said Ricketts. “No nation can thrive without secure borders and a strong military. The One Big Beautiful Bill is the strongest national security and border security package in American history. This bill protects the good life in Nebraska.”
TRANSCRIPT:
Senator Ricketts: “Thank you for joining our press call today.
“Lasting prosperity depends on lasting security.
“No nation can thrive without secure borders and a strong military.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill is the strongest national security and border security package in American history.
“This bill protects the good life in Nebraska.
“Under the Biden Administration every state was a border state.
“Illegal immigration has real consequences for every state, including Nebraska.
“We have seen the flow of fentanyl, the rise of human trafficking, and its terrible consequences on Nebraskans.
“We have lost young lives like Taryn Lee Griffith.
“This bill gives law enforcement the tools to fight back and protect our communities while restoring the rule of law.
“Nebraska families deserve a federal government that secures our border and enforces the law.
“President Biden oversaw 10.5 million illegal border encounters.
“We are still seeing the effects of the Biden Border Crisis in Nebraska.
“Just last week, authorities arrested two members of the violent MS-13 gang in Omaha.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill responds with a historic investment in border security.
“It includes $46.5 billion to complete the border wall system, including roads, fiber, sensors, and cameras.
“It provides $10 billion in grants to reimburse states for the costs of Biden’s federal failure.
“Another $6.1 billion goes to cutting-edge surveillance tools that will give Border Patrol agents better eyes on the ground.
“The bill also creates jobs by providing funding for the hiring of 16,000 new immigration and customs agents while expanding detention capacity to end catch-and-release.
“The security threats we face do not stop at our borders, we must also deter foreign adversaries and threats.
“Nebraska’s airmen, missile programs, and military bases help defend our country every day.
“We are proud to host key parts of America’s defense infrastructure, and we understand the importance of peace through strength.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill includes over a $150 billion dollar in investment in America’s defense, making it clear to Communist China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea that we will meet any threats with force and resolve.
“It strengthens the Defense Production Act, so our military supply chains remain resilient and ready for any challenge.
“It includes $25 billion for the Golden Dome, a layered missile defense shield that will protect Americans from evolving threats.
“It provides $29 billion for shipbuilding and expanding the maritime industrial base, that includes funds for a Virginia-class submarine, two destroyers, new oilers, and unmanned surface vehicles.
“Our Coast Guard will be bolstered, to be able to counter drug and human trafficking as well as deter adversaries in the Arctic.
“This is through funding for 17 new icebreakers, 21 new cutters, and more than 40 helicopters and 6 new planes.
“There’s funding for the advanced X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, developing the B-21 bomber fleet, ramping up munitions production, and applying artificial intelligence to the battlefield.
“Through these investments, we are demonstrating peace through strength.
“The bill also helps reverse dangerous recruitment trends in our military.
“Under President Trump, we are seeing record-breaking recruitment numbers.
“We are renewing the warrior spirit.
“That is good news for America’s readiness and morale.
“It’s bad news for America’s adversaries.
“For Nebraska, the bill brings real investment.
“It includes $2.5 billion for risk reduction activities tied to the Sentinel ICBM program, which will be partly based in Western Nebraska.
“It also includes $168 million to accelerate production of the Survivable Airborne Operations Center, also known as SAOC, at Offutt Air Force Base.
“These investments will mean more jobs, more innovation, and a stronger defense posture right here in Nebraska.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill keeps America secure and protects Nebraskans.
“It honors the brave women and men who serve in uniform, defend our borders, and operate from bases across the state.
“As President Trump responds to rising global threats and reverses Biden’s open border policies, this bill gives our nation the resources to act.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill protects Nebraska and protects America.”
Headline: Secretary Noem to Host Press Conference Exposing “Worst of the Worst” Criminal Illegal Aliens in Tennessee
Secretary Noem to Host Press Conference Exposing “Worst of the Worst” Criminal Illegal Aliens in Tennessee aunica.brockel
On Friday, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will host a press conference in Nashville, Tennessee at 11am EDT (10am CDT) exposing the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens arrested by the Department under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership in the Volunteer State.
CARNEGIE, PA – Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) sent aletterto the U.S. Department of Education and the Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget demanding that they reverse their decision to illegally withhold nearly $7 billion dollars of funding for K-12 schools and adult education from states and local school districts around the country. In the letter, Congressman Deluzio joins 149 of his fellow lawmakers in insisting that the funding be immediately released after hearing intense concern from over a dozen school districts in Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District.
“This unnecessary delay of education funding, which accounts for at least 10 percent of federal K-12 funding in every state, is alarming parents, local elected officials, and education agencies. It is disrupting school and district planning, jeopardizing the education of millions of students, and is already resulting in layoffs as well as program delays and cancellations, write the Members of Congress in their letter to Administration officials. “There is no legitimate reason why any review of these programs should prevent the Administration from fulfilling its responsibility to the American people on time. No more excuses – follow the law and release the funding meant for our schools, teachers, and families.”
The Trump Administration’s actions here are threatening to take away $230 million from Pennsylvania’s schools. This week,Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro joined a multistate lawsuit challenging the Administration’s unlawful withholding of funds from the Commonwealth’s kids and schools.
The full letter is availablehereand is copied below:
LETTER TEXT
July 10, 2025
The Honorable Linda McMahon Secretary of Education United States Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20002
The Honorable Russell Vought Director Office of Management and Budget Executive Office of the President 725 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20503
Secretary McMahon and Director Vought,
We write to request more information about your decision to illegally withhold nearly $7 billion dollars of funding for K-12 schools and adult education from states and local school districts around the country and to insist that this funding be immediately released. Without these funds, schools are facing difficult and unnecessary decisions on programs for students and teachers.
On June 30, 2025, just one day before these funds become available for obligation, the Department notified states that they would not receive these funds by July 1 and that “[g]iven the change in Administrations, the Department is reviewing the FY 2025 funding … and decisions have not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming academic year.” This late-breaking decision, which provided no timeline for which states can expect a final decision, is leaving states financially vulnerable and forcing many to make last minute decisions about how to proceed with K12 education in this upcoming school year. The education funding withheld by the Administration reflects resources provided by Congress that are designed to help schools with a variety of issues, including student learning and achievement, after-school programs, and teacher training. Additionally, education funding provided by Congress to help with adult education and literacy is also being withheld.2
This unnecessary delay of education funding, which accounts for at least 10 percent of federal K-12 funding in every state, is alarming parents, local elected officials, and education agencies. It is disrupting school and district planning, jeopardizing the education of millions of students, and is already resulting in layoffs as well as program delays and cancellations.3 Further, it is causing concern to adult education programs that are faced with similar decisions without immediate access to expected funding.
Accordingly, please provide responses to the following questions no later than July 15, 2025.
When will the Administration finish its review and release the funding provided by Congress to states to use for the school year beginning next month?
Has the Administration done any outreach or offered any sort of support for state and local education agencies to assist them and their partners in navigating this period of uncertainty?
If the Administration knew it wanted to review these funds, why didn’t this review start earlier in the year? Was the review or the timely release of funds affected by the lack of staff at the Department, which is a direct result of the reductions in force (RIFs) executed by the Administration?
There is no legitimate reason why any review of these programs should prevent the Administration from fulfilling its responsibility to the American people on time. No more excuses – follow the law and release the funding meant for our schools, teachers, and families.
We look forward to hearing from you and seeing these dollars allocated immediately.
Sincerely,
(signatories)
1. Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I-C, 20 U.S.C. 6391 et seq., Title II-A, 20 U.S.C. 6611 et seq., Title III-A, 20 U.S.C. 6812 et seq., Title IV-A, 20 U.S.C. 7111 et seq., Title IV-B, 20 U.S.C. 7171 et seq.;https://www.npr.org/2025/07/01/nx-s1-5453457/trump-school-funding-grants
2. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Title II, 29 U.S.C. 3271 et seq
3.States Face Uncertainty as an Estimated $6.2 Billion in K–12 Funding Remains Unreleased: Here’s the Fiscal Impact by State | Learning Policy Institute
Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
Ahead of Final Passage, Peters Delivered Speech on Senate Floor to Voice His Opposition to the Bill
WASHINGTON,DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after Senate Republicans passed a bill to cut more than $9 billion in funding Congress previously approved on a bipartisan basis to support local public media and U.S. security interests around the globe:
“Republicans just gutted funding for local public TV and radio stations across our country that provide invaluable services to the American people, including emergency alerts that help keep folks safe and informed during disasters. When catastrophic ice storms swept through Northern Michigan earlier this year, local radio stations literally saved lives by broadcasting emergency warnings after commercial towers went down. Those services and more are now at risk.
“The bill Republicans just passed also guts funding for programs that play a key role in maintaining U.S. leadership and protecting our national security interests around the globe. These initiatives also help stimulate local businesses and economies here at home. Much of that support is now gone.
“But the real issue at hand is that Republicans just showed how quickly they will roll over for President Trump, and bypass the bipartisan funding laws that many of them voted for, even if it harms their constituents. I voted against these reckless cuts because Congress, not the President, passes the laws to determine where our federal resources go.”
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
July 17, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) yesterday met with leaders and members from the Illinois Corn Growers and the Illinois Soybean Producers to discuss their shared priorities to grow Illinois’s agriculture industry and support our farmers. Duckworth and the members discussed the importance of supporting our family farmers by expanding the biofuels market, increasing agricultural exports and improving farm safety net programs as Donald Trump continues to threaten critical federal agricultural programs. Photos from yesterday’s meeting with the Illinois Corn Growers can be found on the Senator’s website. Photos from yesterday’s meeting with the Illinois Soybean Producers can be found on the Senator’s website.
“America has always depended on our nation’s farmers to grow the food and fuel we need, and I’m proud to advocate for them on both the national and international stage,” Duckworth said. “The work of Illinois’s farmers is so important to the strength of our state and our nation, and I will continue to do everything I can to support the Illinois Corn Growers, the Illinois Soybean Association and our farmers across the state at the federal level.”
In the Senate, Duckworth has been a leader in supporting biofuels, including expansion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and permanent authority to use E15 fuel year-round. Duckworth, the founding co-chair of the Senate Sustainable Aviation Fuel Caucus, helped introduce the bipartisan Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025, theConsumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act and the bipartisan Next Generations Fuel Act to allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. Duckworth additionally helped introduce the bipartisan Home Front Energy Independence Act to ban Russian oil and expand use and production of biofuel that’s grown in the American heartland, while providing American families with a less expensive option to fuel their vehicles. Previously, she introduced the SAF Accuracy Act and helped introduce the Farm to Fly Act and to help accelerate the production and development of SAF.
As a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Duckworth has been an advocate for Illinois agriculture across the globe and helped secure significant wins for Illinois and American agriculture. After Duckworth’s visit in 2023, Japan announced a regulatory change that will lead to an increase in imports from U.S. biofuel producers, supporting our farmers and growing Illinois’s economy, and following a prior trip to Taiwan in 2022, she helped secure a commitment from Taiwan to purchase an estimated $2.6 billion of our Illinois’s corn and soybeans.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
July 17, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) yesterday met with leaders and members from the Illinois Corn Growers and the Illinois Soybean Producers to discuss their shared priorities to grow Illinois’s agriculture industry and support our farmers. Duckworth and the members discussed the importance of supporting our family farmers by expanding the biofuels market, increasing agricultural exports and improving farm safety net programs as Donald Trump continues to threaten critical federal agricultural programs. Photos from yesterday’s meeting with the Illinois Corn Growers can be found on the Senator’s website. Photos from yesterday’s meeting with the Illinois Soybean Producers can be found on the Senator’s website.
“America has always depended on our nation’s farmers to grow the food and fuel we need, and I’m proud to advocate for them on both the national and international stage,” Duckworth said. “The work of Illinois’s farmers is so important to the strength of our state and our nation, and I will continue to do everything I can to support the Illinois Corn Growers, the Illinois Soybean Association and our farmers across the state at the federal level.”
In the Senate, Duckworth has been a leader in supporting biofuels, including expansion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and permanent authority to use E15 fuel year-round. Duckworth, the founding co-chair of the Senate Sustainable Aviation Fuel Caucus, helped introduce the bipartisan Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025, theConsumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act and the bipartisan Next Generations Fuel Act to allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. Duckworth additionally helped introduce the bipartisan Home Front Energy Independence Act to ban Russian oil and expand use and production of biofuel that’s grown in the American heartland, while providing American families with a less expensive option to fuel their vehicles. Previously, she introduced the SAF Accuracy Act and helped introduce the Farm to Fly Act and to help accelerate the production and development of SAF.
As a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Duckworth has been an advocate for Illinois agriculture across the globe and helped secure significant wins for Illinois and American agriculture. After Duckworth’s visit in 2023, Japan announced a regulatory change that will lead to an increase in imports from U.S. biofuel producers, supporting our farmers and growing Illinois’s economy, and following a prior trip to Taiwan in 2022, she helped secure a commitment from Taiwan to purchase an estimated $2.6 billion of our Illinois’s corn and soybeans.
Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) released the following statement today on the Senate’s passage of nearly $10 billion in federal spending cuts through President Trump’s rescission package.
“U.S. tax dollars should not subsidize radical programs and organizations that undermine American values. This $9 billion rescissions package cuts woke and excessive funding to ensure the responsible use of Americans’ tax dollars,” said Risch. “The fight to root out waste is not over. Congress must take a close look at our bloated federal spending habits, and like hardworking Idahoans, learn to live within its means.”
Senator Risch has repeatedly introduced legislation to rein in federal spending and require Congress to pass a balanced budget.
One of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, Shas, has announced it will resign from prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The party said its decision was made due to the government’s failure to pass a bill exempting ultra-Orthodox students from military service.
Its exit increases the political pressure on Netanyahu. Days earlier, six members of another ultra-Orthodox coalition partner, the United Torah Judaism party, also quit the government citing the same concerns. The moves leave Netanyahu with a minority in parliament, which will make it difficult for his government to function.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid says the government now “has no authority”, and has called for a new round of elections. But even before these developments, Netanyahu was reportedly considering calling an early election in a bid to remain in power despite his unpopularity.
To win another term he would, in my view, have to spin a narrative of victory on three fronts: securing the release of the hostages, defeating Hamas and delivering regional security. It is a tall order.
In his visit to Washington in early July, Netanyahu emphasised his pursuit of a ceasefire in Gaza that facilitates the return of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Israelis have grown increasingly weary of the war, with recent surveys showing popular support for ending it if this brings back those still held captive. A ceasefire that sees hostages released would probably help Netanyahu generate support during an election campaign.
But Netanyahu has insisted that, while he wants to reach a hostage-ceasefire deal, he will not agree to one “at any price”. This indicates not only Israel’s refusal to compromise on security but also that any deal Netanyahu does make – whether or not it sees the release of all the hostages – will be presented as a victory to Israeli voters.
To provide the electorate with further hope of an end to the fighting, Netanyahu will also have to claim that the military campaign in Gaza is nearing its goals. Senior military officials stated recently that they have “almost fully achieved” their objectives – namely, defeating Hamas.
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Netanyahu has, so far, prolonged the war to remain in power. But he will now need to spin the military campaign as a victory if he wants to win votes. This will be especially hard as critics like Yitzhak Brik, a retired Israeli general, claim that the number of Hamas fighters is now back to its pre-war level.
The hard-right members of Netanyahu’s government add another dimension to this equation. His two ultranationalist coalition partners, Jewish Power and Religious Zionism, oppose ending the war entirely. They insist on fighting Hamas to the finish.
Netanyahu will most likely want to keep his options open during an election campaign to then form a coalition with whatever he can pull together at the time. He may calculate that a short-term pause in fighting to free hostages can be spun as a victory to win votes, after which military operations could resume to appease hardliners if he needs them.
A final part of Netanyahu’s electoral strategy will be to push the message that he has delivered regional security. He has declared the war with Iran in June a success, saying “we sent Iran’s nuclear program down the drain”.
And Israel has also continued its campaign of strikes to assert its military dominance in the region, the latest in Syria and Lebanon.
Slim peace prospects
Observers warn that Netanyahu’s approach is about political survival, and will come at the expense of long-term peace prospects for Israelis and Palestinians. According to New York Times, he seems to be “kicking the Palestinian issue once again down the road”.
Indeed, part of Netanyahu’s mooted strategy for claiming victory in Gaza involves supporting a constrained political outcome for the Palestinians that ends the fighting without Israel conceding on core issues.
In this scenario, the Gaza Strip would be carved up and demilitarised under prolonged Israeli security oversight. Some areas would be annexed by Israel. Remaining parts of Gaza, along with fragments of the West Bank, would be handed over to an interim authority to create the appearance of a nascent Palestinian state.
The goal would be to declare that Israel has facilitated Palestinian statehood – but strictly on Israel’s terms – while eliminating Hamas’s rule in Gaza. The reality would probably be a designed chaos to force as many Palestinians as possible to leave.
Such a state, lacking full sovereignty and territorial continuity, would fall far short of the independent state that Palestinians seek. Crucially, this imposed outcome would also bypass substantive negotiation of issues like borders, refugees and Jerusalem, which both Israel and Palestine claim as their capital.
Palestinian leaders would almost certainly reject a curtailed state. And if they did not then ordinary Palestinians – reeling from the war’s devastation – are unlikely to view it as a just peace. A new cycle of violence would probably begin and the Palestinian population will have been heavily concentrated into restricted spaces that would be wide open to Israeli bombardment.
As Netanyahu weighs pulling the election trigger, he is effectively writing the next chapter of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The outcome of this manoeuvring is highly uncertain.
If his three-pronged victory narrative convinces Israeli voters, he could return to power with a fresh mandate and perhaps a retooled coalition. He might seek a broader unity government after an election, sidelining his most hardline partners in favour of centrist voices to navigate post-war diplomacy.
But if the public deems his victories hollow or indeed false, an election could sweep him out of office. This would open the door for opposition leaders who may take a different approach to Gaza and the Palestinians.
Brian Brivati is executive director of the Britain Palestine Project. He is writing this article in a personal capacity.
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You know when the Kremlin is worried about something – it starts talking about nuclear weapons. And so it was, just two days after Donald Trump revealed he had decided to lift his administration’s pause on the supply of US-made weapons to Ukraine, that Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, raised Russia’s nuclear doctrine. In response to a handy question from a friendly reporter as to whether Russia’s nuclear doctrine was still active, Peskov said: “Russia’s nuclear doctrine remains in effect, and thus, all its provisions continue to apply.”
By saying “all its provisions”, he was emphasising the changes made in December last year which significantly lowered the bar for Russia to use its nuclear deterrent. It states that Russia “reserves the right to employ nuclear weapons” in response to nuclear weapons or “other types of weapons of mass destruction” against itself or its allies.
Whether Putin and his team consider the sorts of weapons the US is prepared to allow Ukraine to use against Russia as weapons of mass destruction is not clear as yet. The US president specifically said that a fresh supply of Patriot systems was already en route to Ukraine from Germany. But he also hinted that other more offensive weapons could also be in the mix. And in a July 4 phone call he is reported to have asked the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, whether he could hit Moscow or St Petersburg, to which Zelensky replied: “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.”
Trump is reported to have gone on to say that it was important to “make [Russians] feel the pain”.
At the beginning of the week, the US president was also keen for Russia to feel the economic pain of indirect sanctions, with 100% tariffs promised against any country buying Russia’s oil. Could this be a turning point?
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Interesting question, says David Dunn. Dunn, professor of international relations at the University of Birmingham, says Trump’s decision – if he follows through with it – pretty much brings the US back in line with its policy under the Biden administration. Particularly now that Trump appears to have ruled out, for the time being, allowing Ukraine to use long-range offensive missiles against targets in Moscow.
As Dunn points out, there’s no sense that Trump has changed his overall tack on what he is looking for from Putin: a ceasefire, rather than, as Biden repeatedly insisted, a settlement that respects Ukrainian sovereignty and restores the land occupied illegally by Russian troops.
Meanwhile the economic pain he promised to inflict on Russia has been scheduled to begin in 50 days. This – as many commentators have been quick to point out – has irresistible echoes of his off-again, on-again tariff regime. So will these sanctions actually happen?
The Russian stock market certainly wasn’t that worried. Shortly after trump made his announcement, the Moscow stock exchange increased by 2.7% and the rouble strengthened. Oil markets also appear to have relaxed, suggesting traders see no imminent risks. Maybe this is another case of “Taco” (Trump always chickens out)?
Patrick O’Shea, an international relations and global governance specialist at the University of Glasgow, believes that the markets’ reaction is more than just indifference to what Trump was threatening. It was relief.
“Trump’s threat isn’t just non-credible, the positive market reaction in Russia suggests it is a gift for Moscow,” O’Shea writes. “The 50-day ultimatum is seen not as a deadline but as a reprieve, meaning nearly two months of guaranteed inaction from the US.”
What has not been widely reported in the UK is that a bipartisan bill making its way through the US congress would have been far more punitive that anything Trump is threatening. Now this has been paused pending Trump’s initiative in 50 days’ time.
Back in Europe, meanwhile, Ukraine’s allies got together in Rome last weekend to discuss what will be needed to rebuild the war-torn country and how to raise the necessary funds. Stefan Wolff was watching proceedings and believes that while countries in the “coalition of the willing” are ready to open their coffers to help Ukraine get back on its feet, the funds so far pledged will not touch the sides.
Ukraine’s allies at the conference have pledged more than €10 billion (£8.7 billion). But, Wolff – an expert in international relations at the University of Birmingham who has contributed regular analysis of the war in Ukraine – points out that this sum looks minuscule alongside the World Bank’s latest assessment that Ukraine will need at least US$524 billion (£388 billion) over the next decade to fund its recovery.
There have been some fairly upbeat forecasts about Ukraine’s potential for growth. The IMF forecasts growth for Ukraine of between 2% and 3% for 2025, which is likely to grow to over 4% in 2026 and 2027. But it cautions that this will not happen without considerable overseas support. And an end to the war. Neither is certain anytime soon.
To Washington, where the US president is having what would probably count as the worst week of his second administration so far. Large sections of his faithful Maga base are in almost open revolt at his seeming reluctance to release what have become known as the “Epstein files”. You may remember he littered his election campaign last year with dark hints about the revelations the files must surely contain about the possible involvement of the rich and powerful in child-sex exploitation. But this week he essentially said it was old news, which was “pretty boring”, adding that “I think, really, only pretty bad people, including fake news, want to keep something like that going.”
This is not only at odds with what he spent much of 2024 saying. It also flies in the face of what his own attorney general, Pam Bondi, said in February when she said Epstein’s client list was “sitting on [her] desk right now to review”. Now of course, the justice department says there is no list. This is not what much of his base wants to hear.
Rob Dover, an intelligence specialist at the University of Hull who has researched conspiracy theories and the people who obsess about them, says this is a dangerous moment for the Trump presidency. He points to Maga unrest over Trump’s decision to bomb Iran and to resume military aid to Ukraine, both of which appear to contradict his pledge to keep the US out of foreign conflicts. Trump’s “big beautiful bill”, which has cut medicaid and other benefits to the poorest people in the US, will also inflict hurt on many is his base. Even his recent musing that he agrees with his health secretary’s questionable assertion that Coca-Cola should be made with sugar cane not corn syrup to “make America healthy again” is sure to anger corn farmers in the Midwest, another core Trump constituency.
“Maga is not a uniform group in belief or action. But if Trump loses either the loyalty of some or they refuse to flex their beliefs as they have done before, it will be politically dangerous for him,” Dover concludes.
I had the great good fortune to visit Sarajevo in December last year where I spent a few days exploring, taking a walking tour of the old town and a wider tour of the whole city which took us across the notional border with the Republika Srpska, one of the two main constituent parts of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The country was created by the Dayton accord, bringing an end to the ethnic conflict in the mid-1990s that saw whole populations displaced as ethnic Serbs and Croats sought to create new pure mini-states by expelling mainly Muslim Bosniaks.
When visiting, I felt a pervading sense that the two parts of the new country sit uncomfortably next to each other – and in recent months the friction has intensified considerably. Birte Julia Gippert of the University of Liverpool, who has researched extensively the conflict in the Balkans and the attempts to bring peace to the region, explains how the situation has become so tense.
Conflict in Syria escalated again this week, with Israeli warplanes launching airstrikes against government buildings in Damascus this week. A Netanyahu government minister, Amichai Chikli, referred to Syria’s leader, Ahmed al-Shara, as “a terrorist, a barbaric murderer who should be eliminated without delay”.
Mixed up in all this is sectarian fighting in southern Syria was has been going on sporadically since al-Shara took power at the end of last year. But, as Ali Mamouri of Deakin University explains, Israel wants to see the emergence of a federal Syria, which the new regime has ruled out. It also want to retain influence in the region and secure its northern border with Syria.
While a ceasefire is in place for now, Mamouri sees the situation as extremely fragile with further clashes “not only possible but highly probable”.
Agents Often Take DNA Without Explanation, Including from Thousands of Children; DNA Surveillance Targets Immigrant Communities and Resembles Authoritarian Government Practices
Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., slammed the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice for massively expanding the DNA collection of immigrant children and adults to permanently store in a national criminal database that could be weaponized by the Trump administration.
Wyden demanded answers from the Trump administration, which has failed to explain why it has vastly expanded DNA collection from immigrants by 5000%. Department of Homeland Security agents fail to clearly notify immigrants their DNA is being taken, fail to follow the department’s own policies, and often threaten individuals with arrest or criminal charges if they refuse to give their DNA, according to reports.
“Governments exercising such broad discretion to involuntarily collect and retain DNA are repressive authoritarian regimes also engaging in gross human rights violations, such as genocide, ethnic cleansing, torture, and more,” Wyden wrote in a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “In fact, the U.S. Government has condemned the involuntary collection of DNA by the People’s Republic of China and has sanctioned entities engaged in this practice, yet this practice appears to be ongoing on our own soil.”
The collection of samples includes more than 133,000 children as young as four years old, whose DNA will be used by law enforcement for every potential future investigation.
Legal experts have warned that the Administration’s secret, mass-collection of immigrant DNA may also violate constitutional due process rights. The Trump administration has green lighted DHS agents’ ability to detain and collect samples from immigrants without prior judicial authorization.
In order for Congress and the American people to understand the Trump administration’s collection of DNA from immigrants, Wyden requested answers to the following questions by August 1, 2025:
What is the United States Government’s interest in collecting and retaining DNA from noncitizens in the course of immigration detention and enforcement?
Which agencies, including DHS subcomponent agencies, has the Attorney General authorized to participate in the collection of DNA from noncitizens?
Please describe in detail how DHS is able to access and utilize DNA samples and related information collected in the course of immigration detention and enforcement once the samples and information are retained in CODIS and any other databases.
Please describe in detail how DOJ is able to access and utilize DNA samples and related information collected in the course of immigration detention and enforcement once the samples and information are retained in CODIS and any other databases.
When DHS or subcomponent agencies collect DNA material from individuals in immigration detention and enforcement, where are DNA samples stored following collection?
To date, how many adult noncitizens have DHS officials collected DNA from during immigration detention and enforcement activities? Further, how many DNA samples from adult noncitizens have been collected by DHS since January 2025?
To date, how many minors (18 years old and younger) have DHS officials collected DNA from during immigration detention and enforcement activities in the last five years?
Further, how many DNA samples from minors have been collected by DHS since January 2025?
What Department-wide guidance and/or agency-specific guidance is provided to DHS officials regarding the collection of DNA from noncitizens?
How often is DNA collected by DHS, without judicial authorization, being used in criminal investigations and prosecutions?
Does DHS policy prohibit intimidation, coercion, or the threat of criminal prosecution to compel a noncitizen to provide a DNA sample?
Does DHS or any subcomponent currently have a process in place to expunge DNA and related information stored in CODIS that were collected in the course of a noncitizen’s detention?
Does DHS by practice or policy notify individuals whose DNA and related information have been collected during immigration detention?
What information are DOJ and DHS, respectively, able to extract from the DNA they retain? Is DNA accessed to determine any ethnographic or racial information about the individual?
Wyden has consistently advocated in the Senate for humane immigration reform. In July, he criticized the Trump administration’s hostile immigration policies and joined colleagues to introduce a bill to require immigration enforcement agents to display clear identification. In March, he slammed the Trump administration for its resurrection of a draconian immigration order that requires immigrants to register with the federal government and carry proof of their registration at all times. In April, he reintroduced legislation to guarantee legal representation for unaccompanied children in immigration court. In June, he reintroduced legislation to protect TPS and DED recipients from Trump’s attacks on immigrants.
Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, today voted against a Republican bill that cuts $9 billion to foreign aid and public broadcasting. The Republican rescissions bill will devastate public TV and radio stations across the country, making it more difficult for people – especially those in Native communities and rural areas – to get news and critical emergency alerts. The bill will also gut life-saving foreign aid programs that millions of people around the world rely on. The legislation was passed without any bipartisan support and heads back to the House of Representatives for consideration.
“We used to be the indispensable nation that people around the world counted on for help. But not anymore. With these cuts, we will cause death, spread disease, and deepen starvation across the planet,” said Senator Schatz.
Schatz continued, “Public TV and radio stations deliver news, emergency alerts, weather forecasts, health information, public safety announcements, and election coverage. Stations like HPR tell local stories that no one else does. To gut all of that overnight, in the name of finding savings or to punish certain outlets that Donald Trump doesn’t like is unacceptable.”
Earlier today, Schatz spoke out against the Trump administration’s illegal dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the catastrophic consequences the elimination of aid has had on vulnerable people around the world.
Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) released the following statement on this morning’s passage of S.Amdt.2853 to H.R.4, Rescissions Act of 2025. The package targets $9 billion in taxpayer-funded public broadcasting and wasteful foreign aid:
“This is the first step in the right direction to claw back wasteful spending and programs identified by DOGE. Oklahomans sent me to Washington to fight for them and ensure their hard-earned tax dollars are being used responsibly,” said Senator Mullin. “We have a lot of work left to do and we’re just getting started. President Trump and Senate Republicans will continue to work tirelessly to deliver for the American people.”
Below are just 10 of the cuts made by President Trump’s 2025 Rescissions Act:
$1.1 Billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
$500,000 for electric buses in Rwanda
$6 million for “Net Zero Cities” in Mexico
$8,000 for promoting vegan food in Zambia
$3.3 million for civic engagement in Zimbabwe
$3 million for Iraqi Sesame Street
$1 million for Voter ID in Haiti
$18 million to improve gender diversity in the Mexican street lighting industry
$21 million on wind farms in Ukraine
$882,000 to fund social media mentorship in Serbia and Belarus
NOTE: This first recissions package targeted one tenth of one percent of the federal budget. For additional information on S.Amdt.2853 to H.R.4, click here.
Senator Mullin provided timely updates throughout the rescissions process in a series of social media posts, including here and here. If you missed Senator Mullin’s behind-the-scenes tours of the U.S. Capitol which he recorded last night between votes on the floor, follow @SenMullin on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
The timing of Carney’s comments can be interpreted two ways.
Their first and primary purpose is about message control and the need to manage expectations. In announcing this now, the government is not only better able to keep its justification for conceding to Trump at the forefront of media narratives, but it can also prepare Canadians for any further potential concessions in the course of trade negotiations.
The fact that these comments were made prior to a cabinet meeting could be seen as Carney’s attempt to isolate any cabinet ministers who may still favour a more aggressive stance.
More substantively, however, the pivot is also a reflection of the realities of both Canada’s actual position vis-à-vis the U.S. and the pragmatism needed to accomplish real trade agreements.
Although Trump is unpredictable, it increasingly seems that levies on imports are among his genuinely held and signature policy commitments. As Carney noted, the administration’s recent trade deals with both the United Kingdom and Vietnam included tariffs. And, despite the president’s talk of annexing Canada, Carney’s new stance suggests a more reasonable, albeit very costly, deal is possible — even amid Trump’s bluster.
Still, for all the attention they’ve received, tariffs are only part of the ongoing negotiations on the economic and security deal.
What does Trump want?
The U.S. administration, for example, continues to justify higher tariff threats not just for economic purposes, but ostensibly to counter the illegal drug trade.
Regardless of how the trade talks proceed in the coming weeks, though, the domestic consequences for Carney will be determined by how willing Canadians are to continue trusting and supporting him.
This could result in voters viewing Carney as weak and shifting their support to other leaders. No incumbent stands to benefit from the detrimental effects on economic growth, investments and employment rate Trump’s tariffs will cause.
But support also depends on Carney’s legitimacy. He could maintain public support despite the fact that, on paper, they oppose his actions. Taking a “hard” versus “soft” line in negotiations is itself an ambiguous and fluid set of designations.
Could Carney win over the support of those with an unambiguous view? It seems unlikely. Leaders are the usually the most impactful when they enter office. And while rally-around-the-flag effects are real, they are short-lived. That means the long-term challenge for Carney remains maintaining the support of the voters that brought him to power.
The Canada-U.S. relationship will continue to develop in a dynamic and unpredictable fashion, even if the economic and security deal is reached soon.
After voters dramatically consolidated around the Liberals and Conservatives in the 2025 election, the most important question for federal Canadian politics moving forward in this shifting global environment is which electoral coalition will endure.
Carney seeks to preserve trust, while the Conservatives search for a compelling alternative. Who will come out on top in the Trump 2.0 era?
Sam Routley 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.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Riley Moore (WV-02)
Washington, D.C. – Today, President Trump signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law. Congressman Riley M. Moore was an original co-sponsor of the House version of the legislation, which permanently classifies fentanyl and fentanyl related substances as a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act.
“We’ve lost countless lives in West Virginia to fentanyl poisoning. I am very proud to have co-sponsored this legislation and thrilled to see it be signed by President Trump. This new law is a key tool in the fight to reduce overdoses and save lives,”said Congressman Moore.“I will continue to champion policies that push back on this deadly poison which has ravaged our communities.
BACKGROUND: In recent years, chemically altered fentanyl has been pushed by the drug cartels as a way of getting around existing U.S.’ criminal statutes. The HALT Fentanyl Act closes this loophole.
