WASHINGTON—Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson cosponsored the Iranian Campaign Medal Act. This legislation would authorize the Secretary of Defense to establish and award a United States military decoration to service members who served in Iran in direct support of Operation Midnight Hammer. This legislation is sponsored by Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX). “Taking action to prevent the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism from obtaining a dangerous nuclear-armed program takes true leadership – both from the White House and our armed forces,” said Rep. Simpson. “The American heroes who rose to the challenge in Operation Midnight Hammer deserve recognition after a historically successful attack. I am proud to honor the courageous servicemembers who carried out the mission – the world is a safer place thanks to their efforts.” On June 22, 2025, President Trump authorized a precision strike at three Iranian nuclear sites to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. Executed by 14 American pilots flying seven B-2 bombers, and supported by over 125 U.S. aircraft, including dozens of aerial refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine, and approximately 75 precision-guided munitions, the strike successfully targeted critical Iranian nuclear infrastructure at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Congressman Simpson is an original cosponsor of this important resolution. The full text is available here.
Dr. Neil Jacobs was involved in the 2019 “Sharpiegate,” when President Trump altered a hurricane map to falsely show Hurricane Dorian hitting Alabama, contradicting official forecasts
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, questioned Dr. Neil Jacobs, President Trump’s nominee to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), about his commitment to telling the truth during emergencies.
Dr. Jacobs, who previously served as acting NOAA Administrator during President Trump’s first term, had defended the president’s dissemination of inaccurate weather information during a severe weather emergency. The Committee hearing came in the wake of deadly flooding in New Mexico and Texas, which claimed three lives in Ruidoso.
MSNBC – All in With Chris Hayes: Trump’s Pick to Lead NOAA Faces Senate
WATCH: Chris Hayes Highlights Senator Lujan’s Questioning of Dr. Neil Jacobs
Washington Post – Trump’s NOAA pick stands by budget cuts, calls staffing ‘a top priority’
“When Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico) asked whether Jacobs believed Americans should have to pay for access to the best forecasting data, he answered no.”
ABC News – Senate considers Neil Jacobs, ‘Sharpiegate’ scientist, as NOAA administrator
“When asked by Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-NM, on Wednesday whether he would “make the same decision again,” Jacobs replied, “There’s probably some things I would do differently.”
The Hill – Amid bipartisan concern, NOAA nominee pledges to make Weather Service staffing a ‘top priority’
“Asked by Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) whether he would “sign off on an inaccurate statement due to political pressure in the same event,” Jacobs said no.”
An excerpt of the exchange is available HERE and below:
Sen. Luján: September 1, 2019, when you were NOAA’s acting administrator, President Trump erroneously tweeted Alabama had been hit hard by Hurricane Dorian.
Shortly after, the National Weather Service Birmingham office issued the accurate statement, “Alabama will not see any impacts from Dorian.”
Three days later, President Trump went on TV and displayed a weather map altered with a black Sharpie line to show that Dorian would hit Alabama.
Two days after that, you helped draft a release rebuking the Birmingham NWS, and repeating President Trump’s baseless claims that Hurricane Dorian could impact Alabama.
You told the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General in their investigation that you “definitely felt like our jobs were on the line,” and while you did not like it, you would make the same decision again to edit a less inflammatory statement as the least bad option. Dr. Jacobs, do I have it right? Is that correct?
Dr. Jacobs: That is what the report found.
Sen. Luján: You would do nothing differently?
Dr. Jacobs: There are probably some things I would do differently, and a lot of this that I did after that, I guess, to change any potential future outcome.
Sen. Luján: I just had constituents die in New Mexico and constituents in Texas. Would you sign off on an inaccurate statement due to political pressure in the same event, yes or no?
WASHINGTON, D.C.– On July 10, 2025, President Trump granted a Direct Federal Assistance emergency declaration for Ruidoso, providing critical federal resources to help the community recover and rebuild after major flooding on Tuesday. This federal emergency declaration comes after U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02)and all members of New Mexico’s Congressional delegation joined Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in urging the President to declare the Ruidoso flooding a federal emergency.
“The impacts of this historic flood require federal resources for adequate recovery and ongoing mitigation efforts, there’s no other way around it,” said Vasquez. “Working with local, state and federal officials, we successfully unlocked crucial disaster funding to address the immediate needs of recovery operations. I will continue to work closely with my colleagues and the Governor to ensure the best and most efficient use of these funds and ensure New Mexicans who were impacted are taken care of.”
At a press conference this morning, emergency management personnel on the ground said there was a possibility of additional rains and flooding in the Ruidoso area on Saturday, July 12, and that they would continue to monitor the situation and provide timely updates to the public.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Julia Letlow (LA-05)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congresswoman Julia Letlow announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has designated the Ouachita River as a U.S. Marine Highway, further unlocking the 605-mile river’s potential to spur economic development in North Louisiana.
Letlow called for the designation in a March letter to DOT Secretary Sean Duffy, touting the river’s capability to facilitate commerce, reduce highway congestion, and move freight. The designation enables local agencies, industries, and shippers to become eligible for federal infrastructure grants.
“The Ouachita River is a wonderful natural resource with vast economic potential, especially in a region built by commodities which rely on reliable modes of transportation. This designation will spur rural economic development and increase opportunities for infrastructure improvements and job creation,” said Congresswoman Julia Letlow. “I want to thank the Trump Administration and Secretary Duffy for looking out for North Louisiana and working with me to unlock our region’s potential.”
The designation comes as part of the United States Marine Highway Program, which was created by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and aims to create more public benefits from the use of America’s navigable waterways. The program is administered by the U.S. Maritime Administration and allocates grants on a competitive basis to projects on designated U.S. Marine Highway Routes.
Officials with the Ouachita River Valley Association praised the designation, highlighting the opportunities the river can provide for Louisiana.
“The designation of the Ouachita River as U.S. Marine Highway M-167 provides opportunities for public and private entities along the Ouachita River eligible to apply for federal grants. This is a great opportunity for our area,” said Randy Denmon, President, Ouachita River Valley Association.
“This is actually pretty huge! The Ouachita River brings so much to the people within the Ouachita River Basin and we are excited to announce this major development. It is a major step in the revitalization of the river,” said Brandon Waggoner, Vice President, Ouachita River Valley Association.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dale Strong (Alabama)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Dale Strong, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, voted today in support of H.R. 3944, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026. The vital legislation championing veterans, supporting military families, and prioritizing infrastructure upgrades, passed the House of Representatives on a 218-206 vote.
Once enacted, this bill will provide essential funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) to support critical investments in military infrastructure, readiness, and the well-being of service members, veterans, and their families.
“I’m proud to support this bill, which delivers on our promises to America’s veterans by fully funding their health care and benefits,” said Rep. Strong. “It will help improve the lives of our troops and their families with better access to childcare, safer housing, and stronger base infrastructure. This funding bill also makes an effort to fund key construction projects to support readiness and our national security, expands mental health services, combats veteran homelessness, and makes smart investments in the Indo-Pacific to push back against China’s growing threat.”
NORTH ALABAMA WINS
Representative Strong successfully secured pivotal provisions directly benefiting North Alabama:
Advancing U.S. Space Command Headquarters Plans
One provision advances the U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) Headquarters process and requires a detailed funding plan and report for the necessary facilities investments.
“During the entire USSPACECOM basing process, Redstone Arsenal ranked as the #1 location for the headquarters. Four subsequent DoD Inspector General and GAO reports confirmed that the Air Force made the right choice — Redstone is what is best for national security, the taxpayer, the personnel, and their families,” said Strong.
Ensuring Fair Veteran Cemetery Placement
Strong was also successful advancing a provision directing the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) to conduct a report evaluating its veteran population data collection methodology. A 2019 U.S. Government Accountability Office report indicated that if U.S. Census Bureau data were used rather than NCA’s current methodology, North Alabama would rank 2nd in need for a VA cemetery.
“Nearly 60,000 veterans call Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District home. Those veterans and their families deserve the opportunity to choose a final resting place closer to home. Currently, the closest VA cemeteries are in Corinth, MS, Montevallo, AL, and Chattanooga, TN. I firmly believe that a more accurate data evaluation would make North Alabama a top candidate for a National or VA-grant funded state cemetery,” said Strong.
Other wins that will benefit North Alabama include a provision that expresses Congressional support for DoD range operations and supporting facilities, such as Redstone Test Center at Redstone Arsenal, and language directing the Veterans Health Administration to submit a report and recommended legislative changes to improve reimbursement rates, locality adjustments, prescription drug prices for veterans living in VA State Veteran Homes, like the Floyd E “Tut” Fann Home in Huntsville, AL.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Champions our veterans by:
Fully funding veterans’ health care programs.
Fully funding veterans’ benefits and VA programs.
Supporting President Trump’s efforts to combat veteran homelessness by investing in the new Bridging Rental Assistance for Veteran Empowerment program.
Maintaining funding levels for research, mental health programs, and other programs relied upon by veterans.
Supports the Trump Administration and the mandate of the American people by:
Protecting the 2nd Amendment rights of veterans by preventing the VA from sending information to the FBI about veterans without a judge’s consent.
Syncing up with President Trump’s Executive Orders on no funds for DEI, gender affirming care, and protecting Hyde-like language at the VA.
Prohibiting the VA from processing medical care claims for illegal aliens.
Bolsters U.S. national security and border protections by:
Providing robust funding for military construction, enabling continued investment in the Indo-Pacific region, and infrastructure necessary to support advanced weapons systems.
Maintaining the prohibitions on the closure of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and the use of military construction funds to build facilities for detainees on U.S. soil.
Prohibiting the VA from purchasing resources directly or indirectly from the People’s Republic of China.
DETAILED FUNDING SUMMARY
Department of Defense (Military Construction and Family Housing)
Provides $18 billion for the Department of Defense (DoD) military construction and family housing for the following:
Planning and design of future barracks to address barrack deficiencies identified by the Government Accountability Office.
Demolition of excess and obsolete infrastructure, saving taxpayers money and lowering long-term facility maintenance costs at DoD.
Guard and Reserve facility construction.
Military Family Housing.
Child development centers to improve the quality of life of military families.
Department of Veterans Affairs
Provides $452.64 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs for the following:
Fully funds veterans’ medical care
Fully funds veterans’ benefits and toxic exposures-related needs for the Toxic Exposures Fund (TEF).
Bridging Rental Assistance for Veteran Empowerment program, an innovative effort to end veteran homelessness.
The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 is the first of 12 annual Appropriations bills to pass the House of Representatives.
“I want to thank Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro, as well as the MilCon-VA subcommittee Chairman Judge John Carter and Ranking Member Debbie Wasserman-Schultz for their hard work on this critical funding bill,” said Strong.
Source: US Whitehouse
Today, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, the Administration is taking the biggest step in more than 30 years to protect taxpayer-funded benefits for American citizens — NOT illegal aliens. The move, which preserves roughly $40 billion in benefits for American citizens, overturns decades of bureaucratic defiance and builds on President Trump’s executive order directing an END to the subsidization of open borders.
Under President Trump, hardworking Americans will no longer be forced to front the cost of benefits for illegals:
The Department of Health and Human Services is restricting illegal aliens from 13 additional public programs, including Head Start, health workforce scholarships and loans, mental health and substance abuse support, family planning, and more.
The Department of Education is ending free tuition for illegal aliens at post-secondary career and technical education programs.
The Department of Agriculture is restricting illegal aliens from federally funded food assistance programs.
The Department of Labor is barring illegal aliens from accessing federal workforce development resources and grants.
The Department of Justice is closing longstanding loopholes that have allowed illegal aliens to access taxpayer-funded benefits.
Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
The budget will increase prices for Coloradans, strip health care from 17 million Americans,increase the deficit, and give tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper released the following statement after the House voted to pass the Republicans’ extreme budget reconciliation bill.
“House Republicans – including our colleagues from Colorado – didn’t need to do this.
“Excessive tax cuts for the wealthy few are NOT worth mortgaging our future economy, sacrificing health care for 17 million Americans, and forfeiting our clean energy dominance.
“The choice should have been clear.”
The Republicans’ reconciliation bill includes a $3 trillion tax cut for the wealthiest Americans. It pays for those tax cuts by taking healthcare away from 17 million Americans, forcing rural hospitals in Colorado to close their doors, gutting clean energy investments, and ballooning our national debt by trillions of dollars.
On Tuesday, Hickenlooper voted NO on the Senate budget resolution after Republicans voted down critical Democratic-led amendments to prevent cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and Inflation Reduction Act clean energy funding.
Yesterday, while the House considered the legislation, Hickenlooper held a statewide press conference with Colorado Governor Jared Polis, and U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, and Brittany Pettersen to call on House Republicans to reject the extreme legislation and highlight the harm it will cause Colorado.
The bill now heads to President Trump to be signed into law.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration today announced new guidance to ensure illegal immigrants are not allowed access to federal workforce development resources and related grants. Coinciding with similar measures being taken across the federal government, this announcement is the department’s latest effort to carry out President Trump’s executive order 14218, Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.
Under this guidance, all grantees funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and related programs must verify valid work authorization before providing participant-level services. This action replaces the Biden Administration’s guidance that incentivized illegal immigration and reinforces the department’s commitment to ensuring taxpayer-funded workforce resources remain focused on strengthening the American workforce.
“America’s workforce is stronger than ever under President Trump’s leadership because he is committed to upholding the rule of law and putting American workers first,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “Our updated guidance makes clear that taxpayer-funded workforce services are reserved for individuals who are authorized to work in the United States, as required by federal law. By ensuring these programs serve their intended purpose, we’re protecting good-paying jobs for American workers and reaffirming this Administration’s commitment to securing our borders and ending illegal immigration.”
This guidance directs the public workforce development system to update all policies and procedures to verify work authorization and maintain proper documentation in participant case files. This ensures employers can have confidence that partnering with the workforce system will help them hire workers who are both equipped with the skills to succeed and have the necessary approval to work in the United States.
The guidance applies to programs including WIOA Title I Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth programs (including statewide employment and training services funded by the Governor reserve), WIOA National Dislocated Worker Grants, Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service, Reentry Employment Opportunities and other programs authorized under Section 169 of WIOA, YouthBuild, the National Farmworker Jobs Program, and the Senior Community Service Employment Program.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
Welch’s Disaster AID Act filed on the anniversaries of Vermont’s July 2023 and July 2024 floods
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) commemorated the anniversaries of the July 2023 and July 2024 floods today from the Senate Floor. Senator Welch also urged Congress to take up his Disaster Assistance Improvement and Decentralization (AID) Act, new legislation filed this morning that would cut red tape at FEMA and empower state and local governments to access recovery assistance when it is needed. The Disaster AID Act will support hazard mitigation efforts, make the delivery of disaster aid more efficient and effective, provide technical assistance to small towns, and expedite funding for disaster response.
“We had back-to-back floods in 2023 and 2024, doing about a billion dollars-worth of damage. By the end of last year, every county in Vermont—all 14 counties—were hit by flooding. That billion dollars in damages affected homes, it affected businesses, it affected farms,” said Senator Welch. “We’re far from alone in Vermont in having suffered enormous damage from wild weather events… This type of wild weather event can hit any one of our states at any time of its own choosing, and all of our states have been affected at one time or another.”
“So, my hope is that we can come together as a Congress to fix FEMA so that its capacity to help our communities—when they have been hurt so hard through no fault of their own—that they’ll be able to get the capacity to make decisions, act, and get their community back on its feet.”
Watch Senator Welch’s speech below:
Over the course of consecutive summers in July 2023 and July 2024, Vermont experienced severe storms which caused catastrophic flooding, washouts, and mudslides. Homes, farms, businesses, and public infrastructure were destroyed, and communities were left reeling. In the immediate aftermath of the destruction, FEMA provided lifesaving on-the-ground assistance, working with local organizations and the state. In the long-term, however, FEMA’s response has not met the needs of communities.
Many of Vermont’s towns operate with limited resources and lack the administrative capacity needed to navigate the complex web of federal disaster assistance—especially in the aftermath of a brutal flood. FEMA has failed to provide necessary support and burdensome FEMA policies have slowed or blocked communities from accessing federal funds. Towns were not empowered to capitalize on their understanding of conditions on the ground. To make matters worse, under the Trump Administration, communities must now contend with uncertain federal funding streams, including for reimbursement of projects already approved and under way.
Last week, Senator Welch visited with Vermonters in communities across the state that were impacted by the July 2023 and July 2024 floods—including in Killington, Ludlow, Weston, Barre and Montpelier. He will travel across northern Vermont in the coming weeks.
Senator Welch has been outspoken in opposing any attempt by the Trump Administration to dismantle FEMA. Earlier this year, Senator Welch published a guest essay in The New York Times entitled: “Don’t Kill FEMA. Fix It.” In his piece, Senator Welch outlined why President Trump’s actions to undermine and potentially dissolve FEMA are misguided—but also committed to working to reform the agency’s long-term recovery process.
In December 2024, Senator Welch helped shape and pass a comprehensive disaster aid package, which delivered more than $100.4 billion of relief for states like Vermont recovering from climate disasters. The disaster aid package contained many of Senator Welch’s top priorities for the State: dedicated help for Vermont’s flood-impacted farmers, flexible spending through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief fund, money for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, and support for businesses, among many other important provisions.
Learn more about Senator Welch’s work by visiting his website or by following him on social media.
“We are now able to confirm publicly that yesterday’s MS-13 arrests are the direct result of incredible work by our team at the Nebraska State Patrol. This is a great example of a strong state-federal partnership — and how valuable that communication and coordination is to keeping Nebraskans safe. I’m very proud of this work, and I’ve asked that the State Patrol continue its work to get these illegal, violent criminals off our streets and deported out of our county.”
According to public statements, the Nebraska State Patrol’s Nebraska Information Analysis Center (NIAC Fusion Center) developed intelligence on the MS-13 gang member’s presence in Omaha and shared that information with federal partners at the Department of Homeland Security, leading to the arrests.
The NIAC Fusion Center is a collaborative effort of federal, state, and local agencies working in partnership to detect, prevent, apprehend, and respond to criminal and/or terrorist activity.
Yesterday, Gov. Pillen also thanked ICE officials for their bravery in carrying out the arrests and President Trump for his Administration’s emphasis on deporting criminal illegal aliens and securing our borders.
“We are now able to confirm publicly that yesterday’s MS-13 arrests are the direct result of incredible work by our team at the Nebraska State Patrol. This is a great example of a strong state-federal partnership — and how valuable that communication and coordination is to keeping Nebraskans safe. I’m very proud of this work, and I’ve asked that the State Patrol continue its work to get these illegal, violent criminals off our streets and deported out of our county.”
According to public statements, the Nebraska State Patrol’s Nebraska Information Analysis Center (NIAC Fusion Center) developed intelligence on the MS-13 gang member’s presence in Omaha and shared that information with federal partners at the Department of Homeland Security, leading to the arrests.
The NIAC Fusion Center is a collaborative effort of federal, state, and local agencies working in partnership to detect, prevent, apprehend, and respond to criminal and/or terrorist activity.
Yesterday, Gov. Pillen also thanked ICE officials for their bravery in carrying out the arrests and President Trump for his Administration’s emphasis on deporting criminal illegal aliens and securing our borders.
“We are now able to confirm publicly that yesterday’s MS-13 arrests are the direct result of incredible work by our team at the Nebraska State Patrol. This is a great example of a strong state-federal partnership — and how valuable that communication and coordination is to keeping Nebraskans safe. I’m very proud of this work, and I’ve asked that the State Patrol continue its work to get these illegal, violent criminals off our streets and deported out of our county.”
According to public statements, the Nebraska State Patrol’s Nebraska Information Analysis Center (NIAC Fusion Center) developed intelligence on the MS-13 gang member’s presence in Omaha and shared that information with federal partners at the Department of Homeland Security, leading to the arrests.
The NIAC Fusion Center is a collaborative effort of federal, state, and local agencies working in partnership to detect, prevent, apprehend, and respond to criminal and/or terrorist activity.
Yesterday, Gov. Pillen also thanked ICE officials for their bravery in carrying out the arrests and President Trump for his Administration’s emphasis on deporting criminal illegal aliens and securing our borders.
Source: Independent Petroleum Association of America
Headline: Comments on Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 10(a) Program Implementation
Jul 9, 2025 Comments on Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 10(a) Program Implementation
The American Petroleum Institute (“API”), the American Exploration and Production Council (“AXPC”), the Independent Petroleum Association of America (“IPAA”), GPA Midstream Association, Marcellus Shale Coalition, the North Dakota Petroleum Council (“NDPC”), the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma, the Texas Oil and Gas Association (“TXOGA”), and Utah Petroleum Alliance (“UPA”) (collectively, the “Associations”) appreciates the opportunity to provide comments in response to the Fish and Wildlife Service’s (“FWS” or “the Service”) request for information (“RFI”) issued on June 9, 2025. This RFI sought feedback on improvements to the development and implementation of survival permits associated with Conservation Benefit Agreements (CBAs) and Incidental Take Permits (ITPs) associated with Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) under Section 10(a) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We appreciate the Trump Administration’s desire to achieve a meaningful reduction in regulatory burdens while continuing to meet statutory obligations, advance American energy independence, and ensure the responsible stewardship of the nation’s public lands and resources. …
Voluntary conservation agreements such as HCPs and CBAs are helpful mechanisms to minimize impacts to species and habitat and contribute to overall species conservation goals, while avoiding unwarranted access restrictions that could obstruct national energy security objectives. A significant value of these plans lies in their ability to streamline or even proactively preempt the often-lengthy Incidental Take Permit process, a benefit that works both in favor of industry and the Service. Though not applicable in all situations and for all species, the Associations’ members already successfully leverage various CBAs and HCPs for species such as the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, the Lesser Prairie Chicken, the Texas Hornshell Mussel, and the Monarch Butterfly. Critical learnings from these initiatives can be applied to future conservation plans, as per the suggestions delivered below. …
People pray before Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance at a town hall hosted by Lance Wallnau on Sept. 28, 2024, in Monroeville, Pa.AP Photo/Rebecca Droke
The NAR is a loosely organized but influential charismatic Christian movement that shares similarities with Pentecostalism, especially in its belief that God actively communicates with believers through the Holy Spirit. Unlike traditional Pentecostalism, however, the organization emphasizes modern-day apostles and prophets as authoritative leaders tasked with transforming society and ushering in God’s kingdom on Earth. Prayer, prophecy and worship are defined not only as acts of devotion but as strategic tools for advancing believers’ vision of government and society.
After the shooting, the Christ for the Nations Institute issued a statement “unequivocally” denouncing “any and all forms of violence and extremism.” It stated: “Our organization’s mission is to educate and equip students to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through compassion, love, prayer, service, worship, and value for human life.”
But the shooting has drawn attention to the school and the larger Christian movement it belongs to. One of the most important aspects of NAR teachings today is what is called “the Seven Mountain Mandate.”
The Seven Mountain Mandate calls on Christians to gain influence, or “take dominion,” over seven key areas of culture: religion, family, education, government, media, business and the arts.
The Seven Mountain concept was originally proposed in 1975 by evangelical leader Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. Now known as “Cru,” the Campus Crusade for Christ was founded as a global ministry in 1951 to promote Christian evangelism, especially on college campuses.
Since 1996, Bill Johnson, a senior leader of Bethel Church, and Johnny Enlow, a self-described prophet and Seven Mountain advocate, among others, have taken the original idea of the Seven Mountain Mandate and reshaped it into a more aggressive, political and spiritually militant approach. Spiritual militancy reflects an aggressive, us-vs.-them mindset that blurs the line between faith and authoritarianism, promoting dominion over society in the name of spiritual warfare.
Their version doesn’t just aim to influence culture; it frames the effort as a spiritual battle to reclaim and reshape the nation according to their vision of God’s will.
Lance Wallnau, another Christian evangelical preacher, televangelist, speaker and author, has promoted dominion theology since the early 2000s. During the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Wallnau, along with several prominent NAR figures, described Donald Trump as anointed by God to reclaim the “mountain” of government from demonic control.
In their book “Invading Babylon: The 7 Mountain Mandate,” Wallnau and Johnson explicitly call for Christian leadership as the only antidote to perceived moral decay and spiritual darkness.
NAR-aligned leaders have framed electoral contests as struggles between “godly” candidates and those under the sway of “satanic” influence.
Similarly, NAR prophet Cindy Jacobs has repeatedly emphasized the need for “spiritual warfare” in schools to combat what she characterizes as “demonic ideologies” such as sex education, LGBTQ+ inclusion or discussions of systemic racism.
In the NAR worldview, cultural change is not merely political or social but considered a supernatural mission; opponents are not simply wrong but possibly under the sway of demonic influence. Elections become spiritual battles.
This belief system views pluralism as weakness, compromise as betrayal, and coexistence as capitulation. Frederick Clarkson, a senior research analyst at Political Research Associates, a progressive think tank based in Somerville, Massachusetts, defines the Seven Mountain Mandate as “the theocratic idea that Christians are called by God to exercise dominion over every aspect of society by taking control of political and cultural institutions.”
The call to “take back” the culture is not metaphorical but literal, and believers are encouraged to see themselves as soldiers in a holy war to dominate society. Some critics argue that NAR’s call to “take back” culture is about literal domination, but this interpretation is contested.
Many within the movement see the language of warfare as spiritually focused on prayer, evangelism and influencing hearts and minds. Still, the line between metaphor and mandate can blur, especially when rhetoric about “dominion” intersects with political and cultural action. That tension is part of an ongoing debate both within and outside the movement.
At the same time, the Seven Mountain Mandate doesn’t depend on centralized leadership or formal institutions. It spreads organically through social networks, social media – notably podcasts and livestreams – and revivalist meetings and workshops.
André Gagné, a theologian and author of “American Evangelicals for Trump: Dominion, Spiritual Warfare, and the End Times,” writes about the ways in which the mandate spreads by empowering local leaders and believers. Individuals are authorized – often through teachings on spiritual warfare, prophetic gifting, and apostolic leadership – to see themselves as agents of divine transformation in society, called to reclaim the “mountains,” such as government, media and education, for God’s kingdom.
This approach, Gagné explains, allows different communities to adapt the action mandate to their unique cultural, political and social contexts. It encourages individuals to see themselves as spiritual warriors and leaders in their domains – whether in business, education, government, media or the arts.
The framing of the Seven Mountain Mandate as a divinely inspired mission, combined with the movement’s emphasis on direct spiritual experiences and a specific interpretation of scripture, can create an environment where questioning the mandate is perceived as challenging God’s authority.
Slippery slope
These beliefs have increasingly fused with nationalist rhetoric and conspiracy theories.
The ‘Appeal to Heaven’ flags symbolize the belief that people have the right to appeal directly to God’s authority when they think the government has failed. Paul Becker/Becker1999 via Flickr, CC BY
A powerful example of NAR political rhetoric in action is the rise and influence of the “Appeal to Heaven” flags. For those in the New Apostolic Reformation, these flags symbolize the belief that when all earthly authority fails, people have the right to appeal directly to God’s authority to justify resistance.
To be clear, its leaders are not calling for violence but rather for direct political engagement and protest. For some believers, however, the calls for “spiritual warfare” may become a slippery slope into justification for violence, as in the case of the alleged Minnesota shooter.
Understanding the Seven Mountain Mandate is essential for grasping the dynamics of contemporary efforts to align government and culture with a particular vision of Christian authority and influence.
Art Jipson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
Watch Kennedy’s commentshere.
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) delivered the following remarks on the U.S. Senate floor:
“Now, regardless of how you feel about the war in Ukraine, I think most fair-minded people can agree on two things. Number one: Vladimir Putin, who runs Russia—not the people of Russia, but their leadership—is a thug. He’s a pirate. He has blood under his fingernails. He can’t be trusted.
“The second thing that I think most fair-minded Americans can agree on is that we would all like to see the war ended. . . . I think Ukraine is willing to negotiate a reasonable settlement, but it takes two to tango, and we are not going to have a settlement until President Putin decides it is in his best interest to stop the war. “Not in Russia’s best interest because I don’t think he cares about his people. I think the war will stop when Putin thinks it is in his best interest.
“And I don’t think he is going to think it is in his best interest until he feels the pressure, Mr. President, because dealing with Putin is like dealing with most tyrants: It is like hand-feeding a shark. You can’t reason with them. You have to make them feel the pain.
“A lot of people think of Russia and think of Putin as this gigantic country with a lot of wealth and power, and that is not really the case. Yes, they have nuclear weapons, but, actually, the Russian economy is pretty small. . . . The Russian economy is only about $2 trillion. New York state, in America, has a bigger economy than Russia, and I think we need to keep that in mind.
“Russia’s economy is also not terribly diversified. It is mostly oil. . . . Number one: The price of oil is down. We know that. Number two: Russia is spending all of its money fighting the war with Ukraine, which has hurt other parts of its economy.
“The point I am trying to make, Mr. President, is: When you are dealing with a tyrant like Putin and you are trying to bring him to the negotiating table, what you have to do is get him down and choke him. And the way to get President Putin down and choke him is through his cash flow. Putin—and, remember, I am not talking about the good people in Russia. I am talking about their leadership. I am talking about Vladimir Putin, the thug.
“Putin is only able to prosecute his war through cash flow generated by his sale of oil. That is the only way. Without that cash flow from oil, he can’t continue. We need to cut off his money. We need to cut off his sale of oil.
“Now, we already have sanctions on Russia, and Europe has sanctions on Russia, but Russia has figured out how to evade those sanctions and continue to sell its oil. For example, India is buying a lot of Russia’s oil. China is buying a lot of Russia’s oil, but we can stop that.
“We have a bill—87 of us have signed on— that would apply what is called secondary sanctions on Russia. Our bill would not only sanction Russia and its sale of oil, but it would sanction everybody who buys Russian oil, a big difference.
“It would say to those who want to buy Russian oil: If you want to buy Russian oil, have at it—knock yourself out—but you are not going to be able to do business with America, and you are not going to be able to use the American dollar, which is the world’s currency, to do business in America. It will put Putin on his knees within three months, and he won’t have any choice but to come to the bargaining table.
“Now, President Trump has been very patient. President Biden wasn’t patient; he was giving. I remember when President Biden said to Putin: Well, you know, we don’t want you to go into Ukraine, but if it is just a little excursion, it might be okay. I remember that. What do you think Putin did? Do you remember hand-feeding a shark? He went right into Ukraine.
“President Trump, on the other hand, has really tried to be rational and negotiate with Putin and say: Look, we need to have an amicable solution to satisfy both sides. Ukraine is willing. Putin has done nothing but embarrass our president and our country.
“The time has come to put Russia on its knees. I hate to see it for the Russian people, but the time has come to put Putin on his knees. Get him down and choke him. The only way you are going to do that is to cut off his cash flow. And the only way you are going to cut off his cash flow is to cut off his oil sales because that is at least a third—and probably 40%—of his money.
“We have no choice. Otherwise, this war could go on forever.
“Now, we have the bill locked, loaded, and ready to go. We are waiting for President Trump to give us the high sign because we want to stay together. The president is the one who is trying to negotiate the peace, but I hope President Trump will seriously consider letting us pull the trigger because it is the only thing—it is the only thing—that is going to get Vladimir Putin to the table.
“I wish the world weren’t like that. There are just some people—I don’t know why. If I make it to heaven, I am going to ask. But there are some people in this world, they are not sick; they are not misunderstood; they are not mixed up. It is not really that their mom or daddy didn’t love them enough. They are just bad people. They are. And some of them run countries, and one of them is Vladimir Putin. So, let’s go do what we have to do.”
Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) today introduced the Say No to Indoctrination Act to codify President Trump’s executive order preventing taxpayer dollars from funding radical gender ideology in K-12 schools.
“Schools should prepare our children for the future, not promote radical gender ideology,” said Risch.“The Say No to Indoctrination Act puts an end to woke education practices in K-12 schools and makes President Trump’s common-sense policy permanent.”
Senator Risch’s bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and has received support from Concerned Women for America and American Principles Project.
“Children should not be radicalized, indoctrinated or taught gender ideology in public elementary or secondary schools funded by federal tax dollars,” Crapo said. “This legislation places commonsense guardrails around the use of these dollars in public education, which will ensure schools are providing foundational instruction in subjects like mathematics and reading rather than divisive concepts of gender ideology.”
“For far too long, radical left-wing ideology has preyed on K-12 students in our nation’s school systems. It’s high time we put a stop to these woke lesson plans that take advantage of children and undermine parental rights. I am proud to join Senator Risch and my colleagues to prevent taxpayer dollars from funding public schools that teach gender ideology,” said Budd.
“As American students lag behind globally in math, reading, and writing, the last thing our taxpayer-funded teachers and schools should be doing is teaching radical leftist nonsense like so-called gender theory,” said Marshall. “I’m proud to support this legislation to codify President Trump’s executive order, and ensure our children’s education is focused on meaningful, future-ready skills, not woke ideology.
“Parents send their kids to school to learn the skills they need to succeed later in life, not to be indoctrinated with radical gender ideology. There are only two genders—male and female, and not a single penny of federal funds should go to schools that teach anything different,” said Schmitt.
“Our children go to school to be educated, not indoctrinated,” said Tuberville. “I’ve always said that education is the key to unlocking opportunity. But under Joe Biden, Democrats turned our children’s classrooms into woke propaganda HQ. Schools should focus on teaching kids to read, write, and do math. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Say No to Indoctrination Act to get woke politics out of the classroom.”
The Say No to Indoctrination Act codifies the Executive Order President Trump issued on January 20, 2025, declaring that no taxpayer dollars be sent to K-12 schools that teach or promote radical gender ideology.
Risch has long fought to eradicate radical gender ideology. In May, Risch introduced the Protecting Minors in Federal Health Plans Act, which would prohibit Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) plans from covering gender transitions for minors. Risch also introduced the Dismantle DEI Act to codify President Trump’s executive order terminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs and initiatives.
Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)
ICYMI: Mullin tells Fox News: Trump Worked with Congress Every Single Day to Secure Our Borders in His OBBB
Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joined a special edition of Fox News’ Hannity with guest host, Kellyanne Conway. The senator called out the outrageous silence from Democrats as attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have skyrocketed 690 percent since January. He also detailed how President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ (OBBB) is vital to deliver his promises on border security.
Sen. Mullin’s full interview can be found here.
On how the left’s rhetoric is inspiring attacks against ICE:
“It was a coordinated attack. They were in tactical gear. They had devices that would block the signal of cell phones so they couldn’t be tracked. When the police responded, they ambushed them, that’s a coordinated attack. Now, if this was any other situation, Democrats would be out there, at the very least, would be calling for gun control. They have said absolutely nothing. Why? Because they’re the ones that have fanned the flames for this to happen. They’re the ones that’s literally calling on blood. Axios put out that a Democrat politician is calling for those to ratchet up their activities and spill blood when it comes to defending against ICE…”
“It’s actually very disturbing, because this is their base, and this is where the Democrat Party has went. They have built their base off anger and fear.”
On the highlights of the OBBB’s border security measures:
“The wall that President Trump started building in 2017, as 45 [45 POTUS], it was done by executive orders. But what happened when [President] Biden came in is they immediately started tearing it down and selling the material for pennies on the dollar.”
“What we did on the ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ is we made it into law, not an executive order, so the next president can’t simply stop. We funded it, fully funded $46 billion to finish a wall the entire southern border. Now that’s huge. We also funded 10,000 new ICE agents. Now it’s not just ICE, but it’s ICE and other agencies that are able to do the same thing. Border agents and ICE, they’re two separate different things, border patrols our border ICE can actually go into the interior and actually arrest people that are here illegally, but they have different entities that we worked closely with Secretary Noam to make sure we had it right. Then they increase the amount of judges we have to speed through these individuals that claimed asylum…”
“At the same time, we also we have to remember that the drugs and the trafficking isn’t just coming across land, it’s actually coming across the sea too. So we have to work with our Coast Guard. We put in $24 billion to upgrade the Coast Guard. Sometimes they are overlooked. They need new vessels, they need new aircraft, they need new infrastructure. So, President Trump put a heavy emphasis, and he worked with Congress every single day to make sure that we are secured on our southern and northern border.”
Senator cites concerns he’s heard at briefings in Southern Oregon and statewide
Video can be foundhere
Washington, D.C. – Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today demanded answers from the Trump Administration about how its proposed U.S. Forest Service budget cuts, funding and hiring freezes and recent reorganization of federal wildland firefighting will undermine Oregon’s preparedness for this fire season.
“Instead of moving quickly, you all have trotted out another new and described ‘improved’ reorganization in the middle of a very dangerous fire season,” Wyden said to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing. “Nobody in my home state said we need to have the Forest Service less involved in fighting fires, but that is the net effect of your organizational plan.”
In February Trump issued an illegal, blanket freeze on previously approved federal funding for critical programs, including those that help Western states prepare for fire season. During the hearing, Wyden reiterated warnings from fire officials in Southern Oregon, where he heard firsthand accounts of how Trump’s staffing and funding cuts are starving Oregon’s communities of the resources they need to prepare for and respond to fires.
After ordering the funding freeze, Trump also issued an Executive Order to reorganize the national wildland firefighting apparatus within the Department of the Interior, but the agencies have not shared their plans for doing so with Congress, or how it will hurt states like Oregon.
At today’s hearing, Wyden also warned that starving federal agencies of the resources they need and intentional mismanagement of forests and public lands is setting the stage to justify future selloffs of public lands. Wyden cited extreme public backlash over the Republicans’ scheme to sell off public lands under their budget bill earlier this month, which forced Senate Republicans to back off their proposal.
Wyden has been a longtime champion of sustainable forestry and common-sense policies to reduce the risk of wildfire. In June, Wyden led colleagues in introducing the bipartisan National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 that would invest in hazardous fuels management to reduce the risk of blistering infernos by increasing the pace and scale of prescribed burns during cooler, wetter months. Wyden also has advocated for repairing and updating critical infrastructure for disaster response, announcing over $80 million for infrastructure repairs and $9.7 million for rural airports across Oregon.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Maxwell Frost Florida (10th District)
July 10, 2025
Frost and Gomez First Introduced the Bill to Increase Affordability and Transparency for Renters in 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) announced the introduction of bicameral legislation aimed at addressing the housing crisis and standing firmly with working-class renters – the End Junk Fees for Renters Act.
Frost’s bill, which is being co-led by Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) in the House, chair of the Congressional Renters Caucus, comes as Florida and the U.S. face a housing affordability crisis that continues to squeeze working people and renters, too often forcing people to slip into homelessness at a time when cities are criminalizing folks who cannot afford to keep a roof over their heads.
Congressmen Frost and Gomez first introduced the bill in July of 2023 to put an end to the growing number of excessive and dishonest junk fees renters face when looking for and securing housing.
The End Junk Fees for Renters Act cracks down on junk fee profiteering by landlords and empowers tenants. Specifically, the legislation:
Cracks down on junk fees by banning application and screening fees;
Puts an end to late fee profiteering by capping late fees at 3% of monthly rent and requiring a 15-day grace period;
Requires that landlords disclose in the rental contract:
Past and present litigation with tenants;
Ongoing pest and maintenance issues;
Rent increase percentages year after year over the last ten years and;
The total amount due each month to effectively eliminate surprise fees.
Would help consumers comparison shop and make more informed choices when it comes to renting, inevitably driving down overall costs in the rental market and improving living conditions.
“Donald Trump ran for office under the promise of making American’s lives more affordable – that was a flat-out lie. Six months in, and Trump and Congressional Republicans have proven they only care about the ultra-wealthy, the 1%. Because if they cared about working people, bills like the End Junk Fees for Renters Act would be voted on today to offer immediate and straightforward financial relief to renters,” said Congressman Maxwell Frost. “This is about standing firmly on the side of renters and working people while holding greedy landlords and leasing companies accountable for nickel and diming people every chance they get. It’s time to end the ridiculous fees and fight for housing justice and transparency.”
“Billionaire corporations and huge rental companies are hiding fees and added costs to drive up rents and line their own pockets,” said Senator Merkley. “The End Junk Fees for Renters Act fights back against corporate landlords trying to squeeze every dime out of renters that they possibly can. Let’s crack down on these junk fees to ensure all Americans have a fair shot at a safe, affordable roof overhead and the power to fight back against absurd costs.”
“At a time when Donald Trump and Republicans are stripping away benefits from millions of Americans, households that rent have enough to worry about without being weighed down by hidden application costs and junk late fees. This bill will restore faith and transparency to the renting process by putting an end to the profiteering of predatory landlords and property managers,” said Congressman Jimmy Gomez. “In my district, where up to 80% of households rent, this bill will lift an unnecessary financial burden and help working families build real stability.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak and Senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven today introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval to overturn the Biden administration’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Resource Management Plan (RMP) for North Dakota. The introduction follows the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) determination that the plan qualifies for repeal under the CRA.
“North Dakotans saw the Biden administration’s plan for what it was: A backdoor attempt to shut down responsible energy development on federal lands. It would crush coal production, close off millions of acres to leasing, and devastate jobs and communities across our state,” said Rep. Fedorchak. “This legislation overturns this harmful rule and restores common sense for North Dakota’s landowners and energy producers. We need energy policy that embraces innovation, not one that caters to out-of-touch activists at the expense of our energy security and economic strength.”
“The Biden Administration’s Bureau of Land Management Resource Management Plan for North Dakota represented another assault upon our state’s economy and energy producers,” said Senator Cramer. “Washington bureaucrats targeted our coal, oil, and natural gas reserves by blocking producers’ ability to develop them, ignoring the state’s input, clear text of federal law, and countless court precedents. Thankfully, the Trump administration is taking a new direction. This resolution under the Congressional Review Act is another tool at our disposal to get rid of this disastrous rule.”
“The RMP for North Dakota is an egregious example of the Biden administration’s overreaching Green New Deal agenda. This rule would lock away vast oil and gas acreage and nearly 99 percent of federal coal acreage in our state, undermining our energy security and economic resilience,” said Senator Hoeven. “The CRA resolution we’re introducing will roll back this harmful policy, ensuring North Dakota remains a powerhouse for our nation, while helping the U.S. to become truly energy dominant.”
In the final days of the Biden administration, the Bureau of Land Management adopted the RMP for North Dakota, significantly constraining the state’s ability to access and develop its mineral resources. The plan prohibits coal leasing on over four million acres, or nearly 99 percent of federal coal acreage. It also blocks 213,000 acres, or 44 percent of federally owned fluid mineral acreage, to future development. Throughout the drafting process, the state of North Dakota and theCongressional delegation expressed opposition to the draft RMP before the BLM finalized it.
In February 2025, the North Dakota delegation sent a letter to GAO asking the Comptroller General of the U.S. Gene Dodaro to “conclude the CRA applies to the North Dakota RMP, including specifically that GAO determine it is subject to CRA’s submission requirements and subject to review by Congress.”
North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong said, “We appreciate Senators Hoeven and Cramer and Congresswoman Fedorchak for introducing the CRA joint resolution, which is the cleanest, fastest way to overturn the Biden administration’s disastrous plan. Instead of destabilizing the electric grid, raising consumer costs and making our nation less safe like the Biden plan threatened to do, North Dakotans deserve a Resource Management Plan that encourages responsible development of U.S. energy resources and supports our communities. The state stands ready to work with our delegation to repeal the RMP and replace it with a plan that protects states’ rights and recognizes our unique concerns about mineral ownership.”
Alison Ritter, Executive Director of the Western Dakota Energy Association, stated, “The Western Dakota Energy Association thanks our Congressional Delegation for introducing this Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the anti-energy Resource Management Plan (RMP) President Biden imposed upon North Dakota. Rescinding this plan is key to unlocking North Dakota’s full energy potential, while also protecting good-paying jobs, sustaining strong local economies, and preserving responsible access to the vital resources that power our nation.”
Ron Ness, President of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, added, “As part of former President Biden’s over-reaching regulatory agenda, the BLM proposed a Resource Management Plan which was nothing but a transparent anti-energy power grab. The North Dakota Petroleum Council thanks Senators Hoeven and Cramer and Congresswoman Fedorchak for introducing this Congressional Review Act resolution that would force the BLM to simply respect the rule of law.”
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
July 10, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and 10 of their colleagues in introducing legislation requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions. The Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act of 2025 would strengthen oversight, transparency and accountability for the Trump Administration’s indiscriminate and alarming immigration enforcement tactics that have terrorized communities across the nation.
“By sending masked officers without any sort of identification to detain nonviolent migrants, Donald Trump is proving once again that he’s more focused on sowing fear and distrust in our communities than actually making our country safer,” said Duckworth. “This deceptive practice shields federal agents from accountability and hurts public trust in immigration enforcement while creating chaos and confusion for the people being targeted by ICE. Without proper ID, anyone could impersonate an officer. I’m proud to join Senators Padilla and Booker in this effort to hold DHS accountable.”
Under the Trump Administration’s mass deportation agenda, civil immigration enforcement operations have increasingly involved Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers engaging with the public while wearing unmarked tactical gear, concealing clothing and face coverings that obscure both agency affiliation and personal identity. Without visible badges, names or insignia, members of the public often have no way to confirm whether they are interacting with legitimate government officials.
This lack of transparency endangers public safety by causing widespread confusion and fear, especially in communities already subject to heightened immigration scrutiny. It also increases operational and safety risks for law enforcement personnel by creating an opportunity for immigration enforcement impersonators and compounding uncertainty in high-stress situations. Clear, consistent, visible identification helps reduce miscommunication during enforcement encounters, strengthens officer credibility and improves public cooperation, all of which are vital to mission success. The VISIBLE Act would place a critical check on the government’s power, ensuring basic transparency safeguards that protect public trust and legitimacy in immigration enforcement operations.
Specifically, the VISIBLE Act would:
Require immigration enforcement officers — including DHS personnel such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), federal agents detailed to immigration operations and deputized state or local officers — to display clearly legible identification, including their agency name or initials and either their name or badge number, in a manner that remains visible and unobscured by tactical gear or clothing;
Prohibit non-medical face coverings (such as masks or balaclavas) that obscure identity or facial visibility, with exceptions for environmental hazards or covert operations; and
Require DHS to establish disciplinary procedures for violations, report annually to Congress on compliance and investigate complaints through its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
The bill does not apply to covert or non-public facing operations, nor does it prohibit face coverings when necessary for officer safety. It also does not apply to enforcement actions conducted solely under criminal authority.
Along with Duckworth, Padilla and Booker, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
Copy of the bill text is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
WASHINGTON — This morning, Speaker Johnson joined Shannon Bream on Fox News Sunday to discuss the One Big Beautiful Bill being signed into law and address the devastating floods in central Texas.
“As I said on the House floor the other day, it takes a lot longer to build a lie than to tell the simple truth. Our Republicans are going to be out across the country telling the simple truth,” Speaker Johnson said. “And guess what? It will be demonstrated. Everyone will have more take home pay. They’ll have more jobs and opportunity. The economy will be doing better and we’ll be able to point to that as the obvious result of what we did. “
Click here to watch the full interview
On the One Big Beautiful Bill’s impact on working class families:
What we did in this bill is we made permanent the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts, and that was geared for lower- and middle-class Americans. In spite of everything they said, the bottom 20% of earners saw their lowest federal tax rate in 40 years. Now we’re building upon that. We just made that permanent and we’re building upon it because now we’ve cut taxes on overtime and tips and have more tax relief for seniors. And we’re giving everybody a tax cut, and that’s going to help the economy. It’s going to be jet fuel for small business owners, entrepreneurs, risk takers, the people that provide the jobs, manufacturers, farmers get assistance here, and that will lift the economy.
The Council of Joint Economic Advisors is expecting a 3%, growth rate in the economy. That will be incredible. They’re expecting 4 million additional jobs to be added. The average American, the typical American household, will have $13,000 more in take home pay. This is a great thing for people who go to work every day. They’re going to feel that. And we’re excited about the upcoming election cycle in 2026 because people will be riding an economic high just as, as we did after the first two years of the first Trump Administration – this time’s on steroids.
On the One Big Beautiful Bill growing the U.S. economy:
If you make between $30,000 and $80,000 a year, you’re going to have a 15% less federal tax rate. You are going to save more money, you’re going to keep more of your hard-earned money, and that’s not going away. So, by making all these tax cut permanent, it’s the largest tax bill, the most important, most consequential tax bill that Congress has ever passed because of what it does for people who go out and work hard every day. We’re going to make it easier on them. And all the other pro-growth policies in this bill. We also, at the same time, achieve the largest savings for the taxpayers in US history, about $1.6 trillion in savings. All those things are going to have a great effect.
By the way, in the bill, we’re also going to secure the border permanently. We’re going to return to American energy dominance again, which is going to also be jet fuel of the economy. We’re going to take care of the peace through strength because we’re going to give important investments in our military industrial complex, which will help us in our competition with China. There is so much in this bill, it would be difficult for us to cover it in one segment, but people are going to feel that and we’re super excited about what we were able to deliver.
On the devastating floods in Central Texas:
In a moment like this, we feel just as helpless as everyone else does. I’ve talked to my colleagues there in Texas, Chip Roy and August Pfluger. You know that’s Chip’s district, August’s daughters were at the camp. We also had Buddy Carter of Georgia who had grandchildren there. It touches so many families, and all we know to do at this moment is pray. Every available resource has been deployed. The president, of course, is dialed in and watching this developed moment by moment as we are. And we will handle supplemental funding requests as they come in. But right now, they’re still trying to do rescue and recovery and our hearts go out to all of them.
Source: US Congressman Ryan Zinke (Western Montana)
Washington D.C. – Representatives Ryan Zinke (MT-01) and Troy Downing (MT-02), along with U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy today introduced a bicameral resolution disapproving and removing the Bureau of Land Management’s 2024 Miles City Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMPA). The Miles City RMPA effectively ends future coal leasing within the Miles City Field Office planning area, which will have an adverse impact on Montana’s jobs, economy, and energy security.
“The only way we can achieve true American Energy Dominance is when we utilize all-of-the-above forms of energy to include Montana’s clean coal. Coal provides reliable, abundant and affordable baseload power. Our economy and people have always relied on Montana’s clean coal and that is only going to increase with the advancement of AI, data centers and population growth,” said Zinke.
“Energy security is national security, and Montana’s mining industry plays a vital role in ensuring America remains energy dominant. The Miles City RMPA halts all future coal leasing in the region and will cause hardworking Montanans to lose their jobs. Moreover, the plan will stifle our state’s growing economy and increase our dependence on foreign nations for coal and energy production. I’m proud to introduce this resolution with Senator Sheehy, Representative Downing and Representative Zinke to remove this plan from the books and allow President Trump to move forward with a Made-In-Montana and Made-In-America energy policy,”said Daines.
“It’s time to put an end to the Biden-era, job-killing, environmentalist mandates, and this resolution will help achieve that. As we work to unleash Montana energy, we must support Montana’s resource economy in building a successful future, creating jobs, and powering America. Montanans voted to make America energy dominant so we can bring down prices for families and boost real wages for the hardworking Americans who keep our economy running, and Montana’s delegation is delivering on this commonsense, America First agenda,”said Sheehy.
“Montana’s Second Congressional District keeps the lights on in the Treasure State. Under the Biden Administration, Montana energy production took a direct hit when an outright ban on coal leasing in the Powder River Basin went into effect. I’m proud to lead this CRA in the House to reverse this disastrous management plan amendment that threatens access to affordable, reliable energy and investment in the communities I represent,”said Downing.
Read the full resolutionHERE.
Background:
The Miles City RMPA makes nearly 2,000,000 acres unavailable for coal leasing within the Miles City Field Office planning area and prohibits new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin. Daines is a strong supporter of leasing in the Powder River Basin- read moreHERE.
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) led a letter to Andrew Ferguson, Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), urging the agency to investigate tariff-enabled corporate price gouging which is raising costs for American families, and to use its full authority to prevent these unfair and deceptive corporate actions.
The lawmakers previously wrote to the FTC warning that large companies could take advantage of the Trump Administration’s chaotic tariff strategy to price gouge consumers. The letter noted that the on-again, off-again tariff confusion and uncertainty has created a cover for large corporations to raise prices on all goods, regardless of whether they are actually subject to new tariffs, and to increase prices above and beyond what is necessary to cover any additional costs. Chair Ferguson did not respond to the lawmakers’ letter and has yet to take discernible action to prevent tariff-related price gouging, despite his own warning that President Trump’s tariffs “should not be interpreted as a green light for price fixing or any other unlawful behavior.”
In June 2025, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released new survey results showing that “a significant share” of companies raised prices of goods and services that are not subject to tariffs, confirming that businesses were indeed “taking advantage of an escalating pricing environment to increase prices.”
Anecdotes from the Federal Reserve illustrate that tariff-enabled price gouging is already a significant and legitimate concern:
A heavy construction equipment supplier “raised prices on goods unaffected by tariffs to enjoy the extra margin.”
A contact at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco “observed that price increases that had been implemented in anticipation of certain tariffs were not rolled back once those tariffs were removed.”
The President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland said she heard of firms “raising prices even though they aren’t affected by tariffs because competitors who do face higher import taxes are raising prices.”
“This Administration’s reckless approach is spiking costs for small businesses and creating opportunities for billion-dollar companies to grow their profits and take advantage of consumers,” wrote the lawmakers. “The FTC should be utilizing its full authority to prevent these unfair practices.”
The lawmakers concluded the letter by urging the FTC to use its 6(b) authority to investigate any tariff-enabled price gouging and to issue a report on its findings.
The letter is cosigned by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and U.S. Representatives Becca Balint (D-VT), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Mark Pocan (D-WI).
To read the full text of the letter, click here.
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement after Virginia fell behind North Carolina, Texas, and Florida in the CNBC’s Top States for Business report for 2025:
“Virginia’s slip in CNBC’s Top States for Business ranking once again highlights that the chaos and uncertainty caused by President Trump’s tariffs, the slashing of federal funding, and the politicizing and hollowing out of the federal workforce are gut punches to Virginia’s economy. While I’m glad to see Virginia ranked first in the education category, I worry we won’t hang on to it for long if Trump keeps meddling in our universities. I will continue to do everything I can to protect Virginia’s economy and schools from this disastrous administration.”
Virginia ranked first on CNBC’s list multiple times while Kaine was governor, including during the list’s first-ever release in 2007.
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, released the following statement after President Donald Trump pledged a 50 percent tariff on goods from Brazil in response to steps the country is taking to hold its former president accountable for attempting a coup:
“The last thing Americans want is another trade war that will raise prices and throw businesses into uncertainty—and for what? To punish Brazil for taking steps to hold President Trump’s disgraced friend accountable for trying to overthrow its government? Trump is so sensitive about his own attempted coup on January 6 that he’s willing to put deranged political grievances and his own interests over what’s best for our economy. As multiple courts have ruled, most of Trump’s tariffs are illegal and an abuse of executive authorities. Using tariffs to interfere with foreign judicial proceedings takes abuse of power to a whole new level.
“I will use all available means to block these latest job-killing tariffs, which are nothing more than a tax on American consumers.”
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
Senators send letter to Commissioner Olivia Trusty urging her to support a full Commission vote on the merger
Letter Text (PDF)
Washington (July 10, 2025) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), members of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today wrote to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Olivia Trusty, urging the FCC to hold a full Commission vote on the pending Paramount Global and Skydance Media merger. On July 2, Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, agreed to pay $16 million to settle a frivolous lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump. In May 2025, as Paramount was reportedly pushing for the settlement to help facilitate approval of its merger, Senators Markey and Luján wrote to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr requesting that the FCC hold a full Committee vote on the Paramount-Skydance merger.
In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “As we explained in a letter to Chairman Brendan Carr in May, the Paramount-Skydance merger is unique in the FCC’s storied history, with the sitting President actively litigating against a news organization whose parent is seeking FCC approval of a major media merger. In that baseless lawsuit, Trump falsely alleged that CBS had violated state consumer protection laws through its editorial decisions around an interview of then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Although the transcript of the interview indisputably showed that Trump’s claims were a flagrant attempt to intimate the media, Paramount has nevertheless agreed to settle that lawsuit for $16 million. This settlement casts a shadow over the proposed Paramount-Skydance merger and raises serious questions about the editorial independence of one of the nation’s largest media organizations. The Commission cannot turn a blind eye to this context.”
The lawmakers conclude, “For that reason, in our May letter, we urged Chairman Carr to hold a vote on the merger by the full Commission, instead of unilaterally directing the Media Bureau to approve it on its delegated authority. Commissioner Anna Gomez has similarly called for a full Commission vote on the merger. We respectfully request you to join her and encourage Chairman Carr to schedule a full Commission vote. The FCC owes the public a transparent, deliberative process on such a high-profile and controversial issue.”
Senator Markey has aggressively pushed back on the Trump administration’s efforts to attack news organizations and intimidate the media. In March 2025, Senators Markey and Luján, along with Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), introduced the Broadcast Freedom and Independence Act, legislation that would prohibit the FCC from revoking broadcast licenses or taking action against broadcasters based on the viewpoints they broadcast. In February 2025, Senators Markey and Luján, along with Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), wrote to Chairman Carr and then-Commissioner Nathan Simington regarding the FCC’s recent, politically motivated actions against broadcasters and public media.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Cassandra Burke Robertson, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Professional Ethics, Case Western Reserve University
New American citizens recite the Oath of Allegiance during a naturalization ceremony in Miami on Aug. 17, 2018.AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee
While a recent Justice Department memo prioritizes national security cases, it directs the department to “maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by the evidence” across 10 broad priority categories.
Denaturalization is different from deportation, which removes noncitizens from the country. With civil denaturalization, the government files a lawsuit to strip people’s U.S. citizenship after they have become citizens, turning them back into noncitizens who can then be deported.
The government can only do this in specific situations. It must prove someone “illegally procured” citizenship by not meeting the requirements, or that they lied or hid important facts during the citizenship process.
The Trump administration’s “maximal enforcement” approach means pursuing any case where evidence might support taking away citizenship, regardless of priority level or strength of evidence. As our earlier research documented, this has already led to cases like that of Baljinder Singh, whose citizenship was revoked based on a name discrepancy that could easily have resulted from a translator’s error rather than intentional fraud.
A brief history
For most of American history, taking away citizenship has been rare. But it increased dramatically during the 1940s and 1950s during the Red Scare period characterized by intense suspicion of communism. The United States government targeted people it thought were communists or Nazi supporters. Between 1907 and 1967, over 22,000 Americans lost their citizenship this way.
Everything changed in 1967 when the Supreme Court decided Afroyim v. Rusk. The court said the government usually cannot take away citizenship without the person’s consent. It left open only cases involving fraud during the citizenship process.
After this decision, denaturalization became extremely rare. From 1968 to 2013, fewer than 150 people lost their citizenship, mostly war criminals who had hidden their past.
Sen. Joseph McCarthy appears at a March 1950 hearing on his charges of communist infiltration at the State Department. AP Photo/Herbert K. White
How the process works
In criminal lawsuits, defendants get free lawyers if they can’t afford one. They get jury trials. The government must prove guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt” – the highest standard of proof.
People facing denaturalization get no free lawyer, meaning poor defendants often face the government alone. There’s no jury trial – just a judge deciding whether someone deserves to remain American. The burden of proof is lower – “clear and convincing evidence” instead of “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Most important, there’s no time limit, so the government can go back decades to build cases.
The Supreme Court has called citizenship a fundamental right. Chief Justice Earl Warren in 1958 described it as the “right to have rights.”
In our reading of the law, taking away such a fundamental right through civil procedures that lack basic constitutional protection – no right to counsel for those who can’t afford it, no jury trial, and a lower burden of proof – seems to violate the due process of law required by the Constitution when the government seeks to deprive someone of their rights.
The bigger problem is what citizenship-stripping policy does to democracy.
When the government can strip citizenship from naturalized Americans for decades-old conduct through civil procedures with minimal due process protection – pursuing cases based on evidence that might not meet criminal standards – it undermines the security and permanence that citizenship is supposed to provide. This creates a system where naturalized citizens face ongoing vulnerability that can last their entire lives, potentially chilling their full participation in American democracy.
The Justice Department memo establishes 10 priority categories for denaturalization cases. They range from national security threats and war crimes to various forms of fraud, financial crimes and, most importantly, any other cases it deems “sufficiently important to pursue.” This “maximal enforcement” approach means pursuing not just clear cases of fraud, but also any case where evidence might support taking away citizenship, no matter how weak or old the evidence is.
This creates fear throughout immigrant communities.
About 20 million naturalized Americans now must worry that any mistake in their decades-old immigration paperwork could cost them their citizenship.
A two-tier system
This policy effectively creates two different types of American citizens. Native-born Americans never have to worry about losing their citizenship, no matter what they do. But naturalized Americans face ongoing vulnerability that can last their entire lives.
This has already happened. A woman who became a naturalized citizen in 2007 helped her boss with paperwork that was later used in fraud. She cooperated with the FBI investigation, was characterized by prosecutors as only a “minimal participant,” completed her sentence, and still faced losing her citizenship decades later because she didn’t report the crime on her citizenship application – even though she hadn’t been charged at the time.
A woman receives a U.S. flag after passing her citizenship interview in Newark, N.J., on May 25, 2016. AP Photo/Julio Cortez
The Justice Department’s directive to “maximally pursue” cases across 10 broad categories – combined with the first Trump administration’s efforts to review over 700,000 naturalization files – represents an unprecedented expansion of denaturalization efforts.
The policy will almost certainly face legal challenges on constitutional grounds, but the damage may already be done. When naturalized citizens fear their status could be revoked, it undermines the security and permanence that citizenship is supposed to provide.
The Supreme Court, in Afroyim v. Rusk, was focused on protecting existing citizens from losing their citizenship. The constitutional principle behind that decision – that citizenship is a fundamental right which can’t be arbitrarily taken away by whoever happens to be in power – applies equally to how the government handles denaturalization cases today.
The Trump administration’s directive, combined with court procedures that lack basic constitutional protections, risks creating a system that the Afroyim v. Rusk decision sought to prevent – one where, as the Supreme Court said, “A group of citizens temporarily in office can deprive another group of citizens of their citizenship.”
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jelani Amari Petersen, 28, of Tallahassee, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday of attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. The verdict was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am proud of the great work by my office and our state and federal law enforcement partners to take this sex offender off our streets. This case exemplifies the mission set forth by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pamela Bondi: protect America’s children against predators like this defendant. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute such offenses to keep our most vulnerable members of the community safe from the predations of these sick individuals.”
Trial testimony demonstrated that in September 2024, federal, state, and local law enforcement executed Operation Lifeguard, an undercover operation designed to apprehend individuals who use the Internet to sexually exploit children online. During the operation, Petersen communicated with an undercover officer who he believed to be a minor female, and expressed interest in engaging in sexual activity with the child in exchange for money. When Petersen arrived at a pre-arranged meeting location, law enforcement arrested him and searched his car. A subsequent search of his cellular phone, confirmed his communication with the undercover officers.
Petersen faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by a term of five years to life of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin M. Keen and Meredith Steer.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 3, 2025, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
July 10, 2025
Durbin: “I asked for documentation from Mr. Reuveni to further substantiate his claims. That’s what I’m releasing to the public today. And clearly substantiate Mr. Reuveni’s claims they do.”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released text messages, email exchanges, and documents further corroborating the whistleblower disclosures of Mr. Erez Reuveni, formerly the Acting Deputy Director for the Office of Immigration Litigation at the Department of Justice, on Emil Bove’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
On the disclosures and the status of Mr. Bove’s judicial nomination, which is eligible for a vote at the next Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting, Durbin released the following statement:
“Erez Reuveni was a career Justice Department attorney who vigorously defended President Trump’s immigration policies during his first Administration. So, when this loyal public servant came forward with serious allegations of misconduct by Emil Bove, I knew it was out of principle—not politics.
“Senators raised these allegations at Emil Bove’s judicial nomination hearing, and he offered only carefully wordsmithed responses. So, I asked for documentation from Mr. Reuveni to further substantiate his claims. That’s what I’m releasing to the public today.
“And clearly substantiate Mr. Reuveni’s claims they do. Text messages, email exchanges, and documents show that the Department of Justice misled a federal court and disregarded a court order. Mr. Bove spearheaded this effort, which demanded attorneys violate their ethical duty of candor to the court. And if Mr. Bove simply ‘can’t recall’ any of this and demands his subordinates compromise their professional obligations, he doesn’t have the moral judgment or character to serve in a lifetime position on the federal court.
“These episodes can only lead to one conclusion: Emil Bove belongs nowhere near the federal bench. This vote will be a litmus test for Senate Judiciary Republicans. This is about more than a random f-bomb. This is a declaration of defiance of our courts at the highest level of our government by a man who now seeks a lifetime appointment to one of the highest courts in our land.”
Following Mr. Bove’s judicial nomination hearing, Durbin requested the documents from Mr. Reuveni in a private letter to his attorneys. Durbin also led all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in further investigation of the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Defense regarding Mr. Reuveni’s accounts.
For a summary of Mr. Reuveni’s document production, clickhere.
For a PDF of Mr. Reuveni’s first documents production, clickhere.
For a PDF of Mr. Reuveni’s second documents production, clickhere.
