Congress

Capitol agenda: Vance, Johnson try to rally House GOP

Published

3 hours ago

July 15, 2026

House Republicans finally have a rough outline of what they’ll include in their third reconciliation bill.

And plenty of members are not happy about it.

Part of members’ frustration stems from a lack of details colliding with a staggeringly fast timeline: GOP leaders are aiming to adopt the framework for a party-line package on the floor by the end of next week.

More details should be coming soon: Budget Republicans will release the text of their framework at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning as their committee plans to mark up the measure Thursday. So far we expect the budget resolution to include $67 billion for defense spending, $11 billion in farm aid and pieces of the SAVE America Act.

But House GOP leaders and senior White House officials have a raft of other issues to resolve to get party factions on board. Vice President JD Vance Wednesday will meet with House Republicans at 3 p.m. at the Capitol and is all but certain to press members to find a path forward:

— THE FISCAL HAWKS: Fiscal hawks are frustrated the bill’s plan doesn’t include immediate and bold cuts to offset new spending.

Rep. Josh Brecheen, one fiscal hawk on the Budget panel, said he is “sympathetic” to the defense portion not having pay-fors — but declined to give his support for the $11 billion in farm aid that doesn’t not include offsets.

“They’ve got to get the votes in Budget Committee for that,” he said.

— THE MODS: Moderate Republicans, meanwhile, are more likely to support the package without any pay-fors, especially after facing political blowback for the spending cuts in last summer’s reconciliation package.

If cuts are “off the table, then we’re in a much better place,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said.

— OTHER REQUESTS: Some Republicans are frustrated the package doesn’t go far enough in tackling issues like affordability and health care — which have become key issues in midterm elections. Others are criticizing it falls well short of the $350 billion military infusion President Donald Trump called for.

Senior Republicans believe the White House has declined to provide more specifics about the $67 billion defense portion because it will include Iran war funding that may stir opposition.

“I need to see: are they funding something that I don’t back, right?” Fitzpatrick added: “I support the military. I’m against the war.”

Opposing the war “doesn’t mean we take it out on the troops,” Fitzpatrick added.

Meanwhile, Rep. Don Bacon — while generally supportive of the supplemental funding for the military — said he is still demanding American troops return to Poland.

“If he wants my vote, he’s got to answer,” on Poland, Bacon said in an interview.

What else we’re watching:

— DEMS SHIFT STRATEGY TO CURB IRAN WAR: Democrats are turning their focus away from forcing votes on war powers resolutions and toward other levers of power to rein in the war in Iran. A prime target: the annual must-pass $1.15 trillion defense policy bill. The bill is tentatively scheduled for a House floor vote next week, while Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer unanimously sunk that chamber’s version Tuesday. In Democrats’ view, a vote against the National Defense Authorization Act amounts to a vote against authorizing the war, said a Senate Democratic aide granted anonymity to discuss private conversations.

— DEMS SHIFT STRATEGY TO CURB IRAN WAR: The fate of the Senate majority could lie in the hands of 600 yet-to-be-chosen Maine Democrats next week, and Schumer — an inveterate campaign meddler — is staying on the sidelines. Schumer told Blue Light News he is not endorsing a candidate in the primary. Instead, he’s keeping his focus on the general election in November — and on defeating Republican Sen. Susan Collins — ahead of the party’s nominating convention July 25 to replace Graham Platner on the ballot.

Jordain Carney, Nick Reisman and Chris Sommerfeldt contributed to this report.

Congress

Todd Blanche confirmation hearing kicks off

Published

10 minutes ago

July 15, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Attorney general nominee Todd Blanche opened his confirmation hearing by telling members of the Senate Judiciary Committee he is committed to “restoring American trust” in the the Justice Department — after claiming the Biden administration weaponized the law against President Donald Trump and many Republican lawmakers.

“In recent years, we watched the Justice Department turn against many of you and a former president and it damaged the public’s faith in justice,” Blanche, the current deputy attorney general now also leading the DOJ in an acting capacity, said Wednesday morning. “We are fixing that.”

He was likely referencing Biden-era special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and mismanagement of classified documents.

Blanche, who was confirmed last year as deputy attorney general, told the Senate he is “here today to earn your trust once more” amid indications that Judiciary Committee Republicans Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas could oppose him.

He also used his opening statement to play up the accomplishments his agency has taken to keep Americans safer, specifically noting actions to more stringently enforce the borders, keep drugs out of the country and crack down on fraud such as in the healthcare space.

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, went after Blanche for an uneven rollout of the Jeffrey Epstein files and his role in facilitating the controversial legal settlement agreement for Trump that led to the short-lived launch of an “anti-weaponization fund” that members of both parties decried.

“This nation deserves an Attorney General who loves the Constitution more than he loves the President. An Attorney General who is focused on keeping Americans safe and combating corruption — not satisfying the grifter-in-chief’s personal grievances and filling his bank accounts,” Durbin said. “Mr. Blanche, you have proven beyond a reasonable doubt you are not that person.”

Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) lauded successful efforts under Blanche at DOJ to crack down on crime and defended him against Democratic attacks that the Justice Department has lacked transparency and accountability.

A staunch oversight advocate, Grassley called the current Justice Department “the most responsive” he has ever worked with during his decadeslong career — noting that DOJ, since January 2025, “produced approximately 43,000 pages of records in response to requests from the Senate and House,” which is “three times” the number of records the Biden DOJ produced over an equivalent timeline.

Congress

Katherine Clark, No. 2 House Democrat, backs cutting Israel aid

Published

10 minutes ago

July 15, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the No. 2 House Democrat, said Wednesday she will vote to cut aid to Israel in a break with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

“I think that this is a cynical effort with this amendment to divide people,” Clark said in an interview. “But it is also a chance to say clearly that the status quo is not acceptable.”

“There is no country that should be given a blank check for military aid that is not in line with our interests and values as Americans,” she added.

The amendment from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is sharply dividing Democrats, with progressives calling for an end of U.S. support for Israel and many leadership-aligned members warning that the measure is poorly constructed and could cut humanitarian support for Palestinians in Gaza.

Jeffries said that he would oppose the amendment, calling it “overly broad,” but advised members to “vote their conscience” in a private Tuesday meeting.

“As a caucus, we have a united commitment to peace in the region,” Clark said. “I fully support what Leader Jeffries has put out as a proposal.”

Congress

Todd Blanche says he can’t meet directly with Epstein victims

Published

10 minutes ago

July 15, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Todd Blanche fended off questions about his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files at his confirmation hearing Wednesday morning, telling members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that, “when it comes to victims of his horrible man, we will never, never not talk to victims.”

But pressed by the top Democrat Judiciary Committee Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, to meet with 10 victims present in the hearing room, Blanche suggested he is personally prohibited from meeting directly with them and instead offered to have them meet with one of his deputies.

“They have lawyers, as you know. I’m prohibited from meeting directly with them,” Blanche said. “I have met with counsel for survivors, as have many people in the Department of Justice. But if they are represented by counsel, we will work with their counsel.”

Durbin replied: “I think you ought to be in the room because you ought to hear this. You have a singular responsibility for these files.”

Earlier in the hearing, Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) handed Blanche an opportunity to defend his work overseeing the disclosure of the files. Blanche told the committee that, “if we learn today, if we learn next week, if we learn next month that there’s an individual that we can investigate, indict and prosecute out of the Epstein files, you better believe it we will.”

Since disclosure of millions of files earlier this year, however, the Justice Department hasn’t prosecuted anyone in connection with Epstein. Though Trump ordered an investigation into Democrats linked to Epstein, the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office has taken no steps to suggest that the probe is active.