Congress

Capitol agenda: GOP faces megabill angst and a ‘time problem’

Published

3 months ago

July 10, 2026

Republicans return to Capitol Hill Monday facing a dwindling calendar and rising pressure to beef up their midterm message with legislation.

But their efforts to pass a new party-line bill are sputtering, and the political benefits of the last one are, a year later, looking modest at best.

“I think the complication is that … you did so much work in one legislative exercise that it’s tough to go back and really tell that story,” Rep. Nick Langworthy said in an interview about the July 4 anniversary of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

In the last week, certain megabill provisions celebrated by Republicans — such as the launching of President Donald Trump-branded child investment accounts and the sunsetting of clean energy tax credits — have gone into effect.

But Republicans have had trouble selling the bill to the American public. Some provisions don’t come into effect until 2028, and the GOP has tried to rebrand it as the “Working Families Tax Cuts Act” after Trump acknowledged its original name was “not good for explaining to people what it’s all about.”

That’s adding to the pressure Republicans will feel next week as they try to jumpstart the party’s efforts on another party-line policy bill.

“We’ve got a time problem, but we want to get a win for this country,” Rep. August Pfluger said.

But with only eight House legislative days before August recess and ongoing intraparty fights holding up the floor, many are acknowledging the time strain.

“There was a lot of pressure and political support behind trying to get the first bill done and that took us eight months to do,” Rep. Greg Steube said in an interview. “The timing of another one is challenging, and these days we can’t even pass a rule.”

What else we’re watching:

— WHY JOHN KENNEDY IS SUDDENLY EVERYWHERE: Sen. John Kennedy is the Senate GOP’s new unlikely campaign trail star. The 74-year-old Louisianan has long been known as the master of the folksy one-liner in interviews. But his profile has recently exploded thanks to an increasing tempo of Fox News hits, a bestselling book and a growing TikTok following.

— TRUMP OUSTS ALL ELECTION COMMISSIONERS: Trump has ousted the remaining commissioners from a bipartisan federal agency charged with helping state and local officials conduct elections in an apparent move to assert control over voting ahead of the midterms. The president removed the two Democratic members of the Election Assistance Commission on Thursday while a Republican was allowed to resign, according to a White House official and three other people familiar with the dismissals.

Jordan Carney, Aaron Pellish and Zach Montellaro contributed to this report.

Congress

Troy Carter launches bid to run Congressional Black Caucus

Published

15 minutes ago

September 23, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) launched a run to head the Congressional Black Caucus, making official his long-anticipated and heavily favored bid to take over the powerful group.

Carter announced his plans in a letter to colleagues sent Tuesday and obtained by Blue Light News, saying, “I will listen carefully. I will work hard. I will act when action is needed.”

Carter has support from much of the CBC and has positioned himself as a fierce ally of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Next term, the CBC is anticipating an influx of prospective ultraprogressive members. In his letter, Carter signaled he welcomes ideological diversity in the caucus.

“As Chair, I will respect the tremendous diversity of talent, experience, geography, ideology, and perspective within our Caucus,” Carter said in the letter. “Every Member should know that their voice matters, that they have a seat at the table, and that when they need their Caucus, their Caucus will be there.”

In a July interview with POLITICO, Carter previewed how he would lead the caucus, whose membership has been threatened by Republican-led redistricting in the South in the wake of an April Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais that limited the Voting Rights Act .

“If those who are out there banking on us being quieted, going away, not fighting for the rights of individuals, and providing resources to those that have been historically left behind, they are sadly mistaken,” he said at the time.

On other matters that the CBC will have to consider next term, he said he’s not keen on carving up majority-minority districts in blue states to create new Democratic seats, but he struck a softer note on seniority rights for committee assignments, saying: “I have never believed that a person that comes in with superior expertise in a subject matter should be told to wait.”

Congress

Senate Republican seeks to fast-track AI whistleblower bill

Published

30 minutes ago

September 23, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley is trying to pass a bill before the midterms that would protect whistleblowers who disclose information about the risks involved in artificial intelligence development, according to two people granted anonymity to disclose nonpublic information.

The Iowa Republican is seeking to move it through unanimous consent — a way to expedite passage on the Senate floor that hinges on an agreement from all 100 senators to let the measure through.

Only one senator has to object in order to doom the effort. Grassley is in the process of privately checking with colleagues to see if someone will register opposition, according to the two people with knowledge of his efforts. He likely has until the end of this week to seal the deal, as senators are eager to begin their lengthy recess to campaign ahead of the November elections.

Even if someone indicates privately they oppose the bill, Grassley may go to the Senate floor and try to pass the bill anyways, one of the people said — a way to force a colleague to go on the record publicly blocking the measure and defend their position.

A longtime champion of whistleblower protections, Grassley introduced this specific legislation in May 2025. Original cosponsors included Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Democratic Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Brian Schatz of Hawaii. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, as well as Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), have more recently signed onto the bill.

The push for passage now comes as a flurry of current and former employees of leading AI labs have emerged to share alarm over the rapid pace of AI advancements and its potential for catastrophic consequences if left unchecked.

And while it wouldn’t come close to the kind of AI regulatory framework some lawmakers are clamoring for Congress to enact, it would represent a step toward bringing some accountability to AI development practices that some critics worry lacks necessary transparency.

Congress

Capitol agenda: Republicans riddled by stay-or-go dilemma

Published

4 hours ago

September 23, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Republican senators are stuck in a fight or flight dilemma as they weigh their midterm strategy this week.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune hasn’t made a call yet about cutting the session short to get lawmakers back on the campaign trail or keeping them in Washington to try and address growing voter unease with inflation and gas prices fueled by President Donald Trump’s war in Iran.

Republicans will discuss the schedule during their closed-door caucus lunch Wednesday afternoon, two people granted anonymity to discuss planning tell Blue Light News.

“We ought to be doing anything we possibly can to try to help” lower the cost of living, Sen. Jim Justice said. “The problem is everybody is running to get out of the doors and everything so they can go preserve their ability to get reelected.”

As of now, the chamber will spend its final days this week focused on passage of a college sports bill, setting up a split screen between the real economic pain hitting Americans and the relatively light stakes of the chamber’s floor agenda. That in itself is adding to the anxiety of some GOP lawmakers raising concerns their majority is in real peril.

At the same time, it’s unclear whether lawmakers can reach a consensus on any consequential legislation in such a short window to address rising costs, and any successful bills would sit idly in the now recessed House.

Still, a handful of senators are making last-ditch appeals for legislative action.

Sen. Jon Husted told reporters Tuesday he’s hoping for a vote on his bill to curb data center-related energy costs.

“It’s foolish both policy-wise and political-wise not to put it on the floor,” Sen. John Kennedy said about Husted’s bill.

Sen. Roger Marshall, who like Husted is locked in a closer-than-expected race, floated a vote on his long-stalled bill capping credit card “swipe fees” — which he said would “lower the cost of gasoline two or three percent” for those putting it on plastic.

And Sen. Susan Collins said she wants to see her bipartisan insulin bill get a vote on the floor next week.

Collins is also pressing for a long-sought bipartisan permitting reform deal to come together this week, which Republicans believe would show voters they are committed to addressing affordability issues.

What else we’re watching:

— PERMITTING DEAL FATE COULD SET UP EXIT: Striking an energy permitting deal could be enough of a reason to keep senators in session longer to vote on it, Thune told Blue Light News on Tuesday night. “If we can get a deal there, that’s something that most of our members believe is really consequential legislation and worthwhile,” Thune said, adding Republicans would discuss the issue at their weekly lunch Wednesday. The deal got new life after Trump signaled he’d ease his administration’s blockade on wind projects to help grease negotiations with Democrats.

— HOUSE GOP LEADERS WEIGH PRE-MIDTERM RETURN: Chatter is picking up in Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership circle about the possibility of a pre-midterm House return — but such a move would likely only happen if the Senate passes energy permitting reform, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. What else GOP leaders must weigh: the chamber’s return would trigger an impeachment vote on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, something Republicans had hoped to avoid before the election. Meanwhile, Sen. Ted Cruz told Blue Light News TUESDAY night he believes the House would come back early to take up his college sports bill if senators pass it this week, but timing would be “a decision for the speaker.”

Jordain Carney, Josh Siegel, Meredith Lee Hill, Mia McCarthy and Kelsey Brugger contributed to this report.