Congress
Capitol agenda: House GOP budget faces Senate reality check
Speaker Mike Johnson successfully muscled Republicans’ Recon 3.0 ball into Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s court.
GOP Senators aren’t exactly thrilled to have it there.
“I don’t think Senator Thune’s going to take it up,” Sen. John Kennedy told reporters Wednesday.
GOP senators are likely to face a wave of pressure from the White House and House Republicans to move quickly and advance their budget resolution before August recess — the first step necessary to pass another party-line spending bill. But Thune has been frank about the rocky road the effort faces and careful not to guarantee he’ll be successful — before recess or ever.
Here are the obstacles he faces:
— GOVERNMENT FUNDING: GOP leaders are prioritizing funding the government past its Sept. 30 deadline before any party-line reconciliation bill.
“Our goal is to make sure we have government funded, and we want to get a continuing resolution done. …That’s number one,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso said in an interview.
Thune said this week he would hold the House’s budget resolution in reserve as an alternative way to fund the government if Democrats don’t cooperate on passing a stopgap.
But if government funding talks get punted to September, Republicans are also skeptical they’d advance the budget resolution given the close proximity to the midterms and the politically tricky votes that arise during the reconciliation process.
“I’m not a fan of pursuing reconciliation,” Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, who is up for re-election, said.
— DEFICIT HAWKS: Several Senate Republicans — including Rick Scott, Bill Cassidy and Rand Paul — are making it clear they will want to pay for part of the bill, as the House’s plan has no spending offsets.
Thune can only lose votes from two of his members and still secure the budget blueprint’s adoption, given unified opposition from Democrats. And Sen. Mitch McConnell is absent indefinitely for health reasons.
Asked Wednesday how close he was to having the 50 votes necessary to proceed on the Senate floor, Thune quipped: “Good question.”
And if Senate Republicans ask committees to look for ways to pay for the new spending, that could balloon the debate into a much larger fight about taxes, health care and other issues — and potentially force Republicans into politically sensitive votes.
“We literally have not had an organized conversation about reconciliation yet,” Sen. Ron Johnson, Republicans’ newly appointed Budget Committee chair, said when asked if 50 Senate Republicans were serious about wanting to do a third bill.
— SAVE AMERICA PUSHBACK: Senate Republicans don’t believe they’ll be able to get parts of Trump’s priority elections legislation into the bill amid pushback from some of their own members.
That’s assuming the provisions would adhere to the chamber’s strict rules for what can be included under the reconciliation process.
Sen. Thom Tillis warned last week that he’d “use every device I have available to slow down the wheels of government” if a reconciliation bill comes over from the House with components of the SAVE America Act included.
“Do the math,” he added.
What else we’re watching:
— HOUSE DEMS LOBBY GOP ON WAR POWERS VOTE: House Democrats are trying to convince more of their Republican counterparts to join them on an Iran war powers resolution they’ll force Thursday on the House floor. The House last month successfully advanced a similar measure to limit Trump’s military authority in Iran with the help of four Republicans. We’re now watching to see how many other Republicans may join them to back a resolution from Rep. Pramila Jayapal as strikes in the Middle East ramp up. Meanwhile in the Senate, Democrats will try to force their own Iran war powers resolution on the floor Thursday.
— AI-LAUNCHED CYBERATTACK SPURS BIPARTISAN BILL: Reps. Ted Lieu and Nathaniel Moran are introducing one of the most aggressive bipartisan AI safety proposals yet to emerge on Capitol Hill, Blue Light News scooped. The bill comes days after OpenAI disclosed the first fully autonomous breach by two of its most advanced models. The bill would empower the Department of Homeland Security to order AI companies to slow, suspend or shut down advanced AI models deemed to pose serious risks.
Jordain Carney, Mia McCarthy, Riley Rogerson, Gabby Miller, Brendan Bordelon and Dana Nickel contributed to this report.
GOP Rep. Russell Fry threw his support behind Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) for a full term in the Senate — a key endorsement for the political newcomer who’s locked in a heated primary runoff with Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.).
“On August 25, I’m asking everyone who supported our campaign to join me in supporting Darline Graham for the United States Senate,” Fry said in a statement Friday.
Fry, who unsuccessfully ran in the snap primary to replace late Sen. Lindsey Graham as the Republican nominee on the November ballot, came in third place during the first round of voting. His support for Graham — who entered the race with President Donald Trump’s early backing — will be fundamental in helping her shore up votes in his deeply conservative coastal home region, potentially countering Norman’s dominance in Upstate South Carolina.
It’s a notable shift after Graham and Fry traded fierce barbs in the leadup to the Aug. 11 primary, primarily through attack ads sponsored by their campaigns and outside allies.
Fry claimed Graham “ballooned the size” and doubled the spending of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, which she has led since 2019. Security in Strength, a Graham-aligned PAC, blanketed local TV with an ad that shows an AI-depiction of Fry’s likeness transposed onto a slice of meat in a frying pan being dumped out by Trump.
Now, Graham and Norman are racing to win influential endorsements from powerbrokers across the state to build a majority coalition ahead of the Aug. 25 runoff.
Graham has received the backing of fellow South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott as well as Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and GOP nominee for Agriculture Commissioner Cody Simpson — both close allies of Trump and Gov. Henry McMaster. Norman has banked the support of several senators — Sen. Rick Scott of Florida and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah — as well as former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Former Gov. Mark Sanford, who also ran in the Senate primary and failed to make the runoff, has not yet publicly backed a candidate.
Florida’s primary next week will test whether Debbie Wasserman Schultz can survive her latest fall from grace within the Democratic party she’s served for decades.
Her run in the state’s 20th District has roiled the caucus: Wasserman Schultz, 59, is facing a crowded slate of challengers —several of them younger, several of them Washington outsiders — in an election cycle that has increasingly seen its voters oust longtime incumbents in favor of generational insurgents.
But it’s her decision to run in one of a dwindling number of majority-Black districts after Republicans redrew her former seat that has deeply divided colleagues.
“It’s a painful situation,” says Rep. Yvette Clarke, the Congressional Black Caucus chair. “To have a beloved colleague who made a decision basically to run in a district where historically there’s been CBC representation, and I know that the community has been really disrupted by it.”
The CBC has warned that 19 representatives of 61 could lose their seats this cycle thanks to a Supreme Court ruling making it harder to challenge congressional maps on racial discrimination grounds.
Wasserman Schultz’s gambit is that voters in the district will want someone with her seniority and experience to take on President Donald Trump.
“We have to make sure we’re putting the strongest fighter on the field,” she told Blue Light News after entering the race.
But she’s wholly unwelcome by the rest of the all-Black primary slate. Competitor Dale Holness tried to convince her she could keep her redrawn district blue by running there instead. But Wasserman Schultz refused.
“The biggest disappointment for me, and what makes me most upset, is she was positioned to win that seat better than anyone else in South Florida,” Holness said, “and she gave up that fight for expediency to take something away from a community that has been most loyal to the Democratic Party.”
Now, given her name recognition and more than $3.3 million in fundraising, she’s considered the front-runner for the 20th District.
Some critics view Wasserman Schultz’s race as similar to the controversy that forced her to step down as DNC chair in 2016. That’s when Bernie Sanders supporters accused her of tipping the scales in the presidential primary for Hillary Clinton, and Wasserman Schultz became the face of an establishment critics said was fixated on protecting its power.
Still, Wasserman Schultz maintains a deep bench of supporters from her party – including Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a past CBC chair and a friend going back 20 years. Cleaver campaigned with her in the district and called it a “tough situation.”
“Wouldn’t it be ugly if I’m driving down the street with Debbie Wasserman Schultz in my red convertible, and I see an African American standing on the road without a ride, and they ask me to stop, put Debbie out of the car? Let them get in because they are African American? I don’t roll like that.”
What else we’re watching:
— CONGRESS’ SOCIAL MEDIA STARS: A little known Louisiana Republican just a few years ago, Speaker Mike Johnson has easily cleared over a million followers on X. So too has House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer laps them both, with 3.6 million follows on X. And Senate Majority Leader John Thune — though he’s been at the top of his party for fewer years — is trailing at around 373,000 followers. And apart from leadership, a Blue Light News analysis shows members of the 119th Congress are growing more viral than ever.
— JEFFRIES TARGETS FILIBUSTER, VOTING RIGHTS: Jeffries Thursday spelled out his more ambitious goals if Democrats take control of both chambers. On his agenda: pushing for Senate filibuster reform, passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, a full repeal of the 2010 Citizens United campaign finance decision and changes to structure of the Supreme Court, Jeffries said in comments at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Atlanta.
Kimberly Leonard, Riley Rogerson and Cassandra Dumay contributed to this report.
Members of the 119th Congress are bigger on social media than ever before.
Dozens of lawmakers boast millions of Instagram followers and nearly 100 have launched TikTok accounts — in spite of Congress’ own attempts to reign in the platform.
With attention so often the most valuable currency on Capitol Hill, large followings can translate to opportunities for members to elevate their profile, drive a narrative or make a stink that’s impossible for leadership to ignore. Generating clippable moments has become a ubiquitous goal of committee work, floor debates and any other congressional business that involves a camera.
And as Democrats and Republicans reckon with generational change in their ranks, the ability to message online has also become a growing litmus test for future party leaders and a prerequisite for any presidential wannabe.
Blue Light News analyzed social media followings on X, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for all sitting members of Congress to see whose hard work to win reach and influence has paid off. For lawmakers who regularly use both an official and personal account, Blue Light News deferred to the account with the highest following.
Here’s a look at members’ internet cache and how it’s growing:
Standard bearers
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio–Cortez (D-N.Y.), two darlings of the progressive movement, boast huge numbers.
Sanders has a whopping 14.9 million followers on X, 8.9 million on Instagram, 3.7 million on TikTok and 8.2 million on Facebook.
Ocasio-Cortez is the only member of Congress to rival Sanders’ following with 12.6 million followers on X, 9.7 million on Instagram, 4.1 million on TikTok and 2.2 million on Facebook.
Another high-profile progressive, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, stands out with 16.5 million followers across platforms. And Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who has led a campaign to juice Senate Democrats’ social media presence, has 10.7 million followers on all platforms collectively.
“I’ve always believed in meeting people where they’re getting their information, building community, and shaping their understanding of the world,” Booker said in a statement, adding, “when we use these tools with intention and authenticity, we can break down barriers, strengthen our democracy, and stay rooted in the conversations that matter most.”
For Republicans, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas runs ahead of the pack with his social media following: 7 million on X, 1.3 million on Instagram and 2.8 million on Facebook. Cruz, like most of his GOP peers, does not have a presence on TikTok, but he is dominating Blue Light News podcast scene with “Verdict.”
Breakout stars
One lawmaker capturing major new social media attention this Congress is Sen. John Kennedy, whose folksy clips that regularly feature his exercise machine named “Margaret” have garnered over 1 million followers on X and Instagram.
The Louisiana Republican has also gotten a boost from other users’ almost-inescapable compilation videos of his colorful similes and sayings. The newfound stardom for the senator is also sparking buzz about a potential 2028 presidential bid — which he isn’t ruling out.
Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has also taken off with explanatory videos and clips of her work on the panel that have drawn in 1.2 million TikTok followers.
2028 buzz
Members weighing a 2028 presidential bid have amassed some of the highest followings in the 119th Congress.
Other than Cruz on the Republican side, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has over 8.5 million followers across his top accounts on each platform, while Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri — who is not on TikTok — trails Paul with his own 5.6 million followers.
For Democrats, Ocasio-Cortez and Booker lead the pack, followed by Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia with 3.6 million followers; Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Chris Murphy of Connecticut both have about 2.5 million.
Members who previously made White House runs also enjoy large followings. That includes Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, now the Democratic nominee for governor, who has 3.5 million followers and enjoyed attention for posting photos with buff, shirtless firefighters.
Best of committees
Wielding a committee gavel also doesn’t hurt social media engagement, especially on X.
The House Judiciary Committee is led by two social media heavyweights: Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), with his staggering 6.8 million X followers, and top Democrat Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who has just under a million on X.
“We’re using social media every day to counter disinformation and to rally the forces of democracy and freedom,” Raskin said in a statement. “It’s pretty amazing to go from a situation where we used to have to issue press releases whenever we wanted to say anything to a situation where we can communicate directly with millions of people.”
Rep. Maxine Waters of California — the longtime top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee — also stands out for her 1.4 million X followers.
Across the Capitol, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, has about a million followers on X and, at 92 years old, is famous for doing his own social media posting. He’s gone viral for his earnest use of misspelled words and abbreviations to adhere to the platform’s character limits and enjoys sharing snapshots of his everyday life — such as when he ran over a deer with his car.
First timers
If there’s one star of the House’s freshman class online, it’s Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas. The GOP hard-liner is nearing 1 million followers on Instagram, where he shares clips of his committee appearances or TV hits. He also has over 699,900 followers on TikTok with millions of “likes,” and over 368,700 followers on X.
Behind him on Instagram are Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), with over 188,000 followers, and Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), with over 186,000 followers — both on their top platforms.
The goal for many members isn’t just virality — “it’s effective messaging,” McBride said in a statement. “And even if it is just a funny video, we need to break through the toxicity in our discourse and remind one another of our shared humanity. At the end of the day, social media isn’t just a communications tool.”
McBride is also a lead performer on TikTok with 153,600 followers, as is Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.), who is building his own momentum with over 73,900 followers, where he’s seemingly hopping on every trend on the app.
“I always try to reel people in with the fun or interesting stuff, and then I try to keep them around with the floor speeches and the traditional videos that you would expect from a member of Congress,” Subramanyam said. “Both are important.”
Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) is another freshman on the rise with nearly half a million X followers. “I speak unapologetically, and that tends to get attention,” he said in a statement.
Of Senate freshmen, Sen. Adam Schiff wins in a landslide with 3.3 million followers on X — his top account. The California Democrat rose to prominence as a member of the House, when he was a manager of President Donald Trump’s 2020 impeachment trial.
Leaders in leadership
A little known Louisiana Republican just a few years ago, Speaker Mike Johnson is now widely followed online with 1.2 million followers on his official X account, where every top leader has their most substantial following. His Democratic counterpart, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, has his own 1 million.
On X, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York laps both House leaders with his own 3.6 million X followers. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota — who has led his party in the Senate for eight fewer years than Schumer — trails with 373,000.
But former Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who is retiring at the end of this term, still dominates them all, with 8.6 million X followers.
Hard left and hard right
Members who make noise on the House floor are also skilled at grabbing attention on social media.
On the right, firebrand Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) runs away with 5.1 million followers on her personal X account, by far her biggest platform. She’s also amassed a significant following on Instagram, with nearly half a million followers.
And in the universe of far-right social media phenoms, Rep. Thomas Massie is also front and center with nearly two million X followers. The Kentucky Republican, who coined the hashtag #SassyWithMassie and is known for bucking his party, has over half a million followers on Instagram.
Trailing Massie is Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who has close to a million followers on X. Luna’s personal Instagram account, meanwhile, boasts 791,000 followers.
In the Senate, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah — who has a penchant for waging war with leadership via social media — has 852,000 X followers.
A slate of progressives have also built mega-followings, especially the original members of the so-called “Squad.” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has 2.8 million followers on her personal X account, 1.6 million followers on Instagram and over 863,300 followers on TikTok.
Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) also have big networks, with Tlaib passing 1.4 million followers on X and over 745,000 on Instagram. Pressley has nearing a million followers on X and near half a million on Instagram.
And that’s a wrap
As Massie learned the hard way through his primary defeat, social media success doesn’t necessarily translate into electoral victory.
Other members who will not be bringing their million-plus followers back for the 120th Congress include GOP Reps. Dan Crenshaw of Texas, who runs a popular podcast “Hold These Truths,” and high-velocity poster Nancy Mace of South Carolina.
Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett — who juiced her profile in Congress by posting unabashed takedowns of her Republican counterparts — also lost her primary for Texas Senate despite 2.9 million Instagram followers.
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