Congress

Capitol agenda: Johnson leans in on GOP holdouts

Published

6 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Speaker Mike Johnson’s legislative sprint hinges on a lot of Republican votes falling into place this week — starting with a tally Tuesday to open the floor for business.

The make-or-break procedural rule vote that eluded Johnson for weeks earlier this summer may again be in flux Tuesday afternoon, as GOP members harbor various frustrations about their party’s packed agenda.

If Republicans open the floor, next up Tuesday will be a vote on a stopgap funding bill through the midterms and the beginning of debate for the must-pass annual defense bill, among other business. Final votes on that package are expected Wednesday along with adoption of the GOP’s reconciliation framework and a stock trading ban for Congress.

House GOP leaders are leaning heavily on a small number of holdouts on different agenda items, and the White House is ramping up pressure across the board. OMB chief Russ Vought will make his pitch on Republicans’ $95 billion Iran war and agriculture reconciliation package Tuesday morning during the House GOP conference meeting.

The good news for Johnson: Key Republicans from opposite sides of the conference told Blue Light News they plan to support the rule Tuesday.

“I think the rule will pass pretty easily,” House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, a holdout earlier this month, said, adding he expected many other conservative hard-liners to support it.

The bad news for Johnson: At least one lawmaker — Rep. Thomas Massie — says he’ll vote ‘no’ on the rule, while Rep. Chip Roy said he’s undecided.

The budget resolution vote is another flashpoint we’ll be watching Roy, who says he’s unsure of his support due to the lack of offsets to new spending.

Meanwhile Rep. Warren Davidson says he’ll vote ‘no’ on the framework for the same reasons.

“I think you gotta find the pay-fors,” Davidson told Blue Light News.

Davidson said he’s also not swayed by GOP leaders’ argument that a post-midterm fourth reconciliation bill will target fraud to offset spending, adding they have “already used that excuse twice.”

Meanwhile, Republicans may not be able to count on widespread support from Democrats for the stopgap measure, as Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries indicated he’s opposed to the CR in a closed-door leadership meeting Monday, according to four people granted anonymity to discuss the private conversation. Senior Democrats want language to prohibit funding for immigration enforcement agencies.

And across the Capitol, senators may not be so eager to pick up the House’s continuing resolution: top appropriators are talking about developing their own version of a stopgap funding bill that would include White House anomalies.

What else we’re watching:

— DEMS LOOK FOR WAYS TO HALT RENEWED IRAN WAR: Democrats are rallying behind several efforts to kill high-profile defense legislation as a way to protest the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The flurry of action presents Democrats with a chance to score real wins against the Trump administration’s war effort, which burst back into public view over the weekend with the killing of three U.S. troops in the region. The largest showdown is set for Wednesday, when House lawmakers are expected to vote on the annual defense policy bill, which Democratic critics have said they will oppose sans oversight mechanisms for the Iran war.

— MCCORMICK EYES ENERGY GAVEL: Sen. David McCormick is in line to take the gavel of Energy and Natural Resources next Congress, a remarkable rise for the freshman who has distinguished himself as a leading booster of natural gas and U.S. artificial intelligence dominance McCormick is interested in leading Republicans on the committee, a person familiar with his plans told Blue Light News, if the spot opens as expected. The sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham has sparked a domino effect that is likely to put the Pennsylvanian in the driver’s seat for the energy role.

Katherine Tully-McManus, Jordain Carney, Leo Shane III and Josh Siegel contributed to this report.

Congress

GOP moves to fill Lindsey Graham’s committee seats

Published

19 minutes ago

July 21, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Senate Republicans are recommending Sen. Darline Graham to take over most of her late brother’s committee assignments.

During a closed-door Senate GOP lunch, Republicans announced that Graham, a South Carolina Republican, will be getting seats on the Judiciary, Appropriations, Environment and Public Works, and Budget committees — filling vacancies left empty after Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly earlier this month.

The committee assignments will require sign-off by the full Senate — a generally low-key event that takes place by unanimous consent. The Senate is expected to adopt a resolution formalizing the new committee line up later Tuesday.

In addition to the committee seats, Republicans will need to fill the leadership spots Graham held on Budget and the Appropriations subcommittee with oversight of State Department funding.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is expected to take over as chair of the Budget panel. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) is expected to take on Graham’s Appropriations subcommittee gavel on an interim basis.

Congress

Speaker endorses ban on lawmaker relationships with all staff — not just subordinates

Published

2 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday he supports a more extensive ban on lawmakers having sexual relationships with any congressional aides — not just subordinates in a personal office or on a committee.

Johnson replied “yeah,” when asked at a news conference whether he’s on board with remarks made over the weekend by House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan in support of establishing new rules barring members from having sex with any congressional staff.

It’s unclear what the path forward is for such a change, but it would require a revision to the House Code of Official Conduct — and an endorsement from two of the top lawmakers in the House is a promising sign there could be action.

The staff director for the House Ethics Committee did not respond to a request for comment.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, the House in 2018 opted to formally ban members from having intimate relationships with their subordinates in personal offices or on the committees on which the lawmakers serve, with an exception for lawmakers who are married to staffers.

This latest push from McClain, and now the speaker, to expand the prohibition is partly a response to recent reporting on Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), outlining that Gallego had relationships with staffers who were not under his supervision.

There has also been a swell of misconduct allegations earlier this year, in which it was reported that former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) sexually assaulted a staffer and that former Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) had a sexual relationship with a woman in his congressional office who later died by suicide. Both men were forced to resign amid the allegations.

Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.

Congress

Democratic opposition mounts to GOP stopgap funding measure

Published

2 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

House Democrats are making clear they’re in no mood to back a Republican-led bill punting a government funding fight to after the midterms — potentially dooming the GOP effort.

Leaving their weekly caucus meeting Tuesday morning, Democrats blasted Republicans for seeking to circumvent the bipartisan appropriations process by scheduling a vote for Tuesday evening on a stopgap funding measure that would extend federal spending levels until Dec. 4.

“It’s an abdication of responsibility to the country at a critical time,” Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, a senior Democratic appropriator, said in an interview.

“If you want our support, you should want to negotiate with us in good faith,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) agreed.

And while Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York did not announce plans for Democratic leadership to whip against the continuing resolution, he expressed strong opposition to the plan at a leadership meeting Monday, according to four people granted anonymity to discuss the private conversation.

Multiple lawmakers left their caucus meeting Tuesday under the impression that Democratic leaders were firmly in the “no” camp — a break from precedent where Democrats have traditionally supported “clean” stopgap funding bills.

The No. 3 House Democrat, Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, said at a news conference following the meeting that “I’ll be voting ‘no.’ And if any members ask, I would encourage them to do the same.”

If Democrats unite in voting against the measure, it’s not clear whether Republicans will be able to make up for the shortfall, as many fiscal hawks are never inclined to vote for continuing resolutions. Aguilar, however, also underscored at his news conference that this was not “a serious proposal,” with Senate Republicans unlikely to take up the House measure.

“It’s kind of a Trojan horse scenario here,” Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland, another Democratic appropriator, said of the Republican bill in an interview after the caucus meeting.

The top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, outlined her opposition in the Tuesday morning members’ meeting, according to two people granted anonymity to discuss the private conversations.

She is seeking explicit language that prohibits funding for Customs and Border Protection and is also circulating a fact sheet laying out her issues with the legislation.