Congress

Capitol agenda: Johnson’s rocky sprint to recess

Published

15 hours ago

July 20, 2026

Four days remain until House lawmakers are scheduled to leave for summer recess, but GOP leaders are in the opposite of vacation mode.

This week’s packed floor schedule includes: the annual defense policy package; a bill to fund the government beyond the midterms; a budget resolution to unlock the reconciliation process; and a GOP-led stock trading ban measure.

All that could change, of course, if Speaker Mike Johnson can’t tamp down multiple flare-ups of frustration in his ranks.

We’ll be watching if Johnson has appeased hard-liners with Tuesday’s Judiciary markup of border security legislation, after they froze all business on the House floor for weeks, including the defense policy bill (more on that below).

President Donald Trump’s renewed pressure campaign to pass the SAVE America Act elections bill and more deaths of U.S. service members in the Iran war may also shift some Republicans’ political calculus this week.

Here’s what we’re watching for the floor:

— NDAA: House Rules meets at 2 p.m. Monday on the must-pass annual defense policy bill, Leo Shane III and Connor O’Brien write in.

Johnson will allow a series of socially conservative floor amendments to win over hard-liner votes as Democrats signal more opposition to the usually bipartisan bill.

On Friday, House Armed Services ranking member Adam Smith flipped and says he now plans to oppose the National Defense Authorization Act on the floor.

Should it pass, though, the defense bill will be merged with the SAVE America Act, although the Senate is likely to sweep away those provisions along with many of the hard-liner amendments.

— GOVERNMENT FUNDING: Johnson wants the House to pass a “clean” government funding bill that would float federal operations until Dec. 4 — hoping to instigate a staredown with Democrats after two record-breaking shutdowns this Congress.

The gambit, however, risks alienating members of his own party who want the partisan elections overhaul bill attached to all legislation.

But so far hard-liners, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, are signaling they’ll let it slide this time.

Harris warned Mia, though, that “if Democrats want to shut down the government,” then it’s time to play hardball and fund the TSA, FAA and military salaries through reconciliation.

— BUDGET RESOLUTION: Leaders are putting a $95 billion fiscal blueprint on the floor that includes a watered-down version of the elections bill as well as Iran war and farm aid funds.

Rep. Thomas Massie told us last week he’s “probably a no” on the resolution, and Rep. Warren Davidson hinted he and others could tank the effort — though Davidson cautioned there’s still “a lot of time” to make a deal.

Deficit hawks are irked the bill wouldn’t be entirely paid for, though, and ultraconservatives don’t love that the SAVE America Act isn’t included in full.

— STOCK TRADING: Republicans will likely have to rely on their own members to get this GOP-led bill over the finish line. And, GOP leaders are planning to link it to a separate measure that would implement stricter voter ID laws many Democrats have opposed.

What else we’re watching:

— RON JOHNSON FACES A ROCKY BUDGET REALITY: Sen. Ron Johnson is jumping directly into a legislative train wreck. The Wisconsin senator cut his teeth as a fiscal hawk willing to irritate his own party in pursuit of his deficit-shrinking dreams. Now Johnson is assuming an out-sized role in advancing the latest GOP reconciliation bill following former Budget Chair Lindsey Graham’s unexpected death. That means Johnson will have to reconcile his penchant for being a squeaky wheel from the sidelines with his new responsibility as chair to craft an agreement on a massive spending bill that leadership can sell to skeptical colleagues.

— HARD-LINERS GEAR UP FOR JUDICIARY BORDER MARKUP — House GOP hard-liners are getting ready to cash in on a promise made to them earlier this month by Johnson in exchange for their support for allowing floor business to proceed. House Judiciary is planning a Tuesday morning markup of a GOP immigration bill, which will contain pieces of a sweeping bill introduced in the prior Congress as H.R. 2. Still, moderate and senior Republicans are cautioning the legislation doesn’t have the support to pass the chamber.

Jordain Carney, Jennifer Scholtes and Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.

Congress

Cornyn and Tillis in discussions with White House to get Blanche across the finish line

Published

2 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Sens. Thom Tillis and John Cornyn — both Republicans spurned by the Trump administration for not being adequately loyal — are now being actively courted by the White House to confirm a key Cabinet official.

The Trump administration is engaging directly with Tillis and Cornyn’s aides as the North Carolina and Texas lawmakers continue to withhold firm commitments to voting to confirm attorney general nominee Todd Blanche in the Judiciary Committee — where a single “no” vote on the GOP side of the aisle could tank his prospects.

Tillis and Cornyn both confirmed the back-and-forth in interviews on Capitol Hill Monday evening, and a White House official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, also said in a statement that “the Administration continues to have active conversations with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.”

It shows how the balance of power, at least in this high-stakes confirmation battle, has shifted for the two outgoing lawmakers — and how Cornyn and Tillis both know it.

“Well, does he want to get confirmed or not?” was Cornyn’s response when asked whether he would be able to extract concessions from Blanche given his previous reticence to amend a controversial settlement agreement he entered into on President Donald Trump’s behalf.

The senator is still coming off a bruising primary loss to Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, whom Trump propelled to victory with an endorsement during the run-off.

Cornyn said Monday he is currently discussing with the Trump administration two main components of that settlement Blanche, in his capacity as deputy attorney general, brokered with the IRS: one shielding Trump and his family from IRS audits, the other launching a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” critics believe could operate as a slush fund for the president’s allies.

“Those are the issues we’re continuing to discuss with the administration to see whether we can get a modification of the settlement agreement,” said Cornyn.

Blanche has said repeatedly the fund is now effectively dead amid bipartisan backlash at the time of its announcement. But Cornyn pushed Blanche to admit during his confirmation hearing last week that the program could still be revived through a breach of contract lawsuit brought in the future by Trump, absent a written change to the underlying settlement.

Tillis, who also said he needs the fund nullified in order to vote for Blanche, said Monday he’s been encouraged that the Justice Department has coordinated with his staff to ameliorate concerns.

“I know my staff have been in touch, almost, probably daily,” with the DOJ, said Tillis, “so they are acting. I mean, they’re following up in good faith.”

Neither Tillis nor Cornyn were specific about how, exactly, the Trump administration might cut a deal with Republican senators putting the prospects of the fund’s revival to rest — whether it would be something the Justice Department could facilitate internally or if Congress would have to take legislative action.

Cornyn said Monday that changing the settlement through legislation would be “much more problematic.” Tillis, however, has been talking about drafting legislation that could pass the Senate through a unanimous consent agreement; Blanche, during his confirmation hearing last Wednesday, didn’t shoot down the idea.

“I have to be convinced that there is no way that it could actually ever be resurrected again,” Tillis said, “which is exactly why I talked about the legislation … that [Blanche] offered to help write the technical language for.”

Blanche has already acquiesced to another one of Tillis’ demands: that he meet with victims of the late, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after Blanche, as deputy attorney general, oversaw the haphazard release of the Epstein files resulting in victims’ identities being inadvertently exposed.

Tillis appeared largely satisfied that this meeting took place according to his wishes — even though at least one of the survivors of Epstein’s abuse called the sit down “insufficient” and alleged Blanche took no responsibility for the botched redaction process.

He did, however, say he would “like to understand what, if any, steps were taken for opening FBI investigations — whether it was a request or whether it was an acceptance to do it,” regarding what Blanche may or may not have committed to in that meeting in terms of continuing to bring Epstein’s co-conspirators to justice.

Ultimately, the general consensus is that Tillis will end up voting “yes” for Blanche and may already, privately, be decided: “Tillis, we think, is squared away,” said one person granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters regarding the nomination process.

Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) also indicated Monday he believed the North Carolina lawmaker was coming around, saying he had heard “favorable comments over the weekend from Tillis.”

He did not answer when asked what he thought of Cornyn, however, who has been less willing to offer praise.

Republicans hope the Judiciary Committee can vote to report Blanche’s nomination favorably to the Senate floor July 30, and subsequently confirm him the first week of August before the chamber leaves for a monthlong recess.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday he “think[s]” Grassley and his team are prepared to get Blanche out of committee “in time to process him in this work period.”

“At this point, I’m not certain,” Thune said. “I think they’re hopeful.”

Congress

White House sends Congress stopgap exception wishlist

Published

4 hours ago

July 20, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

The White House sent Congress a list Monday of programs it wants lawmakers to fund at boosted levels under any stopgap funding patch enacted before the Sept. 30 government shutdown deadline.

The list of requests for special exceptions, referred to as “anomalies,” calls on Congress to increase funding for military health programs, certain national security systems, operations of national parks and more. It also asks lawmakers to extend special authority for certain agencies, including for FEMA to spend disaster relief at a faster clip during the span of the funding patch.

House Republican leaders are trying to pass a “clean” stopgap this week that would keep federal dollars flowing through Dec. 4. That measure does not include the dozens of special exceptions the White House is seeking.

In the Senate, top lawmakers want to instead pass a funding patch that includes at least some of the White House’s requests for exceptions, along with other potential additions.

“They’re missing critical things that we need to do,” Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the Senate’s top Democratic appropriator, said in a brief interview Monday night. “So we’re working on our things.”

Congress

Senators explore separate stopgap spending bill as House moves ahead

Published

7 hours ago

July 20, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Senate Republicans are looking at going their own way on government funding, as House Republicans try to move a stopgap spending bill this week to fund the government until after the midterm elections.

GOP lawmakers in the Senate have had conversations with Democrats on moving a stopgap spending bill while also talking with the White House about anomalies, according to a person granted anonymity to disclose private discussions.

Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the top Democratic appropriator in the Senate, said she has had conversations with Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) about a Senate version of a stopgap spending bill along with potential “anomalies,” which are specific exceptions or exemptions to the flat funding of a continuing resolution usually noted to prevent disruptions to key services.

Murray wants to see if the House can get their legislation across the floor.

“Let’s see what happens in the House,” she said in an interview Monday.

Murray warned that chamber’s measure likely won’t have her support if it makes it through the House and over to the Senate.

“I understand there’s some real flaws with it. I am happy to look at a bipartisan CR, but I understand there’s some real problems on the House side,” she said.

GOP appropriators in the House say they are moving the lengthy stopgap spending package specifically because they have doubts that the stalled appropriations process in the Senate will yield government funding bills.

“Unfortunately, current circumstances in the Senate make clear that Congress, as a whole, is unlikely to complete the full appropriations process by the start of the fiscal year,” Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told the House Rules Committee on Monday.