Congress

House GOP leaders release budget framework for $95B party-line package

Published

1 hour ago

July 15, 2026

House Republicans released a fiscal blueprint Wednesday morning for the $95 billion party-line funding package GOP leaders hope to pass later this summer.

Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) has scheduled a Thursday morning markup of the measure, which would unlock the reconciliation process to skirt the Senate filibuster and enact a bill that delivers $73 billion for the military and intelligence, $12 billion for farm assistance, plus $10 billion more for election grants to states and other efforts aimed at encouraging strict voter-ID laws.

Even clearing the framework through committee — the first step in an arduous legislative process — is not guaranteed. The panel’s fiscal hawks want offsets to reduce the deficit impact of at least some of the new spending. But that’s unlikely to happen, meaning the package won’t be paid for, which is riling fiscal hawks. So, House GOP leaders are expected to spend the day trying to quell the concerns of Republicans on the budget panel while balancing conflicting demands among the broader conference.

The $73 billion for military and intelligence comes in far below President Donald Trump’s demand for $350 billion in Pentagon funding. Lawmakers are directing some of that to the ongoing war in Iran and another portion to servicemember pay, which DOD officials have warned will run short in August.

If Arrington succeeds in advancing the budget resolution, the House and Senate would both need to adopt the measure in order to embark on a third reconciliation bill this Congress, following enactment of the “big, beautiful bill” a year ago and an immigration enforcement funding package last month.

House GOP leaders want to hold a floor vote on the measure next week before lawmakers leave for a six-week recess. Action on the blueprint would then move to the Senate, which is scheduled to be in session into early August.

Republicans in both chambers then would need to clear the funding package itself during the small window of session days scheduled for the leadup to Election Day.

Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.

Congress

Todd Blanche confirmation hearing kicks off

Published

11 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

11 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

11 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.