Fellow Conservative,
This week began with a targeted strike against three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities, and ended with the Supreme Court releasing some of its most consequential decisions of the term – issuing a number of big wins for conservatives. You won’t want to miss the updates below!
Congress continues to negotiate the final text of President Trump’s One, Big Beautiful Bill — but it’s been anything but smooth, as the Senate Parliamentarian took a hammer to major portions of the draft. Now it’s up to Congress to put everything back together and pass a bill that truly works for the American people.
Working the Weekend
President Trump’s One, Big Beautiful Bill (OB3) hit a major speedbump this week. The Senate parliamentarian advised that a number of critical provisions violate the Byrd Rule and must be reworked or taken out entirely. This sets up a dilemma for Congress at the eleventh hour — one that they will seek to solve over the weekend as they attempt to abide by their self-imposed July 4th deadline.
Senate Republicans cannot solely blame an unelected staffer in a backroom for failing to deliver on the president’s commonsense agenda — nor should we. As conservatives, we should not call for tossing out the rule book entirely. But what we need is transparency and accountability from Senate leadership. We need to know that Senate Republicans are doing everything possible to make this bill as Big and Beautiful as it can be for the American people.
>> Read more about what’s at stake in the Senate <[link removed]>
Where do we go from here?
As of Friday night, the final text had not been released as Senators attempt to rewrite important provisions to comply with the Byrd Rule. When ready, Senate leadership will take it to the floor to begin 20 hours of debate (yes, you read that right). Upon conclusion of debate the vota-rama begins.
Heritage Action’s activist toolkit breaks down the key debates happening in the budget reconciliation bill.
>>> Heritage Action Reconciliation Toolkit <<< <[link removed]>
Crippling Iran’s Nuclear Capability
It’s been a full week since the U.S. launched Operation Midnight Hammer <[link removed]>, a targeted strike against three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities. The action was aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear ambitions — a threat that Heritage experts have long warned would destabilize the region and threaten U.S. and allied interests. Although we’re still awaiting a definitive assessment, it appears that the targets were successfully eliminated.
These strikes were a critical step towards preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, however, Heritage is firmly opposed to American boots on the ground in Iran. What follows must not evolve into another regime-change quagmire but rather remain focused on the President’s stated goals. Thankfully, Israel is taking the lead in this regional conflict, and American support for Israel keeps our troops out of harm's way.
Heritage is immensely thankful <[link removed]> for the men and women in uniform who defend us every day — and who again reminded the world of the sheer power of America’s Armed Forces by flawlessly executing this unprecedented and complex operation.
>> Read more from Heritage Action President Dr. Kevin Roberts <[link removed]>
What comes next?:
The Trump administration has been pushing for a quick end to the conflict between Israel and Iran and seems to have made significant progress. A fragile, U.S. brokered ceasefire has been in place for several days, but whether it holds remains to be seen. Domestically, the strikes have ignited talks about the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Under the law:
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The President must notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying the armed forces into hostilities.
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Engagements are limited to 60 days without congressional approval or a formal declaration of war.
Congress can vote on resolutions directing the withdrawal of U.S. Armed Forces from engaging in hostilities against Iran. The Senate voted on a resolution on Friday night, and the House could also consider a resolution in the days to come. These resolutions can move under special rules that require immediate consideration and are subject to passage by a simple majority vote.
BIG WINS at the Supreme Court!
The Supreme Court ended its term this week and released a number of major decisions.
SCOTUS issued a rebuke against nationwide injunctions by lower courts in Trump v. CASA <[link removed]>. This is massive. The Left has used their army of partisan judges to bog the administration down in court and slow their progress wherever possible. The case now continues in the legal process, which next will consider the merits of President Trump’s January 20th executive order ending universal birthright citizenship.
The wins didn’t stop there either. The Supreme Court also delivered a major victory for the Pro-Life movement with their decision in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic <[link removed]>. This ruling, which permits states to restrict Medicaid funding for abortion providers, is the culmination of decades of work from Pro-Lifers seeking to close a loophole in the Hyde Amendment (which prevents taxpayer dollars from being used for abortion).
Other important cases that were decided this week include:
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Mahmoud v. Taylor <[link removed]>: Upheld religious liberty and the right of parents to direct their child’s upbringing, siding with parents who asked that they be notified and given the chance to opt their children out of instruction involving sexuality and gender ideology..
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FCC v. Consumers’ Research <[link removed]>: Ruled that Congress can delegate its authority to raise taxes to the executive branch. This is a setback for conservatives, but the fight is not over.
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Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton <[link removed]>: Upheld Texas’s H.B. 1181 that protects minors from online sexual materials.
As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, it’s only right to celebrate the wins that reinforce the foundation that was built in 1776.
Here’s to many more — onward!
- The Heritage Action team
Join the fight to advance the conservative agenda.
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