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July 1, 2025
Let’s dive in.
INTERVIEW: Sen. John Thune celebrates the Big, Beautiful Bill’s Senate passage after marathon Vote-a-Rama
Heard on the Hill
EXCLUSIVE: House GOP leadership leans on constituents to make the case for the One Big, Beautiful Bill
EXCLUSIVE: How Sen. James Lankford secured a win for American energy states in One Big, Beautiful Bill
SCOOP: Tom Emmer teams up with DoorDash to make the case for the One, Big, Beautiful Bill
SCOOP: Rep. Bill Huizenga “seriously considering” Senate bid
SCOOP: Inside Ambassador Richard Grenell’s Dolly Parton-themed Kennedy Center makeover
K-STREET, 10,000 FEET: Sen. Ted Cruz exposes “systematic campaign against American energy” funded by Communist China
OPINIONATED: Rep. Randy Feenstra on the need for the Big, Beautiful Bill, Reps. Scott Perry, Marlin Stutzman, and Andrew Clyde on repealing the Green New Scam, and Marty O’Donnell on how the Big, Beautiful Bill benefits Nevada
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INTERVIEW: Sen. John Thune celebrates the Big, Beautiful Bill’s Senate passage after marathon Vote-a-Rama
by the Washington Reporter
THE LOWDOWN:
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) spoke with the Washington Reporter to talk about the GOP’s big win for America by passing the Big, Beautiful Bill through the Senate.
Thune told the Reporter that an unsung provision in the Big, Beautiful Bill Americans should be excited for is the death tax threshold increase to $15 million and “links it to inflation permanently.”
While President Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill is through the Senate hurdles, Thune warned that if the Democrats get their way and sink the GOP’s legislative battleship before it’s enacted by President Trump, the consequences would be disastrous for the average American family from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Dallas, Texas, and beyond.
The Big, Beautiful Bill passed the Senate on Tuesday and is headed back to the House of Representatives for further deliberation before it’s sent to President Trump’s desk before the July 4 deadline.
Any staffer, reporter, and lawmaker on Capitol Hill knows that a Vote-a-Rama is serious business and a long, long night.
The Senate got that and more after an all-night marathon voting session to get President Donald Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill across the finish line to deliver for the American people. After the hours-long battle, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) spoke with the Washington Reporter to talk about the GOP’s big win for America.
Thune told the Reporter that an unsung provision in the Big, Beautiful Bill Americans should be excited for is the death tax threshold increase to $15 million and “links it to inflation permanently” — a move that the top Senate Republican said “will spare countless family farms, ranches, and small businesses from a potentially devastating tax and the headaches and expense of planning for it.”
The Big, Beautiful Bill also bolsters President Trump’s border security funding to the tune of $160 billion, which Thune said will undo the disastrous policies pushed by President Joe Biden and his administration while also securing the border in the long-term.
“We’re also looking at a historic investment in border security. $160 billion – yeah, that’s right, $160 billion – to undo the damage done by the Biden border crisis and secure our border for the long term, more Border Patrol agents, more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and funding to complete the border wall and implement critical border technology,” Thune said.
While President Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill is through the Senate hurdles, the Senate Majority Leader warned that if the Democrats get their way and sink the GOP’s legislative battleship before it’s enacted by President Trump, the consequences would be disastrous for the average American family from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Dallas, Texas, and beyond.
Heard on the Hill
AI ON DECK?: While Sen. Ted Cruz's (R., Texas) AI moratorium was knocked out of reconciliation, Senate sources say there are more than 60 votes for compromise language that protects states’ rights. Expect AI legislation by the end of this year.
TOP OF THEIR CLASS: Sources say two freshmen Senators — Sens. Bernie Moreno (R., Ohio) and Tim Sheehy (R., Mont.) — were integral in getting the reconciliation bill done. Both members worked behind the scenes to make compromises with other members who were opposed to the bill, and to encourage their colleagues to keep their eye on the prize of getting the bill done.
SALE TIME: Republicans are now moving to the selling phase of the One Big, Beautiful Bill, with an expectation that the House will have no trouble passing and the bill will be signed by President Trump on Independence Day. Expect major trade associations like the Business Round Table to play a big role.
CLOSE THE LOOPHOLE: Several dozen House Republicans wrote to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) about the importance of “retaining the provision closing the double duty drawback loophole for tobacco in the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act that passed the House.” Signatories include Reps. Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.), Brian Jack (R., Ga.), Max Miller (R., Ohio), Don Bacon (R., Neb.), Ben Cline (R., Va.), and others.
MUSICAL CHAIRS: With Rep. Dusty Johnson (R., S.D.) announcing that he is running for governor, the state’s attorney general, Marty Jackley, announced that he is running for Congress.
POWER COUPLE: The Washington Reporter extends a heartfelt congratulations to Washington Examiner and New York Post reporters Timothy and Diana Nerozzi on their wedding at St. Therese’s Church in Shavertown, Pennsylvania this weekend. Among those spotted at the wedding were Thomas Phippen; Marisela Ramirez; Gabe Kaminsky; Will Davis; Jonah and Manfred Wendt; Josh Christenson; Blayne Clegg; Jessica Costescu; Michael Ginsberg; Arjun Singh; and Houston, Abby, and Ford Keene.
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EXCLUSIVE: House GOP leadership leans on constituents to make the case for the One Big, Beautiful Bill
by Matthew Foldi
THE LOWDOWN:
As Congress continues its push to pass reconciliation, and as the White House suggests its Fourth of July deadline may be just a suggestion, the top House Republicans are turning to their constituents to make the case for why the One Big, Beautiful Bill is a piece of must-pass legislation.
James Stewart, a retired sheriff in Emmer’s district, said that “no tax on overtime for law enforcement is a win in so many different ways. It helps the individual officers spend more time with their families.” Likewise, Josh McAllister, the Sheriff of Winn Parish, Louisiana, said that the bill will also help law enforcement officers like him fight illegal immigration.
Josh McAllister, the Sheriff of Winn Parish, Louisiana, said that the bill will also help law enforcement officers like him fight illegal immigration.
Toni McAllister — Josh’s wife — said that from her perspective as the executive director of the Louisiana Loggers Association, there is also a lot to like in the bill.
As Congress continues its push to pass reconciliation, and as the White House suggests its Fourth of July deadline may be just a suggestion, the top House Republicans are turning to their constituents to make the case for why the One Big, Beautiful Bill is a piece of must-pass legislation.
The Washington Reporter got an exclusive look at the cases that these Americans made; their reasons for backing the bill ranged from its provisions to help restore American manufacturing to the elimination of taxes on overtime pay for law enforcement.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R., La.), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R., Minn.), and GOP Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R., Mich.) all brought constituents in to D.C. to explain why this bill needs to pass.
EXCLUSIVE: How Sen. James Lankford secured a win for American energy states in One Big, Beautiful Bill
by Matthew Foldi
THE LOWDOWN:
American energy producers scored a huge win in the Senate’s final version of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act thanks to Sen. James Lankford (R., Okla.)
Under the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), energy companies were targeted by what Lankford and other energy advocates view as an unfair policy, the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (CAMT).
Lankford’s provision, the Promoting Domestic Energy Production Act, was included in the final version of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act. The bill rebalances the scales by allowing IDCs to “be included when calculating adjusted financial statement income under CAMT by treating energy producers the same as other sectors.”
This win didn’t come without a fight, however. Sen. Ed Markey (D., Mass.) attempted to strike all of the oil provisions in Lankford’s work, relying on the standard Democratic Party accusation that “Republicans are in the pocket to [sic] the big oil, big gas, big coal industry.”
American energy producers scored a huge win in the Senate’s final version of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act thanks to Sen. James Lankford (R., Okla.).
Lankford defeated an ill-fated attempt by Senate Democrats to gut a longstanding tax policy that is critical for the American energy industry.
Under the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), energy companies were targeted by what Lankford and other energy advocates view as an unfair policy, the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (CAMT).
The CAMT “penalizes energy investment, increases costs, and places American producers at a disadvantage,” Lankford argues, because oil and gas producers are prohibited from deducting Intangible Drilling Costs (IDCs) — which are key to safe and efficient domestic energy.
Those IDCs “make up roughly 85 percent of the costs for new exploration and production, which include labor costs,” per Lankford.
SCOOP: Tom Emmer teams up with DoorDash to make the case for the One, Big, Beautiful Bill
by Matthew Foldi
THE LOWDOWN:
Rep. Tom Emmer (R., Minn.) is teaming up with DoorDash to make the case for the One Big, Beautiful Bill.
Now, Emmer is rolling out a video featuring Kevin, a DoorDash grandpa, who explains that the bill’s provision to remove taxes on tips would “allow me to keep more of my hard-earned money in my pocket,” Kevin explains.
The bill is a top priority for both Emmer and Trump, and DoorDashers like Kevin are eager to see them get it across the finish line soon.
The Washington Reporter previously covered [ [link removed] ] how Emmer, like other top Republicans, is using everyday Americans to make the case for the White House’s top legislative priority.
Rep. Tom Emmer (R., Minn.) is teaming up with DoorDash to make the case for the One Big, Beautiful Bill.
The Washington Reporter previously covered [ [link removed] ] how Emmer, like other top Republicans, is using everyday Americans to make the case for the White House’s top legislative priority.
Now, Emmer is rolling out a video featuring Kevin, a DoorDash grandpa, who explains that the bill’s provision to remove taxes on tips would “allow me to keep more of my hard-earned money in my pocket,” Kevin explains.
“Stories like Kevin’s show that everyday, working-class Americans are the real winners of the One Big Beautiful Bill,” Emmer told the Reporter. “The time is now for House Republicans to unite and pass this life-changing legislation to benefit the hardworking American people.”
Emmer himself scored big with the DoorDash partnership, with Kevin delivering him McDonald’s right at the steps of the Capitol. The Whip’s go-to McDonald’s order is a quarter pounder with cheese and fries.
The bill is a top priority for both Emmer and Trump, and DoorDashers like Kevin are eager to see them get it across the finish line soon.
SCOOP: Rep. Huizenga “seriously considering” Senate bid
by Matthew Foldi
THE LOWDOWN:
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R., Mich.) is “seriously considering” a Senate bid, he told a group of supporters and journalists in D.C.
Huizenga’s meeting was put together by Saul Anuzis — a former Michigan GOP Chair. Anuzis told the Washington Reporter that “Huizenga is a credible candidate,” but that “Michigan Republicans have an embarrassment of riches with [former Rep. Mike] Rogers and Huizenga as potential nominees.”
While Rogers, the GOP’s 2024 Senate nominee — who narrowly lost to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D., Mich.) — is racking up support, Huizenga has repeatedly said that that won’t prove determinative for him.
For years, Republicans in Michigan have come up just short in statewide races — and that is a factor that primary voters will have to contend with this go-around, Anuzis said.
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R., Mich.) is “seriously considering” a Senate bid, he told a group of supporters and journalists in D.C.
Huizenga’s deliberations come as the 2026 Senate map is rapidly forming.
Huizenga’s meeting was put together by Saul Anuzis — a former Michigan GOP Chair.
Anuzis told the Washington Reporter that “Huizenga is a credible candidate,” but that “Michigan Republicans have an embarrassment of riches with [former Rep. Mike] Rogers and Huizenga as potential nominees.”
While Rogers, the GOP’s 2024 Senate nominee — who narrowly lost to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D., Mich.) — is racking up support, Huizenga has repeatedly said that that won’t prove determinative for him.
Huizenga said that the White House hasn’t told him to stand down.
“Bill explained that he has had several conversations with Donald Trump about the race and made it clear he hasn’t received a red or even a yellow light from the president himself on moving ahead,” one Michigan GOP activist who was in the room told the Reporter.
“Bill also walked through what he sees as his path to victory,” the attendee said, noting that Rogers narrowly lost statewide while Trump won Michigan last go-around.
SCOOP: Inside Ambassador Richard Grenell’s Dolly Parton-themed Kennedy Center makeover
by Matthew Foldi
THE LOWDOWN:
Shortly after Ambassador Richard Grenell took over the day to day operations of the Kennedy Center, he floated Dolly Parton as an ideal performer for all audiences, and his vision came one step closer to reality with the legendary center's latest programming.
Joining Les Miserables in the Kennedy Center's programming is now Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs in Symphony, which features a diverse setlist of Parton's music and the lore behind some of the biggest hits.
It also "reimagines” Parton’s repertoire “in a symphonic experience that’s so sweet and so colorful it’d make a kid’s Halloween collection jealous, one attendee at a recent show told the Washington Reporter.
Threads features guest musicians and vocalists, along with orchestrations of Parton’s hit songs — woven together with first-hand accounts from America’s sweetheart herself, giving audience goers a glimpse at the inspiration the Great Smoky Mountains had on her early song writing to her hilarious anecdote behind the hit song, “Jolene.”
Shortly after Ambassador Richard Grenell took over the day to day operations of the Kennedy Center, he floated Dolly Parton as an ideal performer for all audiences, and his vision came one step closer to reality with the legendary center's latest programming.
Joining Les Miserables in the Kennedy Center's programming is now Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs in Symphony, which features a diverse setlist of Parton's music and the lore behind some of the biggest hits.
It also "reimagines” Parton’s repertoire “in a symphonic experience that’s so sweet and so colorful it’d make a kid’s Halloween collection jealous, one attendee at a recent show told the Washington Reporter.
“The show was a sweet escape from daily life and was a first class ticket to Dolly World,” Marisela Ramirez, who attended a recent sold out Threads performance, said.
Threads features guest musicians and vocalists, along with orchestrations of Parton’s hit songs — woven together with first-hand accounts from America’s sweetheart herself, giving audience goers a glimpse at the inspiration the Great Smoky Mountains had on her early song writing to her hilarious anecdote behind the hit song, “Jolene.”
The show also had gospel-like moments, particularly during “Blue Smoke,” as the cheerful crowd clapped along to a soulful rendition.
K-STREET, 10,000 FEET:
Sen. Ted Cruz exposes “systematic campaign against American energy” funded by Communist China
by Matthew Foldi
Former top officials in the Chinese Communist Party are running an organization that is “one of the biggest sources of funding for a U.S.-based environmental litigation,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) explained in a bombshell Senate hearing.
At issue is Energy Foundation China, which “is run by a former senior Chinese Communist Party official who helped craft the CCP’s five-year energy plans,” Cruz explained.
Cruz’s claims were corroborated by Scott Walter, the president of Capital Research Center. Walter noted that the proof for Cruz’s claims that Energy Foundation China funnels millions to climate lawsuits is the group’s IRS filings.
These claims were corroborated in a new report from State Armor, one of the groups leading the fight against the CCP, which showed how Energy Foundation China is controlled by CCP members.
“Our report exposes how Energy Foundation China functions not as an independent nonprofit, but as a vehicle advancing the strategic interests of the Chinese Communist Party by funding U.S. green energy initiatives to shift American supply chains toward Beijing and undermine our energy security. Policymakers must act,” the group’s CEO, Michael Lucci, explained.
During the hearing, Cruz explained the extent of the “systematic campaign against American energy.”
“There is a coordinated assault by the radical left, backed and paid for by the Chinese Communist Party, to seize control of our courts, to weaponize litigation against US energy producers, all in order to undermine American energy dominance,” Cruz said.
OPINIONATED
Op-Ed: Rep. Randy Feenstra: Why President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” must become law
by Rep. Randy Feenstra
In 2017, President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) into law, cutting taxes for hardworking families, encouraging investment in farms and businesses, and unleashing economic growth and prosperity. These historic tax cuts allowed millions of American farmers, workers, and families to keep more of their hard-earned money. Farmers were able to better finance their farm equipment, businesses were able to reinvest their savings into their machinery, software, and employees, and families saw real tax relief.
Now — nearly a decade later — a similar opportunity for growth stands before us with President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill.” The Biden administration fumbled the economy and allowed inflation, outsourcing, and regulation to cripple the American worker. At the end of this year, the TCJA is set to expire, and with it, the tax relief that millions of Americans have depended on for the last 8 years.
This reality underscores the urgency of the situation on Capitol Hill. Passage of the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” will prevent the largest tax hike in American history and instead deliver the largest tax cut for working and middle-class families ever. According to the Tax Foundation, 62 percent of American taxpayers would see an increase if no action were taken. Likewise, the National Association of Manufacturers found that if the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” is not passed, our nation could see over $1 trillion in economic losses and $130 billion in lost wages for workers.
Op-Ed: Reps. Scott Perry, Andrew Clyde, and Marlin Stutzman: It’s time to put taxpayers first by ending the Green New Scam subsidies
by Reps. Scott Perry, Andrew Clyde, and Marlin Stutzman
In Washington, bad ideas rarely die — they just get rebranded and subsidized. That’s exactly what’s happened with the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act,” a misleading title slapped on a massive expansion of the Green New Deal. Packed inside were hundreds of billions in green subsidies — handouts for electric vehicle manufacturers, tax credits for Chinese-made solar panels, and giveaways to woke climate nonprofits.
Now, as Congress works to finalize the Big, Beautiful Bill, we have a rare opportunity to repeal these wasteful, distorting subsidies once and for all. For the sake of the Taxpayers, American energy independence, and grid reliability, we must seize it.
Let’s be clear: the Green New Scam isn’t about helping the environment; it’s about helping political allies. The IRA’s subsidies are a corrupt blend of corporate cronyism and activist wish lists. Despite the rhetoric, these green subsidies aren’t reducing emissions in any meaningful or cost-effective way.
What they’re doing is distorting markets, driving up inflation, and creating a permanent dependency on federal handouts. Consumers aren’t buying the hype — and the taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay the bill.
The House has already passed a version of the Big, Beautiful Bill that significantly reduced the IRA’s most egregious subsidies. Unfortunately, the Senate is now moving to water down these conservative victories. Some are proposing to preserve core elements of the IRA, effectively enshrining Biden’s climate agenda for years to come. This would be a catastrophic mistake.
Op-Ed: Marty O’Donnell: The Big Beautiful Bill delivers for Nevada’s working families
by Marty O’Donnell
My philosophy on government is simple and can be summed up with a fable we are likely all familiar with from our childhood: The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg.
You remember the story, don’t you? Once upon a time there was a farmer and his wife who had a goose. The goose laid eggs and one day the goose laid a solid gold egg. The farmer and his wife sold it for a lot of money and got filthy rich. They waited and waited for the next golden egg. The goose took too long, and the farmer and his wife got impatient, so they decided to cut the goose open to get the rest of the golden eggs.
What did they get instead? A dead goose.
The moral of the story is that you have to nurture and care for the goose if you want it to lay more golden eggs. In our country, and my state of Nevada, middle class families and small businesses are the goose. Through their hard work, our society enjoys prosperity, innovation, and healthy communities.
Sadly, for far too long, the federal government, big corporations, and big unions have taken advantage of the goose.
But who appreciates the goose? President Donald Trump — and that is why I am excited that his One Big Beautiful Bill is nearing the finish line. The Big Beautiful Bill is a huge win for the goose.
This bill isn’t another bloated piece of legislation that allows special interests to feed at the trough. It is a commonsense overhaul of our government that puts working people ahead of the corporations and their highly paid lobbyists.

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