July 3, 2025

Let’s dive in.

1. INTERVIEW: Rep. Stephanie Bice details the most important OBBB provisions, explains how Trump and Johnson are fighting for America

2. Heard on the Hill

3. EDITORIAL: John Thune’s masterful passage of the Big, Beautiful Bill shows Republicans are here to win

4. SCOOP: Former hostages, family members hope that Trump’s Iran success will force Hamas to release hostages

5. SCOOP: Another Democrat Falls Asleep on the Job… During Hakeem Jeffries’ Speech

6. K-STREET, 10,000 FEET: MITRE’s commitment to progress entails tackling national challenges through partnership

7. OPINIONATED: Rep. Randy Feenstra on the Big, Beautiful Bill delivering for farmers, Mike Fragoso with advice for Sen. Thom Tillis, Alexander Haig on On-Demand Pay, and Daniel Turner on how energy independence is tied to American independence

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INTERVIEW: Rep. Stephanie Bice details the most important OBBB provisions, explains how Trump and Johnson are fighting for America

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• One of the lawmakers critically involved in rallying the troops behind the One Big, Beautiful Bill was Rep. Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.). Following the House’s historic session, and a snooze-worthy floor speech from Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.), Bice explained to the Washington Reporter what’s next.

• Now that the Big, Beautiful Bill is heading to President Donald Trump’s desk, Bice said that Americans in her home state of Oklahoma and around the country can expect to see the “immediate” impact of its historic border security funding.

• In order to secure the bill signing in time, Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) spent hours working with their allies in Congress, like Bice, as well as with holdouts in D.C. — all but one of whom ultimately signed off on the penultimate bill, before it passed 4 votes, 218-214.

• Now that votes are done for the week, she is “looking forward to being back home and watching the fireworks in Oklahoma with my family and friends.”

The One Big, Beautiful Bill is finally nearing President Donald Trump’s desk, and it has many in and outside of Congress to thank.

One of the lawmakers critically involved in rallying the troops behind the critical bill was Rep. Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.). Following the House’s historic session, and a snooze-worthy floor speech from Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.), Bice explained to the Washington Reporter what’s next.

Bice said that “for now everybody is a little tired,” but that there is still a lot more to get done.

“Appropriations, the NDAA, the Farm Bill,” Bice said. “We do need to figure out how we can expand on President Trump’s domestic agenda.”

“This administration is all about delivering results and I know Congress stands ready to assist the president with this goal,” she continued. “I want to ensure that we are unleashing American energy because it is so important to my district, but also lowering prices at the pump and in grocery stores.”

Now that the Big, Beautiful Bill is heading to President Donald Trump’s desk, Bice said that Americans in her home state of Oklahoma and around the country can expect to see the “immediate” impact of its historic border security funding.

“Since taking office, President Trump has made safeguarding our nation and securing our border a critical priority,” Bice explained. “CBP has been working tirelessly to get dangerous illegal immigrants off our streets and this legislation will provide additional resources for our hard-working agents and allow us to hire new personnel.”

Bice said the bill “also fulfills one of President Trump’s biggest campaign promises — to build the wall at the southern border.”

“Physical infrastructure such as border walls, will provide much-needed relief for CBP officers who for years under President Biden were dealing with record crossings of hundreds of thousands per month. The over $30 billion in additional resources provided in the One Big Beautiful Bill will supercharge these efforts to apprehend those non-citizens who have broken our laws and fight back against human trafficking, fentanyl trafficking, and the cartels working near and at our southern border.”

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Heard on the Hill

• BORDER CONTROLLED: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) had its lowest number of illegal border encounters in agency history at 25,243 encounters. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem tweeted that the department under her leadership has “delivered the most secure border in American history” and that the “world is hearing our message: the border is closed to law breakers.”

• SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED: Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) will be signing the One, Big Beautiful Bill on behalf of the Senate. His signature comes as House Republicans get the bill across the finish line and onto President Donald Trump’s desk.

• BIZARRE BEHAVIOR: Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, is accusing a Washington Post reporter of “actively harassing ODNI staff.” According to Gabbard, “instead of reaching out to my press office, [Ellen Nakashima] is calling high level Intelligence Officers from a burner phone, refusing to identify herself, lying about the fact that she works for the Washington Post, and then demanding they share sensitive information.”

• CAR POWER: American auto manufactures scored a huge win thanks to Sen. Bernie Moreno (R., Ohio) and Reps. Mike Kelly (R., Pa.) and Dave Taylor (R., Ohio), among others. The USA CAR Act made it into the final reconciliation bill. Taylor told the Reporter that this measure “will create tax cuts for interest on the purchase of American-made cars.”

• BAD NEWS DEMS: The National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NRDC), the vehicle by which Democrats gerrymander House districts across America, just released its predictions for the next round of reapportionment — and it’s a disaster for potential 2028 Democratic candidates like Govs. Gavin Newsom (D., Calif.) JB Pritzker (D., Ill.), Josh Shapiro (D., Pa.), and Tim Walz (D., Minn.), all of whose states are currently projected to lose House seats, and therefore electoral votes.

• CALL YOUR OFFICE: Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Ct.) is under fire from Jews in Connecticut for his recent anti-Israel heel turn, with many wondering “what happened” to him.

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EDITORIAL: John Thune’s masterful passage of the Big, Beautiful Bill shows Republicans are here to win

by the Washington Reporter Editorial Board

Large spending bills are a reality of D.C. and they carry a love-hate relationship with them. Some lawmakers love them because of the opportunities to get wins in Washington for their home districts, while others despise them due to their impact on the national debt and historical wanton spending.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.), however, threaded the needle perfectly with the upper chamber’s passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill, expertly crafted by the conservative Republicans in the Senate, delivers many wins for the GOP and the American people in general — all while allowing for GOP rising stars like freshman Sens. Bernie Moreno (R., Ohio) and Tim Sheehy (R., Mont.) to showcase their legislative chops.

The masterful passage of President Trump’s and the Republicans’ top priority by Thune not only illustrated why the South Dakota senator was chosen to lead his party in the upper chamber, but also that he is the right person to take the reins from Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.). And all of this accomplishment in the face of what some in the House of Representatives claimed was impossible.

Thune’s Senate passage of the Big, Beautiful Bill also shows that Republicans are not just here to play — but to win.

By passing the bill through the Senate amid heavy opposition from the Democrats and even from some Republican defectors, Thune showed that he and the GOP are masters of math and of making America great again.

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SCOOP: Former hostages, family members hope that Trump’s Iran success will force Hamas to release hostages

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• As President Donald Trump continues to push for the terrorists who run the Gaza Strip to release hostages who are still illegally held, a group of former hostages and family members of current hostages came to D.C. to demand Hamas release their loved ones from captivity.

• The group met with top administration officials, including President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and others.

• Following Trump’s success in dealing with Iran’s nuclear program, released hostage Yair Horn feels optimistic that “if there’s someone who can do this, who can sell the deal, it’s President Trump.”

• Another Israeli who met with top Trump figures is Ilay David, whose brother Evyatar David was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on October 7th by Palestinian terrorists.

As President Donald Trump continues to push for the terrorists who run the Gaza Strip to release hostages who are still illegally held, a group of former hostages and family members of current hostages came to D.C. to demand Hamas release their loved ones from captivity.

The group met with top administration officials, including President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and others.

Yair Horn, who was “kidnapped from [his] home” by Hamas terrorists on October 7th, is pressing for the release of his little brother Eitan.

Trump was reelected while Horn was held hostage in tunnels in Gaza. He had “no TV, no radio” in the tunnels, but one day a “terrorist came and told us President Trump got elected, so we knew that is someone who can do things.”

“Then our hope was empowering [and I] just want to thank him,” Horn said.

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SCOOP: Another Democrat Falls Asleep on the Job… During Hakeem Jeffries’ Speech

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.), and Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) scored a huge win, setting up an imminent vote on the One Big, Beautiful Bill.

• Meanwhile, the Democrats’ House leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) put at least one member of his own conference to sleep during his “magic minute” speech.

• Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Ohio) was spotted fully asleep during Jeffries’s meandering remarks.

• The Washington Reporter previously covered how several other Democrats like Reps. Debbie Dingell (D., Mich.) and Jan Schakowsky (D., Ill.) were caught sleeping during official House business.

President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.), and Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) scored a huge win, setting up an imminent vote on the One Big, Beautiful Bill.

As the top priority for Republicans in D.C. made its way through Congress, the GOP trio pulled multiple rabbits out of an ever-shrinking hat to get the bill to the White House before this weekend.

Meanwhile, the Democrats’ House leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) put at least one member of his own conference to sleep during his “magic minute” speech.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Ohio) was spotted fully asleep during Jeffries’s meandering remarks.

Since Kaptur was seated directly behind Jeffries, it made for horrible optics. Jeffries knew that, and after Kaptur fell asleep, the aging lawmaker was yanked from the House floor.

Republicans took note of Kaptur’s speech snooze, dubbing the congresswoman “Marcy Nap-tur.” Rep Mark Alford (R., Mo.) compared her antics to those of someone taking his “sweet time” leaving a parking space.

“The ‘sweet time’ effect reminds me of the guy in the parking lot who knows you’re wanting to park in the space he’s leaving but takes his ‘sweet time,’ slowly walking to his car….Opening the door…putting the key in the ignition…turning the key…putting the car in reverse… backing out…and pulling away…in his…own…sweet…time,” the Missourian explained with great emphasis.

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K-STREET, 10,000 FEET:

MITRE’s commitment to progress entails tackling national challenges through partnership

by the Washington Reporter

THE LOWDOWN:

• The United States is at a critical crossroads, facing challenges that require bold innovation, strong partnerships, and a focus on national security.

• To connect commercial solutions to big national challenges, the nation leans on organizations like MITRE, a nonprofit organization with deep technical expertise and a commitment to public good.

• Additionally, MITRE has also created a partnership to transform the safe deployment of autonomous land and air vehicles for homeland security with Gambit.

• As DHS continues to lead efforts to protect the homeland, MITRE’s partnership with DHS and its agencies serves as a model for leveraging public-private collaboration to achieve meaningful and lasting results to ensure the U.S. leads the world in innovation.

The United States is at a critical crossroads, facing challenges that require bold innovation, strong partnerships, and a focus on national security. For the nation to solve complex technical challenges, commercial innovation must be better integrated and aligned into solving the public interest problems faced by the U.S. government.

To connect commercial solutions to big national challenges, the nation leans on organizations like MITRE, a nonprofit organization with deep technical expertise and a commitment to public good. Without a profit motive, and with trusted technical expertise, MITRE is able to create partnerships that elevate products and strengthen the nation.

This need is evident today as the nation addresses threats, risks, and opportunities related to identifying unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). To accelerate innovation to market, MITRE created a partnership with Pierce Aerospace, a dual-use IoT and aerospace company that uses scientific research and experimentation to address real-world challenges from the increased use of unmanned systems. Pierce Aerospace’s remote ID sensors will be installed at a national drone range for remote identification and UAS-related research purposes. This will result in faster and more deployment-ready solutions that enhance homeland and national security.

Additionally, MITRE has also created a partnership to transform the safe deployment of autonomous land and air vehicles for homeland security with Gambit.

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OPINIONATED

Op-Ed: Rep. Randy Feenstra: How President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” delivers for farmers

By Rep. Randy Feenstra (R., Iowa)

For four years under the Biden administration, rural communities were left behind, if not completely forgotten. Farmers faced a nearly $50-billion agricultural trade deficit, record high inflation squeezed budgets, and net farm income fell by roughly $41 billion — the largest two-year decline in U.S. history.

These challenges occurred at the same time as President Joe Biden approved costly electric vehicle mandates on farmers, proposed eliminating stepped-up basis in his yearly budget, and saddled rural Iowa with more red tape like his egregious Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. It’s no surprise that rural Americans voted in overwhelming numbers for President Donald Trump.

With the election of President Trump, farmers once again had an advocate and an ally in the White House. In just the first few months of his administration, President Trump signed legislation overturning California’s radical electric vehicle mandates, delivered critical financial relief to our producers, and announced that the EPA would rewrite WOTUS to give farmers clarity and let them raise crops and livestock without burdensome regulations. These are some of many examples depicting the Trump administration’s unwavering commitment to agriculture and rural America.

Now, President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” will secure even more victories for farmers and agriculture. This historic legislation invests nearly $50 billion in the farm safety net, increases outdated reference prices for commodities like corn and soybeans, improves the Dairy Margin Programs for our dairy producers, and strengthens crop insurance with higher, yet more affordable, levels of coverage. It also includes my bills to lower the cost of crop insurance for the next generation of Iowa farmers, delivers additional relief for producers from the death tax, and help our community banks provide low-cost loans to farmers and agricultural businesses.

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Op-Ed: Mike Fragoso: Advice for Sen. Thom Tillis

by Mike Fragoso

Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.) announced recently that he will not be running for reelection in 2026. A stalwart of the establishment wing of the Republican Conference, he joins the interesting club of Republican Senators who hung it up after two terms — Rob Portman, Pat Toomey, and Bob Corker. How should he go about his last 18 months in the Senate? I worked with those two-termers on their way out the door, and earlier in my career worked for another Senator, Jeff Flake, who opted not to run for reelection with 16 months left in his term. Here’s what worked, and here’s what didn’t.

Stay focused. Senator Portman spent his last two years in Congress racking up legislative win after legislative win. Whether it was the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the wide-ranging inspector-general reforms, codifying gay marriage, or countless smaller but consequential wins, he pushed for them until the clock stopped. I recall running into him in the Cloakroom around Christmastime — weeks or even days before his term was to expire — and being asked pointed questions about why McConnell wasn’t supporting this judge, or whether there was any path forward on that bill, or whether we’d hold the line on a piece of legislation he opposed.

Portman’s good friend, Senator Kyrsten Sinema, similarly was cutting deals and getting wins on her way out the door two years later. Focusing on outcomes can make a difference.

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Op-Ed: Alexander Haig: Healthcare workers are stressed about their finances. Here’s how employers can help.

by Alexander Haig

The majority of healthcare workers across the United States are struggling with their finances, causing stress which is negatively impacting their work. Research conducted by the Harris Poll and DailyPay revealed the following:

• The majority (57 percent) of healthcare workers in the U.S. feel stressed about the state of their finances.

• Nearly half (49 percent) find it challenging to pay bills on time.

• Thirty-four percent say they ran out of money between paychecks in the past year.

• A quarter (25 percent) say they were unable to pay a bill in the past year.

The survey also reveals the financial challenges of healthcare workers today could potentially have a long-term negative impact.

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Op-Ed: Daniel Turner: Energy independence is as critical to American Independence as ever

by Daniel Turner

We cannot celebrate 249 years of American independence without celebrating and protecting the very vehicle which today fuels our freedom: American energy.

Thomas Jefferson made the deliberate decision to expand on John Locke’s “Life, Liberty, and Property” to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” deeming that third inalienable right as greater than a physical possession.

This new land, Jefferson believed, would honor a right much more deeply personal, to pursue happiness, and fossil fuels are the tools to do so.

We are stronger, healthier, cleaner, safer, and more prosperous, because of fossil fuels. We are also freer to pursue our happiness. There is no freedom when one suffers the cruel elements of nature.

One is not free if his food is rancid, his health subject to disease and ailments, infection, and unsanitary conditions. One cannot pursue happiness if he cannot protect and store his goods, travel freely and quickly, transport goods, or communicate freely.

Fossil fuels are the essential building blocks so that a free people can pursue happiness.

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