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Wednesday, July 16, 2025

GOP Advances Recission Bill—With an Assist From Vice President Vance

The Hill: Senate Republicans on Tuesday narrowly cleared a key procedural hurdle on the path to clawing back billions of dollars in funding previously authorized by Congress for foreign aid and public broadcasting. Vice President Vance had to break the 50-50 tie vote after three Republicans — Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine) and Mitch McConnell (Ky.) — voted against a motion to discharge the rescissions package out of the Senate Appropriations Committee, allowing the full upper chamber to advance to consideration of the package (The Hill). Washington Post: Tuesday’s vote was a first step toward passing the bill. The Senate must vote to start debate on the bill, followed by hours of debate and votes on amendments. Lawmakers are under pressure because Congress must approve the cuts by Friday at midnight under the law they are using to dodge a Democratic filibuster…. The catch: Congress must send the bill to Trump’s desk by Friday or the administration will be forced to release the funds. Republicans have a 53-47 majority in the Senate, meaning they can lose up to three Republican votes and pass the bill. The House — which approved the package last month — will need to vote on it again if the Senate changes it (Washington Post).

Senate Holds Hearings for Trump Nominee Mike Waltz to Represent US at the United Nations

Politico: Former national security adviser Mike Waltz pledged Tuesday to push for reform at the United Nations, portraying the body as bloated, ineffectual and overly politicized during his confirmation hearing to serve as President Donald Trump’s ambassador to international organization. Echoing the administration’s approach to slashing the federal government, Waltz said that the administration was conducting a number of reviews of the United Nations to examine how it is spending its funds, calling for the body to refocus on its founding principles…. The United States is the largest single financial contributor to the U.N., accounting for more than a quarter of its overall budget. Waltz indicated this could be used as leverage in pushing for reform. “If you look at when reform has actually happened,” he said, “it is when the United States has said, ‘You know what, we need to actually see things before the U.S. taxpayer continues to write checks.’” The administration is looking to cancel some $1 billion in federal funding to the U.N. as part of its rescission package, which seeks to claw back almost $10 billion in federal funds (Politico). Waltz pointed out the UN’s obsession with Israel: “From 2015 to 2023, the General Assembly passed 157 resolutions against Israel versus 71 against all other nations COMBINED” (X). Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL): Mike is a seasoned operator, a principled America First conservative, and a skilled communicator who is unafraid to take America’s case directly to the world. Mike will be the president’s voice at the U.N. and will faithfully implement President Trump’s agenda while maintaining our historic “peace through strength” philosophy that won the Cold War (Fox News).

GOP Pushes Legislation Prohibiting Chinese Communist Party From Purchasing Land in US

It should have been done a long time ago, but the bill was introduced Tuesday: Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Katie Britt of Alabama introduced the “Not One More Inch or Acre Act.” It would give Mr. Trump clear authority to prohibit all future land purchases by the CCP and force the divestment of already owned property in cases of national security protection. “Communist China has chosen to be our enemy and seeks to destroy us and our way of life every chance they get,” Mr. Scott said in a statement. “It’s alarming that CCP-linked entities have been quietly buying up U.S. farmland, often strategically located close to our military bases. That’s not a coincidence. It’s a threat to our national security” (Washington Times). Gordon Chang: Pass a law requiring Chinese nationals to divest ownership of farm and ranch land as well as any real property interest within, say, 10 miles of any military or national security facility. Also, give the President the authority to designate areas where no Chinese national may own any real property interest (Chang).

Israel, US Pressing Arab Nations to Accept Gazan Refugees

A number of countries ought to step up. Ed Morrissey: When this idea first came up in February, most people considered it a bluff. Donald Trump supposedly proposed US control of Gaza after the relocation of its civilian population to other Arab states, with the ambition of turning it into a resort property. Coming just after Trump’s return to office, most saw the chatter as a way to shake up the hostage talks with Hamas by shoving the usual Overton Window on Palestinian land claims all the way into “full dispossession” unless the Gazans got a lot more serious about peaceful coexistence. Well, not so fast. Both Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have quietly continued to push this idea with the other Sunni Arab states in the region… (Hot Air). Andrew Tobin: Israel on Monday began negotiations with several countries it hopes will take in Gazans as part of a mass emigration plan first proposed by President Donald Trump, two Israeli officials with knowledge of the talks told the Washington Free Beacon. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer briefed the rest of the cabinet on the talks in a closed-door meeting on Saturday evening. The leaders said the talks were expected to continue for several days with the goal of securing commitments from the other countries to accept specific numbers of Gazan migrants in exchange for benefits to be provided by the United States (Free Beacon).

All Members of UN Commission of Inquiry Resign

The permanent committee that targeted Israel. The resignations come in the wake of threats for sanctions from Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Fox News). UN Watch: a watershed moment of accountability for those carrying out the UN’s institutionalized bias against the Jewish state. “This week, the dominoes are falling,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch. “First, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the historic decision to sanction Francesca Albanese, the UN’s pro-Hamas rapporteur, in wake of a massive campaign led by UN Watch. Now the architects of the UN’s anti-Israel inquisition are fleeing the ship. The tide is turning” (UN Watch). Orde Kittrie of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy: “These three commissioners were a disgrace to the United Nations. Their blatant bias prior to their appointments and their scurrilous anti-American, anti-Israeli, and, in some cases, antisemitic statements while in office mean that both their appointments and their service were contrary to UN ethics rules, which mandate impartiality, objectivity, and professionalism. The three commissioners repeatedly mischaracterized international law in an effort to deprive Israel explicitly, and the United States and its Western allies implicitly, of the right of self-defense against terrorism. The commission itself should now be dismantled, as its mandate is irreparably biased” (FDD).

House Holds Hearings With University Leaders Over Pervasive Campus Antisemitism

Georgetown president: “I’m very proud of our mission in Qatar.” US News: House lawmakers confronted administrators from colleges and universities around the country on Tuesday in the ninth hearing to date about their efforts to clamp down on antisemitism on campuses. Appearing before the Education and Workforce Committee, leaders from the City University of New York, Georgetown University and the University of California, Berkeley touted their past efforts as well as their commitment to continue the work. Republican Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan, chairman of the committee, said the purpose of the hearing was to understand how antisemitism was able to “take over” campuses and said the committee will examine student groups, faculty unions, Middle Eastern studies centers, foreign funding and efforts to implement diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives – all of which, he says, are factors that encouraged antisemitic activism (US News). Georgetown leaders seem a bit tone deaf as they boast of their relationship with Qatar: Georgetown University’s interim president, Robert Groves, told Congress he is “very proud” of the school’s financial relationship with Qatar and defended his decision to award a presidential medal to a Qatari royal who openly celebrated Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre. “I’m very proud of our mission in Qatar,” Groves said Tuesday during a House Committee on Education and Workforce hearing. “It’s completely consistent with the Jesuit animation of working at the frontiers of serving groups that are not served easily in Washington” …. A June report by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy found that Georgetown has underreported Qatari financial contributions by about $146 million and left an additional $102 million in grants to Qatari students at the Doha campus off its official disclosures. It also noted that Qatar funding has “significantly influenced Georgetown’s academic environment, research priorities, and faculty recruitment,” including at the ACMCU, where 25 percent of graduates enter worldwide government service (Free Beacon).

Syrian Forces Take Control of Druze Stronghold

In a brutal assault that may threaten normalization efforts with Israel. Israel Hayom: Syrian regime troops have taken control of most of Suwayda, the capital of the Druze Mountain region, in a brutal assault marked by mass executions, humiliations, and house-to-house killings targeting the Druze minority. According to reports emerging Tuesday, at least nine members of the Radwan family, known for its affiliation with one of the Druze militias, were slaughtered in their home by regime forces. Shocking images showing their bodies strewn across the family’s living room have spread on social media, sparking outrage across Syria. Footage also showed mass arrests of Druze militia members, with detainees beaten, threatened and humiliated. Although Syrian air force strikes destroyed several regime tanks and vehicles, they failed to halt the offensive, and Syrian government forces continued to deepen their grip on the city, home to roughly 50,000 residents. Nevertheless, Druze militias were still reported to be fighting in parts of Suwayda, and casualties were reported among regime troops (Israel Hayom). Jonathan Hessen of the Hudson Institute: Israel passed a message to Al-Julani via Egyptian mediation: ‘Your regime will fall within hours unless you cease the massacre against the Druze and withdraw” (Hessen). Financial Times: Israel launched strikes on southern Syria for a second consecutive day on Tuesday as the Syrian government struggled to quell an outbreak of sectarian clashes that has killed dozens of people. The Israel Defense Forces said it targeted Syrian government military vehicles, including tanks and armoured personnel carriers, in Sweida province, where Israel says it has been acting in defence of the minority Druze community (FT).

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Closing Center That Chemically and Surgically Mutilated Children

In the name of “gender affirming care.” Daily News: Executives at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) announced in June that its Center for Transyouth Health and Development, which provides gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and surgeries, is shutting down by July 22. The hospital is one of the oldest, largest public providers of gender-affirming care, especially for lower-income patients, in the U.S. The imminent closure follows Trump’s executive order, issued early on in his second term, for hospitals to end gender-affirming surgeries for people under age 19 — a move to block federal funding for gender transitions and care for trans youth, in line with his administration’s policies advocates say target the larger transgender community, from athletes to those who serve in the military. In his order, the President called science-backed, medically-supported gender-affirming care methods “chemical and surgical mutilation,” and by restricting them, a way to “protect children.” He also signed an order defining sexes as “male and female.”…. Businessman John D. Garland, who works in the film industry, believes minors shouldn’t be able to make “permanent changes to their bodies” other than mental health treatments, he said, and avoid “irreversible changes” to their bodies…. “I don’t think a minor has enough social development or enough insight to make a determination about their gender. We don’t allow children to drink, to smoke, to have sex legally until a certain age, how do we justify not limiting surgery age for these children?” (Daily News).

Home Depot Founder Changes His Mind Over Trump: "When you made a mistake, admit it"

Red State: Billionaire Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone has done a 180 after blasting Trump’s sweeping tariffs, explaining, “When you made a mistake, admit it.” During Langone’s appearance on Tuesday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” the co-founder of the home improvement store and top GOP donor said that he was wrong when he called out the president in April suggesting he was getting bad advice from advisors for the “46% tariff on Vietnam” and said the 34 percent rate on China was “too aggressive, too soon.” “I am sold on Trump,” Langone told the hosts. “In fact, I will say this. I think he’s got a good shot at going down in history as one of our best presidents ever” (Red State).

10.

Evangelical Leader John MacArthur Dies

The southern California pastor preached for over 50 years, leading his church, serving as founder of Master’s University, The Master’s Seminary and the host of Grace to You radio program that continues to impact millions across the nation. His influence within the evangelical world is difficult to overstate. Albert Mohler: MacArthur understood the power of influence. Furthermore, he loved preachers. He loved being with preachers. He loved talking about preaching, and he was possessed by a drive to help other preachers. This urgency was transformed into what became the Shepherds Conference, year after year. The conferences became gathering events for preachers committed to exposition. John MacArthur never seemed more alive, or more at home, than when being with fellow preachers, preaching to preachers. His influence among and through other preachers will be his most lasting legacy beyond Grace Community Church…. John MacArthur will be greatly missed and deeply mourned. He demonstrated faithfulness over a long lifetime of honorable ministry—a remarkable gift to Christ’s church. His race is now complete—and what a remarkable race it was. But, remember this: Pastor John MacArthur would be the first to say that the priority above all other priorities is that the faithful exposition of Holy Scripture continue until Jesus comes. Soli Deo Gloria (World).

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