July 24, 2025

Let’s dive in.

1. INTERVIEW: Rep. Rick Crawford on the "vast conspiracy against a President of the United States" that Tulsi Gabbard is exposing

2. Heard on the Hill

3. SCOOP: Pete Buttigieg's $80 billion in DEI grants are in the spotlight

4. SCOOP: Democrat’s longstanding ties to propagandist for Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, Russia, complicates party’s House map

5. K-STREET, 10,000 FEET: How the American Medical Association’s medical billing royalties could fund anti-Trump lawfare

6. OPINIONATED: Rep. Abe Hamadeh on what’s next for rescissions and Andrew Gordon on the GENIUS Act

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INTERVIEW: Rep. Rick Crawford on the "vast conspiracy against a President of the United States" that Tulsi Gabbard is exposing

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• Rep. Rick Crawford (R., Ark.) spoke with the Washington Reporter about President Donald Trump’s push for federal transparency.

• The latest push for transparency and accountability comes from Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The Reporter was the first to cover her sensational report which found that President Barack Obama requested “a new IC assessment” to blame Russia for 2016 election interference.

• Gabbard’s move “is not just a vindication of President Trump,” Crawford said. “This is a vindication of everybody who worked so hard on this effort to expose this to daylight, and who were denied for eight years.”

• Despite the sensational nature of Gabbard’s findings, there has been a noticeable blackout of her findings, or attempts to minimize them, by liberal outlets.

As Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Rick Crawford (R., Ark.) has a front-row seat to stories most Americans will never know about.

But the Trump administration, following an executive order from President Donald Trump himself, has set about declassifying documents at a breakneck pace, a move that Crawford told the Washington Reporter in an interview is night and day from the previous administration.

“There is no comparison between these two administrations,” Crawford said. “When we asked President Trump to intervene so that we could get our documents, there was no hesitation. We got our documents within 12 hours. We had them in our possession.”

The latest push for transparency and accountability comes from Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The Reporter was the first to cover her sensational report which found that President Barack Obama requested “a new IC assessment” to blame Russia for 2016 election interference.

This week, Gabbard unveiled “evidence of the most egregious weaponization and politicization of intelligence in American history.”

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Heard on the Hill

• GALLEGO-MANDERING: Sen. Ruben Gallego (D., Ariz.) gave the Democrats’ game away when it comes to gerrymandering. “We should gerrymander to help Democrats,” the controversial politician tweeted, specifically citing New Mexico’s gerrymandered 2nd District as a success for his party.

• WOMP WOMP: Rep. Steny Hoyer (D., Md.) shut down Democrats’ desires to gerrymander Rep. Andy Harris (R., Md.) out of office. No “rational map” could succeed, Hoyer said. Former Gov. Larry Hogan (R., Md.) successfully pushed back against Maryland Democrats’ plans for an 8-0 House map during his time in office.

• FUTURE OF AI and Art: Top A.I. policy experts and award-winning digital artists descended on the latest event hosted by The Generative Series — one of Washington’s leading forums on A.I., art, and culture . Over 150 attendees enjoyed cutting edge live A.I. and art demos. Those in attendance included Cutter Hodierne, Travis Hoppe, Aalok Mehta, Nihal J. Krishan, Phil Linder, Marisela Ramirez, Matt McDonald, Kelly Chapman, Christina Sevilla, Steve Rochlin, Victoria Houed, Nick Hart, David Segal, John Hesse, Auran Shareef, Patrick Realiza, Jen Renteria, and Nina Brewton.

• TRUMPING HAMAS: President Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, laid into the Hamas terrorist organization for “clearly show[ing] a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.” Palestinian terrorists continue to hold Israeli hostages.

• CRYPTO FUTURE: Amidst the Trump administration’s Crypto Week successes, crypto supporters hosted a Hill happy hour about preserving Rule 1033, a policy the Washington Reporter covered earlier this week. In attendance were senior White House staff, industry experts, and journalists.

• MAZEL TOV: The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) earned a much-deserved profile in The Dispatch, which chronicles how it’s become a powerhouse under the leadership of Matt Brooks.

• BEG YOUR PARDON: Former Rep. George Santos (R., N.Y.) has to turn himself in tomorrow to begin his prison sentence, which many view as excessively harsh. The former lawmaker is still hoping that President Donald Trump will pardon him, he told the Reporter.

• CHEERS!: The American Beverage Association (ABA) hosted a MAHA-flavored event this week, featuring Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.), ABA’s CEO Kevin Keane, Americans for Tax Reform’s Grover Norquist, ALEC’s president Jonathan Williams, and Unleash Prosperity and American Commitment’s Phil Kerpen. The Daily Caller’s Amber Duke, Reagan Reese, Dylan Housman, and Elijah Moorman helped make it happen. During the event, Keane announced today that beverage bottlers have built six new facilities this year to meet rising consumer demand, with more to come; he also highlighted the industry's role in driving blue collar job creation and stimulating local economies across the country.

• TEAM PLAYER: Rep. Bill Huizenga (R., Mich.) cleared the way for former Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Mich.) to have a glide path to the GOP’s nomination in Michigan’s open Senate seat. Read our previous interview with Rogers here.

• SOUTHERN SHIFT: Georgia’s trailblazing Insurance Commissioner, John King, announced that he will suspend his Senate campaign and will run for reelection, and not for the U.S. Senate seat, currently held by Sen. Jon Ossoff (D., Ga.).

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A message from our sponsor.

We must protect American leadership in the life sciences and avoid damaging drug pricing policies. Meanwhile, China is making significant strides in clinical trials, drug approvals and new breakthroughs. Now is the time to strengthen American innovation, not hinder it. Learn more.

SCOOP: Pete Buttigieg's $80 billion in DEI grants are in the spotlight

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• Biden-era Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s latest problem is a report that his department “spent $80 billion on DEI grants, delayed air traffic control upgrades.”

• The GOP’s transportation-focused lawmakers told the Reporter that “this is what happens when a federal agency becomes a slush fund for Marxist ideology.”

• Nationally, Republicans at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) are already spotlighting Buttigieg’s failures.

• Steve Forbes, the chairman of Forbes Media, noted the contrast between the current and previous administrations.

Should Pete Buttigieg run for president — or any other office down the road — Republicans are eager to relitigate his failures as President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Transportation, multiple lawmakers told the Washington Reporter.

Buttigieg’s latest problem is a report that his department “spent $80 billion on DEI grants, delayed air traffic control upgrades.”

The GOP’s transportation-focused lawmakers told the Reporter that “this is what happens when a federal agency becomes a slush fund for Marxist ideology.”

Rep. Burgess Owens (R., Utah), who is on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told the Reporter that “Biden’s DOT had the chance to modernize our air traffic system and make travel safer for every American, but instead wasted $80 billion on DEI.

“I’m grateful to President Trump and Secretary Duffy for ending this taxpayer-funded nonsense and getting back to the real mission of this critical department,” Owens continued.

Rep. Mike Collins (R., Ga.), who is also on T&I, told the Reporter that “the Biden administration prioritized woke ideology over the safety of Americans and the development of critical infrastructure.”

“Myself and the federal employees I’ve spoken with are proud of President Trump and Secretary Duffy’s work to realign our nations’ priorities and focus on making travel safer and more efficient,” Collins said.

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SCOOP: Democrat’s longstanding ties to propagandist for Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, Russia, complicates party’s House map

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• Before Jackson Hinkle became notorious for allying with “Russia, Pakistan and Houthi rebels,” he was a failed candidate for a 2019 special election in California.

• At his side, according to contemporaneous reports from the Los Angeles Times, was Perry Meade.

• Since then, Hinkle has shilled for Hamas, the Pakistani intelligence service, Russia, and more. He posted a picture from the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and even received an award from Yemen’s Houthi-run government officials, according to the New York Post.

• Meade’s campaign did not respond to request for comment, but other Democrats in the race are already taking aim at him.

A newly-announced Democratic candidate in a potentially competitive House race has longstanding ties to a self-described “MAGA Communist” who is best known for siding with enemies of America in recent conflicts.

Before Jackson Hinkle became notorious for allying with “Russia, Pakistan and Houthi rebels,” he was a failed candidate for a 2019 special election in California.

At his side, according to contemporaneous reports from the Los Angeles Times, was Perry Meade.

“Jackson Hinkle started the coalition in April with friends Jake Rybczyk and Perry Meade,” the Times noted at the time.

Since then, Hinkle has shilled for Hamas, the Pakistani intelligence service, Russia, and more. He posted a picture from the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and even received an award from Yemen’s Houthi-run government officials, according to the New York Post.

Now, Meade is challenging Rep. Young Kim (R., Calif.) — and his history with Hinkle may haunt him.

“Can’t think of an up and coming candidate who better represents the mainstream of the Democrat Party than an ally of Hamas and the Houthis,” one veteran of California politics told the Washington Reporter.

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K-STREET, 10,000 FEET:

How the American Medical Association’s medical billing royalties could fund anti-Trump lawfare

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• The American Medical Association (AMA), the powerful trade group representing over 283,000 physicians nationwide, has leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars in royalty income generated from its government-mandated medical coding monopoly for left-leaning causes.

• The AMA’s CPT codes are embedded in nearly every health insurance billing system in the United States. Their use is mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and widely adopted across the private insurance market, requiring virtually all health systems, insurers, and providers to pay licensing fees.

• While the AMA describes the CPT system as essential infrastructure for efficient billing and clinical data exchange, its financial disclosures and public positions indicate that the organization has leveraged this funding for advocacy campaigns and legal briefs on a wide range of issues unrelated to clinical medicine.

• With more than $1.3 billion in assets, the AMA remains one of the most powerful and well-resourced policy players in the healthcare landscape.

The American Medical Association (AMA), the powerful trade group representing over 283,000 physicians nationwide, has leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars in royalty income generated from its government-mandated medical coding monopoly for left-leaning causes.

The AMA’s cache of cash has gone toward advocacy and litigation spanning climate change, COVID-era mandates, housing policy, immigration, and transgender issues, according to tax records and court filings reviewed by the Washington Reporter.

In 2023, the AMA earned over $284 million in royalties from the licensing of its proprietary Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set, making up a large share of its total $468 million in revenue.

The AMA’s CPT codes are embedded in nearly every health insurance billing system in the United States. Their use is mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and widely adopted across the private insurance market, requiring virtually all health systems, insurers, and providers to pay licensing fees.

This quasi-governmental authority over a foundational element of healthcare administration has created a lucrative and largely unregulated revenue stream.

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OPINIONATED

Op-Ed: Rep. Abe Hamadeh: President Trump’s rescission victory is the first strike

by Rep. Abe Hamadeh

After years of watching Congress fuel a never-ending spending spree that weakens our economy and mocks the values of hardworking Americans, President Donald J. Trump has just secured a major win with the successful passage of his rescission package. I proudly cast my vote in favor of this package alongside my Republican colleagues not just because it eliminates billions in bloated, ideologically driven programs, but because it sends a thunderous message to Washington: the era of reckless spending is coming to an end.

Let’s be clear about what this package achieves. Wasteful and unnecessary spending has been slashed by targeting programs that long ago strayed from their original missions and morphed into vehicles for left-wing activism and globalist interference.

We’ve defunded the World Health Organization, whose COVID-era propaganda echoed Beijing instead of defending global health. We’ve removed funding for radical LGBTQI+ and “equity” initiatives, for climate schemes inspired by the Green New Deal, and for “color revolutions” in adversarial nations, all of which had no business being subsidized by the American taxpayer in the first place.

This is common sense. Hardworking Americans should not be forced to bankroll ideological crusades that undermine our national interests and moral fabric.

Consider the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the parent of NPR and PBS. For too long, CPB has received public funds while acting as an unapologetic mouthpiece for the Left, pushing race-based programming, COVID misinformation, and hostility toward conservative viewpoints. It is not a public service. It is propaganda. If the Left wants their megaphone, they can pay for it themselves.

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Op-Ed: Andrew Gordon: Congress just opened a world of possibilities for your wallet

by Andrew Gordon

It has been a long time coming, but Congress finally stepped up to make cryptocurrency more accessible to everyday Americans. While crypto usage has become more common for American families, the industry has largely remained dominated by Wall Street insiders, rather than open for growth on Main Street.

Fortunately, last week, Congress took action and passed several important cryptocurrency bills. One piece of legislation in particular, the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act (GENIUS Act), which was passed by the Senate on June 17, was initially stalled in the House, not because members oppose crypto, but because of political maneuvering.

Washington has become so consumed with political games and credit-taking, they refuse to see the forest through the trees. Meanwhile, as Congress argues about who gets credit, America is falling behind global competitors in financial innovation. The GENIUS Act brings real rules to dollar back stablecoins. It protects consumers and opens crypto markets to more Americans than ever before. It keeps crypto innovation here, in the United States.

The GENIUS Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump, sets new federal standards for stablecoins, digital tokens backed one to one by US dollars or treasuries. Here’s how this groundbreaking law works:

First, only qualified issuers, not just any random company, can create stablecoins. Second, they have to be fully backed by U.S. dollars or other short term treasuries, with reserves verified by monthly disclosures and annual audits. Third, there's clear oversight, making sure everyone has to follow anti-money laundering and consumer protection rules.

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