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Rep. Brandon Gill’s OBBB sales tour, top Republican uses our reporting to bash “Hamas University,” and more!
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s shameful embrace of a global intifada, the numbers behind Democrats’ historic anti-Trump obstruction, and more!
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August 1, 2025
Let’s dive in.
INTERVIEW: Rep. Brandon Gill’s town hall blitz highlights the GOP’s OBBB wins
Heard on the Hill
SCOOP: Top Republican blasts "Hamas indoctrination facility" following Washington Reporter story
SCOOP: The numbers behind Senate Democrats' historic anti-Trump obstruction
SCOOP: Maryland Democrats' anti-ICE "sit-in" criticized as a virtue signal
SCOOP: "Without Trump, none of this was possible": EPA's Lee Zeldin hailed for "groundbreaking" leadership following Tijuana success
SCOOP: JPMorganChase and Coinbase announce partnership to facilitate crypto expansion
WATCH: Sen. Tom Cotton speaks on Senate floor in support of Israel in its war against Hamas
OPINIONATED: Ellie Bufkin on Keir Starmer’s empty threat to Israel; Mercedes Schlapp and Frank Russo on ending the scourge of human trafficking; and Dr. Ben Carson on the need to quickly confirm Trump's pick for Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
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INTERVIEW: Rep. Brandon Gill’s town hall blitz highlights the GOP’s OBBB wins
by the Washington Reporter
THE LOWDOWN:
The Washington Reporter rode along with Rep. Brandon Gill (R., Texas) in his Texas town hall blitz through his district. At each stop, Gill gave an update on his work in Congress, the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), and took questions from constituents.
Gill told the Reporter in an exclusive interview after his Bartonville town hall that he spoke to hundreds of his constituents over the course of the day and that they see the OBBB “as a bill that codifies the president’s agenda into law.”
One prominent issue that arose across the town halls was the topic of immigrant assimilation. Gill told the Reporter that “we enjoy so many benefits of living in the greatest country in the world,” such as “the economic opportunities, the cultural benefits, and the safety of living here.”
The Texas Republican said that “you see that with some of the Islamic issues” that had been raised in the Bartonville town hall, adding that there are people coming into America from cultures “that are utterly unassimilable.”
As both the youngest Republican lawmaker in the House and the 119th Congress’s GOP Freshman Class President, Rep. Brandon Gill (R., Texas) has quite a pair of shoes to fill as he fights for his north Texas district, for President Donald Trump, and for the GOP’s agenda in Washington.
Gill, the DC Inquirer founder-turned-House member, isn’t just filling them — he’s sprinting in them.
The Washington Reporter rode along with Gill in his Texas town hall blitz through his district, stopping in Lewisville, Little Elm, Gainesville, Decatur, and ending at the Bartonville Town Hall. At each stop, Gill gave an update on his work in Congress, the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), and took questions from constituents.
Gill told the Reporter in an exclusive interview after his Bartonville town hall that he spoke to hundreds of his constituents over the course of the day and that they see the OBBB “as a bill that codifies the president’s agenda into law.”
“It allows us to execute on all the things that we ran on, whether it’s border security, tax policy, or repealing the Green New Deal,” Gill said. “That’s exactly what they elected us to do.”
“So the response has been unanimously positive,” Gill added.
Heard on the Hill
WIN FOR VETERANS: President Donald Trump signed legislation from Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R., Wis.) that establishes a permanent partial claims program within the VA Home Loan Program. Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL, praised Trump for “the strongest support of veterans and servicemembers of any president in our nation’s history.”
SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION: Paul Atkins, the Chairman of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), gave a keynote address on “American Leadership in the Digital Finance Revolution” at America First Policy Institute today.
ANOTHER TRUMP WIN: This week, a judge stayed a court case challenging CFPB Rule 1033, known as the Open Banking rule, which the Washington Reporter has covered. This ruling grants the CFPB’s request and gives them the opportunity to rework the rule that began under the first Trump administration in a way that “upholds consumers’ fundamental right to their financial information” and protects financial innovation, access to Crypto, and more.
CFTC DRAMA: The White House's decision to delay Brian Quintenz's vote at the Senate Agriculture Committee to be the Chairman of the CFTC raised eyebrows on the Hill. A Hill source confirmed reporting by Elanor Terrett that Quintenz's ties to prediction market Kalshi — a business with interests before the CFTC — caused some Republicans to be concerned.
WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE: Senate sources tell us they were surprised to see Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D., N.H.) join the left side of her party and vote to block arms sales to Israel. “We expect this from Bernie Sanders, but Shaheen has really tarnished her legacy by joining the pro-Hamas wing of her party,” a Senate Republican aide told us.
SCHUMER SHUTDOWN: Senate sources tell us that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) is preparing to whip his caucus against any agreement with Republicans to keep the government open, regardless of the merits. A Senate source told us that “Schumer is more focused on avoiding a primary from AOC than he is on keeping the government open. What a disgrace.”
JACK SMITH INVESTIGATION: Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) sent a letter to the Office of Special Counsel urging the office to investigate Jack Smith for partisan activity when Smith prosecuted President Trump in the 2024 election. A source said to expect the Office of Special Counsel to act.
ANOTHER TOWN HALL: Rep. Brandon Gill (R., Texas) is far from the only Republican hitting the road this week. Rep. Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.) hosted Reps. Jason Smith (R., Mo.) and Bruce Westerman (R., Ark.) for her most recent town hall; stay tuned for the exclusive recap of this, which we’ll post soon.
SEE EU SOON: President Trump’s European Union (EU) trade deal was quickly hailed by Republicans in Congress, particularly from the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC). Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R., Texas), the RSC’s Budget Task Force Chair, hit the local angle: “The European Union trade expansion is incredible for Texas agriculture, energy development, advanced manufacturing, and the millions of present and future workers who will benefit from President Trump's unprecedented deal making,” she said.
VICTORY LAP: Tennessee’s Attorney General, Jonathan Skrmetti, took a well-deserved victory lap at the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF) annual convention following his successful Supreme Court victory that allows states to ban genital mutilation of children.
ROAD TRIP: Rep. Lisa McClain (R., Mich.) is kicking off a One Big Beautiful Tour Across America, visiting districts represented by Reps. Tom Kean (R., N.J.), Rob Bresnahan (R., Pa.), and Ryan MacKenzie (R., Pa.) to sell the wins in the OBBB.
CRUZ TO THE RESCUE: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass) tumbled during last night’s floor votes. Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) was first on the scene to help her up.
COUNTERING CHINA: The Irregular Warfare Initiative and the Special Operations Association of America brought together leaders in government, industry, academia and several think tanks to discuss China’s influence in South America. Panel discussions centered around emerging threats to the Homeland, economic statecraft and supply chain risks, the SOF-space-cyber triad, operations and intelligence fusion, and adversary networks and open-source intelligence. A full day was dedicated to a table-top exercise which was designed to challenge participants to develop irregular warfare responses—such as gray zone deterrence, influence operations, and partner force enablement – to counter escalating Chinese-backed subversion, disinformation, and cartel activity.
REVIEWS ARE IN: Don’t expect Rep. Kevin Hern (R., Okla.) to read Kamala Harris’s new book. “Should be a pretty quick read, but something tells me that, much like a Kamala speech, it will be way too long, quickly lose focus on the topic, include vague aphorisms that don’t mean anything, and won’t say anything of substance,” he quipped.
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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: Top Republican blasts "Hamas indoctrination facility" following Washington Reporter story
by Matthew Foldi
The top Republican on the Committee on Education and the Workforce is blasting the “Hamas indoctrination facility” that a non-profit is raising funds for just steps from the Capitol.
The Washington Reporter previously reported that Dar Alhurriya, the Palestine House of Freedom, is actively raising money for Birzeit University — a school that has been the subject of multiple congressional investigations due to its ties to Palestinian terrorism.
Following that report, Rep. Tim Walberg (R., Mich.), the chair of the Ed and Workforce Committee, told the Reporter that “Birzeit University is a prime example of how anti-Zionism and antisemitism go hand in hand. Not only has this institution praised the unprovoked attack on October 7th, but it also actively supports terrorists.”
“Clearly,” Walberg continued, “Birzeit isn’t a place of higher learning but rather a Hamas indoctrination facility.”
SCOOP: The numbers behind Senate Democrats' historic anti-Trump obstruction
by Matthew Foldi
The Democratic Party’s base wants elected Democrats to fight President Donald Trump — but new numbers suggest that Senate Democrats in particular are waging a historic, yet entirely unsuccessful, battle against the Trump administration.
Despite the Senate’s rapid confirmation of most of Trump’s cabinet picks, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Senate Democrats are holding up as many of Trump’s civilian nominees as possible.
As of the end of July 2025, Trump has not had a single civilian nominee confirmed by either voice vote or by unanimous consent during his second term. This stands in marked contrast with both Trump’s first term, in which 65 percent were confirmed by voice vote or via unanimous consent, and with President Joe Biden’s only term in office, in which 57 percent were confirmed by one of the two processes.
Ryan Wrasse, the communications director for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.), explained that “Democrats have created a new and dangerous precedent when it comes to obstructing executive nominees. They’ve gone as far as blocking voice votes on bipartisan nominees who have ultimately received as many as 83 votes on the Senate floor.”
SCOOP: Maryland Democrats' anti-ICE "sit-in" criticized as a virtue signal
by Matthew Foldi
The Democratic Party’s feud with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) escalated again, with Maryland Democrats taking center stage via what critics are lambasting as yet another photo-op.
Most of Maryland’s congressional delegation was locked out of a Baltimore ICE facility earlier this week. The lawmakers included Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (D., Md.), as well as Reps. Johnny Olszewski, Sarah Elfreth, Glenn Ivey, and Kweisi Mfume (D., Md.).
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After being denied access to the facility, they sat outside it. One Maryland lawmaker who was notably absent is Rep. Andy Harris (R., Md.), the Chairman of the Freedom Caucus.
Harris criticized the Democrats’ photo-op, telling the Washington Reporter that “Maryland Democrats staged a sit-in outside a Baltimore ICE facility, but they were nowhere to be found when it mattered most: at the southern border.”
SCOOP: "Without Trump, none of this was possible": EPA's Lee Zeldin hailed for "groundbreaking" leadership following Tijuana success
by Matthew Foldi
It only took EPA Administrator a few weeks to accomplish what Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) has wanted California to do for decades: get Mexico to stop polluting the waters of the Pacific Ocean where the Tijuana River flows.
There’s a simple reason that Californians will literally breathe easier, Issa told the Washington Reporter: “without Trump, none of this was possible,” he explained.
Thanks to Zeldin and the Trump administration, America and Mexico reached “a permanent, 100 percent solution to the decades-old Tijuana River sewage crisis.” This is exactly what Issa started working on with Zeldin earlier this year, when the duo announced “lasting solutions” to the problem that Issa has spent much of his congressional tenure working on.
Mexican sewage led to a “foul smell” in the area, Zeldin said, but there were national security needs for action, too. Navy SEALs reported vomiting during their training due to pollution in the water.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries is the first of its kind between America and Mexico during President Donald Trump’s second term. As part of the agreement, Mexico will free up almost $100 million it had previously pledged and will move up deadlines for multiple improvements that it already scheduled.
SCOOP: JPMorganChase and Coinbase announce partnership to facilitate crypto expansion
by Matthew Foldi
Crypto scored a huge win this week when Coinbase and JPMorganChase announced a partnership geared towards making open banking both easier and more secure for crypto users across America.
The move could leave data aggregators in the cold, and it comes as the Trump administration is working to undo a Biden-era regulation and work on its own open banking rule.
President Donald Trump is working to make America the crypto capital of the world, and has staffed his administration with industry experts, like David Sacks, to ensure American dominance in the industry for years to come; Trump recently signed bipartisan stablecoin legislation towards the end of a successful Crypto Week.
The new partnership includes the ability to use Chase credit cards on Coinbase for the first time ever and link bank accounts to Coinbase wallets — a historic first for the relationship between credit cards and crypto.
The credit card usage is expected to be functional this year, and the direct bank-to-wallet and Ultimate Rewards features are expected to go live in 2026.
WATCH: Sen. Tom Cotton speaks on Senate floor in support of Israel in its war against Hamas
by Matthew Foldi
As over half of Senate Democrats voted for a meaningless resolution to cut off weapons supplies to Israel, Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) took the Senate floor by storm with a speech laden with moral clarity, targeting the “senators, pundits, podcasters, and European politicians” who “impose this unique standard on the Jewish nation.”
“Why could it be?” he asked.
Cotton’s remarks fully align him with President Donald Trump’s demands — if Hamas wants to end the so-called famine in Gaza, it must disarm and release the Jewish hostages it has illegally held for over 700 days.
But Cotton’s remarks are particularly significant, because they clearly laid out the double standard facing Israel, unique among nations and in history.
OPINIONATED
Op-Ed: Ellie Bufkin: Keir Starmer’s empty threat won’t save Gaza, it will reward the terrorists
by Ellie Bufkin
The U.K.’s Prime Minister tried to make a splash in the Middle East with his announcement that he will recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and commits to a two-state process, along with other demands.
But the reality is that this is a headline-grabbing ultimatum with all the moral seriousness of a hashtag campaign — and it is just as likely inspire Israel to comply: not at all. What it will do is embolden Hamas, degrade the already deteriorating deterrence posture, and further politicize humanitarian relief.
Let’s be precise about what happened. Starmer’s government tied state recognition to a list of “substantive steps” by Israel — a ceasefire, recommitment to a two-state framework, expanded aid access, and no annexations in the West Bank. Basically, the U.K. is threatening to redraw diplomatic lines while a terror army still holds hostages and fires rockets from civilian cover. This is not “peacemaking”; it’s performance.
Israel’s response was correct and unsurprising: this does nothing to establish peace in the region; it rewards Hamas. You can be critical of Israel’s actions both militarily and politically and still grasp the obvious incentive structure at play here. Starmer is telling the terrorists that their bloody atrocities over the past two years, committed brutally and in plain sight of the world, have earned them statehood.
The announcement from Downing Street detailed clearly that recognition would go ahead unless Israel shifts — Hamas’s conduct was not even a decisive variable.
Op-Ed: Mercedes Schlapp and Frank Russo: We must unite to end the modern day slavery that is human trafficking
by Mercedes Schlapp and Frank Russo
This month marked a milestone in the fight against modern day slavery as CPAC’s Center for Combating Human Trafficking hosted its Third Annual International Summit Against Human Trafficking on Capitol Hill, a symbolic stage befitting a cause that knows no borders. This summit united partners and leaders from across the globe to tackle the most heinous of crimes associated with human trafficking. It will take a whole of government approach to fund safe houses for the courageous survivors who need healing and assist law enforcement in prosecuting the human traffickers who are preying on the most vulnerable women and children.
President Donald J. Trump and his Administration are committed to leading this movement for justice. The White House Office of Public Liaison and CPAC led the administration’s first roundtable on combating human trafficking with a focus on public and private partnerships and the cooperation of Republican Attorney Generals who are dedicated to ending human trafficking, stopping the drug epidemic, and addressing the failing foster care system. It was clear the Trump administration’s vital contributions, from the Department of Justice task forces to White House initiatives, have shaped today’s robust antitrafficking infrastructure in our nation, but more needs to be done to help the victims receive the care they need to heal and rebuild their lives. Their unwavering focus has galvanized support to our shared cause and showcased CPAC as the definitive leader as we bring traffickers to justice.
We solidified this message during the Summit as we welcomed distinguished speakers, from Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.) and Rep. Andy Biggs (R., Ariz.) to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Border Czar Tom Homan, walking through real world solutions to this ongoing crisis.
Our partners also briefed the audience on major policy goals such as legislation like the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, an effort to offer criminal record relief to victims, and the One Big Beautiful Bill, which countered cartel-driven trafficking by securing our border.
Further, our Center-led-efforts to champion state laws, such as Texas SB 1278 and Arkansas’s protection and restoration act, are tangible results of this commitment to protect victims and hold traffickers accountable.
Op-Ed: Ben Carson: It's time for the Senate to confirm President Trump's Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
by Dr. Ben Carson
In a dangerous world, President Donald Trump deserves to have his nominees immediately confirmed. D.C. rhetoric is full of hyperboles; however, it is no exaggeration to say that the stalling of President Trump’s nominees by Senate Democrats is a matter of life and death — especially for people of faith.
At this point in the Biden administration, the U.S. Senate had approved 49 nominees by unanimous consent or through voice vote. Yet, Democrats have not approved a single nominee for President Trump — zero through voice vote or unanimous consent.
Many of President Trump’s nominees possess the experience and qualifications to immediately engage in areas and places where the need is urgent. One such example is Mark Walker, President Trump’s nominee for Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.
Mark Walker, a former minister and member of Congress, served as chairman of the largest caucus in Congress, served as ranking member on an intelligence and counterterrorism subcommittee, and was unanimously elected by his colleagues to serve in U.S. House leadership.
The Ambassador-at-Large of International Religious Freedom was created during the Clinton administration by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. It was then reinforced in 2016 by the Frank Wolf Act — a bill co-authored by then-Sen. Marco Rubio — making clear that the Ambassador at Large is the “principal advisor” to the Secretary of State and the President of the United States on matters of international religious freedom. This position reports directly to the Secretary of State.
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We created the Washington Reporter to give Republicans in Congress an outlet for insights to help you succeed, and to cover the toughest policy fights that don't get the attention they deserve.
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