August 8, 2025

Let’s dive in.

1. INTERVIEW: Sen. Eric Schmitt on leading President Trump’s rescissions package, exposing the Deep State, and the unrecognizable Democratic Party of today

2. Heard on the Hill

3. EDITORIAL: Trump’s IRS house cleaning must be just the start

4. EXCLUSIVE: North Carolina freshmen lay out historic wins of "transformational" Congress

5. SCOOP: Eric Holder's gerrymandering hypocrisy under fire

6. EXCLUSIVE: Abigail Spanberger's in-laws sign in to Executive Mansion

7. SCOOP: Democrats' town hall protests backfire in Wisconsin

8. SCOOP: AFPI urges Congress, Trump regulators to curtail political bias in financial regulation

9. SCOOP: Inside first meeting of RSC’s Reconciliation 2.0 Working Group

10. OPINIONATED: Rep. Zach Nunn on the Iowa values in the One Big, Beautiful Bill, Sen. Norm Coleman and Matt Brooks on 200 days of GOP wins, and Saul Anuzis on Obamagate

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INTERVIEW: Sen. Eric Schmitt on leading President Trump’s rescissions package, exposing the Deep State, and the unrecognizable Democratic Party of today

by Matthew Foldi

Like other young men, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R., Mo.) listens to the Joe Rogan Experience — and he recently heard a familiar voice on one of the world’s most popular podcasts: his own, as he read off “some of the craziest tweets” from NPR’s CEO.

The work of Schmitt and his fellow Republicans to do what many have tried to do for decades — ending taxpayer funding for outlets like NPR and PBS finally happened, and viral questioning, like Schmitt’s of NPR CEO Katherine Maher helped make it happen.

Schmitt told the Washington Reporter in an interview that people like Maher “made the best arguments for the rescission that anybody could make.”

“When you have what NPR had been doing for a long time — the totally biased reporting,” the case to cut off federal funding, especially while Republicans fully control Congress, is easy, he said. “We highlighted the CEO Katherine Maher’s ridiculous and unhinged tweets; they are a completely biased organization that looks down on at least half of America, and we shouldn't be subsidizing that. I think they made the best arguments we could possibly make of how radically captured they've been as left-wing organizations. Quite frankly, people have been trying to do this for 50 years, and I'm glad we were able to finally do it.”

Not only did Schmitt and Republicans succeed, they got a coveted shout out from Rogan, a podcaster who Schmitt himself is a fan of.

Rogan, Schmitt noted, has “got an expanded reach. I think he, and especially the people who listen to him, are part of this kind of expanded base of the people who want to vote for Republicans, and I think that is exciting.”

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Heard on the Hill

• IN THE CLOUDS: The General Services Administration (GSA) rolled out a OneGov agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) that includes up to $1 billion in savings for cloud adoption, modernization, and training for federal agencies through 2028.

• STARS IN DC: The Department of Agriculture, under Secretary Brooke Rollins hosted the inaugural Great American Farmers Market on the National Mall, featuring booths from dozens of states, and performers from all star acts, including Big & Rich, LOCASH, Danny Gokey, Mary Millben, and the Free Chapel Band.

• NO THANK YOU: A new mini-documentary from filmmaker Rob Montz showcases how the American taxpayer was on the hook for a rapper in Gaza. Watch the movie here.

• PUT ON NOTICE: Sen. Tom Cotton's (R., Ark.) letter to Intel's board asking why Intel hired a CEO linked to China made a massive splash, leading to a post from President Donald Trump and more members of Congress weighing in. Our Hill sources say companies that are linked to China should take notice, because this won't be the last hit from the Senate.

• EMAIL PROBLEMS: The Washington Reporter broke the news that the Hill was interested in emails sent by Brian Quintenz, the nominee to be chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This week, Rep. Dina Titus (D., Nev.) asked the CFTC to release more information about Quintenz's emails, alleging he asked for nonpublic information that would affect one of his business interests. Our sources tell us to expect more to come on this front.

• EXECUTIVE ACTION: President Trump's executive order involving collegiate admissions data is getting rave reviews from Republicans, with one Senate aide describing it as "a great way to end racist affirmative action."

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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.

EDITORIAL: Trump’s IRS house cleaning must be just the start

by the Washington Reporter Editorial Board

President Donald Trump’s decisive action to put employees implicated in one of the worst weaponization scandals in American history on leave is a victory for fairness and accountability. The recent administrative leave of Holly Paz, a key figure in the 2013 Tea Party targeting controversy, underscores the persistent politicization within the IRS. Paz’s involvement in a new sub-department auditing pass-through businesses, with strong anti-conservative bias, is a chilling reminder of the agency’s history of weaponizing its authority against conservatives. Trump’s swift response sends a clear message: the IRS must serve the American people, not the marxist agenda.

The 2013 scandal, where Paz’s former boss Lois Lerner oversaw improper scrutiny of groups with “Tea Party” or “Constitution” in their names, exposed a deep-seated bias within the IRS. Senator Marsha Blackburn has been one of the leaders calling out this outrageous bias, and pointing out how the IRS’s actions threaten small businesses, the backbone of our economy. Trump’s decision to act protects hardworking Americans from bureaucratic overreach.

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EXCLUSIVE: North Carolina freshmen lay out historic wins of "transformational" Congress

by Matthew Foldi

In 2024, North Carolina sent a trio of freshman Republicans to Congress who joined the Republicans Study Committee (RSC): Reps. Mark Harris, Brad Knott, and Tim Moore.

The three discussed the “transformational” wins of their first Congress in the latest episode of the RSC’s Right to the Point podcast, obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter. Much of their discussion centered around the legislative wins signed into law by President Donald Trump with the One Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB). Harris, who has served in Congress before this term, said that the body is off to an “absolutely phenomenal” start.

“I anticipate that there will be immediate effects and a new energy now,” Knott said following the bill’s passage. “Jamie Dimon said that the animal spirits were out of the economy…It's my belief, looking at these policies, that the president will spark a sort of a renewed vigor in the American economy.”

Knott, a former federal prosecutor, saw the consequences of President Joe Biden’s open border firsthand. “All of the illegal drugs, but for marijuana, are manufactured outside the United States,” he said. “Every ounce. And in terms of the southern border, I would say it’s at least 85 percent, 90 percent.”

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SCOOP: Eric Holder's gerrymandering hypocrisy under fire

by Matthew Foldi

Eric Holder, the Democrats’ leading proponent of partisan gerrymandering, has been all over the map in the wake of Texas Republicans announcing plans to proceed with a mid-decade redistricting of the Lone Star State.

In an interview with Al Sharpton, who helped lead a pogrom in New York City in the 1990s, Holder claimed that “we've got to do things that maybe I didn't necessarily support before but that I find necessary to support now,” alluding to his support for Democrats potentially drawing Republicans out of office in states like California and New York.

Holder’s implication that he opposes partisan gerrymandering doesn’t pass muster with many; one veteran of California politics told the Washington Reporter that “Eric Holder saying he’s against gerrymandering is like Jeffrey Epstein saying your girlfriend is too young for you.”

Following his years serving as President Barack Obama’s “wingman,” Holder took the reins of the National Democratic Redistricting Commission (NDRC) — an organization whose partners are heavily funded by a foreign billionaire, Hansjörg Wyss.

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EXCLUSIVE: Abigail Spanberger's in-laws sign in to Executive Mansion

by Matthew Foldi

Virginians don’t elect their new governor until November, but former Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s (D., Va.) in-laws signed in to visit the Commonwealth’s Executive Mansion to do some potential drape-measuring, according to a visitor log obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter.

On July 29th, Spanberger’s in-laws checked in to the mansion during regular public visiting hours, and one source present told the Reporter that they overheard the couple discussing what a nice spot the house is for their grandchildren to play in.

“In-laws are always the ones who say the quiet part out loud,” a Virginia strategist told the Reporter. “Abigail feels so entitled to this job she sent her mother-in-law to measure the drapes in the people’s house.”

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SCOOP: Democrats' town hall protests backfire in Wisconsin

by Matthew Foldi

Rep. Bryan Steil (R., Wis.) has faced down the left at both his home and at his town hall in recent days, and has emerged unscathed, despite his opponents’ antics involving support for Palestinian terrorists and how several hauled a coffin to his front door.

During Steil’s latest in-district town hall, he came across as sensible, and he repeatedly lured far-left protesters into ideological traps, on questions of basic patriotism and on terrorism. Several booed the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of the town hall; one even knelt at the front of the auditorium.

“If you’re like me, you believe that we live in the greatest country in the world,” Steil said — to a chorus of boos from the audience in Elkhorn. Much of the protest was reportedly organized by the left-wing group Indivisible.

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SCOOP: AFPI urges Congress, Trump regulators to curtail political bias in financial regulation

by Matthew Foldi

A leading conservative think tank is calling on Congress and Trump regulators to curb “government-driven debanking,” warning in a report obtained by the Washington Reporter that federal regulators are pressuring financial institutions to cut ties with individuals and organizations based on political or ideological views.

The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released a white paper this past week titled “Debanked: When Political Bias Trumps Financial Judgment,” authored by Jill Homan, deputy director of trade and economic policy, and David Vasquez, senior policy analyst for energy and environment. The report highlights President Donald Trump’s comments clearly laying the blame for debanking on regulators citing his comments in June of 2025, “the regulators control the banks. It's not the president of the bank. The president of the bank is far less important to a bank than a regulator and a regulator can put that bank out of business.”

The paper outlines five proposals to address the issue. Chief among them is passage of the Financial Integrity and Regulation Management (FIRM) Act, legislation approved by the Senate Banking Committee in March. The bill would remove “reputational risk” from bank supervision — a subjective standard regulators currently use to assess financial institutions — and replace it with objective measures of financial soundness. It would also eliminate the “management” component of the FDIC’s CAMELS rating system, which the authors say allows regulators to penalize banks for serving disfavored industries.

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SCOOP: Inside first meeting of RSC’s Reconciliation 2.0 Working Group

by Matthew Foldi

2025’s first reconciliation is in the books — but Republicans are eager for what comes next, and are spending much of August recess formulating their plans.

One of the first moves out of the gate comes from the Republican Study Committee (RSC), which hosted its first reconciliation 2.0 working group alongside the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC).

The groups joined forces for a standing room only event, where they strategized the next conservative victories to prioritize. Following a series of executive order codifications in the first reconciliation, the talks have been focused on rolling in more wins on energy policy, reforming government-funded programs, and locking in the America First agenda for decades to come.

“The policy agenda for Reconciliation 2.0 should refocus federal spending on Americans' priorities and ensure a more compassionate welfare system that stops discrimination against the vulnerable,” EPIC’s Brittany Madni told the Washington Reporter. “It can achieve this through policies that would codify DOGE efforts to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse, protect American life and values, make America healthy again, and reduce the cost of living while creating American jobs.”

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OPINIONATED

Op-Ed: Rep. Zach Nunn: Tax relief, real reform, and the Iowa values behind the One Big, Beautiful Bill

by Rep. Zach Nunn

Last year, I met with Iowa mom Sarah Curry during a field hearing in Des Moines. Her story stuck with me, not because it's unique, but because it represents the experiences of thousands of families across Iowa and millions throughout the nation.

Sarah and her husband are raising three boys in rural southwest Iowa. Their middle son, Isaac, has autism. Like so many parents, Sarah works hard to make sure her kids have every opportunity to thrive. Thanks to tax relief passed under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), Sarah was able to use her federal tax refund for occupational speech therapy for Isaac and to replace a water heater that finally gave out.

That's real-world investment in a child's future and a family's home, and it's one of the reasons why I voted in favor of the Republican reconciliation package President Trump just signed into law, because it puts more money back in the hands of families like the Currys.

What's in the bill?

This bill is built around a simple principle: trust hardworking Americans to do more with their own money than Washington ever could. For families, that starts with expanding the Child Tax Credit to $2,200 — a lifeline for working parents balancing the rising costs of groceries, school supplies, and childcare. It also includes a tax cut up to $5,000 for families who are opening up their homes to adopt a child. As an adoptive father to two beautiful girls, I was proud to personally fight for this provision to help more families afford to adopt and help more kids find their forever home.

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Op-Ed: Sen. Norm Coleman and Matt Brooks: 200 Days of Republican Wins

by Sen. Norm Coleman and Matt Brooks

Since January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have worked at a dizzying pace, keeping their promise to make America stronger, safer, and more prosperous. So much has happened so fast in these 200-plus days that even veteran Washington insiders can barely keep up. Let’s take a moment to appreciate how Republicans have been winning on some of the top priority issues for the Jewish community.

President Trump has renewed the US-Israel strategic alliance and brought it to a new level. His decision to work with Israel and commit the US military to take down Iran’s nuclear weapons program changed history. Operation Midnight Hammer involved 125 aircraft on a 37-hour mission, extensive coordination and collaboration across multiple branches of the US armed services and with Israel, strong diplomatic work, and excellent intelligence. Its success changed the paradigm of the Middle East, relieving the US and our allies of the threat of a nuclear Iran for years to come. While Presidents of both parties said they would stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons, President Trump did it.

Another indicator of the strong Republican support of Israel was House Speaker Mike Johnson’s visit to Israel this week, which included a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Samaria (the West Bank). Speaker Johnson is a righteous defender of the Jewish state and knows that Israel, like the US, is a bastion of democracy and freedom. It is the only country in the Mideast that respects and preserves the rights of people of all religions to their holy places and their cultural identity.

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Op-Ed: Saul Anuzis: Obamagate is a scandal too big to ignore

by Saul Anuzis

The American people deserve honesty from their government — and accountability when power is abused. That’s why Obamagate still matters.

Recent revelations confirm what many suspected: the Obama administration, aided by partisan allies in the intelligence community and in the media, weaponized our government to undermine Donald Trump before he ever took the oath of office. This wasn’t routine oversight or national security vigilance — it was political sabotage, plain and simple.

Former Obama officials surveilled members of the Trump campaign under dubious pretenses. General Michael Flynn, the incoming National Security Advisor, was targeted over perfectly legal calls. His identity was leaked to the press, destroying his career in what now looks like a politically motivated hit job. Surveillance against campaign adviser Carter Page relied on flawed FISA applications, with the FBI omitting key exculpatory information.

We were told this was about Russian interference. But that narrative, too, is unraveling.

In July, FBI Director Kash Patel revealed the discovery of “burn bags” inside FBI headquarters — thousands of documents nearly destroyed — including a 29-page annex to the Durham report that reportedly warned the FBI might promote a false Trump-Russia narrative. These documents were hidden. Why?

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