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September 30th, 2025
Let’s dive in.
INTERVIEW: Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer talks oyster farming and Americans’ retirement in Maryland
INTERVIEW: The Small Business Committee brought creators to Congress. Here are their messages.
Heard on the Hill
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Pat Harrigan takes his fight against speed cameras nationwide
EXCLUSIVE: Pro-Hitler city council candidate has “alot in common” with Democratic Senate candidate
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Tom Cotton rolls out America First tax reform
SCOOP: Why Rep. Andy Harris welcomes Maryland Democrats’ attempts to gerrymander him out of office: “If the Democrats want to roll the dice, let them roll the dice”
SCOOP: Sen. Eric Schmitt targets H-1B DEI “abuse” at universities and corporations
SCOOP: Democrats paid to illegally obtain Rep. Don Bacon’s spotless military record. He explains why a release from a Marco Rubio-led agency on a Democrat is a “valid target”
SCOOP: Trump allies want Michigan Speaker to stop woke hospital bill that could hurt MAHA Agenda
SCOOP: Poll shows wide support for lifting credit union small business loan cap
OPINIONATED: Rep. Bob Latta and Heather Reams on permitting reform, Rep. Andy Barr on why he wants President Trump on a new $250 bill, and Sarah Chamberlain on why Chuck Schumer is to blame for a government shutdown
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INTERVIEW: Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer talks oyster farming and Americans’ retirement in Maryland
by Matthew Foldi
CAMBRIDGE, Md. —
Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer visited the Horn Point Oyster Hatchery as part of her 50-state tour — and in an interview with the Washington Reporter, she explained why it’s important to directly visit American workers in the field and elaborated on her plans to help Americans expand what counts in their retirement accounts.
Chavez-DeRemer, a former Mayor of Happy Valley, Oregon, explained why that experience is paying off in droves in her current role.
“I say this all the time,” she told the Reporter: “as a former mayor, you really cannot understand what’s happening on the ground and how it affects the local economy, the every day, average worker, the American, unless you can talk to them.”
“I wouldn’t know about this laboratory unless I’m here on site to hear these reports, to understand more about it,” she said. “The lovely woman who gave me the tour? She started off as an intern here. 29 years later, here she is talking about why the oyster industry is so important, and now her daughter is very interested.”
INTERVIEW: The Small Business Committee brought creators to Congress. Here are their messages.
by Matthew Foldi
Rep. Roger Williams (R., Texas) and the Small Business Committee brought three creators to testify to Congress about “small businesses in the age of digital influence.”
Following Williams’s hearing, in which the witnesses testified about the importance of everything ranging from LLC configuration to the tax code to tariffs and more, the three GOP witnesses spoke with the Washington Reporter about their message to Congress and to the nation.
Williams, for his part, told the Reporter that “the creator economy represents the new generation of American entrepreneurship — building companies, supporting jobs, and driving innovation across every industry.”
“But digital small business owners face unique challenges,” Williams continued, “from unpredictable revenue streams to costly intellectual property protections. To keep America competitive, we must ensure creators have the freedom and opportunity to thrive in the digital economy.”
Heard on the Hill
SCHUMER SHUTDOWN INCOMING: Rep. Tom Cole (R., Okla.) — the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee — told the Washington Reporter ahead of tonight’s midnight deadline that we are heading to a “short shutdown.” He specifically singled out Reps. Mike Simpson (R., Idaho), Steve Womack (R., Ark.), and Chuck Fleischmann (R., Tenn.) for praise throughout the process.
TERRORIST SENTENCING: The FBI is calling the Gold Star families whose loved ones were killed during President Joe Biden’s failed Afghanistan withdrawal to let them know that they currently plan to charge Mohammad Sharifullah, one of the masterminds of the suicide attack, with no more than 40 years in prison.
COAL SUPER BOWL: The Department of Interior hosted Secretary Doug Burgum, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Undersecretary Wells Griffith, Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R., Wyo.), Gov. Mark Mark Gordon (R., Wyo.), Sen. John Barrasso (R., Wyo.) and Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R., Wyo.) to announce a reinvigoration of America’s coal industry. During her remarks, Fedorchak compared the announcement to the “Super Bowl” for her industry.
HE IS BACK: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the historic “Christ on the Water” painting is being removed from the United States Merchant Marine Academy’s (USMMA) basement and being returned to where it belongs. “Burying this historic painting in the basement wasn’t just a mistake — it was an insult to the faith and legacy of service that built this Academy and our nation,” Duffy said. “By restoring ‘Christ on the Water’ to its rightful place, we sent a clear message to our midshipmen: their Christian faith is a virtue to be proud of, not something to be censored,” he added. Former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, who represented Long Island in Congress, told the Washington Reporter following Duffy’s move that he is excited that the painting “is back at USMMA and where it belongs — [this is] a victory for faith, tradition, and American values.”
ANOTHER MARYLAND MAN: The Superintendent for Des Moines’s Public Schools — Ian Andre Roberts — is roiling the Iowa Senate race because he was here illegally. Now, he’s roiling Maryland politics. “Turns out, he is actively registered to vote in Maryland, despite being an illegal alien,” the Maryland Freedom Caucus noted.
WITH NEIGHBORS LIKE THESE: “Palestinian” activists overran the streets of Washington, D.C. during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit; last night, they used megaphones outside the White House to brag about how they planned to not let President Donald Trump sleep.
NEWEST MOST WANTED LIST: Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) announced “legislation to establish an Antifa Most Wanted List.” Issa explained that “it’s time for zero tolerance of this domestic terrorism.”
ELEVATED BLONDES TAKING OVER: Riley Pingree announced The Elevated Blonde Boutique for women at a star-studded launch party for her new fashion line. One attendee told the Washington Reporter that she was eager to attend “because this has been her dream for years and seeing it finally come to fruition makes me proud of her and all the work she has put into it.” The Midwestern attendee added that “D.C. is lacking smaller boutiques like this, whether it’s online or in person — like those you see on main streets in a majority of our home towns.” Attendees included Erika Bone, Kerrington Maggard, Kristen Doran, Ava Verzani, Wesley Baker, Kennedy Stowater, Ally Triolo, and Matthew Foldi.
A message from our sponsor.
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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.
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Pat Harrigan takes his fight against speed cameras nationwide
by Matthew Foldi
Rep. Pat Harrigan (R., N.C.) is taking his quest — first reported by the Washington Reporter — against speed cameras directly to one of America’s most liberal counties.
Following reports that Montgomery County, Maryland is adding 140 new speed cameras and 76 new red-light cameras, Harrigan renewed his push for his Freedom from Automated Speed Enforcement Act, telling the Reporter that, while “county officials will tell you this is about their ‘Vision Zero’ safety initiative, here’s what they won’t tell you: these cameras are revenue generators first, safety tools second.”
“Real traffic enforcement involves trained officers who can assess situations and use judgment, Harrigan explained. “These machines just automatically ticket anyone going 12 mph over the limit.”
In fact, as Harrigan noted, Montgomery County is introducing tiered ticketing systems based on how fast drivers are photographed. “They’re also raising fines beyond the old $40 flat rate — because apparently that wasn’t enough money,” he said.
EXCLUSIVE: Pro-Hitler city council candidate has “alot in common” with Democratic Senate candidate
by Matthew Foldi
While Maine Democrat Graham Platner wished Jews a “Shana Tova” this week, a local pro-Hitler, pro-Palestinian candidate for Bangor City Council bragging about how the two of them “have alot in common” threatens to undercut that message.
In a now-deleted Facebook post — obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter— Richard Ward posted a picture of him with Platner in which Ward is wearing a black t-shirt with “88” emblazoned on it. 88 is commonly used by neo-Nazis to refer to “Heil Hitler,” and Ward has “well-documented history of provocative political actions that use neo-Nazi and white supremacist rhetoric,” according to the Bangor Daily News.
Ward and Platner have “alot in common [sic],” the controversial candidate wrote.
The Daily News added that “Ward has displayed white supremacist symbols, including imagery of Adolf Hitler.”
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Tom Cotton rolls out America First tax reform
by Matthew Foldi
Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) is diving headfirst — once again — into America’s immigration debate with new legislation, obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter.
Cotton’s latest bill, the OPT Fair Tax Act, would end major tax exemptions for non-American workers.
“Our tax code shouldn’t incentivize businesses to hire foreign workers,” Cotton explained. “By ending the [Federal Insurance Contributions Act] tax exemption, we will put American workers first.” Should Cotton’s bill become law, foreigners would pay FICA taxes in the same way that Americans do, which amounts to about 7.65 percent of their total salary.
Under current law, employers receive tax exemption for employing foreign workers — Cotton wants to get rid of that and instead put American workers first by requiring foreign workers participating in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program and their employers to pay FICA taxes.
SCOOP: Why Rep. Andy Harris welcomes Maryland Democrats’ attempts to gerrymander him out of office: “If the Democrats want to roll the dice, let them roll the dice”
by Matthew Foldi
While Gov. Wes Moore (D., Md.) has been insisting that he won’t run for president in 2028, he recently became the latest Democrat to embrace partisan gerrymandering in his party’s bid to draw Republicans out of office.
Moore confirmed that “all options are on the table when it comes to the state,” but his dreams of a Republican-free Maryland will likely run head-on into reality.
Rep. Andy Harris (R., Md.) has long welcomed a potential move by Annapolis Democrats to attempt to gerrymander the state — because the courts in Maryland are, in his view, going to swiftly reject the Democrats’ proposal.
“The most partisan thing you could do is gerrymander a state that has had two Republican governors out of the last four into a state that can’t send a Republican to Congress,” Harris told the Reporter. “If the Democrats want to roll the dice, let them roll the dice. I look forward to having more Republican colleagues from the state in Congress, and I think that’s what the result is going to be.”
SCOOP: Sen. Eric Schmitt targets H-1B DEI “abuse” at universities and corporations
by Matthew Foldi
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R., Mo.) wants to tackle what he calls the “abuse” of America’s H-1B visa program; as the Trump administration moves to drastically overhaul the program, Schmitt got in on the action himself.
Schmitt wrote to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Administrator Joseph Edlow and provided “multiple examples of U.S. employers using the H-1B visa program to fill DEI positions which is outside of the ‘specialty occupation’ intent of the program.”
Schmitt explained his thinking to the Washington Reporter. “It is an outrage that American companies and universities are abusing the H-1B visa program to hire foreign workers to staff DEI positions,” he said. “The H-1B visa program was intended to fill specific specialty occupation shortages in America. The abuse of this program to fill DEI bureaucracies should never have been allowed and I am proud to be leading the charge alongside the Trump administration to put American workers first.”
SCOOP: Democrats paid to illegally obtain Rep. Don Bacon’s spotless military record. He explains why a release from a Marco Rubio-led agency on a Democrat is a “valid target”
by Matthew Foldi
In 2022, House Democrats paid a Democratic Party researcher who “inappropriately” accessed military records of several Republican lawmakers and candidates over $100,000. One of the Democrats’ targets, Rep. Don Bacon (R., Neb.), handily won his reelection bid, but several other Republicans targeted by Abraham Payton’s Due Diligence Group weren’t as lucky.
Now, a Democratic lawmaker — Rep. Mikie Sherrill — who is in a dead heat in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race against Republican Jack Ciattarelli had her military records leaked by a branch of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which is helmed by Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio in his minimal free time.
The records leaked by the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) to a political ally of Ciattarelli improperly released some of Sherrill’s personal information, including her Social Security number, her home address, life insurance information, and more — NARA’s spokeswoman, Grace McCaffrey, clarified that “the technician should NOT have released the entire record.”
SCOOP: Trump allies want Michigan Speaker to stop woke hospital bill that could hurt MAHA Agenda
by Matthew Foldi
Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall, a Trump-supporting Republican, is reportedly weighing a bill to expand the 340B drug program in Michigan, multiple sources in Michigan and across America told the Washington Reporter.
The Reporter previously covered how the 340B program can be a woke hospital boondoggle that allows large hospital systems to buy medicine for lower-income patients at huge discounts.
However, an investigation from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and other reporting has shown that hospital systems often sell the medicine at full price, pocket the difference, and use the windfall for everything from building out larger for-profit facilities to expanding transgender surgery facilities for minors, as the Cleveland Clinic has been accused of doing.
Health care advocates told the Washington Reporter that Michigan’s HB4878, as it is currently constructed, is “a backdoor power grab that lets Michigan’s hospital systems continue to grift billions from the federal 340B program while patients get no relief.”
SCOOP: Poll shows wide support for lifting credit union small business loan cap
by the Washington Reporter
A new poll conducted by a firm aligned with Senate Republicans reveals overwhelming public support for eliminating the federal cap on small business loans by credit unions. The survey, obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter, indicates that voters across the political spectrum favor allowing credit unions to expand their lending capacity to better serve entrepreneurs.
Notably, Republican voters were among the most enthusiastic — a finding that suggests legislative action could come this Congress, while Republicans control both chambers.
The GrayHouse poll, conducted September 6-8, 2025, among 1,443 registered voters asked “should the current limit on credit union small-business lending be removed to let credit unions serve more small businesses?”
OPINIONATED
Op-Ed: Rep. Bob Latta and Heather Reams: Permitting reform is the key to American competitiveness
by Rep. Bob Latta and Heather Reams
America must streamline our permitting process to ensure we have the energy to keep America competitive. Too often, we have seen energy production or transmission projects languishing in litigation and redundant bureaucracy for years. As a result, Americans have been unable to fully benefit from our nation’s vast energy resources.
As a member of Congress and as the leader of an energy non-profit, we know that durable policy change as impactful as reforming our broken permitting process requires public buy-in. This is where federal policy and education from institutions like CRES go hand-in-hand — legislative action will help ensure long-term growth and informing Americans about how this will improve day-to-day life is key to garnering support. We know that passing comprehensive permitting reform will not only create jobs, but spur innovation, and the key is communicating that economic impact.
Op-Ed: Rep. Andy Barr: Why I’m leading legislation to put Trump on a new $250 bill
by Rep. Andy Barr
Next year, America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Republic. This historic milestone is an opportunity not only to reflect on the courage of our Founders but also to recognize the leaders who, in our own time, have revived the American Dream.
So, as we approach the 250th day of President Donald J. Trump’s second term, it is a fitting moment to revive our push to issue a new $250 bill featuring President Trump. That’s why I am behind my friend and colleague, Rep. Joe Wilson and his legislation, the Donald J. Trump $250 Bill Act.
This proposal is more than symbolic. It is a tribute to a president who has reshaped America in historic ways. President Trump has revolutionized American politics, delivered the largest working families tax cut in American history, and is cleaning up the biggest mess on our southern border ever.
Op-Ed: Sarah Chamberlain: Why Schumer owns the coming shutdown
by Sarah Chamberlain
Washington is once again up against the wall. The fiscal year is ending, and Congress faces a simple choice: pass a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government open while appropriators finish their work, or stumble into a shutdown that punishes the very people we are supposed to serve. The responsible path is obvious.
This time, the blame for a shutdown would rest squarely on Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.). He has chosen delay and brinkmanship over progress. Meanwhile, the House has already acted.
House Republicans passed a clean seven-week continuing resolution to provide stability while the appropriations process moves forward. That is what governing looks like. If the lights go out, it will not be because the House failed. It will be because Senator Schumer refused to do his job.
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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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