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Rep. Stephanie Bice on how a Schumer Shutdown harms rural America, Hakeem Jeffries closed his personal office hours into a shutdown, and more
We caught Hakeem Jeffries with a closed office hours into the shutdown, RSC members take us through the OBBB’s creation, Trump hosts Gold Star families, and more!
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October 2nd, 2025
Let’s dive in.
INTERVIEW: Rep. Stephanie Bice on how the Schumer Shutdown harms America’s Heartland: “Rural America is not important to the Democrats”
Heard on the Hill
EDITORIAL: President Trump did his job — now Senate Democrats need to end the Schumer Shutdown
EXCLUSIVE: Senate Intel Chair Cotton on Yom Kippur Manchester terror attack: “Appeasing terrorists is a failed policy”
EXCLUSIVE: Gold Star family members thank President Trump, administration for a “beautiful evening” to commemorate sacrifice across generations
EXCLUSIVE: Hakeem Jeffries’s office empty hours into government shutdown
EXCLUSIVE: Speaker Mike Johnson’s offices were open while Hakeem Jeffries’s was closed during government shutdown
EXCLUSIVE: Hours after he was caught with a closed office, Hakeem Jeffries insists his office is open and that Republicans shut down the government
SCOOP: Main Street Caucus debuts new video Spotlight Series with profile of Rep. Laurel Lee
SCOOP: Why new biotech investments and lower drug costs are “major wins for Republicans and President Trump”
SCOOP: Reps. Beth Van Duyne, Pete Stauber, and Nathaniel Moran dish on the behind the scenes of congressional reconciliation
SCOOP: Kennedy Center celebrates historic success of its annual Gala benefiting the NSO
SCOOP: What VIPs at the Kennedy Center’s latest gala told the Washington Reporter about DEI in the arts and in the government, how bad the Deep State is, and lessons they’ve learned from the arts
OPINIONATED: Rep. Mike Ezell on why the Democrats own the Schumer Shutdown and Saul Anuzis on how the Schumer Shutdown harms seniors
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INTERVIEW: Rep. Stephanie Bice on how the Schumer Shutdown harms America’s Heartland: “Rural America is not important to the Democrats”
by Matthew Foldi
While Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) closed his personal office in Washington, D.C., Rep. Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.) took the opposite track during the Schumer Shutdown, keeping her offices in both Oklahoma City and in D.C. open to serve her constituents.
In an interview with the Washington Reporter, Bice blasted the Democrats’ “political theater” that led to the Schumer Shutdown, and explained how it is harming America’s Heartland.
“They’re not actually interested in helping the American people,” she said. “[Jeffries is] standing on the front steps of the U.S. Capitol trying to blame Republicans for a shutdown that is clearly on the shoulders of Democrats. The fact is, Republican offices are open. My office in Washington, D.C. is open for business. My office in Oklahoma City is open for business. We are taking calls. We are helping constituents with case work…Evidently, Hakeem is more interested in being on television and being on the front steps of the Capitol than he is about working for the American people.”
Bice, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, has spent months working alongside her fellow Oklahoman, Rep. Tom Cole — the committee’s chair — to get appropriations bills across the finish line. “And now the Democrats have decided that they want to hold the American people hostage, demanding $1.5 trillion in additional spending to keep government open,” she said. “It’s just remarkable.”
Heard on the Hill
OUT OF THE OFFICE: A Government shutdown isn’t stopping Secretary of State/National Security Advisor/Archivist of the United States Marco Rubio from having some fun. The Washington Reporter followed up on a tip and asked the State Department for comment on a story and received an immediate response: “please note that responses may be delayed due to the government shutdown caused by congressional Democrats.”
FACT CHECK: Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R., La.) team has been relentlessly fact-checking false claims from Democrats about the Schumer Shutdown. Some of the highlights include Corinne Day, Johnson’s Director of Media Affairs, noting that “the House passed the CLEAN CR to fund the government on September 19. Rep. Katherine Clark and every Democrat but one voted FOR A SHUTDOWN. But they’d really like you to ignore that reality” and an extensive thread from Athina Lawson, Johnson’s Press Secretary, about how “Democrats either don’t know what’s in their own $1.5 Trillion CR proposal — or worse, they’re lying about their bill giving FREE health care to illegal aliens.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Today is Kiersten Pels’s birthday; Pels is the RNC’s National Press Secretary — and by our estimation, she’s doing a great job.
HEY MACARENA: Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) got in on the meme fun, posting videos of Senate Democrats decked out in festive Mexican garb.
BRINGING BACK THE CLASSICS: Rep. Joe Wilson (R., S.C.) infamously, and correctly, told President Barack Obama that he was lying to Congress during his State of the Union address. Wilson is back at it again, telling Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) “YOU LIE” as well. “The Democrats are holding the government hostage to provide illegals with taxpayer funded healthcare,” Wilson explained. Miranda Dabney, the new communications director for the House Appropriations Committee, accurately observed that “Joe Wilson was right in 2009 and he’s right today!”
TAGGED IN: Veteran GOP operative Christian Curto has joined TAG Strategies as Executive Vice President of Advertising. He previously held senior roles at Targeted Victory and Campaign Solutions.
SPOTTED: Mike Davis welcomed D.C.’s elite to the Article III Project & Project III Foundation gathering and drew quite the crowd this week to a packed Cafe Fiorello. Between trays of Bruschetta, crab bites, steak skewers, and melon prosciutto popsicles, guests chatted with some of the administration’s top Justice Department officials — including FBI Director Kash Patel, who made a brief appearance, Jeanine Pirro, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Pirro was praised by attendees for her work cleaning up the streets of D.C. Other top DOJ officials present included Todd Blanche and Stanley Woodward. Monica Crowley, the Chief of Protocol of the United States, was also spotted, as were Washington Reporter co-founder Garrett Ventry, Marisela Ramirez, Derrick Anderson, Will Chamberlain, Jon Levine, Mike Carter, Josh Christenson, Katherine Doyle, Rob Carson, Nicole Kiprilov, Chloe Ross, Vince Coglianese, Corey Inganamort, and more.
SCHUMER SHUTDOWN CELEBRACIÓN: Senate Republicans compiled a video of Republicans talking about why Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) shut the government down, complete with mariachi music.
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.
EDITORIAL: President Trump did his job — now Senate Democrats need to end the Schumer Shutdown
by the Washington Reporter
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) is holding the American people hostage, caving to his far-left base, and shutting down the government. Instead of voting to keep the government open, pass appropriations bills, and negotiate with Republicans, he is instead drawing a red line: Schumer and almost all Senate Democrats continue to vote to give illegal immigrants healthcare, instead of keeping the government open for the American worker.
We knew Schumer would struggle without Nancy Pelosi holding his hand negotiating with President Trump, but even the Washington Reporter would not have predicted just how bad Schumer would be at this. Does he fear an AOC primary? Absolutely. Don’t get us started on the House Democrat’s “Leader,” Hakeem Jeffries; we don’t have enough space to talk about his incompetence — but, we will note that his staff didn’t even bother to show up for work to start the first day of the Schumer Shutdown, as we exclusively reported
What do President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans want? Very simple: what Democrats have called for many years during government funding showdowns. They want to keep the government open by passing a clean bill. House Republicans in particular have done their job and supported keeping the government open and functioning. It is Democrats, led by their not-so-savvy leader, who have voted repeatedly to shut it down.
EXCLUSIVE: Senate Intel Chair Cotton on Yom Kippur Manchester terror attack: “Appeasing terrorists is a failed policy”
by Matthew Foldi
Hours after a deadly terrorist attack targeting Jews on Yom Kippur in the United Kingdom, one the Senate’s leading foreign policy voices told the Washington Reporter that the noticeable uptick in terrorism across Western Europe makes “clear that appeasing terrorists is a failed policy.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), the Chairman of the Senate’s Select Committee on Intelligence, told the Reporter that he is “praying for the victims of today’s depraved terrorist attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester.”
“Today’s attack and the recent arrest of Hamas terrorists in Germany make clear that appeasing terrorists is a failed policy,” Cotton continued. “It puts all of Europe at risk.”
EXCLUSIVE: Gold Star family members thank President Trump, administration for a “beautiful evening” to commemorate sacrifice across generations
by Matthew Foldi
President Donald Trump commemorated Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day by inviting Gold Star families from several of America’s wars to join him and top officials in his administration for a ceremony.
Several of those in attendance told the Washington Reporter that the reception was “thoughtful and beautiful,” “amazing,” and an opportunity to reflect on “the fabric of our great country [that was] made all the more special as we were in the company of a great president who values our servicemen and women and believes in peace through strength.”
Christy Shamblin, Cheryl Jules, and Herman Lopez all lost their loved ones during the Biden administration’s failed withdrawal from Afghanistan. All three are members of the Abbey Gate Coalition — a group of Gold Star family members that endorsed then-candidate Donald Trump in 2024 and brought the house down at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee.
EXCLUSIVE: Hakeem Jeffries’s office empty hours into government shutdown
by Matthew Foldi
Exactly nine hours and 25 minutes into the Schumer Shutdown, the D.C. office of the top House Democrat was closed, with newspapers piled up outside next to a giant recycling bin.
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At 9:25am — while House Republican offices were open — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries’s (D., N.Y.) office sent quite a different message, the Washington Reporter can exclusively confirm.
Jeffries’s closed office the morning of a shutdown fueled by his counterparts in the Senate is the latest messaging faux pas from the relatively untested leader of House Democrats.
As the government shutdown started, Jeffries and his fellow House Democrats kicked off a 24 hour livestream that, at times, had fewer viewers than there are members of his caucus.
EXCLUSIVE: Speaker Mike Johnson’s offices were open while Hakeem Jeffries’s was closed during government shutdown
by Matthew Foldi
Just hours into the Schumer Shutdown, the Washington Reporter exclusively reported that Rep. Hakeem Jeffries’s (D., N.Y.) office was closed — and the pushback on behalf of the top House Democrat was bizarre.
No one denied that Jeffries’s office was unstaffed in the morning. The pushback came in part from the Capitol Hill press corps, which seemed to suggest that Jeffries’s personal office staff are entirely unessential workers.
“This is Jeffries personal office [sic],” Bloomberg’s Erik Wasson tweeted about the Reporter’s coverage. “He works out of leadership suite in the Capitol.”
SCOOP: Main Street Caucus debuts new video Spotlight Series with profile of Rep. Laurel Lee
by Matthew Foldi
Reps. Mike Flood (R., Neb.) and Laurel Lee (R., Fla.) are the new leadership of the House Republicans’ Main Street Caucus — and the duo is hitting the ground running; they are launching a new video series so that people in both Washington, D.C. and back home can learn more about what makes the members of the Main Street Caucus tick.
In the first episode, obtained by the Washington Reporter, Flood asks Lee about everything ranging from what made her run for office to what obscure language she took in college (hint: it’s spoken almost exclusively in Ghana).
Prior to her tenure in Congress, Lee served as a prosecutor in the Tampa area, as a State Court judge, and as Florida’s Secretary of State.
SCOOP: Why new biotech investments and lower drug costs are “major wins for Republicans and President Trump”
by the Washington Reporter
Two significant developments from this week underscore how Republican economic policies under President Donald J. Trump are driving biopharmaceutical investment, jobs, and lower prescription drug costs for Americans.
First, PhRMA — the trade association that represents pharmaceutical manufacturers — released a report showing a surge in biopharmaceutical investment, driven by Republican policies. Stephen Ubl, the CEO, wrote how pharmaceutical companies are “delivering $500 billion in new U.S.-based manufacturing and infrastructure investment, injecting an estimated $1.2 trillion into the economy.”
“For more than 40 years, the U.S. has led the world in biopharmaceutical innovation—delivering lifesaving treatments and supporting millions of American jobs,” Stephen J. Ubl, the president and CEO of PhRMA, said. “We’re building on that legacy and answering President Trump’s call to put America first by strengthening America’s leadership, improving access for patients and supporting good-paying jobs.”
SCOOP: Reps. Beth Van Duyne, Pete Stauber, and Nathaniel Moran dish on the behind the scenes of congressional reconciliation
by Matthew Foldi
Shortly before the Schumer Shutdown commenced, lawmakers in the Republican Study Committee (RSC) gathered to film their latest episode of their Right to the Point podcast — which was obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter.
The latest episode featured Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R., Texas), Nathaniel Moran (R., Texas), and Pete Stauber (R., Minn.) spoke about everything ranging from the legislative wins in reconciliation to lima beans on the 20th episode of the must-listen podcast.
This time, Van Duyne took her turn in the host chair; all three RSC members previously served their communities in locally elected office — and are taking their skills to Congress.
SCOOP: Kennedy Center celebrates historic success of its annual Gala benefiting the NSO
by Matthew Foldi
The Kennedy Center blew past its latest milestone of success under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Ambassador Richard Grenell, raising more money than ever before at this year’s Gala benefiting the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO).
Almost 500 attendees flocked to the prestigious arts center for its annual gala, which raised $3.45 million for NSO performances, education, and community engagement initiatives; the historic sum is almost one million dollars more than New York’s Philharmonic raised earlier the same week.
“The NSO Gala had a record-breaking fundraiser and more than 50 percent of the attendees were brand new,” Grenell — the President of the Kennedy Center — told the Washington Reporter. “The energy was undeniable and the Kennedy Center staff is energized because of it.”
SCOOP: What VIPs at the Kennedy Center’s latest gala told the Washington Reporter about DEI in the arts and in the government, how bad the Deep State is, and lessons they’ve learned from the arts
by Matthew Foldi
The Washington Reporter was on-scene as the Kennedy Center made fundraising history, pulling in $3.45 million at the annual Gala benefiting the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO).
VIPs galore descended on the nation’s premier arts facility, bringing with them an energy that was evident from the moment the evening kicked off. Stars flocked to the red carpet and to the concert itself, including Mr. Wonderful himself, Kevin O’Leary, along with Miss America Cassie Donegan, concert pianist Yuja Wang, Fox anchor Maria Bartiromo, Alexa Henning, Lexi Hamel, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Cal Ripken, Jr., David Ginsberg, Secretary Chris Wright, Secretary Howard Lutnick, Sen. Deb Fischer (R., Neb.), Reps. Mike Turner (R., Ohio), Rick Larsen (D., Wash.), Julia Letlow (R., La.), and many more.
OPINIONATED
Op-Ed: Rep. Mike Ezell: Why the Democrats own this government shutdown
by Rep. Mike Ezell
The federal government has officially shut down — and the blame lies squarely with Senate and House Democrats.
Here’s why.
While Americans are working hard to support their families, rebuild after natural disasters, and simply stay afloat, Washington, D.C. Democrats have once again chosen partisan games over responsible governance. Rather than joining with Republicans in passing a clean, short-term continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open, Democrats refused to get on board, choosing to protect their far-left agenda instead of the livelihoods of everyday Americans.
Weeks ago, House Republicans did our job. We passed a clean, 24-page CR to fund the government through November 21 — buying Congress the time it needs to complete the regular appropriations process. There were no partisan demands, no controversial provisions, and no surprises — just a practical solution to avoid a completely preventable shutdown.
Op-Ed: Saul Anuzis: The Schumer Shutdown is a betrayal of America’s seniors
by Saul Anuzis
Every penny of taxpayer money matters. Yet Washington continues to spend recklessly, sending resources to those who broke our laws to enter this country while ignoring the very Americans who spent a lifetime paying into Social Security and Medicare. When taxpayers see their dollars diverted to illegal immigrants, they rightfully ask: who is looking out for seniors who depend on the promises made to them?
The truth is simple: every dollar spent subsidizing illegal immigration is a dollar stolen from our seniors. This is not rhetoric — it is reality. Social Security and Medicare are funded by workers who have contributed for decades. These programs were designed as a contract between generations. You work, you pay in, and you receive the benefits you earned. But when politicians in Washington prioritize benefits for illegal aliens, they break that social contract and weaken the programs seniors depend upon.
Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), have doubled down on this misguided spending. Instead of securing the border and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are preserved for citizens, they push budgets that funnel billions into housing, health care, and social services for those who entered the country illegally. Republicans are right to say no. This is what the so-called “Schumer Shutdown” debate is about: protecting taxpayers and defending the promises made to America’s seniors.
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About the Washington Reporter
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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