Washington Reporter Sen. Ted Cruz spotlights Somali fraud, RSC members want
SAVE Act action, Trump alums discuss open banking, and more!

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February 6th, 2026

In this edition


[1] INTERVIEW: Michele Tafoya discusses going from the NFL sidelines to the
fray of politics with her Senate bid
[2] Heard on the Hill
[3] EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Tom Cotton unveils legislation to withhold funds from
sanctuary states
[4] EXCLUSIVE: AHA vs. MAHA: How the hospital lobby advocated against
President Trump's health care priorities
[5] SCOOP: RSC members press Senate on SAVE Act movement
[6] SCOOP: Tulsi Gabbard rejects "false" whistleblower claims as "politically
motivated"
[7] SCOOP: Trump alumni break down open banking rule
[8] SCOOP: Sen. Ted Cruz shines spotlight on "morally repugnant" Somali fraud
[9] SCOOP: Senate Republicans sound alarm on illicit Chinese vape threat, urge
administration action
[10] OPINIONATED: Stefan Grow on how to use the One Big, Beautiful Bill to
incentivize fiscal responsibility in state
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[1] INTERVIEW: Michele Tafoya discusses going from the NFL sidelines to the
fray of politics with her Senate bid
By: Matthew Foldi

Days before the Super Bowl, legendary sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya
announced that she will enter a different arena — the race for the open seat in
Minnesota.

This isn't the first cycle Tafoya has toyed with running for office — but she
told theWashington Reporter in an interview shortly after her campaign launched
that "a lot of things have lined up, but primarily I looked at this situation
and saw a major crisis of leadership."

"The career politicians who have been running Minnesota got us to this place,
and they are not coming to save us," Tafoya said. The leading contenders on the
Democratic side to succeed Sen. Tina Smith (D., Minn.) are a pair of career
politicians: the Smith-backed lieutenant governor of the state, Peggy Flanagan,
and Rep. Angie Craig (D., Minn.).

"So," Tafoya said, "it's going to be up to the rest of us to clean up the
mess. I love this state. I've lived here for over 30 years. We've raised our
family here. This state's been known for all of the positives: the great public
schools, safe neighborhoods, clean cities, but we have slid backwards, and
we've gotten to a point where violent crime is on the rise, and test scores are
down. And that infuriates me."

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[2]
Heard on the Hill

* VICTORY AT LAST: For years, Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) waged a longshot
battle against the system on behalf of Captain Royce Williams, a 100-year-old
constituent who will now receive a long overdue Congressional Medal of Honor.
This week, President Donald Trump himself delivered the news, personally
calling Williams and telling him that he will receive "the ultimate honor."
Williams told the president that he feels "wonderful" upon hearing the news.
Williams's heroism during the Korean War is quite literally what legends are
made of and movies attempt to depict, yet the bid for him to receive a Medal of
Honor languished for years, due to bureaucratic inertia, opposition within the
Pentagon, and unsurprisingly, refusal from Democrats to work with Issa and take
on either one. TheWall Street Journal summarized his heroism as follows: "Lt.
Williams picked off jets in a tussle that lasted more than 30 minutes — an
astonishing duration, given that dogfights tend to be measured in seconds. He
escaped into the clouds only when he was out of ammunition, and managed to limp
his badly damaged F9F-Panther back to land on the carrier USS Oriskany...By
singlehandedly shooting down four MiG-15s in a single fight, ‘Royce Williams
had accomplished what no other American fighter pilot would ever accomplish,'
Thomas McKelvey Cleaver wrote in a history of the Korean naval air campaign."
Following Trump's call, Issa praised the heroism of his friend: "What Royce did
is — still to this day — the most unique U.S.-Soviet aerial combat dogfight in
the history of the Cold War, and one in which Royce Williams demonstrated
indomitable courage of the highest skill under incalculable duress. It is my
honor to have fought all these years for Royce to gain a recognition that he
has not sought, but so richly deserves."
* SALUTE TO SERVICE: President Donald Trump also awarded Staff Sgt. Michael
Ollis the Medal of Honor this week. Ollis was killed by a suicide bomber while
protecting a Polish army officer, 2nd Lt. Karol Cierpica, during the War in
Afghanistan. Following Trump's announcement, Ollis's heroism was immediately
praised by many, including Poland's Deputy Prime Minister, Władysław
Kosiniak-Kamysz, who noted that "this story is a symbol of the unbreakable bond
that connects Poland and the United States. Our nations serve shoulder to
shoulder, defending shared values, freedom and democracy."
* BLUEGRASS POLL: A new Emerson College Polling/FOX 56 News poll shows Rep.
Andy Barr (R., Ky.) narrowly leading the GOP primary to succeed Sen. Mitch
McConnell (R., Ky.) with plurality support. Alex Bellizzi, Barr's spokesman,
said of the findings that "this poll shows what Kentuckians have been seeing on
the ground for months: Andy Barr is the strongest candidate in this race. Andy
leads in the polls, is the only candidate dominating Democrats in the general
election, has more major endorsements than both campaigns combined, and is
crushing his competition in the race for fundraising with ten times the
cash-on-hand his nearest opponent."
* A NEW ERA: The Republican Communication Association (RCA) unveiled its new
leadership. Miranda Dabney, who works on the House Appropriations Committee,
will continue serving as president. Her team will also consist of Vice
President Grace Davis, who works for Rep. Tim Moore (R., N.C.), Treasurer Rosie
Wilson, who works for the House GOP Conference, Professional Development
Directors Alex Bellizzi and Katherine Vittone, who work for Reps. Andy Barr
(R., Ky.) and Laurel Lee (R., Fla.), Social Directors Olivia Morgan and Lauren
Ridinger, who work for Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R., La.) and Rep. Riley
Moore (R., W.Va.) and Digital Directors Kadin Asbery and Caroline Brigham, who
work for Rep. Mike Bost (R., Ill.) and for the House Financial Services
Committee. Following her resounding win, Dabney told theWashington Reporter,
"it's really such a joy to serve this organization that has given me so much
over the years. I'm standing on the shoulders of giants — a long line of
incredible leaders who made RCA what it is. Having genuine friendships and
social connections outside of our 9-5 work relationships is so crucial, both
for our Majority and for the Republican landscape at-large. RCA is a big part
of that. I have a great team with the newly-elected executive board, and my
hope is that we leave RCA better than we found it."
* TREND SETTER: Rep. Andy Barr (R., Ky.) backed the Trump-endorsed opponent
to Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.). Just minutes later, so too did one of Barr's
GOP primary opponents, Nate Morris.
* TRUMPRX SUPPORT: Shortly after President Donald Trump announced TrumpRx,
CVS Health was quick to praise the program. "CVS Health is proud to serve as a
core partner to the TrumpRx Fertility program through our Specialty Pharmacy,"
the company said. "For all of us who are committed to providing affordable
access to medicine, today's launch of TrumpRx marks another step forward."
* LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL: Washington Mardi Gras took over the nation's
capital, with festivities ranging from the Washington Hilton to the Anthem to
the National Portrait Gallery. Throughout the weekend, congressional leaders
like Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R., La.),
and Sens. Bill Cassidy (R., La.) and John Kennedy (R., La.) entertained guests
at Louisiana Alive, the Captain's Dinner Dance, and the Mardi Gras Ball. Among
those spotted around town were Hunter Lovell, Stephen Lewerenz, Anna Marian
Block, Alex Washington, Peyton Harvey, Mary Elizabeth Stringer, Benjamin
Sumner, Anna Blake Langley, Ainsley Bice, Jocelyn Quinn, Eugenie Davis, Blake
Nolan, Brett Richards, Mikhail Love, Bryn McCarthy, Libbey Dean, Gray Stream,
Sarah Heebe, Sarah Selip, Anna Catherine Strong, Benjamin Luke, Kevin Norton,
Victoria Vincent, and Angelina Nelms.
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[3] EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Tom Cotton unveils legislation to withhold funds from
sanctuary states
By: Matthew Foldi

Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) is introducing legislation that would allow the
Secretary of Transportation to withhold funding from states that do not comply
with federal immigration law.

The Enforce Immigration or Lose Transportation Act, obtained exclusively by
theWashington Reporter, would also empower the Department of Transportation
(DOT) to audit states and issue regulations to ensure compliance with federal
transportation and immigration laws. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has
made holding blue states accountable a priority.

"States that don't comply with federal immigration laws don't just endanger
their own citizens, they put the whole country at risk," Cotton said of his new
legislation. "My bill ensures that these states don't receive another dime of
federal transportation funding until they cooperate with federal immigration
authorities."

Cotton's bill comes as Democrats on the state and federal levels are
escalating their feuds with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
officials. Should Cotton's bill become law, states like Minnesota could suffer
millions of dollars of cuts in federal funds.

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[4]
EXCLUSIVE: AHA vs. MAHA: How the hospital lobby advocated against President
Trump's health care priorities
By: Matthew Foldi

One of Washington's most powerful health care lobbies has repeatedly
positioned itself in opposition to President Donald Trump's ambitious health
care agenda: the American Hospital Association (AHA).

"In effect, the AHA [has] functioned as an auxiliary of the Democratic
National Committee," a GOP source told theWashington Reporter.

Long a dominant force in health policy debates, the AHA has emerged as a
counterweight to several of the administration's reforms.

Recently, the AHA turned to the courts after the Trump administration moved
to impose basic accountability on thefraud-ridden
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340B drug-pricing program — a system that provides hospitals steep discounts
on prescription drugs intended for low-income patients, but which has
repeatedly been linked to misuse and lack of transparency.

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[5] SCOOP: RSC members press Senate on SAVE Act movement
By: Matthew Foldi

The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is pressing the Senate to move on
legislation that would require states to obtain an individual's documentary
proof of citizenship before registering them to vote in federal elections.

The bipartisan SAVE Act passed the House over 300 days ago, and the RSC's
Rep. Brandon Gill (R., Texas) previously wrote to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R.,
Ky.), the chair of the Senate Rules Committee, urging the upper chamber to take
up the legislation.

Now, Gill's fellow members explained to the Washington Reporter why they
think such a move is necessary.

"The SAVE Act ensures that only American citizens participate in our
democratic process," Rep. William Timmons (R., S.C.) said. "The House has stood
together to advance this bill. The Senate must now meet the moment and bring
this legislation to the floor."

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[6] SCOOP: Tulsi Gabbard rejects "false" whistleblower claims as "politically
motivated"
By: Matthew Foldi

The office of Director of National Intelligence (DNI) rejects a report about
a whistleblower complaint that alleges DNI Tulsi Gabbard limited the
distribution of a classified report for political reasons and that a legal
office in the intelligence community (IC) did not refer a potential crime to
the Department of Justice (DOJ) for political reasons.

One senator who viewed the complaint against Gabbard described it as "bunk."
Gabbard's team, led by press secretary Olivia Coleman, described the
whistleblower complaint as a "classic case of a politically motivated
individual weaponizing their position in the Intelligence Community, submitting
a baseless complaint and then burying it in highly classified information to
create 1) false intrigue, 2) a manufactured narrative, and 3) conditions which
make it substantially more difficult to produce ‘security guidance' for
transmittal to Congress."

Gabbard's team points to a conclusion from the Biden-era Intelligence
Community Inspector General (IC IG), which looked into the whistleblower's
allegations against Gabbard, and determined that they "did not appear
credible." This is "a fact that [theWall Street Journal] conveniently buried 13
paragraphs down," Coleman said.

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[7] SCOOP: Trump alumni break down open banking rule
By: Matthew Foldi

Legal experts with close ties to the Trump administration and the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) hosted a seminar to discuss "Open Banking" —
the complex policy under the Dodd-Frank Act that determines how consumers can
connect their banking data to budgeting apps, payment programs, and a wide
range of financial tools.

Todd Zywicki, a law professor at George Mason University who worked closely
with President Donald Trump's transition team, joined Paul Watkins, an alum of
the first Trump administration's CFPB, in a panel moderated by executive
director of Consumers' Research (CR) Will Hild. The event was hosted by the
Federalist Society.

"Who controls your financial data and who decides how it can be used?" Hild
opened the discussion by asking. "This has become one of the most consequential
policy questions of the digital banking era. As Americans increasingly rely on
fintech apps, digital wallets, and online banking tools, Section 1033 of the
Dodd Frank Act has emerged as a flashpoint in the debate over whether consumers
truly own their financial information or whether control remains concentrated
in the hands of large banks."

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[8]
SCOOP: Sen. Ted Cruz shines spotlight on "morally repugnant" Somali fraud
By: Matthew Foldi

The fraud that has taken place in Minnesota is "morally repugnant," Sen. Ted
Cruz (R., Texas) said during his latest hearing, from his post as chair of the
Senate's Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action,
and Federal Rights.

During his latest hearing, entitled "Somali Scammers: Fighting Fraud in
Minnesota and Beyond," Cruz featured David Hoch, the journalistic partner of
Nick Shirley.

"There are few crimes more morally repugnant than stealing from vulnerable
children," Cruz said during the hearing. "Every dollar stolen is a meal not
eaten, a doctor's visit missed, and a future diminished. Child welfare fraud
plunders our children's potential and erodes our nation's future. And
disturbingly, at the start of this new year, America has learned that this kind
of looting was not occurring in some distant or lawless place, but in the heart
of America's Midwest."

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[9] SCOOP: Senate Republicans sound alarm on illicit Chinese vape threat, urge
administration action
By: The Washington Reporter

A coalition of leading Senate Republicans is pressing the administration to
treat the ongoing influx of illicit Chinese-made vaping products as both a
national security and criminal threat, warning that the devices go far beyond
public health concerns and now intersect with espionage, money laundering and
cartels.

In a letter <[link removed]> to
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson
Greer, GOP lawmakers, including Sens. Steve Daines (R., Mont.), Thom Tillis
(R., N.C.), Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), called out
what they describe as a "flood of illicit Chinese e-cigarettes" entering U.S.
markets with minimal oversight. They point out some devices can connect to
users' cellphones, potentially collecting sensitive data and creating
vulnerabilities that could be exploited by the Chinese Communist Party or
criminal networks.

The lawmakers wrote that the devices "have the capacity to initiate data
breaches or malware infections" and warned that "given the interconnected
relationship between Chinese industry and state intelligence services…the
targeting of U.S. military personnel with these devices raises profound
national security concerns." They also stressed that "the magnitude and
consequence requires a comprehensive strategy and response" from federal
agencies to counter illicit entry and distribution.

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[10]
OPINIONATED


Op-Ed: Stefan Grow: How President Trump can use the One Big, Beautiful Bill to
reward fiscal responsibility in states like Alabama
By: Stefan Grow

When a rural hospital closes, it rarely makes national headlines, but it
quietly reshapes the future of an entire community. Emergency rooms go dark.
Expectant mothers are forced to drive hours for care. Seniors delay treatment
until manageable conditions become life-threatening. Jobs disappear. And once a
hospital closes, it almost never reopens.

In a state like Alabama, where rural and small urban communities form the
backbone of the economy, this is not an abstract policy debate. It is an urgent
challenge.

The good news is that Alabama is better positioned than almost any state to
meet this moment, thanks to President Donald J. Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill
(OBBB).

For years, Washington preached fiscal responsibility. Alabama listened.

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