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| June 25th, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||
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The Electronic Payments Coalition’s Richard Hunt explains how credit cards drive the economy By: Matthew Foldi When Richard Hunt started as the executive chairman of the Electronic Payments Coalition (EPC), he committed to doing the job for three months. Three years later, he is still running the show, which has kept him at the forefront of one of the most contentious battles on Capitol Hill: the fight to stop Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D., Ill.) signature legislation, the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA). Hunt is one of the most deeply-respected advocates in Washington, known for his bluntness, his integrity, and his ability to use the entire advocacy ecosystem from public affairs to lobbying. In his latest interview with the Washington Reporter, Hunt noted that the CCCA has lost almost all of its GOP support. When he assumed his role as the head of EPC, future Vice President JD Vance was still supporting it. Now, he said that the opposition remains “bipartisan.” “There’s only one Republican United States senator who’s supportive of this, and that is Roger Marshall,” he said. “I think there are one or two in the United States House of Representatives out of 217, so there is great bipartisan opposition to this bill.” While Durbin is retiring at the end of this Congress, Hunt predicts other Democratic Senators will pick up his baton if the bill remains unpassed. “I think the corporate mega stores are doing everything they can to make sure that this legacy of disaster, in my opinion, continues,” he said. | ||||||||||||||||||
Heard on the Hill THE MORE YOU KNOW: Congressional offices received polling memos from Americans for Health Excellence about how voters want action on the cost of health insurance. PLATNER PROBLEMS: Rep. Seth Moulton (D., Mass.) knocked away a voter’s phone when asked if he would endorse Graham Platner. DSA TAKEOVER: Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) is sounding alarm bells about the Democrats’ primaries in New York. Fetterman called several of the winners “Anti-Israel. Anti-America. Anti-Western Civilization.” Fetterman noted that he is alone in his party in condemning them. “Why am I the only Democrat in the U.S. Senate that refuses to excuse this or defend any of those self-identified communists?” he asked. WFW WIN: Winning for Women won big in South Carolina’s 1st District, where it was one of the first groups to back Jenny Costa Honeycutt in the primary to succeed Rep. Nancy Mace (R., S.C.). MILESTONE HIT: Gas prices are now averaging below $4 a gallon across most of America. Businessman Steve Forbes has a prescription for how to keep it that way. “Government interference will not lower gas prices,” Forbes noted. “President Trump’s tax cuts, deregulation, and America First energy policies are working. Gas is down 60 cents/gallon in a month to $3.93 according to the AAA. Under Biden in June 2022? $4.94. That’s real money back in your pocket.” RED LINE DRAWN: President Donald Trump said that it would be “unacceptable” for Iran to levy “any kind of fees on shipping.” GUN RIGHTS WIN: The Supreme Court struck down “Hawaii’s attempt to limit Second Amendment rights and end-run the Bruen decision,” as Judicial Crisis Network’s Carrie Severino noted. NEW GIG: Rep. Brian Jack (R., Ga.) told the Washington Reporter that he’s excited to see his former colleague, Kamran Daravi, join Thorn Run Partners. BIG BIRTHDAY WEEK: Happy birthday to Savannah Russell, Steven Cheung, and Kaelan Deese! | ||||||||||||||||||
Rep. Tim Moore uses National Homeownership Month to reform 529 savings plans By: Matthew Foldi Rep. Tim Moore (R., N.C.) is spending National Homeownership Month by working to reform America’s housing system. In order to do that, Moore rolled out the Unlocking Homeownership Act alongside Rep. Mike Lawler (R., N.Y.) that would allow first time homebuyers to use funds from 529 savings plans without incurring any tax penalties. Their bill was obtained first by the Washington Reporter. Right now, 529 accounts are mainly used for certain education expenses, and withdrawals from 529s are often subjected to taxes and penalties. If Moore and Lawler get their way, that will be a thing of the past. “Too many young families feel like homeownership is moving further out of reach despite doing everything right,” Moore told the Reporter. “This legislation recognizes that Americans who have saved responsibly should have more flexibility in how they use those savings when purchasing their first home.” | ||||||||||||||||||
Abdul El-Sayed is “too radical for Michigan,” new NRSC ad claims By: Matthew Foldi Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is surging in some primary polls in Michigan, but he’s also gotten a spate of bad headlines in recent weeks — and a new ad campaign obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter is going to follow him all around Michigan in the coming days. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is prebutting El-Sayed’s upcoming statewide swing by releasing an ad urging voters to “reject Abdul El-Sayed.” “Too radical for Michigan,” the NRSC ad adds. “Too radical for the U.S. Senate.” The ad also hits El-Sayed for his ties to “anti-Israel radical Hasan Piker,” for wanting to “abolish ICE,” and for “call[ing] to abolish private health insurance and [for] championing socialist tax hikes with Senator Bernie Sanders.” | ||||||||||||||||||
Sen. Tom Cotton blocks Democratic effort to undermine Director Pulte’s DNI reform By: Washington Reporter Editors Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) on Wednesday successfully blocked a Democratic effort to undermine the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, arguing that ongoing reforms under Acting DNI Director Bill Pulte should be allowed to continue without congressional interference. Speaking on the Senate floor, Cotton defended efforts to shrink and streamline the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which was created after the September 11 attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies. “The ODNI needs to be downsized and streamlined,” Cotton said, arguing that the office has expanded well beyond its original mission and accumulated unnecessary bureaucracy over the last two decades. Cotton said he recently spoke with Acting DNI Director Bill Pulte and found broad agreement on returning the office to its original size, scope, and mission. According to Cotton, Pulte is working to move intelligence personnel detailed to ODNI back to their home agencies and reduce layers of bureaucracy that have developed over time. | ||||||||||||||||||
Seven-figure ad campaign pitches Mike Rogers as the superhero Michigan needs By: Matthew Foldi In Michigan, Democrats are finding themselves increasingly at odds with each other during a contentious and expensive Senate primary. On the Republican side, former Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Mich.) has had the field cleared for months thanks to an early endorsement from President Donald Trump. Now, Rogers is getting a seven-figure boost from Great Lakes Conservatives Fund (GLCF), which argues in a new ad, obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter, that Rogers is just the superhero that Michigan needs. GLCF’s new ad, “Superpowers,” builds off of the Buff Mike Rogers image that his campaign has been pitching, ever since an AI meme of Rogers at a parade went supersonically viral. “Can Mike Rogers leap tall buildings?” the Marvel-esque ad asks. “Maybe with a running start. Can he bring jobs back to Michigan and make housing more affordable? Yes. Michigan born and raised. Factory worker. Army veteran. Law enforcement officer. Mike Rogers’s superpower is he understands Michigan workers he’ll fight to bring jobs home, expand skilled trades training, and build more housing. Michigan doesn’t need a superhero. We need a fighter. Like Mike Rogers.” | ||||||||||||||||||
Gov. Greg Gianforte wants anti-hunting activists to “stay out of Montana” By: Matthew Foldi Gov. Greg Gianforte (R., Mont.) is sounding the alarm about a ballot measure in Oregon that he says could criminalize licensed hunting and fishing, calling the proposal “absolutely crazy.” Gianforte, the Chair of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), weighing in on Oregon Initiative Petition 28 (IP28), elevates the measure, potentially causing a headache for Portland Democrats. “Did you hear what they’re trying to do in Oregon?” Gianforte said in a new video obtained by the Washington Reporter. “They are literally trying to outlaw hunting and fishing – that’s absolutely crazy. Here in Montana, hunting and fishing is integral to our way of life. To all those Oregonians who want to outlaw hunting and fishing, please stay out of Montana.” IP28 would, if passed, eliminate fishing and hunting licenses and criminalize hunters, fishers, anglers, trappers, farmers, and ranchers, because it would remove exemptions from these activities from animal cruelty laws. The measure is being pushed heavily by animal rights activists, but faces local opposition from groups like the Oregon Hunters Association, which warns that it would “remove legal exemptions protecting hunting, fishing, trapping, and farming from Oregon’s animal abuse statutes — turning nearly one million Oregonians into criminals.” The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates that hunting and fishing generate almost $2 billion in economic revenue for they state. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sen. Alan Armstrong rolls out plan to “get America building again,” flexing his industry clout on permitting reform By: Matthew Foldi The newest member of the Senate — someone most political insiders had never heard of three months ago — flexed his industry clout with a full house on Capitol Hill for an in-depth discussion on energy security and the urgent need for permitting reform. Just months ago, now-Sen. Alan Armstrong (R., Okla.), was the CEO of the Williams Companies. But, he found himself serving as America’s newest senator following then-Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s (R., Okla.) ascension to serve as the new Secretary of Homeland Security. Throughout his event, he showed that he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to oil and gas. Armstrong spent nearly 40 years at Williams, starting as an engineer building pipelines in the 1980s, before spending the past 13 years as CEO. That industry expertise sets Armstrong apart from all of his colleagues. What’s remarkable is how he’s used that firsthand knowledge in his new role as Oklahoma’s junior senator with a single-track focus on passing permitting reform to help not only the oil and gas industry he came from, but also the entire energy sector and critical infrastructure buildouts. Sen. John Barrasso (R., Wyo.), the Senate’s Majority Whip, said at Armstrong’s event that he is “focused like a laser beam. Most senators are focused like a disco ball, shining all over the place.” | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Op-Ed: Rep. Buddy Carter: It is time for liberals to rediscover patriotism By: Rep. Buddy Carter It might be a party in the USA, but not everyone is celebrating. As America marks our 250th anniversary, an interesting phenomenon is playing out: World Cup tourists are falling in love with a nation that the Left increasingly disdains. For a party that consistently bemoans "privilege," their failure to see and appreciate their own is becoming a defining story of this pivotal moment in our nation’s history. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Op-Ed: Mason Lynaugh: Congress is getting market structure right. For millions of Americans, now it’s time to get it done. By: Mason Lynaugh If the saying “good things come to those who wait” is true, then the 52 million Americans who own, build, or invest in digital assets are overdue for some very good things. After months of negotiations on Capitol Hill, we’re on the verge of the Senate scheduling a vote for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, which would finally provide the regulatory framework and clear “rules of the road” that the American crypto community has been operating without for years. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Op-Ed: Dylan Rosnick: President Trump should protect small businesses from invasive federal temperature mandates By: Dylan Rosnick 2025 was historic for small businesses, highlighted by the 20 percent Small Business Deduction being made permanent and the temporary relief from complying with the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting mandate. Members of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) are grateful for this tax certainty and regulatory relief, noting that these accomplishments provide owners across the country with more flexibility to confidently grow their small businesses — even as they continue to pressure Congress to permanently repeal the BOI mandate and destroy all data already submitted by U.S. businesses. | ||||||||||||||||||
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