September 2026
Oversight panel recommends holding billionaire Leon Black in contempt
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Tuesday afternoon recommended holding an associate of Jeffrey Epstein in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas related to the investigations of the late sex offender and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. The committee voted, 41-0, to approve its report recommending holding Leon D. Black, […]
Texas Democrats see opportunity in potential GOP-drawn ‘dummymander’
SAN ANTONIO — Johnny Garcia donned his signature cowboy hat, grabbed a stack of candidate brochures and hit the neighborhoods of northern Bexar County on a sweltering Saturday morning. Campaigning for a House seat redrawn to favor Republicans, the Texas Democrat approached Matthew Naef and launched into his pitch. “I worked at the sheriff’s office […]
Blanche vows to continue midterm efforts despite court blocking mail ballots rule
Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday said the Trump administration would not be slowed in its efforts to oversee the midterm elections by a Supreme Court decision blocking an unprecedented mail ballot rule. During a press briefing in the Rose Garden, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney defended his former client-turned-boss who blasted Supreme Court […]
Kevin McCarthy looks back on his brush with the speakership
As Kevin McCarthy pulled a drape off his smiling portrait at the Capitol on Tuesday, it wasn’t the only blast from the past. Crowded into Statuary Hall for the unveiling were members past and present, ranging from fierce loyalists to rivals to erstwhile friends. Even a Democrat sang the former speaker’s praises, pointing to a […]
Judge again blocks efforts to add Trump’s name to Kennedy Center
A federal judge on Tuesday ruled in favor of an Ohio House Democrat who is seeking to block efforts to add President Donald Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center. In his ruling, Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said that the Trump-led board of the Kennedy Center […]
Iran war has cost $38 billion and counting, CBO says
The Iran war directly cost the Pentagon $38 billion through July and is likely to consume $2 billion to $3 billion more per month if recent hostilities in the region continue, the Congressional Budget Office reported Tuesday. The CBO report’s estimate of the war’s direct impact on the federal budget is made up mostly of the […]
Patel won’t rule out FBI at the polls on Election Day
FBI Director Kash Patel refused to say whether agents would be present at the polls during the midterm elections in a contentious Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing Tuesday. The comments came as members from both parties questioned Patel over issues ranging from elections to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and a bizarre exchange over bestiality […]
In American politics, has racism become a feature, not a bug?
Racism is no longer a deal breaker — in life or in politics. It’s a tough truth to face, especially, I admit, for someone whose family members used nonviolence to fight dangerous civil rights battles, forcing a resistant America to live up to its ideals. But it’s a truth that must be faced. The problem […]
Winter funding fight brewing
While Congress’ fall priorities — cryptocurrency, college sports and permitting — are not budget-related, a new December spending deadline is setting the stage for another funding fight. CQ Roll Call’s Peter Cohn, Savannah Behrmann and Aidan Quigley assess the fall agenda and the prospects for a final fiscal 2027 spending deal during the lame-duck session. […]
Democratic group lays out environmental, economic roadmap
Members of House Democrats’ Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition and its affiliated nonprofit released a set of policies on Tuesday to serve as a template to address both economic and climate concerns in the next Congress should their party make big midterm gains. The SEEC Institute’s Thriving Economy Project is presented as a “a policy […]