July 2026
No Graham heir apparent to help shape Trump’s foreign policy
Some Senate Republicans and Democrats actually agree on one thing: It could take years for another lawmaker to become as big of a voice in any president’s ear on foreign policy as Lindsey Graham was in Donald Trump’s. In fact, as Trump on Wednesday delivered his first major national security remarks since his informal adviser’s […]
GOP budget blueprint targets Iran war, farm aid and elections
House Republicans unveiled a fiscal 2027 budget resolution Wednesday that would lay the groundwork for a reconciliation package of up to $95 billion, mostly to finance the Iran war. The resolution text would instruct four House committees to draft legislation by Sept. 11 designed to provide up to $73 billion in defense funding, along with […]
Blanche pushes back on ‘weaponization’ fund worries during hearing
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended his involvement in a $1.8 billion “weaponization” compensation fund at his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing Wednesday in his bid for the top Justice Department job. Over the course of the hearing, Blanche sparred with Democrats and pushed back on concerns from some Republicans about his time serving as […]
Bipartisan bill to eliminate hepatitis C unveiled in House
A bipartisan pair of House members are introducing legislation aimed at treating millions of Americans of a deadly-but-curable liver disease, the culmination of a yearslong push from public health advocates. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa and Diana DeGette, D-Colo., would create a national hepatitis C elimination program to expand testing and treatment especially for […]
Clayton defends subpoenas of journalists in tense confirmation hearing
As Jay Clayton took his seat before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, the scene was starkly different from 28 days ago. Back in June, just hours before Clayton’s confirmation hearing for director of national intelligence was about to start, President Donald Trump abruptly ordered his nominee not to appear. This time around, Clayton was […]
NRCC adds 7 more candidates to MAGA Majority program
The National Republican Congressional Committee on Wednesday named seven new House hopefuls to its program for top candidates seeking to flip seats this fall. The additions to the MAGA Majority program, as Republicans have rebranded what had long been known as its Young Guns effort, include four candidates who recently won primaries in battleground districts and […]
Johnson appeases holdouts and unfreezes House floor
Speaker Mike Johnson narrowly freed the floor from another standstill Tuesday — but it’s not clear how long the good feeling will last. The House adopted a rule for floor debate in a 215-211 vote after GOP leaders won over key holdouts by promising a markup of border security legislation before the August recess and […]
Supreme Court justices emphasize need for security funding
Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett pitched increased security funding for the Supreme Court next year at a pair of rare congressional hearings for sitting justices Tuesday that covered issues ranging from emergency cases to judicial ethics. Kagan and Barrett focused most of their testimony on increased security concerns at the court amid rising […]
Maine Democrats in sprint to replace Platner on Senate ballot
The Maine Democrats running to replace Graham Platner as their party’s nominee for Senate are seeking to turn the page from the former standard-bearer without abandoning his supporters. At least seven Democrats are competing in what’s been a two-week campaign for the nomination to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins, a longtime Democratic target in […]
Editors Note: Roll Call’s Doug Graham: A man in full
Doug Graham was a hell of a photographer, but he was also that rarest of things: A fully realized human being. He was serious about his job and his craft, working at both CQ and Roll Call and then the combined CQ Roll Call until 2014, helping launch Loudoun Now and winning an Emmy for […]