July 2026
At the Races: Democratic aches in the Great Lakes
Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. By Mary Ellen McIntire and Daniela Altimari With its early August primary looming, Michigan is the next state to shine a spotlight on Democratic divisions. […]
The dog days are here already for Congress
Jason Dick and Molly Reynolds discuss how history will view the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., how congressional illnesses are starting to affect the institution, why things are getting stuck in both chambers, and what a weird time it is for the legislative branch. Show Notes:
Democratic candidates sustain fundraising pace as GOP strains to keep up
Democratic Senate candidates continue to swamp their Republican rivals in fundraising, with new campaign finance data showing several of them sitting on staggering stockpiles of cash. They’ll need all of that cash to counter a potential floodgate of GOP spending following last month’s Supreme Court decision that cleared the way for party committees to spend […]
Tillis adds a new condition to his vote for Blanche
Sen. Thom Tillis on Thursday set a new condition for his vote to confirm Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to attorney general: He wants Blanche to meet with Epstein victims first. During the second day of hearings for Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who will retire at the end of […]
How curbing Congress’ stock-trading took a partisan turn
Lawmakers expect to vote next week on a proposal to curb stock-trading by members of Congress, an effort months in the making that many Republicans are hoping to point to as they return home to their districts in August. Democrats are lining up in opposition as they try to shore up their own campaign talking […]
Dems split on Massie effort to zero out Israel security aid
The House Wednesday shot down an amendment to a State Department spending bill that would have blocked billions in U.S. military aid to Israel, but a substantial number of Democrats voted to cut off Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war machine. The chamber defeated Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie’s amendment, 104-314, which would have stripped […]
Cruz, Democrats push back on FCC move to lift ownership cap
The Trump administration is moving ahead with plans to allow for more consolidation in local television, a move that got pushback from Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz over the role of Congress in changing the television ownership cap. Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr announced plans Wednesday to vote to repeal the national broadcast ownership […]
CDC nominee walks tightrope on vaccines, service under RFK Jr.
President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday attempted to demonstrate that she can restore trust in the agency, during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing. The issue of vaccines took center stage during the hearing for Erica Schwartz, who sought to assure senators that she […]
Where has all the FISA fire gone?
Congress let a key spy power lapse over a month ago. In the few legislative days left ahead of August recess, lawmakers don’t appear to be in any rush to change that. Discussions in the House have stalled as they wait for the Senate to move — even though Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., once warned […]
Fiscal 2027 State Department spending bill passed by House
The House on Wednesday passed the fiscal 2027 State Department spending bill shortly after rejecting an amendment that reignited Democratic fissures over Israel. In a mostly party-line 217-209 vote, the House passed the $47.3 billion National Security-State appropriations bill. That vote came on the heels of a vote earlier in the afternoon against an amendment […]