Most members of Congress know that the government’s $39 trillion debt may trigger a financial crisis as it continues soaring. But lawmakers keep hiking spending, with increases currently in the pipeline for defense, farm subsidies, and transportation.
Why does Congress spend so much? Members are lobbied to spend, of course, but they are also naively optimistic about government. They seem to think they can solve every problem in society by enacting programs and then flooding the zone with cash.
The reality is that program benefits are nearly always lower than planned, and the taxpayer costs are higher. The government is a <a href="https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/federal-government-spending-leaky-bucket">leaky bucket</a> — many of the dollars it scoops up for the federal budget spill out as waste and policy mistakes.
The Trump administration is cracking down on program fraud, but fraud is only one of 10 inefficiencies or leaks in the federal budget bucket.
1. Fraud and Errors. Hundreds of billions of dollars in spending are lost to fraudulent and erroneous payments every year. Whether it is food stamps, health care programs, or the earned income tax credit, improper payments range from about 5 to 25% of social program spending. Military spending is also rife with fraud and cost overruns.
2. Administration. Part of spending goes to bureaucrats, not to program recipients. The administrative share of spending is 10% for food stamps, 12% for Supplemental Security Income, 17% for community development, and about 35% for the crop insurance program.
3. <a href="https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/federal-government-spending-leaky-bucket#crowding-out">Poor Targeting</a>. A lot of spending goes to people who claim benefits legally but were not supposed to be targeted for help. Programs aimed at poor communities — such as aid for schools and community development — often benefit wealthier areas of the nation. And subsidies to boost industries, such as broadband, often go to projects that companies would have funded themselves.
4. <a href="https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/federal-government-spending-leaky-bucket#bureaucratic-failures">Bureaucratic Failures</a>. Congress assumes that federal agencies will expertly implement the programs it designs, but the bureaucracies screw up all the time. We’ve seen headline-making failures over the years in disaster response, presidential security, air traffic control, pandemic aid, and many other activities.
5. <a href="https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/federal-government-spending-leaky-bucket#legislative-process-waste">Logrolling</a>. Congress passes spending in large packages that include funding for hundreds of programs and projects. Policymakers do not perform cost-benefit analyses on each item to ensure that it will create net value. Rather, bills are passed by horse-trading, and many low-value activities that do not have broad support get funded.
6. <a href="https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/federal-government-spending-leaky-bucket#central-planning-errors">Central Planning</a>. Congress allocates trillions of dollars each year to individuals, businesses, and nonprofit groups. How do lawmakers know which activities will create the most benefits? They don’t. Lawmakers use wild guesswork to allocate cash between food stamps, fighter jets, farmers, and a myriad of other things. They often make mistakes, fund faulty programs, and resources get entrenched in wasteful activities for years.
7. <a href="https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/federal-government-spending-leaky-bucket#program-design-conflicts">Program Conflicts</a>. When Congress designs programs, it often includes provisions that work at cross purposes. In infrastructure bills, for example, rules that favor domestic purchases and rules that favor labor unions inflate costs. The result is that taxpayers get fewer infrastructure facilities than they’ve paid for.
8. <a href="https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/federal-government-spending-leaky-bucket#behavioral-changes">Behavioral Changes</a>. Government spending induces recipients to change their behavior in unproductive ways. Welfare induces recipients to stay on the couch rather than work, and corporate welfare induces businesses to waste resources on lobbying rather than on making better products.
9. Crowding Out. Government spending displaces private and voluntary activities. As welfare programs grow, self-help and private charities decline. As Social Security grows, private savings for retirement shrink. And during the 20th century, as government subsidies for airports and urban transit expanded, previously private provision of these services disappeared.
10. Tax Damage. Raising tax revenue for the federal budget causes collateral damage, including increased tax paperwork costs and reduced incentives for production. The result is that taxes impose costs on the private sector beyond the revenues they raise. If Congress raises taxes by $100, economists estimate that it costs the private sector about $150, which includes $100 transferred to the government and $50 in collateral damage.
Here <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Frontiers-Reform-Hoover-Institution-Publication-ebook/dp/B001M5TRU6">is</a> former Council of Economic Advisers Chair Michael Boskin on the government’s leaky bucket: “The cost to the economy of each additional tax dollar is about $1.40 to $1.50. Now the tax dollar … is put into a bucket. Some of it leaks out in overhead, waste, and so on. In a well-managed program, the government may spend $.80 or $.90 of that dollar on achieving its goals. Inefficient programs would be much lower, $.30 or $.40 on the dollar.”
My new Cato Institute <a href="https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/federal-government-spending-leaky-bucket">study</a> with Ryan Bourne argues that most federal programs fall into Boskin’s “inefficient” category, in which costs far exceed benefits. These programs are dragging down the economy and pushing up debt. Fraud is a big problem, but most federal programs are leaking resources and wasting them in many ways.
***
Chris Edwards occupies the Kilts family chair in fiscal studies at the Cato Institute.

US governement spending and taxation

Ten Leaks Busting The Federal Budget Bucket

Congress

DW Opinion

National Budget

Subsidies

waste fraud abuse

Tech billionaire Elon Musk plans to re-enter the political arena by backing a major ground operation to boost Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections, according to a new report.
Musk plans to relaunch America PAC, the same political group that spent hundreds of millions helping elect President Trump in 2024, with a heavy focus on battleground states, Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/29/musk-pac-midterm-election">reported</a>. The revived operation will prioritize door-knocking, digital advertising, and direct mail aimed at turning out conservative voters who typically skip midterm elections.
It is not yet clear how much Musk plans to spend or where the resources will be deployed.
&#8220;America PAC was an essential partner for our historic GOTV operation in 2024, and their return for 2026 is a huge boost for Republicans across the country,&#8221; James Blair, President Trump&#8217;s senior political adviser, told Axios. &#8220;We will again outsmart our opponents and ruthlessly execute our mission for the GOP between now and Election Day.” 
It&#8217;s a striking reversal for the X owner, who just <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-goes-after-trump-over-epstein-files-time-to-drop-the-really-big-bomb">last year accused Trump </a>of covering up convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s crimes and implied the president himself was implicated.
“Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!” Musk said in June 2025, before adding a follow-up: “Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”
“This is an unfortunate episode from Elon,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-responds-to-elon-musk-epstein-claims-an-unfortunate-episode-from-elon?utm_source=chatgpt.com">The Daily Wire</a> at the time, saying Musk was “unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted.”
Musk, who also threatened to financially back a third political party, later de-escalated the feud and deleted several of his most inflammatory posts — including his Epstein allegations — and publicly acknowledged that some of his attacks on Trump &#8220;went too far.&#8221; 
Following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Musk and Trump publicly reconciled at <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1969870768201777180?s=20">Kirk&#8217;s memorial service</a> in Arizona, where the two shook hands and spoke for the first time since their bitter falling out. The reunion fulfilled a promise made by the late conservative activist, who also helped elect Trump and transform an entire generation of young conservatives. 
“I know both these guys… I am hopeful, optimistic, and will do everything I possibly can to try and bring this back together,” Kirk <a href="https://www.wral.com/archive/22170145/">said</a> in June of last year.
Since then, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has been a social media advocate of the administration’s policies despite recently acknowledging he got “carried away” with his brief stint at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 
“I think I got a little too involved in politics,” Musk <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5988248-doge-initiative-shut-down/">told</a> The Economist. “I got carried away, frankly.”
Nonetheless, the Musk&#8217;s cash infusion will add to Republicans&#8217; already formidable financial advantage heading into the midterms. President Trump&#8217;s super PAC has amassed a roughly $400 million war chest, while the Republican National Committee has another $130 million on hand. In contrast, the Democratic National Committee is reportedly about $2 million in debt, as previously reported by The Daily Wire.
With control of both the House and Senate up for grabs, Republicans face significant headwinds heading into Election Day, including <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">elevated gas prices</a>, the lingering <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-iranian-protests-intensify-as-citizens-demand-end-to-ayatollah-rule?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=U.S.+Hammers+Iran+After+Tehran%E2%80%99s+Attempt+To+Take+Out+American+Troops">war with Iran</a>, and President Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5997864-trump-approval-rating-low/">low approval ratings</a>. The latest <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/state-of-the-union/generic-congressional-vote">RealClearPolitics </a>polling average gives Democrats a roughly five-point lead on the generic congressional ballot. Republicans&#8217; biggest asset may be the Democratic Party&#8217;s tarnished national brand, with one polling guru saying voters increasingly see the leftist party as &#8220;weak.&#8221;
&#8220;The Democratic Party in the minds of the American public are weak, weak, weak,” CNN’s Harry Enten <a href="https://x.com/ThomasMHern/status/2081723610549383250?s=20">said</a>, noting how voters still trust the GOP more on handling Iran. &#8220;The Democrats in Congress, simply put, are not well-liked.&#8221;
“Donald Trump and Republicans may not be liked, but Democrats in Congress are really hated,” he added.

President Trump Attends NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship In Philadelphia

Elon Musk Jumps Back In To Help With Trump’s Midterm Fight

Elon Musk Rejoins Trump's Political Fight With On-The-Ground Midterm Push

2026 election

campaigns

Charlie Kirk

Donald Trump

Elections

Elon Musk

House of Representatives

Midterms

News

Politics

U.S. Senate

Dr. Anthony Fauci is set to testify Wednesday morning before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who heads the committee, subpoenaed the former White House medical adviser after Fauci first agreed to appear and then refused to testify.
The hearing is expected to focus on the origins of COVID-19, federal funding for gain-of-function research, Fauci&#8217;s past statements to Congress, his preemptive presidential pardon from then-President Joe Biden, and his handling of the federal government&#8217;s response to the pandemic.
It&#8217;s expected that many of the questions asked during the hearing will be colored by Fauci&#8217;s explosive diary entries, which were maintained on government servers and recently released by Sen. Paul. The entries detail Fauci&#8217;s private thoughts and knowledge — often in sharp contrast to his public messaging — including the origins of the virus, his feelings about different political figures, such as President Donald Trump, and his fierce obsession with media attention, celebrities, and fame.
Read the full diary, below:
<iframe loading="lazy" style="border: 1px solid #d8dee2; border-radius: 0.5rem; width: 100%; height: 100%; aspect-ratio: 612 / 792;" src="https://embed.documentcloud.org/documents/28519519-faucidiary/?embed=1&amp;title=0&amp;pdf=0&amp;onlyshoworg=1" width="612" height="792"></iframe>
For example, in January 2020 Fauci wrote that &#8220;we know the market was not the source&#8221; of the outbreak, privately indicating that he believed the Wuhan wet market was not where the outbreak started. Yet publicly, Fauci repeatedly suggested the wet-market theory was accurate.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/watch-live-fauci-faces-congress-as-explosive-diari">WATCH: Fauci Faces Congress As Explosive Diaries Take Center</a>
Numerous entries also detail how much positive press Fauci was receiving from the media and celebrities. “Press still hot and heavy about me,” Fauci wrote in April 2020. “Multiple stories per day directly or indirectly involving me.” Weeks later, he celebrated a &#8220;very flattering&#8221; front-page article about himself in The Washington Post, adding, &#8220;The situation with my national and international fame is explosive and really unimaginable. It is not hyoperbole [sic] to say that today I am the most famous and talked about person in the country and one of the most recognizable [person] in the world.&#8221;
In his diaries, Fauci also wrote negatively of President Trump and Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, the first governor in the nation to buck Fauci&#8217;s advice about shutting down daily life to &#8220;stop the spread.&#8221; On Trump, Fauci penned that the president was &#8220;truly an obnoxious adolescent.&#8221; Another entry read, &#8220;He is embarrassing the USA. However, 72,000,000 voted for him. Difficult to understand. Craziness has overtaken part of our country.&#8221;
Fauci called DeSantis &#8220;a complete disgrace,&#8221; adding, &#8220;He is blocking the local authorities from mandating masks in various locations including schools. He is doing this while at the same time Florida is virtually on fire with surging cases.&#8221;
Additionally, the health advisor appeared to take credit for influencing school closures. In one March 2020 entry, Fauci wrote that he had &#8220;convinced&#8221; then-New York City Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio to close the city&#8217;s schools and that California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom also decided to close schools based on what Fauci was saying publicly. Those entries stand in contrast to Fauci&#8217;s later public statements that he did not close schools or advocate for lockdowns.
The diary entries also seem to highlight Fauci&#8217;s unwillingness to be transparent and honest with the American people when it comes to the effectiveness and risks of the COVID vaccines. Fauci said in the diary that he experienced a pulmonary infection and contracted COVID on multiple occasions despite his very public show of being vaccinated and receiving multiple booster shots. Those health episodes were not publicly disclosed at the time.

Dr. Fauci Testifies In House On COVID Origins

READ IT: Every Page Of Fauci’s Tell-All Diary

Dr. Fauci’s Testifies Before The Senate. Here’s Every Page Of His Insane Diary. 

Anthony Fauci

Covid vaccine

COVID-19

Vaccines

Fauci/Paul

After Fauci Pleads The Fifth, Rand Paul Makes Contempt Move

Biden Administration

COVID

COVID-19 Vaccine

Joe Biden

Rand Paul

Trump Administration

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical advisor to the president, appears to have misled Congress about the coronavirus fatality rate in the early days of the pandemic, making statements in private that contradicted his public testimony.
Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-KY) released a <a href="https://www.paul.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026.07.24_Tonys-Diary-Package.pdf#&amp;_intcmp=fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1">trove of previously private Fauci diaries</a> ahead of his expected testimony this Wednesday before a key oversight committee. 
A February 8, 2020, journal entry shows Fauci recounting a phone call with former CDC Director Tom Frieden in which he compared the novel coronavirus to a &#8220;bad influenza&#8221; and predicted a lower-than-expected fatality rate.
The Daily Wire is publishing excerpts from Fauci’s journal without any edits or spelling corrections.
“Tom Frieden called me this AM and we discussed various aspects of the outbreak. He and I are on the same page in thinking tht this is acting like a bad influenza in its transmissibility and that the denominator is much greater than 34,867 (above) making the case fatality rate (CFR) more like 0.2-0.3 % rather than 2.0%,” he wrote. 
At that moment, Fauci estimated more than 34,000 infections and 724 deaths.  
About a month later, however, the physician — who privately blushed about his rising public profile — presented Congress with a markedly different assessment of the disease. <a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO00/20200312/110713/HHRG-116-GO00-Transcript-20200312.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Testifying under oath</a> at a March 11 hearing, Fauci responded to a question from Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) about the similarities between COVID-19 and influenza.
“The seasonal flu that we deal with every year has a mortality of 0.1 percent. The stated mortality overall of this when you look at all the data including China is about three percent. It first started off as two and now three,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp717hJVI5Y&amp;t=2810s">Fauci told the panel.</a> &#8220;I think if you count all the cases of minimally symptomatic or asymptomatic infection, that probably brings the mortality rate down to somewhere around one percent, which means it is 10 times more lethal than the seasonal flu. I think that is something that people can get their arms around and understand.&#8221;
During the hearing, Cloud questioned Fauci about whether COVID-19 was more lethal than previous diseases, including H1N1, commonly known as swine flu.
“No, absolutely not,” Fauci said. “The 2009 pandemic of H1N1 was even less lethal than the regular seasonal flu.” 
“I&#8217;m trying to help the American people know where to appropriately set their gauge,” Cloud fired back. 
Fauci doubled down on the alarm bells, despite privately downplaying the virus&#8217;s lethality.
“I think to set the gauge is that this is a really serious problem that we have to take seriously. I mean, people always say, &#8216;Well, the flu, you know, the flu does this, the flu does that.&#8217; The flu has a mortality of 0.1 percent,” Fauci said. “This has a mortality of 10 times that, and that&#8217;s the reason why I want to emphasize we have to stay ahead of the game in preventing this.” 
The newly revealed contradictions come after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-fauci-diaries-reveal-celebrity-obsession-at-height-of-covid-crisis?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=New+Fauci+Diaries+Reveal+Celebrity+Obsession+At+Height+Of+COVID+Crisis">The Daily Wire reported</a> Fauci’s obsession with media attention as the coronavirus pandemic claimed lives and overwhelmed hospitals around the globe.
“Press still hot and heavy about me,” Fauci wrote on April 7, 2020. “Multiple stories per day directly or indirectly involving me.”
Weeks later, hundreds of thousands of infections spread worldwide, and nearly 10,000 had died from the virus when Fauci penned the following journal entry on May 21, 2020. 
“Big front page article abut me appeared in the Washington Post. Very flattering. The situation with my national and international fame is explosive and really unimaginable. It is not hyoperbole to say that today I am the most famous and talked about person in the country and one of the most recognizable peson in the world,” Fauci wrote.

Dr. Fauci Testifies To Senate Health Committee On Country’s COVID-19 Response

Fauci’s Personal Diary Highlights Shocking Contradiction On COVID Fatality Rate

Coronavirus

Dr. Fauci

fauci diaries

Health

Pandemic

Rep. Cloud

Science

Senator Paul

Republicans appear to support a bipartisan bill led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), but the legislation remains stalled amid reported concerns that giving the Democratic socialist a legislative victory could fuel her presidential ambitions.  
<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1837/text">The DEFIANCE Act</a> (Disrupt Explicit Forged Images And Non-Consensual Edits Act) would create a federal civil cause of action allowing victims of non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes to sue those who create or distribute fake nude or sexual images without their consent. 
Under the bill, victims could recover up to $250,000 in damages in cases involving sexual assault, stalking, or harassment, earning support from leftists, conservative Republicans, and Hollywood figures such as Paris Hilton.
AOC first introduced the legislation last year. In January, the U.S. Senate passed it unanimously.
“I want to thank the Senate cosponsors of this legislation, including my Republican co-lead, Senator Lindsey Graham,” Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) <a href="https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-successfully-passes-bill-to-combat-nonconsensual-sexually-explicit-deepfake-images">said</a> at the time. “Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez herself is a publicly confessed victim of explicit deepfakes. I commend her for working to create tools for victims in the fight against this despicable crime.” 
Despite bipartisan support, the bill remains stalled in the Republican-led House. <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2026/07/23/paris-hilton-and-the-politics-of-defiance-01009283?nname=playbook&amp;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&amp;nrid=5c65d8fa-b7c7-44e5-98d0-43e6086e71cd">Politico reported</a> Thursday that some Republicans worry passing AOC&#8217;s legislation could hand the New York congresswoman a political victory as she emerges as a potential 2028 presidential contender. 
“It’s a shame that this bill isn’t law because they are unwilling to give AOC a win,” one person working on the bill told the outlet. “When you look at it, everything is aligned for it to pass, except that they don’t want her to have this.”
“We’re depriving many, many people of the ability to set their lives right just to prevent one member of Congress from being able to pass a bill,” another person said, according to Politico. 
Ocasio-Cortez has blamed the delay on House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). Earlier this month,<a href="https://x.com/EricMGarcia/status/2077191769477791989?s=20"> she told The Independent</a> that the bill passed the Senate unanimously with Republican support, adding that people should &#8220;ask Jim Jordan&#8221; why it has yet to advance.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters Tuesday that he supports the legislation but was unsure of its status in committee, according to Politico. 
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-melania-backed-bill-to-fight-deepfake-revenge-porn">TAKE IT DOWN Act</a>, championed by first lady Melania Trump, into law. The measure criminalizes the non-consensual online distribution of intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes.
The impasse comes days after a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-new-2028-poll-just-shook-up-both-parties?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=A+New+2028+Poll+Just+Shook+Up+Both+Parties">New Hampshire primary poll</a> signaled an early shake-up in the 2028 Democratic presidential race, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) leading the field.
The Granite State Poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, shows the Democratic socialist leading the hypothetical Democratic field with 22% support, narrowly ahead of former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at 21%. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) placed third with 9%. 
“You know polls are polls, and a horse race is a horse race,” AOC <a href="https://x.com/EricMGarcia/status/2080038582211821579?s=20">said</a> in response. “I am, of course, I think very deeply humbled and grateful to you know folks who participate and convey that confidence.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
👀👀👀 AOC on a poll showing her leading in a 2028 primary in New Hampshire:
&#8220;One is that you know polls are polls, and a horse race is a horse race. I am, of course, I think very deeply humbled and grateful to you know folks who participate and convey that confidence.&#8221;
&#8220;I… <a href="https://t.co/fSXAOC0AGO">pic.twitter.com/fSXAOC0AGO</a>
— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) <a href="https://x.com/EricMGarcia/status/2080038582211821579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2026</a></blockquote>

Congresswomen Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib, Omar, And Pressley Hold News Conference After President Trump Attacks Them On Twitter

Republicans Love This AOC-Led Bill, But They Don’t Want To Pass It

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Artificial Intelligence

bipartisanship

Deepfakes

Democrats

Dick Durbin

Jim Jordan

Lindsey Graham

Melania Trump

Mike Johnson

Politico

Republicans

A bipartisan Senate bill aimed at keeping Chinese-made vehicles and automotive technology off American roads moved one step closer to becoming law on Wednesday after clearing the Senate Commerce Committee with unanimous support.
The Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, sponsored by Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), would prohibit the import, sale, and operation of vehicles manufactured by China and other designated foreign adversaries while also banning Chinese-developed connected vehicle technology, including software and data systems, from American roads.
Supporters argue the bill is necessary not only to protect the American auto industry from heavily subsidized Chinese competition, but also to address national security concerns posed by increasingly software-driven vehicles capable of collecting vast amounts of data on their owners.
&#8220;Chinese cars are surveillance packages on wheels, with the ability to collect on American citizens and transmit that data back to Beijing,&#8221; Slotkin <a href="https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/07/22/slotkin-moreno-bill-to-protect-national-economic-security-from-chinese-vehicles-advances-unanimously/">said</a> after the bill advanced. &#8220;The Chinese Communist Party&#8217;s playbook of heavily subsidizing their product and underselling the competition puts Michigan&#8217;s auto industry and millions of American workers at risk.&#8221;
Moreno <a href="https://www.moreno.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/moreno-bill-cracking-down-on-chinese-vehicles-passes-out-of-committee-unanimously/">echoed</a> those concerns, arguing that Beijing&#8217;s ambitions extend beyond simply competing in the global auto market. &#8220;China&#8217;s auto industry was not built to compete, it was built to destroy American manufacturing, gut the middle class, and undermine our national security,&#8221; Moreno said. &#8220;For decades, D.C. globalists propped up Chinese businesses — now it&#8217;s time for Congress to stop this cancer before it spreads through the American auto market.&#8221;
The legislation would significantly expand upon regulations adopted during the Biden administration that effectively blocked Chinese automakers from entering the U.S. passenger vehicle market. Rather than focusing solely on connected vehicle technology, the bill broadly prohibits Chinese-manufactured vehicles and connected components throughout the production, importation, and sales process.
Moreno has argued that modern automobiles function as &#8220;roving electronic devices&#8221; capable of collecting sensitive location, infrastructure, and behavioral data while also allowing remote access to critical vehicle functions such as steering, braking, and acceleration. The bill also seeks to protect domestic manufacturers from what lawmakers describe as China&#8217;s strategy of flooding global markets with heavily subsidized vehicles sold below market prices.
The measure received backing from major American automakers, labor unions, steel manufacturers, and industry groups. General Motors praised the legislation for protecting American manufacturing while maintaining that U.S. automakers &#8220;can compete with anyone in the world when we are given a level playing field.&#8221;
Ford likewise commended the bipartisan effort &#8220;to protect the U.S. industrial base,&#8221; while Stellantis said the legislation addresses &#8220;important issues related to connected vehicle security and fair competition.&#8221;
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain also endorsed the proposal, arguing that rebuilding American manufacturing requires preventing further offshoring of the domestic auto industry. &#8220;Our national and economic security relies on a strong U.S. auto industry,&#8221; Fain said. &#8220;We can&#8217;t keep selling out the U.S. working class to transnational corporations that have no respect for labor rights.&#8221;
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents major automakers, warned that Chinese manufacturers are already flooding overseas markets with low-cost vehicles and said the legislation sends &#8220;a clear message&#8221; that the United States will not allow the same strategy to undermine the domestic market.
The bill was not without debate during Wednesday&#8217;s committee markup. Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) expressed concerns over a provision barring automakers with more than 15% Chinese ownership from selling vehicles in the United States, warning the language could inadvertently affect companies such as Mercedes-Benz, which has substantial Chinese investment despite maintaining significant American manufacturing operations.
Moreno responded that the ownership provisions would not take effect until 2030 and include a waiver process to address companies caught by the threshold. He emphasized that lawmakers had no intention of preventing Mercedes-Benz from selling vehicles in the United States.
An amendment to soften the ownership requirements was ultimately withdrawn, while another amendment that would have narrowed the bill&#8217;s definition of connected vehicle hardware failed on a bipartisan vote.
The legislation now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

Ford Introduces new F-150 And Ranger Trucks At Their Dearborn Plant

A Chinese Car Ban Might Be Closer Than You Think

Auto Companies

Auto workers

Bernie Moreno

Cars

China

Democratic Party

Economy

Elissa Slotkin

Republican Party

Senate

Ted Cruz

United States

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) lashed out at White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday after she said the president’s &#8220;patience is running out&#8221; over the failure to pass the SAVE America Act.
The back-and-forth began with a question from The Daily Caller&#8217;s Reagan Reese during the White House briefing.
“Look, the president spoke about this directly yesterday. His patience is running out. He wants to see as much of the SAVE America [Act] passed as possible by the August recess,” Leavitt said to reporters. “The American people elected overwhelmingly Republicans to lead, not just this White House, but also the House and the Senate. The House did its job. The Senate needs to do its job, too.”
A few miles away on Capitol Hill, Thune fired back, telling the White House to pick up the phone and whip the votes. 
&#8220;Well, maybe she or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes. Right? It’s 50 around here. And, so, instead of pointing the finger at Republicans, they might think about going after the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats,” Thune <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2080339641119473680?s=20">told</a> reporters in the halls of the Senate Thursday.
“And if there are Republicans that they think are gettable, get on the phone,” he added. “Let’s get them to ‘yes.’&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
THUNE: &#8220;Well, maybe she or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes. Right? It’s 50 around here. And, so, instead of pointing the finger at Republicans, they might think about going after the people who are stopping it on the floor, which is the Democrats. And if… <a href="https://t.co/lRL2Yl0Pd9">https://t.co/lRL2Yl0Pd9</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2080339641119473680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
It’s the latest escalation after Trump on Wednesday ramped up his pressure campaign against Thune, urging supporters to flood his office with calls demanding action on the popular election security legislation. 
“We have to pass the SAVE America Act to defend American elections. And I have to say, Mike Johnson and Congress have done a great job, but we’re having a hard time in the Senate,” Trump said at a <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2080034029487685876?s=20">rally</a> in Georgia. “It’s like the Senate is a place where you send things when you want them to die.” 
“We’re not going to take this any longer … I’m trying to be nice,” Trump added. “Everybody call John Thune at the Senate. He’s the leader of the Republican party, and tell him to get this stuff approved!”
Trump also renewed his call to eliminate the filibuster, arguing Democrats would quickly abolish the 60-vote threshold themselves if they regain power.
“The Democrats are going to terminate the filibuster as soon as they have a chance, and then they’re going to approve Puerto Rico and D.C. as a state. They got four more senators. They’re going to end up with 12 more congressmen. They’re going to get like 40 electoral votes,” the president said. 
Trump’s remarks came hours after the House passed a third version of the election integrity measure by attaching it to the GOP-backed Stop Insider Trading Act, legislation that would ban members of Congress from buying and selling stocks.
The combined bill passed 232-198, with 13 Democrats joining Republicans to advance the measure, marking the first congressional stock-trading ban to receive a House floor vote, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-turns-up-heat-on-thune-over-save-act?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Turns+Up+Heat+On+Thune+Over+SAVE+Act">reported</a>. 
Frustration with Thune isn’t limited to the White House. House Republicans who have repeatedly passed the legislation have also grown increasingly vocal about the Senate’s inaction.
“If John Thune has shown that he does not want to put the SAVE America Act on the Senate floor, he should step aside,” Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) <a href="https://x.com/RepOgles/status/2080028930518495258?s=20">said</a> on social media. “There are plenty of other options in the Senate capable of securing our elections as Majority Leader.”

John Thune

John Thune Lashes Out At Karoline Leavitt After She Says ‘Patience Is Wearing Thin’

Karoline Leavitt

President Trump

SAVE Act

SAVE America Act

Trump

White House

A new Republican-backed bill that would grant amnesty to illegal immigrant agricultural workers is facing an onslaught of criticism from immigration hawks.
House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn &#8220;GT&#8221; Thompson (R-PA) recently introduced the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act to provide illegal immigrant farmworkers with a path to temporary legal status.
Gregory Bovino, who led the Trump administration&#8217;s aggressive deportation sweeps in Minneapolis and other major cities before his recent retirement from Border Patrol, <a href="https://x.com/GregoryKBovino/status/2079545595359092890">said</a> the Republican lawmakers backing the bill &#8220;just stabbed Trump’s deportation promise in the back.&#8221;
&#8220;They’re only gonna get the message one way. Vote every single one of them out in a massive wave, and replace them with real immigration hawks. Anything less, and they’ll never take us seriously,&#8221; Bovino wrote on X Tuesday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trump tells me he doesn&#8217;t know about Securing Agriculture&#8217;s Workforce Act of 2026, a bill that would allow illegals in farming, meat packing and lodging industries to gain legal status.
He says he will look into it. <a href="https://t.co/VJNiIujIhy">pic.twitter.com/VJNiIujIhy</a>
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) <a href="https://x.com/reaganreese_/status/2079595048665026660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When asked about the bill Tuesday, President Donald Trump said he &#8220;didn&#8217;t know about it,&#8221; but would &#8220;take a look at it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I will fight AGAINST any amnesty proposal in Congress.
Illegal aliens BROKE our laws, and they MUST go home.
AMNESTY is betraying the trust of the American people. <a href="https://t.co/aJJwwD4h6U">pic.twitter.com/aJJwwD4h6U</a>
— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) <a href="https://x.com/RepOgles/status/2080007704966209633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In a recent Newsmax appearance, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) came out in opposition to the bill, saying it provides illegal immigrants with a &#8220;pathway to citizenship&#8221; without offering &#8220;comprehensive reform.&#8221;
&#8220;So we have a lot of work to do on immigration. Look, we know the immigration system is broken, that&#8217;s why I carry most of the legislation on immigration, fixing immigration. But as we have this conversation, there can be no amnesty as part of that conversation,&#8221; Ogles said.
&#8220;Look, if you want to get a work visa, that&#8217;s one thing, but you also have to understand that if you want to become a citizen, you need to go back to your country, and you need to apply the right way and you need to stand in line like everyone else,&#8221; he added.
Jeremy Beck, co-President of NumbersUSA, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/no-amnesty-calls-grow-over-bill-to-aid-immigrant-farm-workers-12223448">told</a> Newsweek that the bill is &#8220;an amnesty for employers engaged in illegal hiring,&#8221; adding that &#8220;It allows hundreds of thousands of illegal workers to stay as long as they indenture themselves to the agricultural industry.&#8221;
&#8220;Then the bill lowers workers&#8217; wages and deducts the cost of housing from their paychecks,&#8221; Beck said.
&#8220;No amnesty!&#8221; Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said in response to the bill. &#8220;Amnesty is NOT what people voted for in 2024!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
No amnesty. <a href="https://t.co/rgghloBMux">https://t.co/rgghloBMux</a> <a href="https://t.co/wHEjV8s3fu">pic.twitter.com/wHEjV8s3fu</a>
— House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) <a href="https://x.com/freedomcaucus/status/2079297177097027977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The bill would meet the demands of farm industry giants, including by allowing farms to employ H-2A migrant farmworkers for year-round labor, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/22/no-amnesty-migrant-farmworker-bill-opens-major-rift-within-gop-01007072" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Politico.
“[The bill] does acknowledge that dairy farmers have never had a workable ag-labor visa program, and it provides a short-term mechanism that will avoid massive disruptions to its workforce, which would in turn devastate family farms, create supply chain disruptions, and increase consumer costs,” Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, said in a statement.
John Hollay, president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, said the bill “follows through on President Trump’s promise from last Spring to protect American agriculture and seeks to codify a system that will ensure all of agriculture has access to a legal workforce when Americans won’t do the job,&#8221; according to Politico.
Thompson argues that the bill is needed to address a years-long farm &#8220;labor crisis.&#8221;
&#8220;They can&#8217;t get the help they need to harvest their crops and astronomical labor costs have pushed many lifelong farmers to the brink of bankruptcy,&#8221; Thompson <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/872828202078448">said</a>.
&#8220;This is happening because the very program that once kept farmers in business is sinking under the weight of bureaucratic costs. Without reform, the H-2A visa program may now be the reason these same farms cannot be passed on to the next generation,&#8221; he said.

Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson

New Republican Amnesty Bill Ignites Ire Of Immigration Hardliners

Agriculture

amnesty

Farmers

Farming

illegal immigrants

Illegal Immigration

Illegals

Immigration

Ron DeSantis

President Donald Trump on Wednesday ramped up his pressure campaign against Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), urging supporters to flood his office with calls demanding action on the SAVE America Act. 
“We have to pass the SAVE America Act to defend American elections. And I have to say, Mike Johnson and Congress have done a great job, but we&#8217;re having a hard time in the Senate,” Trump said at a <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2080034029487685876?s=20">rally</a> in Georgia. “It’s like the Senate is a place where you send things when you want them to die.” 
“We’re not going to take this any longer… I’m trying to be nice, Trump added. “Everybody call John Thune at the Senate, he’s the leader of the Republican party, and tell him to get this stuff approved!&#8221;
The president also renewed his call to eliminate the filibuster, arguing Democrats would quickly abolish the 60-vote threshold themselves if they regain power.
“The Democrats are going to terminate the filibuster as soon as they have a chance, and then they&#8217;re going to approve Puerto Rico and D.C. as a state. They got four more senators. They&#8217;re going to end up with 12 more congressmen. They&#8217;re going to get like 40 electoral votes,” the president said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://x.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;We have to pass the SAVE America Act to defend American Elections… We’re not going to take this any longer&#8230; Right now, Congress is working to get as much of our plan as possible into the budget bill&#8230; everybody call John Thune at the Senate&#8230; and tell him to get… <a href="https://t.co/uBzhGziRSm">pic.twitter.com/uBzhGziRSm</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2080034029487685876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
“But I may be crying when I&#8217;ll be sitting home, and I&#8217;ll say, I told them, they&#8217;ve got to really terminate the filibuster, get everything approved right away,” he added. 
Trump&#8217;s remarks came hours after the House passed a third version of the election integrity measure by attaching it to the GOP-backed Stop Insider Trading Act, legislation that would ban members of Congress from buying and selling stocks.
The combined bill passed 232-198, with 13 Democrats joining Republicans to advance the measure, marking the first congressional stock-trading ban to receive a House floor vote, <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/22/congress/house-votes-to-restrict-congress-ability-to-purchase-and-sell-stocks-01008697">according to Politico.</a>
Frustration with Thune isn&#8217;t limited to the White House. House Republicans who have repeatedly passed the legislation have also grown increasingly vocal about the Senate&#8217;s inaction.
“If John Thune has shown that he does not want to put the SAVE America Act on the Senate floor, he should step aside,” Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) <a href="https://x.com/RepOgles/status/2080028930518495258?s=20">said</a> on social media. “There are plenty of other options in the Senate capable of securing our elections as Majority Leader.” 
Republicans have also pointed to New Jersey&#8217;s recent admission that a &#8220;software error&#8221; led to thousands of non-citizens being registered to vote, arguing the situation shows the need for stronger election safeguards.
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill revealed Tuesday that the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) mistakenly registered roughly 6,600 non-citizens despite their indicating they were not U.S. citizens while applying for IDs and driver’s licenses between June 2023 and June 2024, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-jersey-registered-thousands-of-non-citizens-to-vote-due-to-software-error?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=New+Jersey+Registered+Thousands+Of+Non-Citizens+To+Vote+Due+To+%E2%80%98Software+Error%E2%80%99">The Daily Wire reported. </a>
“These individuals answered ‘no’ when asked on a keypad whether they were a U.S. citizen when applying for drivers’ licenses and identification cards, but through no fault of their own, the system registered them anyway,” Sherrill <a href="https://x.com/GovSherrillNJ/status/2079602942722662725">wrote</a> in an X post.
Trump administration officials have said the non-citizens who illegally voted could face prosecution and deportation. 
&#8220;People need to see the consequences of voting when you&#8217;re not allowed to,” Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, <a href="https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2079992093800280377?s=20">told</a> conservative podcast host Benny Johnson. 
Back on Capitol Hill, Democrats argued the stock trading ban didn&#8217;t go far enough, but ultimately opposed the bill because it included provisions from the SAVE America Act.
“Republicans have corrupted their so-called stock trading bill with a decaying piece of the SAVE American Act corpse,” Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.) Morelle said, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/22/congress/house-votes-to-restrict-congress-ability-to-purchase-and-sell-stocks-01008697">Politico</a>.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain path forward.

Donald Trump/John Thune

Trump Turns Up Heat On Thune Over SAVE Act

2026 elections

Executive

Filibuster

Georgia

Insider Trading

Rally

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) suggested Tuesday that racism may help explain why many soccer fans rooted against Argentina during this year&#8217;s World Cup, drawing a puzzled response from a Yale history professor testifying before Congress.  
During a House <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=961Mclohmi8&amp;t=6901s">hearing</a> titled &#8220;Rewriting American History: Examining the Smithsonian&#8217;s Efforts to Reshape the Past,&#8221; Crockett asked Yale historian David Blight why so many people rooted for Spain over Argentina in the tournament&#8217;s final.
Noting that the World Cup captured the “imagination of the entire world” where everyone saw people of color playing for these teams, Crockett pointed to the championship match between Argentina and Spain. 
“And it seemed like the vast majority of the world was rooting for Argentina … or, actually, against Argentina, right?” Crockett said. “And why was that? Just give me an explanation if you can guess.” 
“Spain had the best team,” Blight responded with a smile while shaking his head. “Maybe that’s why they were rooting for them.&#8221;
After laughing at Blight&#8217;s response, Crockett suggested there was also “a racist history that exists as it relates to Argentina.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) implies it was racist to root for Argentina vs Spain: <a href="https://t.co/NoJqioHhDq">pic.twitter.com/NoJqioHhDq</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://x.com/EndWokeness/status/2079599936660811930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Earlier in the hearing, Crockett welcomed attendees to what she called “Republicans&#8217; white-pride rally disguised as a congressional hearing,” according to <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/jasmine-crockett-world-cup-argentina">Blaze Media</a>. 
She followed with a series of remarks about America’s history being rooted in racism and white supremacy. 
“It’s a fact that there is a violent, exclusionary, discriminatory, sexist, and racist part of American history where our indigenous populations were forcibly displaced from their land,” Crockett said.
Crockett also cited the Biden administration&#8217;s 2021 claim that the greatest &#8220;domestic threat to the United States is violent white supremacists.&#8221; She accused Republicans of pushing to ban books and &#8220;attack museums.&#8221;
Crockett also claimed that &#8220;white men,&#8221; whom she accused of having a &#8220;fetish&#8221; and &#8220;fragile egos,&#8221; are attempting to feel &#8220;oppressed&#8221; over changes at the Smithsonian Museum, according to Blaze Media.

Bill Gates Appears For Closed Interview With House Oversight Committee Over Epstein Connections

Jasmine Crockett’s Latest Racist Target? The World Cup

Jasmine Crockett

Racism

Smithsonian Museum

White Supremacy

World Cup

A former NFL kicker endorsed by President Donald Trump won the GOP nomination for a highly competitive House seat in Arizona on Tuesday night. 
Jay Feely, who played 14 seasons in the NFL, will attempt to keep Arizona’s 1st Congressional District Republican in November. The district&#8217;s current representative, Republican David Schweikert, did not run for re-election, choosing instead to mount a run for governor. 
“Thank you, Arizona! I am truly humbled by this massive outpouring of support. It is time for Republicans to unite, we have a lot of work to do between now and November to ensure we keep this crucial seat RED!” Feely said Tuesday night. 
Feely defeated former state Rep. Joseph Chaplik, a founding member of the Arizona Freedom Caucus endorsed by the NRA, and John Trobough, a business executive. He won 49.7% of the vote to Chaplik’s 35.6% and Trobough’s 14.6%. 
His opponent in the general election will either be former state Rep. Amish Shah or former TV journalist Marlene Galán-Woods. While Shah currently leads by seven points, the race has not yet been called. 
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115850261028223020">endorsed</a> Feely in January 2026, calling him a “fierce” MAGA advocate who “would work tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”
Feely emphasized his Trump endorsement throughout the primary and said he would be able to call him once in Congress. 
“Who can call [Trump] and who can get him to answer? That’s me,” he said during a debate. “He will take my call and he will listen. I have the ability to have the ear of the president.”
Feely’s campaign <a href="https://www.jayfeelyforcongress.com/issues">website</a> lists his priorities as border security, cutting regulations, keeping men out of women’s sports, increasing energy production, and standing with Israel. 
The district, which covers large swaths of Maricopa county, went for Schweikert in 2024 by roughly four points and Democrats are focusing on it as one of their key targets.
Feely played with six different teams through his NFL career which stretched from 2001 to 2014, including four years for the Atlanta Falcons, two years for the New York Giants, two years for the New York Jets, and four seasons for the Arizona Cardinals. He scored 1,445 points throughout his career and made 82.6% of his field goal attempts. 
Trump-endorsed Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), a member of the House Freedom Caucus, easily defeated Schweikert in the race to take on Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs in November.

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