Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) announced Friday that he will vote to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general, likely securing President Donald Trump’s nominee enough Republican support to take over the Justice Department permanently.
Cassidy’s decision came after Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/second-gop-senator-comes-out-against-blanche-confirmation">announced</a> they would oppose Blanche’s nomination, raising questions about whether the former Trump defense attorney could secure enough votes in the narrowly divided Senate.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Cassidy said he had spent days reviewing Blanche’s record, speaking with the nominee, fellow senators, current and former Justice Department officials, and former Attorney General William Barr before reaching his conclusion.
“Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this,” Cassidy said. “But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general who may not run the department effectively under President Trump, and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche.”
Cassidy said his decision was not an endorsement of Trump’s broader approach to the Justice Department, but rather a judgment about whether Blanche would be able to effectively lead the agency and provide legal counsel to the president. “This is not a referendum on President Trump,” Cassidy said. “It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances.”
The Louisiana senator acknowledged several concerns surrounding Blanche’s nomination, including his involvement in a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund created as part of a settlement involving President Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS, as well as an agreement that initially provided broad protections from tax audits for Trump and his businesses.
Cassidy said Blanche’s role in approving those measures reflected “poor judgment,” but argued the nominee had taken steps to address the concerns, including rescinding the proposed fund and clarifying the scope of the tax agreement. “No American should be unfairly targeted by the law, but no American should be above the law,” Cassidy said.
The senator also raised broader concerns about what he described as “apparent lawfare,” warning that the Justice Department’s use of prosecutions against political opponents has damaged public trust. “Both parties, presidents of both parties, have been guilty of this,” Cassidy said. “It must stop. It should stop now.”
However, Cassidy said he ultimately concluded that a confirmed attorney general would have more authority to resist inappropriate political pressure than an acting official. 
“I am told that Senate confirmation is important in interactions with the President, with others in the Cabinet, and is important to DOJ employees in general,” Cassidy said. “Being Senate confirmed gives them greater leverage to push for things that should be pushed forward.”
Cassidy pointed to Blanche’s previous work as a federal prosecutor, his management of Justice Department priorities, and his support among U.S. attorneys as evidence that he could lead the agency effectively.
He specifically cited conversations with two Louisiana U.S. attorneys, who Cassidy said praised Blanche’s focus on violent crime, drug trafficking, fraud enforcement, and providing resources to federal prosecutors.
The announcement came after Murkowski and Collins broke with the Republican majority to oppose Blanche’s confirmation. 
“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration,” Murkowski said. “I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.”
Collins expressed similar concerns, citing Blanche’s involvement in the IRS settlement, the proposed anti-weaponization fund, and what she viewed as threats to Justice Department independence. With Cassidy’s support, Blanche appears positioned to overcome the opposition from Murkowski and Collins and become the second confirmed attorney general of Trump’s second administration.
Cassidy, who lost his 2026 Republican primary after Trump endorsed his challenger, acknowledged that his vote would draw criticism. “I’ll be criticized for this vote,” Cassidy said, briefly becoming emotional during his remarks. “What’s new?”
“I have a history with Mr. Trump,” Cassidy said. “But that history does not matter one bit.”

Bill Cassidy

Todd Blanche Gets Guarantee From Key Senator On Confirmation Vote

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A federal appeals court on Friday blocked further above-ground construction of President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom, ruling that the administration cannot move forward with the project without congressional authorization.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit <a href="https://media.cadc.uscourts.gov/opinions/docs/2026/08/26-5123-2187096.pdf">ruled 2-1</a> that Congress, not the president alone, has authority to approve the ballroom project, siding with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which challenged the construction. The court paused its ruling for two weeks to give the Trump administration time to seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court.
“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for executive self-help,” the court wrote. 
The ruling, however, does not completely halt all work at the site. The panel allowed below-ground construction to continue, including work related to security infrastructure, while permitting above-ground construction only when strictly necessary to protect those facilities or ensure the safety and structural integrity of the White House complex.
The decision came from a three-judge panel consisting of U.S. Circuit Judges Patricia Millett, Neomi Rao, and Bradley Garcia. Millett, appointed by former President Barack Obama, and Garcia, appointed by former President Joe Biden, formed the majority. Rao, a Trump appointee, dissented.
“Each president is a temporary tenant, not the owner, of the White House and its executive residence,” Millett and Garcia wrote in their opinion. 
The judges argued that the White House belongs to the American people and that major structural changes require congressional approval. 
“We are aware of no instance in American history in which a President unilaterally and using privately collected funds demolished substantial portions of the White House that Congress authorized to be built and American taxpayers paid for,” the majority wrote.
Rao argued that the courts had overstepped their authority by intervening in a presidential construction project and said Trump had sufficient authority to proceed. 
“The district court seized supervision of construction at the White House, and my colleagues affirm this judicial overreach,” Rao wrote. “Because the injunction is beyond the proper province of the federal courts, construction should be allowed to continue.”
Trump announced plans for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom as part of a broader effort to expand event space at the White House. Trump has said the ballroom would cost roughly $400 million and would be funded through private donations rather than taxpayer money, though subsequent reporting has raised questions about the extent of public funding for security work associated with the broader project. 
The administration has argued that the ballroom is necessary for both practical and national security reasons, citing the difficulty of hosting large events in temporary structures and the need for additional security capabilities.
Government attorneys have argued that the project includes protections against threats including drones, ballistic missiles, and other attacks targeting the president and White House personnel.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation argued that the administration lacked authority to demolish the East Wing and begin construction without additional approvals.
The White House demolished the East Wing last fall to make way for the new structure, sparking criticism from preservation groups that said the project represented an unprecedented alteration of the historic complex.
The appeals court’s decision leaves the future of the ballroom uncertain as the administration continues to weigh whether to seek intervention from the Supreme Court.

White House East Wing

Trump’s White House Ballroom Plans Just Hit A Major Legal Roadblock

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Maryland Democrats voted this week to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would pave the way for eliminating the state&#8217;s lone Republican-held congressional district before the 2028 election.
The measure passed largely along party lines, clearing the House of Delegates 96-38 and the Senate 32-13 before being signed by Democratic Governor Wes Moore.
If voters approve the amendment this November, lawmakers would gain significantly broader authority to redraw Maryland&#8217;s congressional map ahead of the 2028 elections, allowing Democrats to target the state&#8217;s only Republican-held House seat, represented by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. Maryland Democrats currently hold seven of the state&#8217;s eight congressional seats.
The proposal would not immediately redraw district lines and would not affect the 2026 elections. Instead, it would remove state constitutional requirements that congressional districts be compact and respect natural boundaries and political subdivisions, leaving future maps subject primarily to federal legal standards.
Democrats argue the amendment is necessary to respond to Republican redistricting efforts across the country. 
&#8220;I continue to believe that our country needs national redistricting reform. But until that happens, inaction is not an option,&#8221; Moore said in a <a href="https://southernmarylandchronicle.com/2026/08/06/redistricting-question-heads-to-maryland-voters/">statement</a>. &#8220;Maryland will not be caught flat-footed while Republicans engage in political redlining that guts decades of progress that the generations before us fought for.&#8221;
Maryland House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/democrats-put-redistricting-amendment-marylands-midterm-ballot-rcna590550">added</a>, &#8220;Maryland cannot remain on the sidelines because of uncertainty in our own constitutional language.”
The amendment marks a significant shift for Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson, who earlier this year resisted calls from fellow Democrats to redraw congressional districts before the 2026 midterms. Ferguson had warned that aggressively redrawing the map could backfire in court after a Maryland judge rejected Democrats&#8217; 2021 congressional map, finding it violated the state constitution by excessively favoring one political party.
His position changed after the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year struck portions of the Voting Rights Act, a decision Ferguson said opened the door for additional Republican redistricting efforts in Southern states and changed the legal landscape surrounding congressional maps.
If approved, the amendment would remove the constitutional provisions that complicated Democrats&#8217; earlier map, making it substantially more difficult to challenge future congressional districts under Maryland law.
Republicans blasted the proposal as an openly partisan attempt to eliminate the state&#8217;s lone GOP congressional district. &#8220;Just because we can go ultra-partisan doesn&#8217;t mean we should go ultra-partisan,&#8221; Republican Delegate Kevin Hornberger said during floor debate.
Rep. Harris, whose Eastern Shore-based district is widely expected to become the primary target of any future redraw, said the amendment would fracture rural communities by combining them with heavily Democratic suburban and urban areas. He also predicted any new congressional map would face another court challenge if voters approve the amendment.
The constitutional amendment will appear on Maryland ballots during the November midterm election, with voters ultimately deciding whether the legislature should receive expanded authority to redraw the state&#8217;s congressional districts before the 2030 census.

Wes Moore

Dems Put State’s Lone GOP House Seat In Crosshairs With Redistricting Ballot Measure

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A Democratic congressional candidate competing Tuesday in a closely watched Michigan primary has repeatedly criticized what he calls America&#8217;s &#8220;cult of hard work,&#8221; urged the election of more socialist members to Congress, and accused Republicans of being an alliance between &#8220;fossil fuel billionaires&#8221; and &#8220;white supremacists.&#8221;
William Lawrence, a Democratic Socialists of America member, co-founder of the <a href="https://x.com/sunrisemvmt/status/2084685088919335135">Sunrise Movement</a>, and Democratic candidate in Michigan&#8217;s 7th Congressional District, made the remarks across multiple appearances on left-wing podcasts and radio programs uncovered by The Daily Wire.
Lawrence is competing in Tuesday&#8217;s Democratic primary against former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam for the chance to challenge Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI) in November. The district is rated a &#8220;Toss-Up&#8221; by the <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/483311">Cook Political Report</a> and is expected to be one of the country&#8217;s most competitive House races.
In one episode of his podcast “Hegemonicon,” Lawrence described what he sees as uniquely American problems facing the political Left. &#8220;You mentioned U.S. exceptionalism, the cult of hard work,&#8221; Lawrence said of American politics and culture.
In the same discussion, Lawrence argued that the Left needs to elect more openly socialist lawmakers and specifically called for additional Democratic Socialists of America members in Congress. &#8220;I think sometimes we want to talk about accountability, as if it&#8217;s simply a moral calculation, where we need more accountable working class and progressive or Left legislator[s] — we need more accountable DSA members in Congress,&#8221; Lawrence said.
Lawrence argued that socialist lawmakers should be supported by an organized political movement capable of protecting them after taking controversial votes against the political establishment. &#8220;But to become an outsider to that is, you know, we need a lot of reinforcements,&#8221; he said.
In a separate 2018 appearance on the left-wing radio program Rising Up With Sonali, Lawrence attacked the Republican Party in sweeping terms. &#8220;I said it before. The Republican Party is an organized alliance between fossil fuel billionaires like the Koch brothers and white supremacists like Steve Bannon and Ron DeSantis,&#8221; Lawrence said. &#8220;They do not care one bit for the idea of democracy, and they are actively dismantling every piece of our civil liberties and our freedoms that we have fought and people have died for over the course of this country&#8217;s history.&#8221;
Lawrence has built his political career through left-wing activist organizations. He helped found the Sunrise Movement, the youth climate organization that became one of the driving forces behind the Green New Deal, and has campaigned unapologetically on the far-left despite running in one of the nation&#8217;s most competitive congressional districts.
His candidacy has highlighted an ongoing divide within the Democratic Party between its far-left and establishment wings. Lawrence has received the backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and has both <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/progressives-michigan-join-forces-key-house-battleground-crucial-senat-rcna353212">endorsed and been endorsed</a> by Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, another left-wing darling in Michigan. More moderate Democrats have lined up behind his primary opponents, with Brink endorsed by former Governor Jennifer Granholm and Maasdam backed by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
Some Democratic strategists <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6002980-michigan-democrats-senate-house-el-sayed-lawrence/">have warned</a> that nominating Lawrence could make it harder for the party to flip the district in November, arguing his far-left positions may be a difficult fit in a swing seat that President Donald Trump carried by just over one percentage point in 2024. Lawrence has dismissed those concerns, arguing voters are &#8220;tired of the status quo&#8221; and &#8220;tired of corporate-funded&#8221; candidates.
The winner of Tuesday&#8217;s Democratic primary will face Barrett in one of the House races expected to play a key role in determining control of Congress.
Republicans have already begun highlighting Lawrence&#8217;s comments. &#8220;William Lawrence is a Champagne Socialist who attacks American competition and demonizes hard work,&#8221; Republican National Committee spokesman Hunter Lovell said in a statement provided to The Daily Wire. &#8220;Lawrence hates the American way of life, and he is on a terror path to destroy our country as we know it.&#8221;

NYC-DSA holds a rally to tax the rich

Dem Socialist Candidate Rails Against American ‘Cult Of Hard Work’

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A Republican senator introduced a bill on Monday that would allow states to run visa programs to fill labor shortages.
Senator John Curtis (R-UT) announced the State Sponsored Visa Pilot Program Act of 2026 to empower states to expand the number of foreign workers given visas, <a href="https://www.deseret.com/politics/2026/08/03/senators-introduce-bipartisan-state-sponsored-migrant-worker-visa-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Deseret News. The proposed program would allow states to bring in up to 5,000 migrant workers per fiscal year, plus a proportional cut of a separate 245,000-visa pool based on population.
The bill also caps state-sponsored visas at three years.
Under the bill, visa holders who have been in the United States illegally since December 31, 2016, would have a path to legal residency. The illegal immigrants seeking residency would be required to pay a $1,000 &#8220;penalty,&#8221; according to the bill&#8217;s text.
Curtis, who introduced the proposal alongside Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), said his state is in desperate need of workers.
“I’ve heard time and again from small business owners, farmers, and ranchers across Utah how difficult it has become to hire enough workers to meet growing market demands,” Curtis said in a statement.
“Our legislation would help fill the gap by creating a pilot program allowing states to sponsor visas tailored to their unique economies, without sacrificing rigorous federal vetting or accountability,&#8221; he added.
The proposal comes after House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-republican-amnesty-bill-ignites-ire-of-immigration-hardliners?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=19&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=New+Republican+Amnesty+Bill+Ignites+Ire+Of+Immigration+Hardliners">introduced</a> a separate bill to provide illegal immigrant farmworkers with a path to temporary legal status. Thompson&#8217;s bill quickly faced an onslaught of criticism from immigration hawks.
Gregory Bovino, the former Border Patrol official who led the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration raids in Minneapolis and other major cities, <a href="https://x.com/GregoryKBovino/status/2079545595359092890" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the bill&#8217;s Republican backers “just stabbed Trump’s deportation promise in the back.”
“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,” Bovino wrote in a recent X post.
For supporters of the bill like John Hollay, president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, the Visa plan is viewed as a necessary tool to address a yearslong farming “labor crisis.”
“They can’t get the help they need to harvest their crops and astronomical labor costs have pushed many lifelong farmers to the brink of bankruptcy,” Thompson <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/872828202078448" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
“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,” he said.

President Trump Signs Two Executive Orders In The Oval Office

Republican Senator Wants New Migrant Worker Program, Citing Labor Shortage

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The House Ethics Committee on Monday recommended censuring Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC), concluding there is “substantial reason to believe” he repeatedly subjected two female staffers to inappropriate and unprofessional treatment. 
<a href="https://ethics.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Committee-Report-8.3.26.pdf">The bipartisan committee</a> found Edwards violated House Rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces after a months-long investigation, concluding that the two-term North Carolina Republican developed inappropriately close relationships with young female staffers that affected his official duties. 
According to the committee&#8217;s report, Edwards, who is married, showered the women with expensive gifts, repeatedly commented on their appearance, invited them to intimate dinners and vacations, sent notes expressing his affection, and frequently sought to spend time with them alone. 
Investigators said Edwards called the women “pretty” and “breathtaking,” commented on one staffer’s weight, and gave them gifts including jewelry worth more than $1,000, designer handbags, firearms, shoes, flowers, a laptop, a cellphone, a KitchenAid mixer, a robotic vacuum, vacations, and tickets to performances.  
The report also alleges Edwards skipped House votes on one occasion to visit a female staffer&#8217;s home, where he helped with yard work and decorated her Christmas tree. Investigators said he also wrote poems, paid for gambling outings, discussed visiting strip clubs in Washington, D.C., and planned weekend getaways with the women.
The committee said it found no evidence that Edwards engaged in sexual activity with either staffer. 
“A member of Congress should not single out a staffer and isolate them from other staff, make frequent comments regarding that person’s appearance and weight, send messages in the middle of the night, text staff deeply personal and seemingly romantic thoughts, intrude on personal occasions without invitation, pay for personal vacations, and spend thousands of dollars on gifts for staffers,” the report concluded. 
“That Representative Edwards did all these things to two young staffers, repeatedly over a sustained period, was beyond inappropriate,” it added. 
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<a href="https://ethics.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Appendix-B.pdf">In a 15-page response</a>, an attorney for Edwards said the committee cleared the congressman of sexual misconduct allegations and accused the panel of reaching its conclusions through a short-circuited process. The attorney also claimed the report, which recommended a formal censure vote, did not prove the two female staffers &#8220;expressed discomfort&#8221; and said the congressman was never able to challenge the facts of the allegations. A House censure is a symbolic public rebuke that does not remove a member from office or strip him of committee assignments.
The ethics probe arrives at a politically difficult time for Edwards, whose western North Carolina district has emerged as one of Democrats’ top pickup opportunities in the 2026 midterms.
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Democratic challenger Jamie Ager <a href="https://www.carolinajournal.com/ager-tops-edwards-in-2nd-quarter-fundraising/">outraised</a> Edwards by a wide margin during the latest fundraising quarter, bringing in roughly $1.4 million compared to Edwards’ approximately $155,000, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lawmaker-under-fire-for-gifting-handguns-to-staffers">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported. National election forecasters have also <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/483756">shifted</a> the district from “Likely Republican” to a more competitive “Lean Republican” as Democrats increase their investment in the race.

GettyImages-2206309458

GOP Congressman Faces Censure Over ‘Beyond Inappropriate’ Treatment Of Staffers

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Senate Republicans unveiled a bipartisan stopgap funding bill Sunday that would prevent a government shutdown weeks before the 2026 midterm elections, though not every GOP lawmaker is on board. 
The continuing resolution, negotiated by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), would keep most federal agencies funded through December 11 while lawmakers continue negotiating full-year appropriations bills beyond the September 30 funding deadline.
The Senate is expected to hold an initial procedural vote Monday evening, with Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) hoping to pass the measure before lawmakers depart Washington for the August recess.
The agreement represents a different approach from the House, which passed its own stopgap funding measure largely along party lines last month. Senate Republicans instead pursued a bipartisan compromise that can clear the chamber&#8217;s 60-vote threshold, making Democratic support essential.
Collins called the legislation a &#8220;major step toward averting a damaging shutdown that only harms vital programs and federal workers.&#8221;
&#8220;This measure gives Congress the time we need to continue our work on bipartisan appropriations bills, which are always my strong preference for handling annual government funding,&#8221; Collins said in a <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/sen-collins-statement-on-release-of-continuing-resolution">statement</a>.
Not every Republican supports the deal.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) blasted the compromise over the weekend, arguing it gives away too much to Democrats. 
&#8220;Will I vote for it? The short answer is no. The long answer is hell no,&#8221; Kennedy said during an interview on NBC&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/gop-sen-john-kennedy-says-u-s-has-lost-perspective-on-war-with-iran-full-interview-267643461813?utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">Meet the Press</a>.
The Senate proposal includes several funding adjustments, known as anomalies, affecting programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), disaster relief, national security initiatives, and shipbuilding.
The legislation also temporarily blocks implementation of a proposed Office of Management and Budget rule governing federal grant approvals, a provision Democrats argued would give the administration too much authority over distributing federal funds.
Murray <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/minority/senator-murray-on-release-of-cr-text">called</a> the Senate package &#8220;a much-improved CR to keep the government funded and avert a shutdown that no one wants.&#8221;
Even if the Senate passes the legislation this week, its path through the House remains uncertain. House Republicans approved a different continuing resolution before leaving Washington for the August recess, meaning the two chambers will need to reconcile their competing approaches before the September 30 funding deadline.
Congressional leaders have signaled that avoiding a shutdown has become an increasingly urgent priority as both parties head into a closely contested midterm election season.
If enacted, the continuing resolution would fund the federal government through December 11, giving lawmakers additional time to negotiate a longer-term spending package after the November elections.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine

The Shutdown Fight Most Republicans Don’t Want

bipartisanship

federal funding

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John Thune

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Over two decades ago, Republicans were divided over a proposed change to a federal rule that governed television networks&#8217; market reach. It was a revolutionary time for the industry, with cable channels like Fox News and MSNBC forcing the Big Three networks to rethink their business models.
Today, as the media landscape undergoes another shift, that rule is once again in the spotlight. On August 6th, the Federal Communications Commission will vote to lift an affiliate ownership cap that has been in place since 2004. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was instrumental in imposing that cap. Today, he brings us inside story of how he ended the intra-party skirmish over the FCC cap, and reflects on how the stakes have changed over the past 20 years. We hope you enjoy. — Tim Rice
***
In the fall of 2003, Republicans controlled the House, Senate, and the White House. But Congress was at an impasse over an appropriations bill. We couldn’t fund the federal government until House and Senate leadership came to an agreement over a certain provision.
At issue was a Senate proposal to codify in law the Federal Communications Commission’s rule that no broadcast group could reach more than 35% of American households.
The summer before, the FCC, under Chairman Michael Powell, voted to raise the cap to 45%. Networks supported the move. The trend at the time was for networks to acquire local affiliates, so-called owned-and-operated stations. Fox and CBS were nearing the 35% cap, but didn’t want to slow their growth. But affiliate groups opposed the change, fearing that, without the cap, networks would consistently outbid them as station groups came up for sale.
The late Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee that summer. He was an ally of the broadcast affiliates and included in a Senate Appropriations bill a provision that would have statutorily set the cap at 35%.
Ted was a friend, and he and I were often allies. But on this issue we were opposed. House Republicans opposed the FCC’s move. As House Majority Leader, it was my responsibility to carry those objections, which I also shared. I supported the Bush administration’s deregulatory efforts at the FCC, and refused to bring up any appropriations bill that included a provision like Stevens’s.
In the time between the FCC action and the legislative standoff, both CBS and Fox had acquired stations that had them reaching nearly 39% of the nation’s households. As it became clear that both Sen. Stevens and I needed an off-ramp, I wanted to make sure that any compromise did not require those networks to divest stations they had lawfully acquired.
In the end, Stevens and I agreed to legislation that set the cap at 39% and prohibited the FCC from changing the cap in its biennial review of media ownership rules. The FCC was not allowed to waive the requirement, except to help companies come into compliance.
The agreement was included in the Fiscal Year 2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act and was signed into law by President George W. Bush.
As is often the case on Capitol Hill, history is repeating itself. Today, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has sought to waive the cap with respect to one merger and now plans to use regulatory means to abolish the cap altogether.
My policy principles today are no different than they were in 2004, and I have some sympathy for Carr’s objectives. In fact, I would have happily given the FCC authority to review the cap in 2004, but Stevens would never have gone along with that. It was his intention to rein in the FCC. My end of the deal was that the cap would be raised to 39%, and in return, Stevens received certainty that the FCC wouldn’t and couldn’t raise it higher.
If you had told me in 2004 that I would one day find myself defending Stevens’s side of the argument, I would have found it ironic. But I was in the room when the deal was struck, and today, I feel compelled to uphold my end of the bargain after Ted’s passing.
I am a Republican. I support deregulation and the Trump administration. But my ultimate loyalty rests with the Constitution, which gives certain prerogatives to Congress. Regulatory agencies cannot defy or modify laws enacted by Congress. If Chairman Carr wants to raise the statutory cap, he should ask Congress to pass a law giving him authority to do that.
As former Republican FCC Chairman Mike O’Rielly put it, the 39% cap is “a statute, not a suggestion.” As someone who helped create that statute, I agree.
Tom DeLay represented Texas&#8217;s 22nd congressional district from 1985 until 2006 and served as House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005.

White House Hosts Congressional Picnic

Tom DeLay: I Helped Create The FCC’s Ownership Cap. Here’s How We Did It.

Brendan Carr

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Television

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

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

campaigns

Charlie Kirk

Elon Musk

Midterms

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

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