WASHINGTON—The Senate on Tuesday unanimously voted to release documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, just hours after the House of Representatives passed the same bill.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on X that he &#8220;received unanimous consent to approve the Senate bill to release the Epstein Files.&#8221; Once the House sends the bill to the Upper Chamber, it will immediately go to President Donald Trump for his signature.
Just hours before Schumer&#8217;s call for unanimous consent, the House passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act by a vote of 427-1, with only Louisiana Republican Rep. Clay Higgins voting no. Epstein survivors were in the House gallery crying and cheering when the bill passed, The Hill&#8217;s Emily Brooks <a href="https://x.com/emilybrooksnews/status/1990869445242237363?s=20">reports</a>. The bill, which requires the Department of Justice to publish &#8220;all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in DOJ&#8217;s possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein,&#8221; now heads to the president.
Schumer pledged to fight Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) had he attempted to block the resolution. But by the time the House took up the vote, the bill&#8217;s passage already seemed a foregone conclusion. Over the weekend, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115562626931599548">urged</a> House Republicans to vote to release the Epstein files and <a href="https://x.com/RoKhanna/status/1990577070204719582?s=20">pledged</a> to sign the bill if passed.
Republicans had initially opposed releasing the files as Democrats pushed to do so, claiming the files implicated Trump. Trump on Monday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-democrats-were-epsteins-friends-trump-said-he-is-all-for-release-of-epstein-files?author=Lynden+Blake&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98The+Democrats+Were+Epstein%E2%80%99s+Friends%E2%80%99%3A+Trump+Said+He+Is+All+For+Release+Of+Epstein+Files">said</a> he was tired of the Epstein saga overshadowing his administration&#8217;s accomplishments, and claimed that releasing the files would hurt Democrats more than Republicans.
Trump&#8217;s about-face turned the tide among Republicans, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/18/mike-johnson-epstein-files-discharge-petition-vote">including</a> House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who had previously urged his party to oppose the release.
Higgins said Tuesday that he voted against releasing the files because &#8220;as written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people – witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc.&#8221; Higgins pledged to vote for the bill if the Senate amended it to &#8220;properly address privacy of victims and other Americans, who are named but not criminally implicated.&#8221;
The bill requires the Justice Department to release materials that relate to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-reveals-whether-she-believes-epstein-committed-suicide?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu+and+Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=16&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ghislaine+Maxwell+Reveals+Whether+She+Believes+Epstein+Committed+Suicide">reported</a> associate and convicted sex trafficker, as well as &#8220;flight logs and travel records,&#8221; and &#8220;individuals named or referenced (including government officials) in connection with the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein.&#8221;
The Justice Department is permitted to withhold certain information, such as victims&#8217; personal information and materials that would &#8220;jeopardize an active federal investigation,&#8221; the bill summary noted.
The bill summary said 15 days after the required publication, the DOJ must report &#8220;all categories of information released and withheld, a summary of any redactions made, and a list of all government officials and politically exposed individuals named or referenced in the published materials.&#8221;
This story has been updated to reflect the Senate&#8217;s passage of the bill.

Patrick McMullan Archives

Senate Unanimously Votes To Release The Epstein Files, Sending Bill To Trump’s Desk

Donald Trump

Ghislaine Maxwell

House Republicans

Jeffrey Epstein

John Thune

Republican senators caught up in Jack Smith’s phone-record seizures may soon get their chance to strike back thanks to a provision quietly tucked into a bill the Senate passed Monday night.
The provision was included in a bill that funded the legislative branch and was part of the package passed by the Senate to end the government shutdown. It would allow senators to sue for damages if the government accessed their records without their knowledge. 
“Any senator whose Senate data, or the Senate data of whose Senate office, has been acquired, subpoenaed, searched, accessed, or disclosed in violation of this section may bring a civil action against the United States if the violation was committed by an officer, employee, or agent of the United States or of any federal department or agency,” the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/hr5371/BILLS-119hr5371eas.pdf">bill </a>says. 
The provision applies when their Senate data was “acquired, subpoenaed, searched, accessed, or disclosed pursuant to a search, seizure, or demand for information without notice being provided.”
Senators could be entitled to up to $500,000 per violation, and they would have five years from the date of learning of the infraction to bring a suit. 
“No officer, employee, or agent of the United States or of any Federal department or agency shall be entitled to assert any form of absolute or qualified immunity as a defense to liability,” the provision adds. 
If a senator is under criminal investigation and there’s concern about evidence being destroyed or the senator fleeing, officials can delay notification, but only for 60 days.
The provision comes after Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beyond-watergate-bidens-fbi-snooped-on-phone-records-from-gop-lawmakers-in-trump-investigation">revealed</a> that he had uncovered evidence that the FBI analyzed the metadata of phone calls from several Republicans in Congress, including Sens. Marsha Blackburn (TN), Cynthia Lummis (WY), Ron Johnson (WI), Tommy Tuberville (AL), Dan Sullivan (AK), Josh Hawley (MO) Bill Hagerty (TN), Lindsey Graham (SC), and Rep. Mike Kelly (PA).
The FBI took those actions as part of Smith’s “Arctic Frost” investigation, which led to President Donald Trump being charged in Washington, D.C., over accusations that he tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The Biden administration also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-justice-department-took-unprecedented-action-against-trump-bondi-reveals">turned over</a> Trump&#8217;s government-issued phone to Smith as part of the investigation and subpoenaed his personal phone records. 
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) told POLITICO that Senator Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) included the provision in the bill. 
“Leader Thune inserted that in the bill to provide real teeth to the prohibition on the Department of Justice targeting senators,” Cruz <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/10/john-thune-government-funding-phone-records-seizure-00646094">said</a>.
In a series of 60-40 votes on Monday night, the Senate passed a package of spending bills to end the government shutdown that now heads to the House. The package is expected to end the longest government shutdown in history and pass after enough Democrats crossed the aisle to give the GOP-led Senate the 60 votes needed for approval.

US Special Counsel Jack Smith Statement

Shutdown Deal Packs A Surprise As Republicans Strike Back After Phone Snooping

2020 Election

Arctic Frost

Congress

Government Shutdown

Jack Smith

Politics

Senate

WASHINGTON—Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office confirmed to The Daily Wire that he continues to support the filibuster and his position remains “unchanged&#8221; by President Donald Trump&#8217;s call to abandon the filibuster as the government shutdown hits day 31.
On Thursday night, Trump took to <a href="https://x.com/AmberJoCooper/status/1984233772871516162">Truth Social</a> to urge Republicans to use the so-called “nuclear option.”
The president praised Republican leaders, saying Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson are doing a “GREAT job, but the Democrats are Crazed Lunatics that have lost all sense of WISDOM and REALITY.”
“It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,’ and go for what is called the Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” Trump said.
The filibuster requires 60 votes to end debate on most legislation before it can proceed to a final vote.
The ongoing government shutdown has dragged on because Republicans hold only 53 seats, leaving them short of the 60 votes needed to advance the House-passed <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5371">continuing resolution,</a> which would reopen the government. So far, the closest vote has been 55 — just five short of the threshold.
Trump said he believes if Democrats ever came back into power, they would end the filibuster “in the first day they take office, regardless of whether or not we do it.”
However, not everyone agrees ending the filibuster is the solution.
On October 10, Thune explained why he opposed eliminating it:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
FLASHBACK: Here is <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeaderJohnThune</a> prev. comments from 10/10 where he explained why he is AGAINST getting rid of the filibuster:
&#8220;The filibuster protects..&#8221;
This morning, Thune&#8217;s office confirmed his position is &#8220;unchanged.&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a> <a href="https://t.co/LfpQo9Z2sI">pic.twitter.com/LfpQo9Z2sI</a>
— Amber Jo Cooper (@AmberJoCooper) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmberJoCooper/status/1984269430319403481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
Thune said the “supermajority requirement is something that makes the Senate the Senate,” adding that without it, “there’s a whole lot of bad things could have been done by the other side.”
“The 60-vote threshold has protected this country and frankly, that&#8217;s what I think this last election was largely about because if the Democrats had won the majority, they probably would have tried to nuke the filibuster,&#8221; Thune said.
He added that Democrats had &#8220;six or seven things that they were going to do&#8221; when they attempted to nuke  the filibuster.
In 2022, Democrats attempted to eliminate the filibuster, but former independent Senators Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) voted with Republicans to keep it.
&#8220;And then you&#8217;d have four new U.S. Senators from Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, you&#8217;d have a packed Supreme Court, you&#8217;d have abortion on demand — a whole bunch of things that were on that laundry list,&#8221; Thune said.
The Senate Majority Leader said he believes the filibuster “protects” and has been &#8220;a voice for the minority.&#8221;
“It gives the minority a say in what happens in this country. The founders created the Senate, uniquely that way, for that specific reason,&#8221; Thune said.
Through the entire standoff, Thune has maintained his position, calling on Democrats to join Republicans to end the shutdown.
“It&#8217;s just really not that complicated. All it takes is a little backbone, a little courage on behalf of five Democrats to do what they have done and what we&#8217;ve done for decades when it comes to funding the government,&#8221; he added.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso’s spokeswoman confirmed to The Daily Wire that his support of the filibuster is “unchanged” as well.
Barrasso previously appeared on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwKliF4llDI&amp;t=151s">Fox &amp; Friends</a> and said there “aren’t the Republicans that would want to support it.”
“The Democrats would love for us to do that. They tried to do it last time because they wanted to add D.C. and Puerto Rico as states with more Democrat senators. They wanted to expand the Supreme Court from 9 to 13, and they wanted to get rid of voter ID, so that’s not something that we’re going to entertain,” Barrasso said.
Thune told Daily Wire editor emeritus <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEGCgwjIyMU">Ben Shapiro</a> last week that everything is “harder than it should be” right now, but he believes rank-and-file Democrats will eventually break from leadership and reopen the government.
“I just think we ought to be able to do this the old fashioned way and that is open up the government by just having five more Democrats vote with us and that’s all it’s going to take,” Thune said.
“We don’t need to end the filibuster,&#8221; Senate Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton <a href="https://x.com/SenTomCotton/status/1982925568929870208">said</a> on Oct. 27 on Fox News. &#8220;We need five more Democrats to come to their senses and open the government. Senate Republicans will not be baited by nonsensical Democrat demands.”
When asked about the filibuster Friday, Speaker Johnson said his opinion is “not relevant.”
“I don‘t have a say in this. It is a Senate chamber issue. We do not have that in the House. But, the filibuster has traditionally has been viewed as a very important safeguard,” Johnson said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NOW: <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> on Trump calling on Republicans to nuke the filibuster:
&#8220;I don‘t have a say in this. It is a Senate chamber issue. We do not have that in the House. But, the filibuster has traditionally has been viewed as a very important safeguard&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a> <a href="https://t.co/FukEMWBYQD">pic.twitter.com/FukEMWBYQD</a>
— Amber Jo Cooper (@AmberJoCooper) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmberJoCooper/status/1984267886056329562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
With Senate Republican leaders united in support of the filibuster, the only way out of the shutdown appears to be for Senate Democrats to vote on the continuing resolution to reopen the government. The longer they delay, the more Republicans are ramping up their offense.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee launched a digital <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK9yJb4iTrcO6YUVTI9LmadUP3X3ZlnpS" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list%3DPLK9yJb4iTrcO6YUVTI9LmadUP3X3ZlnpS&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762021378466000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2D5Rv15c9wp3Gcd8ligTUb">ad campaign</a> Friday targeting Senate Democrat incumbents and Democrat challengers for “fighting to give free healthcare to illegal aliens over feeding American families.&#8221;
The NRSC slammed Democrats for voting to keep the government closed 13 times. It said “Schumer’s Shutdown is threatening to end SNAP assistance this week for <a href="https://e.nrsc.org/t/j-i-ydojrjt-l-j/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://e.nrsc.org/t/j-i-ydojrjt-l-j/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762021378466000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Bs2A-lJvmXANBJdM_H-mL">42 million Americans</a> who rely on it to feed their families,&#8221; the group <a href="https://www.nrsc.org/press-releases/nrsc-ad-blitz-targets-battleground-democrats-for-pushing-free-healthcare-for-illegals-over-feeding-american-families-2025-10-31/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nrsc.org/press-releases/nrsc-ad-blitz-targets-battleground-democrats-for-pushing-free-healthcare-for-illegals-over-feeding-american-families-2025-10-31/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1762021378466000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0P1608QsaYCM-9mO69D3SE">said</a> in a press release.
“Democrats are pandering to the far Left, and voters won’t forget it in 2026,” NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez said.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD)

Senate Leader’s Stance On Filibuster Remains ‘Unchanged’ As Trump Pushes ‘Nuclear Option’

Filibuster

Senate Democrats

A broad coalition of business associations representing hundreds of companies as diverse as Apple and Walmart united to call on Congress Thursday to immediately reopen the government. 
The coalition <a href="https://www.businessroundtable.org/business-associations-issue-statement-on-government-shutdown">warned</a> that with each day of the shutdown, “the larger and more durable the economic damage becomes — and some of it might never be recovered.” 
Top CEOs from hundreds of major U.S. companies also warned of potential irreversible economic damage.
Representing virtually every sector of the economy, from airlines, banking, hotels, manufacturing, software, real estate, and travel, the associations estimated that the ongoing shutdown costs the nation between $10 and $15 billion in lost output per week. 
While the joint statement avoided taking a political stance, the groups urged lawmakers to “avert further economic disruption” by reopening the government immediately. The associations proposed a compromise to negotiate major policy issues in a longer-term funding package rather than a continuing resolution. 
House Democratic Minority Whip Katherine Clark <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1981030897873781156" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a> why Democrats want to negotiate now rather than for a longer-term funding package. 
“I mean, shutdowns are terrible, and, of course, there will be families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously. But it is one of the few leverage times we have,” Clark said in an <a href="https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/sitroom/date/2025-10-23/segment/03">interview</a> with CNN last week. 
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The standoff on Capitol Hill centers on health care funding. Democrats refuse to back the Republican-led continuing resolution (CR) unless it includes an extension of ACA tax credits. The credits were established in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act and were temporarily enhanced and expanded in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans maintain that health care discussions can begin after the CR is passed. 
House Speaker Mike Johnson told The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro, “To President Trump’s great credit, he is doing everything possible to protect families and keep vital services running.” 
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer disagreed. 
“Republicans own this shutdown,” said Schumer. “Every job lost, every family hurt, every service gutted is because of their decisions.”
Last week, the White House released <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/10/airlines-pilots-demand-action-as-democrat-shutdown-pushes-air-travel-to-the-edge/">statements</a> from leaders in the aviation industry urging Congress to reopen the federal government. 
President of NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots Pedro Leroux said, “It is indisputable that our system is less safe today than it was on Oct. 1 when the shutdown began.”
Air-traffic controllers are among the many federal workers currently working without pay. Others include government employees,  military service members, Capitol police, and thousands of third-party contractors whose payments halted when the shutdown began.  
In response, President Trump ordered the Pentagon to divert funds previously allocated for research and development to paychecks for the military. Trump also claimed an unnamed “friend” gave $130 million to pay service members. 
Next, the shutdown hits SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is projected to run out of funds on Saturday. 
“If there are any Democrats out there who care about the damage this shutdown is doing, then I have a bill at the desk,” stated Senate Majority Leader John Thune. 
The bill is “a clean, nonpartisan CR to fund WIC, SNAP, troop pay, air traffic controller pay, farm programs, housing assistance, national defense, and more.” 
Shortly after Thune’s statement, the Senate adjourned, pushing shutdown conversations to next week.

Senators Meet For Their Weekly Policy Luncheons

The Nation’s Top Businesses Push For End Of Government Shutdown

It’s Day 30 of the Government Shutdown 

Business

Chuck Schumer

Mike Johnson

WASHINGTON—The largest union of federal employees is pushing for an end to the government shutdown, dealing a major blow to Democrats as the funding fight drags on.
The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 800,000 federal workers, on Monday <a href="https://www.afge.org/article/its-past-time-to-end-this-shutdown/">urged</a> the Senate to approve a “clean” continuing resolution to end the stalemate. The union, usually a dependable Democratic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-aligned-union-breaks-ranks-demands-end-to-govt-shutdown?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dem-Aligned+Union+Breaks+Ranks%2C+Demands+End+To+Govt+Shutdown">stalwart,</a> all but endorsed Republicans&#8217; plans to end the shutdown in a statement.
“It’s time for our leaders to start focusing on how to solve problems for the American people, rather than on who is going to get the blame for a shutdown that Americans dislike,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said, calling the shutdown “an avoidable crisis that is harming families, communities, and the very institutions that hold our country together.”
Kelley did not lay blame with either party, but did call for the Senate to pass a &#8220;clean&#8221; continuing resolution — which Republicans have called for from the beginning of the shutdown fight.
About 1.4 million federal workers missed a paycheck last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a press conference Monday morning, urging Senate Democrats to approve the House-passed continuing resolution.
Johnson added that the House had “done its work” by passing the measure a month ago.
“The Army nurse in San Antonio, the TSA officer in Atlanta, the USDA food safety inspector in Iowa, and hundreds of thousands more like them are being asked to keep our country running without the paychecks that keep their own households afloat,&#8221; Kelley said.
Kelley said the workers are &#8220;patriotic Americans – parents, caregivers, and veterans – forced to work without pay while struggling to cover rent, groceries, gas and medicine because of political disagreements in Washington. That is unacceptable.&#8221;
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said AFGE calling for an end to the shutdown “has a lot of impact,&#8221; Semafor&#8217;s Burgess Everett <a href="https://x.com/burgessev/status/1982902515013186033">reported</a> on X.
“It’s something we will be discussing this week,&#8221; Durbin told the outlet. &#8220;I’m not announcing any change in my position at this time. They&#8217;re our friends. We take them seriously.”
Bloomberg News reporter Erik Wasson <a href="https://x.com/elwasson/status/1982857696937496756">reportedly</a> asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about the union’s statement, but Schumer declined to comment.
The House Freedom Caucus weighed in Monday on X, responding to an NBC report on the union’s stance.
“It’s a bad day for Chuck Schumer when even the AFGE…a union that routinely endorses and supports Democrats…sees how bizarre the Democrats’ position is,” the caucus <a href="https://x.com/freedomcaucus/status/1982858175117484057">wrote on X.</a>
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) told The Daily Wire that AFGE is “rightly calling Democrats out on their political games, and hopefully Senate Democrats will listen.”
“Lawmakers are sent to Washington to govern, but Democrats seem to think their job is to obstruct the agenda of the President of the United States and to jeopardize the livelihoods of the American people,” Emmer said.
Emmer said Americans on “both sides of the aisle are seeing right through the Democrats’ lies and they will be held accountable for their hostage tactics.”
Democrat Sen. John Fetterman (PA) said <a href="https://x.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1982809715831628084">on X</a> that AFGE is “firmly on the right side of this and we should absolutely listen.”
“Our servicemembers, federal workers, and Capitol Police are hurting. It’s one of many reasons why I’ve continuously voted to open our government. We need to end this chaos,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman sided with Republicans on the House-passed continuing resolution to reopen the government, as did Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Angus King (I-ME).
This week, many politicians have highlighted the looming November 1 expiration of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, which will affect more than 42 million people.
The SNAP <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">website</a> currently cites Democrats for failing to reopen the government, stating, “Bottom line, the well has run dry.”
There are currently discussions of a potential bill to pay “certain” federal workers between Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), as reported by <a href="https://x.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1982861472968376606">Punchbowl News</a>.
As of Monday evening, a spokesman for Johnson’s office confirmed talks are “ongoing.”
On the Senate floor Monday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer <a href="https://x.com/AmberJoCooper/status/1982908995909382282">claimed</a> the Trump administration is “making an intentional choice not to fund SNAP this weekend.”
“The emergency funding is there — the administration is just choosing not to use it. And for those who say the money can’t be moved around so easily, that’s a load of bunk. If the administration can cough up $40 billion for Argentina, they can find money for SNAP by this Saturday,” Schumer said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) <a href="https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1982893996847555019">maintained</a> that the Senate can reopen the government this week if five “courageous” Democrats vote with them, adding there will be another opportunity to vote to reopen in the coming days.

Federal Employees Hold Rally Calling For End Of Government Shutdown

‘It’s A Bad Day For Chuck Schumer’: Dems Waver As Fed Union Calls For End To Shutdown

Federal Government

Labor Unions

President Donald Trump lambasts Democrats as the shutdown grinds on, blue state governors form a “shadow” public health alliance, and one of the boldest heists of the century leaves the Louvre missing priceless jewels.
It’s Wednesday, October 22, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Brennan Referred And Shutdown Drags On</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-989357" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Rose-Garden-Pep-Rally.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump is applying more pressure on Democrats as the government shutdown stretches on. Meanwhile, a major political opponent of Trump is referred for charges.
Former CIA Director John Brennan has been referred for charges from the Justice Department. Similar to former FBI Director James Comey, he is in hot water over statements he made during the probe into Trump-Russia collusion.
House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) announced that his committee was recommending the charges on Tuesday. Jordan said that Brennan “knowingly made false statements” during sworn testimony last year. The Judiciary Committee says Brennan lied when he denied using the discredited Steele Dossier in drafting an intelligence assessment in 2017 – specifically, the Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian interference.
Rose Garden lunch: Trump – in typical Trump fashion – surprised lawmakers on Tuesday with a Rose Garden lunch. No one really knew what the lunch was about, not even Republicans.
A reporter asked Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana what the purpose of the lunch was, and he said, “I have no idea.” But Chuck Schumer and the Democrats saw things through a more sinister lens, <a href="https://x.com/AmberJoCooper/status/1980656632246988850">calling</a> the event a “Rose Garden pep rally” for the shutdown.
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There was a pep rally element to the lunch. The president had just redone the Rose Garden and spoke excitedly about how it looks. YMCA blared over the speaker system prior to the president’s remarks.
Despite the festive atmosphere, Trump and Senate Republicans were clear that they were there for business: the business of reopening the government.
“From the beginning, our message has been very simple: we will not be extorted on this crazy plot of theirs. They’ve never done this before. Nobody has!” <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1980681699529752893">said</a> Trump. “Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats need to vote for the clean, bipartisan CR and reopen our government. It’s gotta be reopened, right now. We’re not doing that. They are the obstructionists. The reason they’re doing that is because we’re doing so well.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) spoke with the press after the lunch concluded. He stressed that Republicans are united on Trump&#8217;s team.
Senate Republicans are planning to hold a separate vote on paying troops and law enforcement agents for the remainder of the shutdown. It’s not clear if Democrats will join them. But there’s a chance that, if they manage to get those essential workers paid, it may empower both sides to dig in and keep the shutdown fight going even longer.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Democrats’ ‘Shadow Public-Health Alliance’</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-989359" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Health-Defiance-Alliance.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: More than a dozen Democrat governors have signed on to a new health alliance, in a direct challenge to the Trump administration&#8217;s federal health agencies. 
The Governors&#8217; Public Health Alliance is being pitched as “non-partisan” and “all about the science.” The claim is that the Trump administration, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in particular, is anti-science. Therefore, this organization is necessary to protect Americans. However, so far, the Governors’ Public Health Alliance is strictly partisan: only Democrat governors have signed on. 
The alliance will dole out medical guidance that will likely challenge federal agencies such as the CDC and FDA, or at least lobby the federal government on these matters. It will make public health guidelines or offer “best practices&#8221; on vaccines and other measures. The allied states will share medical statistics, data, and advice on preventive care, and buy vaccines and supplies in bulk. 
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.hcinnovationgroup.com/policy-value-based-care/article/55323774/fifteen-governors-create-new-public-health-alliance?utm_source=chatgpt.com">called</a> the alliance a “shadow public-health alliance” and said it’s the “largest move” so far “to create an alternative public-health universe outside the federal government.”
Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois, a Democrat, signed on to this association and <a href="https://gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/gov-pritzker-joins-launch-of-governors-public-health-alliance-to-protect-illinoisians-from-trumps-attack-on-science?utm_source=chatgpt.com">claimed</a> that Trump and Kennedy have turned the CDC “into a misinformation machine.”
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom also signed on. He said “extremists” in the Trump administration are trying to “weaponize the CDC and spread misinformation.”
Other states include Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and the territory of Guam. The residents in these states make up about one-third of the U.S. population.
The Democrat health effort has to do mostly with vaccines. The governors who have signed on have highlighted vaccine “access” and attacked Kennedy for challenging orthodoxy. There was also mention of abortion “access.”
The association is primarily funded by a nonprofit called Governors Action Alliance, known as GovAct. The nonprofit claims to be nonpartisan, but supports Democrat causes and generally teams up with Democrats to expand Medicaid and bolster abortion and voting rights.
GovAct is behind the “Reproductive Freedom Alliance,” a coalition of 23 Democrat governors working to expand abortion. GovAct is also behind the “Governors Safeguarding Democracy” alliance that is like a Resist Trump 2.0 effort launched just days after Trump won the 2024 election.
Trump admin’s response: HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon <a href="https://apnews.com/article/governors-public-health-alliance-kennedy-7d5f277178697bbdfc228567c6d9f616">called</a> out Democrat governors for “destroy[ing] public trust in public health.” He noted that Democrat-led states “imposed unscientific school closures, toddler mask mandates, and vaccine passports during the COVID era.” He said the Trump administration is rebuilding trust by “grounding every policy in rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science – not the failed politics of the pandemic.” 
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Louvre Heist</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-989361" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Louvre-Heist-Whodunit.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Investigators are still scrambling for clues after priceless jewels were stolen from the world’s most famous museum during a daring, broad-daylight heist.
On Sunday morning, a half-hour after the Louvre Museum in Paris had opened its doors, four thieves arrived in a construction truck with an electric ladder mounted on top. Two men, posing as construction workers, then ascended to a second-floor facade, where they used special disc cutters to slice holes through the windows.
The thieves entered through the windows to the famed Galerie d’Apollon, home to some of France’s most priceless Crown Jewels. With stunned patrons watching, they smashed two display cases. They removed nine objects, including a large brooch, a pair of emerald earrings, a necklace, and other jewelry belonging to Empress Marie-Louise, the second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.
The thieves then joined their accomplices on the street, where they escaped on motorbikes, fleeing along the banks of the Seine River. The operation lasted no more than seven minutes.
As the heist went on, museum visitors were ordered to evacuate immediately. Many said they thought the building was on fire or had been struck by terrorists.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the heist an “attack on a heritage that we cherish.” The biggest concern now is that the jewels may never be recovered. Experts say the thieves certainly know they’d likely get caught if they tried to sell them on the black market, so it’s a real possibility they could remove the stones and melt down the precious metals to sell piece by piece. One of the tiaras alone had more than 1,000 diamonds and dozens of sapphires.
One official said the heist wasn’t an art crime, but a “commodity theft.” The jewels they took are of “inestimable worth,” according to the museum.
The haul could have been even larger. In their haste to get away, the thieves abandoned efforts to take the crown of Empress Eugénie, which contained nearly 2,500 diamonds and more than 50 emeralds, though it was damaged during the robbery.
The investigation: Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the robbery was “a major, highly organized operation” carried out by a team that had clearly done scouting. But at the moment, if they have any leads, they aren’t letting the public know.
Speculation has been rampant. Many people wonder if this could’ve been part of an inside job – they want to know if someone on staff at the Louvre could have offered aid. The country’s foreign minister said they weren’t ruling out an inside job.
Others have questioned why these specific jewels were targeted. In the same room they hit lies a display case housing the famous Regent Diamond, a $60 million stone. Even some French officials have expressed confusion over why the thieves, who clearly had done their research, seemingly ignored such a prime target just a few feet away.
Heist hysteria: Just last week, a group of thieves stole a number of collectible clocks from the President Jacques Chirac Museum in the French town of Corrèze. Then last month, a separate heist saw thieves lift $700,000 worth of gold from the French Museum of Natural History. Weeks before that, $11 million worth of porcelain was stolen from yet another museum in the city of Limoges.
This is only the latest heist to hit the Louvre. A diamond-studded sword was stolen back in 1976. Most famous of all, the Mona Lisa was lifted back in 1911. Ultimately, the world-famous portrait painting was located two years later.

MRN_251022_V1

Morning Brief: Govt Gridlock Persists, Dem ‘Shadow’ Health Alliance, & Louvre Heist Intrigue

Morning Brief: Govt Gridlock Persists, Dem ‘Shadow’ Health Agency, And Louvre Heist Intrigue

Department of Health and Human Services

Emmanuel Macron

France

Gavin Newsom

JB Pritzker

John Brennan

Media

Morning Wire

Paris

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

White House

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans emerged from their Tuesday lunch at the White House with a message for their Democrat colleagues: they are unified, and they are on Donald Trump&#8217;s team.
“This is the fourth week of the Democrats’ shutdown, but we are all here today because your Republican team in the Senate is unified,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) told President Trump as he took the podium following the president&#8217;s remarks.
&#8220;Senate Republicans, House Republicans, and the President of the United States are all in favor of opening the federal government,&#8221; the Senate Majority Leader added as he gaggled with reporters outside the White House following the lunch. &#8220;You have a bunch of the people here, a united team, that believes profoundly that we need to get our government open and if Democrats want to talk about subjects, things unrelated to getting the government, we&#8217;re happy to have those conversations.&#8221;
The Rose Garden luncheon brought together the nation&#8217;s top Republicans, including the president, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Senators Chuck Grassley, Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, Jim Banks, Tim Scott, Mitch McConnell, Ashley Moody, and many others.
<div id="attachment_989177" style="width: 885px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thune-trump-warn-democrats-republicans-are-united-and-its-time-to-end-the-shutdown/us-politics-trump-191" rel="attachment wp-att-989177"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-989177" class="wp-image-989177 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2242055965-875x576.jpg" alt="" width="875" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2242055965-875x576.jpg 875w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2242055965-300x197.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2242055965-768x506.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2242055965.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 875px) 100vw, 875px" /></a>President Donald Trump speaks in the Rose Garden on October 21, 2025. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Trump, who is very proud of his Rose Garden renovations, as well as his upcoming ballroom addition to the White House, acted as host for the event, touting the beauty of the outdoor space to his Republican friends, many of whom he knows very well. He also tore into Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and the Democrats in the Senate, calling for them to immediately end their resistance to the &#8220;clean, bipartisan CR and reopen our government.&#8221;
Earlier on Tuesday, Schumer had slammed the Rose Garden lunch as a &#8220;pep rally,&#8221; posting on X of his Republican colleagues: &#8220;No time to fix the healthcare crisis they created, but plenty of time for a mini pep rally with Donald Trump!&#8221;
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&#8220;From the beginning, our message has been very simple,&#8221; President Donald Trump told the gathered Republicans. &#8220;We will not be extorted on this crazy plot of theirs. &#8230; Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats need to vote for the clean, bipartisan CR, and reopen our government &#8230; right now.&#8221;
&#8220;We are not doing that,&#8221; added the president, speaking of the Democrats holding up the government from opening. &#8220;They are the obstructionists. And the reason they are doing it is because we are doing so well. We&#8217;re doing so well all over the world.&#8221;
Notably absent from today&#8217;s lunch was Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, whom Trump singled out.
&#8220;Everybody showed up,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;re just missing one person.&#8221;
Paul responded to the president&#8217;s remarks on social media, saying in an X post: &#8220;I actually wasn’t invited to the White House lunch today, but that’s ok. I had a previously scheduled Liberty Caucus Lunch with [Thomas Massie].&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I actually wasn’t invited to the White House lunch today, but that’s ok I had a previously scheduled Liberty Caucus Lunch with ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/MassieforKY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MassieforKY</a>⁩ <a href="https://t.co/7IHoQiZ3OR">pic.twitter.com/7IHoQiZ3OR</a>
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/1980684335956001002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2025</a></blockquote>

President Trump Hosts A Rose Garden Club Lunch

Thune, Trump Warn Democrats: Republicans Are United, And It’s Time To End The Shutdown

Republicans

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Wednesday <a href="https://x.com/AmberJoCooper/status/1978559530712887604">addressed</a> the ongoing government shutdown, calling Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer a &#8220;loser.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a Democrat Schumer shutdown and he’s trying to do it to get relevance back into the party because he’s a loser,&#8221; Trump said during an Oval Office press conference.
The president added that he has known Schumer &#8220;all his life.&#8221;
&#8220;He’s always been sort of a loser — but an intelligent one. I think he’s losing IQ points with time,” he continued.
Trump said that he hopes not to follow Schumer down this path, but added that, if it did, he’s confident the media would be quick to report it.
As of Wednesday, the government shutdown had entered its 15th day, with no indication of ending any time soon. In the afternoon, the Senate voted again to block the House-passed continuing resolution to reopen the government.
The vote was 51-44. The resolution needs 60 votes to pass.
Before the vote on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said if necessary, they would vote again on Thursday.
There is growing speculation that the shutdown may not end until after the nationwide “No Kings” protests scheduled for this Saturday.
The protest is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-johnson-says-dems-wont-end-shutdown-until-after-no-kings-protest-internal-docs-show-he-may-be-right?author=Amber+Jo+Cooper&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Mike+Johnson+Says+Dems+Won%E2%80%99t+End+Shutdown+Until+After+%E2%80%98No+Kings%E2%80%99+Protest.+Internal+Docs+Show+He+May+Be+Right.">reportedly</a> described as a “peaceful national day of action and mass mobilization in response to the increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson told <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1976625782077227332">Fox News</a> that Democrats are holding off until then, and he &#8220;can&#8217;t believe they&#8217;re actually doing this.&#8221;
&#8220;They have a Hate America rally scheduled for Oct. 18 on the National Mall. It&#8217;s all the Pro-Hamas wing, the Antifa people, they&#8217;re all coming out,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;It&#8217;s being told to us that they won&#8217;t be able to reopen the government until after that rally because they can&#8217;t face their rabid base.&#8221;

Trump: Schumer Is A ‘Loser’ Using The Shutdown In A Bid To ‘Get Relevance Back’

While the government remains shut down as Democrats continue to block a short-term spending bill, the Senate on Thursday approved a $925 billion defense package that scraps a Pentagon provision creating a chief DEI officer.
The annual National Defense Authorization Act, which sets the policies and priorities of the Department of War for the next fiscal year, <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00570.htm">passed</a> 77-20. Nearly all Republicans voted for the measure, while nineteen Democrats and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) voted against it. 
“I promised to prioritize the NDAA, and I’m glad the Senate delivered,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) <a href="https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1976462486678184311">announced</a> after the vote. &#8220;While I’m proud our bill authorizes a much-deserved pay raise for our troops, I’m disappointed they won’t see it — or any paycheck, for that matter — until Democrats end the Schumer Shutdown. They’re holding our troops and their families hostage for political demands.”  
The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2296">bill</a> includes authorizing the purchase of additional aircraft, missiles, and ships; directs the Pentagon to develop a strategy for &#8220;emerging biotechnologies&#8221;; extends the Pacific Deterrence Initiative; and repeals existing DEI provisions across the military.
“We&#8217;re ready to show on both sides of the aisle that the Senate can act in the interest of national security and get something done on a bipartisan basis,” <a href="https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/senate-vote-bill-authorizing-925-billion-military-national-security?utm_source=mux&amp;utm_medium=social-media&amp;utm_campaign=social-media-autopost">said</a> Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS). 
The House approved its $893 billion defense bill earlier this year, and lawmakers from both chambers must now hammer out a final version.
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The vote comes as the government shutdown enters the end of its second week, with repeated Senate efforts to authorize a short-term funding bill continuing to fall short. 
Thune said he may allow a vote on healthcare subsidies if Democrats agree to support the temporary funding bill. The Senate has repeatedly fallen five votes short of the total needed to reopen the government.
“None of this happens absent them voting to reopen the government,” Thune <a href="https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1976436280742519207">said</a> Thursday. “Open up the government first, quit taking it hostage, and let&#8217;s get the American people and the federal workers. Let&#8217;s get them back to work.”

Senators Hold Their Policy Luncheons At The Capitol

Democrat Shutdown Drags On As Senate OKs $925B Defense Bill

Military

NDAA

spending

As a government shutdown looms in the very near future, the topic at the forefront of discussions across the Sunday morning political talk shows was funding the government: who is holding the most leverage, who — if anyone — is willing to budge, and what will happen if they can&#8217;t come to an agreement?
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
After previously canceling a meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — and declaring their demands for a potential deal to be &#8220;ridiculous,&#8221; Trump has reportedly agreed to a rescheduled meeting to discuss plans to avoid a shutdown. Republicans and Democrats alike addressed what such a deal might look like — and thus far, a consensus it is not.
Jeffries, for example, told ABC News host Martha Raddatz on &#8220;This Week&#8221; that he was willing to sit down with anyone who was interested in finding a path forward to funding the government.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve made clear that we&#8217;re ready, willing, and able to sit down with anyone at any time and at any place in order to make sure that we can actually fund the government,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“We&#8217;ve made clear that we&#8217;re ready, willing, and able to sit down with anyone at any time and at any place in order to make sure that we can actually fund the government,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a>. <a href="https://t.co/CyT5lxgzMc">https://t.co/CyT5lxgzMc</a> <a href="https://t.co/tWvRtrkObC">pic.twitter.com/tWvRtrkObC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972304860528722211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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But in the same interview, he badmouthed the people he claimed to be ready to work with, saying they&#8217;d &#8220;behaved not as a separate and co-equal branch of government and a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch, but as a consistent rubber stamp for Donald Trump&#8217;s extreme agenda.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Republicans have “behaved not as a separate and co-equal branch of government and a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch, but as a consistent rubber stamp for Donald Trump&#8217;s extreme agenda,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says. <a href="https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem">https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem</a> <a href="https://t.co/FrrprqmxbC">pic.twitter.com/FrrprqmxbC</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972305063549800536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And then he flipped back, saying once again that he wanted to work with the Republicans he&#8217;d just referred to as &#8220;rubber stamps&#8221; for an &#8220;extreme agenda.&#8221;
&#8220;We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people, but that also addresses the Republican health care crisis,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“We want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people, but that also addresses the Republican health care crisis,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries says. <a href="https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem">https://t.co/OKY7B0xDem</a> <a href="https://t.co/IOdlC4TrET">pic.twitter.com/IOdlC4TrET</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972305251743973649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) made it clear that he believed Republicans — who hold a slim majority — had the advantage and did not plan to make unnecessary concessions.
&#8220;I’m glad that President Trump is showing leadership in meeting with all leaders … But ultimately, those Democrats have to make a decision,&#8221; he told Raddatz, adding that he still believed there was time for them to reach a deal.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says “there’s still time” to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.
“I’m glad that President Trump is showing leadership in meeting with all leaders … But ultimately, those Democrats have to make a decision.” <a href="https://t.co/VVmgI0y1x3">https://t.co/VVmgI0y1x3</a> <a href="https://t.co/0hmyU6JT1Y">pic.twitter.com/0hmyU6JT1Y</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1972314405963510038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; opened with a statement from President Trump — who said that unless Democrats are willing to move on several key issues, the government is likely to shut down.
&#8220;I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW THIS MORNING: President Trump tells <a href="https://twitter.com/costareports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@costareports</a> the government is likely to shut down this week unless top Democrats address his concerns on immigration and health care, and says both parties are now at a stalemate.
“I just don’t know how we are going to solve this issue,”… <a href="https://t.co/VdLXd7Qxl0">pic.twitter.com/VdLXd7Qxl0</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1972313362793943395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) made it clear that Republicans did not plan to give an inch — and that Democrats were just going to have to come around.
&#8220;The choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else. <a href="https://t.co/ESOndRHAO9">pic.twitter.com/ESOndRHAO9</a>
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1972326146139467887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Schumer, who has apparently learned his lesson after he worked with Republicans to avert the last potential government shutdown, also appeared on the NBC Sunday morning show and insisted that Republicans were &#8220;feeling the heat&#8221; and would soon give in to Democrats&#8217; demands.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Republican Senators, Representatives, and even Donald Trump are feeling the heat to do something about the horrible health care crisis they’ve created. <a href="https://t.co/20SG3sKiX1">pic.twitter.com/20SG3sKiX1</a>
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1972349160717205796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined host Jake Tapper on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; where he called on members of his party to &#8220;hold the line.&#8221;
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Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen calls on his party to “hold the line” in government funding fight. <a href="https://t.co/0nn9wg5v7w">pic.twitter.com/0nn9wg5v7w</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1972311184863813768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Van Hollen, who made a name for himself when he left his own constituents twisting in the wind while he flew to El Salvador to advocate for a deported MS-13 gang member, then snarked at President Trump and suggested he&#8217;d previously refused to meet with congressional leaders because he was too busy golfing.
&#8220;It&#8217;s good to see the president finally get off the golf course and decide to talk,&#8221; he said.
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Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen on Trump’s meeting with Democratic leaders ahead of shutdown deadline: “It&#8217;s good to see the president finally get off the golf course and decide to talk.” <a href="https://t.co/gjjckTkaZa">pic.twitter.com/gjjckTkaZa</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1972311038612643938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump explained days earlier that he&#8217;d <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/do-the-right-thing-trump-axes-meeting-with-radical-dems-calls-for-realistic-terms">called off a planned meeting</a> because the demands put forth by the Democrats at the time had been unrealistic.

Spin Cycle: Will They Or Won’t They (Shut Everything Down)?

Spin Cycle: Will They Or Won't They (Shut Everything Down)?

ABC News

CBS News

Charles Schumer

Chris Van Hollen

Hakeem Jeffries

NBC News

Steve Scalise

Multiple people are dead after what appears to be an anti-ICE attack in Dallas, red state homeowners are suing over a COVID-era bailout program, and Senate Democrats stall a funding bill that would keep the lights on in Washington.
It’s Thursday, September 25, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you would rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">ICE Targeted In Dallas</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-976679" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Texas-Anti-ICE-Assault.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A shooter opened fire at an ICE facility in Dallas on Wednesday, killing multiple immigrant detainees.
The gunman shot three detainees. Two of them died from their wounds. The shooter then turned the gun on himself and died at the scene.
Photos of the aftermath of the attack showed that bullets struck windows and walls inside the facility, but no law enforcement personnel were injured.
Federal law enforcement sources tell The Daily Wire that authorities believe that the shooter was trying to shoot at ICE officers when he aimed at an unmarked van. That van was holding illegal immigrant detainees who were being walked in for processing.
The shooter: Reports indicate the alleged shooter was 29-year-old Joshua Jahn. While not much is known about his history, authorities say he did give a glimpse into his motive after leaving shell casings behind, one engraved with the words “ANTI-ICE.” The FBI is investigating the targeted shooting, and the agency’s director, Kash Patel, says the casings prove that there was “an ideological motive” behind this attack.
Step back: The fatal shooting comes amid an uptick in left-wing violence targeting law enforcement and conservatives. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) spoke about that during a press conference on Wednesday, where he called for his left-leaning colleagues in Congress to stop fanning the flames of the violence with their rhetoric.
“To every politician who is using rhetoric demonizing ICE and demonizing CBP, stop. To every politician demanding that ICE agents be doxxed and calling for people to go after their families, stop,” said Cruz. “This has very real consequences. Look, in America, we disagree. That&#8217;s fine. That&#8217;s the democratic process. But your political opponents are not Nazis. We need to learn to work together without demonizing each other, without attacking each other.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Biden Housing Bailout Sparks Racial Backlash</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-976677" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Race-Based-Bailout.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A $10 billion coronavirus-era housing bailout paid Americans&#8217; mortgages and even their HOA dues. But 40% of the funds went to black Americans, due to the program including explicit racial preferences.
Now, some white residents are suing their states, saying the government illegally withheld assistance from them based on their race.
The significance: This is one of the largest race-based government wealth transfers in history. And it happened because it came during the COVID pandemic, when the United States was hemorrhaging billions of dollars.
The program is called the <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/homeowner-assistance-fund">Homeowner Assistance </a><a href="https://www.ncsha.org/homeowner-assistance-fund/">Fund</a>, and it provided people up to $50,000 to pay housing-related bills. It was passed by Congress and required about half the money to go to homeowners at or below the median income, while the remainder could be allocated to wealthier individuals, with priority given to “socially disadvantaged” homeowners.
“Socially disadvantaged?” Congress didn’t define it, and the program was run separately by each state, which received money after submitting a plan to the federal government. But the Biden administration heavily suggested a definition for the states to include in their plans: “those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias.”
The “presumption,” the administration said, is that “the following individuals are socially disadvantaged: Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.”
How it played out: In Alabama, 85% of the funds went to black residents. In Georgia, it was 82%. That’s surprising because, just based on the fact that half the money was supposed to be doled out based on income, you should have seen more people of other races. Only about half of Georgians below the median income are black. 
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit say that’s because Georgia deliberately ensured that white people didn’t even know it existed. The state’s plan included texting residents to inform them about this opportunity for $50,000 – but only residents of counties with high minority populations.
The Biden administration was never clear about the criteria, but many states used the definition provided by the Biden administration. Now, Georgia, Missouri, and Oklahoma are being sued by residents for going along with it, despite politicians in those states claiming to oppose DEI.
The lawsuits: In Missouri, the program was administered by a housing commission, where the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general serve as commissioners. Missouri partnered with the Black Chamber of Commerce to advertise the program, and 44% of the money went to blacks, who make up less than 12% of the population. A spokeswoman for Missouri Republican Governor Mike Kehoe declined to comment on the ongoing litigation but called him “a strong advocate for removing DEI.”
In Oklahoma, plaintiffs include a massage therapist who was forced out of a job by COVID policies and her disabled-veteran husband. They point out that the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency said prominently on its website that “African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, [and] LGBTQ+” residents would get preference.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Budget Deadline Looms Over Congress</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-976675" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Budget-Battle-Rages.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Donald Trump canceled a meeting with Democratic congressional leaders this week to discuss government funding. The president blasted Democrats’ demands as “unserious and ridiculous” as government funding is set to expire at the end of the month.
The deadline to avert a partial government shutdown is September 30, giving lawmakers less than a week. House Republicans have already passed a clean, 7-week funding extension. However, the bill is currently stalled in the Senate. Even though the GOP holds the majority, Republicans need 60 votes, which means they need some Democrat support.
Trump had planned to meet this week with Democratic leaders – Sen. Chuck Schumer and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries – but scrapped the meeting over the Democrats’ demands. The president doubled down on Wednesday, writing on Truth Social that Democratic demands include free healthcare for illegal aliens, half a billion dollars for “Radical Left News Outlets,” leaving “DEAD PEOPLE on Medicaid and Social Security rolls,” and “men playing in women’s sports.” 
What Democrats are saying: Democrats say they won’t back down. Schumer and Jeffries have been on a media blitz this week following the meeting&#8217;s collapse. The main line of attack from Democrats is centered on healthcare.
“Republicans have engaged in an unprecedented assault on the healthcare of the American people throughout this year. The largest cut to Medicaid in American history. Millions of people are going to lose coverage because of what Republicans have done,” said Jeffries during an appearance on <a href="https://youtu.be/CLm2OIhjkUo?t=228">MSNBC</a>.
State of play: According to some reports, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) urged Trump to cancel the meeting. Congressional Republicans thought that Democrats were unserious and that meeting with them would only erode Republicans’ leverage.
Johnson sent the House into recess after it passed its 7-week extension, and he said he won’t recall lawmakers back to DC until after the September 30 deadline. If Democrats don’t agree to a clean bill, there will be a fight over who takes the blame for the shutdown.
&nbsp;

MRN 9.25.25 Thu Thumbnail V4

Morning Brief: Dallas ICE Attack, Housing Bailout Sparks Racial Lawsuits & D.C.’s Budget Standoff

COVID-19

Dallas

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Pandemic

Ted Cruz

Texas

The Republican-led Senate confirmed 48 of President Donald Trump&#8217;s remaining nominees for below-cabinet-level federal positions, moving ahead with what&#8217;s called an &#8220;en bloc&#8221; nominee package after Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) invoked the nuclear option.
The bloc of 48 nominees confirmed on Thursday included a number of lower level War Department positions — and several ambassadorships including those held by Kimberly Guilfoyle and Callista Gingrich — and passed 51-47 along party lines.
WATCH:
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48 NOMINEES: CONFIRMED TODAY ✅<a href="https://twitter.com/SenateGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenateGOP</a> ended liberal obstruction and CHANGED the Senate rules to get <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>’ sub-cabinet noms in place (in groups) and speed up the process.
We just confirmed the first “en bloc” nominee package of 48.
More to come. 👇 <a href="https://t.co/Dg4oxsrHCl">pic.twitter.com/Dg4oxsrHCl</a>
— Markwayne Mullin (@SenMullin) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMullin/status/1968789762707218693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Thune promised to move forward with the nuclear option a week earlier, saying that Democrats had stonewalled the process long enough.
Quoting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-republicans-implement-plan-to-push-through-federal-nominees-as-shutdown-looms">Thune</a> said that it was unacceptable for nominees to be blocked unless there was a legitimate reason or concern that made it necessary.
Thune also pointed out the fact that all of the 48 nominees in the first bloc had actually been approved out of committee — with bipartisan support — and were only being blocked in the full Senate.
The Senate Democrats, he said at the time, were intentionally stalling the process by refusing to allow the nominees to be confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent, as is traditionally done with civilian nominees.
One major nominee who did not make it through on Thursday was former Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), whose nomination to serve as Ambassador to the United Nations is still pending. Democrats succeeded in recent weeks in having Waltz’s nomination sent back to committee.

The 2024 Republican National Convention

48 Trump Nominees Confirmed In One Vote After Senate Goes To Nuclear Option

Mike Waltz

Senate GOP

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