Mike Johnson leads Republicans in skeptical response to Trump’s $5,000 election ‘bribe’ Trump’s ‘bribe’ needs the support of both Republicans and probably Democrats too. It currently has neither one The Independent UK · Sep 13
Trump calls $5,000 payouts 'easy' to fit into federal budget President Trump stated the United States can afford $5,000 payments to all adults. This proposal was unveiled during the Republican Party convention last week. House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed congressional approval would be necessary for any payments. Democratic politicians criticized the idea as not being a serious proposal. Consumer watchdog… The Economic Times · Sep 13
US House Speaker warns curbing AI too sharply could leave China ahead House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday warned that moving too quickly to curb AI development could cost the United States the tech race to China. "If Congress just races in and does some sort of emergency session to try to regulate AI, we will lose the race to China, and… The Economic Times · Sep 13
‘Tired of politics’: By GOP convention’s end, even Trump had tapped out DALLAS — President Donald Trump walked a tightrope this week, awkwardly balancing the political with the solemn. By the end, it all seemed too much, even for America’s ultimate political scrapper. Trump spent two days here in full campaigner-in-chief mode in front of an adoring audience inside the American Airlines… Roll Call · Sep 11
MAGA RNC Rocked by Grindr Scandal After Gay Dating App Reportedly Crashes During Trump Convention A reported Grindr outage in Dallas became a source of jokes during Donald Trump's Republican convention, where sparse attendance and unverified claims about politicians dominated podcast commentary. International Business Times UK · Sep 11
‘I’m on the ticket’: Trump implores Republicans to vote in November at unusual midterm convention The president demonised Democrats in an attempt to wangle votes in midterms despite backlash over Iran war The Guardian - US · Sep 11
‘He’s not going away’: GOP loyalists not ready for Trump to leave political stage DALLAS — President Donald Trump’s presence here at the Republican Party’s midterm convention was inescapable. From his image adorning the laminated badges required to enter American Airlines Center to the rhinestones tracing his name on the T-shirts of more than a few attendees, reminders of the president were constant over… Roll Call · Sep 11
In Laredo, a County Judge and MAGA Convert Seeks to Topple Henry Cuellar Tano Tijerina, who prominently switched parties after Trump's 2024 inroads in South Texas, is trying to cash in on political connections while also casting himself as the insurgent outsider. Texas Observer · Sep 10
Vulnerable Democrat turns to Zyn-style merchandise to boost her campaign Candidate running for re-election in a district that voted for Donald Trump in 2024 is leaning into nicotine habit that is particularly popular among young Republican men The Independent UK · Sep 9
US Democrat urges House Speaker to sue Trump admin over triumphal arch, says Congress never approved funds A senior House Democrat has urged Speaker Mike Johnson to sue the Trump administration over plans to begin work on a proposed triumphal arch in Washington, arguing that Congress has not approved funding or authorised the project. The Times of India · Sep 8
Inside Massie's New Epstein Files Push, and the New Mexico Latina Driving Its Local Fight Massie filed a new Epstein files petition, but the bill and its Latina co-author, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, have been fighting for it since July. Latin Times · Sep 7
Game on: November elections kick into high gear with control of Congress in the balance Trump is unpopular and inflation is still high – and Democrats are looking to use that to their advantage The Guardian - US · Sep 6
Photos of the week | August 28-September 3, 2026 The House returned to Washington for a brief bit of work this week before heading out for another recess. Two new members were sworn in, and the clouds returned to the sculpture in the Hart atrium. Here are photographs of the action captured by CQ Roll Call photojournalists this week. Roll Call · Sep 4
Russia Sanctions Bill: India gets a breather as Trump’s 100% tariff weapon stalls in US House A US Senate bill to impose tougher sanctions on Russia is facing growing opposition in the House, making it unlikely to move before the November midterm elections. The bill could allow President Donald Trump to impose 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India, China and… The Economic Times · Sep 4
Ballotpedia · Sep 4 Aisha Wahab takes office — ending the vacancy in California’s 14th Congressional District On Sept. 2, 2026, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) swore Rep. Aisha Wahab (D-Calif.) into the U.S. House of Representatives, filling the vacancy in California’s 14th Congressional District.
International Business Times · Sep 3 Elon Musk Starts Spending Millions on Midterms. Texas and Maine Emerge as Key Senate Targets. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has reportedly authorized America PAC to spend as much as $120 million to help elect Republicans in November.
The Independent UK · Sep 3 Mike Johnson abruptly cancels final weeks of House votes amid panic over midterm elections The House will only work four days before the midterm elections after it took a month-long recess — on the heels of the summer break
Roll Call · Sep 3 Second Epstein petition looks for Republican support For Rep. Thomas Massie, time is running out in his latest effort to extract more files from the Justice Department related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He’s leading a push to sidestep House leaders and bring another bill to the floor, dubbing it the Epstein Files Transparency Act…
The Independent UK · Sep 3 Can Democrats flip deep-red seats? Inside the party’s long-shot midterm House strategy Democrats are dreaming of pulling off upsets in what might be called “reach” House districts, where Republicans usually win and likely will again
Ballotpedia · Sep 2 Everton Blair Jr. takes office — ending the vacancy in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District On Sept. 1, 2026, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) swore Rep. Everton Blair Jr. (D-Ga.) into the U.S. House of Representatives, filling the vacancy in Georgia's 13th Congressional District.
International Business Times · Sep 2 Two Democrats Joined Republicans In a Vote. Party Leaders Are Up In Arms. Two Democrats came to House Speaker Mike Johnson's rescue with a procedural vote that allowed the House to keep functioning and angered fellow Democrats.
Roll Call · Sep 2 Capitol Lens | Bay Area bonus Rep. Aisha Wahab, D-Calif., poses with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in the Capitol on Wednesday during her ceremonial swearing in. The California Democrat won the special election on Aug. 18 to replace former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned on April 14, in the state’s 14th District. She is the first…
The Guardian - US · Sep 2 Democratic party infighting engulfs center-right over House rules vote While leaders focused on Hasan Piker, two of the party’s more conservative members salvaged a GOP measure that was poised to fail
We Got This Covered · Sep 1 Scott Bessent rips into supporters of socialism in the US as ‘underachievers’ who are ‘jealous’ of hard-working Americans The crusade against democratic socialists continues.
Roll Call · Sep 1 Rule for debate on mining, whales, socialism measures squeaks by House GOP leaders on Tuesday narrowly gathered enough support to adopt a rule allowing their side’s bills to come to the floor, after concerns related to a stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded through the midterm elections nearly derailed the procedural resolution. After resounding passage of the stopgap…