12:30 REPORT

Wednesday, July 15 | By Cate Martel

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It’s Wednesday. You know, this cyclosporiasis outbreak has me thinking. Brownies and pizza have never betrayed us like this…

In today's issue:

Blanche, Clayton face heated questioning from senators
Republicans unveil third (!) reconciliation package
Wild stats from Speaker Johnson’s phone
Top moments from the Hill Nation Summit
Trump’s reported Situation Room meeting on Iran offensive

🪑 ON CAPITOL HILL

Todd Blanche and Jay Clayton are in the hot seats today:

AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

Senators are grilling two Trump nominees this morning before their confirmation votes: Todd Blanche for attorney general and Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence. It sure has been newsy. Here’s what you may have missed:

🔷 Clayton refused to say whether Biden won the 2020 election: Two senators pressed Clayton on whether Biden won in 2020. He responded that Biden was “certified” as president. That wasn’t enough for Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who argued that “saying Joe Biden was certified is not an answer.”

🔷 Will Blanche meet with Jeffrey Epstein’s survivors?: Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) pressed Blanche to meet with survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Blanche responded that he is “prohibited from meeting directly with them.” This exchange got pretty heated.

Cornyn pressed Blanche on the IRS deal: Outgoing GOP Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) questioned Blanche about his decision to sign a deal that “forever barred” the IRS from auditing Trump’s tax returns, arguing “there’s so much that’s unusual about this.”

💬 Follow today’s live blog

💻 Watch Blanche’s confirmation hearing

💻 Watch Clayton’s confirmation hearing

Republicans are going for a longshot hat trick:

House Republicans unveiled the framework today for a third budget reconciliation package.

This package would include defense funding, farm aid and components of Trump’s voter ID law. Republicans are hoping to pass this $95 billion bill without Democratic support.

Keep in mind: It’s a heavy lift for Republicans to pass it in the limited remaining time, but it may be Republicans’ last chance to advance their priorities while they still control the House, the Senate and the White House.

What happens now?: The House Budget Committee is expected to mark it up on Thursday.

NOW, IF TRUMP’S VOTER ID BILL DOESN’T PASS…:

“Senators in both parties say the odds are rising of another government shutdown in September after President Trump demanded that GOP leaders abolish the filibuster or face a spending showdown and another shutdown,” The Hill’s Alexander Bolton writes.

“Trump blindsided GOP leaders on Monday when he warned there could be another shutdown if Senate Republicans don’t abolish the filibuster, which would allow them to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act and spending legislation without any Democratic votes.”

Inside the job of House Speaker:

The Wall Street Journal’s Olivia Beavers published a profile of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), including some wild stats on his life.

Johnson has 1,477 unread text messages and 829 unlistened-to voicemails on his phone. He estimates that he has roughly 14 minutes of family time each day. He admitted that he can’t keep up with everything.

Excerpt: “His day is largely cut up into 15- or 30-minute chunks, with some segments going longer such as party meetings, series of votes or sit-downs with Trump. He counted only two times over the last two years that he tried to disconnect and unwind in the evenings with his wife, daughters who work in Washington and youngest child after he returned home from the Capitol. He learned his lesson. ‘When I picked the phone back up, it was a bonfire that needed to be put out sooner,’ he said.”

He also talks to President Trump every day — including at all hours of the night.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME COULD ACTUALLY BECOME PERMANENT:

The House passed bipartisan legislation on Tuesday that would make daylight savings time permanent. Now, it heads to the Senate.

Keep in mind: The Senate passed similar legislation in 2022, and President Trump backs it.

Do you think this is a good or bad thing? Let me know!

Related read: How this would affect your state

💻 LIVE FROM THE HILL NATION SUMMIT

Give us the tea, the 4-1-1:

The Hill and NewsNation have gathered lawmakers, Trump administration officials and other key officials today for live interviews.

💻 Watch it live

🗨️ Live updates from the summit

⌚ The hour-by-hour agenda

Here are the newsiest moments so far:

🔷 The agriculture secretary says cyclosporiasis is not an issue for her department: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the diarrhea-causing parasite found in fresh produce is not an issue for the Department of Agriculture. “It is an FDA issue, not USDA,” Rollins said.

🔷 And she touted her crackdown on food stamp fraud: “Within a year-and-a-half, we have found billions of dollars, we’re reaching $10 billion soon, and we’ve made 1,000 arrests,” Rollins said at the Hill Nation Summit.

🔷 A push for mandating body cameras: Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) called for making body cameras mandatory for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

🔷 On Trump’s thinking for starting a war with Iran: Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), who serves as chair of the House Intelligence Committee, says President Trump didn’t enter the Iran war with politics in mind.

🔷 I think a lot of us agree, Ted: Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) told The Hill’s Miranda Nazarro that he is “still freaked out” by AI.

🔷 What’s next for retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)?: Peters says that after he finishes his Senate term, he will probably work in academia. “I’ve been talking to some universities and policy centers,” he told NewsNation’s Joe Khalil.

🔷 A data center bill could advance next week: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) says he expects a bill requiring developers to pay for their share of energy and water usage at data centers to advance next week.

Speakers coming up this afternoon: CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Education Secretary Linda McMahon, RNC Chair Joe Gruters, Housing & Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Homeland Security Committee Chair Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and more.

🪖 IN THE WHITE HOUSE:

Another round of strikes for Iran:

The U.S. military carried out another round of strikes against Iran this morning, this time targeting an island near the Strait of Hormuz.

Plus: President Trump told Fox News that he isn’t looking to negotiate with the Iranians right now, describing the regime as “evil.”

Tidbit in the White House: Axios reports that Trump gathered key officials in the Situation Room on Tuesday to discuss a new and broad offensive against Iran. What we know

📰 OTHER NEWS:

➤ QUICK HITS:

— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled a new commemorative $1 golden coin featuring President Trump for the U.S.’s 250th birthday.

— There are dozens of protests against AI data centers happening this week. Read more

➤ MORE READS:

The New York Times: U.S. War Against Iran Enters a New Phase

The Wall Street Journal: The Trigger Clause More Couples Want in Their Prenups: Stay-at-home parents face a nightmare scenario in divorce. More are trying to avoid it.

The Washington Post: An Ivy League professor suspected AI cheating, so he decided to fight back

Politico: Jack Smith obtained text messages from 44 members of Congress

🗓️ COMING UP

The House and Senate are in. President Trump is in Pennsylvania this afternoon. (All times EDT)

Happening now: The Hill Nation Summit. 💻 Livestream

Noon: The Senate moves a judicial nomination. 📆 Today’s agenda

This afternoon: Trump leaves for Carlisle, Pa.

2 p.m. If cloture is reached, the Senate will hold a final vote on the judicial nomination.

3:15 p.m. Trump participates in a Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit at the U.S. Army War College. 💻 Livestream

This evening: Trump returns to the White House.

🐝 INTERNET BUZZ

🌭 Celebrate: Today is National Hot Dog Day and National Gummy Worm Day!

☕ Another reason to drink coffee: There’s growing evidence that drinking coffee, caffeinated and decaffeinated, can lower the risk of developing liver problems. Read more

👋 AND FINALLY…

Have you ever seen a goldasarus rex in the wild? What a majestic creature.

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