Thursday, July 23 | By Cate Martel
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4 Republicans help House Dems pass bill to rebuke Trump’s Iran war Lawmakers scramble to leave for August recess GOP slams Trump plan to sell faster access to his posts Vance Secret Service agent put on leave Eggs, fruit pouches, garlic & soup recalls FDA investigates another cyclospora outbreak Trump hosts LA Dodgers for White House visit
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House lawmakers have been busy bees this week: |
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
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The House is getting ready to leave town for an extended summer recess. House lawmakers have been racing this week to complete its long to-do list. They just wrapped up their last votes — and are not scheduled to be back in Washington until Aug. 31 (!)
📸 August recess getaway cars lined up outside the House
What about the Senate?: The Senate is still scheduled to be in session for another two weeks.
Here’s what House lawmakers raced through:
🔷 A Democratic war powers bill just passed: Four House Republicans helped House Democrats pass a war powers resolution aimed at halting President Trump’s military action in Iran.
But remember, this vote is nonbinding. It’s meant to send a message to the president. Both chambers of Congress have passed resolutions like this before. Read more
🔷 Defense spending: The House narrowly passed a nearly $1.15 trillion annual defense policy bill on Wednesday. Six Democrats voted in favor of the bill and seven Republicans voted against it. Read more
🔷 Guidelines for congressional stock trading: The House also passed a Republican-backed bill on Wednesday that bars members of Congress and their immediate families from buying new stocks. However, they can hold onto stocks they already own. The bill also requires lawmakers to file a public notice at least seven days before selling an existing stock. Democrats are generally supportive but many are critical this bill doesn’t include the executive branch. Read more
🔷 Government funding through Dec. 4: House Republicans passed a bill on Tuesday to extend government funding through Dec. 4, past the usual Sept. 30 deadline. They usually deal with this in September but this was a proactive move to potentially avoid an ugly shutdown battle right before the midterms. Read more
💬 Follow today’s live blog
MEANWHILE, WHAT’S BUBBLING UP:
“A bill that seeks to mitigate data centers’ impacts on Americans’ electric bills is gaining steam in the House, as lawmakers face pressure to act in the face of sharp backlash to the sprawling AI infrastructure,” The Hill’s Rachel Frazin and Julia Shapero report. The legislation advanced out of committee this week in a whopping 52-0 vote (!) and now has a companion bill in the Senate. As Frazin and Shapero point out, it’s gaining momentum but it’s still unclear whether it will ultimately become law. Read more
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Trump’s next side hustle is raising some eyebrows: |
President Trump’s plan to sell faster access to his social media posts is getting some pushback.
First, what is Trump’s plan?: His social media posts are valuable because they can sway the markets. Reuters and CNBC report that Truth Social executives are considering charging investment firms and Wall Street traders as much as $100,000 *a month* for faster access to the president’s posts. (There reportedly may be a discount for three-year contracts.)
Republican senators do not like this plan: The Hill’s Alexander Bolton spoke with GOP senators about this next side hustle to sell VIP access to the president’s public posts — and was not met with glowing praise.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) says he thinks it’s “wrong” and “a form of buying access.” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) says it “doesn’t sound appropriate. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) raised questions about conflicts of interest and ethical propriety.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) put it bluntly: “Wall Street can buy early access to the president’s market-moving posts, and in milliseconds traders can make a fortune if they get this information first,” Schumer said. “If a White House aide sold presidential announcements to traders, it would be an earth-shattering scandal, and now Trump makes it a subscription plan,” he said. “We said we’re talking about corruption — every day he gives us more proof.”
Read Bolton’s reporting: ‘GOP senators criticize Trump plan to sell access to Truth Social posts’
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It’s the summer of recalls, y’all: |
We have new items to add to the recall list, but don’t worry, they are not cyclosporiasis related.
🍳 First, eggs: Nearly 1.6 million white and brown eggs have been recalled over possible contamination with the bacterium salmonella enteritidis. The contaminated eggs appear normal when cooked but can lead to illness if eaten raw or undercooked. 🗒️ List of the recalled eggs, including sold at Kroger
🍓 Second, kids’ fruit pouches: Some fruit puree pouches sold at Kroger, Meijer, and Target are being recalled over possible pieces of plastic. Specifically: 4-ounce pouches of Pumpkin Tree Peter Rabbit Organics Banana & Strawberry
🧄 Third, garlic powder (in Canada): Jars of Heavenly Spices garlic powder have been recalled due to contamination with bacteria that can cause food poisoning symptoms. This garlic powder is sold across Canada. If untreated, complications can spread throughout the body.
🥫 And finally, soup cans: Amy's Kitchen, Inc., has recalled its Organic Lentil Soup – Light in Sodium because of a “potential for spoilage.” The effected cans were sold in 27 states.
BUT SPEAKING OF THE CYCLOSPORA OUTBREAK…:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating another cyclospora outbreak that is *not* linked to lettuce. 72 cases are connected to this latest outbreak. What we know
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A Secret Service agent assigned to Vance is put on leave: |
A member of Vice President Vance’s security detail has been put on administrative leave pending an internal review of whether he leaked information about the vice president, CNN reports.
Specifically: This agent may have been the source of recent MS NOW reporting that Secret Service agents were “fed up” with the Vance family’s personal travel requests. One example is how agents were uncomfortable with the plan to fly Vance’s son on a military helicopter to a golf lesson across town. The plans were later canceled.
Keep in mind: The Trump administration has tried to crack down on leaks to the press. Earlier this month, the Justice Department even subpoenaed several New York Times journalists over their reporting about the safety of the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet.
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— Oil prices spiked to over $100 per barrel this morning after an Iranian-aligned Houthi militia group attacked ships in the Red Sea. Read more
— A Washington Post-Ipsos poll this month asked Americans how they feel about three of Trump’s projects: the new White House ballroom, the Reflecting Pool renovation and the push for a new 250-foot triumphal in Washington. Nearly two thirds of Americans feel dissatisfied or upset about the three projects.
— The European Union fined Google about $1 billion, accusing the company of favoring its own products in Google Search.
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The House and Senate are in. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EDT)
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1:45 p.m.: The Senate votes on a judicial confirmation. 📆 Today’s agenda
2:30 p.m.: Trump makes an announcement at the EPA on the Ratepayer Protection Pledge.
4:30 p.m.: Trump hosts the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Rose Garden to celebrate their 2025 World Series win. 💻 Livestream
5:30 p.m.: Trump attends a policy meeting.
6 p.m.: Trump greets the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Newt Gingrich in the Oval Office.
6:15 p.m.: A test launch in Texas for SpaceX's Starship. 💻 Livestream
6 p.m. Friday: The rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner. 💻 Livestream
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🍋 Celebrate: Today is National Lemon Day! It’s also National Vanilla Ice Cream Day!
🍿 So much buzz about ‘The Odyssey’: Did you know that several famous movies are secretly versions of “The Odyssey?”
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