‘Historic Accomplishments’
Think about tonight’s presidential speech as one part early Auld Lang Syne — a look back at “the historic accomplishments” of 2025, as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described it on Fox News — and one part 2026 pep rally.
President Donald Trump’s plans include “teasing some policy that will be coming in the new year,” Leavitt said.
With the president’s party coming off a string of defeats in gubernatorial, mayoral, and other elections and smaller victory margins in special congressional elections, the Republican Party’s been openly worrying about losing seats next year. (That was the impetus for the unusual spate of district shape-shifting.) Then remember the AP-NORC poll that found that only 31% of adults surveyed said they approve of how Trump is handling the economy.
It’ll be up to Trump to motivate the people who got him into office to show up next fall when his name isn’t on the ballot. That means directing their attention to policies he’s proud of and perhaps making the case that despite high consumer prices and unemployment at a four-year high, his tariffs are going to help the economy in the long run. Tune in at 9 p.m. eastern to see whether tonight’s speech is a step in that direction. Read More
See Also:
Health-Care Vote
This will be one of those days when what Congress doesn’t vote on is as significant as what it does. The House plans to take up a health-care bill (
The measure seeks more transparency from pharmacy benefit managers and greater access to association health plans, Erin Durkin and Maeve Sheehey report.
Democrats have made clear that congressional Republicans’ refusal to extend the subsidies will figure prominently in midterm campaigns focusing on the high cost of living. Swing-district GOP House members pushed their leaders yesterday to at least allow consideration of a floor amendment, but no dice. Read More
Selective Screening
Admiral Frank Bradley, who oversaw the Sept. 2 boat strike in the Caribbean Sea, is due on Capitol Hill today to show the full, unedited video to the two armed services committees, Jamie Tarabay and Roxana Tiron report.
That follows briefings by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and comments by Trump’s chief of staff about ousting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Read More
See Also:
- Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Oil Tankers in Venezuela
- US Readies New Russia Sanctions If Putin Rejects Peace Deal
‘Undeclared War’ on Vaccines
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s abrupt change to the government’s Covid-19 vaccine recommendation and his overhaul of the panel that guides vaccine advice will go before a federal judge today.
The secretary has asked the court in Boston to dismiss a lawsuit that challenges the moves and seeks an explanation of his “undeclared war” against the long-established vaccine policy panel.
The plaintiffs include the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Public Health Association, Brian Dowling reports.
Also Read: RFK Jr. Sued by Fauci Successor Alleging Illegal Removal at NIH
Familiar Faces
If your job requires you to interact with every new member of Congress, our election expert Greg Giroux might have some good news for you: among next year’s congressional challengers are names you already know.
At least 16 ex-House members are running again for that chamber in 2026, plus some others are seeking Senate seats or publicly mulling Senate bids. Among them: former Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) is challenging incumbent Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas).
Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), a House member from 1995 to 2012 who served time for campaign fraud, is seeking his old seat. His House successor Robin Kelly is trying to win the party’s Senate nomination.
Steve Stockman (R-Texas), a House member from 1995 to 1997 and again from 2013 to 2015, is seeking a third act in Congress by running in a crowded Houston-area primary. In 2018, Stockman was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for fraud and campaign finance violations. Trump commuted Stockman’s remaining prison sentence in December 2020.
Three former US senators to watch: New Hampshire Republicans John E. Sununu and Scott Brown are both campaigning to succeed retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D), and three-term ex-Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), ousted last year by Bernie Moreno (R), is challenging Sen. Jon Husted (R) for the state’s other Senate seat. Read More
Intersection of Jobs and Weapons
One of the ways the government has an impact on the economy is by buying things. And since more than half of federal purchases are made by the Pentagon, changes there can have a giant impact.
So more than just the vendor community will take notice if Trump follows through on an idea for pushing the giant military contractors to put more money into weapons production.
Tony Capaccio reports on internal discussions about a possible executive order that would pressure defense contractors to give back less to investors through dividends and put more dollars into factories. The goal would be to get the products to the customer — the US military — a lot faster. Read More
Also Read: US Army Says It’s On Track to Deploy First US Hypersonic Weapon
Before You Go
Jared Kushner Is Back and Breaking a Vow to Avoid Politics
For a man who vowed to stay out of the political spotlight,
FanDuel Launches Federal PAC in Latest Move to Woo Washington
FanDuel Group Inc. launched a new federal PAC on Tuesday, marking the online sports betting company’s latest move to raise its profile in Washington.
Top US Aviation Regulator Confirms He Still Owns Airline Stock
The head of the
US Attorney Pirro Demotes Criminal Head as Court Losses Multiply
Chief DC prosecutor Jeanine Pirro demoted the criminal chief leading her office’s implementation of Trump’s agenda, following numerous court setbacks including a ruling that imperils the administration’s ability to re-charge former FBI Director James Comey.
Poorer Americans Dropped Federal Flood Insurance When Rates Rose
When FEMA overhauled rates for millions of homeowners in the National Flood Insurance Program in 2021, critics warned that higher prices could push poorer homeowners out of the program and potentially leave them without a safety net.
Cancer Doctors Are Making a Fortune Off Drug-Trial Participants
Physicians stand to earn big money when signing up patients for drug trials. And lately, some of those trials have been producing dubious science.
Add Us To Your Inbox
Sign up here to get Starting Line for free on weekday mornings.
To contact the reporter on this story:
To contact the editors responsible for this story: