Jennifer Shutt

The Senate just advanced a judicial nominee, 43-40. 17 senators missed the vote. Serious dog days of summer.

icymi: Alaska state legislator chases bear away from fellow lawmaker outside state Capitol via Alaska Beacon alaskabeacon.com/briefs/alaska-…

Sen. Patty Murray tells me she's talked w Collins about a Senate CR w anomalies etc "Let's see what happens in the House... I understand there's some real flaws with it. I am happy to look at a bipartisan CR, but I understand there's some real problems on the House side"

House Appropriations RM Rosa DeLauro on CR -- "The decision to pursue this path without any bipartisan negotiations gives me serious reservations in moving forward."

Trump administration should preserve Reflecting Pool evidence, judge says newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-…

President Trump encourages Sen. Darline Graham to seek full, 6-year term Story by @SCDailyGazette's @jmholdman: scdailygazette.com/2026/07/17/pre…

House GOP leaders released text of a bill to fund the the federal government from Oct. 1 - Dec. 4 (after the midterm elections) The move dares Democrats to pick a shutdown fight months before voters head to the polls. politico.com/news/2026/07/1…

Taco Bell removing lettuce nationwide linked to cyclosporiasis in 5 states newsfromthestates.com/article/taco-b…

Labor nominee defends transfer of programs to agency from Education Department newsfromthestates.com/article/labor-…

US House panel approves $95B GOP-only budget blueprint newsfromthestates.com/article/us-hou…

House Budget Committee votes 20-14 to send Republicans' budget resolution to the floor after rejecting more than a dozen Dem amendments. Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, Texas Dem Rep. Veronica Escobar and Virgin Islands Dem Delegate Stacey Plaskett didn't vote.

THUNE on Speaker Johnson comments about Senate planning to adopt budget resolution for recon 3.0 before August recess, says it would be “news to me” There’s a real House-Senate R split on recon 3.0. House’s progress hasn’t broken deep Senate skepticism & issues w/ recon plans

WHOA! Check out the wildfire smoke forecast for Friday morning. It could be thick out there. Hopefully it is not at the surface and stays aloft and we can't smell it, but we will see. They were able to smell it in Boston today.

A major legislative package that would put into law President Trump’s push to greatly reduce the responsibilities of ED advanced out of a House panel. My latest for @statesnewsroom: newsfromthestates.com/article/us-hou…

House easily defeats Massie plan to cut $3.3 billion in military aid for Israel. Massie was the only Republican to vote for his amendment. The news is how many House Democrats voted for that effort.

US senators grill Blanche over ‘slush fund’ deal as he seeks attorney general confirmation My latest for @statesnewsroom: newsfromthestates.com/article/us-sen…

Sen. Roger Wicker tells us the new approach to defense funding via reconciliation in the House is “inadequate.” Do they need to do another one to get to $350 billion? “A better one.”

CDC nominee on shaky ground following US Senate confirmation hearing newsfromthestates.com/article/cdc-no…

Cassidy tells Schwartz he believes she was "way over prepped for" today's confirmation hearing. "I felt like you were always trying not to answer my question, which was disappointing."

Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy begins confirmation hearing for CDC nominee and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response nominee saying he plans to focus on vaccines. But he also brings up Ebola and Cyclosporiasis during opening statement.

SCOOP: Less than a month after the opening of a $69 million exhibit beneath the Lincoln Memorial, Park Service officials are raising alarm bells. They say rare copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment are being kept in temperatures above 80 degrees. Preservation experts tell me that's hot enough to damage the documents, which date back to the 1860s and bear Lincoln's signature. It’s the latest in a string of troubles involving upgrades to the National Mall as part of America’s 250th birthday celebrations. An NPS spokesperson told me the documents are being properly cared for. They did not answer when I asked why there was a fan pointed toward the display case. dc.citycast.fm/news/lincoln-m…