• VICTORY AT LAST: For years, Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) waged a longshot battle against the system on behalf of Captain Royce Williams, a 100-year-old constituent who will now receive a long overdue Congressional Medal of Honor. This week, President Donald Trump himself delivered the news, personally calling Williams and telling him that he will receive “the ultimate honor.” Williams told the president that he feels “wonderful” upon hearing the news. Williams’s heroism during the Korean War is quite literally what legends are made of and movies attempt to depict, yet the bid for him to receive a Medal of Honor languished for years, due to bureaucratic inertia, opposition within the Pentagon, and unsurprisingly, refusal from Democrats to work with Issa and take on either one. The Wall Street Journal summarized his heroism as follows: “Lt. Williams picked off jets in a tussle that lasted more than 30 minutes — an astonishing duration, given that dogfights tend to be measured in seconds. He escaped into the clouds only when he was out of ammunition, and managed to limp his badly damaged F9F-Panther back to land on the carrier USS Oriskany…By singlehandedly shooting down four MiG-15s in a single fight, ‘Royce Williams had accomplished what no other American fighter pilot would ever accomplish,’ Thomas McKelvey Cleaver wrote in a history of the Korean naval air campaign.” Following Trump’s call, Issa praised the heroism of his friend: “What Royce did is — still to this day — the most unique U.S.-Soviet aerial combat dogfight in the history of the Cold War, and one in which Royce Williams demonstrated indomitable courage of the highest skill under incalculable duress. It is my honor to have fought all these years for Royce to gain a recognition that he has not sought, but so richly deserves.”
  • SALUTE TO SERVICE: President Donald Trump also awarded Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis the Medal of Honor this week. Ollis was killed by a suicide bomber while protecting a Polish army officer, 2nd Lt. Karol Cierpica, during the War in Afghanistan. Following Trump’s announcement, Ollis’s heroism was immediately praised by many, including Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who noted that “this story is a symbol of the unbreakable bond that connects Poland and the United States. Our nations serve shoulder to shoulder, defending shared values, freedom and democracy.”
  • BLUEGRASS POLL: A new Emerson College Polling/FOX 56 News poll shows Rep. Andy Barr (R., Ky.) narrowly leading the GOP primary to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) with plurality support. Alex Bellizzi, Barr’s spokesman, said of the findings that “this poll shows what Kentuckians have been seeing on the ground for months: Andy Barr is the strongest candidate in this race. Andy leads in the polls, is the only candidate dominating Democrats in the general election, has more major endorsements than both campaigns combined, and is crushing his competition in the race for fundraising with ten times the cash-on-hand his nearest opponent.”
  • A NEW ERA: The Republican Communication Association (RCA) unveiled its new leadership. Miranda Dabney, who works on the House Appropriations Committee, will continue serving as president. Her team will also consist of Vice President Grace Davis, who works for Rep. Tim Moore (R., N.C.), Treasurer Rosie Wilson, who works for the House GOP Conference, Professional Development Directors Alex Bellizzi and Katherine Vittone, who work for Reps. Andy Barr (R., Ky.) and Laurel Lee (R., Fla.), Social Directors Olivia Morgan and Lauren Ridinger, who work for Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R., La.) and Rep. Riley Moore (R., W.Va.) and Digital Directors Kadin Asbery and Caroline Brigham, who work for Rep. Mike Bost (R., Ill.) and for the House Financial Services Committee. Following her resounding win, Dabney told the Washington Reporter, “it’s really such a joy to serve this organization that has given me so much over the years. I’m standing on the shoulders of giants — a long line of incredible leaders who made RCA what it is. Having genuine friendships and social connections outside of our 9-5 work relationships is so crucial, both for our Majority and for the Republican landscape at-large. RCA is a big part of that. I have a great team with the newly-elected executive board, and my hope is that we leave RCA better than we found it.”
  • TREND SETTER: Rep. Andy Barr (R., Ky.) backed the Trump-endorsed opponent to Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.). Just minutes later, so too did one of Barr’s GOP primary opponents, Nate Morris.
  • TRUMPRX SUPPORT: Shortly after President Donald Trump announced TrumpRx, CVS Health was quick to praise the program. “CVS Health is proud to serve as a core partner to the TrumpRx Fertility program through our Specialty Pharmacy,” the company said. “For all of us who are committed to providing affordable access to medicine, today’s launch of TrumpRx marks another step forward.”
  • LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL: Washington Mardi Gras took over the nation’s capital, with festivities ranging from the Washington Hilton to the Anthem to the National Portrait Gallery. Throughout the weekend, congressional leaders like Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R., La.), and Sens. Bill Cassidy (R., La.) and John Kennedy (R., La.) entertained guests at Louisiana Alive, the Captain’s Dinner Dance, and the Mardi Gras Ball. Among those spotted around town were Hunter Lovell, Stephen Lewerenz, Anna Marian Block, Alex Washington, Peyton Harvey, Mary Elizabeth Stringer, Benjamin Sumner, Anna Blake Langley, Ainsley Bice, Jocelyn Quinn, Eugenie Davis, Blake Nolan, Brett Richards, Mikhail Love, Bryn McCarthy, Libbey Dean, Gray Stream, Sarah Heebe, Sarah Selip, Anna Catherine Strong, Benjamin Luke, Kevin Norton, Victoria Vincent, and Angelina Nelms.