HE’S IN: Rep. Ronny Jackson (R., Texas) announced that he’s running to be the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC). “Serving on the House Armed Services Committee has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and I am committed to ensuring America’s military remains the strongest, most capable fighting force in the world,” Jackson said. “As Chairman, I will work to strengthen our national defense, support our servicemembers and their families, advance President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda, and safeguard America for generations to come. I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues and leading the committee during this critical time in our country’s history.”
WORKING NINE TO FIVE: Sen. Rick Scott (R., Fla.) is floating the idea of having the Senate work five days a week, arguing that the Upper Chamber’s current work schedule is “not fair to the hardworking Americans who deserve representatives who work as hard as they do.”
PRAISE FOR PULTE: While Bill Pulte is making daily waves as the Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI), a report from Plymouth Union Public Research praised him for his work heading the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). “FHFA Director Bill Pulte is also taking action to remove barriers to homeownership,” the report noted. “Pulte has been a persistent critic of FICO and its impact on American consumers and homeowners. In November 2025, FHFA removed minimum credit score requirements for any loans submitted to its loan processing software. With the announcement, Pulte wrote that this is a “[b]ig deal for consumers. Small or nothing deal for underwriting…to ensure two scores can be used and not just one, we eliminated requirement for FICO.” In recent months, Pulte has been raising awareness about how the credit score monopoly held by FICO is hurting consumers. He has consistently highlighted how the seemingly insignificant cost of a credit score can have a material impact on the cost of a home. That is why as FHFA Director, Pulte worked to add competition to the credit score marketplace and permitted the use of a new credit score in order to foster competition in the marketplace. Pulte announced in April 2026 that Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration will now accept two new credit scoring models: VantageScore 4.0 and FICO Score 10T.”
PAXTON CASH: Ken Paxton, the GOP’s nominee for the open Senate seat in Texas, is heading to Utah for an August fundraiser, according to an invitation obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter. Doug Quezada, who is hosting the fundraiser alongside Ben Rogers, told the Reporter that he’s “proud to host Ken Paxton in Utah once again. Ken has been a friend for many years, and I’ve watched him take on hard fights when it would have been far easier to stay quiet. Texas and Utah share a bond — we show up for people who don’t fold, and Utah punches above its weight in national politics. Ken knows that, and we’re glad to support him in this historic race.”
MONEY MAN: President Donald Trump’s signature is officially on the next $100 bills. Check out the video from the Treasury Department here.
THAT AGED POORLY: Following Graham Platner’s implosion, some Maine political observers are pointing back to Annie Karni’s New York Times August 2025 piece which helped catapult Platner to stardom as having aged like spilled milk. Karni’s piece specifically cited Platner’s “light social media footprint” as an asset for his campaign. Platner’s Reddit posts were some of the many problems that plagued his campaign, which he suspended shortly after the Washington Reporter first covered that he would do so.
RONJOHN FULL STEAM AHEAD: Grace Carnathan, Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R., Wis.) communications director, confirmed that Johnson “is prepared to serve as Budget chair when announced,” following the tragic death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.).
ANOTHER RUBIO WIN: An op-ed by Bonnie Glick about Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s “masterstroke” in Lebanon is making the rounds on Capitol Hill and in the Trump administration. Read Glick’s piece in Townhall here.
HAPPY BIRTHDAYS: The Washington Reporter wants to wish Glenda Anderson, Taylor Coutroulis, Jacob Porwisz, and Jack Roberts happy birthdays.
