Heard on the Hill
What we're hearing from people we trust on and around the Hill
OFF THE HILL LEADERS: Expect our first profile as part of the Washington Reporter’s new “Off the Hill Leaders” series later this week of a major executive at a technology company. Reach out to us if you have suggestions for who we profile next.
SNAP AND STATES: The White House celebrated 18 states banning junk food and soda from purchase with SNAP benefits, a top priority of both HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. Expect more action from the Administration in the lead of the 2026 midterms, as Republican policymakers consider this both sound policy and good politics.
MARSHALL AND HEALTHCARE: Sen. Roger Marshall (R., Kansas) has been pushing comprehensive legislation to lower healthcare costs with a package he’s called the “Marshall Plan.” Marshall’s plan primarily focuses on transparency in prices. Hill sources tell us that it is unlikely, to say the least, that Republicans will unite on any comprehensive healthcare legislation. But Marshall’s bill, and Doc Marshall as the salesperson for it, might be the best chance Republicans have. Marshall is at his best when he’s explaining the problems with healthcare and how to fix them.
GUESS WHO’S BACK: Rep. Andy Harris (R., Md.) was reelected as chairman of the House Freedom Caucus.
CHRISTMAS WARNING: Save Our States hosted an open banking reception this week featuring the group’s Capitol Hill and White House allies. The group handed out fliers with a simple message: “don’t let big banks steal Christmas.”
CONGRATULATIONS: Kiersten Pels, the national press secretary for the Republican National Committee, and Joey Cipollone, a law clerk at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, got engaged over the weekend. Pels is also an alum of Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) and Cipollone is a veteran of the House’s COVID Select subcommittee.