Heard on the Hill
What we're hearing from people we trust on and around the Hill
DC’S NEXT TOP LOBBYIST: Don’t forget to nominate your friends, loved ones, respected coworkers, or that very influential lobbyist you heard of for the Washington Reporter’s list of the most influential advocates in our nation’s capital! To submit a nomination, please provide the nominee’s name, affiliation, and a brief explanation of why they deserve a spot. Submissions should be emailed to matthew@washingtonreporter.news with the subject line “NOMINATION FOR INFLUENTIAL ADVOCATE.”
DONALD OF ARABIA: President Trump is hosting a joint reception with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud in Saudi Arabia for CEOs and companies.
PROM NIGHT: Secretary of State Marco Rubio brought the house down at the 21st Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute & Leadership Awards, also known as “Latino prom” by many of its attendees. Rubio received the organization’s Lifetime Leadership Award for his “exceptionally impactful services to the Hispanic community of the United States.” One attendee told the Reporter that he “gave an unbuttoned and rather charming acceptance speech and quipped the lifetime award could be preemptive because ‘you don’t know what [else] I’m going to do in the next 3 years.’” Rubio, who is currently wearing many hats in the Trump administration, revealed that he has another job he has at least one eye on: “Do you know you get a uniform if you're Surgeon General? I wanted it, but they had given it away.”
OK NEWS: Sen. James Lankford (R., Okla.) hosted a book signing for his new book, Turnaround: America's Revival, this week. Lankford’s book was published through Newsmax’s publishing company, so it was no surprise that the network’s top talent turned up. Greta Van Susteren and Rob Schmitt moderated the event; also spotted were Mike Carter, Bob Sellers, Kelly Sadler, Alana Austin, and Mimi Barnes.
INDEPENDENCE DAY: As Israel celebrated its Independence Day this week, the Israeli Embassy hosted a series of celebratory events that featured many top Trump administration officials. Its Monday evening reception included Secretary Doug Burgum, Secretary Chris Wright, Envoy Steve Witkoff, and others. The audience also included the Zionist Organization of America’s Mort Klein, Chabad’s Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Omri and Merav Ceren, Doug Feith, Roger Zakheim, and Bonnie Glick and Paul Foldi.
RAVE REVIEWS: Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy’s decision to allocate billions of dollars to modernizing America’s air traffic control system is already getting praised by the industry. Airlines for America’s CEO Nicholas Calio joined Duffy at the announcement, and he noted that he is “pleased that the Secretary has identified the priorities of what must be done to maintain safety and remain a leader in air navigation services. We applaud the Administration’s budget request of $4 billion for FAA’s technology and facilities account (F&E), which is higher than ever before.”
NOT ON YOUR SIDE? Top Department of Justice officials got a letter this week from Consumers’ Research, outlining how Nationwide “repeatedly reaffirmed that DEI is in its DNA and its actions,” which the group argues runs counter to President Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders.
FILIBUSTERING: Amidst a Democratic filibuster of bipartisan stablecoin legislation, Sen. John Thune’s communications director, Ryan Wrasse, noted that “just a few months ago, Dems were literally campaigning on a platform to abolish the filibuster, but since being relegated to the minority, they've been using it regularly.”
MAZEL TOV: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin hosted a Mezuzah and Torah ceremony, featuring the “Hebrew hammer,” Rep. Randy Fine (R., Fla.), Rabbi Levi Shemtov, and others.
FACT CHECK: Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R., La.) team pushed back on a claim from Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.) that Congress “quietly canceled” a vote on rescission this week. “No votes on rescissions were ‘cancelled’ this week,” Johnson’s press secretary, Athina Lawson, wrote. “The Speaker has repeatedly expressed his commitment to save taxpayer funds via the rescissions process.”
FUNDING PROBLEMS: As Congress debates Planned Parenthood’s funding in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” a new report from Live Action is making waves that showed that Planned Parenthood “prescribing hormones to minors with minimal oversight.” Live Action president, Lila Rose, noted that “this is not healthcare. It is child abuse, and it must be stopped.”
