Heard on the Hill
What we're hearing from people we trust on and around the Hill
NEXT SEASON CANCELED?: Government employees tell the Washington Reporter that the fate of Voice of America (VOA) and America’s government run-media is now in the hands of Kari Lake, a woman who they say “hates the media.” Insiders at U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) told the Reporter that they’re dealing with a nightmare scenario: Trump’s pick for VOA Director (who is held up by rules keeping Lake out of that role) is now in an even more powerful position after Trump named Lake as his Senior Advisor overseeing the entire agency. “I don’t know if she’s trying to save us or destroy us,” one said. “She brought in DOGE and doesn’t seem interested in making friends” at the agency.
BIG APPLE BORDER CZAR WANTED: The House Oversight Committee’s Made-for-TV hearings featuring the Democratic mayors of four sanctuary cities have led some to wonder whether Tom Homan needs a New York City-specific sidekick. If the Big Apple’s mayor, Eric Adams, wants to be reelected, he needs “to work hand and hand with federal partners, rid the city of illegal criminal migrants and take our city back. He must be the change agent he promised in 7 months,” a veteran New York politico told the Reporter, adding that Adams “needs an NYC border czar with relationships in D.C., who is respected by law enforcement and has zero interest in his reelection.”
BARNARD’S BIPARTISAN BLASTING: Rep. Ritchie Torres (D., N.Y.) is the latest elected official to blast Barnard College following masked protesters taking over parts of campus. “If colleges like Barnard had a clear policy of expelling students who take over private property, the hostile takeovers would end in a heartbeat,” he said. “The lack of accountability is an open invitation to lawlessness and disorder on college campuses.”
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD: Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) brought in a group of conservative influencers and content creators immediately following his one-on-one interview with the Washington Reporter. Johnson’s office said that it hopes to use these relationships to ensure that misinformation about the Republicans’ agenda is stopped before it starts, but told those in attendance that when they believe Republicans are in the wrong, they should feel free to say so.
TAKING CARE OF OUR TROOPS: Rep. Jen Kiggans (R., Va.), herself a veteran, reintroduced her Pay Our Troops Act “to ensure that our servicemembers and their families do not go without pay in the event of a government shutdown.”
PSALM 23:4: Rep. Sylvester Turner (D., Texas), who was serving his first term in the House of Representatives, passed away at the age of 70 following President Trump’s joint address to Congress.