Heard on the Hill
What we're hearing from people we trust on and around the Hill
FACT CHECK: Rep. Steve Scalise (R., La.) joined Americans for Prosperity for a town hall-style conversation at AFP’s D.C. office today to discuss the importance of passing the Big, Beautiful Bill. Scalise noted that many of the same people in Congress and in the media who are attacking this bill are the same people who lied to the American people about President Joe Biden’s fitness to serve as president. Scalise went on to note several Democrats who ran interference for Biden: Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.) and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and Jasmine Crocket (D., Texas). Following the event, AFP’s Chief Government Affairs Officer, Brent Gardner, noted to the Reporter that “we heard if from the President. We heard it from Leader Scalise. We heard it this weekend during our National Day of Action when we reached out to over 90k voters. It’s time to get this done for the American people. On this, we’re all on the same page.”
SUNSHINEVILLE: The Merchant Payment Coalition (MPC) is pushing for Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D., Ill.) controversial Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) by using SMS vendor Newmode. Newmode is affiliated with radical left-wing groups such as the environmental organization the Sunrise Movement — a fact that may not make the Trump administration happy.
ANOTHER WIN: CBS News’s president abruptly resigned this week in the wake of the embattled network’s multi-billion dollar lawsuit with President Trump. Ed Paltzik, one of Trump’s attorneys, told the Reporter that “during ongoing settlement talks, CBS News and Paramount aired a new, defamatory 60 Minutes segment regarding President Trump’s legitimate and necessary executive orders addressing unlawful activity in the legal profession, including election interference and employment discrimination. CBS and Paramount’s attempts to subvert the legal process with lies and smears may necessitate additional corrective legal action, which President Trump reserves the right to pursue.”
POLITICS IS LOCAL: Interior Secretary Doug Burgum testified on the Hill today, and Rep. Mike Simpson (R., Idaho) praised the secretary “for his and the administration’s work in halting the out-of-touch Lava Ridge Wind Project.”
DOME IS GOLDEN: Several members of the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC), praised the Trump administration’s Golden Dome announcement. Reps. August Pfluger (R., Texas), Zach Nunn (R., Iowa), and Greg Steube (R., Fla.) all serve or served in the military, and they noted a series of reasons why this provision is necessary. “President Trump's Golden Dome stands as America's ultimate shield,” Pfluger said. “This innovation brings Reagan's vision into the 21st century, meeting today's deadlier threats head-on. With enemies at the gate and our future at stake, America stands united behind President Trump's unshakeable commitment to defend our homeland.”
THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE: In a survey of business conditions from the first quarter of 2025, consumer lenders see current and future business conditions at the start of the Trump administration in an overall positive light. American Financial Services Association (AFSA), the largest and oldest national consumer credit trade group, released its Consumer Credit Conditions Index (C3 Index) for Q1, which found that 35.6 percent of respondents believe conditions improved in Q1 2025 compared to Q4 2024, with 47.6 percent expecting further improvement over the next six months.
CONGRATS: Both the White House’s Jacki Kotkiewicz and the Republican Study Committee’s Calli Cooper celebrated their birthdays today. Happy birthdays!
