Heard on the Hill
What we're hearing from people we trust on and around the Hill
BIG TECH PRAISE: Microsoft’s decision to follow President Trump’s directive to cut off services to the corrupt ICC is winning big praise on Capitol Hill. One Congressional official said, “Microsoft did the right thing under enormous pressure — and that’s another reason why they have the best standing on the Hill of any big tech company.”
TAKING ON IRAN: Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee flagged several pieces of legislation that committee members have rolled out in recent weeks to keep Americans safe from the genocidal mullahs in Tehran. Those bills include the “DHS Vehicular Terrorism Prevention and Mitigation Act” introduced by Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R., Fla.), the “Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2024” introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.), the “Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act” introduced by Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R., Texas), and the “Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act,” introduced by Rep. August Pfluger (R., Texas).
GAME ON: Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) raised more than $450,000 for his 2026 campaign at his annual Politics & Policy forum last night. Spotted — Sens. John Thune (R., S.D.), John Barrasso (R., Wyo.), Susan Collins (R., Maine), Roger Marshall (R., Kansas), Bill Hagerty (R., Tenn.), John Boozman (R., Ark.), Tim Sheehy (R., Mont.), Jon Husted (R., Ohio), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R., Miss.), Steve Daines (R., Mont.), and Dan Sullivan (R., Alaska).
WE KNOW WHAT A WOMAN IS: One of the largest groups dedicated to electing Republican women kicked off the 2026 cycle last night. Meredith Allen Dellinger told the Reporter that “Winning For Women Action Fund is leading the charge to grow the ranks of qualified, exceptional, Republican women in Congress — and our success this week is proof that this effort has serious support and is a winning strategy. Bringing together top leaders from both chambers and broader party coalitions shows the strength of our network and our mission. With nearly $400,000 in hard dollars, we’re just getting started.” Among the attendees were Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R., W.Va.), Susan Collins (R., Maine) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R., Miss.), Reps. Tom Emmer (R., Minn.), Erin Houchin (R., Ind.), Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.), Sheri Biggs (R., S.C.), Kat Cammack (R., Fla.), Monica De La Cruz (R., Texas), Michelle Fischbach (R., Minn.), Craig Goldman (R., Texas), Diana Harshbarger (R., Tenn.), Ashley Hinson (R., Iowa), Jen Kiggans (R., Va.), Young Kim (R., Calif.), Nicole Malliotakis (R., N.Y.), Carol Miller (R., W.Va.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R., Iowa), John McGuire (R., Va.), August Pfluger (R., Texas), Jefferson Shreve (R., Ind.) and Beth Van Duyne (R., Texas). Also spotted were Annie Dickerson, Danielle Barrow, Meredith Allen Dellinger, Caroline Lampen, Brenda Becker, Jessica Furst Johnson, Lauren Bryan, Parker Poling, Brian Baker, Michael Ahrens, Dan Conston, Domenic Re, Mark Fraenkel, Matthew Foldi, Wesley Harkins, Betsy Ankney, Marie Sanderson, Elliott Husbands, Torunn Sinclair, Theresa Vaccaro, and Ana Marina Ingham.
UNION BUNKER BUSTER: Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) and Mary Katharine Ham are teaming up with the Public Labor Union Accountability Committee (PLUAC) for an event tomorrow to discuss Senator Ernst’s legislation, the Protecting Taxpayers’ Wallets Act of 2025. The bill would require unions to reimburse the feds for the time and resources federal government employees used to promote the union’s activities. Those interested in attending can RSVP here.
PRESSURE COOKER: One Nation, one of the largest Thune-aligned Senate groups, is airing ads targeting Sen. Jon Ossoff (D., Ga.), urging him to vote for the “working family tax cuts” that President Donald Trump and Sen. John Thune (R., S.D.) are shepherding through the Senate.
LIVE-ACTION VICTIM ROLEPLAY: The Kennedy Center’s President, Ambassador Richard Grenell, criticized Sen. John Hickenlooper (D., Colo.) for trying to politicize the arts center by hosting “what his team billed as a first annual Talent show.” However, Grenell noted that “we were only later notified by the New York Times that Senator Hickenlooper's event was instead an invite-only political stunt where, once again, the Kennedy Center was being used by political operatives to larp as victims of intolerance in order to get a story in the Times.”
