NARA’s plan for America at 250, victim families decry Biden’s last-minute clemency, and more!
How the Archives will celebrate America’s 250th birthday; an anti-Israel group is trying to get GOP Hill staff to Israel; Heard on the Hill; and more!
May 13, 2025
Let’s dive in.
INTERVIEW: The National Archives's plans for America at 250 and how to make "America's mysteries" accessible to all
Heard on the Hill
EXCLUSIVE: Families devastated by Biden's last-minute clemency meet with Pam Bondi, thank Trump "for fighting for justice"
EXCLUSIVE: Pro-BDS group recruiting Republican Hill staff for free Israel trip
SCOOP: Kennedy Center is "in fantastic shape artistically" as National Symphony Orchestra plays rare and expensive shows
K-STREET, 10,000 FEET: Cracking down on illicit Chinese vapes is a “winning issue” for Republicans
OPINIONATED: Reps. Troy Nehls, Pete Stauber, Clay Higgins, and Gabe Evans on how the House GOP is Backing the Blue during National Police Week and all year long, Matt Kandrach on American energy dominance, and Ron Radloff and Danny Watkins Jr. on why “double drawback” is double talk
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INTERVIEW: The National Archives's plans for America at 250 and how to make "America's mysteries" accessible to all
by Matthew Foldi
THE LOWDOWN:
Senior Adviser to the Acting National Archivist, Jim Byron caught up with the Washington Reporter on the agency’s plans for America’s 250th birthday celebration and more.
Byron was charged by President Donald Trump with “manag[ing] the National Archives on a day-to-day basis” until an Archivist can be appointed. While Byron has only held the job for three months, he’s a veteran when it comes to dealing with the National Archives.
The former CEO of the Nixon Foundation, Byron is taking the spirit of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to the Archives.
Byron’s final America 250 goal is hosting “a big birthday party on or around July 4th of 2026 with extended hours, an opportunity for people to actually come in and take a look at the Declaration of Independence and read it for themselves.”
The National Archives is where many of “America’s mysteries” find their permanent home and Jim Byron, Senior Adviser to the Acting Archivist of the United States, has a front-row seat to many of them from his office just 100 steps away from the Declaration of Independence.
“You have to know your history in order to know what's going on today, and then that will inform how to deal with the future,” Byron told the Washington Reporter in an interview.
Byron was charged by President Donald Trump with “manag[ing] the National Archives on a day-to-day basis” until an Archivist can be appointed. While Byron has only held the job for three months, he’s a veteran when it comes to dealing with the National Archives, after spending years working at the Richard Nixon Foundation, including three-and-a-half years as its President and CEO.
“The biggest thing that surprised me,” he told the Reporter, “is how thinly spread the agency is.”
“NARA has been trying to do too much for too long,” Byron continued. “What I can help it do is get back to its core mission and function, which is preserving the history of the United States government and making that history available to the American people. It's that simple. And it will be a more effective agency.”
In that vein, Byron is taking the spirit of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to the Archives.
“What we're taking a look at now, as the whole government is, are ways to get back to core mission and function and statutory requirements that come from Congress,” Byron said.
One of Trump’s top priorities in his second term is maximizing transparency, which has kept the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) constantly in the news. NARA and its facilities across America are responsible for helping with the digitization and release of tens of thousands of documents — including documents on the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Byron spoke extensively with the Reporter last month about the first tranche of 10,000 new RFK files released. He said then that little within those initial 10,000 documents indicated anyone other than Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian terrorist, was the likely assassin of Kennedy.
Heard on the Hill
MAKING AIRWAVES: Maria Bartiromo's Mornings with Maria covered the Washington Reporter’s story: “EXCLUSIVE: Biden's Department of Energy doled out almost $100 billion in "Green New Deal wish list" in final weeks.” Watch that clip here.
IN-HOUSE MVP: While Republicans lost the annual Congressional Soccer Game to the Democrats, multiple attendees told the Washington Reporter that one Republican freshman stood out: Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R., Fla.). Haridopolos was praised as an "MVP" by many in the audience for his throw-in ability and for his tenacity during the game.
SHALOM, BITCHES: Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R., Wis.) was caught on film walking up to a group of Code Pink agitators saying, "Shalom bitches," and walking away.
EXECUTE ORDER 47: The Department of Energy rolled out plans to slash "47 burdensome and costly regulations, delivering [the] first milestone in America’s biggest deregulatory effort."
DIALING IN: Senate Republicans are working to ensure that the tax on foundations and college endowments is included in the final reconciliation, and expect a push for a higher rate the House set.
NEVER FORGET: Following Yom HaShoah, Israel's commemoration of the Holocaust, Saul Anuzis wrote an important story about the modern-day significance of "Never Forget."
‘BAZOOKA’ DON: President Donald Trump sent a shockwave through the healthcare industry with this week's executive order. Marcel Kaminstein, a partner at Tactic Global and the CEO of the AiBioTek Association, told the Reporter that Trump "just launched a bazooka at the global pharma establishment with his new 'most favored nation' executive order on drug pricing."
AI LIKE WHAT I’M SEEING: President Trump is expected to end the Biden diffusion rule, giving a huge win to the AI industry.
SEE AND BE SEEN: Spotted at the lunch between President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman lunch in Saudi Arabia: Larry Fink; Dina Powell; Alex Karp; Sam Altman; Elon Musk; Antonio Gracias; Omeed Malik; Ruth Porat; Travis Kalanick; Andy Jassey; and Ray Dalio.
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EXCLUSIVE: Families devastated by Biden's last-minute clemency meet with Pam Bondi, thank Trump "for fighting for justice"
by Matthew Foldi
THE LOWDOWN:
AG Pam Bondi hosted several of the families directly affected by former President Biden’s last-minute commutations at the DOJ, and several of the families spoke with the Washington Reporter about what it meant for the federal government to actually listen to them.
Among those who met with Bondi were Doug McCrae, Danny Major, and Heather Turner — the family members of Donna Major, one of two women murdered in a 2017 bank robbery by Brandon Council.
While Turner told the Reporter that she knows that the death penalty won’t bring her mother back, she is tired of paying for meals for her mother’s killer. Major’s family all insisted that Biden’s move was “political,” something they wished it wouldn’t be.
While Biden commuted 37 death row sentences, he did not commute the remaining three, those of the Boston Marathon bomber, the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooter, or the Tree of Life Synagogue shooter.
Just before Christmas 2024, dozens of families across America heard the unthinkable: President Joe Biden was commuting the death sentences of the criminals convicted of murdering their loved ones.
Months later, Attorney General Pam Bondi welcomed several to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to try and slightly right the wrongs they suffered.
Nowhere in Biden’s proclamation did he insist that any of the 37 death row inmates were wrongly convicted — many viewed his last-second clemency as more of a back-door path to abolish the death penalty than anything related to justice.
Bondi hosted several of the families directly affected by these commutations at the DOJ, and several of the families spoke with the Washington Reporter about what it meant for the federal government to actually listen to them.
“Absolutely,” the Christmas timing of the decisions hurt them, the families all said.
“It was like a Christmas present for the killers,” one family member, who requested anonymity out of fear for her life, told the Reporter. That individual was particularly angry that her relative’s murderer has art lessons in prison.
Biden, the victim said, “dismantled the justice system” via these commutations.
“What the eff?” the family member added.
Among those who met with Bondi were Doug McCrae, Danny Major, and Heather Turner — the family members of Donna Major, one of two women murdered in a 2017 bank robbery by Brandon Council.
Council received a commutation on his death sentence from Biden.
Donna Major’s family heard virtually nothing from the Biden administration, apart from in May 2024, when they were told that Biden was considering granting a commutation — which they vehemently opposed, to deaf ears. None of the families the Reporter spoke to had heard from a federal official higher than a U.S. Attorney, they said.
“My heart shattered” upon hearing the news, Turner said. Biden “does not get the anxiety of doing every day tasks” like she does following her mother’s murder.
EXCLUSIVE: Pro-BDS group recruiting Republican Hill staff for free Israel trip
by Matthew Foldi
THE LOWDOWN:
An anti-Israel group that backs the anti-Semitic boycott, divest, and sanctions (BDS) movement is recruiting Republican Hill staff for its 13th trip to Israel, emails obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter reveal.
Rebuilding Alliance (RA) both backs BDS and falsely accuses Israel of “state terrorism” and of “ethnic cleansing” — and it is currently aiming to convince more Republicans to join its next staff delegation to “Jerusalem, West Bank, and Amman.”
One veteran House staffer, who has received multiple RA invitations, told the Reporter that while he won’t go on an RA trip, he has not received outreach from other organizations providing similar trips.
The staffer’s previous boss in Congress “chaired multiple Israel caucuses and I never received any outreach by pro-Israel groups then either,” he said.
An anti-Israel group that backs the anti-Semitic boycott, divest, and sanctions (BDS) movement is recruiting Republican Hill staff for its 13th trip to Israel, emails obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter reveal.
Rebuilding Alliance (RA) both backs BDS and falsely accuses Israel of “state terrorism” and of “ethnic cleansing” — and it is currently aiming to convince more Republicans to join its next staff delegation to “Jerusalem, West Bank, and Amman.”
“Our trips always include both Republicans and Democrats,” RA writes in its invitation, obtained by the Reporter.
SCOOP: Kennedy Center is "in fantastic shape artistically" as National Symphony Orchestra plays rare and expensive shows
by Matthew Foldi
THE LOWDOWN:
Under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Richard Grenell, the Kennedy Center is “in fantastic shape artistically,” a longtime member of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) told the Washington Reporter.
He added that recent performances of Shostakovich’s Fourth Symphony and Mahler’s Sixth Symphony prove recent predictions of the Center’s demise to be premature.
The productions are also incredibly costly because both require expanded orchestras. Mahler’s Sixth Symphony famously features multiple horns and a “big-ass hammer.”
Grenell’s work is finding quick approval among Republicans in Congress. Rep. Mike Simpson (R., Idaho), who oversees federal funding for capital repairs and operations and maintenance at the Kennedy Center as Chairman of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, previously told the Reporter that he’s behind Grenell’s efforts to eliminate DEI initiatives within the Kennedy Center.
Under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Richard Grenell, the Kennedy Center is “in fantastic shape artistically,” a longtime member of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) told the Washington Reporter.
He added that recent performances of Shostakovich’s Fourth Symphony and Mahler’s Sixth Symphony prove recent predictions of the Center’s demise to be premature.
In recent weeks, the NSO has put on both rare — and incredibly expensive — shows at the Center. The prestigious cultural center’s showcase of Shostakovich’s Fourth and Mahler’s Sixth Symphonies gave both the artists themselves a sense of pride and the community a splash of culture.
“Most musicians only get one or two shots at pieces like this,” an industry veteran explained to the Reporter. “During my 25 years in full-time orchestras, I’ve done both only twice.”
The productions are also incredibly costly because both require expanded orchestras.
“[Mahler’s Sixth is] rarely played for two main reasons: it’s incredibly hard and very expensive,” the industry veteran said. “We have to hire a lot of extra musicians. There are 8 horns, 6 trumpets, etc.”
The NSO member explained that “the orchestra being able to play these works in back-to-back weeks shows that we and the Kennedy Center more broadly are in fantastic shape artistically.”
K-STREET, 10,000 FEET:
Cracking down on illicit Chinese vapes is a “winning issue” for Republicans
by the Washington Reporter
THE LOWDOWN:
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary answered the calls of parents, law enforcement, and elected officials across the country to take action on illicit Chinese vapes in a recent interview.
Makary doubled down on President Trump’s commitment to “Save Vaping” and act on illegal vapes made by Chinese manufacturers, saying that the Trump administration is “specifically looking to end the ‘port shopping’ of incoming black market vape shipments.”
A former senior law enforcement official with decades of experience taking on cartels and criminals engaged in illicit drug trafficking told the Washington Reporter that, while Commissioner Makary’s comments are an important step, it is one of many that could be taken.
Another idea gaining momentum is diverting FDA user fees to provide state and local law enforcement resources they would need to provide “boots-on-the-ground” support.
Cracking down on illicit vapes flowing into America from China has become a “winning issue” for Republicans as the Trump administration moves to make America healthy again.
In a wide-ranging interview on Fox News, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary answered the calls of parents, law enforcement, and elected officials across the country to take action on illicit Chinese vapes.
Makary doubled down on President Trump’s commitment to “Save Vaping” and act on illegal vapes made by Chinese manufacturers, telling the Washington Examiner last week that the Trump administration is “specifically looking to end the ‘port shopping’ of incoming black market vape shipments.”
A former senior law enforcement official with decades of experience taking on cartels and criminals engaged in illicit drug trafficking told the Washington Reporter that, while Commissioner Makary’s comments are an important step, it is one of many that could be taken.
“Commissioner Makary’s comments are heartening as it shows that unlike the Biden-Harris administration, the Trump Administration is listening and understands the problem,” the former senior law enforcement official said.
“Attacking this problem with a comprehensive state and federal strategy could become the modern-day ‘Broken Windows’ strategy when it comes to attacking an issue that would greatly impact public health and public safety in every community across our country,” the official continued.
OPINIONATED
Op-Ed: Reps. Pete Stauber, Troy Nehls, Clay Higgins, and Gabe Evans: House Republicans Back the Blue
by Reps. Pete Stauber, Troy Nehls, Clay Higgins, and Gabe Evans
This National Police Week, our nation remembers those who bravely served our communities in uniform and who made the ultimate sacrifice upholding the law.
Despite these sacrifices, President Joe Biden and Democrats turned their backs on law enforcement officers across America for the last four years. By allowing millions of illegal immigrants into our country and by passing soft-on-crime policies, the radical Left put local law enforcement officers’ lives in danger.
Now, with President Donald Trump in the White House and with Republicans in control of Congress, America’s law enforcement can rest assured knowing we will always back the blue.
As former law enforcement officers now serving in Congress, we are dedicated to enacting legislation to better the lives of our fellow officers. This National Police Week, the U.S. House of Representatives plans to pass three significant pieces of legislation to improve officers' lives.
The first is the Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act. This bipartisan bill will strengthen protections for law enforcement officers by enhancing data collection on attacks against police. In 2024, of the 342 officer-involved shootings in the line of duty, 50 officers lost their lives. Unfortunately, these numbers don’t even account for the number of unreported incidents or those not fully documented. This bill aims to close the reporting gaps and provide a clearer picture of the daily threats officers face.
The next bipartisan bill the House plans to pass during National Police Week is the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Reform Act (LEOSA). The LEOSA Reform Act would extend qualified law enforcement officers' concealed carry privileges beyond the current law. This legislation will allow trained professionals to respond quickly to emergencies in public spaces, improving public safety.
Op-Ed: Matt Kandrach: A state-led lawsuit is working against Trump’s American energy dominance
by Matt Kandrach
On the day his second term began, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Unleashing American Energy,” focused on driving American energy dominance through an “all-of-the-above” policy. This comprehensive approach encourages domestic exploration and production, ensures all regulatory requirements are grounded in clear law, and prohibits federal funding contrary to this important effort from being employed. However, a lawsuit filed by 11 state Attorneys General has the potential to run counter to President Trump’s pursuit of strengthening America’s energy industry by forcing their divestment from coal companies. Such a move would negatively affect the stock price of coal companies and limit their access to capital markets and harm the very industry that President Trump is seeking to support.
The lawsuit, filed last year by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard, misfires, not because these companies are flawless, but because the facts and market realities don’t support the case.
As the leader of a free-market consumer advocacy group, I’ve supported the efforts of Republican Attorneys General to hold accountable asset managers who overstep by prioritizing ideological agendas over their fiduciary duty. Ensuring that financial firms don’t misuse their influence to push environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities in ways that harm consumers or violate their mandates is both reasonable and necessary. But, this lawsuit is inaccurate and could bring harm to consumers, the American energy market, and President Trump’s energy dominance policy goals.
Op-Ed: Ron Radloff and Danny Watkins Jr.: “Double drawback” is double talk and a Deep State fiction
by Ron Radloff and Danny Watkins, Jr.
One benefit of being from a farm community, as our members are is that you can count on your neighbors to look you in the eye, talk to you straight, and mean what they say.
Politicians, in contrast, communicate a different way: in double talk. Especially when they claim to stand up for “working people” but actually represent special interests.
We can expect Washington flimflammers to say one thing but mean the complete opposite, come up with clever tag lines to further confuse the issue, and conjure up fake statistics out of thin air.
And what do they do when we confront them with facts contradicting their doublespeak? What else? Double down.
An example of such double talk, and doubling down, was former Rep. Brad Wenstrup’s (R., Ohio) recent Washington Reporter op-ed opposing a supposed “double duty drawback” for tobacco products. Understanding why begins with recognizing what a “duty drawback” is, what it’s for, and how it works.
The duty drawback didn’t “originat(e) in Congressional actions in 1984 and 2004,” as the former representative from Ohio cynically asserts, but goes back to Alexander Hamilton (yes, that Hamilton) in 1789. The first Treasury Secretary prioritized not only creating a source of income for the new government in the form of tariffs but also helping its fledgling economy — and American workers — compete in international trade.
So, he proposed, and Congress established, a refund from tariffs, called a “drawback,” given when imported products were subsequently exported.
