Rep. Brandon Gill on riots, Rep. Eric Burlison on rescissions Rep. Bill Huizenga on Newsom, and more!

Republicans tell the Reporter they’re behind Trump on immigration, a Democrat’s mistake gives the GOP some breathing room on the Big Beautiful Bill, and more

June 11, 2025

Let’s dive in.

1. INTERVIEW: Rep. Brandon Gill talks LA riots, Dallas demonstrations as so-called protesters get ready for weekend of chaos

2. Heard on the Hill

3. EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Huizenga rolls out legislation to hold Newsom accountable if roads aren't cleared

4. SCOOP: Gavin Newsom attacks Tom Cotton over LA riots

5. SCOOP: GOP rallies behind Trump on illegal immigration crackdown

6. SCOOP: Democrats’ bad math gives GOP breathing room on the Big Beautiful Bill in key district

7. K-STREET, 10,000 FEET: Consumer experts, crypto advocates warn against striking rule that could hurt Venmo, crypto

8. OPINIONATED: Rep. Eric Burlison on the rescissions package, Michelle Root on how Rep. Randy Feenstra fought for justice for her daughter and other victims of illegal immigrant crime, and Nathan Diament on how Congress can fight against the American Intifada.

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INTERVIEW: Rep. Brandon Gill talks LA riots, Dallas demonstrations as so-called protesters get ready for weekend of chaos

by the Washington Reporter

THE LOWDOWN:

• In an unsurprising move in the first year of the second Trump administration, leftist activists turned back to their 2020 playbook of burning down cities and destroying property to try and scare people into supporting their radical causes.

• Rep. Brandon Gill (R., Texas) caught up with the Washington Reporter to give his thoughts on the situation in his Texas backyard.

• “The primary issue of the 2024 elections was border security and mass deportations,” Gill told the Reporter. “It’s something [Trump] talked about extensively. It’s something every Republican talked about and all he’s doing is following through on the promises that he made to voters.”

• The Texas Republican also said does not believe the demonstrations and riots will have an impact on the Trump administration’s deportation efforts.

In an unsurprising move in the first year of the second Trump administration, leftist activists turned back to their 2020 playbook of burning down cities and destroying property to try and scare people into supporting their radical causes.

This time, that cause is allowing illegal immigration. Rioters and demonstrators have used President Donald Trump’s deportations of thousands of illegal immigrants as a springboard to push their agendas.

Amid the media’s scramble to gaslight the American public into thinking the violent demonstrations that have seen fireworks thrown, cars burned, and masks handed out are “mostly peaceful” protests, Rep. Brandon Gill (R., Texas) caught up with the Washington Reporter about the situation.

Gill’s native Dallas saw fiery demonstrations take place downtown in tandem with the Los Angeles riots and it is gearing up, like many major cities in America, to endure the “No Kings” protests — which carry several leftist and socialist backers. The backers of these protests including Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I., Vt.) campaign and eight Indivisible chapters, including the national chapter. A public Google doc lists plans for the protests, which include a song and chant sheet and an interfaith litany.

Gill told the Reporter that he fully supports President Trump’s deportation efforts and noted that the actions are “something he was elected to do.”

“The primary issue of the 2024 elections was border security and mass deportations,” Gill told the Reporter. “It’s something he talked about extensively. It’s something every Republican talked about and all he’s doing is following through on the promises that he made to voters.”

Gill said America is “a sovereign country” and that we “ought to be able to determine who comes into our country and who is allowed to stay.”

In terms of his general thoughts on President Trump’s response to the riots in California, Gill pointed out that “what we’ve seen in California is total lawlessness and a disgraceful, un-American display of hatred for not only the president, but for the rule of law.”

“You’ve had Democrats… all over the place supporting the rioters,” Gill said. “You’ve got people going in, apparently, who believe that breaking into an Apple store and looting small businesses constitutes peaceful protests and is, in some weird way, something that would lead to justice.”

Heard on the Hill

• THE SENSATION SWEEPING THE NATION: Amazon is the latest company to announce plans to invest billions in America; the company is planning to put $20 million into Pennsylvania for cloud computing infrastructure and artificial intelligence advancements. Amazon joins other firms like pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly in bringing investments back to America’s shores. Eli Lilly broke the news of its multi-billion dollar investment with the Reporter, and its CEO, David Ricks, did an interview with the Reporter about America’s new Golden Age.

• BIG GUNS: At Amazon’s annual D.C. conference, both Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, and David Sacks, the White House’s Crypto Czar, addressed thousands of attendees about topics ranging from AI to national security and beyond.

• FACE ACT REPEAL: The Biden administration weaponized the FACE Act against pro-life Americans, and the Judiciary Committee is renewing its push for a full repeal of the policy.

• INCOMING PACKAGE: Senate Finance Committee’s reconciliation package is expected to be ready this week.

• NO REWARD FOR TERRORISM: Mike Huckabee, America’s Ambassador to Israel, said that America does not support an independent Palestinian state. David Friedman, Huckabee’s predecessor in the first Trump administration, called him a “rock star ambassador” in response to the news.

• NOT SO GRASSROOTS: Democrats like Sen. Cory Booker are relying on polling from a group called Families Over Billionaires to message against renewing the Trump tax cuts. There’s a huge problem with this, as GOP commentator Matt Whitlock noted. “It's hilarious because ‘families over billionaires’ is exclusively funded by .... left-wing billionaires - Soros, Reid Hoffman, Pierre Omidyar.”

• CALLED IN: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R., Fla.) is requesting documents from Neville Singham “regarding his funding of a communist group linked to the LA riots and the CCP.” If Singham refuses, Luna said that she will “be subpoenaed.”

• FACT CHECK: Rep. Maxine Waters (D., Calif.) insisted that “there was no violence. I was on the street. I know.” A Reporter fact check found that there was in fact violence.

• YOU’RE FIRED: Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, pushed back on misleading claims from a top intelligence official who claimed that Gabbard surprised her by firing a subordinate. However, “was in fact informed of the personnel move directly by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard herself,” the Daily Wire noted.

• GEORGIA RUMBLE: Sen. Jon Ossoff (D., Ga.) is facing the first attack ads of the cycle, led by America One PAC, a super PAC supportive of Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.).

EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Huizenga rolls out legislation to hold Newsom accountable if roads aren't cleared

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• The Washington Reporter exclusively obtained Rep. Bill Huizenga’s (R., Mich.) latest legislation, the Clear the ROADs Act, which he called “a direct response to the increasing trend of unlawful traffic-obstructing protests that have been deployed across the United States.”

• Huizenga’s bill, which is backed by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), would withhold ten percent of a state’s federal highway funds if the state does not provide for reasonable efforts to “prohibit the reckless obstruction of lawful vehicle traffic on their federal-aid eligible roadways.”

• The bill would also require the Secretary of Transportation — in this case, longtime Huizenga ally Sean Duffy — to certify every year whether states meet these requirements before federal highway funds are allocated.

• Huizenga, who is considering a Senate run in Michigan, told the Reporter that his legislation “would provide the Trump administration with another tool to hold states accountable for ensuring federally funded roads aren’t overrun by dangerous roadblocking activities."

Riots in Los Angeles prompted Rep. Bill Huizenga (R., Mich.) to immediately hold Gov. Gavin Newsom (D., Calif.) accountable.

The Washington Reporter exclusively obtained Huizenga’s latest legislation, the Clear the ROADs Act, which he called “a direct response to the increasing trend of unlawful traffic-obstructing protests that have been deployed across the United States.”

Huizenga’s bill, which is backed by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), would withhold ten percent of a state’s federal highway funds if the state does not provide for reasonable efforts to “prohibit the reckless obstruction of lawful vehicle traffic on their federal-aid eligible roadways.”

The bill would also require the Secretary of Transportation — in this case, longtime Huizenga ally Sean Duffy — to certify every year whether states meet these requirements before federal highway funds are allocated.

Huizenga, who is considering a Senate run in Michigan, told the Reporter that his legislation “would provide the Trump administration with another tool to hold states accountable for ensuring federally funded roads aren’t overrun by dangerous roadblocking activities."

“If States are neglecting their duties to keep their federal taxpayer-funded roads free from these traffic-obstructing actions, then federal taxpayer funds should be withheld from those states,” Huizenga said.

“My legislation recognizes that endangering the free flow of ambulances, fire trucks, and other drivers is not an option,” he continued. “Based on Governor Gavin Newsom’s handling of the recent road-blocking riots in California, the Clear the ROADS Act would provide President Trump, Secretary Duffy, and the administration with the likely ability to penalize California’s access to roughly 400 million in taxpayer-funded federal transportation dollars.”

SCOOP: Gavin Newsom attacks Tom Cotton over LA riots

by the Washington Reporter

THE LOWDOWN:

• Gov. Gavin Newsom attacked Sen. Tom Cotton after the senator blasted the governor over the latest round of riots in the once-Golden State under his watch.

• Cotton told the Washington Reporter that we “should have no quarter for violent rioters.”

• Newsom — “Newscum,” as President Donald Trump has dubbed him — has been under fire in recent days after anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demonstrators attacked law enforcement officials.

• During the Rodney King riots of 1992, President George H.W. Bush authorized the deployment of the National Guard to deal with the acts of violence.

After allowing his state to burn during the 2020 George Floyd riots, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D., Calif.) attacked Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) after the latter blasted the governor alongside the progressive demonstrators burning cars and causing chaos in Los Angeles.

Cotton told the Washington Reporter that we “should have no quarter for violent rioters.”

“Especially the Hamas lunatics and illegal aliens waving foreign flags,” Cotton said. “It’s shameful that Gavin Newsom is putting these criminals ahead of Californians.”

In his initial post on X, formerly Twitter, Cotton called out the “threat” coming from the American Left, declaring Americans “must never tolerate this lawlessness.”

“What's happening in Los Angeles is a threat from the left,” Cotton wrote. “They demand open borders, or they will riot. And [Democrat] politicians like Newsom will back them.”

“It won't work,” he continued. “We must never tolerate this lawlessness.”

“The only one supporting lawlessness is you and every one of Trump’s minions who are allowing him to illegally militarize our city and incite violence,” replied the governor who oversaw a massive crime spike in his state.

In response, Cotton posted a picture of a demonstrator atop a cratered car waving a Mexican flag and noted the role Newsom’s backward policies played in setting the stage of Los Angeles’ destruction.

“What kind of governor blames police officers and the National Guard for ‘inciting’ this violence?” Cotton wrote. “Your policies created this mess. And California deserves a lot better.”

Newsom — “Newscum,” as President Donald Trump has dubbed him — has been under fire in recent days after anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demonstrators attacked law enforcement officials.

President Trump, in response to the chaos, has deployed the National Guard to return law and order to Los Angeles — even as Newsom decries the move as “unconstitutional.”

Unfortunately for Newsom, President Trump’s move is far from unconstitutional.

During the Rodney King riots of 1992, President George H.W. Bush authorized the deployment of the National Guard to deal with the acts of violence.

The deployment of military personnel helped to reestablish control in Los Angeles.

Newsom’s office did not respond to the Washington Reporter’s request for comment.

SCOOP: GOP rallies behind Trump on illegal immigration crackdown

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• President Donald Trump’s historic crackdown on illegal immigration is a winning issue at both the polls and on the Hill, according to several of the president’s top allies in Congress.

• Several Republican lawmakers made the declaration to the Washington Reporter in the wake of high-profile immigration-related wins from coast to coast, as well as the recent destructive riots in California that have dropped the supposed “protesters’” face masks.

• Other Trump allies in Congress, like Rep. Mike Simpson (R., Idaho), told the Reporter that Trump’s moves are exactly what he voted for.

• Rep. Bill Huizenga (R., Mich.) said that “President Trump authorized a targeted enforcement operation to remove the most dangerous individuals with criminal backgrounds who entered the United States illegally under the Biden administration.”

President Donald Trump’s historic crackdown on illegal immigration is a winning issue at both the polls and on the Hill, according to several of the president’s top allies in Congress.

Before and after rioters in Los Angeles took to the streets to destroy police cars and to protest Trump, the Trump administration touted how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had arrested over 100,000 illegal immigrants, and how Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) had seized 50,000 kilograms of meth precursor chemicals, among other wins.

Several Republican lawmakers made the declaration to the Washington Reporter in the wake of high-profile immigration-related wins from coast to coast, as well as the recent destructive riots in California that have dropped the supposed “protesters’” face masks.

Those wins alone, combined with record-breaking deportation flights, won praise from Capitol Hill.

“The previous administration not only ignored our laws but rewarded those who broke them,” Rep. Laurel Lee (R., Fla.),a former judge and federal prosecutor, told the Reporter, contrasting Trump’s wins with the failures of President Joe Biden.

“President Trump has been fighting since before he was sworn into office in January to secure our borders, enforce our laws, and protect the safety and sovereignty of our nation,” she said.

But following days of destruction in Los Angeles, Republicans told the Reporter that Trump’s moves are much-needed — and that Democrats like Gov. Gavin Newsom (D., Calif.) and Mayor Karen Bass — are failing the most basic tests of governance.

“President Trump is enforcing our laws and securing our border while politicians like Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass are protecting illegal immigrants,” Rep. Andy Barr (R., Ky.) told the Reporter.

Barr also noted that the riots make the case for one of Trump’s top legislative priorities.

SCOOP: Democrat's bad math gives GOP breathing room on Big Beautiful Bill in key district

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• Rebecca Bennett, one of several Democrats vying to challenge Rep. Tom Kean (R., N.J.), is seemingly unclear what the impact of the Big Beautiful Bill will have on the district she’s trying to represent.

• In February, Bennett claimed that “#NJ07 is home to 70,213 people who get their health care through Medicaid, including 27,444 minors, but under the current GOP budget proposal they would lose their insurance coverage.” Last week, however, Bennett had dropped that number substantially.

• Bennett’s bad math — shrinking the potential for how many New Jerseyans in the 7th District could lose their health care by several factors — isn’t the only time her online profile has gotten her in trouble.

• Bennett recently deleted tweets in which she praised far-left Democrats like Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.), prompting some to label her “a radical scam artist.”

Democrats are struggling to message against the Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill, and a rookie candidate in a potential swing district epitomizes the party’s struggles.

Rebecca Bennett, one of several Democrats vying to challenge Rep. Tom Kean (R., N.J.), is seemingly unclear what the impact of the bill will have on the district she’s trying to represent.

In February, Bennett claimed that “#NJ07 is home to 70,213 people who get their health care through Medicaid, including 27,444 minors, but under the current GOP budget proposal they would lose their insurance coverage.”

Last week, however, Bennett had dropped that number substantially.

“More than 16,000 people in NJ-07 could lose their healthcare because of the MAGA budget Tom Kean Jr. cast the deciding vote for,” she wrote.

Bennett’s bad math — shrinking the potential for how many New Jerseyans in the 7th District could lose their health care by several factors — isn’t the only time her online profile has gotten her in trouble.

Unfortunately for Bennett, recent polling suggests that she’s on the wrong side of the issue, even if her math did add up.

K-STREET, 10,000 FEET:

Consumer experts, crypto advocates warn against striking rule that could hurt Venmo, crypto

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said in a new court filing that it is asking a federal judge to vacate Rule 1033, known as the “open banking rule,” prompting consumer protection experts and cryptocurrency advocates to raise alarm bells that vacating the rule could backfire and harm consumers.

• The open banking rule began during the first Trump administration as Republicans and administration officials worked together to clarify and make improvements to Dodd-Frank. Dodd-Frank was legislation passed in the wake of the 2008 Great Recession and set extensive new rules and regulations for banking.

• The Future of Privacy Forum’s Zoe Strickland explained that 1033 is critical to protecting consumer privacy because it shares responsibilities on both data providers but also recipients.

• Conservatives and consumer advocates alike have made similar arguments — including in the pages of the Washington Reporter.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said in a new court filing that it is asking a federal judge to vacate Rule 1033, known as the “open banking rule,” prompting consumer protection experts and cryptocurrency advocates to raise alarm bells that vacating the rule could backfire and harm consumers.

The open banking rule began during the first Trump administration as Republicans and administration officials worked together to clarify and make improvements to Dodd-Frank.

Dodd-Frank was legislation passed in the wake of the 2008 Great Recession and set extensive new rules and regulations for banking.

One of conservatives’ numerous complaints with Dodd-Frank was that it gave big banks too much control over the financial sector.

Rule 1033 was written to provide clarity and give consumers control over their own financial data so they could use tools they actually like to manage their family finances, like Venmo, Stripe, and others.

Key lawmakers have made it clear that Rule 1033 provisions are critical. Rep. Andy Barr (R., Ky.) explained during a hearing that “open banking can empower consumers with more control over their financial information, foster competition, and spur the development of new tools and services."

Likewise, Rep. Roger Williams (R., Texas) talked about the importance of 1033 data sharing, saying that “these partnerships allow smaller institutions to offer cutting-edge digital tools… and compete with largest national banks.”

The Future of Privacy Forum’s Zoe Strickland explained that 1033 is critical to protecting consumer privacy because it shares responsibilities on both data providers but also recipients.

Strickland told the Reporter that “if you don’t have open banking rules, you don’t have that ability to really put those controls in space.”

Conservatives and consumer advocates alike have made similar arguments — including in the pages of the Washington Reporter.

OPINIONATED

Op-Ed: Rep. Eric Burlison: Put up or shut up: Why Congress must pass President Trump’s rescissions package

by Rep. Eric Burlison

After years of unchecked spending and the relentless expansion of a bloated administrative state that demands ever-increasing amounts of power and resources, the American taxpayer has been relegated to an afterthought in Washington’s priorities.

Washington’s leaders, reluctant to surrender their own interests for those of whom they represent, have driven our national debt to more than $36 trillion. Just since 2020, the federal debt has grown by over $12 trillion—an amount equal to the debt accumulated under two centuries of American presidents.

While politicians shake hands and rack up accolades for being ‘America’s problem solvers,’ hardworking Americans have been left to foot the bills for reckless spending projects that rarely ever benefit their own lives.

It’s time to reverse course.

This week, House Republicans have the opportunity to show the American people that their time spent waiting in line at the polls wasn’t wasted—that when we talk about cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, we actually mean it and that we are, in fact, different from our fiscally abusive Democratic counterparts, just as we claim to be.

It’s time to put up or shut up and pass the White House’s rescissions package.

Though rarely used, the rescissions package is a pathway under the Impoundment Control Act allowing President Trump to deliver on his agenda for the American people, cancelling billions of dollars in unused, unnecessary, and wasteful federal funds previously authorized by Congress under the Biden administration.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), for its part, played a critical role in identifying the wasteful funds now under consideration.

Take, for example, the $1.5 million being rescinded to “advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces,” the $2.5 million for electric vehicles for Vietnam, or the $47,000 for a “transgender opera” in Colombia.

We all know the majority of Americans would never open their personal wallets to fund these causes, so why does Congress?

Without being rescinded, these funds will linger on federal balance sheets, unused, waiting to be repurposed, or worse, redirected by unelected bureaucrats to other progressive pet projects.

Op-Ed: Michelle Root: How Rep. Randy Feenstra delivered justice for my daughter

by Michelle Root

More than nine years ago, my life changed forever. On the night of her graduation from college, my daughter, Sarah Root, was killed by an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk — three times over the legal limit. The pain of losing a child is immeasurable. It’s a wound that never heals. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of Sarah — her bright smile, her sweet demeanor, her precious soul.

It’s impossible to describe that empty feeling. That feeling of hopelessness, devastation, and loss. The feeling that no parent should endure, but far too many have.

What’s even harder to describe is how our legal system let the illegal immigrant who murdered my daughter free. Instead of answering for his crimes, he posted bail, was released from custody, and fled the United States. I wasn’t notified that he was gone until it was too late. Just like that, the tiniest semblance of justice that could have been delivered evaporated.

When it felt like I had nowhere else to turn, I had the opportunity to meet with my Congressman, Randy Feenstra, to raise awareness about Sarah’s story and, ultimately, close that egregious loophole that let Sarah’s killer escape. During our conversation, Randy listened to my every word. As a father of four, he reiterated to me repeatedly that he wanted to do anything that he could to honor Sarah’s life and fix the law that caused our family unthinkable heartache.

Randy kept his promise.

He introduced legislation in memory of my daughter — Sarah’s Law — to detain without bail and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law any illegal immigrant who harms or kills an American citizen. That was back in 2021. But Randy never quit. He introduced Sarah’s Law every Congress because this mission was that important to him. Of course, we knew under the Biden administration, a commonsense bill like Sarah’s Law would never be signed. However, with the election of President Donald Trump, a glimmer of hope emerged — and that’s when Randy jumped into action.

Op-Ed: Nathan Diament: Congress must act against the American Intifada

by Nathan Diament

The American Jewish community is under attack, but Congress is acting like business as usual.

In just the past three weeks, two Israeli Embassy employees were murdered in the nation’s capital, and 15 senior citizens were set on fire in Boulder, Colorado, for no other reason than their Jewish identity.

If there was any doubt, now it’s clear: the pro-Hamas call to “globalize the Intifada” has arrived in America. In both cases, the perpetrators shouted antisemitic and anti-Zionist slogans. There is no ambiguity about their motivations. It is open season on the Jews.

The usual heartfelt statements followed, but let’s be honest: the time for sympathetic press releases has come and gone. Thoughts and prayers are not going to protect us from the next act of violence. It is time for Congress to act to provide security and reassurance to the Jewish community.

The federal government already has the tools to do so. The National Security Grant Program (NSGP), started in 2005, provides grants to nonprofits, including synagogues, schools, and community centers, to purchase and improve life-saving security measures, like video cameras, alarm systems, fences, etc. These measures have already saved thousands of lives.

The problem is that the program is drastically underfunded, and Congress is failing to meet the urgent demands of the moment.

In 2024, 7,584 nonprofits and religious institutions (not all of them Jewish) requested $973 million in total funding, but only $454.5 million was granted. Recipients also encountered unnecessary administrative hurdles and delays, including this year, when a funding freeze at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) caused payments and reimbursements to be paused for months, putting lives at risk.

On Monday, the House Appropriations Committee proposed $305 million in NSGP funds for the 2026 Homeland Security funding bill, a far cry from what is needed. That number is a marginal increase from 2023 funding, but still less than 2024 and 2025, which included supplemental grants totalling $400 million.

The first thing that needs to happen is for DHS to open up this year’s grant money — $275 million — for application.

Second, Congress needs to increase the funding in the NSGP for fiscal year 2026 in light of the increased antisemitism sweeping the country. A bipartisan group of more than 130 House members and 33 senators have called for appropriating $500 million for the NSGP. That must be done.

Third, Congress should allocate $200 million of the Department of Justice’s existing grants to local police specifically for increased patrols and police presence at Jewish (and other faith communities) institutions.