What’s going on with the CR? We asked Tom Cole and Andy Harris.

Read on for more from Reps. Tom Cole and Andy Harris on the CR, an exclusive on Rep. Beth Van Duyne's latest on illegal immigration, a look inside Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation, and much more!

December 19, 2024

In this edition

1. Interview: Rep. Andy Harris previews the Freedom Caucus’s game plan

2. Interview: Rep. Tom Cole on the Continuing Resolution, Trump cabinet picks, and how to save college football

3. Heard on the Hill

4. Exclusive: “DON’T MESS WITH NORTH TEXAS!” Rep. Beth Van Duyne launches effort to empower mayors to deter criminal illegal immigration

5. Tulsi Gabbard leveraging House connections, extensive military record, in confirmation fight

6. Op-eds: Rep. Vince Fong on why Sean Duffy is the best pick to run the Department of Transportation, Luke Lindberg on why Brooke Rollins will be a great Secretary of Agriculture, Tommy Schultz on why Linda McMahon will lead an education revolution, Jon Schweppe on Trump’s antitrust picks, and Jack Heretik on TikTok’s future

7. What we’re reading

In our latest edition, we have interviews with Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole and Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris about the continuing resolution, an exclusive look on how Rep. Beth Van Duyne wants to work with local officials on illegal immigration, a peak inside Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation plans, and much more!

Interview: Rep. Andy Harris previews the Freedom Caucus’s game plan

by Matthew Foldi

Although Rep. Andy Harris (R., Md.) will have his hands full as the chairman of the Freedom Caucus during a closely-divided Congress, he sees a huge opportunity for his members to secure the border and reduce government spending next Congress.

“With the narrow majority, it's really the President's leadership and the administration's leadership that I think is going to make the difference and make it all work,” he said in an interview with the Washington Reporter. “As I've said many times, pound for pound, or on a per capita basis, we are the strongest caucus supporters of President Trump's agenda, so we hope to work closely with the administration to advance those parts of the agenda that are consistent with our vision and mission. That won't be 100 percent, but it'll be closer than any other caucus.”

The Freedom Caucus, Harris said, has an unfair reputation for failing to act as a team player. “It’s a misconception,” he said, “that we're never willing to work cooperatively to advance a conservative agenda. We want to be perceived as the group that just reminds the conference, because it is a conservative conference, what the conservative principles are, and then work within the framework we have to bring whatever policy work we're discussing closest to that set of principles as we can and work cooperatively with them.”

“We have a reputation that there's no rule we ever liked,” he said. “That’s not borne out by the voting record.” The group staunchly supports President Donald Trump and his agenda, with Harris predicting almost-100 percent agreement.

Interview: Rep. Tom Cole on the Continuing Resolution, Trump cabinet picks, and how to save college football

by Matthew Foldi

Rep. Tom Cole (R., Okla.) has weathered many continuing resolution fights — and he predicted that, while he’d like to see this congress’s spending package go through, he thinks it will ultimately go under suspension.

Cole has been involved with shepherding hundreds of billions of dollars in discretionary spending through his chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee. With a potential, but unlikely, government shutdown impending, Cole told the Washington Reporter that Senate Democrats are to blame for the holdup.

Heard on the Hill

• Rumor mill: Sources tell us that President-elect Donald Trump is considering nominating Brian Quintenz to run the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Quintenz is a former CFTC commissioner.

• FDA update: Lowell Zeta, one of the top food and drug attorneys in Washington, D.C., is leading the FDA landing team for Trump.

• Last-ditch KOSA push: Amid the chaos in the House over the continuing resolution, our sources tell us that Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.) is making one last push to pressure House GOP Leaders to include the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) in the CR. Blackburn is pointing to support from Elon Musk, who just blew up the House GOP’s current CR, sources tell us.

• Party time: We know you want to go to President Trump’s inauguration. Here are the donation levels needed to get you there.

• Meetings on meetings: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, Lee Zeldin, Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, Howard Lutnick, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Kelly Loeffler, all had Senate meetings this week.

• RFK schedule: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a busy week on the Hill this week; he met with Sens. Bill Hagerty (R., Tenn.), Cindy Hyde-Smith, (R, Miss.), James Lankford (R., Okla.), John Barrasso (R., Wyo.), John Thune (R., S.D.), Josh Hawley (R., Mo.), Katie Britt (R., Ala.), Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska), Markwayne Mullin (R., Okla.), Mike Crapo (R., Idaho), Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.), Rand Paul (R., Ky.), Rick Scott (R., Fla.), Roger Marshall (R., Kansas), Ron Johnson (R., Wis.), Shelley Moore Capito (R., W. Va.), Steve Daines (R., Mont.), Ted Budd (R., N.C.), Ted Cruz (R., Texas), Thom Tillis (R., N.C.), Tim Scott (R., S.C.), Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), Tommy Tuberville (R., Ala.), and Dan Sullivan (R., Alaska).

• Coal for Christmas! The American Energy Institute is rolling out a series of mini documentaries called Energy 101; the latest video spotlights the importance of traditional energy resources like coal, oil, and natural gas. Watch here.

• Read up: The Heritage Foundation hosted a book launch Tuesday evening for Victoria Coates’s new book, The Battle For The Jewish State: How Israel — And America — Can Win. Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) spoke with Coates and Heritage’s President Kevin Roberts about the importance of Israel to America as it fights a seven-front war against barbarism. Rep. Chip Roy (R., Texas) spoke as well. Spotted: Joel Rayburn, Bonnie Glick, Omri Ceren, Erin Walsh, UAE ambassador Yousef al Otaiba, Israel’s Deputy Chief of Mission Eliav Benjamin, Azerbaijan’s ambassador Khazar Ibrahim, and Nathan Sales.

• Congratulations! The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) rolled out its senior staff for the 2026 campaign: Jennifer DeCasper will be executive director; Stephen DeMaura will be deputy executive director; Nate Brand will be a senior advisor; Cara Mason will be finance director; Joanna Rodriguez will be communications director, Brennen Britton will be director of external affairs; and Brittney Godoy will be the committee's senior finance advisor.

Exclusive: “DON’T MESS WITH NORTH TEXAS!” Rep. Beth Van Duyne launches effort to empower mayors to deter criminal illegal immigration

by Matthew Foldi

Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R., Texas), one of the House’s leading voices in the fight to curb illegal immigration, has launched a new effort, which empowers mayors and local law enforcement to strengthen their cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), by implementing policies that ensure criminal illegal immigrants are turned over to ICE for deportation.

“I am asking every city and law enforcement operation in the 24th Congressional District to make it very clear that your policies will be to turn over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) any illegal immigrant caught committing crimes in your jurisdiction,” Van Duyne wrote to officials in her district, in a memo obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter.

Tulsi Gabbard leveraging House connections, extensive military record, in confirmation fight

by Matthew Foldi

Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and a military veteran of 22 years, is leveraging her House ties and years in the armed forces as she embarks on a quest to be confirmed as President Donald Trump’s Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

Although Reuters reported recently that eight GOP senators are “unsure” about Gabbard, her team told the Washington Reporter that her meetings with senators of both parties have been “going really great actually.”

“She had a good meeting with Fetterman, with Murkowski they met for over an hour and it was positive because they have this special Alaska/Hawaii connection,” one Trump source said. Some of Gabbard’s former House colleagues will also be voting on her confirmation, and several have been particularly helpful, including now-Sens. James Lankford (R., Okla.), Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.), Markwayne Mullin (R., Okla.), her team added. Senators who hadn’t served with Gabbard before who have been particularly helpful include Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) and Dan Sullivan (R., Alaska), both military veterans themselves.

Op-Ed: Rep. Vince Fong: Sean Duffy will Make Transportation Great Again

by Rep. Vince Fong

America’s transportation infrastructure is a critical part of our nation’s economy. It forms the foundation of our supply chain facilitating the movement of goods, people, and services.

Rebuilding and investing in our roads, bridges, airports, ports, and spaceports is vital to allowing our job creators, businesses, and entrepreneurs to create jobs, improve productivity, and increase economic opportunities.

For nearly four years, instead of focusing on the basics of making our transportation system work, we’ve had a Transportation Secretary more focused on promoting his progressive agenda to make political headlines. That is all about to change with the election of President-elect Donald Trump and his selection of former Congressman Sean Duffy to be our nation’s next Transportation Secretary.

Op-Ed: Luke Lindberg: America will love Brooke Rollins

by Luke Lindberg

Brooke Rollins is a force of nature. Her passion for agriculture and for rural America is as contagious as it is deep. She is dedicated, loyal, and strong, and she’s the right pick to serve as President Donald J. Trump’s next Secretary of Agriculture.

For the past three years, I have served as a senior fellow for the America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Center for American Prosperity — the brainchild of Brooke Rollins and an important workhorse of President Trump’s America First movement. During that time, I worked on food security, agricultural trade, and economic policy.

I witnessed Brooke Rollins the visionary, Brooke Rollins the implementer, and Brooke Rollins who believes in the power of rural America. To witness this for yourself, you would need only to have attended one of AFPI’s annual policy summits in Brooke’s stomping grounds of Fort Worth. Cowboy boots? Check. Rodeos? Check. The best barbecue you’ve ever tasted? Check. What’s more? A first-rate policy agenda that will Make Agriculture Great Again.

Op-Ed: Tommy Schultz: 2024 was a seismic shift in American education, led by Donald Trump and Linda McMahon

by Tommy Schultz

Election night 2024 marked a turning point in American education politics. Victories of pro-school-choice candidates in states like Texas, combined with President-elect Donald Trump’s bold education freedom mandate, signaled the end of the teachers’ unions’ 40- year dominance in American politics. For decades, conventional wisdom — and billions of union-backed political dollars — made supporting school choice a risk for candidates.

But this year, voters broke that dam.

Trump’s campaign was crystal clear: school choice is a top priority for his administration. Calling it “one of the most important things we’re going to be doing,” Trump pledged to enact federal legislation that puts parents back in control of their children’s education. His nomination of Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education drives this commitment home.

Op-Ed: Jon Schweppe: Trump’s team should keep up the pressure on monopolies

by Jon Schweppe

Make no mistake about it: America suffered a great deal under four years of failed “Bidenomics.” The damage was devastating, especially for working people. Fortunately, help is on the way. President-elect Donald Trump has already begun to right the ship by choosing an impressive set of qualified conservatives to serve in his administration.

Personnel is policy, and having the right people in place will help Trump deliver on his America First economic agenda — passing pro-family tax cuts, enacting tariffs, eliminating harmful regulations, and ending subsidies to woke industries.

As he steers our economy forward, there’s one important area in which President-elect Trump and his team should keep the momentum going: maintaining the pressure on America’s biggest monopolies. For this reason, conservatives should be elated by Trump’s choices for key antitrust personnel: Andrew Ferguson as chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Mark Meador to serve in one of the five posts on the FTC, and Gail Slater to lead the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) antitrust division.

Op-Ed: Jack Heretik: How to protect the First Amendment from the Chinese Communist Party

by Jack Heretik

As an American, I value the First Amendment tremendously. It is one of the core values of our country. It is something that keeps America very different from some of our closest allies, such as the United Kingdom and Canada where freedom of speech is under attack.

When our adversaries have the control and the ability to manipulate what Americans can see and post online, it becomes a concern for both America’s national security and to the First Amendment. When our adversaries retain the ability to monitor what Americans say and do online, it becomes an even greater concern.

What we’re reading

• National Review: Foreign Billionaire Has Pumped Over $500 Million into Progressive Causes, Watchdog Warns, by James Lynch.

• Daily Caller: Liberals Cook Up Ways To Make Climate Alarmism Sound A Little Less … Crazy, by David Blackmon.

• Jewish Insider: Lawmakers, health care providers raise alarm about growing antisemitism in medical field, by Marc Rod.

• Daily Mail: Donald Trump's support from nicotine users skyrockets after Joe Biden's menthol ban backfires, Jon Michael Raasch.

• Wall Street Journal: U.S. Weighs Ban on Chinese-Made Router in Millions of American Homes, by Heather Somerville, Dustin Volz, and Aruna Viswanatha.

• Jewish Insider: Trump WH urged to prioritize deportation of foreign students with pro-terrorism views, by Gabby Deutch.