Michael McAuliff

@mcauliff.bsky.social

2661 Followers 414 Following

Covering politics and policy in Washington for Crain's Modern Healthcare. Priors include HuffPost, New York Daily News, ABC News. Signal @mcauliff.06

A significant smoke event is expected Friday, associated with both ozone and fine particles, with Unhealthy (red) AQI statewide and the potential for Very Unhealthy conditions (purple) AQI due to fine particles. The highest confidence for Very Unhealthy AQI will be across the panhandle. A cold front will move south Thursday night and Friday morning, ushering in a significant amount of smoke into Maryland that will persist all day Friday due to weak, recirculating winds. Unhealthy, (code Red) AQI for PM2.5 pollution within the smoke is forecast statewide with Very Unhealthy (code Purple) possible for the panhandle region. Ozone may remain elevated with USG conditions in the urban areas, assuming enough sunlight penetrates the thick smoke for ozone production. The air quality event is expected to persist on Saturday. Any line of storms will help clear the region of smoke on Saturday, but the smoke is otherwise slow to leave. As a consequence, USG air quality alerts are anticipated for north and eastern parts of the state and perhaps western mountain valleys as smoke will persist longest over these areas. Ozone should be mitigated with an increase in cloud cover. On Sunday, another round of smoke is possible as deep northerly flow returns behind the storm system on Saturday. Another wave of smoke is possible, though presently alerts are not planned. For the latest air quality information, please visit our website here. -MDE
PRESS RELEASE Media update: Bundibugyo Virus Disease outbreak In the latest 24-hour period, the DRC reported 62 new cases and 42 deaths, mainly in Ituri and North Kivu ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, July 17, 2026/APO Group/ -- As of 14 July, 2,093 confirmed cases of Bundibugyo Virus Disease and 798 deaths had been reported in the DRC and Uganda. A total of 394 people have recovered. In the latest 24-hour period, the DRC reported 62 new cases and 42 deaths, mainly in Ituri and North Kivu. Uganda reported no new cases or deaths, and all identified contacts have completed follow-up. Ituri remains the epicentre of the outbreak. North Kivu is also under significant pressure, with treatment centres operating above capacity. So far, 123 health workers have been infected and 36 have died. The main concerns are continued transmission outside known contact chains, contact follow-up remaining below target, limited treatment capacity, delays in diagnosis, shortages of protective equipment and insecurity affecting access to some communities. Africa CDC continues to support the response through the deployment of epidemiology and data experts, diagnostic equipment, community engagement and cross-border coordination. More than 4,000 community health workers have also been trained and deployed. Africa CDC and WHO do not recommend travel or trade restrictions. The focus should remain on stronger screening, surveillance and preparedness while keeping borders open and avoiding stigma. The outbreak can still be brought under control, but this will require faster diagnostics, additional treatment capacity, stronger contact tracing and community engagement, and sustained financing. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). SOURCE Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)
Senator Collins’ Statement on Biddeford Shooting WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins released the following statement after speaking with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin regarding yesterday’s shooting in Biddeford: “While the investigation of the Biddeford shooting is not yet complete, it raises sufficient critical questions that I spoke with DHS Secretary Mullin last night and urged him to cease all non-urgent vehicle stops.”
Summer forecast 2026: Historic heat, severe weather expected across Northeast
Secretary Kennedy altered vaccine recommendations and released material to the public without CDC expert review or input. Secretary Kennedy specifically directed the agenda of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, known as ACIP, towards restricting access to vaccines. Secretary Kennedy directed the cancellation of flu vaccine campaigns amid a severe flu season. Andrew Nixon, HHS Director of Communications, confirmed in an email that "This was a direct ask from Secretary Kennedy." Secretary Kennedy handpicked researchers to access confidential data to demonstrate the long-disproven claim that vaccines cause autism. Secretary Kennedy misled members of Congress on several occasions, including in interactions with Senator Hassan on COVID vaccine recommendations, Senator Wyden on vaccine access and HELP Committee Chair Cassidy on the CDC Director’s ability to act independently.
Statement from Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks: "Iowa families are being squeezed by rising housing costs, and too many young people are losing faith that they will ever be able to buy a home of their own. Yesterday, I voted for the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act to lower costs, increase housing supply, and prevent Wall Street from cornering the market. I respectfully urge the President to sign it into law. I also strongly support the SAVE Act, but housing affordability is an important priority to me. This bipartisan bill has passed both the House and Senate and should be signed into law immediately."
We write as governors committed to the effective administration of our Medicaid programs on behalf of the millions of Americans who depend on them. As our states work diligently to implement the Medicaid work reporting requirements on the ambitious timeline set forth in H.R. 1, we are writing today to respectfully seek the federal partnership necessary to ensure responsible implementation. Specifically, we request two things: first, we request that your department confirm that, should the forthcoming Interim Final Rule (IFR) introduce substantive policy changes that diverge from states’ reasonable working assumptions, an appropriate timeline is afforded states to make these significant policy and technology changes; and, second, we request that your department provide a formal written response to our outstanding guidance requests before June 1, 2026, to support timely state planning. The Implementation Challenge Our concern is straightforward: our states are working diligently to implement the Medicaid work reporting requirements enacted by Congress last summer, and we have done so with limited federal guidance. In the ten months since enactment, we have reached out to your department on multiple occasions seeking operational guidance, and while CMS has provided helpful verbal assurances, we have not yet received formal policies. In the absence of final official guidance, and in service of the challenging timeline set out in the law, we have made good-faith operational decisions to revise our state systems. We write today requesting that published, final guidance align as closely as possible with states’ working assumptions based on informal policy direction from CMS to date and that states not be required to make significant changes at this stage of implementation. Implementing Medicaid work reporting requirements is an administratively complex and resource-intensive undertaking. States must make substantial changes to their eligibility and enrollment systems; de…
Statement attributable to: Jennifer DeCubellis President and CEO America’s Essential Hospitals Washington, D.C.—CMS’ proposed cuts to state-directed payments (SDPs) go far beyond what Congress intended. By cutting SDPs by hundreds of billions of dollars more than the Congressional Budget Office projected, CMS will devastate essential hospitals’ ability to provide high quality care to the patients and communities they serve. SDPs are longstanding tools that states have used to improve access to care for the most vulnerable patients, creating a financial lifeline for essential hospitals that are already facing daunting challenges. We look forward to working with CMS to protect and support these tools to ensure that states have the flexibility they need to target limited resources to the hospitals that need them the most.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 05/01/2026 Vice President JD Vance to Visit Des Moines, Iowa On Tuesday, May 5, 2026, Vice President JD Vance will visit Des Moines, Iowa. The Vice President will deliver remarks at a manufacturing facility.
FIRST MAINE ATTACK AD: NRSC Teams Up with Democrats to Expose Platner’s Misogyny WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the NRSC re-released a Chuck Schumer-endorsed scathing television advertisement condemning extremist Democrat Graham Platner’s disturbing record of blaming female victims for their sexual assaults. These aren’t Republican attacks; they came straight from Platner’s own party. “Graham Platner is a racist, woman-hating extremist whose ‘working-class’ brand is a complete façade—and even his own party knows it,” said Bernadette Breslin, NRSC national press secretary. “[Graham Platner] blamed women for sexual assault, saying they should ‘take some responsibility for themselves’ and ‘act like an adult,’” said Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills on X.
Senator Collins’ Statement on Her Vote to End Hostilities in Iran Ahead of 60-Day Deadline WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins released the following statement after her vote today in support of a resolution directing the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities against Iran: “As I have said since these hostilities began, the President’s authority as Commander-in-Chief is not without limits. The Constitution gives Congress an essential role in decisions of war and peace, and the War Powers Act establishes a clear 60-day deadline for Congress to either authorize or end U.S. involvement in foreign hostilities. That deadline is not a suggestion; it is a requirement. “Our military has performed magnificently and with great courage and sacrifice in diminishing the threat that Iran poses to our country, our allies, the broader Middle East, and the world. “Further military action against Iran must have a clear mission, achievable goals, and a defined strategy for bringing the conflict to a close. I voted to end the continuation of these military hostilities at this time until such a case is made.”
Screenshot of vote tally for S. Con Res 33 stuck at 217 against, 191 for, with 21 not voting and 6 Republicans voting no
The good news is that such setbacks can be overcome. But that will only happen if citizens across the country who cherish our democratic ideals continue to mobilize and vote in record numbers - not just in the upcoming midterms or in high profile races, but in every election and every level.
Ranking Member Raskin’s Statement on the Supreme Court’s Decision in Louisiana v. Callais Washington, D.C. (April 29, 2026)—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, released the following statement after the Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, effectively gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965: “The Supreme Court has completed its effective demolition of the Voting Rights Act. The VRA was the crown jewel of the 20th-century civil rights movement, born from the blood of marchers and freedom riders and repeatedly reauthorized by bipartisan majorities in Congress. In an act of extraordinary and cynical judicial activism, six Justices have now ravaged Congress’s express purposes, rewriting and effectively neutralizing Section 2 of the VRA by demanding the very standard of proof to bring a VRA claim—a showing of intentional racial discrimination—that Congress explicitly rejected in 1982. “The Court has now finished the job that it started by gutting Section 5’s preclearance protections in Shelby County v. Holder. That project is a disgrace to the federal judiciary and a permanent stain on this Court’s legacy. Combined with the Court’s 2019 decision in Rucho v. Common Cause barring federal courts from policing partisan gerrymandering, today’s ruling is a catastrophe for American democracy. Partisan gerrymanders are now untouchable, as are racial vote dilution schemes that shut minority voters out of the political process so long as they are conveniently redesignated as partisan gerrymanders. Republican legislatures across the South are already preparing to carve up and eliminate majority-minority districts at every level of government. The Court has made the world safe for those horrific and racist gerrymanders. This moment is like the end of political Reconstruction in the 19th century.
Congressman Carter Statement on Louisiana v. Callais “Today’s decision by the Supreme Court is a devastating blow to the promise of equal representation in our democracy. This ruling is about far more than lines on a map — it’s about whether Black Louisianians will have a meaningful opportunity to make their voices heard. “For decades, the Court’s majority has steadily chipped away at the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The consequences of this decision are immediate and severe: the hard-fought progress that led to the creation of two majority-Black congressional districts in Louisiana is now in jeopardy. “Let’s be clear: this is not about so-called ‘colorblind’ principles. History has shown us time and again that policies claiming neutrality, from literacy tests to poll taxes, have been used to silence Black voices. Louisiana knows this history all too well. Without the protections of the Voting Rights Act, there is no evidence to suggest that Black voters in our state will be able to elect candidates of their choice. “Approximately one-third of Louisiana’s population is Black, yet only a handful of Black citizens have ever represented our state in Congress. That stark reality underscores the continued need for protections that ensure fair and equal representation. When Black communities lose representation, their concerns are too often ignored, and their voices diminished. “This decision will embolden efforts to dismantle majority-Black districts and fracture communities that have finally begun to see themselves reflected in their government. This isn’t just about federal representation. This decision will also impact state and local governments, impacting Black representation in state capitols and city council chambers across the country. It sends a dangerous signal that the progress we have made can be undone under the guise of legal theory. “The Voting Rights Act is not a relic. It is a living promise, a commitment that our democracy belongs to everyone
Health Care Costs and Gas Prices Top the List of Economic Worries for U.S. Adults How worried, if at all, are you about being able to afford each of the following for you and your family? Stacked bar chart showing the public's levels of worry when it comes to affording living necessities. Shown among total adults. Very worriedSomewhat worriedNot too worriedNot at all worried 50% Health care costs 30% 34% 23% 13% Gasoline or other transportation costs 29% 35% 22% 14% Food and groceries 23% 34% 25% 18% Your monthly utilities 21% 32% 29% 18% Your rent or mortgage 21% 29% 24% 26%
US Attorney Pirro @USAttyPirro This morning the Inspector General for the Federal Reserve has been asked to scrutinize the building costs overruns – in the billions of dollars – that have been borne by taxpayers. The IG has the authority to hold the Federal Reserve accountable to American taxpayers. I expect a comprehensive report in short order and am confident the outcome will assist in resolving, once and for all, the questions that led this office to issue subpoenas. Accordingly, I have directed my office to close our investigation as the IG undertakes this inquiry. Note well, however, that I will not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation should the facts warrant doing so.
Screen shot of press release saying "Senator Collins Pushes Secretary Lutnick to Work with Maine Lobster Industry Asks Commerce to coordinate on NOAA regulations, ropeless gear"
Reps. Richard Neal and Jason Smith laugh as they get ready for the Ways and Means hearing with RFK jr.
Senator Warren Statement on March 2026 CPI Washington, D.C. – United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee released the following statement: “The President campaigned on lowering costs ‘on day one.’ Today’s data shows that Trump’s war with Iran has driven up costs and delivered the worst inflation reading in nearly two years. Trump’s chaotic tariffs were already squeezing American families, and now he’s sent energy prices skyrocketing, with gas prices above $4 a gallon and the cost of food still too high. Every family struggling to fill their gas tank or buy groceries knows exactly who is responsible.”
Cardi B @iamcardib DC gives Harlem… Baltimore gives Brooklyn Cardi B @iamcardib · Okay i definitely see the difference in Baltimore and DC
NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Kaine, Booker, Murphy, Baldwin, and Duckworth to Call Up War Powers Resolution Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) released the following statement: “Before President Trump started his illegal and unpopular war of choice, the Strait of Hormuz was open and free of violence, gas was significantly cheaper, and thousands more people–including thirteen American servicemembers–were alive. “This temporary ceasefire agreement—which is already being violated—starts a very short clock for Congress to finally end this unprecedented chaos. Absent immediate steps by Republican leadership to stand up to Trump’s increasingly erratic behavior, we will once again force a vote on a War Powers Resolution to finally end this dangerous war in the Middle East. The American people do not want and have not authorized it, but nonetheless keep paying the price. “Congress must meet this moment with the urgency it demands. Senate Republicans must come back to Washington immediately to vote on a War Powers Resolution and be a check on this President, like our Founders intended.” ###
Dear Colleague: I write to update you on the urgent need to permanently end Donald Trump’s reckless war of choice with Iran. Our brave men and women in uniform have been put into harm’s way in the Middle East without justification. More than a dozen have been killed and hundreds seriously injured. Gas prices are skyrocketing, the cost of living is out of control and billions of taxpayer dollars are being wasted dropping bombs in Iran, while Republicans refuse to spend a dime to make life more affordable for everyday Americans. A two-week ceasefire is woefully insufficient. Accordingly, we have demanded that the House come back into session immediately in order to vote on our resolution to permanently end the war in the Middle East.
Chair Collins’ Statement on President’s FY2027 Budget Request Washington, D.C. – Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the President’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2027: “The President’s Budget Request is just that, a request. To compensate for years of underfunding, the Administration proposes to increase defense funding significantly and recognizes the annual appropriations process as the best way to provide additional funds. The request for just one DDG-51, the workhorse of the U.S. Navy, is insufficient to counter the ever-growing Chinese fleet, which now exceeds the size of the American Navy, as well as other global threats. “While there are some improvements over last year’s domestic discretionary budget request, including full support for the Pell Grant program, the request has several shortcomings. For example, the proposal includes unwarranted funding cuts in biomedical research. It would also terminate worthwhile programs like LIHEAP, which helps low-income families and seniors to pay their energy bills during the cold winter and hot summer months, and TRIO, which assists low-income, first-generation students in pursuing higher education. Job Corps, which helps students from troubled backgrounds gain the skills and education they need to enter the workforce, join the military, or pursue higher education, would also be phased out. These are proven programs that I strongly support. “Another program that is important to rural America’s economy is the Essential Air Service program. The Administration is proposing deep cuts in the EAS program. “After careful review, Congress decisively rejected these particular cuts last year. “While the Administration proposes a budget, Congress holds the power of the purse. The Senate Appropriations Committee will now hold hearings with cabinet members and agency heads to review these recommendations....
The following is a statement from Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: We are 14 months into the President’s second term, and President Trump still hasn’t put forward a full budget outlining his priorities. This budget is not only two months late, but it is also light on details and heavy on borrowing. It is missing any significant plan for how to address the major drivers of our spending and deficit growth, it leaves Social Security on a track to be insolvent within the decade, and it relies on an entire decade of rosy economic assumptions for the vast majority of its improvements in the nation’s finances. In fact, it includes no summary figures of deficits or debt under the President’s budget. It is an astonishing lack of information. With deficits larger than 6% of GDP and debt around the size of the economy, the President doesn’t propose any plan for putting our budget on a sustainable path. Instead, he calls for a large expansion of the defense budget – increasing defense funding by more than $3.2 trillion over the next decade. While some of this is paid for with nondefense discretionary reductions – which we estimate would reduce base nondefense funding by $2.5 trillion over a decade – there is no explanation for the remainder. Instead, the budget assumes a fantastical 3% annual growth over the next decade without any information to back it up. The budget should have a plan to reduce deficits to 3% of GDP or lower using realistic assumptions and rejecting all gimmicks. Instead, it doesn’t even report its deficit figures and is silent on our growing national debt. As the budget process formally kicks off for the upcoming fiscal year – and as some lawmakers consider using the budget reconciliation process again – we need a serious, sobering assessment of our unsustainable fiscal situation.
The President’s 2027 Budget: Investments • MAHA. The Federal Government will lead a coordinated transformation of America’s food, health, and scientifc systems to ensure that all Americans live longer through the establishment of AHA. Within AHA, the Budget includes $19 million to expand access to nutrition services at Health Centers by integrating nutritional care and expanding access to healthy food and nutrition education. The Budget also invests $57 million to strengthen national nutritional and food safety by removing unsafe chemicals in America’s food supply, modernize and streamline the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory capability by supporting artifcial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, and develop alternatives to animal testing. The Budget provides $55 million for new Infection Prevention and Healthy and Safe Food initiatives within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which would tackle antimicrobial-resistant threats as well as pervasive micro- and nano-plastics to ensure food and water is safe and clean for all Americans. The Budget also increases access to preventive care by investing $20 million for the Chronic Care Telehealth Centers for Excellence program, $8 million for the Telehealth Nutrition Services Network Grant Program, and $19 million for Tribes to implement a new Prevention Innovation Program.
Screenshot of cnbc page says stocks tumble 600 points
Leader Schumer Statement On Donald Trump’s Unhinged Address To The Nation On Iran New York, N.Y. – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) released the following statement on President Trump’s address to the nation: “In a rambling, disjointed speech, an unhinged President failed to justify his disastrous decision to go to war with Iran. Donald Trump’s address to the nation said nothing that can explain the logic of starting a war with Iran with no clear plan and no clear objectives. It was merely a desperate attempt to justify his actions in Iran as Americans pay the price and pay $4 a gallon for gasoline. Instead, he should just end the war immediately. “While Donald Trump has offered a litany of shifting reasons for starting this war, his two major justifications – from eliminating the Iranian nuclear stockpile to and securing the Strait of Hormuz – yet we are still questioning what has actually been are still not accomplished. “Americans will look back on Trump’s handling of this wanton war of choice in Iran as one of the worst fiascos in American history.” ###
Leader Schumer Statement On Republican Chaos And Senate Democrats’ Unity In DHS Funding Fight New York, N.Y. – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) released the following statement after Republican chaos extended the shutdown, and forced GOP leaders to take up the Senate’s unanimous DHS funding bill—paying TSA workers and protecting the homeland: “For days, Republican divisions derailed a bipartisan agreement, making American families pay the price for their dysfunction. “Throughout this fight, Senate Democrats never wavered. We were clear from the start: fund critical security, protect Americans, and no blank check for reckless ICE and Border Patrol enforcement. “We were united, held the line, and refused to let Republican chaos win.” ###
LEADER JEFFRIES STATEMENT ON DHS FUNDING LEGISLATION Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries released the following statement: Donald Trump and Republican extremists have completely controlled the government since the beginning of 2025. During that time, costs have skyrocketed, life has become more expensive, healthcare has been ripped away from millions, gas prices are out of control, American citizens have been killed in cold blood during ICE raids, the government has repeatedly been shut down and billions are being wasted in a reckless war of choice in the Middle East. For the last 47 days, Donald Trump and Republicans have subjected the nation to chaos at airports, jeopardized our national security and kept the government closed to allow ICE to continue to brutalize the American people without consequence. Republican policies have been a disaster. The rotten age of chaos and corruption is being visited upon the country. Through it all, House Democrats continue to stand up for the American people and aggressively push back against far-right extremism. Mike Johnson and House Republicans have come to realize that we will never bend the knee. It’s time to pay TSA agents, end the airport chaos and fully fund every part of the Department of Homeland Security that does not relate to Donald Trump’s violent mass deportation machine.
“We operated under a belief that while our country is in the midst of an international armed conflict, Democrats might finally come to their senses and understand that defunding our homeland security agencies is beyond reckless and very dangerous. While we hoped they would accept the 60-day CR to fund the Department entirely so that bipartisan negotiations could continue, it is now abundantly clear that Democrats place allegiance to their radical left-wing base above all else — including their own power of the purse — which means open borders and protecting criminal illegal aliens. That is not acceptable to Republicans in Congress, nor is it to the American people. We cannot allow Democrats to any longer put the safety of the American public at risk through their open border policies, so we are taking that off the table. “In following this two-track approach, the Republican Congress will fully reopen the Department, make sure all federal workers are paid, and specifically fund immigration enforcement and border security for the next three years so that those law-enforcement activities can continue uninhibited. In return, Democrats will once again demonstrate to the American people their support for open borders and keeping criminal illegal immigrants in America.” ###
Leader Thune, Speaker Johnson Statement on DHS Funding WASHINGTON — This afternoon, Leader John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson released a joint statement announcing a path forward to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security – including CBP and ICE – and end the record-long Democrat shutdown. “We appreciate and share the President’s determination to once and for all bring an end to the Democrat DHS shutdown. “In the coming days, Republicans in the Senate and House will be following through on the President’s directive by fully funding the entire Department of Homeland Security on two parallel tracks: through the appropriations process and through the reconciliation process.
SPEAKER EMERITA NANCY PELOSI TO ATTEND LEGISLATIVE SESSION THIS EVENING ANNAPOLIS, MD — This evening’s legislative session in the House of Delegates will include remarks from a special guest, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker Emerita of the U.S. House of Representatives. After receiving a House Resolution honoring her historic achievements, she will address the chamber and press is invited to attend. The regular legislative work of the House will resume at the conclusion of our special program with Speaker Emerita Pelosi. WHAT: Speaker Emerita Pelosi receives resolution and gives remarks to the House of Delegates WHEN: Monday, March 30, 2026. Session begins at 8pm Eastern. WHERE: Floor of the Maryland House of Delegates
Elizabeth Warren Endorses Graham Platner for U.S. Senate “Graham Platner is going to flip Maine and then actually deliver change for working people in the Senate.” Boston, MA — Today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren today endorsed Graham Platner’s campaign for U.S. Senate in Maine, where he is running to defeat Senator Susan Collins. “Graham Platner is going to flip Maine and then actually deliver change for working people in the Senate,” said Senator Warren. “He’s a combat veteran, an oyster farmer, and has inspired people with his populist agenda for a government on the side of working families––not the billionaires and giant corporations. Graham will fight every single day to make life better for the people of Maine in the United States Senate. I’m proud to endorse him.” “It is an honor to be endorsed by Senator Elizabeth Warren,” said Graham Platner. “Senator Warren has spent her career fighting those who use power and wealth to take advantage of working families. She’s been an inspiration and I look forward to working by her side in the Senate to take on Wall Street, monopolies, and the corruption in Washington.” Senator Warren is the fourth US Senator—and the third in the last three weeks—to endorse Platner, joining Senators Martin Heinrich, Ruben Gallego, and Bernie Sanders. This cycle, Senator Warren has endorsed Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flannagan for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, Mallory McMorrow for U.S. Senate in Michigan, Zach Wahls for U.S. Senate in Iowa, and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton for U.S. Senate in Illinois. At the start of the 2026 midterms, Warren donated over $400,000 from her campaign war chest to 23 state parties that represent the best midterm pick-up opportunities for Governor, Senate, and House. She contributed $25,000 to the Maine Democratic Party. ###
Rep. Cammack displays a poster of medical spending.
STATEMENT OF THE CHAIRMAN AND RANKING MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE ON ETHICS The Ethics Committee is deeply committed to delivering appropriate transparency and accountability in all cases of ethical misconduct. All Members of the Committee treat their roles with solemn responsibility and utmost seriousness. Regardless of party affiliation, there is a shared view that sexual harassment and workplace misconduct in particular have no place in the halls of Congress. Here and elsewhere, perpetrators of sexual misconduct should never be shielded from responsibility for their misdeeds. We believe the forced disclosures mandated by House Resolution 1072 could chill victim cooperation and witness participation in ongoing and future investigations. Victims may be retraumatized by public disclosures of interim work product, excerpts of interview transcripts, and certain exhibits. And witnesses, who often only speak to the Committee confidentially or on condition of future anonymity, could fear retaliation if their cooperation is made public. Across all our investigations, the Committee strives to maximize information-sharing with the public while balancing the confidentiality rights of victims, whistleblowers and witnesses with the due process rights of respondents. We will continue to strive to improve the Committee’s investigative processes, and the Committee is always open to considering ways to more swiftly bring accountability to bear. We believe House Resolution 1072 could have a negative impact on the Committee’s ability to investigate and eliminate sexual misconduct in the House. We encourage the House to refer the resolution to the Committee at this time. ###
America’s Warriors Are Obliterating Iranian Terror Regime with Unrelenting Force Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, the United States Armed Forces are executing Operation Epic Fury with unparalleled precision, overwhelming power, and relentless effectiveness. With crushing dominance and devastating force, our warfighters are systematically dismantling the Iranian regime’s ability to ever again threaten America, our allies, and global security. Today, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine provided an update from the Pentagon on the extraordinary progress of Operation Epic Fury and the unrelenting strength of America’s warriors: “Thus far, Operation Epic Fury has delivered twice the air power of ‘Shock and Awe’ of Iraq in 2003… We are accelerating, not decelerating. Iran’s capabilities are evaporating by the hour, while American strength grows fiercer, smarter, and utterly dominant.” (Watch) “Iran’s theater ballistic missile shots fired are down 86% from the first day of fighting, with a 23% decrease just in the last 24 hours — and their one-way attack drone shots are down 73% from the opening days.” (Watch)
NRSC polling continues to show John Cornyn is the strongest Republican candidate and the only candidate that guarantees Texas stays in President Trump’s Senate Majority. Cornyn defeats James Talarico or Jasmine Crockett, and allows Republicans to focus on fighting for President Trump’s House and Senate majorities in true battleground states.
President Trump pointing at Democrats and calling them crazy.
Big picture highlights — The 2025 reconciliation act increased CBO’s projections of deficits by $4.7 trillion over the 2026-2035 period (the window for this is 2026-2035 instead of 2026-2036 to provide an apples-to-apples comparison with CBO’s last baseline update in January 2025). $4.7 trillion represents the cumulative effect on deficits, combining $3.7 trillion in primary deficits, higher debt-service costs of $0.9 trillion, and $0.1 trillion in macroeconomic feedback.
Washington, D.C. — Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that makes harmful changes to the Affordable Care Act marketplace. “The latest Trump-Republican broadside on American health care is all about empowering the greed of Big Insurance while asking families to pay more for less,” Wyden said. “Here are just a few things on offer: raising the out-of-pocket maximum, allowing insurance companies to offer even more complicated and indecipherable plans that include fewer in-network providers, and rolling out the red carpet for junk plans that don’t cover essential health care. On top of that, the Trump administration continues to heap more red tape on top of consumers, making the task of getting and maintaining good health insurance even harder. Americans are fed up with a health care system that costs too much and delivers too little.”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer looking at Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who has aspirations to lead.
Chuck Schumer looks at a sign that says "Rein in ICE + Stop violence."
Congressman John Rose @RepJohnRose It’s one thing to say you support the SAVE Act, it’s another to attach it to must-pass legislation that can pass. And frankly, I don’t trust Mitch McConnell and John Thune, who are suddenly assuring House Republicans they’ll pass the SAVE Act if we shut up and fund the government via their Senate bill. The SAVE Act has sat in the GOP-controlled Senate for over 300 days. If they ignored it then, why believe they’ll act after we fold? 83% of Americans want proof of citizenship to vote, including 71% of Democrats. This vital election integrity bill belongs on must-pass legislation.
It has been a lucrative year for the Trump family. In just the past six months or so, a bitcoin mining company headed by Eric Trump brought the family more than a hundred million dollars. Promotions by a major crypto exchange (whose founder the President recently pardoned) have positioned the family to pull in about a hundred and thirty-six million dollars. A convoluted deal that turned a company into a stockpile of Trump-linked digital tokens appears to have brought the family another five hundred and sixty-two million dollars. And crypto is hardly the only family business. The Trumps sold the use of their name to a Saudi real-estate company that is close to the royal family for a resort in the Maldives and two other new megaprojects inside the kingdom. Donald Trump, Jr., made millions by reinventing himself as an adviser or director to half a
Screen shot of mostly empty Senate floor during a quorum call after 7 pm.
Senator Collins Announces ICE Ceases Enhanced Operations in Maine Announcement comes after Senator Collins urged Secretary Noem to pause enhanced operations in the state WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ceased its enhanced operations in the State of Maine. The announcement comes after several direct communications between Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Senator Collins. “While the Department of Homeland Security does not confirm law enforcement operations, I can report that Secretary Noem has informed me that ICE has ended its enhanced activities in the State of Maine,” said Senator Collins. “There are currently no ongoing or planned large-scale ICE operations here. I have been urging Secretary Noem and others in the Administration to get ICE to reconsider its approach to immigration enforcement in the state. I appreciate the Secretary's willingness to listen to and consider my recommendations and her personal attention to the situation in Maine. ICE and Customs and Border Patrol will continue their normal operations that have been ongoing here for many years. I will continue to work with the Secretary on efforts to end illegal immigration, drug smuggling, and other transnational criminal activity.” ###
U.S. Hospital Credit Headwinds Grow as ACA Subsidies Lapse Tue 27 Jan, 2026 - 12:00 PM ET Fitch Ratings-Austin/New York-27 January 2026: U.S. not-for-profit (NFP) hospitals with high exposure to patients insured through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace face heightened financial headwinds with the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits on Dec. 31, 2025, Fitch Ratings says. Risk is concentrated in Medicaid non-expansion states without coverage backstops, while diversified urban systems and hospitals in states with safety-net programs face less pressure. Hospitals in non-expansion states that entered 2026 with thin margins and limited financial flexibility are particularly vulnerable to payor mix shifts and higher uncompensated care. Credit implications remain idiosyncratic and depend on a hospital’s payor diversity, baseline margins, liquidity and rural concentration. We expect differentiation among hospital credits to emerge through mid-2026 as enrollment and payment patterns stabilize.
Miller-Meeks Statement on President Trump’s Visit to Iowa IOWA — Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) released the following statement ahead of President Donald J. Trump’s visit to Iowa tomorrow: “I’m glad to welcome President Trump back to Iowa. Our state plays a critical role in shaping the national conversation, and I appreciate the President taking the time to hear directly from Iowans. I look forward to joining him and highlighting the work we’ve done to deliver the largest tax cuts in American history for working and middle-class families, while continuing our focus on lowering costs and strengthening the economy. Iowans want results, and I remain committed to fighting alongside the President to deliver policies that put working families, farmers, and small businesses first.” ###
Leader Schumer Statement Calling On Thune To Avert A Shutdown And Separate Out DHS Funding Bill New York, N.Y. – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) released the following statement calling on Republican Leader Thune (R-SD) to avert another Republican-led government shutdown by separating legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security from the full appropriations package: “Senate Democrats have made clear we are ready to quickly advance the five appropriations bills separately from the DHS funding bill before the January 30th deadline. The responsibility to prevent a partial government shutdown is on Leader Thune and Senate Republicans. If Leader Thune puts those five bills on the floor this week, we can pass them right away. If not, Republicans will again be responsible for another government shutdown.”
The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault. Federal law enforcement and immigration agents have a tough job. But Americans expect them to carry out their duties in a lawful, accountable way, and to work with, rather than against, state and local officials to ensure public safety. That’s not what we’re seeing in Minnesota. In fact, we’re seeing the opposite. For weeks now, people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city. These unprecedented tactics – which even the former top lawyer of the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration has characterized as embarrassing, lawless and cruel – have now resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S citizens. And yet rather than trying to impose some semblance of discipline and accountability over the agents they’ve deployed, the President and current administration officials seem eager to escalate the situation, while offering public explanations for the shootings of Mr. Pretti and Renee Good that aren’t informed by any serious investigation – and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence. This has to stop. I would hope that after this most recent tragedy, administration officials will reconsider their approach, and start finding ways to work constructively with Governor Walz and Mayor Frey as well as state and local police to avert more chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals. In the meantime, every American should support and draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country....
The Department of Homeland Security characterized the incident as an attack, saying a Border Patrol agent fired in self-defense after a man approached with a handgun and violently resisted attempts to disarm him. But bystander videos from the scene verified and reviewed by Reuters showed the man, identified as 37-year-old Alex Pretti, holding a phone in his hand, not a gun, as he tries to help other protesters who have been pushed to the ground by agents. As the videos begin, Pretti can be seen filming as a federal agent pushes away one woman and shoves another woman to the ground. Pretti moves between the agent and the women, then raises his left arm to shield himself as the agent pepper sprays him. Several agents then take hold of Pretti - who struggles with them - and force him onto his hands and knees. As the agents pin down Pretti, someone shouts what sounds like a warning about the presence of a gun. Video footage then appears to show one of the agents removing a gun from Pretti and stepping away from the group with it. Moments later, an officer with a handgun pointed at Pretti's back fires four shots at him in quick succession, footage shows. Several more shots can then be heard as another agent appears to fire at Pretti. The agents initially all back away from Pretti’s body on the road. Some agents then seem to offer medical assistance to Pretti as he lies on the ground, as other agents keep bystanders back.
AMA statement on ACIP Chair's comments on polio, routine vaccinations Statement attributable to: Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, MD Trustee, American Medical Association “The American Medical Association is deeply alarmed by efforts to weaken long-standing evidence-based vaccine recommendations, including suggestions that polio vaccination should seemingly not be routinely recommended to patients. “This is not a theoretical debate – it is a dangerous step backward. “Vaccines have saved millions of lives and virtually eliminated devastating diseases like polio in the United States. There is no cure for polio. When vaccination rates fall, paralysis, lifelong disability, and death return. The science on this is settled. “Moving away from routine immunizations, which involves discussions between clinicians and patients, does not increase freedom – it increases suffering. It puts children, families, and entire communities at risk and undermines the public health protections that generations of Americans depend on. “The AMA strongly urges policymakers to follow the evidence and the expertise of physicians and public health professionals. Weakening vaccine recommendations will cost lives, and that is a price our nation should not be willing to pay.”