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Hello, friends. Welcome back to another quiet week on the Hill as lawmakers are home for the Easter holiday.
It’s been 100 days since Republicans took control of both chambers of Congress. With the House and Senate out (and spring weather in!), I decided to take a look at what the new GOP trifecta has accomplished so far during this time period — and how the Utah delegation is leading the way on several high-profile issues. All that and more below.
And, exciting news: This newsletter is getting a name change. To reflect the fact I am not technically on the campaign trail, we’ll be renaming the newsletter to be a little more accurate: On the Hill. The content will remain the same and I’ll keep giving you a peek at the behind-the-scenes of Congress. So keep your eyes on your inbox, that change is starting May 2!
The Big Idea
100 days into a GOP trifecta — What have Utah lawmakers accomplished?
This week marked the first 100 days of the 119th Congress and it’s been nothing short of busy and filled with action (and a bit of drama here and there).
To mark the occasion, I reached out to members of Utah’s congressional delegation to get a sense of what the last four months have been like and what they have accomplished. To be sure, the Republican majority has so far fared better than it did last Congress when the GOP only held control of the House.
Multiple times throughout that session, Republicans were forced to rely on their Democratic counterparts to pass key pieces of legislation. That gave Democrats an upper hand, even in the House where they sat in the minority.
But this year, there’s been a shift in momentum — under the leadership of President Donald Trump, party leaders such as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have seemingly been able to do the impossible. They’ve gotten even the most stubborn hard-line conservatives on board with legislation they never would have supported before (and didn’t when they came up for votes last year).
“In this Congress, House Republicans are sticking together,” Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, told me. “I do love that we have good, positive movement now, and we’re focusing on some core aspects of governing and I hope to be able to continue to do that.”
Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, had similar thoughts, pointing to votes on a stopgap government funding bill and a massive budget resolution that “in the past, would’ve been impossible for us.”
“It’s so different for our party to be together like this because normally, we’re very individual,” he said. “So I’m excited … (about) the relationship our president has with Speaker Johnson, that we’re actually getting legislation done.”
And for the Utah delegation, they’ve had a productive 100 days themselves. Moore has played a major role in crafting the tax reconciliation bill thanks to his roles on the powerful Budget and Ways and Means committees.
Meanwhile, Owens has focused much of his attention on education. The House passed a bill in March seeking to crack down on foreign gifts given to U.S. universities and colleges, and much of that bill contained provisions from Owens’ proposals.
Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, has also had an eventful first three months on the job — including the passage of his first bill, the U.S. Research Protection Act. With Kennedy being the newbie in the Utah delegation, I asked him if there was anything that surprised him about serving in Congress.
His response: “To be candid, I have been genuinely surprised by the number of dedicated individuals here who are working diligently to bring about positive change for our country. Certain media outlets often relish in pushing negative narratives when speaking about those serving in government positions, but I have witnessed a level of sincerity and effort from many members of Congress that is rarely highlighted or acknowledged.”
On the Senate side, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has played a major role in some of Trump’s top priorities. For example, the Utah senator is leading the SAVE Act, which would ban noncitizens from voting in federal elections. The bill has already passed the House, but its future in the Senate is unclear.
Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, has also had a productive first few months in the Senate, introducing a flurry of bills cracking down on China and other legislation directly related to Utah.
Stories driving the week
- From Senate to El Salvador: Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen flew to El Salvador on Wednesday in an attempt to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia after he was deported last month. Democrats have demanded his return after the Trump administration admitted the deportation was an “administrative error” but has refused to bring him back, claiming it is not under U.S. jurisdiction.
- Trump snub: President Trump won’t attend the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner later this month, snubbing the high-profile event amid tensions with the press. A feud between Trump officials and the WHCA has been nearing a boiling point for months, especially after the White House announced in February it would be taking over the press corps’ rotating assignments for journalists covering the president.
- Could New York go red? Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is long been considered a rising star in the Republican Party, is mulling a governor’s run in the blue state of New York, a source familiar with her thinking tells me. That could make the election interesting as Stefanik is a fundraising powerhouse — and Democrats aren’t totally set on incumbent New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as a candidate.
Utah punching above its weight in Congress
While speaking to the Utah delegation about their first 100 days in Congress, one of the things that stuck out to me was how tightknit this group is.
In conversations with the members, they often speak highly of their Utah peers — and even humble brag about each others’ areas of expertise. I also spot Utah lawmakers sitting with each other in the House chamber during long vote sessions and they even have the occasional hype-up on social media.
“I hope Utahns can sit back and look at their delegation and recognize you’ve got incredibly good coverage on all the issues that matter to Utah,” Moore told me.
And it’s true — Utah lawmakers cover a lot of ground in Congress. In the Senate, Lee chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee while Curtis sits on four committees related to energy and commerce as well as the environment.
On the other side of Capitol Hill, Moore sits on a number of key committees and even holds a spot in GOP leadership as the conference’s vice chair. From there, the other three Utah House members sit on an array of committees such as Rep. Celeste Maloy on Appropriations, Owens on Education and Workforce, and Kennedy on Transportation and Infrastructure, to name a few.
“I would hope Utahns are looking at their delegation and saying, ‘Oh goodness, they’re covering a lot of ground for only being four people in the House,’” Moore said.
And with only six members in the entire delegation across the House and Senate, it opens the door for a lot of collaboration.
“The reason we punch above our weight is because we collaborate,” Owens told me over the phone this week. “We might not approach (problems) in the exact same way, but what’s unique about Utah is we have this culture of service, culture of entrepreneurship and innovation — so in that process you have to talk. You have to have your chance to collaborate, see what works best for us to get to our endgame.”
Over the last four months, Utah lawmakers have teamed up several times to introduce legislation. In fact, there have been times where all six of them sign on to one bill.
Just this week, Utah lawmakers introduced a bill to preserve access to the University of Utah’s Research Park amid legal uncertainties posed by the Bureau of Land Management about whether the federal land is being used for its original intent.
“I’m excited about being a state that has this focus of communication,” Owens said.
Quick hits
From the Hill: Sen. Mike Lee wants to crack down on ‘secret meetings’ of the D.C. Council. … Republicans are split on proposals to raise taxes for the rich. … Utah Rep. Blake Moore leads efforts to make adoption more affordable. … Congress will investigate 23andMe bankruptcy amid privacy concerns.
From the White House: RFK Jr. decries ‘epidemic denial’ amid rising autism rates. … President Trump shares messages for Easter and Passover. … Trump discusses crime, deportations with El Salvador’s Bukele. … AG Bondi takes Maine to court over transgender athletes.
From the courts: Supreme Court gives surprise update on birthright citizenship battle. … SCOTUS mandates return of wrongly deported man. …. U.K. Supreme Court issues unanimous ruling on the definition of ‘woman’.
What’s next
The House and Senate are out next week. When they return, they’ll get to work drafting Trump’s massive tax reconciliation package, which would hit some obstacles as Republicans are already butting heads on some provisions.
As always, feel free to reach out to me by email with story ideas or questions you have for lawmakers. And follow me on X for breaking news and timely developments from the Hill.