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Hello, friends. Hope you all have been enjoying the nice weather this last week in Salt Lake City. I’ve had a good time visiting my home state this week for the holiday weekend!
Congress was out this week, which allowed me to come back to Utah and meet up with some of the delegation on their home turf. It also gave me an opportunity to welcome the newest member of our D.C. bureau: Lauren Irwin.
That’s right! Our D.C. bureau is growing and now we’ll have a tag team of two bringing you all the latest headlines from the Hill and beyond. Read more about Lauren and her goals for the position below!
The Big Idea
What you may not have noticed in Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
If you’ve been keeping up with the news coming out of D.C. this last week — a tall task, to be sure — you’re well aware that House Republicans managed to pass President Donald Trump’s major tax package. And the party has kept itself busy framing the “big, beautiful bill” as a big, beautiful win.
Lawmakers traveled home this week touting some of the biggest policy provisions included in the package, such as Trump’s promise of no tax on tips, work requirements for Medicaid, and rollbacks to Biden-era environmental regulations.
But surprise: The 1,038-page document that was finalized overnight and voted on just hours later has a number of provisions that weren’t widely known until after it was passed.
Among the most consequential: The final bill contains language that could make it easier for Trump to defy court orders on his executive orders.
Tucked into the bill is a provision that states courts may not “enforce a contempt citation for failure to comply with an injunction or temporary restraining order” unless the plaintiff pays a security bond at the beginning of the case.
Meaning, a defendant such as Trump would not need to comply with preliminary injunctions blocking his executive orders if those suing do not pay an initial security bond — something that rarely happens, especially in the types of cases that involve the government in public interest lawsuits.
And not only was that provision quietly added to the legislation, but even some lawmakers say they were unaware of the measure when they voted to pass it.
“I am not going to hide the truth. This provision was unknown to me when I voted for that bill,” Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., told voters in his district this week. “And when I found out that provision was in the bill, I immediately reached out to my Senate counterparts and told them of my concern.”
Flood went on to say he disagrees with the measure, telling voters: “I do believe that the federal district courts when issuing an injunction, should have legal effect.”
AI regulations. Another provision tucked into the bill would restrict how states can regulate artificial intelligence over the next decade, which came as a surprise to many in the tech industry — and state lawmakers.
The bill states that “no state or political subdivision may enforce any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems during the 10-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.”
So what does that mean? It means states like Utah that have AI-related laws would be banned from enforcing them, including laws prohibiting deepfakes and other identity theft attempts.
Single parents caught in the fray. One of the most widely reported provisions in the reconciliation package are the work requirements for welfare programs such as Medicaid. But a last-minute change made before the bill passed would disproportionately affect single parents who rely on SNAP food assistance.
Language in the bill would require parents with children ages 7 to 17 to work 80 hours a month to qualify. For married couples, only one parent has to fulfill those requirements — meaning single parents must complete those hours while those who are married to a working adult are exempt.
Gender treatment restrictions. Original language in the package implemented restrictions on how Medicaid funds can be used, including bans on gender transition procedures for children under 18. But Republicans altered the language in the final hours to extend those restrictions to adults as well.
The bill contains several other provisions that have likely flown under the radar, although most are slight adjustments to current law or specific statutes. And some of these could even be changed before it becomes law.
Remember from last week: The package still needs to pass the Senate, and some Republicans are already hinting at making changes. And any changes that are made, must be approved by the House.
So, buckle up. We could see some of these provisions removed before the process is done — or we could see even more!
Stories driving thewWeek
- DOGE incoming. The White House is expected to (finally) send over a formal rescissions package to Congress next week requesting lawmakers to approve spending cuts proposed by DOGE. The package comes after an online pressure campaign over the weekend — that Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, participated in — urging Trump to allow Republicans to codify his executive orders.
- Blue Utah? The DNC faces an uphill battle convincing voters to join the Democratic Party’s cause. But the coalition’s leadership thinks Utah is a worthy state to invest in, according to our very own Lauren Irwin. While Utah’s delegation in Washington is currently entirely Republican, the DNC believes that can change.
- Congress gets to work. A bipartisan group in Congress recruited Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy earlier this month to help transform the “Abundance Agenda” into legislative action, Brigham Tomco reports. Maloy became one of the first 30 lawmakers to join the Build America Caucus with the goal of removing government obstacles to housing, energy and infrastructure.
Lauren Irwin joins the Deseret News D.C. Bureau
This week, our D.C. bureau grew from just one to two! I’m stoked to have a partner helping to cover all things Washington and to bring y’all more insight into those who run the country. Here’s a note from Lauren, who will focus on national politics and the White House:
Hi, everyone! My name is Lauren Irwin, the newest national politics reporter for the Deseret News.
I’ve been reporting in Washington, D.C., for two years, covering the White House, the 2024 election cycle, the chaos of Congress, and more as a breaking news reporter at The Hill.
While I may be new to Utah, I’d like to say I know the West well. I grew up in Denver, Colorado; attended the University of Colorado, Boulder; and then moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to earn my master’s degree from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. My graduate school reporting brought me out to D.C. and I loved it so much, I didn’t want to leave.
I’m excited to be reporting on political issues at the heart of the nation’s capital, with a focus on what matters to people out West.
Make sure to drop Lauren a line with any story ideas.
Quick hits
From the Hill: Sen. John Curtis wants changes to green energy credit cuts in Trump tax bill. … Sen. Tommy Tuberville says goodbye to Senate as he runs for Alabama governor. … Religious colleges likely exempt from GOP-proposed tax hikes.
From the White House: Trump administration looks to stop Big Tech censorship of conservatives. … JD Vance calls on bitcoin ‘digital pioneers’ to continue political involvement. … Trump threatens to rescind California’s education funding over transgender sports debate.
From the courts: Utah’s oil train gets U.S. Supreme Court blessing. … SCOTUS rejects religious freedom case on mining in Oak Flat. … Court strikes down Trump tariff decrees, says president overstepped his authority.
What’s next
Congress is back next week, and they’ve got a lot on the agenda.
The Senate will begin its consideration of Trump’s big, beautiful bill — and the senators have got their fair share of obstacles ahead. Meanwhile, the House will push ahead with codifying Trump’s spending cuts a la DOGE, with bill text expected as soon as Tuesday.
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.