This article was first published in the On the Hill newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox on Friday mornings here.
We are just over four months away from the midterm elections. Control of Congress is on the line, and now is the time to lock in on messaging.
But the problem for Republicans is that they can’t seem to decide what the main focus of their campaign platform should be. And now, it’s causing them to turn on each other in a way that has almost halted their agenda altogether.
That was put on display this week.
It was supposed to be a huge week for both parties. The housing reform package was approved in massive bipartisan votes, and it would have provided both Republicans and Democrats with a key campaign message on affordability.
But all that blew up on Wednesday morning when President Donald Trump gave his surprise announcement to cancel the bill signing. He said he wouldn’t sign anything until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, an election reform bill that has stalled in the Senate.
The missive came via social media, and it caught a lot of lawmakers — Republican leaders included — off guard.
How off guard, you ask? They had already set up a stage, podium, desk and dozens of chairs inside Statuary Hall for the ceremony. And when the social media announcement spread, it had to be quietly taken down.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and other Republican leaders were in the middle of a press conference touting the housing package when Trump’s message was posted. Reporters had to inform them of the cancellation when they opened the conference up for questions, during which Johnson said he actually spoke to Trump about it that morning.
I was standing outside the Senate chamber waiting for Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., when a group of us reporters collectively learned of the news. Then we asked Thune about it as he walked off the floor, fresh to the news, and all he could tell us was: “I guess I would say at this point, I don’t have any observations about that.”
Hours later, Senate Republicans had lunch with Trump. It was meant to be an opportunity for Trump to sell them on making the SAVE America Act their top priority — something Utah Sen. Mike Lee has advocated for — while senators like Thune wanted to convince him it’s no longer viable.
Because of the Senate filibuster, the voter ID bill would need 60 votes to advance. It doesn’t have that kind of support.
So what’s next for the housing bill? No one really knows yet. But when I asked a few members of our Utah delegation if it’s a setback to midterm efforts, they didn’t seem to think it was — yet.
“No, it’s not a setback. It’s important to get this thing signed, that’s what’s important,” Utah Rep. Blake Moore told me. “If we don’t get this signed, it’ll be a major frustration and a setback, yes, but I don’t think any posturing right now is going to be a problem.”
Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, told me he expects it will get signed eventually. The timing on that is anyone’s best guess, but Speaker Johnson this week seemed to indicate it could be within the next 10 days.
Johnson met with Trump at the White House on Thursday to talk more about the SAVE America Act and how to get things moving again on the House side, where action has also stalled due to the Senate fallout.
There’s a growing faction of House conservatives who say they won’t vote for any Senate-passed legislation until the SAVE America Act is approved by the upper chamber. That blew up the voting schedule in the House this week, forcing GOP leaders to pull legislation off the schedule and leave Washington a day earlier than expected.
After the meeting, Trump urged those House Republicans to stop blocking legislation — but it’s not yet clear if that will do the trick. Many of these conservatives are adamant the SAVE America Act gets attached to some sort of must-pass bill.
Johnson also said after the meeting he would send the housing package to Trump, starting a 10-day clock for the president to either sign it or veto it. If he does neither, it would automatically become law.
It’s a summer slump, and it’ll be interesting to watch whether they can get the wheels turning again.
The schedule is not on their side. The Senate is now out on recess until July 13. The House is supposed to be in town next week, but it’s not clear how much they will accomplish.
Stories Driving the Week
- Chatbot crackdown: Sen. John Curtis introduced a bipartisan bill on Tuesday to establish a federal framework regulating online chatbots, particularly as it relates to usage by teenagers and young children. The Safeguarding AI Features to Ensure Kids’ Informed Digital Safety Act, or SAFE KIDS Act, would implement a number of requirements for chatbots before they can go live.
- Primary playbook: Utah Reps. Blake Moore and Celeste Maloy both survived their high-profile primary challenges this week — and they say their races can serve as a blueprint for other Republicans running in tight races elsewhere in the country.
- Tuesday takeaways: Utah primary voters revealed their overwhelming preferences on Tuesday night, delivering landslide victories to the more moderate congressional candidates, while ejecting some of the most well-known lawmakers in the state by equally large margins.
Democrats look to define identity
We spent quite a bit of time outlining Republicans’ struggles in this newsletter. But to be clear, it’s not a walk in the park right now for Democrats either.
They don’t hold majorities in Congress, so they have the advantage of sitting back and letting Republicans attack each other. But in order for the party to secure wins in November, it’s going to have to decide what its central identity is — or if they want to expand the definition of a Democrat.
In New York’s primaries this week, two Democratic incumbents were defeated by their more progressive challengers. It was a blow to “establishment” Democrats who represent the party’s traditional views by candidates who want to take on a more democratic socialist stance.
The incumbents backed by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who could become the next House speaker if Democrats win the majority next year, lost to candidates endorsed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Does that indicate that elected leadership is out of touch with the party’s base?
“I don’t think we’re on opposite pages,” Jeffries said of his and Mamdani’s diverging endorsements. “We have agreed to strongly disagree, and we put it into the hands of the people of New York.”
I caught up with former Rep. Ben McAdams who won his primary in Utah this week, overcoming his progressive challengers. He told me now is the time for Democrats to decide who they are — and that there is room for Utah Democrats and New York Democrats to work together.
“I do think that this is a moment for the Democratic Party to decide who it wants to be,” McAdams told me. “For me, I think we need to be a party that prioritizes solutions for the people who are counting on us above anything else. That’s the message I’m going to be taking to Washington.”
Quick Hits
From the Hill: Inside Trump’s tense meeting with Senate Republicans after nixing bipartisan housing deal. … Sen. Curtis renews vow not to fund Iran military operations without declaration of war. … Republican leaders tangle with Utah Sen. Mike Lee over election bill.
From the White House: Trump meets with NATO chief Mark Rutte after frustration with Europe over Iran war. … Trump to attend World Cup final. … Trump attacks Utah mail-in voting.
From the courts: Key Supreme Court rulings impact immigration policy under Trump. … Appeals court revives Utah challenge to Biden’s Bears Ears, Grand Staircase expansions. … Supreme Court sides with government in green card deportation case.