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Speed dating with House Republicans part 1, Financial Services Republicans want a new CFPB Director, Congress backs Trump on Colombia, and more!
In our latest edition, we spoke with House Republicans about how they'll work to advance the Trump agenda, have news about the CFPB, break international news about Colombia — and more!
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January 27, 2025
In this edition
Interview: Speed dating with eleven House Republicans on their priorities, the economy, foreign policy, the Super Bowl, and more
Heard on the Hill
Financial Services Republicans want new CFPB Director “as soon as possible”
“Wake up and smell the coffee”: Congress backs Trump on Colombian pressure campaign
Rep. Stephanie Bice introduces bill to cut back regulatory apparatus
DNC chair front runner: “white silence equals violence”
Rep. Riley Moore’s first bill will let Trump unilaterally level tariffs
Op-Eds: Rep. Juan Ciscomani on the need to tackle the national debt, Ron Welch on how President Joe Biden’s last-minute commutations undermine our justice system, Doug Blair on why the left’s latest attacks on Elon Musk reek of projection, and Knox Williams on how President Donald Trump can end the weaponization of government against gun owners
What we’re reading
A message from our sponsor.
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In our latest edition, eleven House Republicans tell us their priorities, Financial Services Republicans tell us they want a new CFPB Director, we break international news about Colombia, and much more!
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Interview: Speed dating with eleven House Republicans on their priorities, the economy, foreign policy, the Super Bowl, and more
by Matthew Foldi
The Washington Reporter spoke with eleven House Republicans during a Rep. Lisa McClain-organized (R., Mich.) media row after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The Republicans addressed a range of issues. This week, we’ll share their thoughts in two newsletters; in this issue, House Republicans tackle everything from their top priorities as a conference to taxes and the economy to foreign policy to the NFL.
Rep. Burgess Owens (R., Utah) sees a major opportunity for Republicans to work together because of their small majority and Rep. John Rose (R., Tenn.), who has been in the majority and minority, sees the next few months as an opportunity to take a “second bite at the apple, a new lease on life, and I am excited to see the president hit the ground running.”
Lawmakers are interested in issues such as immigration and unleashing American energy. Some, like Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R., Texas), said that “the left is currently losing its mind” as Republicans figure out their agenda.
Others, like Rep. Russell Fry (R., S.C.) expect the left to reorganize fairly quickly. “Democrats are having internal squabbles and fights amongst themselves, but there is no doubt that they will get organized again, and that they will be challenging the president again,” he said. “They are already filing lawsuits to try and stop some of these executive orders. I expect more of the same.”
Stay tuned for Thursday’s edition, in which members will further discuss immigration and agriculture.
Below are transcripts of our interviews with House GOP lawmakers, lightly edited for clarity.
House GOP priorities:
Rep. Burgess Owens (R., Utah): I've never been as excited as I am right now in politics. For the first time in a while, the American people truly understand the importance of our vote. My focus is on education, and I love the fact that we have a president who has prioritized that, and who understands that it’s the ideology that we have going through our system that we need to change and to bring merit into this process.
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Heard on the Hill
Party time: Republicans lead Democrats on Gallup’s party identification survey for the first time in over 30 years.
About time for this about face: John Ratcliffe, the new CIA Director, announced that his agency now favors the lab leak theory for the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), the leading proponent of this theory, said in response that “the important thing now is that we have to make China pay for unleashing this plague on the world.”
Path clearing: Sen. Martin Heinrich (D., N.M.) announced he would not run for Governor of New Mexico, giving former controversial Interior Secretary Deb Haaland a much clearer path to her party’s nomination.
Reminder: Erick Erickson reminded his readers of one of his basic rules of media bias following a series of stories about how President Donald Trump’s crackdown on DEI is actually harmful: “When a Democrat is in charge, the press looks at who benefits from policies. When a Republican is in charge, the press finds victims of the policies.”
Scoop: Financial Services Republicans want new CFPB Director “as soon as possible”
by Matthew Foldi
Amid President Donald Trump’s hiring freeze and in-person work mandate, one Biden administration holdover has become a “chameleon,” top Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee told the Washington Reporter — Rohit Chopra, the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and several want him gone immediately.
“Rohit Chopra’s tenure at the CFPB has been a disaster,” Rep. Andy Barr (R., Ky.), told the Washington Reporter. “His regulatory overreach has stifled financial innovation and increased the cost for financial services and products for American consumers. With President Trump’s return, it’s time to clean house. Chopra should resign immediately so we can restore accountability and pro-growth policies at the CFPB.”
Chopra, Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D., Mass.) protégé, has attempted to make himself more likable toward Trump — but he isn’t fooling the lawmakers who interact with his agency. “I hope the change at CFPB is done as soon as possible,” Rep. Bill Huizenga (R., Mich.) told the Reporter. “The ever-changing chameleon named Rohit Chopra is now trying to sound like he is full-blown MAGA when it comes to the debanking of conservatives. Give me a break.”
Rep. John Rose (R., Tenn.) added to the Reporter that “Director Chopra has been so disliked that I think even he thought he would've been fired by now.”
Barr, Huizenga, and Rose are senior Republicans on the Financial Services Committee, and their concerns about Chopra — and desires to see him gone — are echoed by many in the banking community.
Exclusive: “Wake up and smell the coffee”: Congress backs Trump on Colombian pressure campaign
by Matthew Foldi
When Colombia’s left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, said last week that his country would not accept flights of Colombian nationals returning from the U.S., where they had been illegally, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded immediately. The U.S. announced a series of retaliatory measures — including that the “U.S. Embassy Colombia is closing the visa section,” which was first reported by the Washington Reporter.
Petro reportedly reversed his opposition after Trump threatened to levy massive tariffs on Colombia. Many in Congress praised Trump’s swift action to the Reporter.
“We don’t allow our people to cross your borders illegally, don’t allow yours to cross ours illegally,” Rep. Brian Mast (R., Fla.), the new chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said. “If they do, work with us to clean up the mess. The rule of law and the law of the jungle have returned.”
Rep. Andy Barr (R., Ky.), who serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee with Mast, thanked Trump “for standing up for our national security and taking decisive action against those who stand in the way.”
For some in Congress, Trump’s latest moves hit close to home. “Trump is right,” Rep. Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.) told the Reporter, noting that her “dad’s wife is Colombian. He follows it closely and is thrilled with Trump’s directive.”
A message from our sponsor.
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Both sides agree: NOW is the time to pass real PBM reform.
Rein in the middlemen pharmacy benefit managers and require them to increase transparency, share discounts with seniors, and delink PBM profits from the cost of medicines in Medicare.
Pass S. 2973 and S. 3430 today. Help America's seniors.
Exclusive: Rep. Stephanie Bice introduces bill to cut back regulatory apparatus
by Matthew Foldi
Rep. Stephane Bice (R., Okla.) is seizing on DOGE fever to introduce a bill that will decimate the regulatory state.
Bice’s Regulation Reduction Act, first obtained by the Washington Reporter, already has almost two dozen original cosponsors and will require government agencies “to repeal three or more rules before issuing a new major rule that imposes a cost or responsibility on a nongovernmental person, state, or local government.”
“Since coming to Congress, I have focused on promoting pro-growth policies and reducing burdensome regulations,” Bice told the Reporter. “According to the National Association of Manufacturers, the total cost of federal regulations in 2022 was an estimated $3.079 trillion. This is not sustainable. The Regulation Reduction Act will help get our nation back on track and make our government more efficient.”
Bice, an increasingly senior House GOP appropriator, introduced identical legislation last Congress. Now, with unified GOP control and President Donald Trump’s eagerness to slash regulations, the bill has a better chance. In addition to its required three-for-one regulation cuts, the bill requires that 90 days after its enactment “the head of each agency [] submit to Congress and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget a report that includes a review of each rule that is identified as costly, ineffective, duplicative, or outdated.”
DNC chair front runner praised riots, claimed that “white silence equals violence”
by Matthew Foldi
One of the frontrunners to chair the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has falsely claimed that America is “systemically racist,” and that “white silence equals violence.”
Current chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Ben Wikler, is one of the leading candidates to succeed failed Senate candidate-turned-DNC chair Jaime Harrison as the head of the DNC
At the height of the 2020 George Floyd riots, Wikler wrote that “for 30 days since George Floyd’s murder, Wisconsinites have risen up against police violence & systemic racism. The uprising is vital, and overdue.”
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Rep. Riley Moore’s first bill will let Trump unilaterally level tariffs
by Matthew Foldi
President Donald Trump has made his love of tariffs clear for decades; now, a new bill would grant Trump sweeping authority to unilaterally impose tariffs as he sees fit.
Rep. Riley Moore (R., W.Va.) and eight other House Republicans reintroduced the U.S. Reciprocal Trade Act, which grants the president authority to negotiate with other countries to lower tariffs on American goods, and to impose reciprocal tariffs as needed. Such measures would still require congressional notification.
Op-Ed: Rep. Juan Ciscomani: Our national debt demands immediate action
by Rep. Juan Ciscomani
The scale of our debt crisis is unprecedented in American history. While our national debt peaked at 106 percent in the aftermath of World War II, America was rebuilding after a deadly and destructive global conflict and was installing itself as the leader of the free world. Today, we are simply living beyond our means — and it is our future generations that will pay the price.
Addressing this crisis will require strong leadership and a commitment to reduce waste, cut unnecessary and burdensome regulations, and follow regular order when crafting the federal government’s annual budget.
This is why, as Arizona’s sole House appropriator, I was proud to join the Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus to work closely with President Donald Trump’s newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to rein in wasteful spending, streamline bloated government bureaucracies, and put America back on the path of fiscal responsibility.
Op-Ed: Ron Welch: President Joe Biden’s decision to save a Columbus cop killer undermines our justice system
by Ron Welch
As the Muskingum County Prosecutor, my guiding principles have always been to enforce our laws, advocate on behalf of the victim, and balance compassion and the rule of law.
That’s why it’s so troubling that when Americans were traveling and preparing for Christmas, President Joe Biden unilaterally decided on December 23, 2024, to commute the death sentence for Ohio cop killer Daryl Lawrence.
Lawrence was sentenced to death by a jury of his peers for his decision to murder Columbus Police Officer Bryan Hurst as Lawrence robbed a bank in 2005.
Officer Bryan Hurst’s family's response says it best: “while this is truly distressing news on a personal level for my family, it also feels like a complete dismissal and undermining of the federal justice system. Lawrence's sentence was imposed by a jury, and it should be upheld as such.”
Op-Ed: Doug Blair: Elon Musk is not a Nazi; that’s just Leftist projection
by Doug Blair
On the heels of Donald Trump’s triumphant return to the White House, the left is already proving its learned nothing from its catastrophic loss.
Liberals are already resorting to their old “everything I hate is Hitler” spiel as Tesla head and DOGE leader Elon Musk came under fire for allegedly making a Nazi salute during a post-inaugural rally. Musk smacked his chest and extended his arm in what looks unfortunately similar to the Seig Heil salute. Worse for Musk, he did it twice.
Not everyone viewed Musk’s admittedly unfortunate flailing as a sign of fascist leanings. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) posted on Musk’s X that “it seems that Elon Musk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge.”
Yet Democrats were quick to pounce on the clip, accusing Musk of holding Nazi views. “Elon Musk can do whatever he wants behind the presidential seal, but in this country we hate Nazis,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) said in a video posted on Instagram.
Op-Ed: Knox Williams: How President Donald Trump can end the weaponization of government against Second Amendment supporters
by Knox Williams
President Donald Trump’s second term offers an historic opportunity to end the weaponization of the federal government against its citizens. Amid the flurry of day-one executive orders, the most significant may be his directive to agencies to review their abuse of power and recommend corrective action. This should be especially welcome news for gun owners and Second Amendment supporters who were top targets of the Biden administration and allies in the liberal activist class.
Under President Joe Biden, the entire federal government was turned into a weapon aimed squarely at the perceived political enemies of the Democratic Party. It instituted a two-tiered system of justice that waged lawfare against American citizens and shut disfavored businesses out of the financial system altogether. Anyone with whom Democrat activists disagreed was fair game.
For example, the marquee Biden legislation, the so-called American Rescue Plan, reallocated tens of millions of dollars for COVID-19 relief to organizations dedicated to curbing lawful gun ownership under the thinly-veiled guise of “gun violence prevention” efforts. And, responding to pressure from the Biden administration, big banks systematically choked off access to capital and lines of credit for firearms retailers and related groups.
What we’re reading
Wall Street Journal: Why Is Rohit Chopra Still Employed at the CFPB? by the Editorial Board.
Daily Wire: These Gaza Hospital Leaders Are Also High-Ranking Hamas Members, by Kassy Akiva.
Dallas Morning News: Don’t let regulators stifle American energy dominance, by Rick Perry.
Washington Free Beacon: Trump Shakes Up Mideast Diplomacy With Call To Resettle Gazans in Arab Countries, by Andrew Tobin.
Breitbart: Corey Comperatore’s Widow: Trump Called Me ‘Every Day for Almost 2 Weeks’ After Rally Shooting, by Olivia Rondeau.
Financial Times: Record number of US companies weigh China exit as Trump tensions rise, by Joe Leahy.
Washington Free Beacon: Biden Admin Quietly Spent $15 Mil To Distribute 'Contraceptives and Condoms' in Afghanistan—and Said Doing So Would Take 'Some Coordination' With Taliban, by Adam Kredo.
Daily Wire: Dems Block Jewish Leader From George Mason Board After Student Arrested For Anti-Israel Terrorism, by Kassy Akiva.
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About the Washington Reporter
We created the Washington Reporter to give Republicans in Congress an outlet for insights to help you succeed, and to cover the toughest policy fights that don't get the attention they deserve.
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