February 13, 2025

Let’s dive in.

1. Interview: Tennessee Insight: Marsha Blackburn Says to Expect THREE Budget Reconciliation Bills over Two Years

2. Democrat Megadonors funnel millions into Wisconsin Supreme Court race to gerrymander new districts

3. Heard on the Hill

4. Rep. Mark Alford backs up Trump with resolution on Gulf of America

5. K-STREET, 10,000 FEET: Lockheed Martin’s F-35s’ military readiness under fire, blasted over woke policies

6. Op-Ed: Rep. Stephanie Bice on bringing Congress into the 21st century

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In this edition, Sen. Blackburn talks protecting our kids online; Dem megadonors funnel millions into Wisconsin; Tina Smith retires and more HOTH; and more.

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Interview: Tennessee Insight: Marsha Blackburn Says to Expect THREE Budget Reconciliation Bills over Two Years

by the Washington Reporter

The Lowdown:

• Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.) expects three budget reconciliation bills over the next Congress: two this year and one around this time next year.

• Blackburn also said she expects to see her bipartisan Kids Online Safety and Open App Markets Acts.

• The Tennessee Republican said she supports the prosecution of the ICE raid leakers “to the fullest extent of the law.”

• Blackburn did not say whether we should expect a gubernatorial run announcement soon, but said if she runs, she “will win.”

The Smoky Mountains of Tennessee hide within them many treasures. From delicious barbecue to Nashville’s famous hot chicken and Lynchburg’s legendary whiskey distillery, the Volunteer State is far from bereft of impact in America — and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.) is a testament to that fact.

Blackburn, Tennessee’s senior senator, hopped on the line with the Washington Reporter to talk about reconciliation, the president’s nominees, and more. The Tennessee Republican said she “absolutely” expects to see movement on budget reconciliation in the House, the current talk of the Beltway.

“The Senate Budget Committee took their first steps yesterday, and this first bill is going to deal with border, energy, and military [spending],” Blackburn said. “And what we will do is start through this reconciliation process with bill number one. We will then move to bill number two, which will make the 2017 tax cuts permanent.”

“And then I think you’ll see us move to that third reconciliation bill this time next year and deal with tips and overtime and SALT and Social Security and some of those issues,” Blackburn continued. “We have the opportunity to do three bills, and you will see us do all three. But the first will come in March and April, the second is going to probably be during the late summer, early fall, and then the third this time next year.”

Blackburn is also a champion of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bill to ensure social media platforms are protecting our children, that passed the Senate in 2023. The bill, however, did not pass the House before the end of the year. Blackburn also sponsored the bipartisan Open App Markets Act, a bill to establish rules for operating an app store; it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee 20-2 in the 117th Congress.

The senator said she expects both of these bills to move this Congress.

“I am going to be the chairman of Consumer Protection Data Security at Commerce, and then at Judiciary I will have the gavel for privacy and technology,” Blackburn said. “And we do expect these to move forward. There is wide support, House and Senate, for the Kids Online Safety Act, and Sen. [Richard] Blumenthal (D., Conn.) and I will refile that and be ready to move forward soon.”

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Democrat Megadonors funnel millions into Wisconsin Supreme Court race to gerrymander new districts

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• Democrat megadonors, including Reid Hoffman and George Soros, are funneling millions of dollars into a Wisconsin Supreme Court race.

• The donors are supporting liberal Judge Susan Crawford as she runs against Republican AG Brad Schimel for the seat.

• An email obtained by the Washington Reporter revealed that Democratic groups like Focus for Democracy and Investing in US are eager to use this upcoming election to redraw the state’s congressional maps.

• RNC spokesperson Rachel Reisner told the Reporter, “Soros’s money means one thing for Wisconsin: BAD news.”

Democratic billionaires are funneling millions of dollars into a Wisconsin Supreme Court race, as activists promise that if the liberal candidate wins, there is a “chance to put two more House seats in play for 2026” via new congressional maps being drawn.

The latest campaign finance records, reviewed by the Washington Reporter, reveal that megadonors like George Soros, Reid Hoffman, and Gov. JB Pritzker (D., Ill.) are pouring millions of dollars into the coffers of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, which is in turn sending millions to liberal Judge Susan Crawford’s campaign.

Donations from Soros, Pritzker, and Hoffman — an associate of Jeffrey Epstein —​​ accounted for over 40 percent of the $4 million in individual contributions received by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in recent weeks. While President Donald Trump narrowly carried Wisconsin in 2024, the state sent Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D., Wis.) back to Washington in another nail-biter — and Democratic groups like Focus for Democracy and Investing in U.S. are eager to use this upcoming election to redraw the state’s congressional maps.

“Winning this race could also result in Democrats being able to win two additional US House seats, half the seats needed to win control of the House in 2026,” the group wrote in an email obtained by the Reporter.

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A message from our sponsor.

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.

Heard on the Hill

• FTC ON ANTITRUST: Andrew Ferguson, the new chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), will sit down with the Washington Reporter for a discussion on antitrust policies on February 24th from 12-2. RSVP immediately, because spots are limited and this will sell out very quickly.

• DOGE WALKING: DOGE is at the IRS today and will be at the CFPB tomorrow.

• CLEANING HOUSE: HUD announced on Thursday that the department is launching a DOGE task force.

• TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME: Minnesota Democrat Senator Tina Smith announced her retirement from the Senate. She has been serving since 2018. Rep. Tom Emmer (R., Minn.) already announced he will not run. On the Democratic side, both Tim Walz and his lieutenant governor are potential candidates, as is Rep. Angie Craig (D., Minn.).

• SECRETARY KENNEDY: RFK. Jr. was confirmed to helm HHS on Thursday with a 52-48 vote. Kentucky GOP Senator Mitch McConnell broke rank as a “nay” vote.

• AN APPLE A DAY: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R., N.C.) was honored by Parents Defending Education this week for her work as chairwoman of the House’s Education and Workforce Committee last Congress, which led to the ousting of multiple university presidents. During the event, PDE’s Nicki Neily praised Foxx for her “unwavering commitment to justice for all, from female athletes whose private spaces were threatened to Jewish college students attacked for the mere sin of their religion.” Spotted at the event were Reps. Mark Harris (R., N.C.), Mark Messmer (R., Ind.), Kevin Kiley (R., Calif.), Burgess Owens (R., Utah), Tim Walberg (R., Mich.), GT Thompson (R., Pa.), Michael Baumgartner (R., Wash.), and Addison McDowell (R., N.C.), alongside several new Department of Education staffers and other supporters.

• PODCAST PARTY: The Republican Study Committee (RSC), chaired by Rep. August Pfluger (R., Texas) kicked off its Right to the Point podcast with a launch party with members and staff this week; those in attendance included Reps. Pfluger, Ben Cline (R., Va.), Bob Latta (R., Ohio), John McGuire (R., Va.), Beth Van Duyne (R., Texas), Troy Balderson (R., Ohio), Greg Murphy (R., N.C.), Chuck Edwards (R., N.C.), Morgan Luttrell (R., Texas), Mark Alford (R., Mo.), and Rudy Yakym (R., Ind.). The podcast will feature RSC members discussing the issues in their communities, and is designed to cut through the mainstream media’s bias on issues facing Congress.

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Exclusive: Rep. Mark Alford backs up Trump with resolution on Gulf of America

by Matthew Foldi

The Associated Press doesn’t have President Donald Trump’s back when it comes to the renaming of the Gulf of America, but Rep. Mark Alford (R., Mo.) does.

Alford’s newest resolution, obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter, expresses “support for the designation of February 9, 2025, as the first ever ‘Gulf of America Day’ and celebrat[es] the importance of changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.”

“We’re proud to introduce a resolution recognizing President Trump’s steadfast leadership in renaming the Gulf of America,” Alford said. “This move is just one of many by our president that reasserts American strength and puts our interests first…It’s an honor to stand with President Trump by acknowledging this consequential achievement.”

President Donald Trump’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America ruffled some feathers, like at the Associated Press, which was kept out of a White House briefing due to its refusal to refer to the body of water by its new name.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, defended the move to keep the Associated Press out by reminding journalists that “nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the president of the United States questions. We reserve the right to decide who gets to go into the Oval Office.”

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K-STREET, 10,000 FEET

Lockheed Martin’s F-35s’ military readiness under fire, blasted over woke policies

by the Washington Reporter

The Lowdown:

• Lockheed-Martin’s legendary F-35 fighter jets are having trouble reaching readiness goals, according to a recent Pentagon report, and are lagging on software capabilities.

• A senior GOP strategist told the Reporter that the defense giant “focused more on DEI and woke politics than military readiness” with the jets.

• A Senate staffer told the Reporter that, until “Lockheed Martin formally apologizes for sending its white employees to DEI reeducation camp, no Republican will take Lockheed’s self-interested and transparent makeover seriously.”

• A Lockheed-Martin spokesperson told the Reporter, “as we did in his first term, we look forward to continuing our strong working relationship with President Trump, his team, and the Congress to strengthen our national defense.”

Lockheed-Martin’s F-35 fighter jet has become synonymous with American air superiority, with little boys and girls dreaming of taking them into the skies. The latest batch, though, is facing scrutiny from some in Washington after reports that the jets are bringing a little too much baggage with them.

The headlines around the F-35 have seen clearer skies than in recent years. A recent Pentagon report concluded that the F-35 fighter program is having trouble reaching readiness goals, while January’s annual Operational Test and Evaluation report found that the program is still lagging on software capabilities including Tech Refresh 3, Block 4, and more.

Some within GOP circles in Washington, however, say the problem lies in Lockheed-Martin’s embrace of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies during the Biden administration. The defense giant made headlines after it was revealed it had a three-day “White Men’s Caucus” attended by Caucasian executives in 2020, including the vice president of the F-35 jet program. Additionally, Lockheed-Martin’s head of government affairs was noted as a “fierce critic” of President Trump and resigned after facing pressure.

A senior Republican strategist with close ties to the Trump administration told the Washington Reporter that “Lockheed Martin has focused more on DEI and woke politics than military readiness with their F35.”

“It is no wonder Republicans have become increasingly skeptical of them in the Administration and Hill,” the senior GOP strategist said.

A senior Senate staffer told the Reporter that, until “Lockheed Martin formally apologizes for sending its white employees to DEI reeducation camp, no Republican will take Lockheed’s self-interested and transparent makeover seriously.”

A Lockheed-Martin spokesperson told the Reporter the defense firm’s “sole focus is and always has been building the most advanced mission-critical defense technology that helps keep Americans and our allies safe.

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Op-Ed: Rep. Stephanie Bice: How we are bringing Congress into the 21st century

by Rep. Stephanie Bice

With one month under their collective belts, the 66 new members of the U.S. House of Representatives are now working to fulfill the pledge they took to support and defend the Constitution and to “faithfully discharge the duties of this office.”

While most of the duties assigned to members are standard in scope, the way they “faithfully discharge” these responsibilities reflects the unique nature of the people they represent. Decisions about how to manage casework, what bills to introduce, what policy positions to take, and how to vote are informed and guided by a member’s constituents. The Framers’ vision of the People’s House depended on members giving voice to the people who elected them.

Members also bear an institutional responsibility to ensure that the House works for the American people as a whole. This requires members to uphold the House’s essential role in our government and to jointly prioritize efficiency and effectiveness across all House functions.

The Framers’ understanding of members as both representatives of the people and as stewards of the institution guides modernization efforts in the House. For the past two years, these efforts have centered on strengthening how constituents engage with members, and on modernizing workplace processes and operations so that the House can better serve the American people.

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