April 24, 2025

Let’s dive in.

1. INTERVIEW: Bo Hines is working to enact President Trump's plan to make America the "Crypto Capital of the World"

2. Heard on the Hill

3. EXCLUSIVE: Congressional Republicans sound off after activist district judge blocks President Trump’s move to secure our elections

4. EXCLUSIVE: Trump administration’s terms of reference with India praised by Congress

5. K-STREET, 10,000 FEET: FCC order could threaten "military communications, private satellite communication, GPS, agriculture, aviation," coalition warns

6. OPINIONATED: Hayden Padgett on President Trump’s education agenda. Mercedes Schlapp on Pope Francis’ legacy.

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INTERVIEW: Bo Hines is working to enact President Trump's plan to make America the "Crypto Capital of the World"

by Matthew Foldi and the Washington Reporter

THE LOWDOWN:

• Bo Hines, the Executive Director of the President's Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, is working to enact President Trump’s plan to make America the “Crypto Capital of the World.”

• The crypto sage said he thinks the burgeoning fintech industry missed that integration “for quite some time, especially in this process as they’ve matured and established themselves as legitimate players.”

• Hines’s ascension to the Trump administration comes not a moment too soon — congressional Republicans are moving to ensure the U.S. has a robust strategic Bitcoin reserve enshrined in law.

• “We're well on our way to making the United States the Crypto Capital of the World, and moreover, the Bitcoin superpower of the world, as the president likes to say,” Hines said.

Bo Hines’s journey to serving as the Executive Director of the President's Council of Advisers on Digital Assets started on the college football field.

“When I was a college football player at North Carolina State, I played in the Bitcoin Bowl my freshman year, which was in St. Petersburg, which we won, and that actually sparked my interest in cryptocurrency more generally, and with Bitcoin specifically, and then I became an avid trader,” Hines told the Washington Reporter in an interview.

Since then, he’s taken the lead on enacting President Donald Trump’s agenda to make America the “Crypto Capital of the World.” Hines said he looks at his “office as being the administrator between White House policy, industry, interagency activity, and what's happening on Capitol Hill.”

The crypto sage said he thinks the burgeoning fintech industry missed that integration “for quite some time, especially in this process as they’ve matured and established themselves as legitimate players.” Hines said his office is feeling great on delivering on President Donald Trump’s America First agenda.

“For us, we feel like we're in a fantastic position to deliver on the president's wishes to get stables and market structure legislation on his desk before August recess, but then, moreover, he said publicly at the White House Crypto Summit that he would like to eradicate anything that undergirded Operation Choke Point 2.0,” Hines said.

“And we feel like we're well on our way to accomplishing that with the interagency working group that was set up in the first digital assets executive order,” he continued. “So we feel great about where we are.”

“We're well on our way to making the United States the Crypto Capital of the World, and moreover, the Bitcoin superpower of the world, as the president likes to say,” he added.

Hines’s ascension to the Trump administration comes not a moment too soon — congressional Republicans are moving to ensure the U.S. has a robust strategic Bitcoin reserve enshrined in law. Hines praised the lawmakers for their efforts to effectively position the U.S. in the global crypto markets.

“Senator Cynthia Lummis, Senator Bill Haggerty, obviously, Chairman Tim Scott have been phenomenal on the Senate side,” Hines said. “On the House side, we have, obviously, Chairman French Hill on House Financial Services, and we have subcommittee chair Bryan Steil who has been phenomenal. And then there's other folks, I’d be remiss if I did not mention [Rep.] Dusty Johnson.”

“There are folks there who are certainly factoring into driving this innovation forward,” he continued. “But these folks have been in it, and honestly, I think it's worth mentioning Congressman Patrick McHenry from the last Congress, who was a great friend of the digital assets community.”

Hines said McHenry, who briefly served as House Speaker pro-tempore in 2023 before retiring from Congress, “understood what the technology could be used for and how it would really revolutionize the way in which we move money.”

“And he's obviously no longer in Congress, but his leadership was phenomenal,” Hines added.

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HEARD ON THE HILL

• NORTHERN WAVES: Our reporting about how new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney chaired the board of Bloomberg LP is making waves up north. Days after our coverage, Canada’s National Post covered the Carney controversy. “‘What steps did he take’? Lawyers query Carney’s role at company beset by sexism allegations,” it wrote. The Washington Reporter asked Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) if she thinks that Carney should have pressed for the company to release the NDAs surrounding then-presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg, as she did in 2020, and did not hear back.

• WON’T BACK DOWN: Rep. Pat Harrigan (R., N.C.) told the Reporter that he’s pressing on with his criticisms of GNC’s presence on military bases, tying the company to the Chinese Communist Party and saying that “GNC’s presence on our military bases raises serious questions about access, influence, and intent.” Harrigan is leading the Military Installation Retail Security Act in the House. The Reporter reviewed GNC’s campaign contributions and found that it has sent thousands of dollars to Democratic campaigns and liberal-aligned groups.

• SHOTS FIRED: Ed Paltzik, one of President Trump’s attorneys, suggests that there’s more to come as the president feuds with CBS News, Paramount, and 60 Minutes. Even though top staffers at 60 Minutes are leaving amidst a $20 billion lawsuit, Paltzik suggests that Trump wants more action, in the wake of how the show selectively edited Vice President Kamala Harris’s interview in the final days of the 2024 election. “CBS and Paramount committed the worst kind of election interference and fraud in the closing days of the most important presidential election in history,” Paltzik told the Reporter.

• CALM, COOL, COLLECTED: Rep. Gabe Evans’ (R., Colo.) team wasn’t phased by Rep. Greg Casar (D., Texas) hosting an event on Evans’ turf today. The staff told the Reporter that Casar’s presence could actually backfire. “Greg Casar is a Defund the Police activist who wants to see socialism and transgenderism take over America,” Evans spokeswoman Delanie Bomar said. “Any day with Greg Casar in Colorado’s 8th District is a day that helps re-elect Gabe Evans in 2026.”

• HOGGING CASH: David Hogg, one of the Democratic Party’s top officials, is causing serious headaches for others in the top echelons of the Democratic Party with his plans to primary incumbent Democrats. Nevertheless, Hogg’s group has sent $100,000 Rep. Suzan DelBene’s (D., Wash.) way, and the DCCC chairwoman is tongue-tied in response. “Who is the real leader over there?” the NRCC’s Mike Marinella asked in response.

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EXCLUSIVE: Congressional Republicans sound off after activist district judge blocks President Trump’s move to secure our elections

by The Washington Reporter and Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• In yet another unsurprising move, a liberal district court judge blocked President Donald Trump from requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.

• U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly made the ruling on Thursday in a 120-page opinion, accusing President Trump of “short-circuit Congress’s deliberative process by executive order.”

• Sen. Tom Cotton called on the Supreme Court to intervene while blasting “far too many” district court judges putting the “Resistance” above their constitutional duties.

• Rep. Darrell Issa told the Reporter that these “rogue rulings are not technical disagreements on law or precedent.”

In yet another unsurprising move, a liberal district court judge blocked President Donald Trump from requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly made the ruling on Thursday in a 120-page opinion, accusing President Trump of “short-circuit Congress’s deliberative process by executive order” — something former President Joe Biden attempted to do with his failed student loan forgiveness plan.

The decision by Kollar-Kotelly, the 82-year-old D.C. judge who sentenced pro-life activists to prison under the FACE Act, was promptly blasted by congressional Republicans. Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) told the Washington Reporter that the Supreme Court needs to step in and rectify the situation.

“For far too many district court judges, being in the Resistance is a higher priority than following the law,” Cotton said. “The Supreme Court should step in to end this unconstitutional attack on President Trump lawfully carrying out the agenda that voters elected him to do.”

Rep. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.), a top Republican on the Judiciary Committee and a seasoned legislator, told the Reporter that these “rogue rulings are not technical disagreements on law or precedent.”

“This is the rise of the resistance in robes targeting President Trump with blatantly unconstitutional overreach,” he added. The House recently passed Issa’s No Rogue Rulings Act — a bill that could rectify situations like this, if it becomes law.

Kollar-Kotelly’s decision comes amid a larger push by the Trump administration and Republicans to secure U.S. elections.

With four years of a wide-open southern border, concerns about illegal immigrants or even international adversaries voting in U.S. elections reached a fever pitch.

The issue was a key driver for the GOP’s historic win in November, and the House is already making moves on the issue by passing legislation to codify an identification requirement for registering to vote.

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EXCLUSIVE: Trump administration’s terms of reference with India praised by Congress

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• Vice President JD Vance’s trip to India is already paying off, with both America and India agreeing to terms of reference — something Vance called a “vital step toward realizing President Trump and Prime Minister Modi's vision.”

• Rep. Bill Huizenga (R., Mich.) told the Reporter that the latest moves remind him how “refreshing it is to have President Trump actively fight for American workers and economic opportunity for families across our nation.”

• Huizenga is not alone in Congress in terms of Trump allies who are backing him up on trade. Rep. Andy Barr (R., Ky.) told the Reporter that Trump's policies are great for Kentucky.

• Rep. Brandon Gill (R., Texas), a freshman lawmaker, told the Reporter that “President Trump is putting America first and delivering exactly what he promised voters.”

Vice President JD Vance’s trip to India is already paying off, with both America and India agreeing to terms of reference — something Vance called a “vital step toward realizing President Trump and Prime Minister Modi's vision.”

Rep. Bill Huizenga (R., Mich.), a top Republican on the House Financial Services Committee, told the Washington Reporter that the latest moves remind him how “refreshing it is to have President Trump actively fight for American workers and economic opportunity for families across our nation.”

The Michigan lawmaker noted that countries across the world are presenting proposals on paper, but the moves with India are some of the strongest signs of progress amidst the administration’s moves to reset the global trade order.

All of which represents a marked change from what Huizenga said happened under Biden.

“Under Joe Biden, we had a PINO — a President In Name Only — who was asleep at the wheel or worse when it came to trade,” Huizenga said.

“I am rooting for President Trump and the administration to level the playing field for American workers and get these trade agreements — that put America first — finalized,” he added.

Huizenga is not alone in Congress in terms of Trump allies who are backing him up on trade. Rep. Andy Barr (R., Ky.) told the Reporter that Trump's policies are great for Kentucky.

"Trump’s America First trade deal is a major victory for Kentucky’s workers, farmers, and manufacturers,” Barr said. “It proves that tough, pro-American trade policies work—and the market rebound says it all.”

“I’ll keep fighting alongside President Trump to deliver more wins for our economy,” Barr added.

Rep. Brandon Gill (R., Texas), a freshman lawmaker, told the Reporter that “President Trump is putting America first and delivering exactly what he promised voters.”

“The days of limitless outsourcing and unfair trade practices are quickly ending, thanks to President Trump,” Gill said.

Vice President Vance’s negotiations with India come amid a larger push by the Trump administration to level the international playing field to return America to the forefront of global trade.

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K-STREET, 10,000 FEET:

FCC order could threaten "military communications, private satellite communication, GPS, agriculture, aviation," coalition warns

by Matthew Foldi

THE LOWDOWN:

• A coalition led by the Satellite Safety Alliance (SSA) issued the warning, saying that government and commercial services that could be affected include “military communications, private satellite communication, GPS, agriculture, aviation, weather forecasting, and more.”

• The coalition’s concerns include that “an independent technical analysis completed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (‘NAS’) in 2022 as mandated by Congress in 2021 has shown that the Order is inadequate to protect incumbent services from Ligado’s proposed terrestrial operations.”

• The signatories “represent a broad cross-section of the federal and commercial user bases of Global Positioning System (‘GPS’), satellite communications, and weather forecasting services,” they note in their letters.

• The FCC is helmed by a top Trump ally, Chairman Brendan Carr, who has previously spoken with the Reporter about his priorities.

Almost 100 companies and organizations want President Donald Trump and lawmakers to work with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reverse a controversial decision on its five-year anniversary that could “threaten a wide range of critical government and commercial services.”

A coalition led by the Satellite Safety Alliance (SSA) issued the warning, saying that government and commercial services that could be affected include “military communications, private satellite communication, GPS, agriculture, aviation, weather forecasting, and more.”

At issue is the 2020 so-called Ligado Order, which the coalition argued in letters to President Donald Trump and top lawmakers — exclusively obtained by the Washington Reporter — that the order has led to “ongoing and unresolved concerns about the harmful interference risk that would be created by operation of terrestrial mobile service in portions of the L-band.”

“The FCC’s Ligado Order has faced unprecedented opposition, including from 14 federal agencies and over 90 organizations representing huge swaths of the economy — from aviation and agriculture to science and manufacturing,” SSA said. “Rarely does any issue garner agreement from such a wide and divergent group of constituencies.”

The coalition’s concerns include that “an independent technical analysis completed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (‘NAS’) in 2022 as mandated by Congress in 2021 has shown that the Order is inadequate to protect incumbent services from Ligado’s proposed terrestrial operations.” They also note that “Ligado has filed for bankruptcy, and the nature of Ligado’s operations in the United States is once again shifting.”

The signatories “represent a broad cross-section of the federal and commercial user bases of Global Positioning System (‘GPS’), satellite communications, and weather forecasting services,” they note in their letters. Leading industry groups, including Airlines for America, the American Farm Bureau, and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, joined in.

“Given the ongoing concerns raised since the Ligado Order was adopted, we urge you to work together with the FCC to grant the petitions for reconsideration and set aside the Order,” the coalition wrote.

The FCC is helmed by a top Trump ally, Chairman Brendan Carr, who has previously spoken with the Reporter about his priorities.

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OPINIONATED

Op-Ed: Hayden Padgett: President Trump’s education policies are squarely within America’s Federalist tradition

by Hayden Padgett

As the Chairman of the Young Republican National Federation, I do my best to find the things that tie different factions of Republicans together. That job is more necessary now than ever before — in a world where everything from the sports you watch to the beer you drink is a political statement, young conservatives need a place where they can honestly debate our history, traditions, and heritage.

One such tradition which has fallen out of favor in the broader society but which binds Republicans together is our Federalist history. It’s one of the foundational aspects of our society which Conservatives instinctively understand: the best government is the one closest to the people. For decades we have watched as Washington has taken a greater and greater role in our lives. This hasn’t only had an impact on our liberties, but on the coarsening of our politics as the issues that would historically have been decided between neighbors now play out in vapid morality plays cheered on by cable news.

Conservatives should cheer whenever the federal government decides to relinquish some of that power and return it to the states. President Donald Trump’s decision to abolish the Department of Education and return that regulatory authority to the states is an absolute slam dunk for the Federalist political tradition and should be cheered on by every Republican, even those who have been critical of other aspects of President Trump’s second administration.

But here’s the catch, if the funding and regulation for education is being sent back to the states, those same Republicans need to make educating our kids a top tier priority. Federal disentanglement means that the control of funding and accountability is returning to the people. For decades the Republican base has had an antagonistic relationship with education funding, seeing it often as a taxpayer-funded windfall for the war chests of the eternally left-wing teacher’s unions. This is a mentality that we are going to have to change to make sure our kids have the opportunities we want them to have. With the Department of Education going away, the states have to pick up the slack.

One of the brighter examples of Republicans picking up the mantle of this new responsibility is in Texas, where Chairman Brad Buckley of the Texas House Public Education Committee filed two bills, House Bills 2 and 4, which do precisely what is necessary to make the Trump agenda succeed. HB 2, which passed earlier in April, expands the per-student allotment for public schools and HB 4 reforms Texas’ infamous STAAR test which has been a common source of grumbling for students and teachers alike for over a decade. The Texas Senate has also taken up this challenge and is considering similar measures.

These two bills, when taken together, offer a serious attempt to by Chairman Buckley to expand support for public education and reevaluate the standards previously mandated by Washington by which Texas’ students have been tested.

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Op-Ed: Mercedes Schlapp: Pope Francis’s legacy and what comes next

by Mercedes Schlapp

Together, the Catholic Church mourns the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. He leaves behind a legacy of compassion, charity, humility and a great affinity for the poor.

He was known for his kindness, but many in the Church struggled to understand his lack of moral clarity and spiritual direction on some of the most controversial and critical issues facing our society.

We pray for the repose of his soul and for the future of the Church. We also look ahead toward his successor.

In just the last few years, we’ve seen the Church blossom. Church attendance is trending upward. Young people are embracing the faith in great numbers. Interest in the traditional rites is on the rise.

The numbers of young people responding to the call of religious life are increasing.

Young families are filling American churches, and more young married couples are embracing life.

It’s said that the Church thrives in times of persecution. Traditional, faithful Catholics have been the target of lawfare in the United States, brutality in Africa and the Middle East, and erasure from culture in the former epicenter of Christendom, Europe.

When selecting the next Vicar of Christ, we pray the college of cardinals will keep this in mind. We need a pope fitting for times such as these.

Pope Francis led with great compassion and humility, but he left traditional Catholics isolated. His choice of words regarding foundational Church teachings often led to confusion.

The current times call for a pope who will be bold and clear in his proclamation of the faith.

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