November 13th, 2025

Let’s dive in.

1. INTERVIEW: Rep. Adrian Smith celebrates Direct File’s demise and explains what’s next for Americans’ tax filing system

2. Heard on the Hill

3. EXCLUSIVE: How a “MAGA” Senate candidate helped give House Democrats two extra seats

4. EXCLUSIVE: House Democrats raise tens of thousands of dollars from air traffic controllers despite voting to shut government down

5. EXCLUSIVE: BlinkRx rips “baseless smear” linking company to TrumpRx

6. SCOOP: “Business-to-business solutions are always preferable”: U.S. Senator, Republican officials praise credit card settlement

7. SCOOP: Republican Study Committee Steering Committee lays out takeaways following Democrats’ historic shutdown obstruction

8. OPINIONATED: Rep. Beth Van Duyne on why she introduced the Valor Earned Not Stolen Act and Rep. William Timmons with a Veterans Day message to House and Senate Democrats

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INTERVIEW: Rep. Adrian Smith celebrates Direct File’s demise and explains what’s next for Americans’ tax filing system

by Matthew Foldi

For almost two months, House and Senate Republicans like Rep. Adrian Smith (R., Neb.) have voted to reopen the government and end the Schumer Shutdown. But one government program that Smith and his colleagues won’t lament the end of is the IRS’s controversial Direct File tax preparing service.

In an interview with the Washington Reporter, Smith said that President Donald Trump’s administration was right to do away with the program and he explained that what became Direct File was never authorized to begin with.

“The fact that the IRS went forward with Direct File without congressional authority to do so is fairly indicative of what their plans were in a broader perspective,” Smith said. “So you package everything the Democrats did together, whether it was 1099-K changes, whether it was 87,000 IRS agents, whether it was Direct Files supercharging the IRS that has been having such a hard time with very fundamental customer service is especially problematic, and I would say, especially problematic for so many of my constituents, say farmers and ranchers, who are small businesses that are subjects with just the way they file their taxes and so forth, I think they would be in the crosshairs of what IRS would seek to do.”

Smith, one of the top Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee, noted that Direct File was always supposed to be a “little, small, targeted pilot project.” But, he explained, “the next thing we know, we had a launch of a much bigger program that even proved to be inefficient under its own measures.”

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Heard on the Hill

• CASSIDY BACK TRUMP ON HEALTH CARE: Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.) rolled out a Trump-aligned health care agenda in the waning days of the Schumer Shutdown: “President Trump is right,” the Louisiana doctor explained. “We should give this money directly to patients, not just insurers. My plan, Federally Pre-funded Flexible Spending Accounts, does this. It’s like a pre-paid debit card for your health, and it gives you better value for every federal dollar.”

• CANDID CAMERA: Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, who is running for Congress against Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R., Pa.), was “caught swiping on her phone on stage at a Veterans Day ceremony — just like her hero Joe Biden checked his watch at Dover,” the National Republican Congressional Committee noted.

• HISTORIC SUMMIT: Days before Syria’s president Ahmed al-Sharaa visited President Donald Trump in D.C., a bipartisan group of policymakers met to map out what a Trump-inspired Middle East could look like. Speakers and attendees at the conference, which was hosted by the Polaris National Security Foundation and the N7 Foundation included Sens. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) and Joni Ernst (R., Iowa), as well as Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, Frank Fannon, the former Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, Oren Eisner and Agnès von der Mühll, Deputy Chiefs of Mission at the French Embassy to the United States, and more. Following the conference, Caleb Brown — Polaris’s Chair — told the Reporter that “President Trump’s break from tired policy perspectives that prevailed as the Middle East moved from crisis to crisis has paved the way for a new era in the region. His bold action in destroying Iran’s nuclear program, in showing openness to new leadership in Syria, and most recently in achieving a historic peace deal in Gaza, have created conditions such that hopes for greater integration and prosperity in the region are reachable. At this summit we aspired to look beyond — while not discounting — the obstacles to focus on the opportunities ahead and in so doing, create more momentum for positive outcomes in the Middle East.”

• ACCOUNTABILITY IS COMING: Sens. Rick Scott (R., Fla.) and Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) wrote to the director of California’s Department of Parks and Recreation asking for “all records referring or relating to the Palisades and Lachman fires.” Reality star Spencer Pratt praised the senators’ work: “Gavin Newsom’s State Parks agency is being investigated by the Senate for burning down my town.”

• WORKERS OF THE WORLD DO NOT UNITE: There is no class solidarity between the staff of the RNC and of the DNC — which has still not been working in person for five days a week. Kiersten Pels, the GOP’s National Press Secretary, wondered whether her counterparts across the aisle are operating a “political committee or a daycare.”

• FLURRY OF ENDORSEMENTS: With about a year to go until the 2026 midterms, Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) endorsed a series of his colleagues in recent days, including Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R., Iowa), Zach Nunn (R., Iowa), Scott Perry (R., Pa.), Rob Bresnahan (R., Pa.), Ryan Mackenzie (R., Pa.), Tom Kean (R., N.J.), Derrick Van Orden (R., Wis.), and Juan Ciscomani (R., Ariz.). Johnson also endorsed Mark Lamb, who is running in an open GOP seat.

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EXCLUSIVE: How a “MAGA” Senate candidate helped give House Democrats two extra seats

by Matthew Foldi

In recent weeks, Democrats have forced through a series of wins in the nationwide battle over redistricting thanks to highly partisan actors like Gov. Gavin Newsom (D., Calif.) spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to draw Republicans out of office in California.

But one redistricting win for Democrats that has flown under the radar happened in Louisiana of all places, and a self-described “MAGA” candidate for Senate was integral in handing Democrats two House seats.

Blake Miguez, a Republican state senator in Louisiana, voted with the state’s Democrats on SB8, a bill that guaranteed Democrats two House seats, which are currently held by Reps. Cleo Fields (D., La.) and Troy Carter (D., La.).

Both Fields and Carter are reliable opponents of President Donald Trump and of the MAGA agenda that Miguez portrays himself as a champion of in his primary campaign against Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.).

While some judges have thrown out maps advanced by Republicans in states across America, there was no guarantee that this would be the case in Louisiana while Miguez served as the Vice Chair of the State Senate committee that advanced SB8.

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EXCLUSIVE: House Democrats raise tens of thousands of dollars from air traffic controllers despite voting to shut government down

by Matthew Foldi

The Schumer Shutdown is almost over — but the ramifications are unlikely to end any time soon, as the Democrats’ historic obstruction saw longstanding members of the Democratic Party’s coalition abandon Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D., N.Y.) strategy of closing the government.

One of the most surprising groups to demand that Senate Democrats work with Republicans and pass a Biden-era clean continuing resolution was the union of air traffic controllers. A Washington Reporter review of campaign finance donations from groups like the National Air Traffic Controllers Association PAC (NATCA PAC) and the FAA Managers Association (FAAMA) show how both groups have donated tens of thousands of dollars to top Democrats and to Democrats running in competitive elections.

Democrats, especially those in the House of Representatives, voted against the GOP-led bills that would have prevented the nationwide flight cancelations and delays that have wrecked travel plans for millions of Americans.

Over the years, Democrats like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) have raised tens of thousands of dollars from NATCA PAC and FAAMA. But Jeffries is far from alone. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) has also received tens of thousands from the very same organizations whose members she had been voting to harm for almost two months.

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EXCLUSIVE: BlinkRx rips “baseless smear” linking company to TrumpRx

by the Washington Reporter

BlinkRx is a digital pharmacy platform that partners with leading manufacturers, specialists, and health-systems that has become one of the fastest-growing patient-access companies in the country. Known for helping millions of Americans secure affordable medications through a streamlined, tech-driven process, the company has earned a strong reputation.

Recently, Congressional Democrats launched an attack against BlinkRx, accusing the company of helping design President Donald Trump’s initiative to lower drug costs.

Now, BlinkRx is pushing back hard and setting the record straight.

In a letter obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter and sent to Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Or) and Reps. Frank Pallone (D., N.J.) and Richard Neal (D., Mass.), BlinkRx’s Vice President and Special Counsel Drew Hudson stated that BlinkRx first learned about TrumpRx “from press reports” and had “no role in the development” of the announcement.

The Democrats’ late-October inquiry insinuated BlinkRx played a behind-the-scenes role in crafting TrumpRx. The Democrats had no evidence for this.

A senior Senate Republican aide blasted the Democrats’ effort as “a desperate attempt to manufacture a scandal where none exists.”

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A message from our sponsor.

The App Store “Freedom” Act poses a cybersecurity risk.

Sideloading insecure apps creates vulnerabilities that bad actors can exploit. It would break tools parents use to control what apps kids are able to download.

Tell Congress to protect children and ensure parents can choose a secure smartphone experience by voting NO.

netchoice.org/keepyourphonesecure

SCOOP: “Business-to-business solutions are always preferable”: U.S. Senator, Republican officials praise credit card settlement

by the Washington Reporter

The Wall Street Journal reported that Visa and Mastercard are nearing a settlement with merchants in a long-running dispute over credit-card fees. The emerging agreement would lower interchange fees and give merchants more flexibility in dealing with customers. The deal has been praised by many in industry and in conservative circles as an example of the private sector working.

The Journal first reported that the deal would include a small reduction in interchange rates and new options for merchants to differentiate among types of cards. The litigation has focused on whether card networks and issuing banks imposed rules that limited merchants’ ability to manage rising processing costs.

The potential agreement arrives as Congress continues to debate proposals to overhaul the credit-card market. Supporters of the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA), led by Sen. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.), have argued that the federal government should take over the credit card market by allowing retailers to decide which network to process a payment on. Opponents of the CCCA argue that consumers should decide which credit cards to use, and that private negotiations are a better way to resolve the issue.

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SCOOP: Republican Study Committee Steering Committee lays out takeaways following Democrats’ historic shutdown obstruction

by Matthew Foldi

Minutes before the Schumer Shutdown finally ended, Republicans led by Rep. August Pfluger (R., Texas), the Chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee’s (RSC) Steering Committee made it clear what the Democrats’ historic obstruction was really about: providing health care for illegal inmigrants — and Pfluger echoed what he previously told the Washington Reporter in an interview, demanding accountability for how Democrats needlessly jeopardized American national security.

“Democrats betrayed American families with their politically-motivated government shutdown over demands for free healthcare for 1.2 million illegal aliens and hundreds of billions in fraudulent insurance subsidies,” the RSC’s Steering Committee told the Reporter.

On the other hand, “Republicans rejected every demand,” he explained. “When Democrats attempted to jam through a short-term funding extension that would have left the country vulnerable to another shutdown while enriching insurance companies at taxpayer expense, the Republican Study Committee stood firm and won.”

Throughout the Schumer Shutdown, Pfluger and RSC members have served as some of the House GOP’s most visible surrogates. RSC members including Reps. Mark Alford (R., Mo.), Stephanie Bice (R., Okla.), Zach Nunn (R., Iowa), Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) have explained in interviews with the Reporter about the consequences of Democrats’ obstruction.

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OPINIONATED

Op-Ed: Rep. Beth Van Duyne: Valor is earned, and it should never be stolen

by Rep. Beth Van Duyne

North Texas is home to over 300,000 veterans whom we recognize and thank each and every Veterans’ Day. These brave men and women upheld their Oath to protect and preserve our Constitution, secured our God-given liberties, served our country with distinction, and wore the uniform with honor.

I’ve had the privilege of spending time getting to know many of these heroic veterans, marveled by their acts of bravery, and humbled by the sacrifices they made for their brothers in arms as well as the country we hold so dear. Hearing how they performed under the direst of circumstances, with no regard for the peril they faced, is a constant reminder we are blessed with heroes who truly understand the freedom so many Americans take for granted is not at all free. Instead, every generation has been called to make a stand for America, man the breach so others may be saved, and earn the freedom that makes our nation shine above all others — our freedom is earned, just like the commendations and honors of our nation’s heroes who have sacrificed so much for all of us.

Last Friday, I met with many of our distinguished veterans at our annual Congressional Veteran Commendation ceremony, where we honor the heroes of the 24^th District of Texas and preserve their stories so future generations may learn from their example and be inspired to serve a nation that has brought more freedom and prosperity to more people than any in the history of mankind. Among some of our honored veterans were stories that truly exemplify the best of North Texas and our American tradition of courage under fire and daring beyond measure.

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Op-Ed: Rep. William Timmons: This Veterans Day, let’s honor service by restoring it

by Rep. William Timmons

This Veterans Day marks 43 days since Democrats shut down the government. Over this month, nearly one million veterans and their families have faced disruptions in the support systems they rely on to live, work, and thrive after service. Transition briefings and career counseling sessions have been postponed. Disabled veterans seeking job training and adaptive employment support have encountered long delays. Those filing new disability claims or updating existing ones have waited weeks with limited communication from the VA. Regional offices and hotlines have been closed or severely reduced in capacity.

These are not just statistics. They are real people who have served our country and are trying to move forward in civilian life. Every day that services were delayed made reintegration harder for them and their families.

A disabled combat veteran who needs job training? No caseworker available. A transitioning service member who needs career counseling? Those VA briefings are suspended — the contract that provides them isn’t operational during the lapse in appropriations. A veteran trying to file a disability claim or update their status as their condition worsens? Facing massive delays or no processing at all.

Veterans trying to file new claims are being told to expect delays or hold off entirely. Those who need transition counseling are told to plan for “limited availability.” This is wrong, and it’s completely unnecessary.

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