January 30th, 2026
In this edition
| [1] | INTERVIEW: Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso lays out legislative goals for 2026, celebrates wins of Trump’s first year | | [2] | Heard on the Hill | | [3] | EXCLUSIVE: Mark Cuban tells us he agrees with the House report slamming CVS — “this is where you fix the problem” | | [4] | EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Tom Barrett introduces legislation to prevent tragedies like the 2025 DCA crash | | [5] | EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Buddy Carter to introduce resolution praising Trump DOJ for prosecuting “insurrectionists” that stormed Minnesota church service | | [6] | EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Mark Alford wants Congress to honor Trump’s “historic leadership” in securing permanent sovereignty in Greenland | | [7] | EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Fitzgerald slams CVS after House Judiciary Committee report | | [8] | EXCLUSIVE: 27 State AGs demand withdrawal of politically charged reference manual for federal judges | | [9] | SCOOP: Rep. Rob Bresnahan outraises Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti for second consecutive quarter | | [10] | SCOOP: Rep. Brad Finstad’s bills to crack down on welfare fraud score RSC endorsement | | [11] | SCOOP: Trump approval remains positive with seniors across 19 battleground districts, poll shows | | [12] | OPINIONATED: Rich Goldberg fact-checks how Amos Hochstein, Jake Sullivan, and Brett McGurk are trying to re-write Middle East history, Mercedes Schlapp on the March for Life — and what comes next for the pro-life movement, and Aiden Buzzetti on the threats illegal vapes from China continue to pose to Americans |
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| [1] | INTERVIEW: Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso lays out legislative goals for 2026, celebrates wins of Trump’s first year
By: Matthew Foldi
Americans should expect a lot of activity from Senate Republicans in 2026 before the midterm elections, Sen. John Barrasso (R., Wyo.) — the Majority Whip — told the Washington Reporter in an interview.
“What a difference a year makes,” Barrasso said, days after Trump celebrated one year back in the White House. “We came into the year having won the election, because Democrats were the party of high prices and open borders, and it was the worst inflation in 40 years. 10,000 illegal immigrants were coming across every day.”
Now with Trump back in office, “the border has been successfully shut and protected,” but Barrasso and his colleagues want to keep the spotlight on the contrast between the two parties. He was just at the southern border with Sens. John Thune (R., S.D.), John Cornyn (R., Texas), Jon Husted (R., Ohio), Pete Ricketts (R., Neb.), Mike Rounds (R., S.D.), and Ashley Moody (R., Fla.), along with Michael Whatley and Mike Rogers.
“The last time we were there, it was 10,000 a day coming across, and nobody was coming at this point now that President Trump is back,” Barrasso said. “And it wasn’t that we needed new laws. We just needed to enforce the laws that were on the books… From that standpoint of high prices and open border, the border problem has been solved by this president.”
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[2] |
Heard on the Hill
- EDUCATION FOR ALL: Rep. Vince Fong (R., Calif.), wants Gov. Gavin Newsom (D., Calif.) to join the bipartisan group of governors, including potential 2028 hopeful Gov. Jared Polis (D., Colo.), in joining the Federal Tax Credits Scholarship Program that offers dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for donations to approved Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs).
- MEGA MEGAA: Rep. Bryan Steil (R., Wis.) unveiled his long-anticipated elections reform act, dubbed the Make Elections Great Again Act. Steil’s bill, among other things, requires photo identification for voting, proof of citizenship when registering to vote, amends how states maintain their election systems, and requires mail-in ballots to be received by the end of Election Day.
- DNI VS. NPR: Alexa Henning, the deputy chief of staff to Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard rejected claims by NPR’s Steve Inskeep that “Gabbrd’s [sic] claim is that she found mysterious hidden documents that Georgians forgot to burn, and in less than 24 hours somehow correctly analyzed the ‘intent’ of the authors, which perfectly fit the narrative Trump asked for” by simply stating “nowhere does she say that.”
- $ENATE LEADERSHIP FUND: When it comes to outside help, Senate Republicans are in a great position thanks to the massive cash advantage that Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R., S.D.) Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) and its allied groups have. The GOP groups outraised their Democratic counterparts by almost $80 million in 2025. “SLF and affiliated groups absolutely destroyed SMP in 2025, outraising them by $72 million,” SLF’s communications director Chris Gustafson noted. “You can’t blame them for trying to bury that!”
- RNC ON DHS: The Republican National Committee’s (RNC) National Press Secretary, Kiersten Pels, signaled that the GOP’s support for the work of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) isn’t going anywhere, as Democrats attempt to leverage DHS’s funding ahead of a potential government shutdown. “Imagine how out of touch with reality you must be to hold DHS funding hostage in order to grandstand about federal immigration law being upheld in our country,” Pels noted.
- OFF TO THE RACES: Austin Rogers, the former counsel to Sen. Rick Scott (R., Fla.), kicked off his campaign in Florida’s 2nd District to succeed Rep. Neal Dunn (R., Fla.); the Washington Reporter previously covered that a campaign by Rogers could be imminent. “I’ve seen firsthand how broken Washington is,” Rogers said. Our nation needs more fighters who will fearlessly root out waste, fraud and abuse in government.” One Florida politics veteran told the Reporter that “Rogers is the man for the job — he's brilliant, principled, and steadfast in his dedication to the Panhandle.”
| | | [3] | EXCLUSIVE: Mark Cuban tells us he agrees with the House report slamming CVS — “this is where you fix the problem”
By: Matthew Foldi
Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban is calling on Congress to move aggressively against pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and healthcare consolidation following a blistering new House Judiciary Committee report targeting CVS Health and its vertically integrated business model.
Cuban has previously spoken with the Washington Reporter multiple times on antitrust issues, the presidential campaign, and on the case for PBM reform.
The House Judiciary Committee’s report concluded that consolidation among insurers, PBMs, and pharmacies has reduced competition, raised drug prices, and boxed out independent options for patients. The report focused on CVS’s use of contracts to, according to the report, limit competition and innovation.
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[4] |
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Tom Barrett introduces legislation to prevent tragedies like the 2025 DCA crash
By: Matthew Foldi
Rep. Tom Barrett (R., Mich.) spent 22 years in the Army logging thousands of flight hours in advanced helicopters, like the Black Hawk helicopter that was involved in the fatal plane crash at Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport in early 2025.
In the year since that tragic accident in which 67 people died, Barrett has worked to reform how planes take off and land in America. In light of the one-year anniversary of the crash, Barrett is introducing two more bills, obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter, that will help update technology to help prevent similar collisions in the future.
One of Barrett’s bills, the Military ADS-B Out Loophole Act, clarifies current law, which allows the Department of War (DOW) to turn off Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) equipment in an aircraft if the aircraft is “performing a sensitive government mission for national defense, homeland security, intelligence or law enforcement purposes and transmitting would compromise the operational security of the mission or pose a safety risk to the aircraft, crew, or people and property in the air or on the ground.” The Black Hawk involved in the 2025 crash had its ADS-B turned off.
| | | [5] | EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Buddy Carter to introduce resolution praising Trump DOJ for prosecuting “insurrectionists” that stormed Minnesota church service
By: Matthew Foldi
With all eyes on Minnesota, Rep. Buddy Carter (R., Ga.) plans to introduce a resolution, obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter, that reaffirms the constitutional rights of Americans to “religious freedom, and commending the Department of Justice for its prompt investigation” into a series of left-wing agitators who disrupted a church service in the North Star State.
On January 18, a group of protesters filmed themselves disrupting church services at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Carter’s resolution notes that the protesters “shouted over clergy, physically obstructed the service, intimidated worshipers, and created a threatening environment for families and children in attendance.”
Within hours of the protest that disrupted church services, Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel announced that charges had been filed against several of the agitators, who argued that they stormed the service in protest of one of its pastors leading a local field office for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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The App Store "Accountability" Act strips away your choice, forcing app stores to share your child's personal information with apps.
Tell Congress to keep parents in control of their families online.
Learn more at netchoice.org/keepappstoressafe |
| [6] | EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Mark Alford wants Congress to honor Trump’s “historic leadership” in securing permanent sovereignty in Greenland
By: Matthew Foldi
President Donald Trump’s historic deal with Greenland won quick praise from Rep. Mark Alford (R., Mo.), who introduced a resolution, obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter, commending Trump for establishing permanent United States sovereignty in Greenland.
Alford, who noted that Trump’s deal with Greenland will also provide America with control over critical military installations in Greenland, strengthen America’s Arctic security, and counter malign Russian and Chinese influence in the region, said that Trump “once again displayed the Art of the Deal on the world stage” in securing the commitments.
“The historic Greenland accord will deliver a new era of global security in the Arctic,” Alford said. “By securing this deal to deter Russian and Chinese aggression through diplomacy, rather than force, this administration is showing America First does not mean America alone. I’m proud to introduce this resolution to recognize the President’s steadfast leadership and this extraordinary accomplishment.” | | | | [7] | EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Fitzgerald slams CVS after House Judiciary Committee report
By: Ava Nicholson
The House Judiciary Committee’s report scrutinizing CVS’s market power raises serious antitrust concerns and justifies continued congressional oversight, Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R., Wis.) told the Washington Reporter.
The Judiciary Committee report examined consolidation across the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) and retail pharmacy markets, with CVS identified as the dominant player. The report investigated alleged anticompetitive actions including during a period when current CVS CEO David Joyner ran Caremark. Lawmakers have raised alarms that vertical integration in the healthcare sector could squeeze independent pharmacies, suppress competition, and limit patient choice.
In an exclusive statement to the Reporter, Fitzgerald said the investigation focused on ensuring competition is protected and that large corporations do not use their size to disadvantage smaller players: | |
[8] |
EXCLUSIVE: 27 State AGs demand withdrawal of politically charged reference manual for federal judges
By: Matthew Foldi
27 state attorneys general called on the Federal Judicial Center (FJC), the taxpayer-funded education and research agency of the federal judiciary, to immediately withdraw their recently released edition of their “Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence” for promoting partisan climate ideology and citing widely discredited activists.
In a letter — obtained by the Washington Reporter — to Robin Rosenberg, the FJC’s director, the AGs wrote that the manual, intended to serve as a “gold-standard” impartial reference tool “‘has been provided to more than 3,000 federal judges and even more state court judges and others and has been cited in over 1,700 opinions.’ So accuracy and impartiality in the Manual is vital.”
The letter, spearheaded by West Virginia’s attorney general JB McCuskey, was joined by GOP AGs from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. | | | | [9] | SCOOP: Rep. Rob Bresnahan outraises Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti for second consecutive quarter
By: Matthew Foldi
For the second consecutive quarter, Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R., Pa.) outraised his opponent in the race for Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, according to newly filed fundraising reports.
In 2025’s penultimate quarter, Cognetti — one of House Democrats’ top recruits — raised just over $500,000, while Bresnahan raised $598,000. The fundraising gap widened further in the fourth quarter; Cognetti reported raising $640,000. Bresnahan, meanwhile, brought in more than $675,000, despite scaling back fundraising during the federal government shutdown.
“Congressman Bresnahan is humbled by the continued support for his campaign,” his campaign manager Peter Brath told the Washington Reporter. “Voters are responding to Rob’s focus on what is best for all the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania, while Mayor Paige Cognetti remains focused on the far-left extremism pushed by her and the leaders of her party.”
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[10] |
SCOOP: Rep. Brad Finstad’s bills to crack down on welfare fraud score RSC endorsement
By: Matthew Foldi
A Minnesota lawmaker’s bills that would crack down on welfare fraud are getting a major boost, with the largest conservative caucus in Congress endorsing the proposals.
Rep. Brad Finstad’s (R., Minn.) proposals would direct the president to temporarily freeze foreign assistance to any country that refuses to assist America in identifying and returning taxpayer dollars illegally sent to foreign nationals. They would also require states to provide beneficiary-level SNAP data to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) in order to provide the federal government with the information necessary to detect and prosecute welfare fraud.
The Republican Study Committee (RSC), led by Rep. August Pfluger (R., Texas), is endorsing both Finstad’s Fraud Accountability and Recovery Act and SNAP Data Transparency and Oversight Act, the Washington Reporter can exclusively confirm; this move is the latest by the RSC to bolster programs that prevent large-scale fraud. “This is part of the mandate we were sent to Washington to deliver,” an RSC insider told the Reporter. | | | | [11] | SCOOP: Trump approval remains positive with seniors across 19 battleground districts, poll shows
By: Matthew Foldi
In battleground races across America, seniors continue to approve of the work that President Donald Trump is doing, according to a new poll obtained by the Washington Reporter.
Seniors Matter for America (SMFA), a new coalition launched by Sean Spicer, polled voters across 19 battleground districts and found that Trump continues to boast an approval rating of net four percent with the key voting demographic.
The poll, which was conducted from January 5-9, 2026, finds that almost all voters in battleground districts are concerned about a billionaire-backed dark-money effort that could take away Medicare Advantage, which involves the billion dollar commodity Arnold Ventures that is looking to cut senior benefits. Arnold Ventures openly opposes Medicare Advantage and is “disappointed” with the Trump administration’s leadership on protecting Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
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[12] |
OPINIONATED
Op-Ed: Rich Goldberg: The Biden administration was like an arsonist playing firefighter in the Middle East. Here’s the reality.
By: Rich Goldberg
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week set off a firestorm on the American and Israeli left when he accurately claimed that some Israeli soldiers died in battle due to the policies of the Biden administration.
Former Biden senior officials like Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk rushed to condemn Netanyahu, claiming his statements were untrue. According to their version of history, Biden saved Israel from destruction and Netanyahu should just say thanks.
Well here are three truth bombs to set the record straight. | |
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Op-Ed: Mercedes Schlapp: The March for Life is about more than abortion — it’s about human dignity
By: Mercedes Schlapp
Every January, tens of thousands of Americans converge in Washington, D.C., for one of the largest human rights demonstrations in the world: the March for Life. And each year, critics try to reduce it to a partisan spectacle — a “culture war rally,” a “religious protest,” or a political talking point. One of the protesters held a sign: “Talk to me, I was once religiously brainwashed.” She was yelling while those in the march respectfully prayed and sang.
The critics are wrong.
The March for Life is not ultimately about elections, parties, or politicians, or even abortion. It is about a moral truth that transcends politics: every human life has inherent value, from conception to natural death. I witnessed this firsthand when I met teenage mothers who went to the Saint Gianna & Pietro Molla Maternity Home for help when they felt all alone and needed support. Kate was 19 years old when she became pregnant, and now she and her 17-year-old son Dominic marched together in support of life. Ron marched for the first time this year. He and his wife Dorothy adopted five children. | |
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Op-Ed: Aiden Buzzetti: China is still flooding America with poison, and President Trump must finish the job
By: Aiden Buzzetti
Washington talks a lot about protecting the public health of Americans, but what it rarely does is enforce the law. The previous administration illustrated that in action. While American parents worried about what their kids were buying at corner stores, President Joe Biden let dangerous illegal Chinese vaping products flood the country at historic levels.
Under Biden, the government replaced enforcement with warnings, with regulators issuing letters and shuffling paperwork instead of taking action. We’ve paid the price. Today, roughly 86 percent of e-cigarette sales in the United States are illegal, unregulated products, overwhelmingly manufactured in China with dubious quality and safety controls. The weak borders and hollow enforcement under the previous administration turned American neighborhoods into dumping grounds for products that never should have made it into the country.
China knows these products are dangerous. That is why they are banned there. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy spelled it out clearly. You will go to jail and worse in China if you try to sell these products to Chinese citizens. The same factories that cannot legally sell to their own people mass-produce flavored nicotine devices and ship them to American communities instead. | |
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