Congress report card: First 100 days
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Hello, friends. Welcome back to another quiet week on the Hill as lawmakers are home for the Easter holiday.
It's been 100 days since Republicans took control of both chambers of Congress. With the House and Senate out (and spring weather in!), I decided to take a look at what the new GOP trifecta has accomplished so far during this time period — and how the Utah delegation is leading the way on several high-profile issues. All that and more below.
And, exciting news: This newsletter is getting a name change. To reflect the fact I am not technically on the campaign trail, we'll be renaming the newsletter to be a little more accurate: On the Hill. The content will remain the same and I'll keep giving you a peek at the behind-the-scenes of Congress. So keep your eyes on your inbox, that change is starting May 2!
100 days into a GOP trifecta — What have Utah lawmakers accomplished?
This week marked the first 100 days of the 119th Congress and it's been nothing short of busy and filled with action (and a bit of drama here and there).
To mark the occasion, I reached out to members of Utah's congressional delegation to get a sense of what the last four months have been like and what they have accomplished. To be sure, the Republican majority has so far fared better than it did last Congress when the GOP only held control of the House.
Multiple times throughout that session, Republicans were forced to rely on their Democratic counterparts to pass key pieces of legislation. That gave Democrats an upper hand, even in the House where they sat in the minority.
But this year, there's been a shift in momentum — under the leadership of President Donald Trump, party leaders such as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have seemingly been able to do the impossible. They've gotten even the most stubborn hard-line conservatives on board with legislation they never would have supported before (and didn't when they came up for votes last year).
'In this Congress, House Republicans are sticking together,' Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, told me. 'I do love that we have good, positive movement now, and we're focusing on some core aspects of governing and I hope to be able to continue to do that.'
Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, had similar thoughts, pointing to votes on a stopgap government funding bill and a massive budget resolution that 'in the past, would've been impossible for us.'
'It's so different for our party to be together like this because normally, we're very individual,' he said. 'So I'm excited … (about) the relationship our president has with Speaker Johnson, that we're actually getting legislation done.'
And for the Utah delegation, they've had a productive 100 days themselves. Moore has played a major role in crafting the tax reconciliation bill thanks to his roles on the powerful Budget and Ways and Means committees.
Meanwhile, Owens has focused much of his attention on education. The House passed a bill in March seeking to crack down on foreign gifts given to U.S. universities and colleges, and much of that bill contained provisions from Owens' proposals.
Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, has also had an eventful first three months on the job — including the passage of his first bill, the U.S. Research Protection Act. With Kennedy being the newbie in the Utah delegation, I asked him if there was anything that surprised him about serving in Congress.
His response: 'To be candid, I have been genuinely surprised by the number of dedicated individuals here who are working diligently to bring about positive change for our country. Certain media outlets often relish in pushing negative narratives when speaking about those serving in government positions, but I have witnessed a level of sincerity and effort from many members of Congress that is rarely highlighted or acknowledged.'
On the Senate side, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has played a major role in some of Trump's top priorities. For example, the Utah senator is leading the SAVE Act, which would ban noncitizens from voting in federal elections. The bill has already passed the House, but its future in the Senate is unclear.
Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, has also had a productive first few months in the Senate, introducing a flurry of bills cracking down on China and other legislation directly related to Utah.
From Senate to El Salvador: Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen flew to El Salvador on Wednesday in an attempt to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia after he was deported last month. Democrats have demanded his return after the Trump administration admitted the deportation was an 'administrative error' but has refused to bring him back, claiming it is not under U.S. jurisdiction.
Trump snub: President Trump won't attend the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner later this month, snubbing the high-profile event amid tensions with the press. A feud between Trump officials and the WHCA has been nearing a boiling point for months, especially after the White House announced in February it would be taking over the press corps' rotating assignments for journalists covering the president.
Could New York go red? Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is long been considered a rising star in the Republican Party, is mulling a governor's run in the blue state of New York, a source familiar with her thinking tells me. That could make the election interesting as Stefanik is a fundraising powerhouse — and Democrats aren't totally set on incumbent New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as a candidate.
While speaking to the Utah delegation about their first 100 days in Congress, one of the things that stuck out to me was how tightknit this group is.
In conversations with the members, they often speak highly of their Utah peers — and even humble brag about each others' areas of expertise. I also spot Utah lawmakers sitting with each other in the House chamber during long vote sessions and they even have the occasional hype-up on social media.
'I hope Utahns can sit back and look at their delegation and recognize you've got incredibly good coverage on all the issues that matter to Utah,' Moore told me.
And it's true — Utah lawmakers cover a lot of ground in Congress. In the Senate, Lee chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Committee while Curtis sits on four committees related to energy and commerce as well as the environment.
On the other side of Capitol Hill, Moore sits on a number of key committees and even holds a spot in GOP leadership as the conference's vice chair. From there, the other three Utah House members sit on an array of committees such as Rep. Celeste Maloy on Appropriations, Owens on Education and Workforce, and Kennedy on Transportation and Infrastructure, to name a few.
'I would hope Utahns are looking at their delegation and saying, 'Oh goodness, they're covering a lot of ground for only being four people in the House,'' Moore said.
And with only six members in the entire delegation across the House and Senate, it opens the door for a lot of collaboration.
'The reason we punch above our weight is because we collaborate,' Owens told me over the phone this week. 'We might not approach (problems) in the exact same way, but what's unique about Utah is we have this culture of service, culture of entrepreneurship and innovation — so in that process you have to talk. You have to have your chance to collaborate, see what works best for us to get to our endgame.'
Over the last four months, Utah lawmakers have teamed up several times to introduce legislation. In fact, there have been times where all six of them sign on to one bill.
Just this week, Utah lawmakers introduced a bill to preserve access to the University of Utah's Research Park amid legal uncertainties posed by the Bureau of Land Management about whether the federal land is being used for its original intent.
'I'm excited about being a state that has this focus of communication,' Owens said.
From the Hill: Sen. Mike Lee wants to crack down on 'secret meetings' of the D.C. Council. … Republicans are split on proposals to raise taxes for the rich. … Utah Rep. Blake Moore leads efforts to make adoption more affordable. … Congress will investigate 23andMe bankruptcy amid privacy concerns.
From the White House: RFK Jr. decries 'epidemic denial' amid rising autism rates. … President Trump shares messages for Easter and Passover. … Trump discusses crime, deportations with El Salvador's Bukele. … AG Bondi takes Maine to court over transgender athletes.
From the courts: Supreme Court gives surprise update on birthright citizenship battle. … SCOTUS mandates return of wrongly deported man. …. U.K. Supreme Court issues unanimous ruling on the definition of 'woman'.
The House and Senate are out next week. When they return, they'll get to work drafting Trump's massive tax reconciliation package, which would hit some obstacles as Republicans are already butting heads on some provisions.
As always, feel free to reach out to me by email with story ideas or questions you have for lawmakers. And follow me on X for breaking news and timely developments from the Hill.
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CNN
21 minutes ago
- CNN
A tumultuous week in Los Angeles illustrates the human toll of the Trump administration's more aggressive immigration crackdown
Immigration Donald Trump Federal agenciesFacebookTweetLink Follow Days before immigration raids sparked sometimes violent protests and the deployment of US troops in Los Angeles, Nancy Raquel Chirinos Medina said, her husband received a 'strange' text. The message from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement directed the father of two with one on the way to come to a federal building downtown with his family. 'It really surprised us, especially because it said the whole family had to be there … It was strange,' recalled Chirinos Medina, an asylum seeker from Honduras along with her husband. They routinely checked in with ICE, she said, but their next appointment wasn't until September. Chirinos Medina, who's nine weeks pregnant, as well as her husband, their 8-year-old son, and their US-born toddler, wound up among the nearly 20 immigrant families detained by ICE for hours at that Los Angeles federal building the first Wednesday in June, she said. There were few answers about what was happening and, that night, her husband was arrested and later transferred to an ICE detention center to face deportation. 'Dad isn't coming back, is he?' their young son asked Chirinos Medina late that night. He cried the entire 90-minute drive back home to Lancaster, a city in northern Los Angeles County. 'We entered as a family of four and only three of us left,' said Chirinos Medina, who – with her husband and son – came to the US four years ago. They're in the process of appealing an immigration court decision denying their asylum claim. Her husband, Randal Isaias Bonilla Mejia, has not returned home. A court order bars his deportation until the family's asylum claim is adjudicated. 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Immigration sweeps on industries that rely heavily on immigrant workers have picked up in recent weeks amid a push to meet White House demands to increase daily arrests. In an about-face, the Trump administration ordered ICE to scale back raids and arrests targeting farms, eateries and hotels — industries reliant on immigrant labor, according to an internal email and three officials with knowledge of the guidance cited by The New York Times on Friday. Officers should refrain from arresting 'noncriminal collaterals,' or undocumented individuals without criminal records, the guidance said. Undocumented immigrants make up 4% to 5% of the total US workforce, but 15% to 20% or more in industries such as crop production, food processing and construction, according to Goldman Sachs. In Los Angeles County, about a tenth of roughly 950,000 residents are unauthorized immigrants, according to the Migration Policy Institute. About a third have lived in the US 20 years or more. 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Fox News
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Left-wing advocacy groups in the hot seat as anti-ICE riots trigger investigation: 'Not protected speech'
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Politico
25 minutes ago
- Politico
Trump has a plan to remake the housing-finance system. It's baffling to many lawmakers and experts.
GOP lawmakers and the mortgage industry are raising questions about the Trump administration's plans to maintain government control over much of the nation's housing finance system, defying expectations that it would back off. President Donald Trump surprised the industry late last month by pledging to take public Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-controlled companies that stand behind half the $16 trillion residential mortgage market — while preserving an implicit federal guarantee for their solvency. His top housing regulator, Bill Pulte, who oversees the companies, added to the confusion by saying the administration is exploring ways to sell shares while keeping the companies under government authority. 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The question of what to do with Fannie and Freddie has bedeviled policymakers for decades, with Republicans wanting the government to take its hands off housing finance and Democrats fearing that privatizing the firms would destabilize the market and push up mortgage rates. At stake is a potential windfall of hundreds of billions of dollars for an administration that is staring at massive fiscal deficits. The government holds a roughly $340 billion liquidation preference for the two companies, by one estimate — meaning the money would go to the Treasury Department before anyone else in the event of a sale. Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, will meet with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins on June 17 to discuss the future of Fannie and Freddie, underscoring the importance of the issue. Fannie and Freddie don't make loans themselves, but rather purchase them from mortgage companies and bundle them into securities to sell on the secondary market, freeing up the lenders to make more loans. That, plus the government guarantee, helps keep mortgage rates down, supporters say. Trump was widely expected to support privatization, after his first administration worked to prepare the companies for their eventual release. But his latest comments look more like what former President Joe Biden would do, according to Jim Parrott, a nonresident fellow at the Urban Institute and a former economic adviser in the Obama White House. 'In the Biden administration, you could imagine a version of this,' Parrott said. 'The fact that we're hearing about it in this administration, I think, is catching folks by surprise.' The FHFA responded in an email that it is 'studying how, if the President elects to take Fannie and Freddie public, it can be done in the safest and soundest manner which includes keeping them in conservatorship.' It added: 'In any scenario, we will ensure the [mortgage-backed securities] market is safe and sound and that there is no upward pressure on rates.' White House deputy press secretary Harrison Fields said the administration 'is committed to strengthening the Federal Housing Finance Agency to advance the President's mission of restoring the dream of homeownership for all Americans.' Keeping Fannie and Freddie in conservatorship, according to one shareholder, amounts to attaching 'training wheels' as the government figures out how to monetize its stake. 'I think Pulte has probably confused people more than anything with his message,' said Tim Pagliara, a shareholder and author of the book 'Another Big Lie: How the Government Stole Billions from the American Dream of Home Ownership and Got Caught!' 'So the idea, for example, of allowing these entities to operate in conservatorship is a strategy that they probably talked about with the investment bankers on their primary concern, which is mortgage rates going up,' he added. 'It's like putting training wheels on a bike.' The administration's pronouncements have perplexed housing finance analysts who are unsure of what a scheme to take the companies public while keeping them in conservatorship would look like — or whether there would be sufficient investor appetite to make it worthwhile. JPMorgan strategists wrote in a note that they were 'flummoxed' by the comments. 'It's just hard to imagine why anybody would think there would be strong investor interest in that kind of model, unless the government were to convey they were going to run the [government-sponsored enterprises] in a way that's investor-friendly, and I think we're a long way off from that,' Parrott said. David Dworkin, president and CEO of the National Housing Conference, a stakeholders' group, agreed. 'The most important element of a successful stock sale is a board that is truly independent and has a fiduciary responsibility to shareholders,' he said. 'Under conservatorship, that is actually not even allowed. So, without an independent board with a fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders, there is no value to the stock.' Still, he said, 'there are far too many comments coming from major players, including the president of the United States, to avoid the conclusion that major action on conservatorship could be in the very near future.' Another housing finance analyst, granted anonymity to frankly discuss the nascent plans, also expressed skepticism about the idea that investors would bite on purchasing shares in conservatorship, with the federal government still owning the vast majority of the asset. 'The direction of that control can change at the next election,' the analyst said. 'Each administration has already demonstrated they want to use Fannie and Freddie in different ways, so what are you investing in?' For the most part, Republican lawmakers are keeping their powder dry as they wait for additional details about the administration's plans. '[Senate Banking Committee] Chairman [Tim] Scott looks forward to hearing more' from Trump and Pulte on their plans for Fannie and Freddie, spokesperson Ben Watson said. Asked if conservatorship should end, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Banking subcommittee with oversight of Fannie and Freddie, said, 'I don't know.' 'We're going to wait until the first quarter of 2026 to have that conversation,' said Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.), chair of the Financial Services housing subcommittee. 'Releasing them from conservatorship, that's one thing, but most of the folks I talked to still want the federal government on the hook.' The first Trump administration worked to build capital at the companies to prepare them for the end of conservatorship, an effort led by then-Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and former Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mark Calabria. Calabria has returned for Trump 2.0, now in a position with the White House Office of Management and Budget. Two key Treasury officials — Jonathan McKernan and Luke Pettit — also hail from the school of thought that Fannie and Freddie should be released from conservatorship. 'The Treasury Department has not really engaged on this yet — so it does not appear to me that the administration is very far into the analysis of options phase,' Parrott said. 'Until the Treasury Department really engages in any of this meaningfully, it's hard to know where all this lands.'
