Second Democrat announces campaign to unseat GOP congressman in competitive Michigan district
Maat Maasdam, a former Navy SEAL, announced his campaign Tuesday to unseat Tom Barrett, a former Army helicopter pilot who delivered a key win for Republicans in 2026 when he flipped the 7th Congressional District in central Michigan. Maasdam joins Bridget Brink, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine , in the Democratic primary as both seek to introduce themselves to voters in the critical district.
'I'm running for Congress to continue serving my country, not any political party,' Maasdam said in a campaign announcement.
Maasdam is emphasizing his military experience, setting up his background to compete with Barrett. According to Maasdam's campaign, he served as former President Barack Obama's military aide who carried the ' nuclear football ,' a briefcase that contains atomic war plans and enables the president to transmit nuclear orders to the Pentagon. His campaign noted that his wife was a Navy helicopter pilot.
'In the military, whether you're Republican or Democrat, you're still working together on the same mission,' he said in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of his announcement. 'It really gives you the opportunity to find common solutions and get the job done. And I haven't seen a lot of that recently.'
The district — which includes the capital city of Lansing and surrounding rural areas — was previously held by rising Democratic star and former CIA analyst Elissa Slotkin before she successfully ran for U.S. Senate in the 2024 election.
In the subsequent race for the open seat in November, Barrett emerged victorious from an expensive race with a 3.7-point lead. He has already brought in more than $900,000 in the first three months of his time in Congress.
Brink, Maasdam's Democratic competition, resigned from her position as ambassador to Ukraine in April in protest of what she says is President Donald Trump's unfair treatment of the war-torn country. A longtime diplomat who previously held high-ranking State Department roles in other former Soviet and Eastern European countries, Trump picked Brink to be the country's ambassador to Slovakia in 2019. Former President Joe Biden tapped her to be ambassador to Ukraine shortly after Russia invaded the country in 2022.
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Hamilton Spectator
38 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Man who killed his family after his wife sought a divorce is set for execution in Florida
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CNBC
43 minutes ago
- CNBC
What the Senate Republican tax-and-spending bill means for your money
Senate Republicans on Tuesday approved their version of President Donald Trump 's multitrillion-dollar tax-and-spending package, which could broadly impact millions of Americans' wallets. Similar to the House's One Big Beautiful Bill Act advanced in May, the Senate legislation aims to make permanent Trump's 2017 tax cuts, while adding new tax breaks for tip income, overtime pay and auto loans, among other provisions. If enacted, the bill could also slash spending on social safety net programs such as Medicaid and SNAP, end tax credits tied to clean energy and overhaul student loans. The spending package could still see changes as it returns to the lower chamber for approval. But a House floor vote could come this week to meet Trump's July 4 deadline. Here are some of the key provisions to watch — and how those measures could affect household finances. How to read this guide Follow along from start to finish, or use the table of contents to jump to the section(s) you want to learn more about. 'SALT' deduction Since 2018, the $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction, known as SALT, has been a critical issue for certain lawmakers in high-tax states such as New York, New Jersey and California. The SALT deduction — which lets taxpayers who itemize deduct all or some of their state and local income and property taxes — was unlimited for filers before 2018. But the alternative minimum tax reduced the benefit for some wealthier Americans. A sticking point for some House lawmakers, the lower chamber approved a permanent $40,000 SALT limit starting in 2025. That benefit begins to phaseout, or decrease, for consumers who have more than $500,000 of income. The Senate version of the bill would also lift the cap to $40,000 starting in 2025. It also begins to phaseout at $500,000. Both figures would increase by 1% yearly through 2029, and the $40,000 limit would revert to $10,000 in 2030. If you raise the cap, the people who benefit the most are going to be upper middle-income. "If you raise the cap, the people who benefit the most are going to be upper middle-income," since lower earners typically don't itemize tax deductions, Howard Gleckman, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, previously told CNBC. The Senate bill also preserves a SALT cap workaround for pass-through businesses, which allows owners to avoid the $10,000 SALT limit. By contrast, the House bill would eliminate the strategy for certain white-collar professionals. — Kate Dore The child tax credit gives families with qualifying dependent children a tax break. It's a credit, so it reduces their tax liability dollar-for-dollar. Trump's 2017 tax cuts temporarily boosted the maximum child tax credit to $2,000 from $1,000, an increase that will sunset after 2025 without an extension from Congress. If enacted, the Senate bill would permanently bump the biggest credit to $2,200 starting in 2025 and index this figure for inflation starting in 2026. Momo Productions | Getty Meanwhile, the House version of the bill lifts the top child tax credit to $2,500 from 2025 through 2028. After 2028, the credit's highest value would revert to $2,000 and be indexed for inflation. However, the proposed bills wouldn't help 17 million children from low-income families who don't earn enough to claim the full credit, according to Elaine Maag, senior fellow in the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. — Kate Dore Older Americans may receive an extra tax deduction under the legislation. Both the House and Senate called for a temporary enhanced deduction for Americans ages 65 and over, dubbed a "bonus," in their respective versions of the "big beautiful" bill. The Senate proposed raising the deduction to $6,000 per qualifying individual, up from $4,000 proposed by the House. The full deduction would be available to individuals with up to $75,000 in modified adjusted gross income, and $150,000 if married and filing jointly. Notably, the Senate version would phase out at a faster rate for taxpayers who are above those thresholds. Ultimately, middle-income taxpayers may benefit most from the enhanced deduction, Howard Gleckman, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, recently told CNBC. The senior bonus is in lieu of eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits, which had been touted by the Trump administration, since changes to Social Security are generally prohibited in reconciliation legislation. — Lorie Konish As Republicans seek to slash federal spending, Medicaid, which provides health coverage for more than 71 million people, has been a target for those cuts in both House and Senate versions of the bill. The Senate version would cut more than $1 trillion from Medicaid, compared with more than $800 billion in cuts in the House version, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates. New federal work rules would require beneficiaries ages 19 to 64 who apply for coverage or who are enrolled through an Affordable Care Act expansion group to work at least 80 hours per month. Adults may be exempt if they have dependent children or other qualifying circumstances such as a medical condition. Notably, the Senate version of the bill proposed stricter limits on exemptions for parents, limiting it to those with dependent children ages 14 and under. The proposed Medicaid changes would also require states to conduct eligibility redeterminations for coverage every six months, rather than every 12 months based on current policy. About 7.8 million people could become uninsured by 2034 due to Medicaid cuts, the CBO has projected, based on the House bill. — Lorie Konish Both Senate and House versions of the "big beautiful" bill propose cuts to food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. The cuts in the Senate bill may ultimately affect more than 40 million people, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. That includes about 16 million children, 8 million seniors and 4 million non-elderly adults with disabilities, among others, according to CBPP, a nonpartisan research and policy institute. Many states would be required to pay a percentage for food benefits to make up for the federal funding cuts. If they cannot make up for the funding losses, that could result in cuts to SNAP benefits or states opting out of the program altogether, according to CBPP. The Senate proposal also seeks to expand existing work requirements to include adults ages 55 to 64 and parents with children 14 and over. Based on current rules, most individuals cannot receive benefits for more than three months out of every three years unless they work at least 20 hours per week or qualify for an exemption. For about 600,000 low-income households, food benefits could be cut by an average of $100 per month, according to CBPP. — Lorie Konish The Senate's version of Trump's budget bill also included a new savings account for children with a one-time deposit of $1,000 from the federal government for those born in 2024 through 2028. Starting in 2026, so-called " Trump accounts," a type of tax-advantaged savings account, would be available to all children under the age of 8 who are U.S. citizens, largely in line with the House plan advanced in May. To be eligible to receive the initial seed money, both parents must have Social Security numbers. Parents would then be able to contribute up to $5,000 a year and the balance will be invested in a diversified fund that tracks a U.S. stock index. Earnings grow tax-deferred, and qualified withdrawals are taxed as long-term capital gains. Republican lawmakers have said these accounts will introduce more Americans to wealth-building opportunities and the benefits of compound growth. But some experts say a 529 college savings plan is a better alternative because of the higher contribution limits and tax advantages. — Jessica Dickler Lower student loan limits, fewer benefits Key changes may be in store for student loan borrowers. For starters, Republicans would limit how much money people can borrow from the federal government to pay for their education. Among other measures, the Senate plan would: Cap unsubsidized student loans at $20,500 per year and $100,000 lifetime, for graduate students; Cap borrowing for professional degrees, such as those for doctors and lawyers, at $50,000 per year and $200,000 lifetime; Add a lifetime borrowing limit for all federal student loans of $257,500; Cap parent borrowing through the federal Parent PLUS loan program at $20,000 per year per student and $65,000 lifetime; Eliminate grad PLUS loans. These allow grad students to borrow up to their entire cost of attendance minus any federal aid. Going forward, there would be just two repayment plan choices for new borrowers: Student loan borrowers could enroll in either a standard repayment plan with fixed payments or an income-based repayment plan known as the Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP. The bill would also nix the unemployment deferment and economic hardship deferment, both of which student loan borrowers use to pause their payments during periods of financial difficulty. — Jessica Dickler and Annie Nova The Senate bill creates a tax deduction for car loan interest, similar to a provision in the House bill. Certain households would be able to deduct up to $10,000 of annual interest on new auto loans from their taxable income. The tax break would be temporary, lasting from 2025 through 2028. There are some eligibility restrictions. For example, the deduction's value would start to fall for individuals whose annual income exceeds $100,000; the threshold is $200,000 for married couples filing a joint tax return. Cars must also be assembled in the U.S. In practice, the tax benefit is likely to be relatively small, experts said. "The math basically says you're talking about [financial] benefit of $500 or less in year one," based on the average new loan, Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive, an auto market research firm, recently told CNBC. — Greg Iacurci The Senate passed the No Tax on Tips Act in late May, a standalone legislation that would create a federal income tax deduction of up to $25,000 per year on tip income, with some limitations. The tax break would apply to workers who typically receive cash tips reported to their employer for payroll tax withholdings, according to the summary of the bill. The Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes a similar provision: qualifying individuals would be able to claim a deduction of up to $25,000 for qualified tips. However, the Senate version would not apply to taxpayers whose income exceeds $150,000, or $300,000 for joint filers. Should the bill go into effect as drafted, the Secretary of the Treasury will publish a list of occupations that typically received tips on or before Dec. 31, 2024. The provision would apply to taxable years between Dec. 31, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2028. — Ana Teresa Solá The House and Senate bills would provide a temporary tax break for overtime pay, a campaign promise from Trump. The House-approved bill would create a deduction for "qualified overtime compensation" of $160,000 or less from 2025 to 2028. The deduction is "above the line," meaning the tax break is available regardless of whether you itemize deductions. By contrast, the Senate bill offers a maximum $12,500 above-the-line deduction for overtime pay, and $25,000 for married couples filing jointly, from 2025 to 2028. The tax break begins to phase out once earnings exceed $150,000, and $300,000 for joint filers. — Kate Dore EV, clean energy tax credits The Senate bill, like its House counterpart, would end consumer tax credits tied to clean energy. It would end a $7,500 tax credit for households that buy or lease a new electric vehicle, and a $4,000 tax credit for buyers of used EVs. These tax credits would disappear after Sept. 30, 2025. Additionally, it would scrap tax breaks for consumers who make their homes more energy-efficient, perhaps by installing rooftop solar, electric heat pumps, or efficient windows and doors. These credits would end after Dec. 31, 2025. An aerial view shows solar panels atop the roofs of homes on February 25, 2025 in Pasadena, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images Many tax breaks on the chopping block were created, extended or enhanced by the Inflation Reduction Act, a 2022 law signed by former President Joe Biden that provided a historic U.S. investment to fight climate change. The tax breaks are currently slated to be in effect for another seven or so years, through at least 2032. — Greg Iacurci Section 199A pass-through business deduction Another key provision in the House and Senate bills could offer a bigger deduction for so-called pass-through businesses, which includes contractors, freelancers and gig economy workers. Enacted via Trump's 2017 tax cuts, the Section 199A deduction for qualified business income is currently worth up to 20% of eligible revenue, with some limits. This will expire after 2025 without action from Congress. The House-approved bill would make the provision permanent and expand the maximum tax break to 23% starting in 2026. Meanwhile, the Senate measure would make the deduction permanent but keep it at 20%. — Kate Dore
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Severe Weather Throws Wrinkle in 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Vote
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Severe weather including "torrential rainfall" and thunderstorms in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast has snarled travel Tuesday, prompting flight delays and cancellations for House lawmakers racing back to D.C. to vote on the massive and much-debated financial package dubbed the "big, beautiful bill" by President Donald Trump. Newsweek reached out to the National Weather Service (NWS) via email Tuesday for comment. Why It Matters The legislative package has been promoted as a cornerstone of Trump's domestic agenda, seeking to ensure government continuity while broader debates over spending and executive authority continue. In a closely divided House, even minor absenteeism could fundamentally alter the outcome, exerting immense pressure on lawmakers to be present regardless of personal travel obstacles. On Tuesday after a marathon vote, the Senate narrowly passed the bill with a tiebreaking vote from Vice President JD Vance, sending it back to the House for final passage. What To Know As storms swept the regions, commercial airline cancellations climbed Tuesday into the evening. Representative Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, wrote on X, formerly Twitter Tuesday, "All flights to Washington, DC from Charleston tonight have been canceled due to weather." She wrote in another post, "Both my flights to DC, one for tonight and one for early tomorrow morning have been canceled by the airline. *sigh* Scrambling to find a way to get to DC in time to vote for the Big Beautiful Bill. 🇺🇸" Republican Congressman Russell Fry of South Carolina posted a video on X describing a similar snag: "I was supposed to be on a plane actually headed to Washington, D.C. tonight to vote on the one big, beautiful bill tomorrow in the House or this week, but flights up and down the East Coast are being cancelled." Fry added that he was getting in the car to drive to the nation's capital, saying in part, "the moment is too important." Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin shared a similar travel story on Tuesday on X, saying, "My flight to DC was canceled so I'm driving to Chicago to catch a 6AM flight because I refuse to miss voting NO on the Big Ugly Bill!" Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat, on X said his flight was also canceled on Tuesday. He said he will drive to D.C. while hosting a virtual town hall from the car. According to Flight Aware's misery map, the D.C. area experienced 95 delayed and 79 canceled flights as of 9:01 p.m. ET Tuesday. Politico first reported the travel obstacles experienced by lawmakers. A flight departure information board is shown on July 23 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by AARON SCHWARTZ/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images) A flight departure information board is shown on July 23 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by AARON SCHWARTZ/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images) What People Are Saying NWS Baltimore-Washington posted to X on Tuesday: "A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 9 PM EDT for the District Of Columbia, DE, MD, NJ south-central/southeast PA, northern/central VA, eastern WV Panhandle, and adjacent coastal waters. The main hazard will be damaging wind. More info: Trump, on Truth Social Tuesday after the Senate pushed the bill through: "Almost all of our Great Republicans in the United States Senate have passed our 'ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL.' It is no longer a 'House Bill' or a 'Senate Bill'. It is everyone's Bill. There is so much to be proud of, and EVERYONE got a major Policy WIN — But, the Biggest Winner of them all will be the American People, who will have Permanently Lower Taxes, Higher Wages and Take Home Pay, Secure Borders, and a Stronger and More Powerful Military. Additionally, Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security Benefits are not being cut, but are being STRENGTHENED and PROTECTED from the Radical and Destructive Democrats by eliminating Waste, Fraud, and Abuse from those Programs." Trump continued, "We can have all of this right now, but only if the House GOP UNITES, ignores its occasional 'GRANDSTANDERS' (You know who you are!), and does the right thing, which is sending this Bill to my desk. We are on schedule — Let's keep it going, and be done before you and your family go on a July 4th vacation. The American People need and deserve it. They sent us here to, GET IT DONE!" "Our Country is going to explode with Massive Growth, even more than it already has since I was Re-Elected," the president said. "Between the Growth, this Bill, our Tariffs, and more, 'THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' sets the United States down a fiscal path by greatly reducing our Federal Deficit, and setting us on course for enormous Prosperity in the new and wonderful Golden Age of America. To my GOP friends in the House: Stay UNITED, have fun, and Vote 'YAY.' GOD BLESS YOU ALL!" What Happens Next Flight schedules and weather conditions for lawmakers' return to D.C. remain variable as of Tuesday evening as the House weighs its final vote on the legislation.
