Congress: The Senate & The House

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🗳️ GOP scandals expand Dem map

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Four scandal-plagued House Republicans whose seats should be gimmes for the GOP have instead turned their races into unexpected battlegrounds, Axios' Kate Santaliz and Andrew Solender write. Why it matters: These aren't districts you'd expect to be in play — Donald Trump carried all four comfortably in 2024. But ethical troubles by incumbents are making Republicans spend time and money defending the seats — in a cycle where neither party has any room for error. 1. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) dropped his reelection bid after the Ethics Committee found he violated House rules by sexually harassing female aides and creating a hostile work environment. The race was shifted to "toss-up" last week by Sabato's Crystal Ball, even before the ethics report was released. Trump won Edwards' district by 9.5 points last cycle. 2. Max Miller (R-Ohio) is accused of assaulting his ex-wife and their child, allegations he denies. Even Trump expressed doubts to Miller that he can win, Axios reported this week. But he's been defiant amid calls for him to drop out. 3. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) remains under an active Ethics Committee investigation over allegations that center on domestic abuse, stolen valor and financial misconduct, all of which he denies. Trump won Mills' district by 13 points in 2024, but Mills is facing a tough primary fight. 4. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) had his phone seized by the FBI in 2024 as part of an investigation into his campaign finances. The Justice Department dropped the case after Trump returned to office last year. Keep reading.

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Fauci vote

A Senate panel is set to vote today on whether to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he repeatedly declined to answer questions during a contentious hearing last week on Covid-19. Ahead of the vote, the panel's chair, GOP Sen. Ron Johnson, obtained a copy of Fauci's former iPhone from the Department of Health and Human Services. Johnson said he hopes the device will answer questions Fauci refused to address. Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during last week's hearing, which Republicans had hoped would open him up to claims of perjury.

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👟 Thune's race to the finish

Senate Republicans are racing toward the August recess with a legislative to-do list worthy of a Joe Rogan podcast: crypto, college sports and hemp.

Why it matters: They likely won't get to all of it, but the White House wants the Senate to get caught trying.

• 🏈 First, senators want to get way ahead of any government shutdown fight. Just as important — an NIL rights bill, with ESPN's first College GameDay set for Sept. 5.
• "I've kind of stacked these things: funding the government, the [Todd] Blanche nomination and the 74 nominations," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said today on Fox News, previewing his agenda.
• Then come "Russia sanctions, NIL, market structure," he added, rounding out a short list of issues that animate young men, who are the backbone of the MAGA coalition.

👀 What to watch: Thune is still weighing whether and how to force another vote on the SAVE Act or similar election security legislation — even though it's expected to fall well short of the 60 votes needed to advance.

• "We'll figure out a way to get yet another vote on the Save America Act," Thune told Fox, "but I don't expect the Democrats to change their view."
• The vote would give Republicans another opportunity to put Democrats on the record opposing a voter ID measure that Thune has called an "80-20 issue."
• ⚡️ It might also help appease President Trump and his allies in the Senate who are insisting the Senate stay in town until election integrity is addressed.

🎧 What we're hearing: If T.S. Eliot covered Congress, he'd decide August is the cruelest month, breeding cloture votes for senators who just want to catch a flight.

• Some senators remain hopeful for a last-minute deal that would allow Thune to clear the deck and send everyone home tomorrow.
• As of this evening, however, the prospect of the Senate working into the weekend remained a real possibility.

The intrigue: One major sticking point is crypto and the CLARITY Act, which would provide the first comprehensive federal regulatory framework for digital assets.

• Democrats are reluctant to grant Republicans an initial procedural vote on the market-structure bill, arguing it could short-circuit bipartisan negotiations and reduce pressure on GOP leaders to come to the table.
• They are also worried that a failed vote could unlock millions in crypto super PAC money.

🔥 Zoom in: Republicans also remain divided over hemp, threatening to complicate passage of the stopgap spending bill.

• Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) continues to insist on a vote to strip language, inserted at the White House's urging, that would delay implementation of a ban on certain intoxicating hemp products.

— Hans Nichols and Stef W. Kight

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💬 Miller's decision calculus

Denounced on social media and by fellow Republicans, Ohio Rep. Max Miller is telling allies he's not quitting for a simple reason: It would be tantamount to admitting he beat his ex-wife and their child, which he denies.

🤔 Why it matters: The Washington summer scandal is a case study in whether Miller — one of Donald Trump's understudies — can successfully employ the president's playbook of never backing down and never quitting.

• Trump has publicly expressed sympathy for Miller but privately expressed doubts about his viability.
• 📢 The calls to resign have mounted, especially in the Senate, where Miller's ex-father-in-law, Ohio's Bernie Moreno, serves.
• Moreno's fellow Ohio Republican, Sen. Jon Husted, called on him to quit today.

🔎 Zoom in: Miller allies say his critics are underestimating his resolve and the intensely personal dynamics of the vicious battle with his ex, Emily Moreno, involving their 2-year-old daughter.

• "If he quits, he's basically giving up," said a congressional colleague. "And if he gives up, it basically means he did it."

🌎 Zoom out: Though some have called for his expulsion from the House, Miller has told his colleagues it would set a terrible precedent because there's no evidence showing he hurt his ex or their child.

• "Here we are in the middle of a divorce proceeding, and I don't think he's even been charged with anything they're making the accusations of," said an ally, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.). "We're big on the Constitution, innocent till proven guilty, yet we're guilty until proven innocent, it seems right now with him."
• House Speaker Mike Johnson called the allegations against Miller "serious" in an interview with Politico on Tuesday but said lawmakers have to allow the Ethics Committee process to play out. "We don't take disciplinary action against members for allegations," Johnson said.
• Miller has released documents that he says show he was investigated for abuse but that the allegations were unfounded.

Yes, but: There's only so long a candidate can hang on if he's constantly denounced, attacked and looks increasingly un-electable.

• 🚨 Republicans privately expect that Miller will drop his reelection bid by the end of this week, according to two sources.

The intrigue: He, his ex and his father-in-law are now embroiled in a dispute over whether the representative held his daughter's blue bunny stuffed animal toy "hostage."

• Another Ohioan, Vice President JD Vance, has an unfriendly relationship with Miller but has pointedly kept quiet.

🗓️ What's next: According to the Ohio secretary of state office's election calendar, Monday is the last day a political party nominating committee can name a replacement for a candidate if he withdraws.

— Marc Caputo and Kate Santaliz

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Senate committee votes to hold Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer COVID questions A Senate committee voted along party lines Thursday, setting up a referral to the Justice Department for potential investigation over whether the country's longtime top infectious disease official properly exercised his constitutional rights. Read more.

Why this matters: The vote came a week after Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times. Fauci, in a statement last week, said he had good reason to fear the possibility of criminal charges.    Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the committee chairman who pressed for the contempt finding, said that constitutional protection did not apply because Fauci last year received a pardon from Democratic President Joe Biden and thus did not have to worry about the threat of prosecution.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Fauci contempt vote reflects the enduring politics of COVID Tennessee voters oust Trump-backed congressman, set fall matchup for redrawn Memphis-area House seat McConnell says he’s leaving rehabilitation center to continue recovery at home Republican Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio says Rep. Max Miller should leave House and end fall campaign

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Blanche wins support for attorney general from GOP Sen. Cassidy, likely paving way for confirmation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said Friday that he will back Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, likely paving the way for Blanche’s confirmation to lead President Donald Trump’s Justice Department.

https://apnews.com/article/murkowski-blanche-attorney-general-nomination-fund-trump-b0cc3ae3327648ad3cbbad9809040099?

Senate passes sweeping Russia sanctions bill negotiated by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate overwhelmingly approved a punishing Russian sanctions package Friday, the result of a yearlong campaign by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham to reinforce U.S. support for Ukraine and try to force President Vladimir Putin’s hand as the grinding war drags on.

https://apnews.com/article/senate-russia-sanctions-graham-tariffs-8d37498c3f27d96cae7da147250ebe9f?

ps:I'll believe when I hear trump signed this bill!!

Senate confirms Hamilton to lead FEMA and clears more than 70 other Trump nominees

The Senate on Friday confirmed Cameron Hamilton as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, returning the former Navy SEAL to the embattled agency he led temporarily last year only to be fired after he publicly opposed eliminating it.

https://apnews.com/article/fema-cameron-hamilton-trump-disaster-aid-reforms-6743eb69461fc625d924396842056bba?

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Airlines Are Lobbying To Change Airfare Font Sizes. It’s Gonna Cost You.

For decades, buying a plane ticket hasn’t been a simple process. In the late 2000s, consumers were inundated with ads for special $79 or $99 flights, but were met with sticker shock when they went to buy the tickets and saw the true cost was actually much higher. 

https://www.levernews.com/airlines-are-lobbying-to-change-airfare-font-sizes-its-gonna-cost-you/?

Congress has long underfunded worker protection agencies. The Republican budget would deepen the damage.

On June 9, the Republican majority on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved a 2027 budget that slashes funding for worker protection agencies.

https://www.epi.org/blog/republican-budget-exacerbates-underfunding-of-worker-protection-agencies/?

ps:Just pitiful!!!!!

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✈️ Senate's great escape

Senate Republican leaders are tantalizingly close to a deal to take some uncomfortable votes in exchange for leaving town at a more comfortable hour.

Why it matters: President Trump won't like all of the outcomes, but senators don't plan to be around to hear about it.

• 👍 Winners: Senate Majority Leader John Thune is expected to officially avoid a pre-election shutdown fight, set a new record for confirmed nominees, give Trump his attorney general and show GOP unity for a voter-ID bill to contrast with Democrats. He also finally passed new Russia sanctions.
• 👎 Losers: A budget resolution that passed the House — and has been the White House's priority — is expected to fail. The same fate awaits the voter-ID bill, which won't get the Democratic votes needed to reach 60. Plus, the crypto market-structure bill was delayed until September.
• 🔮 Mysteries: The fates of a hemp product ban and a name, image and likeness college sports bill were still unclear as of late this afternoon.

🎧 What we're hearing: All three items on the GOP Joe Rogan agenda we told you about last night — crypto, hemp and college sports — are wilting in the August heat.

• Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) defied the White House and held fast on his amendment to stop delaying a ban on certain hemp products. It has a real shot of passing.
• Thune punted an initial vote on the CLARITY Act late last night into September, weeks before an election that will make compromise more difficult.

The intrigue: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), despite his best efforts, can't quite convince some fellow Republicans who have lingering questions about his college sports legislation.

• 🏈 The bill would set national rules for how schools pay student-athletes and regulate NIL deals.
• "I want to make sure that this legislation doesn't either intentionally or unintentionally absolve the NCAA, which lacks testicles and a spine," Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said.
• The White House Counsel's office is trying to get it across the line, issuing a memo on why the bill does not preempt state laws on transgender women in sports.

🔎 Zoom in: At a rare Friday lunch among Republican senators, the contours of a get-out-of-town deal began to emerge — though Thune was still working through some of the details late this afternoon.

• Senators are still trying to reach a time agreement on the stopgap funding package, but they have agreed to give Budd a vote on his hemp amendment at a 50-vote threshold.
• Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) introduced his budget resolution to kick off reconciliation 3.0. It would, among other things, provide money for the Pentagon to restock munitions used in Iran.
• But even with a 50-vote threshold, it's expected to fail because of GOP defections.
• Thune is trying to deflect MAGA anger over the Senate's failure to pass the SAVE America Act with a vote on a much narrower bill that would establish a national voter ID standard. But with a 60-vote threshold and no Democratic support, it's headed for defeat.

🧳 The bottom line: Nothing has been easy about getting out of town. Late yesterday, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) refused to agree to a time limit on the continuing resolution unless he received a vote on adjournment.

• But the way out of it is the same: taking a tough vote to catch an earlier flight.

— Hans Nichols and Stef W. Kight

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Todd Blanche is narrowly confirmed as Trump’s attorney general in an overnight Senate vote

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in a vote early Saturday, cementing the command of President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer at a Department of Justice that Trump has sought to bend to his will.

https://apnews.com/article/senate-blanche-attorney-general-justice-department-fcb4157d45d7b13a05de4d2b0f4f92e2?

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✏️ Midterm cheat sheet

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

Axios CEO Jim VandeHei asked for midterm previews by two top handicappers: Josh Kraushaar, editor-in-chief of Jewish Insider and former Axios campaign expert, and David Wasserman of The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. Senate Where it stands: 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, 2 independents caucusing with Dems (making 47 total). Democrats need: 4 flips to get to 51. Fifty isn't enough — the tiebreak is Republican. The call: Kraushaar: Dem +2. Wasserman: Dem +3. Why it matters: This mirrors what we're hearing from top Ds and Rs alike. Democrats will get close, but likely fall short of a majority. The big reason: They need to flip too many seats in too many GOP-friendly states like Alaska, Maine, Ohio and Texas. House Where it stands: 218 Republicans, 212 Democrats, 1 independent, 4 vacancies. Democrats need: net gain of 3 (against November's 435 seats, with the vacancies washed out) to reach 218, the majority. The call: Kraushaar: Dem +15-20. Wasserman: Dem +15. Why it matters: Republicans enjoy (and muscled through) a favorable map with way more Ds running in Trump-won districts than Rs in Harris-won districts. They then jammed through late redistricting changes that should hand them six to nine seats. Yet most top Republicans tell us there's an 80%+ chance they're toast, regardless.

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💨 Disappearing town halls

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde / Axios

🦖 The congressional town hall is becoming an endangered species. Why it matters: August recess once meant lawmakers returning home to face constituents — sometimes friendly, sometimes furious. After a wave of explosive confrontations last year, many lawmakers have stopped them altogether. Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.) is among the dwindling number of lawmakers who still regularly subject themselves to the traditional, open town hall. 📢 "You've got to show up in the town square and answer the questions. I told people I'd do it when I ran, and I kept my promise," Flood told us. Flood holds three in-person town halls a year. He said his forums last year each drew about 750 people, while attendance this year has ranged from 235 to 315. Zoom in: Only 11 lawmakers have town halls scheduled for the rest of August, according to LegiStorm's town hall tracker. ⛱️ For a ritual once synonymous with August recess, that's a remarkably thin showing. ⚡️ Flashback: Republicans got screamed at — a lot — at town halls last year, as constituents vented over DOGE, federal layoffs and the Trump administration's spending cuts. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) was booed, heckled and repeatedly interrupted at a March 2025 town hall in Asheville as he defended Trump and Elon Musk's DOGE cuts. 🔥 During an August 2025 town hall, constituents shouted at Flood, "Liar!" and "You don't care about us!" The angry confrontations prompted NRCC chair Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) to tell Republicans to stop holding in-person town halls. In summer 2009, Democrats faced angry voters at their town hall meetings across the country as constituents protested the Affordable Care Act. (As of January 2026, public approval of the ACA was 61%, according to KFF.) 🫏 Democrats suffered historic losses in the 2010 midterm election. Zoom out: Flood says the most heated moments don't always capture what happens inside the room. 📺 "What you see on TV isn't necessarily what's really happening," he said. Even the "really animated" constituents who disagree with him on most issues, Flood said, may applaud him on others — from supporting Ukraine to addressing housing affordability. 🤔 The intrigue: The old-school format has particular appeal for independent voters, who value the chance to hear from their representatives at a nonpartisan event, Flood argued. "They walk in, and you know, oftentimes they've got like a notebook and a piece of paper and a pen, and they're like, 'Yeah, I'm here to listen and see what I think,'" Flood told us. "I think they get a lot of value out of it." The bottom line: Asked if he thinks his colleagues should follow his lead on town halls, Flood told us: "I know what's right for me, and this is right for me.… How do things get better if we don't talk to each other?" — Kate Santaliz

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Thune doubles down

Senate Republicans' top super PAC is pouring an extra $6 million into Michigan to attack Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.

Why it matters: It's part of $12 million in new spending this month by the Senate Leadership Fund to defend Republican leader John Thune's majority.

• 💪 It's an unusually early spend for Republican super PACs, which typically wait until September.

🔎 Zoom in: SLF is launching the $6 million TV and digital campaign tomorrow to hit El-Sayed and bolster Republican Mike Rogers, SLF officials first told us.

• The new buy brings SLF's total commitment in Michigan to $51 million.
• 😊 Republicans have been eager to face El-Sayed over his Democratic primary opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), believing he gives them a better chance to flip the seat.

SLF added $2 million in August spending in Alaska last week to help reelect Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).

• The group is also planning to drop an additional $4 million in Iowa to bolster Rep. Ashley Hinson's Senate bid.

🌎 Zoom out: The new $12 million is on top of the $342 million SLF announced in April for key races, bringing its total commitment to $354 million for the cycle.

What they're saying: "Senate Leadership Fund is unleashing firepower across the Senate map earlier than ever before to define the far-left Democrats backed by Chuck Schumer," SLF communications director Chris Gustafson told us in a statement.

— Stef W. Kight

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🌟 Congress' campaign stars

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde / Axios

⛱️ It's August, which means lawmakers are fanning out across the country to campaign for themselves and their colleagues. Why it matters: A friendly senator or House member can help on the stump. But only a handful can juice fundraising, draw a real crowd or make a mark with an endorsement. 🎬 We asked strategists in both parties which lawmakers have enough star power to move voters, draw crowds or open wallets for candidates far from home. There aren't many, but a few names came up again and again. For Democrats: No one compares to former President Obama. But among lawmakers, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has never been hotter, as progressives and democratic socialists take down one establishment-backed candidate after another. In a twist, Sanders is seen by some Democrats as an asset not just in the primary — but also in the upcoming general election. Sanders appeared in one of battleground House candidate Rebecca Cooke's closing primary ads in this week's Wisconsin primary. Her other final ad pitched a Sanders idea — a moratorium on data centers. Sanders' heir-apparent, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), also tops the list with her formidable grassroots power. Sanders and AOC combined have drawn huge crowds across the country, even when they're not explicitly campaigning for themselves. 🚀 Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) is also popular nationwide, bolstered by his experience as an astronaut. 👀 Both Kelly and AOC are potential 2028 presidential election contenders. And few endorsements are seen as carrying more weight with Black voters than that of Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.). For Republicans: The roster of lawmakers outside of leadership is shorter. And, of course, no member of Congress comes close to matching the power of President Trump and some in his Cabinet. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has become an online and in-person phenomenon with his folksy one-liners and viral clips. 🤠 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) is polarizing but familiar, with the ability to draw crowds and Texas dollars. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), as a founder of the House Freedom Caucus, can do a lot for a candidate. Between the lines: Power in Washington doesn't necessarily translate to power on the campaign trail. Although Hill leaders' job is to work to keep their majorities, they still hold the most sway with major donors, not average voters. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are bringing in record funds — even as roughly a third of voters say they have never heard of Thune and 44% disapprove of Schumer, according to a recent CNN poll. ❌ Thune even told reporters last month that his endorsement "probably isn't helpful anyway" when asked about South Carolina Republican Sen. Darline Graham. 🚗 Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) often gets media coverage of his cross-country efforts to campaign for House Republican candidates, as does his leadership team — Reps. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) 30% of voters said they had never heard of House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, even as he campaigned recently for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and battleground House candidate Bob Brooks.  — Stef W. Kight and Holly Otterbein

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⚡️ Lawler's unlikely assist

Rep. Mike Lawler's (R-N.Y.) fight to hold on to a key battleground seat is getting a behind-the-scenes assist — for now, at least — from an unlikely group: House Democrats.

Why it matters: Kamala Harris carried Lawler's district in 2024, but some Democrats are privately wary of spending the small fortune it would take to oust one of the GOP's most bipartisan — and electorally savvy — members.

• 🚨 "If you're going to have a Republican, it's the kind of Republican we want in the Congress," a Democratic source told us of Lawler, also noting that the New York City area is the nation's most expensive media market.
• A senior House Democrat told us: "I don't think Lawler is beatable."

💰 Republicans are outspending Democrats more than 40 to 1 on current and future ad reservations in New York's 17th District, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact.

• The House Republican leadership–aligned super PAC Congressional Leadership Fund has a whopping $6.7 million reserved in the district.
• That is on top of $2.8 million from the Lawler campaign and $2.1 million from outside GOP group Americans for Open Government.
• Democratic leadership–aligned nonprofit House Majority Forward is the only group with ad reservations in the district, at just $270,000 reserved.

📺 Yes, but: Democrats insist their lack of ad reservations is simply a result of the New York media market being so costly that there is no value in reserving TV time early there compared with states like Iowa.

• "NY-17 is one of the best flip opportunities on the map, and Mike Lawler is down in polling — HMP is going to do whatever it takes to flip this seat," CJ Warnke, a spokesperson for the HMF's political arm, House Majority PAC, told us.
• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Riya Vashi pointed to an alleged GOP shell PAC spending $1.5 million in a failed attempt to stop Cait Conley from becoming the Democratic nominee as evidence they are "clearly scared."
• Vashi noted that the DCCC put Conley, a U.S. Army veteran, on its coveted "Red to Blue" list.

Between the lines: One estimate shared with us found that the money needed to compete seriously in NY-17 could instead fund television advertising across 11 toss-up House districts.

🤔 The intrigue: A former House Republican familiar with the dynamic between Lawler and Democratic leadership expressed skepticism that Jeffries will ultimately lay off Lawler through Election Day.

• The DCCC and House Majority PAC will "absolutely" spend in the district, the former lawmaker predicted, adding that Lawler "will still win."

The bottom line: Lawler is one of the Republicans with the most Democratic fans, but he's still a Republican standing between them and the House majority.

— Kate Santaliz and Andrew Solender

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🗳️ Youth revolt slams older Dems

House Democrats who've comfortably held their seats for decades are suddenly finding the ground shifting beneath their feet as primary voters revolt against the party's old guard, Axios' Andrew Solender writes.

• Why it matters: An anti-establishment revolution has swept Democratic primaries this year and could drastically alter the makeup of the party caucus and Congress as a whole.

Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), a 14-termer, became the latest victim: The 78-year-old lost his primary by more than 20 points to 47-year-old former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin.

• Larson became a top target for the Democratic youth brigade after his highly publicized freeze-up during a House floor speech last year that he later said was due to a complex partial seizure.

🧮 By the numbers: Larson is one of seven House Democrats who've lost their primaries this year — five of whom are past retirement age.

• Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), and Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) — ages 69, 71 and 71, respectively — all lost to younger challengers affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America.
• Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), 78, lost to 38-year-old freshman Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) after the GOP's mid-decade redistricting put them in the same seat.
• These losses, along with the ouster of Reps. Julie Johnson (D-Texas) and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), tie 2026 with 2012 as the worst year for Democratic incumbents in primaries in the 21st century.

Keep reading.

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📺 Dems cry foul

😡 House Democrats are crying foul over a new Republican ad campaign touting swing-district GOP lawmakers' pre-recess support for a bill banning members of Congress and their families from buying individual stocks.

Why it matters: Democrats groaned that last month's vote on the Stop Insider Trading Act amounted to a big Republican setup. Now they're fuming that the trap has been sprung.

• 💰 Issue advocacy group Choose Freedom Inc. has put a whopping $9 million into running the spots across nearly 20 congressional districts, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact.
• "Corrupt congressmen treat the House floor like a trading floor. Thankfully, Congressman Rob Bresnahan voted to stop it," one of the ads says.

Catch up quick: Democrats complained that the bill the House passed in July applies only to the legislative branch and has carveouts for holding and selling pre-owned stocks as well as for buying pooled investment vehicles such as mutual funds and ETFs.

• House Democrats also fumed at the inclusion of an unrelated provision in the bill requiring photo ID to vote in federal elections — and in the end, only 13 of them voted for it.

💬 What they're saying: "To call this a stock trading ban is disgraceful," Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), the ranking member of the House Administration Committee, told us in an interview.

• "I don't know how anybody would sign off on this," he said of the ad campaign. "This is why people in America hate politics. This is really as reprehensible as I've seen."
• Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) said Democrats "will pass a bill that bans owning stock and include the administration" within "the first 100 hours" of a Democratic House majority.

🔥 "This was such an obvious setup, and we just fell right for it," said one House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to contradict their party leadership's messaging on the vote.

Between the lines: Some Democrats bitterly noted the irony behind the group praising Bresnahan (R-Pa.) specifically on stock trading, pointing to the considerable public scrutiny he has faced on the topic.

• "For Rob Bresnahan in particular, who is the poster child for a member who is making countless trades, it is despicable. It's reckless. He should be ashamed of himself," Morelle said.
• Bresnahan has denied having any personal involvement in his trades, and his portfolio's activity has reportedly slowed in recent months.

The other side: "Calling someone else 'shameless' is a masterclass in projection after Morelle refused to vote for the bill," the Bresnahan campaign said in a statement to us.

• "Perhaps next time he can put his name on common-sense legislation that would benefit the American people instead of crying that someone else actually did something to solve the problem." 

— Andrew Solender