Congress: The Senate & The House

[phkrause]

? Thune's nominations headache

A trio of Trump nominees is running into Republican resistance on the confirmation front, exposing ideological rifts the party has mostly papered over for nominations.

Why it matters: It could complicate life for Majority Leader John Thune, who wants to confirm more nominees fast — at the president's demand — without fully canceling August recess.

? Driving the news: Three nominees are now facing a future that's either uncertain or uncomfortable.

• Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is less than enthusiastic about Mike Waltz as U.S. ambassador to the UN, as we scooped earlier today. Waltz's nomination isn't dead, but it may need some Democratic support to reach the floor favorably.
• Emil Bove, a former defense attorney for Trump, is looking at a tough final confirmation vote for a judgeship on the U.S. Court of Appeals. His nomination cleared a procedural vote today, but Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) have told reporters they will vote "no."
• And then there's Paul Ingrassia, who Trump has nominated to the Office of the Special Counsel and is facing a confirmation hearing tomorrow. "It's pretty apparent to me he's not ready for prime time," Tillis told NBC News. Ingrassia bombed in a meeting with committee staff this week, multiple sources familiar with the meeting told Axios.

Ingrassia will have some explaining to do at the hearing, senators on the committee told us. "There's just some different statements he's made in the past that need clarification," Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said.

⚖️ The bottom line: With a few exceptions — Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Ed Martin for U.S. attorney for D.C.— Trump has gotten his nominations across the line.

• But as Trump fills out his team, some GOP opposition persists.

— Stef Kight and Hans Nichols

[phkrause]

? Exclusive: Massie hits back

Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie is using his first reelection TV ad to highlight his call for the release of documents related to the investigation of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Why it matters: Massie is showing that he plans to lean into his defiance of Trump, who is backing a primary challenge to the Republican congressman.

What they're saying: "Look, it's simple: They're attacking me because I'm holding the Washington machine accountable," Massie says in the 30-second spot.

• In the ad, Massie points to his vote against the Trump-backed COVID relief package in 2020 and his opposition to Trump's "big, beautiful bill."
• "Now, I'm leading the charge to force a vote on the complete Epstein files," he also says.
• Massie is one of 11 House Republicans to call for the release of Epstein-related documents, though the Trump administration has said it opposes further disclosures related to the investigation.

Zoom in: Trump has vowed to campaign against Massie, and his political operation has aired two ads targeting the congressman.

— Alex Isenstadt

[phkrause]

? Jeffries' August gamble

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' leadership team wants House caucus members to keep clamoring for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files over their August break — but some Democrats say they are sick of talking about it.

Why it matters: House Democrats are divided over how hard to lean into the GOP's Epstein blowup — rather than President Trump's unpopular agenda items like cuts to Medicaid and impending tariffs — when they're back in their districts over the next five weeks.

• ? House Democrats' messaging arm sent an alert yesterday urging members to "amplify" a Wall Street Journal report that Trump is in the Epstein files and demand that "House Republicans stop covering up for Trump."
• But several House Democrats said they would rather spend August discussing more substantive policy matters, with one who spoke on condition of anonymity telling us: "Candidly, this whole thing is just such bulls**t."

?️ The big picture: Jeffries has surprised some of his members by bear-hugging rank-and-file efforts to force the release of the Epstein files despite his usual reluctance to engage on salacious issues.

• His messaging outfit, the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, sent several emails to members' offices last week outlining how to message around the Epstein issue, as Politico first reported.
• "We've encouraged members to lean into this, to talk to their constituents about it," said Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), a DPCC co-chair. "It's an opportunity to speak with people who might usually disagree with you."
• The DPCC is set to meet early next week to discuss messaging for the August recess, according to a senior House Democrat.

Yes, but: Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), the co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, told us he is "not really focused" on Epstein.

• "The big focus is going to be on health care, because that's what people care about, and I don't think this issue is big outside the Beltway," he said.
• Similarly, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) told us in a text message: "We will focus on [the 'big, beautiful bill'], Medicaid, and tariffs raising costs."

Other Democrats argued that going after Republicans on policy and slamming them on Epstein aren't mutually exclusive.

• "I'm talking about Medicaid, I'm talking about tax breaks to billionaires — and I'm talking about Epstein, because he fits right in there," Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) told us.
• Asked at a press conference yesterday if he was concerned the Epstein issue would overshadow Democrats' attacks on Trump's "big, beautiful bill," Jeffries sounded a similar note, telling reporters, "The reality is that it's all connected."

— Andrew Soldender

[phkrause]

??‍♂️ Tillis crashes Fed tour

Sen. Thom Tillis joined the Fed tour today.

Why it matters: The question for Trump is if Tillis (R-N.C.) will join the battle on who should replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell — and which side he'll be on.

• On a Senate Banking Committee with a 13-11 partisan split, each Republican will have the ability to vote with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and deadlock the committee.
• That's especially true for the retiring Tillis, who bucked Trump on his "big, beautiful bill" and scuttled the nomination of Ed Martin, Trump's first choice to be U.S. attorney for D.C.

Driving the news: Tillis was a late tour addition, tagging along with Trump, banking panel Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and other administration officials who have been fiercely critical of Powell.

• Trump didn't repeat any of his Powell insults as they stood side by side in hard hats.
• "I'd love him to lower interest rates," Trump said.

? The intrigue: Like Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) balking at Mike Waltz's nomination as the U.S. ambassador to the UN this week, Tillis can slow-walk any Fed nominee he doesn't think is qualified.

• This month, he said that ending the Fed's independence would be a "huge mistake."

? What we're watching: Tillis is a lame-duck senator, but he hasn't gone full Bulworth. Yet.

• Still, he is full of pluck, telling us today to "release the damn" Epstein files.

The bottom line: Tillis — a fierce defender of the Fed's independence — is expected to play a crucial role in vetting Powell's successor.

— Hans Nichols

[phkrause]

??‍♂️ Thune's sprint to the finish

Majority Leader John Thune closed out another week in the Capitol, setting up next week's nominations slog in the Senate that could drag into the weekend — and chip away at August recess.

Why it matters: Senators have the weekend to reset for what is expected to be a jam-packed floor schedule next week, with late-night votes and possible weekend work — unless and until Democrats plead mercy and agree to a time deal.

• Already, rare 8pm Monday votes are scheduled.

➗By the numbers: Senate Republicans have churned through 107 nominations so far this year, tracking with President Biden's pace and beating Trump's from his first term.

• That is despite Democratic resistance. Democrats have refused to allow a single confirmation by unanimous consent or voice vote, a courtesy usually extended to at least some of the president's lower-level nominees.

? Zoom in: First up will be David Wright's nomination to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

• Then comes Earl Matthews' nomination as general counsel of the Department of Defense.
• Emil Bove is expected to get a final confirmation vote to be an appeals court judge.
• Thune also filed cloture on William Kimmitt for undersecretary of Commerce for international trade, Susan Monarez for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Samuel Brown for undersecretary of Veterans Affairs for memorial affairs.
• Waltz, Trump's former national security adviser, was passed by committee today (despite Paul's efforts) and his nomination to be UN ambassador could be pushed through next week, as well.

— Stef Kight

[phkrause]

Thune's N.C. assist

? Senate Majority Leader John Thune is planning a fall visit to North Carolina to fundraise for Michael Whatley's upcoming Senate campaign, we have learned.

Why it matters: Senior Republican officials think the North Carolina contest will be among the most expensive Senate races of 2026 — and that every dollar will matter.

• ? "It's always the most expensive race in U.S. history. It will be again," retiring North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said at an Axios Live event on Wednesday.
• Tillis, a Republican, announced he won't seek reelection after clashing with President Trump over the president's "big, beautiful bill."

? Behind closed doors: GOP leaders had given Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law and a North Carolina native who had considered running, the right of first refusal.

• But during a phone call Thune had with Lara Trump and her husband, Eric Trump, this month, Lara Trump indicated she was leaning against entering the race.
• When it became clear Lara Trump would not run, Thune turned his attention to wooing Whatley, who was North Carolina GOP chair before Trump handpicked him to be the Republican National Committee chair last year.
• Thune called Whatley last week and encouraged him to run.

Then, on July 16, Whatley attended a reception hosted by the Thune-aligned Senate Leadership Fund super PAC.

• During the gathering, attended by about 75 top donors and senators, the Republican leader introduced Whatley as the party's nominee for North Carolina Senate.

☎️ The intrigue: Trump and Thune called Whatley on Monday and encouraged him to jump into the race quickly.

• During the call, Thune pledged the party machinery would consolidate around Whatley.

The big picture: Whatley is expected to soon step down from his RNC role and will have the full backing of Trump and Thune.

• It is anticipated he will face off against former Gov. Roy Cooper, who is preparing to launch his campaign next week.

The bottom line: By lining up behind Whatley, Trump and Republican leaders are hoping to avoid a divisive primary.

— Alex Isenstadt

[phkrause]

? Schumer yells "slush fund"

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is accusing Republicans of using a $50 billion fund for rural hospitals to "pay off" GOP lawmakers for their support of the "big, beautiful bill," we scooped earlier today.

Why it matters: The new line of attack is meant to supercharge Democrats' campaign against Trump's marquee legislation — and the Republicans who backed it — just as lawmakers head home for the August recess.

• ? Schumer and more than a dozen other Senate Democrats wrote a letter today demanding clarity on how the fund — created to ease the brunt of GOP Medicaid cuts — will be distributed to states.
• "Republicans in Congress hastily developed the rural health slush fund to buy their members' votes and give their caucus political cover for voting for the reconciliation bill," the lawmakers wrote to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Mehmet Oz.

? Catch up quick: Republican leaders on Capitol Hill included the $50 billion fund in Trump's sweeping domestic policy package to assuage intraparty concerns about the potential widespread closure of rural hospitals due to the bill's historic cuts to Medicaid.

• The fund was particularly important in the Senate, in which it helped win key GOP votes, most notably those of Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).

What they're saying: Democrats raised concerns that several Republican lawmakers have publicly touted the amount of money their states will receive from the fund, despite little information on how those decisions will be made.

• "We are alarmed by reports suggesting these taxpayer funds are already promised to Republican members of Congress in exchange for their votes in support of the Big, Ugly Betrayal," the lawmakers said in the letter.

— Stephen Neukam

[phkrause]

? Dems hit 35-year low

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

63% of voters hold an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party, according to a new Wall Street Journal poll. That's the highest share recorded in WSJ polls dating back to 1990, with just 33% of voters expressing a favorable view. ? Why it matters: For all the talk of President Trump's plunging approval rating, voters still trust Republicans over Democrats on immigration (+17), inflation (+10), foreign policy (+8) and more. "The Democratic brand is so bad that they don't have the credibility to be a critic of Trump or the Republican Party," said Democratic pollster John Anzalone. Keep reading (gift link).

[phkrause]

The House is looking into the Epstein investigation. Here’s what could happen next

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key House committee is looking into the investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein for sex trafficking crimes, working to subpoena President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice for files in the case as well as hold a deposition of Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.

https://apnews.com/article/epstein-investigation-congress-subpoena-trump-ghislaine-maxwell-c575f6565945cfd0505c8a8146b16465?

[phkrause]

⚡️ Scoop: Schumer's recruiting blitz

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, fresh off a massive candidate recruitment win in North Carolina, spent the weekend trying to lure another one of his top targets into running next year.

• Schumer met with former Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio this weekend, we scooped today.

Why it matters: Schumer and the Democrats have a narrow path to reclaiming a Senate majority next year. And Brown may be Schumer's best chance at running a truly competitive campaign to try to flip the Ohio seat.

• Brown lost reelection last year by just under four points, in a state where the top of his party's ticket lost by more than 10 points.
• The former Democratic senator is now weighing both Senate and gubernatorial bids, we're told.

The big picture: Next year's midterms are shaping up to take place in a dramatically more positive environment for Democrats, who hope President Trump's low polling numbers translate to GOP losses next year.

• Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) entered the Senate race in the Tar Heel state today, which Axios scooped he was planning last week. That significantly boosts Schumer's chances at a GOP seat he wants to flip, held by the retiring Thom Tillis.
• And the party is holding its breath and hoping Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) will challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) next year.

Between the lines: Schumer is tapping into one of his greatest strengths — his relationships with members and candidates — to try to land a heavy-hitting candidate in Ohio.

• Schumer oversaw campaigns for Senate Democrats when Brown was elected in 2006, and Brown went on to win three critical Senate battles for Schumer and Democrats in Ohio.
• Brown rose to chair the powerful Senate Banking Committee under Schumer's leadership.
• "He was here 18 years, and it's amazing what he accomplished for working people. It's a record that anyone would be very, very proud of, and we are also proud of Sherrod's record," Schumer said from the Senate floor last year after Brown lost reelection.

? Brown would be lined up to face Republican Jon Husted, who was appointed to fill the vacant seat created when JD Vance resigned from the Senate to serve as vice president.

• Whichever candidate wins the Ohio special election would have to run again in 2028 for a full term. For Brown, that would mean three statewide campaigns in four years.

— Stephen Neukam and Alex Isenstadt

[phkrause]

? Thune's ambassador dash

Data: Partnership for Public Service; Note: Excludes ambassadors to organizations like the UN; Chart: Axios Visuals Trump is outpacing former President Biden — and even his own first-term clip — in getting his ambassadors confirmed by the Senate. Why it matters: Trump wants to go even faster. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is threatening to keep the chamber in session this weekend to clear more of Trump's nominations. But Democrats have been unwilling to speed up the process and are withholding unanimous consent for nominees — a practice Republicans grumble is a departure from tradition. ➗ By the numbers: Trump has 26 ambassadorial nominees who are awaiting a full Senate vote. This includes former Rep. Mike Waltz, whom the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved last week to be Trump's UN envoy. Nineteen of those nominees are ambassadors to foreign countries. The Senate has confirmed 11 of Trump's ambassadors to foreign countries so far, compared to six confirmations before August in the initial year of his first term. Biden didn't have a single ambassador confirmed before August in the first year of his term. Former Presidents Bush and Obama both had more than 20 confirmations by that point in their first terms, but that was when the opposition party was not putting up quite as much of a procedural fight. What to watch: The Foreign Relations Committee will take up another five ambassador nominees in a hearing tomorrow. Zoom out: Biden struggled to get his ambassadors confirmed in part because of a dispute with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) over Nord Stream 2 pipeline sanctions. Biden also waited until June before even naming his first slate of ambassadorial nominees, which delayed the process. — Hans Nichols and Stef Kight

[phkrause]

Government shutdown talk is starting early ahead of a difficult funding fight in Congress this fall

It’s become tradition. Congressional leaders from both major political parties blame each other for a potential government shutdown as the budget year draws to a close. But this year, the posturing is starting extraordinarily early. Read More.

[phkrause]

Maxwell offers to testify before Congress but with major conditions, including immunity

Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell has offered to testify before Congress, but with major conditions, including immunity, according to a list of her demands sent to the House Oversight Committee by her attorneys.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/29/politics/maxwell-conditions-congressional-testimony?

? Record-shattering Congress

Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios

⏰ A record-shattering Senate speech. A House vote held open longer than ever before — twice, in two weeks. Those are just some of the milestones that Congress has surpassed so far this year. Why it matters: The 119th Congress is shaping up as one of the most grueling in recent memory, underscoring the stamina that grinding through massive legislation like President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" requires of both supporters and opponents. ? "I am tired of making history. I just want normal Congress, but some people have forgotten what that looks like," House Speaker Mike Johnson said when the House logged its longest-ever vote this month. ? Driving the news: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in April set the record for the longest Senate speech at 25 hours and four minutes, toppling the mark set by South Carolina segregationist Sen. Strom Thurmond. Thurmond spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957 as a Democrat, but later became a Republican. In the House, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) this month gave a record-setting 8-hour, 44-minute speech protesting the "big, beautiful bill," surpassing then-Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) 8-hour, 32-minute speech in 2021. Last Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson broke the record for the lower chamber's longest vote in history — for the second time in as many weeks. Johnson's strategy for dealing with his razor-thin majority has become holding votes open for hours as he tries to sway opponents in his own party. The latest record-setting vote, on the GENIUS Act, lasted nearly 10 hours. But the bill eventually passed, and Trump signed it. The Senate, meanwhile, has already tied the record set in 1995 for the most vote-a-ramas in a single year when it held its fourth this month. That was on a measure taking back $9 billion in federal spending — including funds marked for PBS, NPR and foreign aid. Now, Majority Leader John Thune has made clear he is willing to test senators' pain tolerance in his pursuit of confirming more of Trump's nominees. He has warned senators to be ready for possible votes on nominations this weekend, potentially taking them into August before they recess. The bottom line: With a government funding deadline looming in September, there's likely little rest in store for lawmakers after they return from their summer break. — Kathleen Hunter

[phkrause]

? Booker's blowup

Democrats engaged in a rare intraparty fight on the Senate floor this afternoon, laying bare their divisions on how and when to challenge Trump.

Why it matters: Technically, the Senate was debating bipartisan legislation on police grants. But Booker used it as an opportunity to accuse his party of not doing more to counter the president.

• "This, to me, is the problem with Democrats in America right now," Booker said. "We are being complicit to Donald Trump."

Driving the news: The Senate was considering a package of "police week" legislation that was expected to be easily passed, when Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) asked for unanimous consent.

• But Booker objected and offered an amendment to the underlying package to allow his state more access to certain police grants.

That surprise move provoked outrage from Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Cortez Masto.

• "This is an attempt to kill all of these bills. I don't know why," said Cortez Masto, doing little to hide her annoyance.

? But Booker came prepared to fight, and he turned the debate into a critique of his party's response to Trump. He also claimed the legislation under consideration discriminated against certain states.

• "When will we stand and fight this president?" Booker said.

Zoom in: "I like to show up at the markup and make my case," Klobuchar said, needling Booker for missing a committee hearing.

• "I was just called out by name and I'd like to respond," Booker then said, cautioning against questioning his integrity.

The bottom line: Booker withdrew his objection, and the legislation ultimately passed, but he made his point.

— Hans Nichols

[phkrause]

? House leaders' Israel challenge

Some of the House's most stridently pro-Israel Democrats — and even some Republicans — are unleashing an unprecedented barrage of criticism on Israel over the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Why it matters: Speaker Johnson and Minority Leader Jeffries will have to navigate a quickly shifting political environment that's realigning members' views.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), for example, has come under fire from pro-Israel allies over his support for Democratic New York mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani and for what they say is growing criticism of Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

• Torres has been one of the most reflexively pro-Israel Democrats in Congress since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks. He accused Netanyahu of aligning with the Republican Party in an interview with journalist Chuck Todd.
• The congressman's office pushed back on the idea he has shifted his position, pointing to past instances of him blasting Netanyahu and members of his government.

On the GOP side, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), in a Tuesday night post on X, became the first Republican in Congress to refer to the war in Gaza as a "genocide."

• Though she has a history of inflammatory remarks about Jews and the Holocaust, Greene has been staunchly pro-Israel for most of her time in Congress. She even tried to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks for Tlaib's criticism of Israel.
• But she has more recently sided with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) as an opponent of hawkish foreign policy in the Middle East, lambasting American and Israeli strikes on Iran last month as needlessly provocative.

— Andrew Solender and Kate Santaliz

[phkrause]

Senate confirms Trump lawyer Emil Bove for appeals court, pushing past whistleblower claims

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed former Trump lawyer Emil Bove 50-49 for a lifetime appointment as a federal appeals court judge Tuesday as Republicans dismissed whistleblower complaints about his conduct at the Justice Department.

https://apnews.com/article/emil-bove-confirmation-whistleblowers-trump-republicans-democrats-71f92822cb2e8d57387748c2451fa724?

[phkrause]

• ⚖️ Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Senate Democrats announced they'll use a rare rule to attempt to force the Justice Department to release more documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Go deeper.

 

? Why Thune needs recess

Democrats are attacking each other on the Senate floor, Republicans are going at it in committee, and the president is lighting up a key GOP ally on Truth Social.

Why it matters: Party infighting seems contagious this summer. But leaders don't know how to break the fever — and they are in their own standoff over how and when to take a much-needed recess.

• ? Stock ban blowup: Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) got a stock trading ban through committee today with help from Democrats — but only after thoroughly angering the White House and his GOP colleagues who slammed him in a spicy hearing.
• Trump went off on Truth Social, calling Hawley a "second-tier Senator" and accusing him of "playing right into the dirty hands of the Democrats."
• ? Fed meltdown: Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) is escalating his attacks on Fed Chair Jerome Powell, with a resolution demanding interest rates be lowered. It could fracture the GOP. Many Republicans are frustrated interest rates have not been cut, but they are also wary of undermining the Fed's independence.
• Judges drama: Trump also turned his Truth Social ire on 91-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) last night for allowing Democrats to veto some judicial nominees from their states through a long-followed practice called "blue slips." Majority Leader John Thune told reporters there was little interest in changing the custom.
• Democratic disagreement: Yesterday, Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) infuriated his Democratic colleagues by accusing them of not doing enough to counter Trump. "We are being complicit to Donald Trump," he said in a heated back-and-forth on the floor with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.).

? The big picture: The intraparty tensions come as Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer face off in a game of chicken that also could affect how quickly senators can break.

• Democrats have allowed zero nominees confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent — unprecedented at this point — and are refusing to agree to speeding up the proceedings.
• Republicans are promising to keep working into late hours, weekends and the scheduled time off — and threatening to take more dramatic steps, including rule changes to speed up the process if Democrats don't relent.
• All eyes are on whether a bipartisan deal can be reached to push through a package of 40-plus nominations to satisfy Trump and release the pressure valve in the Capitol.

— Stef Kight

[phkrause]

? Texas redistricting targets

Data: Texas Tribune; Chart: Axios Visuals Go deeper: What to know about Texas' proposed congressional map — Kathleen Hunter

[phkrause]

? Jeffries' age headache

Data: Axios research; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios A surging effort to unseat some of House Democrats' oldest members is setting up a midterm migraine for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Why it matters: The 2026 election cycle could see dozens of competitive Democratic primary battles, which some members groan will draw money away from Jeffries' efforts to retake control of Congress. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) told us earlier this year that primary challenges to incumbents "take a lot of resources that should be used against Republicans and use [them] in primaries." The 78-year-old, who yesterday joined the list of older incumbents facing primary rivals, added: "That's idiotic in terms of capturing the House." Of the House Democrats who will be at least 70 years old by Election Day 2026, nearly a dozen are already facing primary challengers with months still to go before the first congressional filing deadlines. Driving the news: Nonprofit founder Liam Elkind, 26, is challenging Nadler, urging the ex-House Judiciary Committee chair to retire rather than put up a fight. "I appreciate his 50 years in office," Elkind told us, "but I'm also cognizant of the fact that when he was first elected, rent in New York was $500 a month and the president was Gerald Ford." Former Hartford, Connecticut, Mayor Luke Bronin, 46, launched a run against Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), 77, who suffered a freeze-up on the House floor in February that his office said was due to a complex partial seizure. Several younger Democrats have launched bids in districts where the longtime incumbents haven't said if they're running — including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). ➗ By the numbers: Some primary insurgents are proving highly formidable, with Bronin announcing he raised more than $500,000 in just 24 hours after launching his campaign. That's double the $250,000 that Larson raised in the first six months of 2025, according to FEC filings. Yes, but: The strength of incumbency is still substantial, and some challengers are facing headwinds from grassroots activists who have led the charge to unseat incumbents and upend the political establishment. Elkind, for instance, has been criticized online by allies of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani as an insufficiently left-wing alternative to the progressive Nadler. — Andrew Solender

[phkrause]

?? Inside the new Ukraine push

President Trump declared this month that he was sick of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's "bulls**t." Two senators want to give him a chance to show he means it.

Why it matters: Just before the Senate bolts town, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced new legislation to provide Ukraine with an additional $54.6 billion, mostly in arms and ammunition from U.S. manufacturers.

• "This bipartisan bill will strengthen President Trump's negotiating hand with Vladimir Putin and finally put an end to this senseless war," Shaheen said in a statement.

Between the lines: It's also an attempt to replicate the success the Senate had with a sanctions package it considered earlier this summer.

• That bill, which collected 85 cosponsors, never made it to the floor, but Trump eventually adopted its basic concept—secondary sanctions on Russia's trading partners.
• ?️ Then Trump accelerated the deadline, to 10 days, which falls on Aug. 8.

? Zoom in: The bipartisan legislation is written to appeal to Republicans, many of whom have deep concerns about America's continued support for a war they don't think is winnable.

• It aims to lower the costs by tapping frozen Russian assets, and it emphasizes that most of the money will flow back into America's defense industrial base.
• The most recent Ukraine aid package, totaling over $60 billion, passed Congress in April 2024. Funding for Taiwan and Israel had to be added for it to clear the House. 

— Hans Nichols

[phkrause]

⛑️ Scoop: Kelly's Gaza plan

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) is in discussions to move tens of millions of emergency food packages sitting in U.S. warehouses to Gaza and other needy areas.

Why it matters: Democrats are mobilizing to address the humanitarian void they say the Israeli government is leaving behind in Gaza, where starvation is worsening.

• ? Kelly told us this week that over 87 million packages of ready-to-use therapeutic food to treat severe malnutrition are sitting in warehouses in Texas, Rhode Island and Georgia.
• The Arizona Democrat has been in regular communication with World Food Programme executive director Cindy McCain about how to get the food — some of which has already been purchased by the U.S. government — to the organization.

"Kids should not be starving to death anywhere in the world, and Israel has got to do a better job of getting this aid in," Kelly said.

What to watch: Separately, Trump is expected to approve a new Gaza humanitarian aid plan tomorrow after his envoy Steve Witkoff visits the enclave and briefs him on the situation.

— Stephen Neukam

[phkrause]

? Republicans huddle up

The GOP apparatus is quickly circling the wagons now that North Carolina is officially the first major Senate race with both parties' top candidates locked in.

? Why it matters: North Carolina will likely be the priciest and most competitive Senate contest of the cycle, with Georgia and Michigan seats as other top contenders.

• RNC Chair Michael Whatley made his bid official this afternoon, setting up a showdown in November 2026 with former Gov. Roy Cooper (D) to replace retiring Republican Thom Tillis.
• "Michael is a strong conservative voice committed to fighting for North Carolina and will be a crucial part of our growing Senate Republican majority," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in a statement.

? Driving the news: The National Republican Senatorial Committee has launched a full-court press to get GOP senators and consultants to make fundraising pleas on Whatley's behalf so he can launch his campaign with a bang.

• On Tuesday, NRSC Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) asked senators to contribute the maximum allowable amount to Whatley's campaign during a closed-door lunch, a source familiar with the discussion tells us.
• Scott also urged them to join the NRSC for a fundraiser for Whatley in September.

— Stef Kight

[phkrause]

Big Dem backtrack

Data: Quorum via Congress.gov. Chart: Axios Visuals President Trump's first term provoked the movement for a Green New Deal. His second term may have killed it, Axios' Alex Thompson writes. Why it matters: Democrats aren't explicitly disavowing the Green New Deal. But they've abruptly stopped talking about it as they scramble to find new ways to talk about climate change. Over the past three months, Democrats in Congress collectively said "Green New Deal" only six times across social media and on the floor. That's the fewest mentions since the proposal rose to prominence in the fall of 2018, according to data from the legislative tracking service Quorum. Over the same three-month period, Republicans mentioned "Green New Deal" 337 times as they continue to believe that what President Trump calls the "Green New Scam" is a losing issue for Democrats. ? Zoom in: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) haven't reintroduced their Green New Deal resolution that had become one of their signature initiatives. They introduced it in April 2023, in the last Congress. In attacking the GOP's "big, beautiful bill," Democrats and many groups have focused on claims it will drive up energy prices and cost jobs from scuttled projects, rather than focusing on its effect on climate change. Other Democrats eyeing presidential runs have signaled they aren't purists on climate change in the way some Democrats did during Trump's first term. Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona told the N.Y. Times earlier this year: "Every Latino man wants a big-ass truck, which — nothing wrong with that." After Elon Musk called Sen. Mark Kelly a "traitor," the Arizona senator traded in his Tesla for a Chevy Tahoe SUV. He noted he has two "good ole Chevy" Tahoes — one in D.C. and another in Tucson. (25-sec. video) Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has continued to be supportive of natural gas projects in his state.

[phkrause]

? Scoop: Dems threaten Harvard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

A group of House and Senate Democrats who attended Harvard are threatening their alma mater with a "rigorous" investigation if the school cuts a deal to end hostilities with President Trump, Axios' Andrew Solender has learned. Why it matters: The lawmakers' warning follows news that the elite university is open to spending up to $500 million to settle things with the administration. "We are alarmed that Harvard would contemplate a settlement of this magnitude under apparent political pressure," the Democrats wrote in a letter first obtained by Axios. The letter was led by Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.), along with Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). Keep reading ...

[phkrause]

Counterterrorism

The GOP-controlled Senate voted 52-44 on Wednesday to confirm Joe Kent to lead the National Counterterrorism Center, which is tasked with analyzing terrorism-related intelligence and maintains a database of known and suspected terrorists. The retired Army Green Beret served 11 combat tours over a 20-year career, and most recently worked as a top aide to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. CNN previously reported that when Kent mounted two unsuccessful bids for Congress in Washington state, he repeatedly had to disavow past interactions with far-right figures, including Nazi sympathizer Greyson Arnold and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. Kent said at the time he was unfamiliar with Fuentes and later said he did not want Fuentes’ endorsement. During his confirmation hearing, Kent defended his promotion of the conspiracy theory that members of the intelligence community were involved in the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol.