WASHINGTON — One of the lawyers who defended Attorney General Ken Paxton during his three-year-old impeachment trial endorsed Democrat James Talarico Monday in Texas’ U.S. Senate race. Dan Cogdell, a veteran Houston attorney who represented Paxton in his long-running felony securities fraud case and his 2023 impeachment, announced his support for Talarico in an interview Read More…

(The Center Square) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pledged in two congressional hearings this week to cut the federal deficit to 3% of GDP, a target the government’s own budget projections do not currently support. Bessent repeated the goal before both the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, telling lawmakers Read More…

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order reclassifying approximately 8,000 policy-influencing federal positions into a new category called Schedule Policy/Career, making it significantly easier for agencies to remove employees who perform poorly, engage in misconduct, or resist presidential directives. The order targeted the highest-ranking career positions outside of the Senior Executive Service, with Read More…

National Democrats on Wednesday unveiled their most ambitious list of targets in the Texas House in years, adding a dozen districts, on top of three previously announced seats, to their battleground docket for the fall midterms. Twelve of the Texas districts targeted by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, an arm of the national party that Read More…

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson used the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference Tuesday to highlight new Treasury Department data showing the Working Families Tax Cuts delivered the largest share of tax relief to lower and middle income earners, while simultaneously calling on Democrats to support a trio of Republican bills targeting waste, fraud, Read More…

(The Center Square) – Parental rights group the American Parents Coalition is urging Congress to review federal funding of the American Academy of Pediatrics, alleging that the organization prioritizes politics and gender ideology before children’s health while using tax dollars. Executive director of American Parents Coalition Alleigh Marré told The Center Square that “President [Donald] Trump’s Read More…

(The Center Square) – Democratic senators are advancing a series of proposals to tax America’s wealthiest households, with supporters projecting trillions in new federal revenue. Critics, however, argue the plans would generate far less than promised while creating economic and legal complications. Democrats have introduced four major proposals this year aimed at millionaires and billionaires. Read More…

Speaker Mike Johnson delivered remarks after House Republicans ended what he characterized as a Democrat-driven DHS shutdown and passed a budget resolution to fund immigration enforcement and border security for three years, a move Republicans say will prevent future efforts to reopen the border or halt the removal of criminal illegal immigrants. House Republicans also Read More…

House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a sharp rebuke Thursday of congressional Democrats following reports that party leadership is briefing members on the use of the 25th Amendment and amid calls from more than 80 Democratic lawmakers for the impeachment and removal of President Donald Trump. In a statement, Johnson dismissed the efforts as politically motivated Read More…

(The Center Square) – Planned Parenthood received $832 million in taxpayer funding in 2024-2025, an increase of $39.8 million from its previous report. A record number of abortions also were performed by the organization. President of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Marjorie Dannenfelser told The Center Square that “taxpayer dollars should never be used to fund Planned Read More…

The Trump administration released a list Thursday of nine undocumented immigrants facing serious criminal charges across multiple states, using the cases to intensify pressure on congressional Democrats to approve additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security and end what the White House describes as sanctuary city policies that shield criminal offenders from deportation. The Read More…

(The Center Square) – Democratic officials from 23 states and the District of Columbia announced Friday they’re suing to block President Donald Trump’s recent executive order regulating mail-in and absentee ballots. The suit was slated to be filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. A copy of the lawsuit wasn’t available as Read More…

The president on Thursday signed into law three measures authorizing the awarding of the Medal of Honor to U.S. service members for acts of valor in combat. Among the bills signed was H.R. 3377, which authorizes the president to award the Medal of Honor to James Capers Jr. for his actions while serving in the Read More…

House Speaker Mike Johnson sharply criticized Democrats following a House vote on funding for the Department of Homeland Security, accusing them of prioritizing immigration-related policies over national security and public safety. Johnson’s remarks came after what he described as the third vote in which a bipartisan majority of House members supported funding DHS operations, while Read More…

(The Center Square) – The majority of voters across the country support state bans on transgender athletes competing in girls’ and women’s sports, according to The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll. The Voters’ Voice Poll found that 68% of registered voters support allowing the Supreme Court to uphold state bans on transgender women competing in Read More…

The Trump administration on Friday rolled out a sweeping national legislative framework for artificial intelligence, outlining a broad federal agenda aimed at boosting U.S. competitiveness, protecting free speech, supporting families and securing American leadership in the global AI race. The White House said the framework is designed to give Congress a roadmap for tackling the Read More…

(The Center Square) – The American Legislative Exchange Council called on state legislatures to embrace limited tax regulation and greater investment in artificial intelligence to facilitate effective government processes. The council released its AI policy toolkit calling for a “light-touch” policy approach to AI. “U.S. regulators risk jeopardizing A.I.’s massive potential and benefits to consumers Read More…

(The Center Square) – Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio on Thursday backed a bipartisan proposal to cap annual deficits at 3% of gross domestic product, a resolution that would allow Congress to continue to spend more taxpayer money than it collects for years to come. House Resolution 981 would limit yearly deficits to 3% of GDP Read More…

The Center Square) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday afternoon signed legislation that involves a $590 million loan for Bay Area public transportation. Speaking before reporters in San Mateo County, Newsom said the loan will be paid back in 12 years. The first two years will be interest-free. “This is not just about transportation. Read More…

(The Center Square) – A national taxpayer advocacy group is calling on President Donald Trump and Congress to address the nation’s rising debt, warning that interest payments and long-term spending commitments are putting increasing pressure on the federal budget. The warning comes after the Congressional Budget Office projected that federal debt held by the public will reach Read More…

(The Center Square) – The House Oversight Committee is investigating the rapid rise in value of two companies owned by Rep. Ilhan Omar’s husband, amid concerns over financial transparency and potential influence. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said Omar’s husband, Timothy Mynett, has ownership stakes in two companies, eStCru Read More…

As the 2026 tax filing season begins, millions of Americans are seeing larger refunds, increased take-home pay, and new opportunities to build long-term financial security under the Working Families Tax Cuts, a sweeping tax law passed by President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans. Administration officials say the legislation is delivering immediate relief for parents while Read More…

President Trump and Congressional Republicans have enacted the Working Families Tax Cuts, a landmark pro-life, pro-family package designed to empower parents, support children, and expand opportunities for working families across the nation. The legislation removes financial barriers that often discourage parents from choosing life and ensures families have the resources needed to provide for their Read More…

(The Center Square) – The U.S. House finished the last of its fiscal year 2026 appropriations work Thursday with the passage of the last four government funding bills, sending them over to the Senate for final approval. The upper chamber has until Jan. 30 to pass the bills, which provide a total of $1.2 trillion Read More…

President Donald Trump signed the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (H.R. 4323) into law, creating a pathway for victims of human trafficking to clear certain criminal records tied to their exploitation. The law allows trafficking survivors to file motions to vacate convictions and expunge arrest records for qualifying offenses committed as a direct result of being Read More…

(The Center Square) – Democratic lawmakers criticized President Donald Trump’s announcement of land strikes against Venezuela and leader Nicolas Maduro’s capture. In a post to social media, Trump announced the U.S. carried out a “large scale strike” against Venezuela, capturing Maduro and his wife. The two are in U.S. custody and charged with “narco-terrorism conspiracy, Read More…

(The Center Square) – A limited ban on stock trading by Congress might get a vote next year after a 2012 law did not do enough to stem the practice that critics say is legal insider trading. The Center Square has been investigating the trades of lawmakers on key committees, finding trades that raise questions Read More…

(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1950, prompting strong backlash from medical, disability, religious and legal groups who say it was rushed and violates key ethical and legal protections. State Rep. Bill Hauter, R-Morton, a practicing physician, said Pritzker showed signs of hesitation but ultimately “his leftist ideology took over and he Read More…