RFK Jr. for president in 2028? Now that his super PAC is gearing up, it's a rational question via Brittany Gibson axios.com/2025/07/16/rfk…

Lee told a group of us that he realized that he hasn't seen the letter elsewhere so he deleted the tweet "out of an abundance of caution" "I don’t know whether it’s legit or not.”

Currently 4 Dem senators voted against cloture for MTP on MilCon/Va Bill: Markey, Padilla, Schiff, and Warren

Votes currently at 61-7. More no votes are from Dems Sanders, Murphy, 1 GOP no vote from Lee.

First procedural vote for MilCon/Va passes 90-8

During a presser with Dem leadership across both chambers, Schumer says the reason that the majority of Dems voted to advance the MilCon/Va bill is that it “undid the DOGE cuts in a bipartisan way.” “When [Republicans] are willing to work with us, we will work with them.”

Well this is jarring. John Kennedy (R-LA) is midway through a quip he's delivered a thousand times ("Jesus loves him but everyone else thinks he's an idiot") and completely freezes up mid-sentence.

New: The Republican tax and spending mega-law will cut Medicaid in every state, but the effects are biggest in states that have expanded Medicaid under the ACA.

Leader Thune filed cloture on Executive Calendar #274 Susan Monarez to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (New Position)

A House Republican noted this week that Trump world is just dead set on driving Powell to resign - given that Trump has pulled away from firing him for now "they are trying to make his life as miserable as possible"

I sat down with Markwayne Mullin for the inaugural Q&A segment for National Journal's podcast. We talked his role in passing the "One Big Beautiful" bill, what's on tap for the rest of the year, and much more. Give it a listen, here: open.spotify.com/episode/3q6quV…

Cassidy says he's talked to RFK Jr. about reports on the potential ouster of the USPSTF. Wouldn't give details about what was discussed. When asked if he was assured or relieved from the conversation, Cassidy said, "I'd rather just not even go there."

President Trump has sent letters to drug company executive demanding that they lower prices, or else...(the "or else" part is still kind of unclear)

On this note — Senate Appropriations Cmte approved hours ago, in a largely bipartisan manner, a Labor-HHS bill that has language requiring AHRQ to give a 48 hour advance notice to the Cmte before canceling any USPSTF meetings or disbanding the panel.

Reports that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could remove members of a key panel advising the department on preventive care prompted Sen. Bill Cassidy to reach out to the secretary, the senator told National Journal. Check out the NJ Daily Outlook:

New: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting says it is shutting down cpb.org/pressroom/Corp…

Trump's war on facts has reached a new level and the message is clear: Government officials who deal in data now fear they have to toe the line and adopt his version of reality no matter how false or risk losing their jobs. nytimes.com/2025/08/03/us/…