Early Morning Political News: 4‑Minute Read
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Thursday, July 23, 2026
Federal Level
House Narrowly Passes $1.15 Trillion Defense Bill
The House passed the annual defense policy bill Wednesday by a razor-thin 216 to 212 vote, with nearly all Democrats opposing a measure that typically draws broad bipartisan support. The National Defense Authorization Act increases military pay, expands missile defense production, and would formally rename the Department of Defense the Department of War. Most Democrats objected that the bill effectively endorses the ongoing war with Iran without adequate congressional oversight, while Republicans called the spending increase essential given a more dangerous global landscape. 1
Trump Threatens to Bomb Iranian Bridges, Plants
President Trump warned Wednesday that the United States will destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant, including sites in Tehran, every time Iranian forces strike a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. The threat came as the president attended a dignified transfer ceremony for four American service members killed in the ongoing conflict with Iran. Trump said further strikes were imminent and that Iran was “going to pay a big price,” as the war entered its fifth month with no resolution in sight. 2
House Passes Limited Ban on Lawmaker Stock Trading
The House voted 232 to 198 Wednesday to bar members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from buying new individual stocks while in office, though the measure stops short of a full trading ban. Lawmakers could keep stocks they already own and would face a fee of $2,000 or 10 percent of a trade’s value for violations. The bill’s pairing with a voter identification provision drew opposition from most Democrats, and its fate in the Senate remains uncertain. 3
Senate Confirms Trump Pick to Sixth Circuit
The Senate confirmed Benjamin Flowers, a former Ohio solicitor general, to a lifetime seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Wednesday by a vote of 49 to 46. Democrats objected to Flowers’s record and criticized his refusal during his confirmation hearing to say who won the 2020 presidential election. The confirmation gives President Trump another lasting imprint on the federal appellate bench, which oversees cases from Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee. 4
Warnock Calls for Probe of GOP Mapmakers If Democrats Win
Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia said Wednesday that Democrats should investigate Republican officials who redrew congressional maps if the party regains control of either chamber of Congress after the midterms. Warnock argued that GOP-led legislatures manipulated district lines to dilute Black voting power following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which narrowed protections under the Voting Rights Act. He proposed hearings, document requests, and potential subpoenas targeting officials behind the redrawn maps, while drawing a distinction from California’s redistricting, which voters approved directly. 5
State Level
Massachusetts House Votes to Ease Abortion Limits
The Massachusetts House voted 119 to 33 Wednesday to loosen the state’s restrictions on abortions performed after 24 weeks of pregnancy, sending the bill to the state Senate. The measure would let a physician’s professional judgment determine whether a later abortion is appropriate, replacing the current standard that requires a threat to the patient’s health or a grave fetal diagnosis. Supporters, including several major hospital systems, said the change would keep patients from having to travel out of state for care, while Massachusetts Citizens for Life said the bill goes too far. 6
Louisiana AG Murrill Cleared of All Felony Charges
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Wednesday that a special prosecutor dropped all felony charges accusing her of intimidating New Orleans officials over a contested court consolidation law. The charges had stemmed from letters Murrill sent warning local leaders they could lose their offices for supporting an unauthorized clerk position, prompting a 16-count grand jury indictment on July 2. Republican Governor Jeff Landry had promised a pardon, and New Orleans officials themselves urged the prosecutor to drop the case, underscoring the deep rift between the state’s Republican leadership and Democratic-controlled New Orleans. 7
Michigan Budget Faces $600M Shortfall Dispute
A nonpartisan Michigan research group said Wednesday that the $86.4 billion state budget Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a day earlier carries a shortfall of $600 million to $900 million between what lawmakers appropriated and expected tax revenue. Whitmer’s administration denied any imbalance, saying the spending plan relies on standard accounting practices, including the lapse of unused pandemic-era and economic development funds into the general fund. The dispute adds fresh scrutiny to a budget that already drew criticism for growing nearly $1.5 billion over last year’s spending plan. 8
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