Senate faces 'come-to-Jesus' moment on Trump's election priority under GOP's new plan

House GOP bets $10B election plan can rescue Trump's stalled SAVE America Act

July 15, 2026 1:08pm

With November's midterm elections just months away, Republicans think they have found the key to passing President Donald Trump's long-stalled top election priority.

The House on Wednesday unveiled a draft framework for a third shot at budget reconciliation, the party-line process that Republicans successfully used to ram through Trump’s "one big, beautiful bill" and a separate $72 billion package funding immigration enforcement for years to come.

The latest $95 billion package is expected to focus on defense funding, farm assistance and the SAVE America Act. While specific details are still being negotiated, several sources familiar with Republicans’ planning told Fox News Digital that it won’t actually be the SAVE America Act tucked into the package.

Instead, a $10 billion pot of money included in the budget blueprint released Wednesday is expected to incentivize states to adopt parts of the original SAVE America Act — first passed by the House earlier this year — to help cover implementation costs.

Policies under consideration include grant funding to help states enforce voter ID requirements and encouraging states to add proof-of-citizenship requirements to REAL IDs, sources told Fox News Digital.

The early deliberations come as pressure mounts from Trump and vocal proponents of the SAVE America Act, both within Congress and online, who are demanding the Senate do whatever it takes to pass the bill.

Senate Republicans have struggled for months to get the stalled election measure across the finish line, which Trump has labeled his top legislative priority.

"The pressure's gonna be on the Senate," Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., a member of the House Budget Committee, told Fox News Digital.

"Certain senators are gonna have to find a real come-to-Jesus moment to pass the strongest reconciliation package possible," he continued.

The budget blueprint’s design could help overcome hurdles in the Senate, where the strict Byrd Rule governs what can survive in budget reconciliation.Senate Republicans have acknowledged that the SAVE America Act, as written, likely wouldn’t pass muster with the Senate parliamentarian, who wields an outsize role over the process.

But adding in a grant-like component rather than shoehorning in the entire bill could be the difference maker in the upper chamber, the sources said.

"If this provision is written the right way — tied to states that already have voter ID on the books, not a new federal enforcement — I believe it can survive reconciliation's rules,"Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and a member of the Senate Budget Committee, told Fox News Digital.

"But I'm not satisfied with a Band-Aid.= We need Democrats and every Republican to actually vote yes on voter ID, on proof of citizenship, and on real guardrails for mail-in ballots==," he continued. "Kansans deserve election integrity, and I'm going to keep fighting until we get it done."

That grant program would allow states to opt in to adopting the SAVE America Act, which has so far failed to pass the upper chamber, where Democrats and a cohort of Republicans have blocked it.

Meanwhile, the House Administration Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal election law,has been tasked with crafting the guardrails for the plan and has until Sept. 11 to get it done.

The budget blueprint is the first step in the complex budget reconciliation process, which allows Republicans to steer around Democratic opposition and pass a forthcoming bill with only GOP votes.

The framework faces an uphill battle in the House chamber, where various corners of the Republican conference have expressed skepticism.

The House Budget Committee is expected to mark up the budget blueprint on Thursday, andGOP leaders are aiming to hold a chamber-wide floor vote by the end of next week.

Asked about some Republicans calling the budget blueprint "dead on arrival,"Johnson told Fox News, "We’ll get it done."

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-faces-come-to-jesus-moment-trumps-election-priority-under-gop-new-plan

The republicans in Senate should be arrested for trying to stop this law.

Exclusive: House Republicans Request Federal Investigation into Mamdani Admin for Potential Logan Act Violation. 1/2

Olivia Rondeau16 Jul 2026

A request for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration for potential violations of the Logan Act has been filed by House Republicans, led by Rep. Addison McDowell (R-NC).

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche received the letter on Thursday morning after it was revealed that a senior Mamdani official attempted to organize an unauthorized meeting with a high-ranking member of the Iranian regime while the country remains at war with the United States.

“We write with concern about the recent actions of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Administration,” McDowell wrote. “Last week, media outlets began to report Commissioner Ana María Archila, the head of the New York City Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, had scheduled a July 7 meeting with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani.”

Archila and two other senior officials from Mamdani’s international affairs office were set to meet with Iravani on July 7 at 11:00 a.m., according to screenshots of a calendar invitation obtained by City Journal. The outlet confirmed with sources connected to the international affairs community and Archila’s office that the meeting was set.

An official from the State Department also confirmed that Archila had set the meeting, which was called off after the federal agency found out about it and confronted the Mamdani administration about it. The subject of the proposed meeting remains unclear.

State Department officials reportedly had to “clarify acceptable conduct” with Mamdani officials, with the City Journal noting that Archila allegedly did not inform Mamdani of the meeting and was reprimanded by the mayor’s office.

“As you know, negotiations with Iran are in a critical stage,” the letter continued.“Given its timing, we believe this proposed meeting may have presented significant national security risks.”

The House Republicans went on to ask the DOJ to investigate the socialist mayor’s office for potential violations of the Logan Act, which prohibits American citizens from holding unauthorized negotiations with foreign governments in disputes involving the U.S.

“Mayor Mamdani’s and Commissioner Archila’s actions create a clear conflict of interest with the United States’ strategic military actions in Iranand across the Middle East, warranting further examination by the Department,” the letter argued, before the lawmakers stated their support for President Donald Trump’s “effort to shore up American economic and national security interests in the Middle East.”

“… [W]e understand the vulnerable nature of continued peace negotiations,” the letter continued. “For that reason, we believe that a formal investigation is necessary todetermine whether Commissioner Archila, acting on behalf of Mayor Mamdani, engaged in any unlawful activity or communication with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

A spokesperson with the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs told the City Journal in a statement; “This meeting did not and will not take place.”

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/07/16/exclusive-house-republicans-request-federal-investigation-into-mamdani-admin-for-potential-logan-act-violation/

>>24832544

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Mamdani himself claimed at an unrelated press conference that the proposed meeting was a result of a “request that came in” to the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, “not one that originated from the office.”

He added that his administration is now working on an updated protocol for managing meeting requests, the New York Times reported.

The State Department said in a Friday statement to the outlet that it was “unconscionable” that a New York City official would meet with an Iranian ambassador at this time, and that the department was appreciative that the meeting was called off.

In an exclusive statement to Breitbart News, McDowell saidthat “undermining national security has serious risks, and the Mayor of New York should know better than to meddle in our foreign affairs during the height of negotiations between the White House and Iran.”

“The Department of Justice needs to look into Mamdani’s office and ensure they are not acting as rogue agents to the detriment of America’s national security,” the congressman continued. “Mamdani does not speak for America. President Trump earned the public’s trust to ensure the safety and security of the United States.”

Archila is a progressive activist who was previously the subject of Breitbart News coverage after she accosted then-Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) in an elevator about his support for Brett Kavanaugh becoming a Supreme Court justice.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez broughtArchila as her guest to President Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address after her stunt with Flake.

Before being appointed to the Mamdani administration in February, Archila did not have significant experience in international affairs. Instead, she made a name for herself as co-executive directorat the Soros-funded Center for Popular Democracy (CPD).

She also previously served as co-director of the left-leaning Working Families Party, and She co-founded and led progressive organizations like Make the Road New York.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/07/16/exclusive-house-republicans-request-federal-investigation-into-mamdani-admin-for-potential-logan-act-violation/

There’s no way she did this without Mandani’s approval.

Exclusive: Rep. Brandon Gill Files Bill Requiring Naturalized Citizens Speak English

Bradley Jaye16 Jul 2026

Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) introduced legislation Thursday to ensure naturalized American citizens can speak the same language as their countrymen.

The English Language Proficiency Act authored by Gill would rescind the English proficiency and civics examination exceptions from U.S. naturalization law,Breitbart News learned exclusively.

While Gill’s bill would not prohibit Americans from speaking languages other than English, ensuring Americans share a common tongue strengthens the civic bonds that hold communities and nations together. The legislation benefits prospective citizens as well by ensuring they have an essential tool to assimilate into the society they seek to join.

“English is the common tongue that holds American communities together,” Gill said in a statement to Breitbart News. “It is of paramount importance that every American citizen be able to communicate in the same language. My bill holds everyone to the same standard already on the books, restoring equal treatment under nationalization law.”

Under current law, naturalization applicants over the age of 50 who have been lawful permanent residents for at least 20 years, and applicants over the age of 55 who have been lawful permanent residents for at least 15 years,are exempt from the English language requirement. Applicants over the age of 65 who have been lawful permanent residents for at least 20 years receive additional special consideration on the civics examination.

Gill’s English Language Proficiency Act eliminates these age-based exceptions and requires naturalization applicants to meet the same English language and civics standards regardless of age.

The legislation does not impose any new naturalization requirements. Instead, in the spirit of equality, the bill removes a special class of petitioners based on age who currently receive a pass on meeting lawful requirements.

Gill’s bill is timely, as more foreign language speakers have migrated to America than ever before and in numbers that disincentivize assimilation.

According to the Department of State’s 2026 data, the number of people who spoke a language other than English at home nearly tripled from 23.1 million (about 1 in 10) to 67.8 million (about 1 in 5) over three recent decades, according to the Census Bureau.

The top five non-English languages spoken in U.S. households also include Chinese (spoken by 3.49 million in U.S. homes, or 5.2 percent of such households); Tagalog (1.7 million, or 2.6 percent); Vietnamese (1.5 million, or 2.3 percent); and Arabic (1.2 million, or 1.9 percent).

Cosponsoring Gill’s legislation are Republican Reps. Randy Fine (FL), Barry Moore (AL), and Beth Van Duyne (TX).Immigration Accountability Project and Pro English support the legislation as well.

https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/07/16/exclusive-rep-brandon-gill-files-bill-requiring-naturalized-citizens-speak-english/

(I hope to God, that Gill has a lot of protection .)

Exclusive — Secretary Bessent to Reveal Treasury’s Financial Crackdown Plans on ‘Transnational Political Terrorism’

Matthew Boyle15 Jul 2026

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will reveal the U.S. Treasury Department’s plans to crack down on the finances behind “transnational political terrorism” during an address to dignitaries gathered at the U.S. State Department on Thursday, Breitbart News has learned exclusively.

Bessent, a Treasury Department official told Breitbart News, will deliver remarksoutlining the tools at his disposal at the direction of the president to stop terrorism finances worldwide.

“Secretary Bessent will underscore that combating the financing of transnational political terrorismremains a core national security priority for the Department of the Treasury,” a Treasury Department spokesperson told Breitbart News on Wednesday night ahead of the Thursday morning address.

“He will highlight Treasury’s use of its financial authorities to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the illicit funding networks that enable terrorist organizations to operate. Secretary Bessent will emphasize Treasury’s effortsto prevent the abuse of charitable and nonprofit organizations as vehiclesfor terrorist financing, including by investigating entities that exploit tax-exempt status to finance violence and taking action where appropriate. He will alsoreaffirm that Treasury will continue working closely with international partners to protect the integrity of the global financial systemand deny terrorists and their facilitators access to the resources they need to carry out violence.”

Bessent’s remarks will come at a summit that Secretary of StateMarco Rubio has organized at the State Department with delegations from more than 70 countries worldwide focused on combating far-left wing radical terrorists worldwide.

ABC News reported on the summit this week:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is preparing to host delegations from more than 70 countries this week for a gathering focusedon addressing what the Trump administration describes as the overlooked threat posed by “the resurgence of transnational far-left terrorism,” according to a State Department official and internal documents reviewed exclusively by ABC News.

“For too long this threat has remained a blind spot in the international community’s counterterrorism focus, underestimated and under-resourced, despite the danger it poses,” a note shared with foreign governments describing the concept of the meeting reads.

This address from Bessent will come before President Donald Trump is expected to brief the nation on broader matters in a primetime Oval Office address on Thursday evening as part of a news-packed week for the Trump administration. As for what the president will tell the American people on Thursday night,it’s as of yet unclear but many believe it may be about election integrity or about the conflict with Iran which has flared back up againthis past week or so after an initial Memorandum of Understanding with Iran ending the war started earlier this year seems to have collapsed for now.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/07/15/exclusive-secretary-bessent-to-reveal-treasurys-financial-crackdown-plans-on-transnational-political-terrorism/

Trump Announces Nearly $10 Billion in Defense Industrial Base Investments in Pennsylvania at McCormick’s Summit

Nick Gilbertson15 Jul 2026

CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA—President Donald Trump announcednearly $10 billion in investments into the defense industry in Pennsylvaniaon Wednesday afternoon at Sen. Dave McCormick’s (R-PA) Defense and Innovation Summit.

After arriving at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Trump joined McCormick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and top defense, banking, and tech executives for a roundtable event, where he made the announcement.

“This afternoon, we’re announcing nearly $10 billion of new investments in our defense industrial base, right here in the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, andthese investments will create more than 4,000 jobs,” he said.

“Pennsylvania workers will build the ships, submarines, trucks, weapons, and industries that will ensure America remains the strongest and most powerful nation in the history of the world. We’re doing better now than we’ve ever done,” the president added.

Among the investments are a $2.5 billion agreement between General Dynamics and Rhoades Industries in support of Navy submarine construction in Philadelphia, and new ship orders for the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), estimated to support more than 2,000 jobs with program costs valued at $1.5 billion.

Day & Zimmermann is receiving a “$2.3 billion contract to provide operations, maintenance, and modernization for the Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada, delivered from its Philadelphia operations.”

Dozens of other investments are listed on a press release, available here, from McCormick’s office.

Trump later noted that defense spending in Pennsylvania has jumped about 20-25 percent since he returned to the presidency, and he believes the number will be about $19-$20 billion when including Wednesday’s announcement.

He touted that his administration has overseen $19.2 trillion in investments into the United States since returning to office in January 2025.

“We used to go million, then we went billion. Now we’re into the trillions. But-there’s never been anything like it. The country is as hot as it’s ever been,” Trump said.

Trump lauded McCormick for organizing the major summit and noted that last July, he attended McCormick’s Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, where they announced a whopping 92 billion in investment into the Keystone State.

“Outstanding work on behalf of the incredible people of Pennsylvania,” Trump told McCormick, who was elected in 2024 and was pivotal to helping Republicans reclaim the U.S. Senate majority. “You know, he followed me along thecampaign trail, and he had a tough race.It was a tough race. A lot of peoplewouldn’t have had the courage to do it. Ittakes guts to run for office. People don’tknow that.”

“I think he’s a great guy, great, spectacular guy… But we’re here today to celebrate a colossal victory for this Commonwealth and for the entire nation,” he added.

McCormick thanked Trump for coming and said the president has a special affinity for Pennsylvania.

“We are so honored to have you here. I know you’ve got a special love for Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania has a special love for you. And this is all about your vision of peace through strength,”McCormick told the president.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/07/15/trump-announces-nearly-10-billion-in-defense-industrial-base-investments-in-pennsylvania-at-mccormicks-summit/

Thune: Graham May Have Seen Path for SAVE America Act. 1/2

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans are exploring whether parts of the SAVE America Act can advance through budget reconciliation, a strategy he suggested Sen. Lindsey Graham may have discussed with President Donald Trump before his death.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans are exploring whether parts of the SAVE America Act could be advanced through the budget reconciliation process, a strategy he suggested may have been what late Sen. Lindsey Graham discussed with President Donald Trump before his death.

Speaking in an interview with The New York Post, the South Dakota Republican said he believes Graham, who chaired the Senate Budget Committee, may have been referring to reconciliation when he told Trump the GOP was "all set" on the SAVE America Act during what Trump has said was their final phone conversation.

Trump revealed the conversation during an appearance Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," saying Graham told him, "We're all set for the SAVE America Act," but he did not elaborate.

The SAVE America Act, Trump's top legislative priority this year, would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and include other election-related reforms. Republicans have repeatedly failed to advance the measure in the Senate because Democrats have blocked it with the filibuster.

"Perhaps what Lindsey was talking to the president about, I don't know this for a fact, was whether or not there was an option for reconciliation, and there is a way in which I think you could," Thune said.

Thune stressed that Republicans are nowhere near the 60 votes needed to overcome a Democrat filibuster and have no realistic path to winning Democrat support for the legislation.

Instead, he saidRepublicans are examining whether portions of the measure could qualify under Senate budget reconciliation rules, which allow certain fiscal legislation to pass with a simple majority.

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/john-thune-lindsey-graham-save-america-act/2026/07/16/id/1263050/

>>24832721

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"It's got to be principally budgetary, not policy-oriented. And if the budgetary impact is incidental to the policy impact, then it's usually ruled a violation," Thune said, referring to Senate rules enforced by the parliamentarian."I'm not denying there's some level of subjectivity."

He pointed toone proposal that could potentially qualify by tying election measures to federal spending.

"Figuring out a way to incentivize states to pass or to implement photo ID in their states through financial incentives is something that's been talked about as a possible reconciliation option," Thune said."How you design or structure it matters a lot."

Graham, who died Saturday night after what was described as a brief and sudden illness, had been closely involved in reconciliation planning as chair of the Senate Budget Committee.

Republicans have previously used reconciliation to bypass the Senate filibuster for budget-related legislation. However, measures must have a primary budgetary impact to comply with Senate rules.

On Wednesday, the House Budget Committee unveiled a budget resolution that would begin the reconciliation process for a $95 billion package that includes $60 billion for defense, $13 billion for intelligence, $12 billion in farm aid,and $10 billion in grants aimed at advancing elements of the SAVE America Act.

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/john-thune-lindsey-graham-save-america-act/2026/07/16/id/1263050/

Exclusive: U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Highlights Hitting Recruitment Numbers EarlyElizabeth Weibel15 Jul 2026

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll highlighted how the army has reached its 2026 recruitment goals roughly “eight and a half months” into the year.

During an interview with Breitbart News editor-in-chief Alex Marlow at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit Wednesday, Driscoll spoke about how the United States Army has reached its recruitment numbers because of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump’s “push on lethality and their push on excellence.”

“Sixty-one thousand, five hundred new recruits are joining the United States Army. We hit that about eight and a half months into our year,” Driscoll said. “This is specifically and directly because of Secretary of War Hegseth’s and the President’s push on lethality and their push on excellence.”

“What we find when we go talk to these young soldiers in basic training–they want to join the United States Army because of the challenge, they want to join the United States Army because of our 251 history of excellence,” Driscoll continued. “And they want to join the United States Army to serve their nation, and President Trump has unlocked their ability to do that.”

When asked by Marlow how to get the “numbers up” and what the appeal is, Driscoll explained that along with using a “customer relationship management tool” to engage with recruits, the U.S. Army has tried to do “a better job of telling the story of the Army.”

“On the boring side, we’ve mechanistically improved some of our recruiting things. We’ve onboarded Salesforce, a customer relationship management tool that helps us track and do a better job of engaging with recruits,” Driscoll explained. “But that’s not what does it. What does it is, what we have tried to do, is do a better job of telling the story of the Army, do a better job of telling all of the different ways that you can serve your nation. Whether you want to be a cyber warrior, who is the most lethal and badass computer programmer in the entire world, or you want to be an Army Ranger, the United States Army has roles for everyone.”

Driscoll also noted that the United States Army has “not cut back on standards.”

In a press release from May, the army shared that it had “met its fiscal year 2026 recruiting goals for active duty, signing contracts with more than 61,500 future Soldiers.”

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/07/15/exclusive-u-s-army-secretary-dan-driscoll-highlights-hitting-recruitment-numbers-early/

US lawmakers ‘disgusted’ with ex-Obama counsel’s Epstein testimony – WSJ

Kathy Ruemmler of Goldman Sachs appeared before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday

Published 16 Jul, 2026 11:

Several US lawmakers said they were “disgusted” by testimony from Kathy Ruemmler, a former Goldman Sachs chief legal officer and White House counsel under former President Barack Obama, about her relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Ruemmler appeared before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday as part of the congressional investigation into Epstein’s network of influential associates.

Documents released by the Justice Department show Ruemmler exchanged extensive communications with Epstein from 2014 to 2019, long after his 2008 guilty plea to soliciting prostitution from a minor. The correspondence suggests she referred to him as ‘Uncle Jeffrey’ and accepted expensive gifts. Ruemmler maintains that their relationship was professional and stemmed from her work as an attorney.

In her opening statement, Ruemmler said she was unaware of the extent of Epstein’s criminal conduct, claiming he used her and other respected figures to legitimize himself.

Much of the questioning centered on a 2016 email in which Ruemmler wrote to Epstein: “Best massage ever, but not your kind of massage.” She testified that the remark was a joke in poor taste about massages and prostitution, insisting that the exchange was taken out of context.

Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari said Ruemmler’s explanation suggested she understood what the exchange referred to while making “light of the abuse that these women went through.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that several Democratic lawmakers emerged from the hearing saying they were “disgusted” by Ruemmler’s testimony. The committee’s top Democrat, Robert Garcia, said it is “difficult to see how she’s being completely truthful.”

Ruemmler’s testimony also renewed scrutiny of Goldman Sachs’ handling of the controversy surrounding her ties to Epstein. She announced in February that she would step down as the bank’s

chief legal officer effective June 30, saying media scrutiny over her relationship with Epstein had become a distraction.

Instead of leaving as planned, however, she remained in an advisory role at the request of CEO David Solomon, helping oversee the search for her successor.

The Financial Times reported last month that Solomon’s backing of Ruemmler became a taboo subject inside the bank, with very few senior executives daring to question his support for her.

(https://www.rt.com/news/643127-lawmakers-disgusted-ruemmler-epstein-testimony/