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Last week was supposed to be a busy week in Washington as the House wrapped up for the August recess.

Counting today, the House only has 17 scheduled legislative days to pass 12 appropriations bills to fund the government when the fiscal year begins at midnight on October 1st.  And today the House stands frozen as Republicans shut down the Rules Committee rather than vote on whether the Trump Administration must release all of the files it has related to Jeffrey Epstein.

After Republicans rammed through permanent tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy at the expense of the poor and middle class, I heard from so many constituents concerned about what the Big Ugly Bill will mean for our healthcare system, food assistance, and state and local budgets. As President Trump signed the bill into law on July 4th, I joined CNN to talk about its impact on Virginia, particularly our state budget.

Republicans rammed Trump’s Big Ugly Bill through Congress to the President’s desk in time for their self-imposed July 4th deadline. After the Senate Parliamentarian completed the “Byrd Bath,” Senate Democrats introduced amendment after amendment to protect essential programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and Planned Parenthood — lifelines for millions of Americans.

Last week, extreme heat hit Washington and the Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill made its way through the Senate with many twists and turns. As if it wasn’t bad enough, the Senate Finance Committee made it worse by severely limiting states’ ability to provide health care to millions of Americans who depend upon Medicaid for their care. 

Then the bill went through a “Byrd Bath.” 

Dear Friend, 

Since my last newsletter, tensions have boiled at home and abroad, culminating in the political assassination of the Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband and war in the Middle East.  

Congress returned to Washington last week after the Memorial Day recess. During the recess, I heard from many constituents concerned about what’s happening in Washington — from tariffs, federal workforce cuts, the “One Big Ugly Bill”, and additional cuts in the President’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026.

Last week, House Republicans rammed their so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” through the House of Representatives — a title so misleading it would be laughable if the consequences weren’t so devastating.