Andrew Solender

UPDATE: Rep. French Hill and Sen. Tim Scott will be speaking as soon as tonight, a source told me

House Republicans Are Ready to Shut Down the Senate’s Housing Bill “If the Senate thinks we’re going to take this medicine, we’re not,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told Republican lawmakers in Florida, according to a House Republican.

SCOOP: House Republicans are mad they haven't been included in the negotiations on Congress' housing package

Sen. Tim Scott, who is leading the Senate version of the bill, has not been returning his counterpart Rep. French Hill's calls
www.notus.org/housing/hous...

Republicans Try to Craft Their Midterm Pitch Despite Conflicting Iran War Messages House Republicans want to tout tax cuts, but the president’s most recent speech focused on the war in Iran and a voter ID bill.

NEW: Trump and Republicans are not in lockstep on what their 2026 midterm messaging should be

House Rs want to focus on the economy and lowering costs

But Trump is focused on Iran and a voter ID bill

w/ @daniellamicaela.bsky.social @emluetkemeyer.bsky.social
www.notus.org/congress/rep...

‘My Last Chance’: Perennial Candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar Believes He Can Finally Win an Election The California Democrat has strong support in Washington, including from his partner, Rep. Sara Jacobs. But local Democrats have accused him of having “a lack of clear principles.”

NEW: Ammar Campa-Najjar has lost every election he's run in

In 2026, he’s the top Democrat in the #CA48 race, yet one congressman unendorsed him and CA delegates stopped him from getting the Democratic Party endorsement

An inside look at his 4th run for office:
www.notus.org/2026-electio...

Scoop: Rep. Darrell Issa expected to retire from Congress The move comes just ahead of California's congressional filing deadline on Friday.

NEW: Rep. Darrell Issa is expected to announce his retirement ahead of California's filing deadline today, two sources familiar w/ the matter tell @axios.com

Another R just filed to run for his seat and he changed his website to display his PACs logo. www.axios.com/2026/03/06/d...

"It's pissing people off": Older Dems are sick of hearing about "generational change" "I have no idea why this is the year to write this story, except that Joe Biden was old."

Constant talk of generational change is "pissing people off" in the House Democratic caucus, a senior House Democrat tells
@axios.com

Rep. Brad Sherman: "I have no idea why this is the year to write this story, except that Joe Biden was old." www.axios.com/2026/03/06/h...

Exclusive: Trump says he must be involved in picking Iran's next leader "Khamenei's son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran."

NEW: Trump tells Barak Ravid in an exclusive @axios.com interview that he has to "be involved in the appointment" of the next Iranian leader.

Mojtaba Khamenei, the assassinated ayatollah's 56-yo son, "is a lightweight" and "unacceptable to me," he says. www.axios.com/2026/03/05/i...

Scoop: Democrats face threat of primary challenges over Iran war powers vote "They're already preparing," one House Democrat said.

NEW: Progressive groups readying to primary Dems who break ranks on the Iran war powers vote.

"If the filing deadline has passed, they'll do it in '28," one House Dem told @axios.com.

Justice Dems, MoveOn & OurRevolution all firing shots across the bow.
www.axios.com/2026/03/04/d...

Centrist Democrats push for softer constraints on Trump's war powers in Iran "It is vital that we allow for a safe transition, not a potentially precarious withdrawal."

www.axios.com/2026/03/03/d...

I asked Jeffries if he'll support Nida Allam if she defeats Rep. Valerie Foushee in the #NC04 primary tonight.

"I'm going to focus on Nov. 3 at this moment, and we'll continue to support every Democratic incumbent that gets elected."

Here is the war powers resolution Rep. Gottheimer is pushing w/ Reps. Golden, Cuellar, Costa, Landsman and Panetta.

Unlike Khanna-Massie, it gives the admin 30 days to end hostilities w/ Iran and allows them to maintain troop presence in the region for "defensive purposes"

This chart only tracks challengers who raised $100,000 or more as of Q4 2025

NEW: @axios.com crunched the numbers. 30 (!) House Dems are facing at least one primary challenger who raised $100,000+ last yr.

Roughly a dozen have been out-raised.

In all, these races have a price tag of $64 million.

House Dems are not happy about it: www.axios.com/2026/03/03/d...

NEW: House Democrats to meet virtually at 8pm tomorrow to discuss "The Trump Administration Military Actions in Iran"

Democratic divides erupt after Trump strikes Iran The fracture could spell defeat for a resolution meant to restrict Trump's war powers on Iran.

NEW: War powers vote math may be getting away from House Dem leaders.

Gottheimer, Landsman & Moskowitz have all said/indicated they're opposed. Another House Dem told @axios.com they will be a no as well.

Could be enough for the GOP to defeat the measure. www.axios.com/2026/02/28/i...

"Absolutely infuriating": House Democrats' campaign arm faces revolt from candidates "This is exactly what we as Democrats have been complaining about for years," said one candidate in Virginia.

NEW: Democratic primary rivals to the DCCC’s “Red to Blue” endorsees are pissed.

“It is absolutely infuriating," VA-01 candidate Jason Knapp told @Axios.com

17 candidates signed a stmt rebuking the DCCC.

Emily Berge in WI-03 is fundraising off the snub. www.axios.com/2026/02/26/d...

House Democrats warned against "unforced errors" at Trump's State of the Union Democratic Leader Jeffries told his members to maintain "decorum" during the speech, sources said.

More here: www.axios.com/2026/02/24/d...

Members have been specifically discouraged from repeating last year's tactic of bringing signs to the speech, one House Democrat told
@axios.com

More here: www.axios.com/2026/02/24/d...

After going over poll numbers with his caucus at a meeting this afternoon, Jeffries warned his members to maintain "decorum" and not make any "unforced errors" at the State of the Union tonight, per multiple sources

Trans People Have Had Enough of Democrats’ Waffling on LGBTQ+ Issues “I can get the politics of it, I just think it’s B.S. You’re there to represent your constituents and not to get reelected,” the mom of a 9-year-old trans girl told NOTUS.

NEW: When a group of trans people went to Marie Gluesenkamp Perez's office to lobby for trans rights, an aide told them she's from a moderate district and has to carefully navigate the issue

Dozens of trans people lobbied in Congress this month — here's what happened:
www.notus.org/congress/dem...

Where the leading candidates in one Democratic House primary said they stand on Hakeem Jeffries' "continued leadership" of the caucus:

Scoop: Dozens of Democratic House candidates won't commit to backing Hakeem Jeffries "If there's a contingency of 10 to 12 of them and they're sticking together, I think it's going to really shake things up."

This almost perfectly reflects the ambivalence I reported among Democratic House candidates towards Jeffries' leadership last fall: axios.com/2025/10/16/h...

Much more reporting on this TK in the coming weeks and months.

👀 The six leading candidates in #IL09 were asked in a candidate forum if they "support Hakeem Jeffries' continued leadership of the House Democrats?"

Abughazaleh immediately answered "nope," followed by Amiwala

Biss & Andrews indicated maybe/undecided

Fine & Simmons said yes

Scoop: Rep. Summer Lee to deliver progressive State of the Union response The Pennsylvania Democrat vowed to " say what too many politicians won't: the system is rigged."

NEW: Rep. Summer Lee will give the progressive Working Families Party's response to Trump's State of the Union, @axios.com has learned.

Says in a statement she will "say what too many politicians won't: the system is rigged."

More here: www.axios.com/2026/02/20/s...

Democratic Majority for Israel PAC rolling out endorsements for nearly a dozen non-incumbent Democratic House candidates.

Former Rep. Kathy Manning: “These endorsements reflect our belief that supporting Israel and winning elections go hand in hand."

Scoop: Democrats eye forced vote to censure GOP Rep. Randy Fine over anti-Muslim post A censure vote "could likely happen," one senior House progressive told Axios.

NEW: Censure talk against Randy Fine is real. Progressives are talking about forcing a vote, sources tell me.

"I have raised with CPC leadership that Fine must be censured," Rep. Ro Khanna told @axios.com. "Many of my colleagues feel similarly."

More here: www.axios.com/2026/02/17/r...

Democrats to Pam Bondi on Justice Department's Epstein files "spying": "Stop now" The lawmakers are also pressing for access to unreleased and fully unredacted Epstein documents.

NEW: Top House Democrats send Bondi a letter demanding the DOJ “immediately cease” tracking Epstein files searches by members of Congress.

They also want expanded access:
- Terminals at the U.S. Capitol
- Staff can access
- ~3 million unreleased files
www.axios.com/2026/02/13/e...

NEW: Justice Democrats throws its support behind Kat Abughazaleh in IL-9.

The group is now backing a dozen progressive House candidates in both open primaries and incumbent vs. challenger races.

Scoop: Democrats are eyeing protests at Trump's State of the Union address "I want to find a way to resist, because he needs to know that this is not normal."

There's a general feeling on the left & center that last yr's outbursts fell flat.

"Last year didn't really work as envisioned," CPC chair Casar told @axios.com

Per another top progressive: "There's just a feeling that it wasn't real effective last time." www.axios.com/2026/02/12/t...

Scoop: Democrats are eyeing protests at Trump's State of the Union address "I want to find a way to resist, because he needs to know that this is not normal."

But don't expect anything on the magnitude of last year.

"It's a somber moment in our country ... I don't expect anybody to do anything that takes away from the importance of that," Rep. Omar told @axios.com

Huffman said there is "no organized choreography" www.axios.com/2026/02/12/t...