Also in today’s edition of ‘Regular Order’ for September 26, 2025:
Democrats denounce indictment of Comey.
Blame game ramps up over shutdown.
Group of House Dems call for RFK Jr. resignation.
TRADE.
Things haven’t been going great for years in Farm Country. And it isn’t getting any easier for American farmers because of President Trump’s tariffs, which have drawn retaliation by China and other major trading partners. On Thursday, Trump again said he’s ready to give billions to U.S. farmers to offset trade troubles caused by his own tariffs.
CONGRESS.
Most Republicans in Congress have been silent about the trade pressure building on farmers, even as China stopped buying millions of tons of soybeans. “Why would USA help bail out Argentina while they take American soybean producers’ biggest market?” tweeted Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
DEMS.
“President Trump finally admitted what I’ve been saying since May: his tariff agenda is killing farm country,” said Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH). “Their tariff policies caused this,” added Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL).
REVENUES.
The same basic thing happened in Trump’s first term when fallout from Trump’s tariffs against China led to a $28 billion bailout for farmers. “We’re going to give it to our farmers, who are for a little while are going to be hurt until the tariffs kick in to their benefit,” Trump said.
USDA.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters this week that some kind of extra federal aid package is definitely needed. “Soybean, corn, wheat, sorghum, cotton farmers are facing very difficult times,” said Rollins.
FARM BUREAU.
A quote from the head of the American Farm Bureau Federation - after a July meeting with President Trump - rings in my head. “I told him we didn’t support his tariffs because they hurt us, but that we sure hope his direction is successful,” said Georgia farmer Zippy Duvall.
GOP.
Trump’s talk of a new bailout was welcomed by some Republicans in Congress. “South Dakota farmers are seeing record crop production in a year where the markets are tough, to say the least,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD). “This short term relief will be welcome as they bring in fall harvest.”
CONGRESS.
But any aid for farmers would have to be approved by the House and Senate. Let’s just say Trump wants $30 billion for aid to farmers. Why would Democrats on Capitol Hill help approve that without winning concessions on something they want? Think about that for a minute.
NEW TARIFFS.
If you think Trump is done with his tariffs - think again. On Thursday night, the President announced 100 percent on ‘patented’ pharmaceutical products, 25 percent duties on heavy trucks and truck parts, and 50 percent levies on imported kitchen and bathroom furniture. The new tariffs go into effect on October 1.
DRUGS.
In posts on his Truth Social website, Trump told big pharmaceutical companies that they could avoid the 100 percent tariff by building production facilities in the U.S. “There will, therefore be no Tariff on these Pharmaceutical Products if construction has started,” Trump wrote.
STOCKS.
Overnight, stocks fell in Asia for drug manufacturers, as companies scrambled to figure out the impact of Trump’s latest tariff regime. What will be hit by these new taxes? One drug industry executive I spoke to wasn’t sure.
COMMENTS.
As for the truck tariffs, some trucking companies oppose the idea of import duties on trucks and truck parts. “The added financial burden will further diminish profitability, and the costs could be passed on to American consumers,” wrote the Trucking Carriers Association.
IMPACT.
Americans often complain about high prescription drug prices. I’m not sure how possibly increasing prices even more with tariffs on imported drug products is going to help that. Maybe you have some ideas.
Leave a comment
COMEY.
Democrats last night denounced the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, saying it was nothing but the work of a President intent on punishing his political enemies. “Comey’s case is a joke,” said Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY). “It’s Comey today, but it could be anyone tomorrow,” added Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
DETAILS.
The charges are based on testimony that Comey gave in September 2020 to the Senate Judiciary Committee, when he spoke about the Trump-Russia investigation, and a probe into Hillary Clinton’s email server. Answering questions from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Comey said he did not approve FBI leaks to the news media.
GRAND JURY.
The indictment said that Comey had not “authorized someone else at the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports.” Those ‘false and misleading statements’ were used as the basis to also charge the former FBI chief with ‘Obstruction of a Congressional proceeding.’
STATEMENT.
“My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump,” Comey said in a statement. “We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either.”
Leave a comment
SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN.
As we head into the weekend, nothing has changed on the possibility of a government shutdown starting next Wednesday. The White House wants the Senate to approve a House-passed plan to fund the government for seven weeks. Democrats say that’s unacceptable. And so, the clock ticks.
FIRINGS.
Democrats continue to denounce a White House budget memo which foreshadows mass firings of government workers - if there is a funding lapse on October 1. “Threatening mass firings rather than negotiating to keep the government open is reckless and cruel,” said Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA).
DEMS.
“Donald Trump and Republicans are barreling the country toward a painful shutdown,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY). “Trump is now using the livelihoods of our federal workers as coercive leverage while refusing to negotiate to keep the government open,” added Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD).
BLAME GAME.
If you tune out this weekend from shutdown news -that’s probably okay. The next few days will be all about each side blaming the other for this funding impasse. I will say yet again that history should give Democrats little hope that they will win this spending faceoff.
NEXT WEEK.
The Senate comes back on Monday - still evidently short on votes to approve a House-passed 7-week temporary funding measure. The House isn’t due back until after the October 1 funding deadline - and by then, the shutdown could be underway.
ELECTION TIME.
Sometimes the political attacks which occur around Election Day aren’t really on target. I saw one yesterday from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who was going after the Democrat running for Governor in Virginia, Abigail Spanberger.
NEWT.
“Why did Congresswoman Spanberger vote against the continuing resolution to keep the government open,” Gingrich tweeted on Thursday. “She should be voting to keep the government open and federal employees in the jobs not for a shutdown and layoffs or even firings for her constituents.”
MAYBE NOT.
That comment makes sense - except for the part about Spanberger voting on the CR. That’s because Spanberger left the Congress after the 2024 elections. She’s not on Capitol Hill right now.
GARDEN STATE.
The other big election attack story which developed on Thursday targeted the House Democrat running for Governor of New Jersey. The Trump Administration basically leaked the military records and personal information of Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ). Democrats were furious.
RECORDS.
“Trump is weaponizing the government against his political opponents,” said Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO). “The Trump administration just illegally handed over a Democrat’s full military record to her GOP opponent,” added Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA).
ATTACK.
Republicans immediately used it to attack Sherrill, saying it showed that Sherrill was caught up in a cheating scandal at the Naval Academy. It comes as Republicans hope to make a late charge in the New Jersey race for Governor.
CHARLIE KIRK.
In the week since the U.S. House
approved a resolution
honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was gunned down at an event in Utah, Republicans have made clear that they will try to use that issue to pressure swing seat Democrats. It represents one additional attack line for the GOP as we roll into the 2026 midterm elections.
BUCKEYE.
Hoping to defeat freshman Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-OH), the campaign arm of House Republicans wasted no time attacking Sykes for opposing a resolution about Kirk. “She can’t even get herself to condemn political violence and honor a man whose only crime was loving America,” said the National Republican Congressional Committee.
GOLDEN STATE.
The NRCC went after freshman Rep. Dave Min (D-CA) in similar fashion. “Unhinged lunatic Dave Min has spent FIVE straight days peddling lies and conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s assassination,” the NRCC boomed, sending out this video of Min being pursued by a reporter in a Congressional office building.
NOT MENTIONED.
The NRCC did not mention that Min was one of 95 House Democrats who voted for the Kirk resolution. That group was made up of mainly members in swing seats, along with more veteran Democrats who have been in Congress for years.
NOT SPOOKED.
One group of Democrats stood almost united on Kirk - that’s members of the Congressional Black Caucus. They overwhelmingly voted against the Kirk resolution, with Black lawmakers making no bones about some of Kirk’s past statements about civil rights.
STATEMENT.
“We strongly disagree with many of the beliefs Charlie Kirk promoted,” the Black Caucus said
in an official statement
on the Kirk resolution, “including his belief that the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended racial segregation, was a mistake.”
VOTES.
But not every Black lawmaker voted that way. Rep. David Scott (D-GA), who represents a racially mixed district in and around Atlanta, voted for the Kirk resolution. And maybe the most notable vote for it was from House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
EXPLANATION.
How do we s
...
Also in today’s edition of ‘Regular Order’ for September 26, 2025:
Democrats denounce indictment of Comey.
Blame game ramps up over shutdown.
Group of House Dems call for RFK Jr. resignation.
TRADE.
Things haven’t been going great for years in Farm Country. And it isn’t getting any easier for American farmers because of President Trump’s tariffs, which have drawn retaliation by China and other major trading partners. On Thursday, Trump again said he’s ready to give billions to U.S. farmers to offset trade troubles caused by his own tariffs.
CONGRESS.
Most Republicans in Congress have been silent about the trade pressure building on farmers, even as China stopped buying millions of tons of soybeans. “Why would USA help bail out Argentina while they take American soybean producers’ biggest market?” tweeted Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
DEMS.
“President Trump finally admitted what I’ve been saying since May: his tariff agenda is killing farm country,” said Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH). “Their tariff policies caused this,” added Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL).
REVENUES.
The same basic thing happened in Trump’s first term when fallout from Trump’s tariffs against China led to a $28 billion bailout for farmers. “We’re going to give it to our farmers, who are for a little while are going to be hurt until the tariffs kick in to their benefit,” Trump said.
USDA.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters this week that some kind of extra federal aid package is definitely needed. “Soybean, corn, wheat, sorghum, cotton farmers are facing very difficult times,” said Rollins.
FARM BUREAU.
A quote from the head of the American Farm Bureau Federation - after a July meeting with President Trump - rings in my head. “I told him we didn’t support his tariffs because they hurt us, but that we sure hope his direction is successful,” said Georgia farmer Zippy Duvall.
GOP.
Trump’s talk of a new bailout was welcomed by some Republicans in Congress. “South Dakota farmers are seeing record crop production in a year where the markets are tough, to say the least,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD). “This short term relief will be welcome as they bring in fall harvest.”
CONGRESS.
But any aid for farmers would have to be approved by the House and Senate. Let’s just say Trump wants $30 billion for aid to farmers. Why would Democrats on Capitol Hill help approve that without winning concessions on something they want? Think about that for a minute.
NEW TARIFFS.
If you think Trump is done with his tariffs - think again. On Thursday night, the President announced 100 percent on ‘patented’ pharmaceutical products, 25 percent duties on heavy trucks and truck parts, and 50 percent levies on imported kitchen and bathroom furniture. The new tariffs go into effect on October 1.
DRUGS.
In posts on his Truth Social website, Trump told big pharmaceutical companies that they could avoid the 100 percent tariff by building production facilities in the U.S. “There will, therefore be no Tariff on these Pharmaceutical Products if construction has started,” Trump wrote.
STOCKS.
Overnight, stocks fell in Asia for drug manufacturers, as companies scrambled to figure out the impact of Trump’s latest tariff regime. What will be hit by these new taxes? One drug industry executive I spoke to wasn’t sure.
COMMENTS.
As for the truck tariffs, some trucking companies oppose the idea of import duties on trucks and truck parts. “The added financial burden will further diminish profitability, and the costs could be passed on to American consumers,” wrote the Trucking Carriers Association.
IMPACT.
Americans often complain about high prescription drug prices. I’m not sure how possibly increasing prices even more with tariffs on imported drug products is going to help that. Maybe you have some ideas.
Leave a comment
COMEY.
Democrats last night denounced the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, saying it was nothing but the work of a President intent on punishing his political enemies. “Comey’s case is a joke,” said Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY). “It’s Comey today, but it could be anyone tomorrow,” added Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
DETAILS.
The charges are based on testimony that Comey gave in September 2020 to the Senate Judiciary Committee, when he spoke about the Trump-Russia investigation, and a probe into Hillary Clinton’s email server. Answering questions from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Comey said he did not approve FBI leaks to the news media.
GRAND JURY.
The indictment said that Comey had not “authorized someone else at the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports.” Those ‘false and misleading statements’ were used as the basis to also charge the former FBI chief with ‘Obstruction of a Congressional proceeding.’
STATEMENT.
“My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump,” Comey said in a statement. “We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either.”
Leave a comment
SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN.
As we head into the weekend, nothing has changed on the possibility of a government shutdown starting next Wednesday. The White House wants the Senate to approve a House-passed plan to fund the government for seven weeks. Democrats say that’s unacceptable. And so, the clock ticks.
FIRINGS.
Democrats continue to denounce a White House budget memo which foreshadows mass firings of government workers - if there is a funding lapse on October 1. “Threatening mass firings rather than negotiating to keep the government open is reckless and cruel,” said Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA).
DEMS.
“Donald Trump and Republicans are barreling the country toward a painful shutdown,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY). “Trump is now using the livelihoods of our federal workers as coercive leverage while refusing to negotiate to keep the government open,” added Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD).
BLAME GAME.
If you tune out this weekend from shutdown news -that’s probably okay. The next few days will be all about each side blaming the other for this funding impasse. I will say yet again that history should give Democrats little hope that they will win this spending faceoff.
NEXT WEEK.
The Senate comes back on Monday - still evidently short on votes to approve a House-passed 7-week temporary funding measure. The House isn’t due back until after the October 1 funding deadline - and by then, the shutdown could be underway.
ELECTION TIME.
Sometimes the political attacks which occur around Election Day aren’t really on target. I saw one yesterday from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who was going after the Democrat running for Governor in Virginia, Abigail Spanberger.
NEWT.
“Why did Congresswoman Spanberger vote against the continuing resolution to keep the government open,” Gingrich tweeted on Thursday. “She should be voting to keep the government open and federal employees in the jobs not for a shutdown and layoffs or even firings for her constituents.”
MAYBE NOT.
That comment makes sense - except for the part about Spanberger voting on the CR. That’s because Spanberger left the Congress after the 2024 elections. She’s not on Capitol Hill right now.
GARDEN STATE.
The other big election attack story which developed on Thursday targeted the House Democrat running for Governor of New Jersey. The Trump Administration basically leaked the military records and personal information of Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ). Democrats were furious.
RECORDS.
“Trump is weaponizing the government against his political opponents,” said Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO). “The Trump administration just illegally handed over a Democrat’s full military record to her GOP opponent,” added Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA).
ATTACK.
Republicans immediately used it to attack Sherrill, saying it showed that Sherrill was caught up in a cheating scandal at the Naval Academy. It comes as Republicans hope to make a late charge in the New Jersey race for Governor.
CHARLIE KIRK.
In the week since the U.S. House
approved a resolution
honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was gunned down at an event in Utah, Republicans have made clear that they will try to use that issue to pressure swing seat Democrats. It represents one additional attack line for the GOP as we roll into the 2026 midterm elections.
BUCKEYE.
Hoping to defeat freshman Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-OH), the campaign arm of House Republicans wasted no time attacking Sykes for opposing a resolution about Kirk. “She can’t even get herself to condemn political violence and honor a man whose only crime was loving America,” said the National Republican Congressional Committee.
GOLDEN STATE.
The NRCC went after freshman Rep. Dave Min (D-CA) in similar fashion. “Unhinged lunatic Dave Min has spent FIVE straight days peddling lies and conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s assassination,” the NRCC boomed, sending out this video of Min being pursued by a reporter in a Congressional office building.
NOT MENTIONED.
The NRCC did not mention that Min was one of 95 House Democrats who voted for the Kirk resolution. That group was made up of mainly members in swing seats, along with more veteran Democrats who have been in Congress for years.
NOT SPOOKED.
One group of Democrats stood almost united on Kirk - that’s members of the Congressional Black Caucus. They overwhelmingly voted against the Kirk resolution, with Black lawmakers making no bones about some of Kirk’s past statements about civil rights.
STATEMENT.
“We strongly disagree with many of the beliefs Charlie Kirk promoted,” the Black Caucus said
in an official statement
on the Kirk resolution, “including his belief that the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended racial segregation, was a mistake.”
VOTES.
But not every Black lawmaker voted that way. Rep. David Scott (D-GA), who represents a racially mixed district in and around Atlanta, voted for the Kirk resolution. And maybe the most notable vote for it was from House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
EXPLANATION.
How do we square the vote tally from Democrats? Many seemingly decided it was easier to just vote for the Kirk resolution than spend days and days defending their vote against it.
MESSAGE.
I learned very early in my first job on Capitol Hill that if it takes you more than about two sentences to explain one of your votes - you are probably losing the messaging war. Some Democrats probably felt like it was easier to vote for the Kirk resolution and move on.
NDAA.
Sometimes, the wheels of Congress turn slowly when it comes to official legislation. The House passed a major defense policy bill back on September 10 - but it took just over two weeks to release the updated version with all amendments approved on the House floor.
WEEKEND READING.
If you need something to keep you awake, you could try the 1,772 pages of
this defense bill
.
NOTABLE.
I will say again that Republicans had the chance to use this bill to codify President Trump’s declaration that the Pentagon will now be named the “Department of War.” If you leaf through the bill, ‘Department of Defense’ is mentioned 550 times. Department of War gets zero mentions.
RFK JR.
A Michigan Democrat in Congress who is running for the U.S. Senate says she will soon introduce impeachment articles against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) says Kennedy has generated ‘health care chaos’ and rising costs for health care.
STEVENS.
“Michiganders and families across the country are paying the price for RFK Jr.’s agenda. Enough is enough, which is why I’m drafting articles of impeachment,” Stevens said on Thursday.
BYE FELICIA.
Meanwhile, a group of House Democrats
demanded Kennedy’s resignation
, angered by his efforts to change federal requirements for childhood vaccinations. “Secretary Kennedy has taken every opportunity to sow doubt about the efficacy of time-tested vaccinations,” said Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA).
PARLIAMENTARY NERD NOTE.
When House Republicans last week again voted to block any effort to vote on President Trump’s tariffs, it reminded me of two things. First - the Gag Rule on slavery from 1836-1844. That prevented any debate or votes on the slavery issue on the House floor. And it reminded me one of my favorite books.
JEFFERSON’S MANUAL.
The House rules are based on the manual of parliamentary procedure written by Thomas Jefferson, from his time as Vice President. What’s most notable to me? The rules are designed to rein in the majority.
And this passage
always comes to mind:
"Mr. Onslow, the ablest among the Speakers of the House of Commons, used to say, "It was a maxim he had often heard when he was a young man, from old and experienced Members, that nothing tended more to throw power into the hands of administration, and those who acted with the majority of the House of Commons, than a neglect of, or departure from, the rules of proceeding."
MUSE OF HISTORY.
September 26, 1890. On this date, President Harrison signed
into law a bill
which authorized the U.S. Mint to change the design of coins every 25 years - without needing specific approval from Congress. Harrison also signed a second bill to end the further production of 3-dollar and 1-dollar gold coins, along with a 3-cent coin, known as a three-cent nickel piece.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:
The House will next have votes in early October.
The Senate returns for legislative business on September 29.
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