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In today’s issue:
▪ Texas poised to hand GOP redistricting win
▪ Trump ally seeks DOJ probe of Fed governor
▪ Smithsonian under administration microscope
▪ President declares Netanyahu ‘war hero’
The Texas state House passed a new congressional map Wednesday to boost the number of GOP-held seats in Congress, paving the way for final passage this week and teeing up a national redistricting war.
Texas House Republicans advanced the bill in an 88-52 vote, capping off weeks of drama punctuated by Democrats’ decision to flee the state in an effort to block the new map. The state Senate is scheduled to take up the bill today before sending it to Gov. Greg Abbott (R) for a signature.
President Trump has championed Texas’s unusual mid-decade redistricting efforts, saying his party’s strong showing in the 2024 election means they are “entitled” to more seats in the House. Typically, redistricting occurs once every 10 years, after the latest census.
Republicans hold a 219-212 House majority, with four vacancies, which means small shifts in the map could tip control of Congress in 2026.
The change in Texas is expected to net the GOP five House seats in next year’s midterms, prompting California to counter with its own bid for a new map led by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), a likely 2028 presidential contender.
The nationwide tit-for-tat has seen other states jump into the fight, including Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri, among others.
“This is a last gasp of a desperate party clinging to power,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said in a statement on the Texas GOP advancing the new map while vowing to “confront Trump’s legal insurrection head on” in the Empire State. “We’ll meet him on the same field and beat him at his own game,” she said.
Wednesday’s vote caps off a whirlwind special session for the Lone Star State Legislature, which ground to a screeching halt when a group of more than 50 Democratic legislators fled Texas in order to deny their Republican colleagues the quorum required for their vote.
The contingent returned to Austin on Monday after two weeks away. With the state House stacked toward the GOP, there is little Democrats can do to stop the map — which they decry as gerrymandered and unconstitutional — from passing, although they are doing everything in their power to delay.
▪ The Hill: Texas State Rep. Chris Turner (D) proposed an amendment seeking to nullify the new map by arguing it violates the Voting Rights Act.
▪ The Hill: Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu introduced an amendment to have the new map take effect only after Attorney General Pam Bondi releases files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
OBAMA WEIGHS IN: Former President Obama on Wednesday endorsed Newsom’s redistricting plan in California, calling it “a smart and measured approach.” The former president, who has previously spoken out against gerrymandering, said at a fundraiser on Martha’s Vineyard that he was hoping for a fair fight between both parties at the ballot box.
“But since Texas is taking direction from a partisan White House and gerrymandering in the middle of a decade to try and maintain the House despite their unpopular policies, I have tremendous respect for how Governor Newsom has approached this,” he said.
Newsom has come out swinging against the Texas map by promising to redraw his blue state’s electoral districts. But the road ahead for Newsom is rockier than for Abbott: California voters must approve the plan to bypass the state’s independent redistricting commission. Democrats in the State Assembly and Senate are on track to pass the bill for the ballot measure today, and voters will decide in November.
Only if the ballot measure passes can California lawmakers redraw the map in the middle of the decade. Republicans have already challenged California Democrats’ ability to put the measure before voters with a state Supreme Court lawsuit. Other top GOP leaders, such as former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), have also signaled they’re preparing to fight the map.
Democrats have long decried gerrymandered maps, establishing a series of independent redistricting commissions in blue states over the past decade to ensure fairer maps. But now, with Republicans scrapping the normal playbook, even longtime activists against gerrymandering — including former Attorney General Eric Holder — are pushing Democratic governors to counter Texas by redrawing their own maps.
▪ Axios: Newsom’s bid to redraw California’s congressional seats has a 22-point advantage in support among the state’s voters, the governor’s longtime pollster writes in an internal memo.
HARDBALL: Newsom remains defiant. The governor on Wednesday appeared alongside Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin and Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier (D) on a call as they rallied the party behind California’s redistricting push.
“Yes, we’ll fight fire with fire. Yes, we will push back. It’s not about whether we play hardball anymore — it’s about how we play hardball,” Newsom said on the call.
The appearance of Booker and Newsom together was notable, given both have been floated as 2028 White House hopefuls.
“This [is] all hands on deck right now. People are going to ask, ‘Where did you stand when Donald Trump was violating court orders? Where did you stand when he was trashing the concept of due process in our country?’” Booker said. “‘Where did you stand when he was sending out masked unidentified people in unmarked vehicles to sweep people off of our streets?’”
▪ The Hill: Collier on Wednesday abruptly left the DNC call, which she took from a state Capitol bathroom, after being warned she was committing a felony.
▪ The Washington Post: Collier has been staying overnight at the Statehouse after Republicans ordered Democrats to be monitored by police if they left the chamber again.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) on Tuesday slammed Republicans in Texas for their redistricting efforts while applauding Democrats’ retaliation in other states.
“The Republicans, they are cheaters all day, every day. But we have never tried to match their energy until now. And I applaud it,” Crockett said during an appearance on CNN. “This is a dangerous road to travel down, and I do applaud those in California that say, ‘If you want to play with us, we will play back.’”
Smart Take by Blake Burman
Union Station in Washington, D.C., has had a visible National Guard presence in recent days. It welcomed two new guests on Wednesday — Vice President Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who thanked the troops for being there.
The administration says crime has dropped in the District since the federal takeover began. Critics are calling the federalization a huge overstep, just as they did when the president deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles back in June. I asked California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), who has filed suit against the administration 39 times, what he would do if the White House deployed the National Guard back to California.
“The short of it — we go to court, we stop them,” said Bonta. “The Posse Comitatus Act said you cannot use military to engage in civilian law enforcement on American soil. Period, full stop. Tackling crime is the very definition of civilian law enforcement.”
The administration certainly has its fair share of critics for its use of the National Guard in cities. However, Wednesday’s on-camera visit with Vance and Hegseth shows the White House views this issue as a winner.
Burman hosts “The Hill” weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation.
3 Things to Know Today
- Cellphone restrictions in schools in 17 states greet this year’s students, bringing the total to 35 states with restrictive laws or rules meant to improve instructional time.
- Stay out of the water. That’s the warning officials are repeating as Hurricane Erin moves parallel to the East Coast past North Carolina this morning, where evacuation orders remain in effect on the coast.
- A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration’s bid to unseal grand jury materials used to charge disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein with sex trafficking.
Leading the Day
UNRESERVED: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and central bank governor Lisa Cook are reckoning with an unlikely antagonist: housing regulator Bill Pulte.
Pulte, an ally of Trump, has served as director of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) since March and has repeatedly targeted members of the Fed — to the delight of the White House.
The housing regulator’s latest allegations — that Cook committed “blatant and massive mortgage fraud,” as he told Fox News, the Justice Department and Trump — follow his social media bashing of Powell and the Fed board for not cutting interest rates, as the president wants.
Trump on Truth Social on Wednesday called on Cook to “resign, now!!!”
Cook, who was appointed by former President Biden to a term through 2038, responded Wednesday to Pulte’s allegation.
“I have no intention of being bullied to step down from my position because of some questions raised in a tweet. I do intend to take any questions about my financial history seriously as a member of the Federal Reserve and so I am gathering the accurate information to answer any legitimate questions and provide the facts,” she said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal.
▪ Axios: What to know about Cook.
Pulte — a Trump campaign donor who is the grandson of William J. Pulte, the founder of residential home construction company PulteGroup — gained a reputation years ago with savvy social media skills to draw attention to his philanthropic projects and business endeavors.
His allegations of possible mortgage fraud by Cook mirror his previous complaints about another Trump foe: New York Attorney General Letitia James (D). The Justice Department this year launched an investigation into James after Pulte’s agency alleged she “falsified bank documents and property records to acquire government backed assistance and loans and more favorable loan terms.”
Pulte has also repeatedly taken aim at Powell, whom Trump has pressured to lower interest rates or resign. The chair has said he’s staying put, referring to a statute that protects his position — an appointment Trump made during his first term — unless Powell is removed “for cause.”
Trump says he’s seeking opportunities to put like-minded appointees in the chair’s post and on the Federal Open Market Committee, and he recently said possible successors to Powell, whose term as chair ends in May, number about four. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently said the process he’s running to identify the next chair has included a list of 11 candidates.
Pulte alleges that Cook in 2021 sought mortgages on two properties — one in Michigan, the other in Atlanta — while describing each as her primary residence in documents submitted 14 days apart.
Powell on Friday will face questions about Cook during an annual event held at Jackson Hole, Wyo., hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
Where and When
- The president will receive an intelligence briefing at 11 a.m. He will sign executive orders at 3 p.m. in the Oval Office.
- The House will hold a pro forma session on Friday at 9 a.m. and will return to work in Washington on Sept. 2.
- The Senate will hold a pro forma session at 9 a.m. on Friday.
Zoom In
PAST MEETS PRESENT: Trump’s latest broadside against the Smithsonian Institution and slavery was another example of his willingness to barrel into cultural wars with unpredictable political results, writes The Hill’s Niall Stanage.
The president said this week that in his view, the Smithsonian should present American history as “bright” and about “the future.” The Smithsonian footprint of 21 museums and a National Zoo was initially established by Congress in 1846 with a trust from James Smithson to “increase and diffuse knowledge” through museums that explore the past, provide education and engage in research.
“The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL,” Trump wrote on social media, “where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.”
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND WORK: AI is changing how work is done but how will it change the labor market? Business leaders have offered predictions and dire warnings in recent months about the turmoil AI could unleash on the job market, predicting widespread work displacement and mass unemployment. Experts say the picture is still unclear, with the full impact of the technology yet to be realized.
▪ The Hill: Following congressional spending clawbacks, advocates for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public media are poised for a fiscal cliff. “Nobody can replace $600 million a year,” Public Media Company CEO Tim Isgitt said Tuesday.
▪ The Hill: In higher education, the administration has sidestepped legacy college and university admission policies, despite their unpopularity.
▪ The New York Times: At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hundreds of employees received layoff notices that were effective on Monday.
Elsewhere
GAZA: Israel on Wednesday entered the first stages of a planned assault on Gaza City. The military is calling up 60,000 reservists for an expanded military operation in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to be pushing ahead with a new phase of the war despite international opposition — and in the face of a renewed push for a ceasefire with Hamas.
During an interview that aired Tuesday with conservative talk show host Mark Levin, Trump described Netanyahu as a “good man.”
“He’s a war hero, because we work together. He’s a war hero,” Trump said. “I guess I am too.”
Meanwhile, Israel launched a series of diplomatic attacks against several of its Western allies — including Australia and France — as they prepare to recognize a Palestinian state next month. The tensions are a sign of the growing gulf between Netanyahu and his Western allies. He is facing increased criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza, which has destroyed much of the territory and led to a humanitarian crisis.
PEACE IN UKRAINE: Russia signaled that Moscow intends to slow-walk any peace deal with Ukraine, showing some daylight between the Kremlin and Trump’s intentions to end the war.
Russian officials have expressed doubt about some early prospects of a peace deal, parts of which are also being backed by a contingent of European leaders. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov patted down any progress made at a summit at the White House earlier this week where Trump met with seven European leaders as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling it a “clumsy attempt” by Europe to try to change Trump’s mind.
Lavrov also said any discussions of security guarantees — something Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested during their meeting in Alaska last week — would lead to a “road to nowhere” if Moscow isn’t involved. The tone from the Russians is cause for concern in light of what Europe, Trump and Zelensky say is the first opportunity since the war began to bring an end to the bloodshed.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been tasked with the heavy lift: Meeting today with his European counterparts in an effort to advance a peace process that so far has gotten little traction. The White House is eyeing Budapest for peace talks with Zelensky and Putin, but Moscow is expressing little appetite and logistical challenges mount.
▪ The Washington Post: The limits of Trump’s diplomacy are becoming clear as Moscow balks at his peace plan.
▪ The New York Times: What Russia is doing to grab Ukrainian land while it still can.
▪ Bloomberg News: Former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, advocated that the U.S. set a strong red line with Putin and join the coalition of the willing in a security guarantee to back Ukraine for any peace deal.
Opinion
- The Texas gerrymander freakout, by The Washington Post editorial board.
- Weaponizing the housing regulator, by The Wall Street Journal editorial board.
The Closer
And finally … 🕊️It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for this week’s Morning Report Quiz! Inspired by Trump’s meetings with Putin and Zelensky, we’re eager for some smart guesses about presidents and treaties.
Be sure to email your responses to asimendinger@thehill.com and kkarisch@thehill.com — please add “Quiz” to your subject line. Winners who submit correct answers will enjoy some richly deserved newsletter fame on Friday.
The Camp David Accords, signed between Israel and Egypt, marked the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab nation. Which president presided?
1. Bill Clinton
2. Jimmy Carter
3. Gerald Ford
4. George H. W. Bush
In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson personally delivered a treaty to the Senate, which had not occurred since 1789. Which treaty was it?
1. The Treaty of Versailles
2. The Treaty of Paris
3. The Peace of Westphalia
4. The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine
Which president signed and ratified the North Atlantic Treaty, which forms the legal basis for NATO?
1. Franklin D. Roosevelt
2. Calvin Coolidge
3. John F. Kennedy
4. Harry S Truman
Under President Barack Obama, the United States signed this climate change treaty, from which Trump withdrew the United States.
1. The Vienna Agreement
2. The Kyoto Protocol
3. The Montreal Protocol
4. The Paris Agreement
