Hello readers and welcome back to On Politics. Zach Schermele here, USA TODAY's congressional correspondent. It's Thursday, and another Cabinet secretary is facing a long-shot impeachment push. Stay tuned, more on that later.
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A 'massive win' for a bipartisan duo |
Capitol Hill lawmakers sent out an SOS call yesterday – to "Save Ocean Sensors."
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In a unanimous rebuke of President Trump, the Senate passed a measure to prohibit the National Science Foundation from dismantling a roughly $360 million ocean monitoring system. After the phasing out was proposed in May, scientists warned of a “tragic” loss of crucial information about warming waters around the globe.
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Peter Liarikos and Amy Biddle, right, prepare to tie up to a surface mooring at the Global Irminger Sea Array in the National Science Foundation-funded Ocean Observatories .
Provided by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution/Sheri White
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A bipartisan duo wasn't letting the program go down without a fight. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, teamed up to muscle the Saving the OOI (Ocean Observatories Initiative) Act through the legislative chamber.
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This morning, the NSF reversed course, pressing pause on its plans and promising to convene an expert panel to reassess. Murkowski rejoiced, calling it a "massive win."
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"Today we saw the federal process at work – with Congress advocating and the executive taking decisive action," she said in a statement. Merkley, in a separate statement, didn't mince words.
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"Dismantling the OOI was supreme stupidity," he said.
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The opening of the Obama Presidential Center today in Chicago drew thousands to the Windy City. A-list celebrities, including Bono, John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, the Roots and Christina Aguilera, packed the event, celebrating the 44th president's historic legacy. The center opens to the public tomorrow, which is also Juneteenth, a federal holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States and recognized by many as the nation’s second Independence Day.
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Scrutiny of McMahon intensifies |
Democrats on Capitol Hill are reeling from the Education Department's announcement this week that it would start shifting special education and civil rights programs to other agencies. It's one of the most significant steps Education Secretary Linda McMahon has taken to downsize operations since the department fired roughly half its staff last year.
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Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, wants consequences. A member of the House education committee, she announced yesterday that she planned to push for long-shot impeachment articles against McMahon.
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Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, seen here on June 11, 2026, has vowed not to fully dismantle the Education Department without congressional approval. Critics say she's functionally doing it anyway.
OLIVER CONTRERAS, AFP via Getty Images
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“Congress created the department,” she said in a statement, “and it would take an act of Congress to shut it down.”
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In a statement to USA TODAY, McMahon told congressional Democrats to "do better."
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"It speaks volumes that House Democrats think an impeachable offense is working to improve student outcomes and reduce the federal bureaucracy," she said.
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💬We also want to hear from you! What questions do you have for our team as we get closer to November? Is there a race you’re watching closely? Let us know by jumping in the comments on Reddit or responding to this newsletter. And you can find our answers here , including my explainer on each party's views on ICE funding.
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Zachary Schermele is the congressional correspondent at USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
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USA TODAY compiled a rundown of recent votes, including on the Iran war and anti-weaponization fund, in which some Republicans sided with Democrats.
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The National Science Foundation says it won't remove a multi-million dollar ocean monitoring system after backlash from scientists and politicians.
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The White House sent Congress a copy of the 14-point memorandum to end the US-Iran war, which was obtained by USA TODAY.
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President Trump keeps upending Republicans' plans, frustrated lawmakers say, "undermining our ability to produce the very results he wants."
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