Hello, readers. Welcome back to On Politics. Zach Schermele here, USA TODAY's congressional correspondent. It's Thursday, and I bring some scheduling news for Hill-watchers: House Speaker Mike Johnson has canceled the last two weeks of votes in September. That means the chamber, which just came back Monday from August recess, will only be in session for a few more days this month and next, before hitting the midterm campaign trail again ahead of November. The Senate, meanwhile, will still be in for much of September.
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A quandary for Hakeem Jeffries |
It's been a bad week for the man potentially poised to become the next speaker of the House. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was blindsided when two Democrats, Washington Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Maine Rep. Jared Golden, helped Republicans unlock the legislative agenda on Tuesday. Doing so led to the passage of a bill, introduced by Golden, to delay regulations he warned could hurt coastal lobstermen. But it also triggered other votes that Democratic leaders hoped to avoid. Jeffries called it a "significant breach of trust" and vowed a "serious response." "There is a lot of anger," Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, told me this morning.
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Here's the problem: Democrats, who are favored to take back the House majority next Congress, could have a lot more votes like this in their near future. Yet they've spent nearly two years criticizing the same type of dysfunctional family drama in the GOP. "All I'm interested in is making sure that when we win, we're not them, because these guys seem incapable of governing," Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the powerful Rules Committee, said in a brief interview today.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, speaks during a press conference as the chamber departs for August recess on July 23, 2026.
Eric Lee, REUTERS
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The whole debacle has become an early test of Jeffries' majority-style leadership — and a wake-up call for Democrats about how to handle the intraparty divisions that will suddenly matter much more if they regain power. "It could very well happen a lot next year if we're not united," Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Virginia, told me. "I hope, moving forward, that members can communicate."
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Trump's midterm travel blitz |
President Trump said he's launching an aggressive travel blitz to battleground districts and states in the final month before the midterms, my colleagues report, as he looks to energize Republicans and fend off a blue wave. Among his stops will be Alaska ‒ a historically red state that he carried by 13 percentage points in the 2024 election. Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is in a close race there against Democratic challenger Mary Peltola, a former Alaska congresswoman.
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Elon Musk PAC ramps up midterm spending |
Elon Musk's political committee disclosed $800,000 in spending on the midterms last month, our Zac Anderson reports. America PAC pumped money into many battleground Senate contests, including races in Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, Texas and Alaska. The committee also targeted a number of key House contests, according to a Sept. 2 filing with the Federal Election Commission.
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Reach me by email at zschermele@usatoday.com.
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Maria Bartiromo has left Fox News Media after more than 12 years. The network did not disclose a reason for her abrupt exit.
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As the Supreme Court continues to issue Trump-friendly rulings, more Democrats have signaled support for so-called "court packing."
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On Sept. 2, the Pentagon posted guidance for a new testosterone deficiency screening policy for service members. By the next day, it had been removed.
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