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House Expected to Pass Affordable Housing Bill

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“The U.S. House on Tuesday is expected to send to President Donald Trump’s desk an affordable housing bill aimed at lowering costs for homebuyers and reining in institutional investors,” CNBC reports.

“The legislation, dubbed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, is a rare bipartisan measure in a deeply divided Congress. It advanced out of the Senate on Monday night by a vote of 85-5, after months of debate and different versions ping-ponging between the House and Senate. Lawmakers struck a final deal on the legislation last week.”

Los Angeles Times: Landmark housing bill advances in Congress with bipartisan support.

NSA Lost Access to Powerful AI Model Amid Dispute

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“The National Security Agency has lost access to a powerful AI model developed by Anthropic amid the Trump administration’s brawl with the start-up, depriving the intelligence agency of a tool that has impressed and alarmed its analysts with how good it is at finding software weaknesses,” the New York Times reports.

“This month the Trump administration imposed export controls on Anthropic, citing national security concerns. That action forced Anthropic to pull back the release of its most advanced models, known as Mythos 5 and Fable 5.”

Supreme Court’s Ideological Divide Deepens

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“The Supreme Court hit an inauspicious milestone Tuesday as it raced to finish its most divisive pending cases by the end of the month: It has already handed down more 6-3 decisions along ideological lines than it did for the entire term that ended last year,” CNN reports.

Internal Records Contradict Trump’s Sabotage Claims

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New York Times: “The pool had been drained, resealed and then refilled by June 5. Four days later, Park Service workers discovered holes, cracks and peeling caulking in parts of the pool, along with cuts in sections of the foam, according to the documents…”

“By June 16, workers had noticed that chunks of blue sealant that covered the pool’s bottom were peeling and floating to the surface, the documents show…”

“The workers had also discovered that some devices installed to kill algae were not working as intended, according to the documents. And enormous algae blooms had turned portions of the pool bright green instead of dark blue.”

Trump Turned Refugee Program Into Pathway for Whites

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New York Times: “Under Mr. Trump, the program has effectively become a whites-only path to life in the United States, a culmination of the president’s longstanding antipathy toward immigrants and his embrace of the concept of “reverse racism” as a guiding principle in his administration.”

“The president has fought to limit immigration for more than a decade, imposing travel bans on mostly African and Muslim-majority nations and making it much more difficult for people from those nations to obtain green cards.”

Trump on Collision Course with Senate Republicans

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“President Trump’s push for stricter voter eligibility laws is colliding with a newly defiant Republican Senate, setting up a multifront battle ahead of midterm elections as his administration lobbies on Capitol Hill for more money to pay for the war in Iran,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“With just months to go until the fall elections, Trump has found himself at odds with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and other Republican lawmakers, who say the votes aren’t there for his top priority: the SAVE America Act, a bill that would tighten voting rules nationwide.”

Housing Bill Threatened in GOP Elections-Bill Spat

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“The long-anticipated bipartisan housing bill is under threat from a Florida Republican who threatened to ‘shut the floor down’ if House GOP leaders move forward with passing it Tuesday,” Politico reports.

“Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said Republicans instead need to prioritize passage of the SAVE America Act, the GOP elections bill that has been stuck in the Senate for months.”

Senate Votes to Halt Iran War

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“The Senate on Tuesday voted to cut off the U.S. military campaign against Iran, handing a fresh loss to President Donald Trump despite his attempts to convince lawmakers and the public that a deal to end the war is at hand,” Politico reports.

“Four Republicans broke ranks to help approve a resolution to block further military action unless it is green-lighted by Congress.”

“The war powers measure is largely symbolic — the resolution cleared Tuesday doesn’t go to the president to sign or veto. But the bipartisan 50-48 vote is a damaging milestone for the Trump administration: Both the Senate and House have now weighed in against the Middle East conflict that’s stretched on for more than 100 days. The same measure passed the House in early June after months of close calls.”

New York Times: Senate votes to check Trump’s war powers, rebuking him on Iran.

Welcome Bags Planned for White South African Refugees

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“In the coming weeks, the United States plans to provide a welcome gift to white South Africans entering the United States as refugees,” the New York Times reports.

“They will get an Android tablet, an American flag and copies of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. They will also receive a packet of literature that provides a sanitized, Trump-approved view of American and South African history, one that criticizes racial equity and civil rights laws and promotes claims of discrimination against white people.”

“The welcome bags include a report commissioned by Mr. Trump during his first term that downplays the role of slavery in the country’s founding, and a children’s book accusing South Africa’s government of ‘favoring the Black population.'”

Trump Claims Iran Concessions Iran Denies Making

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Aaron Blake: “Ever since releasing a memorandum of understanding last week that appeared heavily slanted toward Iran, the Trump administration has kept claiming Tehran agreed to other major concessions in ongoing negotiations.”

“The problem is that none of them appeared in the MOU — and Iran keeps denying them.”

“And given the Trump administration’s own demonstrated credibility problems, it’s not at all clear whom to trust.”

Italy Seeks to De-Escalate Trump Spat

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“Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani sought to mend fences with the U.S., saying the two countries should work to de-escalate tensions after a spat between President Donald Trump and Premier Giorgia Meloni,” Bloomberg reports.

Said Tajani: “It’s not a definitive rift; that would be a mistake for all. Italy’s alliance with the US is not only sustainable, it is indispensable.”

GOP Hawks Double Down on Iran Deal Criticism

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Rachel Bade: “It’s been just over a week since the administration announced its détente with Iran, but in Washington, Republican infighting over the deal is still dominating the conversation…”

“But the hawks aren’t backing down. Over the past 24 hours, many have doubled down…”

“Now the hawks are seizing on Iran’s purported refusal to allow IAEA inspectors to access bombed facilities — a contradiction of Vance’s high-profile proclamation just Monday.”

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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