The hottest Congress Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top U.S. Politics Topics

The Supreme Court's Holding Action Against Autocracy

Gideon's Substack • 11 implied HN points • 23 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The Supreme Court ruled that the president cannot unilaterally impose or remove tariffs by declaring an emergency, and tariff power properly belongs to Congress so courts will read broad delegations narrowly.
  2. The Roberts Court pairs strong presidential control inside the executive with a strict approach to congressional delegations on major questions, forcing the executive to get clear authorization from Congress for big policy moves.
  3. In practice, partisan Congresses may refuse to reassert their authority, leaving the Court only able to veto and causing paralysis or temporary executive actions that businesses treat as law until voters and lawmakers fix it.

January 27, 2026

Letters from an American • 32 implied HN points • 28 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents has sparked massive public anger and shifted the political balance, putting DHS funding and other appropriations at risk.
  2. Federal immigration and law-enforcement practices — including deaths in custody, wrongful deportations, and systematic collection of protesters' personal data — have fueled domestic outrage and international pushback over surveillance and abuse.
  3. The administration’s defensive, often misleading response and escalatory rhetoric has intensified calls for investigations, resignations, and impeachment, worsening the political and diplomatic fallout.

BREAKING NEWS: Adjudicated Rapist Donald Trump Defies Congress to Keep Investigative Files That Could Incriminate Him a Secret

Proof • 77 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Donald Trump is accused of defying Congress to keep investigative files secret that could potentially incriminate him.
  2. The Epstein files and his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein are central to the controversy and are being framed as part of a larger political hoax.
  3. Epstein is described as a convicted child sex offender, and his crimes plus his friendship with Trump are presented as politically explosive and possibly incriminating.

January 29, 2026

Letters from an American • 29 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Senate Democrats forced the Senate to separate DHS funding for two weeks to press for accountability after violent actions by ICE and Border Patrol, demanding warrants for roving patrols, body cameras, no masks, and independent investigations.
  2. Republicans agreed to the short delay but internal fights—like Lindsey Graham pushing to add a provision letting senators sue over seized records—and a razor-thin House majority make whether the funding measure will ultimately pass uncertain.
  3. President Trump has sued the IRS over leaked tax documents and amplified election-related conspiracy claims while shifting intelligence resources to investigate 2020 election fraud, increasing political tension and drawing sharp criticism.
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The Gaetz of Hell

Discourse Blog • 963 implied HN points • 03 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The House of Representatives voted to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker, making him the shortest-serving speaker in almost 150 years.
  2. Matt Gaetz is known as a fascist and a total scumbag within the GOP House caucus.
  3. Gaetz is seen as an unrepentant, shameless individual with no real beliefs or higher purpose.

Short bill, lots of lessons

Matt’s Five Points • 179 implied HN points • 13 May 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The Israel Support Assistance Act is a short bill that highlights how Congress can influence executive policy through budget control. Even though it might not become law, it shows how powerful Congress can be using funding restrictions.
  2. This bill features several types of provisions, such as appropriations limitations and fencing provisions, which directly affect how the government can use allocated funds. These techniques give Congress a way to steer or block executive actions.
  3. Even though most of the provisions may not be enforced, they're part of a strategy to make political statements and possibly create division among Democrats. It's a way for Congress members to show where they stand on issues without necessarily aiming for a law.

The SAVE America Act Won't Pass the Senate

Who is Robert Malone • 16 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The SAVE America Act would require proof of U.S. citizenship and photo ID to register and vote in federal elections, and it passed the House but now faces a tough path in the Senate.
  2. The Senate’s 60‑vote cloture rule and the filibuster let a minority block the bill even with a bare majority, so Republicans are weighing either reviving a talking filibuster to raise the cost of blocking bills or using the 'nuclear option' to lower the threshold.
  3. The president cannot change Senate rules directly, but can pressure senators, make the issue a national priority, enforce existing election laws, and try to reshape the Senate over time by supporting sympathetic candidates.

PROOF EXCLUSIVE: Itemizing Every Violation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act By the Trump Administration

Proof • 64 implied HN points • 20 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Major media reports say Trump is personally overseeing the Epstein files matter, which ties him directly to the administration's actions in the case.
  2. Those handling the case day-to-day are reportedly his lawyer-agents rather than standard Justice Department officials.
  3. The Epstein Files Transparency Act has been passed, and the reporting aims to itemize every alleged violation and update that list in real time.

Was the AI executive order a mistake?

Alex's Personal Blog • 65 implied HN points • 22 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The executive order preempting state AI rules was a temporary, unilateral move that skipped Congress and undercut the chance for a durable national standard.
  2. A bipartisan deal was within reach that would have given industry preemption plus new child safety and frontier-AI rules, but the administration’s choice to act by executive order instead of pushing for compromise killed that opportunity.
  3. The EO backfired politically by angering governors and the public and prompting states to keep passing laws, so a negotiated federal law would likely have been more stable and better for the AI industry’s long-term interests.

January 22, 2026

Letters from an American • 27 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Many Americans disapprove of ICE after violent federal raids in Minnesota, including the killing of Renee Good, and community groups are staging an “ICE Out Day” to protest.
  2. A New York Times/Siena poll shows Trump underwater on approval and on almost every issue, and he has reacted by attacking polling and threatening lawsuits against media outlets and banks.
  3. Former special counsel Jack Smith testified that his team found proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump engaged in criminal activity, while House Republicans largely sought to discredit him instead of engaging with the evidence.

Let's Take AOC's Foreign Policy Vision Seriously

I Might Be Wrong • 9 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. She’s pitching an alternate foreign policy that centers working people and presented that vision at international forums like the Munich Security Conference.
  2. A few public gaffes — mixups about Taiwan, Venezuela, and trans-/trans-Atlantic wording — have dominated coverage and distracted from her substantive points.
  3. Her team and supporters want people to look past the slip-ups and engage seriously with the policy proposals she’s putting forward, including campaign-released clips and panels.

WHAT CHAOS WILL TRUMP UNLEASH IN 2026?

Seymour Hersh • 44 implied HN points • 02 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The president is unpredictable, swinging between reckless impulses and boredom, which makes his decisions likely to be chaotic.
  2. He is surrounded by eager sycophants and a Republican-led Congress that shows little willingness to check him, so risky actions are less likely to be restrained.
  3. He avoids detailed policy briefings and prefers gossip and spectacle over sober preparation, raising the chance of poorly informed or dangerous choices.

X Is A Bully Whip

Points And Figures • 932 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The recent failure of a big spending bill in Congress shows that there's a shift in how people view government spending. Many believe it's time to cut spending and start fresh.
  2. Social media platforms like X are giving people a way to hold Congress accountable. Now, politicians can't hide their actions as easily and are feeling pressure from their voters.
  3. There's a call for more transparency and accountability in Congress, like linking spending bills to the responsible lawmakers. Some even suggest changing how Congress members are paid based on their budget cuts.

January 12, 2026

Letters from an American • 30 implied HN points • 13 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Mark Kelly sued Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Defense and Navy departments, arguing that the censure and threats to reduce his retirement rank illegally retaliate against protected congressional speech and violate the Constitution and federal law. He asked the court to block those actions to preserve congressional oversight and an apolitical military.
  2. Hegseth, a politically appointed defense secretary with limited command experience, formally censured Kelly after Kelly and other veteran lawmakers urged service members to refuse illegal orders. The president and allies amplified calls to punish the lawmakers, including violent rhetoric and threats.
  3. Reporters say U.S. forces used an aircraft disguised to look like a civilian plane in attacks on boats, which may constitute perfidy and violate the law of war. The law of war explicitly forbids feigning civilian status to carry out attacks, raising serious legal and ethical concerns about those strikes.

January 15, 2026

Letters from an American • 27 implied HN points • 16 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The Justice Department has released less than 1% of the Epstein files required by law, and some politicians are deflecting attention toward former leaders instead of forcing full transparency.
  2. A federal agent's shooting of a woman during an immigration operation has ignited protests after the administration defended the agents and labeled opponents 'domestic terrorists', while aggressive federal tactics in Minnesota injured civilians including children.
  3. The administration is consolidating power and testing institutional limits—raiding a reporter's home, managing seized Venezuelan oil proceeds offshore, and pressuring officials and agencies—while facing growing public and political pushback.

Photo of the Day

Photo of the Day • 314 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The Civil War was a costly conflict that shocked the nation and prompted urgency to end it
  2. Abraham Lincoln pushed for bold action to save American democracy by addressing slavery through constitutional amendments
  3. The survival of American democracy hinged on the decisions made by Congress and the Administration during a tumultuous time

January 11, 2026

Letters from an American • 29 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The Justice Department has not released the Jeffrey Epstein FBI files even though a law required their release by December 19, and lawmakers are seeking a special master to compel disclosure.
  2. The administration has taken aggressive unilateral actions abroad—seizing Venezuela’s leader, declaring a national emergency to control Venezuelan oil revenue, and threatening Greenland—which alarmed allies, confused oil companies, and prompted Congress to push back.
  3. Critics warn the administration is weaponizing federal institutions, from pressing criminal probes into Fed Chair Jerome Powell to deploying thousands of federal agents and labeling victims as terrorists, and bipartisan lawmakers are moving to defend institutional independence.

The President is Losing his Marbles

The Cosmopolitan Globalist • 46 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The president’s speech, behavior, and physical signs increasingly point to cognitive and neurological decline — fragmented, repetitive, and disorganized language, memory lapses, and gait/affect changes that deviate from his earlier baseline.
  2. Prestige media, Congress, and the White House are largely avoiding direct, clinical discussion or independent testing, trading precise reporting for euphemism and allowing a vacuum that fuels misinformation and secrecy.
  3. If serious decline is confirmed, the 25th Amendment may be the only constitutional fix, but invoking it would immediately make J.D. Vance president and trigger intense political upheaval, while failing to act risks national-security disasters in a crisis.

Health not War

Charles Eisenstein • 4 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Support the War Powers Resolution to restore Congress’s authority and stop the war with Iran.
  2. War wastes trillions, damages the nation’s infrastructure and moral standing, and undermines public health, so money and effort should be redirected to rebuild health, infrastructure, and prosperity at home.
  3. People should sign and share the petition and pressure representatives—especially those tied to the Make America Healthy Again movement—to take a public stand for peace and refuse warmaking.

Sunday Strip: More King's Rallies - in progress:

Who is Robert Malone • 34 implied HN points • 04 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Many liberals and Democratic activists publicly protested Nicolás Maduro's capture, a reaction critics call hypocritical and potentially damaging to the Democratic Party's standing.
  2. Millions of Venezuelans and migrants celebrated Maduro's removal after years of economic collapse and food shortages that caused widespread suffering and weight loss.
  3. Venezuela's ties to China, Russia, and Iran created a strategic foothold for U.S. adversaries, and some believe a Trump-Rubio approach could turn Maduro's fall into a recovery opportunity despite remaining risks and contested lawmaker reactions.

January 8, 2026

Letters from an American • 28 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Federal immigration agents shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, and the administration and allied media quickly pushed a self‑defense narrative while the FBI cut off state investigators, raising serious concerns about a cover‑up and an unfair probe.
  2. The president is acting more like an authoritarian, openly claiming his personal morality is the only limit on his power, planning grand White House renovations, and threatening unilateral moves like rebranding tariffs or invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy troops.
  3. Institutions and some Republicans are pushing back: courts have flagged unlawful Trump appointments, lawmakers advanced votes to restore health subsidies and limit war powers, and calls for independent oversight and public protests continue.

January 5, 2026 (Monday)

Letters from an American • 30 implied HN points • 06 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The January 6 attack was an organized attempt to overturn a democratic election and used violence and intimidation to try to stop the peaceful transfer of power.
  2. A long-running political project that demonized government, blamed minorities, and promoted reclaiming power for white men helped build support for anti-democratic actions.
  3. Donald Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 election, the resulting legal fights and a Supreme Court immunity ruling have weakened checks and balances and enabled further abuses of executive power at home and abroad.

A "Woke Agenda" Burned in Effigy by Missouri Senators

The View from Rural Missouri by Jess Piper • 497 implied HN points • 18 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Missouri Senators burned a 'Woke Agenda' in effigy, causing controversy and sparking discussions about their actions.
  2. The Senators involved have been part of the state's GOP supermajority for years and have supported controversial legislation regarding various issues.
  3. The fiery display sparked concerns about the priorities of lawmakers, with focus on issues such as education funding, healthcare access, and attacks on marginalized communities.

Jonathan Rauch on Disinformation

In My Tribe • 668 implied HN points • 26 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Disinformation is more about the actions and tactics used to manipulate people, rather than just labeling certain information as false. It's like a tricky game where bad actors twist the facts to confuse us.
  2. Fixing Congress could help heal divisions in society because it's the place where different groups can come together to negotiate and make compromises. When Congress isn't working well, everyone suffers.
  3. To reduce disinformation, we need better civic education so people understand how government works and how to engage in constructive discussions. But it's also important to recognize that the failures of elites can be a bigger problem than populism.

Scripps Institute’s Kristian Andersen Cannot Tell the Truth, But You Already Knew That

The DisInformation Chronicle • 690 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Kristian Andersen, a researcher at the Scripps Institute, has been accused of lying in his statements to Congress about COVID-19 origins. His past actions have raised questions about his credibility.
  2. Emails show that Andersen initially thought the COVID-19 virus might be genetically engineered, but changed his stance after discussions with influential figures like Tony Fauci. This shift has led to scrutiny over his motivations.
  3. The recent House Select Committee report suggests possible attempts to cover up the true origins of the virus. Andersen is accused of misleading the public and Congress, which could potentially lead to legal consequences.

January 4, 2026

Letters from an American • 28 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The administration launched strikes in Venezuela, captured Nicolás Maduro according to officials, and signaled an intent to control the country and its oil resources.
  2. The operation proceeded without clear congressional authorization or proper briefings to the Gang of Eight, raising serious legal and constitutional questions while officials called it a law-enforcement action despite many civilian and security-force deaths.
  3. There is broad public and bipartisan political backlash: most Americans oppose military intervention, lawmakers say they were misled, and critics warn the intervention will likely backfire and strengthen Maduro while showing the administration ignoring oversight.

The Cowardice of Ann Wagner

The View from Rural Missouri by Jess Piper • 437 implied HN points • 16 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Ann Wagner originally opposed supporting Jim Jordan but later endorsed him for Speaker, citing issues like border security and human trafficking.
  2. Hannity's show seems to be pressuring GOP members to support Jim Jordan for Speaker.
  3. Wagner's flip-flop to endorse Jordan raises concerns, especially since Jordan faced allegations of knowing about sexual misconduct at Ohio State.

January 3, 2026

Letters from an American • 26 implied HN points • 04 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Newly released Epstein files keep revealing troubling connections and suggest the Justice Department considered charging co‑conspirators, but the DOJ has missed legal deadlines to fully disclose or justify redactions.
  2. Former special counsel Jack Smith told Congress under oath that his team found proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump worked to overturn the 2020 election and willfully kept classified documents, and much of the evidence came from Republicans who had worked for him.
  3. The administration launched a unilateral military operation to seize Venezuela’s president and wife—framed as law enforcement but aimed at regime change and control of oil—acting without clear congressional or international legal authority, causing civilian deaths and leaving U.S. officials scrambling to plan what comes next.

Sunday Strip: The Limited Hangout

Who is Robert Malone • 34 implied HN points • 21 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Congress inserted broad redaction powers into law, which lets the government conceal potentially compromising involvement and allows politicians to avoid accountability for their role in that setup.
  2. Pride symbols and rainbow imagery are being placed in child-focused spaces like cartoons and events, and the piece claims this is intentional marketing aimed at attracting or grooming children.
  3. Many politicians are accused of hypocrisy for creating the redaction rules that protect their allies while later blaming others like the DOJ when those protections are used.

Congress Fights Back...Against Congress

Can We Still Govern? • 215 implied HN points • 25 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Congressional Republicans are weakening their own institutions to support Trump. This makes it hard for them to check the power of the executive branch.
  2. In the past, Congress has tried to improve its ability to oversee the presidency, but now it seems to be accepting Trump's attacks on their oversight capabilities.
  3. The budget cuts to important analysis groups like the GAO are not about saving money. They are aimed at making it harder for Congress to challenge government actions that don't follow the law.

December 26, 2025

Letters from an American • 25 implied HN points • 27 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. The Supreme Court signaled that the president likely lacked authority to federalize the National Guard in Illinois, stressing that domestic military use is tightly limited by law and generally requires using regular forces first.
  2. A Justice emphasized that immigration stops must meet Fourth Amendment standards and cannot be based on race or ethnicity, but immigration enforcement has still led to wrongful detentions and reports of racial profiling.
  3. The slow release of Epstein-related documents has revealed material linking powerful people — including repeated mentions and flight logs involving Trump — prompting congressional demands and increasing political pressure while Trump’s defensive posts deepen divisions in his support.

Friday Funnies: Gavin for President?

Who is Robert Malone • 37 implied HN points • 05 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress
  1. Allegations of massive fraud in Minnesota’s Feeding Our Future program claim weak oversight led to roughly $250 million in losses and have drawn a federal investigation, with suggestions that Somali-linked nonprofits and some political staff may be implicated.
  2. A confrontational, mocking tone runs through the piece, using derogatory language and taunting critics while even joking about inventing insulting labels for people who rely on AI.
  3. Serious political accusations are mixed with humor, memes, holiday shopping plugs, and livestream links, so the content alternates between partisan attack and lighthearted commentary.