From Congress avoiding a shutdown to Kansas rejecting partisan judicial elections, major moves are shaping our republic. Responsible stewardship, federalism, and independent courts aren’t administrative details—they’re the pillars of a constitutional republic.
“Don’t litigate that in the press—litigate that with your staff… litigate that with your fellow Senators.” On the latest Principally Speaking, @brittanymartinez.bsky.social calls out the endless loop of public political grandstanding. Watch/listen to the full discussion: youtu.be/ls9y4Grk8KI
Rep. Max Miller is defying bipartisan calls to resign over domestic abuse allegations, while House Speaker Mike Johnson avoids taking a stand. When political expediency is prioritized over moral integrity, public trust suffers. True leadership demands character.
Two big constitutional battles this week: 1️⃣ Kansas voters face a ballot measure that could replace merit-based judge selection with partisan elections. 2️⃣ Trump plans to revive a $1.8B settlement fund challenging Congress's power of the purse.
As Congress heads into August recess, a growing rift between Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune threatens to fracture the Republican Party over the filibuster and key votes. Full breakdown: www.semafor.com/article/07/3...
FEMA approved just 23% of disaster relief requests from Democratic-led states compared to nearly 90% for Republican-led states. Conditioning emergency aid on state policy compliance violates federalism & the rule of law. Disaster assistance must be based on need, not politics. tinyurl.com/28fnrv3x
Senate "YOLO Caucus" members John Cornyn & Thom Tillis are putting Todd Blanche’s AG nomination in jeopardy. They want written guarantees dismantling a $1.8B fund and limiting Trump's tax audit immunity. With a thin GOP margin, a single "no" vote sinks the confirmation before recess.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is balancing floor votes against internal party revolts ahead of the August recess. Key fights include Jay Clayton's DNI nomination, Todd Blanche's AG vote hinging on GOP swing votes and Sen. Mike Lee threatening to force a vote blocking recess over the SAVE Act.
This week, Josh Gillespie examines two critical constitutional issues: 🔹 Legislative checks on executive war powers in the FY2027 NDAA 🔹 Dual voter registration under the SAVE America Act & federalism Watch the breakdown:
Hey, in case you missed it, we now have an official podcast hosted by @brittanymartinez.bsky.social & Josh Gillespie. Check out Principally Speaking - The Podcast on YouTube and Spotify. youtu.be/0yRjWwuZmJk open.spotify.com/episode/2KPG...
The standoff on the Senate Judiciary Committee continues over Todd Blanche. Going from serving as a president's personal defense attorney to running DOJ creates conflicts of interest. Auditing conflicts isn't partisan—it’s defending the rule of law. The AG must serve the public not an individual.
On the premiere episode of the Principally Speaking podcast @brittanymartinez.bsky.social & Josh Gillespie address many topics, but dive into the real-world impact of foreign policy—from Congressional accountability to rising costs on fuel, fertilizer, & groceries. Links listed below.
As the Senate considers Acting AG Todd Blanche, all eyes are on swing votes like Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Will the Senate hold the line on institutional integrity, or let policy payouts dictate the DOJ? www.politico.com/news/2026/07...
A federal judge just blocked the expansion of the SAVE database to purge voter rolls. Executive overreach threatens privacy and puts eligible American voters at risk of losing their rights. apnews.com/article/trum...
"We've got to redesign who we aspire to be. That's going to require a whole lot more than messaging or slogans or throwing out old executive orders...It's going to require disciplined, humble work that absorbs the shock of what we've been through..." Lt. Gen. (Ret.)@markhertling.bsky.social
"That's not the America I served when I was wearing the uniform." Retired Lt. Gen. @markhertling.bsky.social reflects on how the foundational assumptions of American foreign policy have been shattered by transactional politics, weakened institutions, and the praise of authoritarian regimes.
"We are...living through a tectonic shift, what some would call a rupture and that's in how we see the nation around us because we don't recognize it." - Lt. Gen. (Ret) @markhertling.bsky.social at the #PrinciplesFirst summit.
Why do US third parties fail? @davidfrum.bsky.social explains why "independent" polling numbers don't equal a new centrist coalition. Instead of a new party, we are seeing fragmentation and "non-joiners.
"We need to get it off the books...something that is fundamentally bad policy, unsustainable and needs to be put back in a bottle. I've said that the 1776 Fund has to be certainly and completely ended..." - Sen. Thom Tillis
The US election system is messy, local, and highly diffuse—and according to @davidfrum.bsky.social, that’s exactly what protects it. While institutional manipulation is difficult across 9,000 jurisdictions, Frum warns true vulnerability lies in post-election tactics.
Executive hesitation cannot stall a bipartisan supermajority. On this week's Principally Speaking news audit, Josh Gillespie breaks down how the Constitution's 10-day automatic clock protected a key housing bill from being held hostage. #PrinciplesFirst
"Politicians live in the world of the urgent... One of the things that you can do here is live in the world of the important." @davidfrum.bsky.social on why citizen engagement matters & why true principle-based accountability focuses on long-term impact over daily political drama. #PrinciplesFirst
A monumental week for the Supreme Court. While executive power expands over independent agencies, the court drew an iron-clad line in the sand to protect individual constitutional rights. Watch this weekend's news audit with Josh Gillespie. #PrinciplesFirst
"This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades." -Republican Senator Bill Cassidy. That's just one of the many Republican voices expressing discontent with Iran MOU.
"It's such a waste of taxpayer money...how much more money is it going to cost to fix an issue that didn't exist in the first place." Our Executive Director @brittanymartinez.bsky.social was on The Weeknight on MSNOW talking about the Reflecting Pool scandal.
Even John Thune knows Principle Three - that no one is entitled to their own facts – regardless of party. #PrinciplesFirst
At 5 AM, the Senate passed a $70B border package, but the real knife fight was behind closed doors. Lawmakers narrowly defeated a permanent ban on the admin's $1.8B slush fund. Why? Because Congress doesn't trust the Executive to leave the purse strings alone.
"Then the right hand and the left hand need to figure out what the hell they're doing..." Sen. Thom Tillis on the $1.8 billion weaponization fund and the need to codify it's dissolution into law.
