How Trump’s pet policies are playing

Jun 20, 2024

Presented by

With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team

Donald Trump stands on a stage.

Republicans are already getting behind some of the policies Trump is floating on the campaign trail. Democrats aren't so enthused. | Gerald Herbert/AP

VIBE-CHECKING TRUMP’S PROPOSALS

Donald Trump has a lot of ideas for the next Congress. We thought we’d dive into two particularly newsy ones that came out of his recent meeting with lawmakers: putting an Iron Dome air defense system around the U.S. and nixing taxes on tips.

An all-American Iron Dome: Trump has put forth the idea of emulating Israel’s remarkably effective missile defense system. It’s an ambitious idea, particularly considering the sheer difference in size of the U.S. and Israel. And there are questions on how exactly Trump envisions that system going into place. Like, is this a whole-of-America’s-perimeter approach? Or just the land borders with Canada and/or Mexico?

Details aside, some Republicans are more enthusiastic about the idea than others.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a defense hawk and Trump loyalist, called it “a good investment” and said “anything you can do to keep from being extorted by the bad guys is a good thing.”

Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), meanwhile, pointed out the obvious geographical differences between the two countries: “[Israel’s] surrounded by enemies on all sides. So it's a very effective means of deterring bad behavior from their neighborhood. But whether or not it would work here, I don't know. … I’m interested in listening.”

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, gave the counterargument. He said any national-defense decisions should be entrusted to the military and added that America’s current missile defense system is “very sophisticated.”

“Our location gives us advantages that Israel does not have,” Cardin added. “Israel doesn't have the luxury of time making decisions. We have — even though it may be minutes — Israel only has seconds. … Our system was designed for America. The Iron Dome was designed for the uniqueness of Israel.”

Tax-free tips: We asked Democrats about Trump’s proposal to exempt tips from income taxes, and they, unsurprisingly, called it an unserious case of election-year pandering.

Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) deadpanned: “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“What I know for sure is, when he’s been in power, he looks out for the powerful,” he told Inside Congress.

His colleague, Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), agreed: “My general feeling is that he should be thinking about asking big wealthy corporations to pay their fair share.”

“I think he wakes up in the morning, and he just dumps stuff,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said of Trump.

The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates Trump’s proposal, as outlined at a recent Las Vegas rally, could cost the federal government up to $250 billion over ten years.

Still, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), the leader of the GOP campaign arm and a Finance Committee member, is praising the proposal and vowing to write legislation to make it reality. “It’s a stroke of genius by President Trump,” he said on Fox Business on Wednesday.

Not every Democrat was quick to dunk on the idea. At least three at-risk in-cycle Democrats — Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) — told us they need to review the proposal before weighing in further.

— Ursula Perano and Anthony Adragna

A message from PhRMA:

The 340B drug pricing program is supposed to help vulnerable patients access medicines at qualifying hospitals and clinics. It’s meant to be a safety net for those who really need it. So why is the 340B program padding profits for large hospitals, PBMs and chain pharmacies? Let’s fix 340B so it can help the patients that need it most. Let’s fix 340B.

GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Thursday, June 20, where the attendance for Senate votes was, uh, pretty rough.

VIRGINIA IS FOR SWEATERS

Donald Trump is telling the world Virginia is in play this November. And while most pollsters would consider that wishcasting, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) is urging Democrats to not take any chances.

“We are going to work very hard,” said Kaine, who is also up for re-election this year. “We don't view ourselves as a safe blue state. We think it's still competitive.”

Kaine said he’s relayed the same sentiment to President Joe Biden’s campaign and the Democratic Senate Democrats' campaign arm. And while most political forecasters rate his seat a lock for Democrats, Kaine has beefed up his campaign operation significantly, adding staff and events. After the primary Tuesday, he also released an ad attacking GOP nominee Hung Cao, a Navy veteran who previously ran for the House in 2022.

“I want to win, but I want to help Joe and Kamala [Harris] get 13 electoral votes. I want to help congressional [races], so we were staffing up anyway,” Kaine said. “But, yeah, it raises the stakes when Donald Trump goes into private, closed-door meetings, and tells people, ‘Hey, Virginia and Minnesota are in play.’”

The National Republican Senatorial Committee said in a statement that “with Hung as our nominee, Virginia is a real pickup opportunity.” A Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee aide, meanwhile, told Inside Congress they are “confident that Senator Kaine will win reelection and Democrats will hold this seat." And Biden’s Virginia state director, Jake Rubenstein, said they’re “mobilizing voters in every corner of Virginia and looking forward to beating Trump for a third time in November."

— Ursula Perano

A message from PhRMA:

NEWEST PALESTINIAN REFUGEE PUSH

Dozens of Senate and House Democrats want the Biden administration to consider refugee status for certain Palestinians fleeing Gaza, pushing for action even as Republicans campaign on that possibility as a wedge issue in key races.

Senate Judiciary Chair and Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who led the push, told Inside Congress the effort is motivated by a number of “outrageous humanitarian situations for those who are trapped in Gaza” that have come to his office’s attention.

Despite that sentiment, nearly three dozen Senate Republicans have argued against accepting refugees from Gaza, arguing that doing so would pose a national security risk.

Vulnerable Senate Democrats were lukewarm at best to the idea when previously surveyed by POLITICO — and they wouldn’t jump on board Thursday’s push either. “I have not seen Senator Durbin’s latest effort, so I would like to do so before I comment,” said Baldwin. Added Casey: “I just haven't seen it.”

“It's not 20 years ago,” Schatz countered. “People understand that through no fault of their own, any conflict will create humanitarian refugees. Our obligation is to try to take care of them.”

Separately Thursday, nine Republican senators asked Attorney General Merricak Garland to weigh in on the International Criminal Court’s decision to pursue charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials.

— Anthony Adragna

THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.

Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY.

STAFFER DRAMARAMA

There are few staffers we here at Inside Congress have written about more in recent years than House Democratic aide Ben Kamens. And here we are again.

Kamens, who works as communications director for Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), has gone downward-spiral viral after posting a letter on X confirming the forgiveness of his student loans by the Biden administration. But he forgot to blot out some information, including his address, which online critics of the loan forgiveness program quickly used to dig into his personal information.

Kamens has since put account on private. The post is still on his page.

Kamens has previously drawn attention and ire on the Hill. He once posted a tweet mocking the head covering Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) wore while undergoing chemotherapy. He later apologized. And he previously resigned from a job with Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.) shortly after the congressman’s official account tweeted a slur for people with developmental disabilities.

Kamens declined to comment on the student-loan post. We, however, love to offer this free advice to all: It’s okay to log off.

— Ursula Perano

A message from PhRMA:

Hospitals that participate in the 340B program contract with more than 33,000 pharmacies to dispense the program’s drug prescriptions. More than 40% of these pharmacies have financial ties to one of the three largest PBMs – CVS Health, Express Scripts and OptumRx. 340B hospitals and the PBM-owned pharmacies they contract with are profiting off discounted medicines while uninsured patients are left paying full price for their medicines. Let’s fix 340B so it better helps patients.

HUDDLE HOTDISH

Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords got very personal.

This is honestly super helpful.

QUICK LINKS

New Jersey politics is on fire. Where’s Cory Booker? from Mia McCarthy and Dustin Racioppi

What's happening politically on Long Island? Control of the U.S. House could be on the line, from Kevin Frey at Spectrum News

One Michigan congressman got largest subsidy for D.C. housing, meals of any member in 2023, from Melissa Nann Burke at the Detroit News

Senate GOP plans $100M ad blitz as it fights to retake chamber, from Ally Mutnick

California races roiled by border, immigration. It could tip control of the House, from Andrea Castillo at the LA Times

GOP Rep. Brad Finstad's absence at Trump speech questioned by conservative activists, from Sydney Kashiwagi at the Minneapolis Star Tribune

SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW.

TRANSITIONS

Kristin Wilson is joining ROKK Solutions as SVP. She most recently was a supervising producer at CNN.

Robert Joyce is now senior policy adviser for the CHIPS Program Office in the Commerce Department. He previously was appropriations director and economic policy adviser for Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii).

FRIDAY IN CONGRESS

The House is out.

The Senate is out.

FRIDAY AROUND THE HILL

*crickets*

TRIVIA

TUESDAY’S ANSWER: Charles Horowitz was the first person to correctly answer that Abraham Lincoln was the U.S. president who had four sons but only one — Robert Todd — who survived to adulthood.

TODAY’S QUESTION, via Charles: Who was the first head of what later became known as the Office of Presidential Correspondence?

The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com.

GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening.