CONTROL

On the second of a two-part series examining how the parties are approaching the upcoming midterm elections, Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci are joined by Mike Smith, president of House Majority PAC. They discuss the Democrats plan to take back the House, bellwether races to watch, and the impact of a surging left wing. Plus, Speaker Mike Johnson looks to advance key priorities: Reconciliation 3.0, a CR, the NDAA and a ban on stock trading. 
Note: With the House headed into a long recess and Annalyse headed on maternity leave, this will be the last episode of CONTROL for several months.
Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike RicciGuest: Mike Smith, House Majority PACAudio Producer: Benji EnglanderVideo Producer: Regina Anderson
Articles Discussed:Punchbowl: Four big GOP bills for the House’s last week
WaPo: Four competing priorities bog down Republicans ahead of midterms
POLITICO: Senate GOP isn’t sold on Mike Johnson’s budget blueprint
POLITICO: The Senate GOP’s squeaky wheel suddenly has a lot of power
WSJ: Democrats Go on Offense With $272 Million Ad Strategy
NYT: In Trump’s Second Midterm, Democrats Are Looking for Fighters
Roll Call: Democratic socialists’ primary wins give Trump new midterms attack lines

On the first of a two-part series examining how the parties are approaching the upcoming midterm elections, Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci are joined by Brendan Jaspers, political director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. They cover the key battlegrounds as well as the impact of a recent SCOTUS ruling allowing political parties to spend unlimited funds in direct coordination with candidates. Plus, reactions to the sudden passing of Senator Lindsey Graham and continued gridlock in the House.
 
Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci
Guest: Brendan Jaspers, NRSC
Audio Producer: Benji Englander
Video Producer: Regina Anderson
 
Articles Discussed:
AP: Lindsey Graham’s journey from a pool hall to the heights of political power
AP: From staunch critic to fierce ally: Graham’s long, strange and consequential friendship with Trump
NOTUS: With Lindsey Graham Gone, Republicans Worry They Lost Their Trump Whisperer
Axios: Inside Mike Johnson's déjà vu cycle of failed rule votes
Washington Examiner: Johnson confronts GOP rebellion over SAVE America Act as House returns to Washington
WSJ: A Zombie Congress Is Threatening Trump’s Agenda
AP: Republicans see their grip on Senate tighten amid Democrats’ dysfunction in Maine
The Hill: Democrats fear chances of winning Senate may be slipping away
NBC News: Sen. Dan Sullivan accuses Democrats of recruiting Alaska Senate candidate with the same name
NYT: Supreme Court Lifts Spending Limits on Political Parties and Candidates

Ahead of a what is scheduled to be a busy week in the House of Representatives, Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci ask whether the SAVE America Act will continue to dominate the conversation. Can lawmakers strike deals on the NDAA and annual appropriations bills, or will Reconciliation 3.0 become the only path forward? Then, Ramsey Touchberry, congressional reporter for the Washington Examiner, joins the show to unpack the latest dynamics in the Senate. Plus, on this week's Campaign Corner: insurgent candidates gain ground in Colorado, and establishment Democrats search for a message as the party's left flank gains momentum.
 
Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci
Guest: Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner
Producer: Benji Englander
 
Articles Discussed:
POLITICO: Trump doubles down on SAVE America Act after Supreme Court loss on mail voting
The Hill: Trump calls housing bill ‘a yawn,’ concedes SAVE America Act unlikely to pass
The Hill: Johnson: Blocking House agenda over SAVE America Act is ‘self-defeating’
Fox Business: Trump, Mike Johnson eye SAVE America Act in reconciliation as House races toward recess
POLITICO: GOP infighting threatens critical defense bill
Washington Examiner: Inside Trump’s explosive meeting with Senate Republicans
Washington Examiner: New York socialist surge reveals warning signs for Schumer

As President Trump prepares to head up to Capitol Hill for the Republican Senate lunch, Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci discuss what kind of reaction he may receive and what items might be on the agenda from the Save America Act to the Iran deal to the incoming DNI. At the end, the United Kingdom will have a new Prime Minister and Zohran Mamdani looks to flex his political muscle in key New York House primaries.
 
Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci
Producer: Benji Englander
 
Articles Discussed:
Punchbowl News: Trump to meet with Senate GOP amid tension
NBC News: Senate Republicans grow increasingly frustrated with Trump blindsiding them
The Hill: Senate Republicans in somber, pessimistic mood over Trump deal with Iran
The Hill: Mike Lee: Senate GOP must do ‘hard work’ to pass SAVE America Act
POLITICO: House GOP races to make Recon 3.0 real
POLITICO: He Quit Parliament. Now He’s Set to Become Britain’s Prime Minister.
New York Times: Will New York Swing Further to the Left? Here’s a Preview of Tuesday’s Primaries.

Congress faces another looming deadline this week as FISA authorities are set to expire. Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci discuss if GOP leaders will be able to overcome objections from both sides of the aisle and pass an extension. Plus, Reconciliation 2.0 moves ahead as talk of a third bill heats up. Then, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Puck’s chief Washington correspondent, joins the show to talk about the scramble set off by the Bill Pulte DNI announcement and the latest with the Maine Senate race as Graham Platner faces another scandal.
 
Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci
Guest: Leigh Ann Caldwell, Puck
Producer: Benji Englander
 
Articles Discussed:
Punchbowl: Can Congress pass a short-term FISA extension?
ABC News: Democratic revolt over Trump's DNI pick Pulte puts FISA re-authorization in jeopardy
Puck: The G.O.P.’s Pulte Problem
Puck: Hill Rebellion & The Platner Files
CNBC: Congress moves toward approving $70 billion for ICE and CBP through Trump’s presidency
The Hill: GOP plots third reconciliation bill as midterm clock ticks
The Guardian: Judgment day for under-fire Democrat Graham Platner in Maine primary

Congress is racing to finish some major items, but will any GOP priorities get bogged down amid party infighting? Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci discuss the path ahead for reconciliation, FISA and government funding. Then, Natalie Andrews, a White House correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, joins the show to discuss the Senate’s “Wounded Bear Caucus” and Vice President Vance’s relationship with President Trump.
 
Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci
Guest: Natalie Andrews, Wall Street Journal
Audio Producer: Benji Englander
Video Producer: Regina Anderson
 
Articles Discussed:
Fox News: Congress barrels toward deadline pile-up as GOP divisions threaten Trump agenda
POLITICO: Trump administration retreats on 'Anti-Weaponization Fund'
POLITICO: ‘Get a warrant’: FISA fights resurface
MSNOW: ‘We have the votes to win’: Khanna predicts Iran war powers vote win for Democrats Tuesday
CNN: Spencer Pratt brings Los Angeles’ economic anxieties into primetime
POLITICO: ‘Every week it seems like it’s something else’: Democrats worry about Platner revelations
POLITICO: Chuck Schumer’s Iowa problem
WSJ: A New ‘Wounded Bear Caucus’ in the Senate Means More Trouble for Trump
NYT: Is JD Vance the 2028 Front Runner? Trump Has Questions.

On a new episode of CONTROL, Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci are joined by Scott Wong, Senior Congressional Reporter for NBC News, to break down the latest drama unfolding on Capitol Hill and on the campaign trail. The trio dive into Reconciliation 2.0 and 3.0, President Trump’s influence in GOP primaries and the looming midterms, the continued fight over redistricting, the absence of Rep. Thomas Kean Jr., and much more.
 
Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci
Guest: Scott Wong, NBC News
Audio Producer: Benji Englander
Video Producer: Regina Anderson
 
Articles Discussed:
Punchbowl: Crunch time for GOP’s reconciliation bill
CNBC: Trump ballroom money in question after Senate parliamentarian rules. Thune says GOP will persist
POLITICO: Trump pushes to attach his SAVE act to must-pass bipartisan bills
The Hill: GOP lawmakers battle as conservatives press for third budget reconciliation bill
NBC News: Rep. Thomas Massie confronts the full force of Trump’s wrath in a Republican primary
NBC News: Democrats warn a third of the Congressional Black Caucus could be wiped out by redistricting wars
New York Times: The Mystery of a Congressman’s Absence Deepens

Speaker Johnson made it through Hell Week, but what does reconciliation have in store? Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci are joined by Matt Glassman, who spent 10 years at the Congressional Research Service and is now a Senior Fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown, for a primer on Reconciliation 2.0 and a discussion of how the appropriations process has gone awry. Plus, after a setback in Virginia, how will Democrats move forward on redistricting?
 
Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci
Guest: Matt Glassman
Audio Producer: Benji Englander
Video Producer: Regina Anderson
 
Articles Discussed:
Punchbowl: Trump’s ballroom security money is in trouble
Axios: Johnson to address Senate Republicans amid escalating tensions
The Hill: GOP opposition grows to moving third reconciliation package on Trump agenda
Politico: Trump wants a gas tax holiday. Republicans will ‘hear him out,’ Thune says
Politico: Jeffries guarantees Democratic House win in midterms despite ‘undemocratic’ rulings
The Hill: GOP braces for high-stakes 2027 spending fight with midterms looming
Matt’s Five Points: The Dawn of Partisan Appropriations

It is “Hell Week” in the House of Representatives with several major votes on the schedule. Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci discuss the outlook for Reconciliation 2.0, FISA and the Farm Bill. Plus, Meredith Lee Hill, Senior Congress reporter for POLITICO, shares how the attack at the WHCD is shaking up the agenda and what to look for during a big week for Speaker Mike Johnson.
 
Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci
Guest: Meredith Lee Hill, POLITICO
Audio Producer: Benji Englander
Video Producer: Regina Anderson
 
Articles Discussed:
POLITICO: WHCD attack jolts Mike Johnson’s big week
POLITICO: ‘National emergency’: After assassination attempt, White House urges Congress to fund DHS
POLITICO: Johnson says Senate-passed DHS funding bill will have to change
POLITICO: It’s finally farm bill week
Punchbowl News: House GOP has an impossible week
TIME: King Charles Arrives in Trump's Washington, and a Congress Less Civil Than His Mother Faced

The Senate is moving ahead with reconciliation while things go off the rails in the House – all while a pivotal election takes place across the Potomac. On a new episode of CONTROL, Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci discuss Speaker Johnson’s FISA flop and next steps in the Senate for DHS funding and the Iran war. Then, Punchbowl News’ Senior Congressional Reporter Ally Mutnick joins the show to preview the redistricting ballot measure in Virginia and what it portends for both the 2026 midterms and future election cycles. Plus, the trio analyze the most competitive races across the Senate map.
 
Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci
Guest: Ally Mutnick, Punchbowl News
Audio Producer: Benji Englander
Video Producer: Regina Anderson
 
Articles Discussed:
POLITICO: Republicans stare down a growing, neverending FISA crisis
Punchbowl News: Thune: Full speed ahead on reconciliation
New York Times: House Thwarts Bid to Halt Iran War, but Some in G.O.P. See Support Fading
WaPo: Senate rejects resolution to block Trump from striking Iran
New York Times: White House Declines to Offer Congress an Estimate of Iran War Cost
Punchbowl News: House, Senate Dems post giant Q1 numbers
Punchbowl News: NRCC outraises DCCC in Q1
New York Times: Democrats Spend Big but Face Tough Fight in Virginia Gerrymandering Battle
CNN: Pinwheels and the ‘lobster district’: How Virginia Democrats drew up a US House map to all but lock out Republicans
CNN: How a must-win Michigan Senate race turned messy for Democrats