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House to Begin Work on HR 1, but Timetable Unknown

The Democrats' sweeping overhaul of elections and ethics law will begin moving through the House by the end of the month, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised.

But the committee sequencing, floor timetable and debate terms for the bill all remain closely held if not undetermined. The vagueness is an indication of how the continued threat of a partial government shutdown is complicating the new House majority's desire to showcase the legislation as the top priority for its first months back in power.


"During this Black History Month, I am pleased we will be advancing H.R. 1," Pelosi said in a letter to her rank and file Monday night – noting that a central section of the measure, championed by civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, is designed to bolster voting rights by setting federal standards for voter registration procedures, improving access to the polls and restoring the franchise nationwide for convicted felons.

But Pelosi offered no additional details. And, to date, there has been one hearing on the bill, in the Judiciary Committee, with another one scheduled later this week in the Oversight and Reform Committee.

Eight other panels claim some jurisdiction over aspects of the measure, which also would revamp executive branch ethics rules, boost campaign finance disclosures, make Election Day a federal holiday and turn all congressional redistricting over to non-partisan players. Some of them will want to have hearings, as well, and then in theory each would have the authority to debate and amend parts of the package in a committee drafting session, or markup.

If those customary procedures are applied – and the new Democratic leadership has promised a restoration of such "regular order" – it's tough to imagine the measure being readied for a debate by the full House before March. It is virtually guaranteed to pass intact at that point (227 Democrats are cosponsors) before facing a dead-on-arrival promise in the Republican Senate.

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Similarity Hub Shows >700 Instances of Cross-Partisan Common Ground

Two coloured pencils one red and one blue drawing a reef knot on a white paper background.

Getty Images, David Malan

Similarity Hub Shows >700 Instances of Cross-Partisan Common Ground

It is a common refrain to say that Americans need to find common ground across the political spectrum.

Over the past year, AllSides and More Like US found >700 instances of common ground on political topics, revealed in Similarity Hub. It highlights public opinion data from Gallup, Pew Research, YouGov, and many other reputable polling firms.

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U.S. Refines Military Strategy in Africa As Development Programs Face Cuts

Royal Moroccan Armed Forces service members and U.S. Army Soldiers hold an African Lion banner during a Moroccan F-16 flyover at the closing day of African Lion 2025 (AL25) at Tantan, Morocco, May 23, 2025.

By Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Mallett/U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

U.S. Refines Military Strategy in Africa As Development Programs Face Cuts

WASHINGTON – Both the Trump administration and its critics agree the U.S. risks losing influence in Africa to rivals like China and Russia. But while the administration argues its commercially driven foreign policy will reverse the trend, critics warn that retreating from development and diplomacy could deepen the problem.

Under the Trump administration, the U.S. plans to consolidate embassies, scale back USAID operations, and pivot towards a security and commercial driven approach on the continent. While U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) defense officials insist their core missions within Africa will remain intact, civilian experts and lawmakers argue that abandoning diplomatic and development tools opens the door for strategic competitors to fill the void and fails to take into account what would best benefit African countries.

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