The Gov Hub Newsletter: April 7, 2025

Would you rather sit next to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene or Rep. Andy Ogles on a plane?

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Gov Hub
April 07, 2025

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GOOD NEWS BEARS

Positive political wins [yes, those do exist]

NY GOV. HOCHUL SIGNS 3 GUN REFORM BILLS: In a win for common sense gun reform, NY Gov. Hochul signed three pieces of legislation into law. The first of the three new laws will add ‘pistol converters’ to the definition of ‘rapid fire modification devices.’ The second law bolsters the danger/safety warnings that gun dealers are required to share with potential purchasers. And finally, the third law fine tunes how credit card companies track purchases at gun dealers, providing a path for law enforcement to track patterns that could indicate criminal activity in the making.

OREGON GOV. KOTEK ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF HOUSING 360 PILOT PROGRAM: A new pilot program, the Housing 360 Program has been unveiled in Oregon with the goal of connecting the dots between stable housing and those contending with mental illness. The program’s $3.4M in funding comes from a 2024 bill [SB 5701], that created an umbrella for the state’s response to unsheltered populations - the Oregon Rehousing Initiative. This specific pilot program includes four grants that aim to help coordinate treatment, housing, and support services.

QUICK CLAPS

Dem Electoral Wins

  • Susan Crawford won a seat on the Wisconsin state Supreme Court, defeating her Elon-mega-money-backed candidate.

  • Jill Underly won re-election in Wisconsin for a second term as the state’s Superintendent of Schools.

BACK ON OUR BILLSH*T

Bills, bills, bills

FEDERAL, DOGE: Rep. Sara Jacobs [D-CA] has introduced the Delete DOGE Act. In a dream world where this bill passes, it would ban DOGE from using federal funds to “implement, administer, or enforce executive orders establishing DOGE.” It would also rescind obligated funds DOGE currently has its paws in, as well as for an associated entity. And lastly, the bill would put the kabash on future federal money being used for DOGE.

FEDERAL, TARIFFS: A surprisingly bipartisan bill – the Trade Review Act of 2025 – now has seven Republicans signed on. If passed, the bill would limit a president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs without the approval of Congress. In addition, it would require a 28-hour notification and explanation period for the taxation, as well as an assessment from an admin on the possible impact on consumers that the tariffs [taxes] would cause. Lastly, it would require new tariffs to sunset after 60 days unless Congress passed a joint resolution to approve them. Trump says he’d veto the bill.

CHRONICALLY ONLINE

Politics meets social media

  • Would you rather sit next to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene or Rep. Andy Ogles on a plane? Rep. Greg Landsman [D-OH] – also known as Greg/Craig – shared his pick here. He also gave the deats [tea] on MTG’s bipartisan CrossFit class. 

  • Fmr. VP Kamala Harris took to the mic at the Leading Women Defined Summit to share wisdom on the contagiousness of both courage and fear – and dropped a “told you so” about the current state of the world, one which she warned voters about over and over again last year. 

  • If you’ve ever planned a wedding, you’ll know the seating chart illustrates more than just name tags and chairs – it tells a story of dynamics and hierarchy. The same goes for this chart/map of the White House offices, showing who is near who, and where.

  • NY Gov. Hochul who governs the 10th largest economy in the world shared how Trump tariffs are not just a large tax hike on every day Americans, but will cost NY fams an extra $6,000/year, at least.

  • Even the planet Mars isn’t interested in hanging out at the Trump-ified Kennedy Center these days, which was super evident when it literally started rolling away… like this.

  • The BFFS [podcast] hit the Hill and asked Senator Cory Booker [D-NJ] if he knew what “five big booms” meant and what he scrolls for online. It went something like this.

  • MD state Delegate Joe Vogel did a welcome to my crib tour aka a tour of the state leg, equipped with all of the bells and whistles.

  • Senator Elisa Slotkin [D-MI] called out Republicans for being afraid of Trump on the Senate floor. She specifically called out how the GOP always tries to paint themselves as pro-America, pro-defense, pro-flag, and how they’re failing their own claims to avoid the spotlight being put on them.

  • Senator Kim [D-NJ] highlighted the impact of cutting vital health insurance coverage for Americans everywhere through the lens of his father’s own medical emergency last week. Senator Durbin [D-IL] in an adjacent line of thought discussed his own story of not having health insurance at a critical moment for his family.

CRASH & BURN

Like the economy…anyways, here’s an explainer from Sen. Murphy

  • In Japan, the circuit breaker was pulled to halt trading for ten mins because the market reaction is bad to the bone – something that happens when you decide what to do with the global economy with “concepts of a plan.” As of the publishing of this newsletter, the markets are continuing to slide, JPMorgan has raised its assessment of recession likelihood to 60% and Goldman Sachs has raised its recession assessment to a 45% likelihood.

  • Jaguar Land Rover has paused shipments to the U.S. for at least a month as it figures out how on earth to deal with Trump’s tariffs [welcome to the club]. Now if only they’d take a moment to reconsider their rebrand…

FULL SEND…TO A FRIEND

Stories that are just about guaranteed to make it to the group chat

  • The Sec. of Commerce is amped about Trump tariffs – one because his billionaire buddy [and fellow Trump supporter] has pointed to the fact that Lutnick’s business booms when everyone else’s fails, and second because the tariffs will apparently allow for “millions of Americans screwing in little screws to make iphones.”

  • The man that brought khakis back, Steve Kornacki, has inked a new deal with NBC Universal – one that keeps him as an NBC News contributor, but allows him to pursue other ventures in other niches.

  • During the Senate vote-a-rama on the budget [for real that’s what it’s called], Dems forced a vote on an amendment to remove taxes/tariffs that are responsible for rising costs of things like groceries. The Republicans voted it down.

  • A drug dealer whose sentence was commuted by Trump has been charged with “assault of an elderly man; assault of his wife; groping his nanny’s breast without her permission; assault of a 3-year old child and menacing a hospital staffer.” What a guy!

  • 850 out of 1,000 workers at an agency that’s goal is to protect workers have been subject to government cuts. The agency – The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is a part of the CDC, and houses the Sherlock Holmes’ that uncover worker safety issues.

CATACLYSMIC CORRUPTION

Mostly stories that involve Elon and his besties

  • A federal lawsuit has been filed for breach of contract by a Pennsylvania man that alleges that Elon [and his PAC] failed to pay him the $20,000+ he was promised for getting people to sign a petition in favor of 2A rights and free speech. Interestingly, two PA state House Dems have introduced legislation that would tamp down on Elon’s pay-2-play in elections approach.

  • For another sour note, is the confirmation of election denier Dean Sauer as the U.S. Solicitor General. What he’ll be bringing to his new role of reppin’ the U.S. in cases that go before SCOTUS according to Democracy Docket, is his experience arguing on behalf of Trump’s immunity case and as Missouri solicitor general where he signed a brief in support of decertifying the 2020 presidential election. 

HEALTH & WELLNESS

In the club, we’re all sick

  • The Trump Admin has decided to say toodles to a plan that would allow Medicare to cover anti-obesity drugs like Wegovy – a drug that by reducing obesity can reduce other expensive, chronic and long-term health issues.

  • More scientists at NIH keep getting the axe, and the latest purge includes a doctor who is behind award-winning Parkinson’s research.

  • Elon lied according to Senator Van Hollen [D-MD] who shared that Elon made the bold claim that the Trump Admin had restored Ebola prevention efforts, but had in fact not restored said measures.

EXTREMISM

…that’s the tweet [or the x]

  • Aboard Air Force One, Trump shared that he “loved that” when asked about the possibility of sending American citizens to prisons in El Salvador. 

  • ICYMI, a Maryland father who was legally in the U.S. with protected status, was deported to a mega-prison for gang members in El Salvador based on an administrative error – one that the Trump team admits to… sorta? A federal judge ordered that the wrongly deported man be brought back to the U.S., giving the Trump Admin three days to do it. The Trump Admin’s response? To ask SCOTUS to block the order, which they just did.

  • Marjorie Taylor Greene’s ex-husband was caught on cam berating three Muslim women with Islamophobic taunts who were praying in Alpharetta, Georgia. And to be perfectly on brand, he did this while driving a Cybertruck. He later apologized [not for the Cybertruck].

  • Russell Brand, MAGA podcasting bro and Katy Perry’s ex-husband, was charged with rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault. The allegations involved four separate women and occurred between 1999-2005.

  • Trump is planning a military parade for his 79th birthday. Do we need to even explain this one? Like we all see why this is weirdo behavior, right?

THE ACTION ITEMS

Get ‘em done from your phone

ACTION 1- PUBLIC LANDS

The Ask: Tell Congress to protect public lands from DOGE and co.

The Background: According to DOGE and co, oil and gas priorities are in and public lands are out, which is like really bad for the planet and sustaining life on it going forward, but hey maybe we're just being dramatic [we’re not]. Tell Congress to get their acts together and do something about protecting public lands.

ACTION 2- VOTING RIGHTS

The Ask: Tell Congress no on the SAVE Act.

The Background: As if we don’t have enough voter suppression in this country as is, Republicans are trying to usher in a massive anti-voter bill, the SAVE Act. It gives more of an ick than seeing a guy in flip flips. Tell Congress, hard pass.

KEY READS

Important stories from around the USA

  • Washington Examiner: Democrats tighten their grip on social media strategy amid negative feedback

  • The Hill: Bessent: Federal layoffs will help fill factory jobs created by Trump tariffs

  • AP: Appeals court restores DOGE access to information at US agencies

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