6 stories credited to Cobb Courier
1 story on cobbcountycourier.com credited to other publishers
Latest story Sep 23, 2026 · on ChamberLight since Apr 2026
A story can appear as several articles (copies of the same piece), so counts of stories and of articles differ.
Scores for Cobb Courier
Writing quality not enough rated stories yet: 5 of 10. How it is measured
Scores last checked Sep 25, 2026.
Articles this site reproduces
How provenance is decidedOriginal publishers of articles on cobbcountycourier.com
Counted from articles on cobbcountycourier.com whose original publisher is verified from the page itself or confirmed by an independent signal.
Stories ChamberLight collected, by month
Stories credited to Cobb Courier, by publication date. ChamberLight collects articles that mention the officials it tracks, so this shows its own coverage of this source, not how much the source publishes.
- Stories from Cobb Courier
- Shaded: ChamberLight collected no stories, or almost none, from any outlet (a gap in its collection, not in the outlet’s publishing)
Show as a table
| Month | Stories | All outlets |
|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | 5 | 3,220 |
| May 2026 | 0 | none collected |
| June 2026 | 0 | none collected |
| July 2026 | 0 | none collected |
| August 2026 | 0 | 1 (collection gap) |
| September 2026 | 1 | 1,320 |
Top topics
Share of this source’s stories tagged with each topic. A story can carry several topics, so the shares do not add up to 100%.
- Budget/Spending5
83% of 6 stories · 31% across all outlets
- Ethics/Corruption4
67% of 6 stories · 58% across all outlets
- Economy3
50% of 6 stories · 26% across all outlets
- Voting Rights2
33% of 6 stories · 19% across all outlets
- Criminal Justice1
17% of 6 stories · 19% across all outlets
- Immigration1
17% of 6 stories · 13% across all outlets
- Taxes1
17% of 6 stories · 5% across all outlets
The thin mark on each bar is the topic’s share across all outlets.
Who they cover
Party of the officials these stories are mainly about, across all 14 officials named. A story counts once for each official it is mainly about, so the split is over 14 story–official pairs, from 6 stories.
- Republican50% · 7 pairs
- Democrat43% · 6 pairs
- Party not recorded7% · 1 pair
Most covered
Stories mainly about each official, and their share of the source’s 6 stories.
- 1Charles SchumerD1 story · 17%
- 2Clay FullerR1 story · 17%
- 3Donald TrumpR1 story · 17%
- 4Elizabeth WarrenD1 story · 17%
- 5John King–1 story · 17%
- 6John ThuneR1 story · 17%
- 7Jon OssoffD1 story · 17%
- 8Kirsten GillibrandD1 story · 17%
- 9Michael BennetD1 story · 17%
- 10Mike CrapoR1 story · 17%
+ 4 other officials (4 story–official pairs)
Article tone
ChamberLight’s article analysis assigns each story a tone toward the official it covers. It describes the coverage of that official, not Cobb Courier’s stance, and reader votes do not change it. 6 stories.
- Good Look
- 2 (33%)
- Mixed
- 4 (67%)
- Informational
- 0 (0%)
- Bad Look
- 0 (0%)
Challenges to these scores
No one has challenged a score on this page yet. Anyone can; editors publish every outcome here.
Articles served from cobbcountycourier.com
16
GOP’s ‘rubberstamp’ of Trump puts US Senate in play, Dem campaign chair says
by Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission] September 22, 2026 WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats believe they could pick up as... The post GOP’s ‘rubberstamp’ of Trump puts US Senate in play, Dem campaign chair says appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Fed chair nominee says he will be independent of Trump, though Dems see a ‘sock puppet’
by Ashley Murray, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission] April 21, 2026 WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, vowed Tuesday the central bank would remain “strictly independent” if he’s confirmed to the top spot, even as the president has broadcast his demand for the new Fed chair to lower interest rates. Warsh, a former Fed board governor, faced questions during his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, as the clock winds down on the term of current Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who is in Trump’s crosshairs. Trump’s criminal probe into Powell, over a $2.5 billion renovation project at the Fed’s offices, stands in the way of Warsh’s confirmation on the closely divided committee. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., maintains he will vote against Warsh’s nomination until Trump directs federal prosecutors to halt their “bogus” investigation into one of his most high-profile political foes. The Senate Banking Committee is made up of 13 Republicans in the majority, and 11 Democrats in the minority. All Democrats plan to oppose the nomination, and with Tillis, a tied vote means Warsh’s nomination would not advance to the full Senate. The committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, alleged Trump wants to install a “sock puppet” and “use monetary policies to artificially juice the economy in the short term, and this is his last chance to do that before the November elections.” Instead of questioning Warsh, Tillis displayed a series of images and figures illustrating the “unfortunate, but legitimate” cost overruns at the Federal Reserve’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. “If we put everybody in prison in federal government that had had a budget go over, we’d have to reserve an area roughly the size of Texas for a penal colony,” Tillis said. “… Let’s get rid of this investigation so that I can support your nomination.” Court action U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg, for the District of Columbia, last month blocked the administration’s subpoenas to probe the central bank and Powell, pointing to “a mountain of evidence” that Trump is using the investigation to force Powell to lower interest rates, or resign. Still, the president has not backed down. One week before Tuesday’s hearing, two investigators from the office of Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, showed up unannounced at the Fed’s construction site, according to details reported by the New York Times. On more than 100 occasions, according to Boasberg’s order, Trump and his allies have made public statements ridiculing Powell and threatening to fire him if interest rates were not lowered. Powell’s term expires May 15. During a recent press conference, Powell said he plans to stay on, as permitted by Fed regulations, as chair pro tempore until his successor is confirmed. If Powell stays on, “well then, I’ll have to fire him,” Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo on April 15. A ‘battle-tested’ pick While Trump’s clash with Powell overshadowed Warsh’s nomination hearing, Republicans largely praised the former board governor, who served from 2006 to 2011. Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., said Warsh is “battle-tested” after helping to steer the central bank during the 2008 financial crisis. “During his first term as governor, he helped our economy through the crisis and restored faith in the economy,”Scott said. But Democrats questioned Warsh’s ability to remain independent of Trump’s demands, particularly as the president must justify higher costs from tariffs and the Iran war ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, when voters are expected to focus heavily on affordability issues. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., asked Warsh, “Do you agree that the American families are struggling right now with affordability?” Largely laying the blame on post-COVID-19 monetary policy decisions under President Joe Biden, Warsh said the Fed bears “some responsibility for the things that you’ve described, and that the legacy of inflation, what I think is the biggest economic policy error in 40 or 50 years, happened just a few years ago, and we’re still living with the with the remnants of it. I think inflation is less problematic than it was a couple of years ago.” When Kim pressed whether the Fed should be concerned about spiking fuel and fertilizer costs amid Trump’s continuing war in Iran, Warsh said, “Senator, if my reform agenda, if confirmed, stands for anything, it’s for the central bank, especially the Fed chairman, to stay in its lane.” Lisa Cook firing Warren and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., also invoked Trump’s contested August 2025 firing of Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook, currently under review in the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court’s oral arguments in January drew a high-profile appearance from Powell. Trump alleged Cook committed financial fraud, but even conservative Supreme Court justices questioned his argument for her firing. “Will you commit to defending Governor Cook’s tenure as Chairman Powell has done?” Alsobrooks asked. “Senator, it was a pleasure to meet you in your office, and spend time with you. As I said to you then, I’ll repeat here to the broader committee: If I stand for anything, it’s the Fed should stay in its lane. As I understand that matter, it’s pending before the United States Supreme Court,” Warsh said. In his opening statement, Warsh defended a president’s right to share opinions on interest rates but told Democratic lawmakers multiple times Tuesday that Trump has not asked him for a commitment. Following up on an answer Warsh provided earlier during the hearing, Alsobrooks asked, “You said he never — ‘specifically’ is the word you used — demanded that you decrease interest rates. Well, did the president generally suggest this to you as well?” “I wasn’t trying to be clever. The president never generally or specifically instructed me, or suggested I should commit to any interest rate path whatsoever,” Warsh said. Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. The post Fed chair nominee says he will be independent of Trump, though Dems see a ‘sock puppet’ appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Fed chair nominee says he will be independent of Trump, though Dems see a ‘sock puppet’
by Ashley Murray, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission] April 21, 2026 WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, vowed Tuesday the central bank would remain “strictly independent” if he’s confirmed to the top spot, even as the president has broadcast his demand for the new Fed chair to lower interest rates. Warsh, a former Fed board governor, faced questions during his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, as the clock winds down on the term of current Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who is in Trump’s crosshairs. Trump’s criminal probe into Powell, over a $2.5 billion renovation project at the Fed’s offices, stands in the way of Warsh’s confirmation on the closely divided committee. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., maintains he will vote against Warsh’s nomination until Trump directs federal prosecutors to halt their “bogus” investigation into one of his most high-profile political foes. The Senate Banking Committee is made up of 13 Republicans in the majority, and 11 Democrats in the minority. All Democrats plan to oppose the nomination, and with Tillis, a tied vote means Warsh’s nomination would not advance to the full Senate. The committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, alleged Trump wants to install a “sock puppet” and “use monetary policies to artificially juice the economy in the short term, and this is his last chance to do that before the November elections.” Instead of questioning Warsh, Tillis displayed a series of images and figures illustrating the “unfortunate, but legitimate” cost overruns at the Federal Reserve’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. “If we put everybody in prison in federal government that had had a budget go over, we’d have to reserve an area roughly the size of Texas for a penal colony,” Tillis said. “… Let’s get rid of this investigation so that I can support your nomination.” Court action U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg, for the District of Columbia, last month blocked the administration’s subpoenas to probe the central bank and Powell, pointing to “a mountain of evidence” that Trump is using the investigation to force Powell to lower interest rates, or resign. Still, the president has not backed down. One week before Tuesday’s hearing, two investigators from the office of Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, showed up unannounced at the Fed’s construction site, according to details reported by the New York Times. On more than 100 occasions, according to Boasberg’s order, Trump and his allies have made public statements ridiculing Powell and threatening to fire him if interest rates were not lowered. Powell’s term expires May 15. During a recent press conference, Powell said he plans to stay on, as permitted by Fed regulations, as chair pro tempore until his successor is confirmed. If Powell stays on, “well then, I’ll have to fire him,” Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo on April 15. A ‘battle-tested’ pick While Trump’s clash with Powell overshadowed Warsh’s nomination hearing, Republicans largely praised the former board governor, who served from 2006 to 2011. Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., said Warsh is “battle-tested” after helping to steer the central bank during the 2008 financial crisis. “During his first term as governor, he helped our economy through the crisis and restored faith in the economy,”Scott said. But Democrats questioned Warsh’s ability to remain independent of Trump’s demands, particularly as the president must justify higher costs from tariffs and the Iran war ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, when voters are expected to focus heavily on affordability issues. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., asked Warsh, “Do you agree that the American families are struggling right now with affordability?” Largely laying the blame on post-COVID-19 monetary policy decisions under President Joe Biden, Warsh said the Fed bears “some responsibility for the things that you’ve described, and that the legacy of inflation, what I think is the biggest economic policy error in 40 or 50 years, happened just a few years ago, and we’re still living with the with the remnants of it. I think inflation is less problematic than it was a couple of years ago.” When Kim pressed whether the Fed should be concerned about spiking fuel and fertilizer costs amid Trump’s continuing war in Iran, Warsh said, “Senator, if my reform agenda, if confirmed, stands for anything, it’s for the central bank, especially the Fed chairman, to stay in its lane.” Lisa Cook firing Warren and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., also invoked Trump’s contested August 2025 firing of Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook, currently under review in the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court’s oral arguments in January drew a high-profile appearance from Powell. Trump alleged Cook committed financial fraud, but even conservative Supreme Court justices questioned his argument for her firing. “Will you commit to defending Governor Cook’s tenure as Chairman Powell has done?” Alsobrooks asked. “Senator, it was a pleasure to meet you in your office, and spend time with you. As I said to you then, I’ll repeat here to the broader committee: If I stand for anything, it’s the Fed should stay in its lane. As I understand that matter, it’s pending before the United States Supreme Court,” Warsh said. In his opening statement, Warsh defended a president’s right to share opinions on interest rates but told Democratic lawmakers multiple times Tuesday that Trump has not asked him for a commitment. Following up on an answer Warsh provided earlier during the hearing, Alsobrooks asked, “You said he never — ‘specifically’ is the word you used — demanded that you decrease interest rates. Well, did the president generally suggest this to you as well?” “I wasn’t trying to be clever. The president never generally or specifically instructed me, or suggested I should commit to any interest rate path whatsoever,” Warsh said. Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. The post Fed chair nominee says he will be independent of Trump, though Dems see a ‘sock puppet’ appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Fed chair nominee says he will be independent of Trump, though Dems see a ‘sock puppet’
by Ashley Murray, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission] April 21, 2026 WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, vowed Tuesday the central bank would remain “strictly independent” if he’s confirmed to the top spot, even as the president has broadcast his demand for the new Fed chair to lower interest rates. Warsh, a former Fed board governor, faced questions during his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, as the clock winds down on the term of current Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who is in Trump’s crosshairs. Trump’s criminal probe into Powell, over a $2.5 billion renovation project at the Fed’s offices, stands in the way of Warsh’s confirmation on the closely divided committee. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., maintains he will vote against Warsh’s nomination until Trump directs federal prosecutors to halt their “bogus” investigation into one of his most high-profile political foes. The Senate Banking Committee is made up of 13 Republicans in the majority, and 11 Democrats in the minority. All Democrats plan to oppose the nomination, and with Tillis, a tied vote means Warsh’s nomination would not advance to the full Senate. The committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, alleged Trump wants to install a “sock puppet” and “use monetary policies to artificially juice the economy in the short term, and this is his last chance to do that before the November elections.” Instead of questioning Warsh, Tillis displayed a series of images and figures illustrating the “unfortunate, but legitimate” cost overruns at the Federal Reserve’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. “If we put everybody in prison in federal government that had had a budget go over, we’d have to reserve an area roughly the size of Texas for a penal colony,” Tillis said. “… Let’s get rid of this investigation so that I can support your nomination.” Court action U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg, for the District of Columbia, last month blocked the administration’s subpoenas to probe the central bank and Powell, pointing to “a mountain of evidence” that Trump is using the investigation to force Powell to lower interest rates, or resign. Still, the president has not backed down. One week before Tuesday’s hearing, two investigators from the office of Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, showed up unannounced at the Fed’s construction site, according to details reported by the New York Times. On more than 100 occasions, according to Boasberg’s order, Trump and his allies have made public statements ridiculing Powell and threatening to fire him if interest rates were not lowered. Powell’s term expires May 15. During a recent press conference, Powell said he plans to stay on, as permitted by Fed regulations, as chair pro tempore until his successor is confirmed. If Powell stays on, “well then, I’ll have to fire him,” Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo on April 15. A ‘battle-tested’ pick While Trump’s clash with Powell overshadowed Warsh’s nomination hearing, Republicans largely praised the former board governor, who served from 2006 to 2011. Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., said Warsh is “battle-tested” after helping to steer the central bank during the 2008 financial crisis. “During his first term as governor, he helped our economy through the crisis and restored faith in the economy,”Scott said. But Democrats questioned Warsh’s ability to remain independent of Trump’s demands, particularly as the president must justify higher costs from tariffs and the Iran war ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, when voters are expected to focus heavily on affordability issues. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., asked Warsh, “Do you agree that the American families are struggling right now with affordability?” Largely laying the blame on post-COVID-19 monetary policy decisions under President Joe Biden, Warsh said the Fed bears “some responsibility for the things that you’ve described, and that the legacy of inflation, what I think is the biggest economic policy error in 40 or 50 years, happened just a few years ago, and we’re still living with the with the remnants of it. I think inflation is less problematic than it was a couple of years ago.” When Kim pressed whether the Fed should be concerned about spiking fuel and fertilizer costs amid Trump’s continuing war in Iran, Warsh said, “Senator, if my reform agenda, if confirmed, stands for anything, it’s for the central bank, especially the Fed chairman, to stay in its lane.” Lisa Cook firing Warren and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., also invoked Trump’s contested August 2025 firing of Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook, currently under review in the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court’s oral arguments in January drew a high-profile appearance from Powell. Trump alleged Cook committed financial fraud, but even conservative Supreme Court justices questioned his argument for her firing. “Will you commit to defending Governor Cook’s tenure as Chairman Powell has done?” Alsobrooks asked. “Senator, it was a pleasure to meet you in your office, and spend time with you. As I said to you then, I’ll repeat here to the broader committee: If I stand for anything, it’s the Fed should stay in its lane. As I understand that matter, it’s pending before the United States Supreme Court,” Warsh said. In his opening statement, Warsh defended a president’s right to share opinions on interest rates but told Democratic lawmakers multiple times Tuesday that Trump has not asked him for a commitment. Following up on an answer Warsh provided earlier during the hearing, Alsobrooks asked, “You said he never — ‘specifically’ is the word you used — demanded that you decrease interest rates. Well, did the president generally suggest this to you as well?” “I wasn’t trying to be clever. The president never generally or specifically instructed me, or suggested I should commit to any interest rate path whatsoever,” Warsh said. Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. The post Fed chair nominee says he will be independent of Trump, though Dems see a ‘sock puppet’ appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Clay Fuller sworn in to Congress
By Mark Woolsey It’s official: Clayton “Clay” Fuller is now a member of the 119th U.S Congress after winning a runoff election earlier this month. The former northwest Georgia prosecutor was sworn in Tuesday by House Speaker Mike Johnson. Republican Fuller was surrounded by other members of the Georgia House contingent as he took the oath of office. Fuller told his now-constituents that “ you have sent a warrior to Congress and I can’t wait to fight for you each and every day. To my Democratic colleagues, I look forward to working with each and every one of you.” Democratic South Georgia congressman Sanford Bishop, the dean of the Georgia delegation, praised Fuller’s background and said “I know you will be a champion of rural Georgia, a passion that we can share in common.” Austin Scott, Sanford’s GOP counterpart, took note of Fuller’s military and legal accomplishments. Fuller, the former District Attorney in the four-county Lookout Mountain Judicial District, beat Democratic hopeful Shawn Harris by 12 percentage points in the April 7 runoff. Fuller will serve the remainder of former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s unexpired term until the beginning of 2027. The upcoming November election will determine who will represent the district in the next two-year full term kicking off in in in 2027 and running until 2029. Greene resigned in January after a bitter and public falling-out with President Trump. The campaign drew considerable interest, especially in parts of west and Northwest Cobb located within the 14th; The post Clay Fuller sworn in to Congress appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Tax Day 2026: Democrats and Republicans battle over impact of new Trump tax cuts
by Ashley Murray, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission] April 15, 2026 WASHINGTON — The 2026 tax filing season closed Wednesday with the Trump administration and Republicans on Capitol Hill hailing success under last year’s massive tax cuts law, while Democrats said any benefits have been wiped out by skyrocketing gas prices, inflation and more. More than 53 million Americans claimed at least one new benefit, averaging a tax cut of $800, under the tax cuts and spending package passed by congressional Republicans and enacted by President Donald Trump on July 4, according to the Department of the Treasury. Originally titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but rebranded by Republicans as the Working Families Tax Cuts law, the measure made permanent Trump’s 2017 reduced tax brackets. It also quadrupled the state and local tax deduction cap and increased the child tax credit by $200. Democrats marked Tax Day by criticizing the law and pointed to increasing inflation and tariff costs as wiping out the value of tax relief, as both sides try to gain the advantage in messaging ahead of crucial midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Tips, car loans, overtime The new law cut taxes on tips until 2028 and on qualifying car loan interest until 2029. As for Trump’s campaign promise for no tax on overtime, the law applies the advantage on up to $12,500 in overtime earnings for individuals, and $25,000 for joint filers, through 2028. Additionally, eligible senior citizens can now deduct up to $6,000 for individuals, $12,000 for couples, until 2029. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Tax Day statement that Trump’s leadership upholds “the foundational principle that hardworking Americans should be rewarded, not punished with tax hikes, and the results of this tax season prove it.” According to Internal Revenue Service statistics to date and made public Wednesday: Six million filers claimed no tax on tips, with an average deduction of $7,100. Twenty-five million filers claimed no tax on overtime, averaging a $3,100 deduction. Thirty million seniors claimed the enhanced senior deduction, receiving an average break of $7,500. One million Americans deducted car loan interest, getting a $1,800 break on average. Bessent, acting IRS commissioner after a turnover of six IRS commissioners in 2025, said the agency has “worked tirelessly to ensure our tax system works for the people it is meant to serve.” “From the shop floor to the kitchen table, taxpayers are feeling the difference of the largest tax cuts in our nation’s history, and millions of Americans are keeping more of what they earn and seeing their paychecks go further than ever before,” Bessent said. The White House circulated a collection of statements from taxpayers Tuesday praising the new deductions. Trump also held a photo opportunity Monday, when he received a McDonald’s delivery from a self-proclaimed “DoorDash Grandma” who lauded tax relief on her tips in a planned event. Trump subsequently pulled cash from his pocket and handed it to the woman, Sharon Simmons of Arkansas, who represented the tech delivery service. Simmons, no newcomer to such GOP appearances, also testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee in late July 2025, following the passage of the tax law, to praise the no tax on tips policy. 134 million income tax returns Frank Bisignano, IRS chief executive officer, told Senate tax writers on Capitol Hill Wednesday that the 2026 filing season was the “most successful tax filing season in IRS history.” Trump created the IRS CEO position last year. Bisignano also serves as the commissioner of the U.S. Social Security Administration. “This landmark legislation forms the cornerstone of the administration’s growth agenda. The latest numbers tell the story,” Bisignano told the Senate Committee on Finance during the panel’s annual oversight hearing examining tax collection. The agency to date has seen over 134 million income tax returns filed for 2025 earnings, with 98% of them done electronically, according to IRS data. Bisignano hailed the issuance of 80 million refunds that on average totaled $3,400, up by 11% compared to 2024. Senate Democrats on the panel panned the cost of the new tax regime and questioned whether a shrinking IRS staff will contribute to less enforcement. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said “the lack of cops on the beat at the IRS is going to cost the Treasury in the United States $646 billion in unpaid taxes by the wealthiest people in America.” According to reports, roughly 26,000 employees left the IRS last year as part of Trump’s civil service reduction incentives and firings. “I remember you saying when you and I met before your confirmation that you are deeply concerned about the level of national debt in this country,” Bennet said to Bisignano. “It is $38 trillion and a lot of that is because of the completely unpaid-for tax bill that is the Trump tax bill.” The cost of the tax bill will be realized in years to come, according to congressional scorekeepers. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation estimated the law will cost $3.4 trillion over the next 10 years — more than $4 trillion if accounting for interest that will accumulate on the nation’s debt. An analysis by the Tax Foundation, which generally advocates for lower taxes, found tax revenue coming into U.S. coffers will drop by nearly $5.2 trillion over the next decade. Individual income taxes have been the government’s largest single source of revenue since 1944, according to data compiled by the Tax Policy Center, a partnership between the Urban Institute and Brookings Foundation. How the tax cuts were offset Lawmakers who wrote the massive tax law accounted for some of the lost revenue by overhauling eligibility and work requirements for government health and food assistance for low-income Americans. According to a recent report from the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, roughly 2.5 million Americans have lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits since the tax law came into effect. The CBO estimated the law’s changes to work requirements for Medicaid, the government’s low-income health care program, will result in millions of Americans losing health insurance. Senate Republicans defended the law, saying it helped Americans by avoiding “the largest tax increase in American history.” “Had the 2017 tax cuts expired, taxpayers earning less than $400,000 would have faced a more than $2.6 trillion tax hike over the next decade,” said Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. Pilot program canned The panel’s highest-ranking Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., slammed the new law for terminating a free alternative for tax filing, IRS Direct File, enacted under former President Joe Biden’s own budget reconciliation megabill. The limited pilot program offered a free filing portal directly through the IRS and was available to 19 million taxpayers in 2024. “Direct File in America died on Mr. Bisignano’s watch,” Wyden said, adding the program’s termination again puts taxpayers at the mercy of “tax software giants who overcharge for a service that ought to be free.” Rather, the IRS offers Free File, an option available to taxpayers under a certain income level, now capped at $89,000, via a handful of tax preparation software companies that contract with the federal government. A 2019 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report described the program as “fraught with complexity and confusion.” Estimates show roughly 14 million free-file-eligible taxpayers were led to pages where they were prompted to pay for add-ons and extra services. Taxpayers at any income level have the option to file for free via fillable PDF forms, but that option requires manual entry without guided prompts. Wyden said the arrangement is a “multi-billion dollar rip-off.” Bisignano called Direct File an “unnecessary and less popular duplicate of programs.” Dems continue ‘affordability’ argument The Democratic National Committee pounced on Tax Day to highlight Trump’s policies and use of taxpayer funds. Affordability is front and center in the upcoming midterm elections. Though Trump campaigned on lowering prices and taxes, DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement the president has so far given Americans “a reckless trade war that has hiked prices, and a deadly and costly taxpayer-funded war with Iran.” “This Tax Day, Americans are seeing lower-than-promised refunds hit their bank accounts that won’t even cover the higher costs Trump has forced them to shoulder. It couldn’t be clearer: Trump and the Republican Party are on the side of billionaires, big corporations, and wealthy special interests,” Martin said. Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. The post Tax Day 2026: Democrats and Republicans battle over impact of new Trump tax cuts appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Tax Day 2026: Democrats and Republicans battle over impact of new Trump tax cuts
by Ashley Murray, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission] April 15, 2026 WASHINGTON — The 2026 tax filing season closed Wednesday with the Trump administration and Republicans on Capitol Hill hailing success under last year’s massive tax cuts law, while Democrats said any benefits have been wiped out by skyrocketing gas prices, inflation and more. More than 53 million Americans claimed at least one new benefit, averaging a tax cut of $800, under the tax cuts and spending package passed by congressional Republicans and enacted by President Donald Trump on July 4, according to the Department of the Treasury. Originally titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but rebranded by Republicans as the Working Families Tax Cuts law, the measure made permanent Trump’s 2017 reduced tax brackets. It also quadrupled the state and local tax deduction cap and increased the child tax credit by $200. Democrats marked Tax Day by criticizing the law and pointed to increasing inflation and tariff costs as wiping out the value of tax relief, as both sides try to gain the advantage in messaging ahead of crucial midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Tips, car loans, overtime The new law cut taxes on tips until 2028 and on qualifying car loan interest until 2029. As for Trump’s campaign promise for no tax on overtime, the law applies the advantage on up to $12,500 in overtime earnings for individuals, and $25,000 for joint filers, through 2028. Additionally, eligible senior citizens can now deduct up to $6,000 for individuals, $12,000 for couples, until 2029. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Tax Day statement that Trump’s leadership upholds “the foundational principle that hardworking Americans should be rewarded, not punished with tax hikes, and the results of this tax season prove it.” According to Internal Revenue Service statistics to date and made public Wednesday: Six million filers claimed no tax on tips, with an average deduction of $7,100. Twenty-five million filers claimed no tax on overtime, averaging a $3,100 deduction. Thirty million seniors claimed the enhanced senior deduction, receiving an average break of $7,500. One million Americans deducted car loan interest, getting a $1,800 break on average. Bessent, acting IRS commissioner after a turnover of six IRS commissioners in 2025, said the agency has “worked tirelessly to ensure our tax system works for the people it is meant to serve.” “From the shop floor to the kitchen table, taxpayers are feeling the difference of the largest tax cuts in our nation’s history, and millions of Americans are keeping more of what they earn and seeing their paychecks go further than ever before,” Bessent said. The White House circulated a collection of statements from taxpayers Tuesday praising the new deductions. Trump also held a photo opportunity Monday, when he received a McDonald’s delivery from a self-proclaimed “DoorDash Grandma” who lauded tax relief on her tips in a planned event. Trump subsequently pulled cash from his pocket and handed it to the woman, Sharon Simmons of Arkansas, who represented the tech delivery service. Simmons, no newcomer to such GOP appearances, also testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee in late July 2025, following the passage of the tax law, to praise the no tax on tips policy. 134 million income tax returns Frank Bisignano, IRS chief executive officer, told Senate tax writers on Capitol Hill Wednesday that the 2026 filing season was the “most successful tax filing season in IRS history.” Trump created the IRS CEO position last year. Bisignano also serves as the commissioner of the U.S. Social Security Administration. “This landmark legislation forms the cornerstone of the administration’s growth agenda. The latest numbers tell the story,” Bisignano told the Senate Committee on Finance during the panel’s annual oversight hearing examining tax collection. The agency to date has seen over 134 million income tax returns filed for 2025 earnings, with 98% of them done electronically, according to IRS data. Bisignano hailed the issuance of 80 million refunds that on average totaled $3,400, up by 11% compared to 2024. Senate Democrats on the panel panned the cost of the new tax regime and questioned whether a shrinking IRS staff will contribute to less enforcement. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said “the lack of cops on the beat at the IRS is going to cost the Treasury in the United States $646 billion in unpaid taxes by the wealthiest people in America.” According to reports, roughly 26,000 employees left the IRS last year as part of Trump’s civil service reduction incentives and firings. “I remember you saying when you and I met before your confirmation that you are deeply concerned about the level of national debt in this country,” Bennet said to Bisignano. “It is $38 trillion and a lot of that is because of the completely unpaid-for tax bill that is the Trump tax bill.” The cost of the tax bill will be realized in years to come, according to congressional scorekeepers. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation estimated the law will cost $3.4 trillion over the next 10 years — more than $4 trillion if accounting for interest that will accumulate on the nation’s debt. An analysis by the Tax Foundation, which generally advocates for lower taxes, found tax revenue coming into U.S. coffers will drop by nearly $5.2 trillion over the next decade. Individual income taxes have been the government’s largest single source of revenue since 1944, according to data compiled by the Tax Policy Center, a partnership between the Urban Institute and Brookings Foundation. How the tax cuts were offset Lawmakers who wrote the massive tax law accounted for some of the lost revenue by overhauling eligibility and work requirements for government health and food assistance for low-income Americans. According to a recent report from the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, roughly 2.5 million Americans have lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits since the tax law came into effect. The CBO estimated the law’s changes to work requirements for Medicaid, the government’s low-income health care program, will result in millions of Americans losing health insurance. Senate Republicans defended the law, saying it helped Americans by avoiding “the largest tax increase in American history.” “Had the 2017 tax cuts expired, taxpayers earning less than $400,000 would have faced a more than $2.6 trillion tax hike over the next decade,” said Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. Pilot program canned The panel’s highest-ranking Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., slammed the new law for terminating a free alternative for tax filing, IRS Direct File, enacted under former President Joe Biden’s own budget reconciliation megabill. The limited pilot program offered a free filing portal directly through the IRS and was available to 19 million taxpayers in 2024. “Direct File in America died on Mr. Bisignano’s watch,” Wyden said, adding the program’s termination again puts taxpayers at the mercy of “tax software giants who overcharge for a service that ought to be free.” Rather, the IRS offers Free File, an option available to taxpayers under a certain income level, now capped at $89,000, via a handful of tax preparation software companies that contract with the federal government. A 2019 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report described the program as “fraught with complexity and confusion.” Estimates show roughly 14 million free-file-eligible taxpayers were led to pages where they were prompted to pay for add-ons and extra services. Taxpayers at any income level have the option to file for free via fillable PDF forms, but that option requires manual entry without guided prompts. Wyden said the arrangement is a “multi-billion dollar rip-off.” Bisignano called Direct File an “unnecessary and less popular duplicate of programs.” Dems continue ‘affordability’ argument The Democratic National Committee pounced on Tax Day to highlight Trump’s policies and use of taxpayer funds. Affordability is front and center in the upcoming midterm elections. Though Trump campaigned on lowering prices and taxes, DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement the president has so far given Americans “a reckless trade war that has hiked prices, and a deadly and costly taxpayer-funded war with Iran.” “This Tax Day, Americans are seeing lower-than-promised refunds hit their bank accounts that won’t even cover the higher costs Trump has forced them to shoulder. It couldn’t be clearer: Trump and the Republican Party are on the side of billionaires, big corporations, and wealthy special interests,” Martin said. Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. The post Tax Day 2026: Democrats and Republicans battle over impact of new Trump tax cuts appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Tax Day 2026: Democrats and Republicans battle over impact of new Trump tax cuts
by Ashley Murray, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission] April 15, 2026 WASHINGTON — The 2026 tax filing season closed Wednesday with the Trump administration and Republicans on Capitol Hill hailing success under last year’s massive tax cuts law, while Democrats said any benefits have been wiped out by skyrocketing gas prices, inflation and more. More than 53 million Americans claimed at least one new benefit, averaging a tax cut of $800, under the tax cuts and spending package passed by congressional Republicans and enacted by President Donald Trump on July 4, according to the Department of the Treasury. Originally titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but rebranded by Republicans as the Working Families Tax Cuts law, the measure made permanent Trump’s 2017 reduced tax brackets. It also quadrupled the state and local tax deduction cap and increased the child tax credit by $200. Democrats marked Tax Day by criticizing the law and pointed to increasing inflation and tariff costs as wiping out the value of tax relief, as both sides try to gain the advantage in messaging ahead of crucial midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Tips, car loans, overtime The new law cut taxes on tips until 2028 and on qualifying car loan interest until 2029. As for Trump’s campaign promise for no tax on overtime, the law applies the advantage on up to $12,500 in overtime earnings for individuals, and $25,000 for joint filers, through 2028. Additionally, eligible senior citizens can now deduct up to $6,000 for individuals, $12,000 for couples, until 2029. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Tax Day statement that Trump’s leadership upholds “the foundational principle that hardworking Americans should be rewarded, not punished with tax hikes, and the results of this tax season prove it.” According to Internal Revenue Service statistics to date and made public Wednesday: Six million filers claimed no tax on tips, with an average deduction of $7,100. Twenty-five million filers claimed no tax on overtime, averaging a $3,100 deduction. Thirty million seniors claimed the enhanced senior deduction, receiving an average break of $7,500. One million Americans deducted car loan interest, getting a $1,800 break on average. Bessent, acting IRS commissioner after a turnover of six IRS commissioners in 2025, said the agency has “worked tirelessly to ensure our tax system works for the people it is meant to serve.” “From the shop floor to the kitchen table, taxpayers are feeling the difference of the largest tax cuts in our nation’s history, and millions of Americans are keeping more of what they earn and seeing their paychecks go further than ever before,” Bessent said. The White House circulated a collection of statements from taxpayers Tuesday praising the new deductions. Trump also held a photo opportunity Monday, when he received a McDonald’s delivery from a self-proclaimed “DoorDash Grandma” who lauded tax relief on her tips in a planned event. Trump subsequently pulled cash from his pocket and handed it to the woman, Sharon Simmons of Arkansas, who represented the tech delivery service. Simmons, no newcomer to such GOP appearances, also testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee in late July 2025, following the passage of the tax law, to praise the no tax on tips policy. 134 million income tax returns Frank Bisignano, IRS chief executive officer, told Senate tax writers on Capitol Hill Wednesday that the 2026 filing season was the “most successful tax filing season in IRS history.” Trump created the IRS CEO position last year. Bisignano also serves as the commissioner of the U.S. Social Security Administration. “This landmark legislation forms the cornerstone of the administration’s growth agenda. The latest numbers tell the story,” Bisignano told the Senate Committee on Finance during the panel’s annual oversight hearing examining tax collection. The agency to date has seen over 134 million income tax returns filed for 2025 earnings, with 98% of them done electronically, according to IRS data. Bisignano hailed the issuance of 80 million refunds that on average totaled $3,400, up by 11% compared to 2024. Senate Democrats on the panel panned the cost of the new tax regime and questioned whether a shrinking IRS staff will contribute to less enforcement. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said “the lack of cops on the beat at the IRS is going to cost the Treasury in the United States $646 billion in unpaid taxes by the wealthiest people in America.” According to reports, roughly 26,000 employees left the IRS last year as part of Trump’s civil service reduction incentives and firings. “I remember you saying when you and I met before your confirmation that you are deeply concerned about the level of national debt in this country,” Bennet said to Bisignano. “It is $38 trillion and a lot of that is because of the completely unpaid-for tax bill that is the Trump tax bill.” The cost of the tax bill will be realized in years to come, according to congressional scorekeepers. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation estimated the law will cost $3.4 trillion over the next 10 years — more than $4 trillion if accounting for interest that will accumulate on the nation’s debt. An analysis by the Tax Foundation, which generally advocates for lower taxes, found tax revenue coming into U.S. coffers will drop by nearly $5.2 trillion over the next decade. Individual income taxes have been the government’s largest single source of revenue since 1944, according to data compiled by the Tax Policy Center, a partnership between the Urban Institute and Brookings Foundation. How the tax cuts were offset Lawmakers who wrote the massive tax law accounted for some of the lost revenue by overhauling eligibility and work requirements for government health and food assistance for low-income Americans. According to a recent report from the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, roughly 2.5 million Americans have lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits since the tax law came into effect. The CBO estimated the law’s changes to work requirements for Medicaid, the government’s low-income health care program, will result in millions of Americans losing health insurance. Senate Republicans defended the law, saying it helped Americans by avoiding “the largest tax increase in American history.” “Had the 2017 tax cuts expired, taxpayers earning less than $400,000 would have faced a more than $2.6 trillion tax hike over the next decade,” said Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. Pilot program canned The panel’s highest-ranking Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., slammed the new law for terminating a free alternative for tax filing, IRS Direct File, enacted under former President Joe Biden’s own budget reconciliation megabill. The limited pilot program offered a free filing portal directly through the IRS and was available to 19 million taxpayers in 2024. “Direct File in America died on Mr. Bisignano’s watch,” Wyden said, adding the program’s termination again puts taxpayers at the mercy of “tax software giants who overcharge for a service that ought to be free.” Rather, the IRS offers Free File, an option available to taxpayers under a certain income level, now capped at $89,000, via a handful of tax preparation software companies that contract with the federal government. A 2019 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report described the program as “fraught with complexity and confusion.” Estimates show roughly 14 million free-file-eligible taxpayers were led to pages where they were prompted to pay for add-ons and extra services. Taxpayers at any income level have the option to file for free via fillable PDF forms, but that option requires manual entry without guided prompts. Wyden said the arrangement is a “multi-billion dollar rip-off.” Bisignano called Direct File an “unnecessary and less popular duplicate of programs.” Dems continue ‘affordability’ argument The Democratic National Committee pounced on Tax Day to highlight Trump’s policies and use of taxpayer funds. Affordability is front and center in the upcoming midterm elections. Though Trump campaigned on lowering prices and taxes, DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement the president has so far given Americans “a reckless trade war that has hiked prices, and a deadly and costly taxpayer-funded war with Iran.” “This Tax Day, Americans are seeing lower-than-promised refunds hit their bank accounts that won’t even cover the higher costs Trump has forced them to shoulder. It couldn’t be clearer: Trump and the Republican Party are on the side of billionaires, big corporations, and wealthy special interests,” Martin said. Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. The post Tax Day 2026: Democrats and Republicans battle over impact of new Trump tax cuts appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Tax Day 2026: Democrats and Republicans battle over impact of new Trump tax cuts
by Ashley Murray, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission] April 15, 2026 WASHINGTON — The 2026 tax filing season closed Wednesday with the Trump administration and Republicans on Capitol Hill hailing success under last year’s massive tax cuts law, while Democrats said any benefits have been wiped out by skyrocketing gas prices, inflation and more. More than 53 million Americans claimed at least one new benefit, averaging a tax cut of $800, under the tax cuts and spending package passed by congressional Republicans and enacted by President Donald Trump on July 4, according to the Department of the Treasury. Originally titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but rebranded by Republicans as the Working Families Tax Cuts law, the measure made permanent Trump’s 2017 reduced tax brackets. It also quadrupled the state and local tax deduction cap and increased the child tax credit by $200. Democrats marked Tax Day by criticizing the law and pointed to increasing inflation and tariff costs as wiping out the value of tax relief, as both sides try to gain the advantage in messaging ahead of crucial midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Tips, car loans, overtime The new law cut taxes on tips until 2028 and on qualifying car loan interest until 2029. As for Trump’s campaign promise for no tax on overtime, the law applies the advantage on up to $12,500 in overtime earnings for individuals, and $25,000 for joint filers, through 2028. Additionally, eligible senior citizens can now deduct up to $6,000 for individuals, $12,000 for couples, until 2029. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Tax Day statement that Trump’s leadership upholds “the foundational principle that hardworking Americans should be rewarded, not punished with tax hikes, and the results of this tax season prove it.” According to Internal Revenue Service statistics to date and made public Wednesday: Six million filers claimed no tax on tips, with an average deduction of $7,100. Twenty-five million filers claimed no tax on overtime, averaging a $3,100 deduction. Thirty million seniors claimed the enhanced senior deduction, receiving an average break of $7,500. One million Americans deducted car loan interest, getting a $1,800 break on average. Bessent, acting IRS commissioner after a turnover of six IRS commissioners in 2025, said the agency has “worked tirelessly to ensure our tax system works for the people it is meant to serve.” “From the shop floor to the kitchen table, taxpayers are feeling the difference of the largest tax cuts in our nation’s history, and millions of Americans are keeping more of what they earn and seeing their paychecks go further than ever before,” Bessent said. The White House circulated a collection of statements from taxpayers Tuesday praising the new deductions. Trump also held a photo opportunity Monday, when he received a McDonald’s delivery from a self-proclaimed “DoorDash Grandma” who lauded tax relief on her tips in a planned event. Trump subsequently pulled cash from his pocket and handed it to the woman, Sharon Simmons of Arkansas, who represented the tech delivery service. Simmons, no newcomer to such GOP appearances, also testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee in late July 2025, following the passage of the tax law, to praise the no tax on tips policy. 134 million income tax returns Frank Bisignano, IRS chief executive officer, told Senate tax writers on Capitol Hill Wednesday that the 2026 filing season was the “most successful tax filing season in IRS history.” Trump created the IRS CEO position last year. Bisignano also serves as the commissioner of the U.S. Social Security Administration. “This landmark legislation forms the cornerstone of the administration’s growth agenda. The latest numbers tell the story,” Bisignano told the Senate Committee on Finance during the panel’s annual oversight hearing examining tax collection. The agency to date has seen over 134 million income tax returns filed for 2025 earnings, with 98% of them done electronically, according to IRS data. Bisignano hailed the issuance of 80 million refunds that on average totaled $3,400, up by 11% compared to 2024. Senate Democrats on the panel panned the cost of the new tax regime and questioned whether a shrinking IRS staff will contribute to less enforcement. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said “the lack of cops on the beat at the IRS is going to cost the Treasury in the United States $646 billion in unpaid taxes by the wealthiest people in America.” According to reports, roughly 26,000 employees left the IRS last year as part of Trump’s civil service reduction incentives and firings. “I remember you saying when you and I met before your confirmation that you are deeply concerned about the level of national debt in this country,” Bennet said to Bisignano. “It is $38 trillion and a lot of that is because of the completely unpaid-for tax bill that is the Trump tax bill.” The cost of the tax bill will be realized in years to come, according to congressional scorekeepers. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation estimated the law will cost $3.4 trillion over the next 10 years — more than $4 trillion if accounting for interest that will accumulate on the nation’s debt. An analysis by the Tax Foundation, which generally advocates for lower taxes, found tax revenue coming into U.S. coffers will drop by nearly $5.2 trillion over the next decade. Individual income taxes have been the government’s largest single source of revenue since 1944, according to data compiled by the Tax Policy Center, a partnership between the Urban Institute and Brookings Foundation. How the tax cuts were offset Lawmakers who wrote the massive tax law accounted for some of the lost revenue by overhauling eligibility and work requirements for government health and food assistance for low-income Americans. According to a recent report from the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, roughly 2.5 million Americans have lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits since the tax law came into effect. The CBO estimated the law’s changes to work requirements for Medicaid, the government’s low-income health care program, will result in millions of Americans losing health insurance. Senate Republicans defended the law, saying it helped Americans by avoiding “the largest tax increase in American history.” “Had the 2017 tax cuts expired, taxpayers earning less than $400,000 would have faced a more than $2.6 trillion tax hike over the next decade,” said Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. Pilot program canned The panel’s highest-ranking Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., slammed the new law for terminating a free alternative for tax filing, IRS Direct File, enacted under former President Joe Biden’s own budget reconciliation megabill. The limited pilot program offered a free filing portal directly through the IRS and was available to 19 million taxpayers in 2024. “Direct File in America died on Mr. Bisignano’s watch,” Wyden said, adding the program’s termination again puts taxpayers at the mercy of “tax software giants who overcharge for a service that ought to be free.” Rather, the IRS offers Free File, an option available to taxpayers under a certain income level, now capped at $89,000, via a handful of tax preparation software companies that contract with the federal government. A 2019 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report described the program as “fraught with complexity and confusion.” Estimates show roughly 14 million free-file-eligible taxpayers were led to pages where they were prompted to pay for add-ons and extra services. Taxpayers at any income level have the option to file for free via fillable PDF forms, but that option requires manual entry without guided prompts. Wyden said the arrangement is a “multi-billion dollar rip-off.” Bisignano called Direct File an “unnecessary and less popular duplicate of programs.” Dems continue ‘affordability’ argument The Democratic National Committee pounced on Tax Day to highlight Trump’s policies and use of taxpayer funds. Affordability is front and center in the upcoming midterm elections. Though Trump campaigned on lowering prices and taxes, DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement the president has so far given Americans “a reckless trade war that has hiked prices, and a deadly and costly taxpayer-funded war with Iran.” “This Tax Day, Americans are seeing lower-than-promised refunds hit their bank accounts that won’t even cover the higher costs Trump has forced them to shoulder. It couldn’t be clearer: Trump and the Republican Party are on the side of billionaires, big corporations, and wealthy special interests,” Martin said. Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. The post Tax Day 2026: Democrats and Republicans battle over impact of new Trump tax cuts appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Tax Day 2026: Democrats and Republicans battle over impact of new Trump tax cuts
by Ashley Murray, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission] April 15, 2026 WASHINGTON — The 2026 tax filing season closed Wednesday with the Trump administration and Republicans on Capitol Hill hailing success under last year’s massive tax cuts law, while Democrats said any benefits have been wiped out by skyrocketing gas prices, inflation and more. More than 53 million Americans claimed at least one new benefit, averaging a tax cut of $800, under the tax cuts and spending package passed by congressional Republicans and enacted by President Donald Trump on July 4, according to the Department of the Treasury. Originally titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but rebranded by Republicans as the Working Families Tax Cuts law, the measure made permanent Trump’s 2017 reduced tax brackets. It also quadrupled the state and local tax deduction cap and increased the child tax credit by $200. Democrats marked Tax Day by criticizing the law and pointed to increasing inflation and tariff costs as wiping out the value of tax relief, as both sides try to gain the advantage in messaging ahead of crucial midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Tips, car loans, overtime The new law cut taxes on tips until 2028 and on qualifying car loan interest until 2029. As for Trump’s campaign promise for no tax on overtime, the law applies the advantage on up to $12,500 in overtime earnings for individuals, and $25,000 for joint filers, through 2028. Additionally, eligible senior citizens can now deduct up to $6,000 for individuals, $12,000 for couples, until 2029. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Tax Day statement that Trump’s leadership upholds “the foundational principle that hardworking Americans should be rewarded, not punished with tax hikes, and the results of this tax season prove it.” According to Internal Revenue Service statistics to date and made public Wednesday: Six million filers claimed no tax on tips, with an average deduction of $7,100. Twenty-five million filers claimed no tax on overtime, averaging a $3,100 deduction. Thirty million seniors claimed the enhanced senior deduction, receiving an average break of $7,500. One million Americans deducted car loan interest, getting a $1,800 break on average. Bessent, acting IRS commissioner after a turnover of six IRS commissioners in 2025, said the agency has “worked tirelessly to ensure our tax system works for the people it is meant to serve.” “From the shop floor to the kitchen table, taxpayers are feeling the difference of the largest tax cuts in our nation’s history, and millions of Americans are keeping more of what they earn and seeing their paychecks go further than ever before,” Bessent said. The White House circulated a collection of statements from taxpayers Tuesday praising the new deductions. Trump also held a photo opportunity Monday, when he received a McDonald’s delivery from a self-proclaimed “DoorDash Grandma” who lauded tax relief on her tips in a planned event. Trump subsequently pulled cash from his pocket and handed it to the woman, Sharon Simmons of Arkansas, who represented the tech delivery service. Simmons, no newcomer to such GOP appearances, also testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee in late July 2025, following the passage of the tax law, to praise the no tax on tips policy. 134 million income tax returns Frank Bisignano, IRS chief executive officer, told Senate tax writers on Capitol Hill Wednesday that the 2026 filing season was the “most successful tax filing season in IRS history.” Trump created the IRS CEO position last year. Bisignano also serves as the commissioner of the U.S. Social Security Administration. “This landmark legislation forms the cornerstone of the administration’s growth agenda. The latest numbers tell the story,” Bisignano told the Senate Committee on Finance during the panel’s annual oversight hearing examining tax collection. The agency to date has seen over 134 million income tax returns filed for 2025 earnings, with 98% of them done electronically, according to IRS data. Bisignano hailed the issuance of 80 million refunds that on average totaled $3,400, up by 11% compared to 2024. Senate Democrats on the panel panned the cost of the new tax regime and questioned whether a shrinking IRS staff will contribute to less enforcement. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said “the lack of cops on the beat at the IRS is going to cost the Treasury in the United States $646 billion in unpaid taxes by the wealthiest people in America.” According to reports, roughly 26,000 employees left the IRS last year as part of Trump’s civil service reduction incentives and firings. “I remember you saying when you and I met before your confirmation that you are deeply concerned about the level of national debt in this country,” Bennet said to Bisignano. “It is $38 trillion and a lot of that is because of the completely unpaid-for tax bill that is the Trump tax bill.” The cost of the tax bill will be realized in years to come, according to congressional scorekeepers. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation estimated the law will cost $3.4 trillion over the next 10 years — more than $4 trillion if accounting for interest that will accumulate on the nation’s debt. An analysis by the Tax Foundation, which generally advocates for lower taxes, found tax revenue coming into U.S. coffers will drop by nearly $5.2 trillion over the next decade. Individual income taxes have been the government’s largest single source of revenue since 1944, according to data compiled by the Tax Policy Center, a partnership between the Urban Institute and Brookings Foundation. How the tax cuts were offset Lawmakers who wrote the massive tax law accounted for some of the lost revenue by overhauling eligibility and work requirements for government health and food assistance for low-income Americans. According to a recent report from the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, roughly 2.5 million Americans have lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits since the tax law came into effect. The CBO estimated the law’s changes to work requirements for Medicaid, the government’s low-income health care program, will result in millions of Americans losing health insurance. Senate Republicans defended the law, saying it helped Americans by avoiding “the largest tax increase in American history.” “Had the 2017 tax cuts expired, taxpayers earning less than $400,000 would have faced a more than $2.6 trillion tax hike over the next decade,” said Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. Pilot program canned The panel’s highest-ranking Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., slammed the new law for terminating a free alternative for tax filing, IRS Direct File, enacted under former President Joe Biden’s own budget reconciliation megabill. The limited pilot program offered a free filing portal directly through the IRS and was available to 19 million taxpayers in 2024. “Direct File in America died on Mr. Bisignano’s watch,” Wyden said, adding the program’s termination again puts taxpayers at the mercy of “tax software giants who overcharge for a service that ought to be free.” Rather, the IRS offers Free File, an option available to taxpayers under a certain income level, now capped at $89,000, via a handful of tax preparation software companies that contract with the federal government. A 2019 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report described the program as “fraught with complexity and confusion.” Estimates show roughly 14 million free-file-eligible taxpayers were led to pages where they were prompted to pay for add-ons and extra services. Taxpayers at any income level have the option to file for free via fillable PDF forms, but that option requires manual entry without guided prompts. Wyden said the arrangement is a “multi-billion dollar rip-off.” Bisignano called Direct File an “unnecessary and less popular duplicate of programs.” Dems continue ‘affordability’ argument The Democratic National Committee pounced on Tax Day to highlight Trump’s policies and use of taxpayer funds. Affordability is front and center in the upcoming midterm elections. Though Trump campaigned on lowering prices and taxes, DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement the president has so far given Americans “a reckless trade war that has hiked prices, and a deadly and costly taxpayer-funded war with Iran.” “This Tax Day, Americans are seeing lower-than-promised refunds hit their bank accounts that won’t even cover the higher costs Trump has forced them to shoulder. It couldn’t be clearer: Trump and the Republican Party are on the side of billionaires, big corporations, and wealthy special interests,” Martin said. Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. The post Tax Day 2026: Democrats and Republicans battle over impact of new Trump tax cuts appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Immigration enforcement to be funded for 3 years under US Senate GOP plan
by Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission] April 14, 2026 WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday he plans to use the complex reconciliation process to fund immigration enforcement for the next three years, though it wasn’t immediately clear if House Republicans were on the exact same page. The plan to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol with only Republican votes could end the two-month shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security when combined with the regular funding bill for that department, which the Senate already approved but is stalled in the House. Thune, R-S.D., said during an afternoon press conference that House GOP leaders “could” add additional provisions to the reconciliation bill, but said he would like it to remain narrow. “My hope would be that if we can execute on getting that done here in the Senate, the House would be able to follow through,” he said. Thune said the Senate could vote as soon as next week on a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions. That is the first step of the complicated process. But the House must vote to adopt that budget resolution before Republicans can pass the funding bill for ICE and the Border Patrol. Speaker Mike Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Homeland Security shuttered The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down since Feb. 14, after Democrats insisted on new guardrails for immigration enforcement following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by federal immigration officers. Without any bipartisan consensus on how to do that, Republicans have instead decided to use the same reconciliation process they used last year to enact their “big, beautiful” law to approve funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. The House would then likely pass DHS’ spending bill without those two line items, which the Senate has already approved. That would provide funding for the other agencies within the department, including the Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Secret Service and Transportation Security Administration. Safeguards demanded Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said during a separate press conference that Democrats have repeatedly asked for “common sense” safeguards that would require immigration agents to show identification, prevent them from wearing masks and require judicial warrants to enter someone’s home. “The bottom line is these are simple. These are common sense,” he said. “They’re what every police department uses and when you ask the American people, they’re on our side. It’s the intransigence, particularly of the hard right, who seem to like what ICE is doing.” Schumer said Democrats would use the marathon amendment voting session on both the budget resolution and the later reconciliation bill to hold Republicans’ “feet to the fire on DHS, on the war, on so many other issues.” Thune said he has been “trying to figure out exactly” what Democrats have gotten out of the DHS shutdown, especially considering that immigration enforcement operations haven’t been affected since there was funding for that in last year’s reconciliation bill, exempting those programs from the funding lapse. “All of the things that the Democrats made this about, which was supposed to be reforms to the way that ICE and CBP operate. They got none of that. Zero,” he said, referring to Customs and Border Protection, the larger agency that includes the Border Patrol. “And now we’re going to fund those agencies for three years into the future.” Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. The post Immigration enforcement to be funded for 3 years under US Senate GOP plan appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Immigration enforcement to be funded for 3 years under US Senate GOP plan
by Jennifer Shutt, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission] April 14, 2026 WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday he plans to use the complex reconciliation process to fund immigration enforcement for the next three years, though it wasn’t immediately clear if House Republicans were on the exact same page. The plan to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol with only Republican votes could end the two-month shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security when combined with the regular funding bill for that department, which the Senate already approved but is stalled in the House. Thune, R-S.D., said during an afternoon press conference that House GOP leaders “could” add additional provisions to the reconciliation bill, but said he would like it to remain narrow. “My hope would be that if we can execute on getting that done here in the Senate, the House would be able to follow through,” he said. Thune said the Senate could vote as soon as next week on a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions. That is the first step of the complicated process. But the House must vote to adopt that budget resolution before Republicans can pass the funding bill for ICE and the Border Patrol. Speaker Mike Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Homeland Security shuttered The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down since Feb. 14, after Democrats insisted on new guardrails for immigration enforcement following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by federal immigration officers. Without any bipartisan consensus on how to do that, Republicans have instead decided to use the same reconciliation process they used last year to enact their “big, beautiful” law to approve funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. The House would then likely pass DHS’ spending bill without those two line items, which the Senate has already approved. That would provide funding for the other agencies within the department, including the Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Secret Service and Transportation Security Administration. Safeguards demanded Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said during a separate press conference that Democrats have repeatedly asked for “common sense” safeguards that would require immigration agents to show identification, prevent them from wearing masks and require judicial warrants to enter someone’s home. “The bottom line is these are simple. These are common sense,” he said. “They’re what every police department uses and when you ask the American people, they’re on our side. It’s the intransigence, particularly of the hard right, who seem to like what ICE is doing.” Schumer said Democrats would use the marathon amendment voting session on both the budget resolution and the later reconciliation bill to hold Republicans’ “feet to the fire on DHS, on the war, on so many other issues.” Thune said he has been “trying to figure out exactly” what Democrats have gotten out of the DHS shutdown, especially considering that immigration enforcement operations haven’t been affected since there was funding for that in last year’s reconciliation bill, exempting those programs from the funding lapse. “All of the things that the Democrats made this about, which was supposed to be reforms to the way that ICE and CBP operate. They got none of that. Zero,” he said, referring to Customs and Border Protection, the larger agency that includes the Border Patrol. “And now we’re going to fund those agencies for three years into the future.” Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. The post Immigration enforcement to be funded for 3 years under US Senate GOP plan appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Big money and endorsements flow as Georgia primary approaches
by Ross Williams, Alander Rocha, and Maya Homan, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission] April 10, 2026 Georgia lawmakers are back home in their districts after adjourning for the year – barring an unscheduled special session to handle unfinished elections business. But while the halls of the Capitol are now largely empty, that hasn’t meant a slowdown in the world of Georgia politics. In this week’s roundup, the money and endorsements are coming in hot and heavy as lawmakers jockey for position in Georgia’s pivotal May 19 primary elections. And there’s been new action in the battle over elections in Fulton County, where Democratic county commissioners have refused to seat two GOP nominees they call election deniers to the county election board. GOP group pledges millions to unseat Ossoff It’s not yet clear who the Republican nominee to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff will be – but whoever it is got a big financial boost this week. The Senate Leadership Fund, a Super PAC that supports Republicans in the Senate, announced Monday it will spend $44 million in Georgia, part of a $342 million advertising reservation across eight battleground states. The fund is calling it the largest investment in the group’s history, and the results of all that money could be hard for Georgians to miss this summer. The PAC says it will spend on broadcast, cable and radio ads, as well as direct mail, text messages and more, including a particular focus on online streaming platforms. “Beginning in the summer and running through Election Day, SLF’s advertising will expose the extraordinary obstruction and failures of the Democratic Party while highlighting incredible Republican candidates and their plans to keep America safe, strong, and prosperous,” the group said in a press release. Three men lead the pack to be Georgia’s GOP candidate: Congressmen Buddy Carter and Mike Collins and former football coach Derek Dooley. Republican voters will make their pick during the May 19 primary elections. As the only Democratic senator up for re-election in a state won by Republican President Donald Trump in 2024, Ossoff is seen as a prime target for the GOP. The race is likely to be closely watched and expensive. But Ossoff’s campaign isn’t taking the money race for granted. According to Federal Election Commission data, Ossoff has raised more than any other Senate candidate in the nation, bringing in nearly $64 million since 2021, more than twice the second-place fundraiser at about $30.5 million. Ossoff’s war chest includes more than $43 million raised in 2025 alone. Democrats eye state House seats While national Republicans hope they can pick off Ossoff, Democrats are hoping they can pick up some seats in the state Legislature. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which supports Democratic candidates in state legislative races, released a list of 50 priority races nationwide, including three in Georgia. In House District 48, which includes parts of Fulton and Gwinnett counties, attorney Adam Cleveland, a Democrat, is set to challenge Republican state Rep. Scott Hilton of Peachtree Corners. Former President Joe Biden won Hilton’s district in 2020, but Hilton was re-elected in 2022 and 2024, defeating Democratic challengers by a comfortable margin. Democrats are hoping a blue wave will help push Cleveland over the top. In House District 105 in Gwinnett County, Democratic former state Rep. Farooq Mughal is set for a rematch against Buford Republican state Rep. Sandy Donatucci, who bested him in 2024 by just 80 votes. And in House District 145, which includes parts of Bibb and Monroe counties, Democrats are hoping to prevent a flip. In 2024, Macon state Rep. Tangie Herring won by about 1% against Republican Noah Harbuck. Republican Eric Wilson, the co-founder of an emergency medical service company, is running against her in November. The Georgia House of Representatives currently includes 99 Republicans and 79 Democrats plus one vacant seat previously held by Democrat Dexter Sharper who pleaded guilty to unemployment fraud and one seat held by Rep. Sharon Henderson, who was suspended by executive order. Georgia’s first Hispanic Constitutional officer endorses Jackson Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King threw his weight behind businessman Rick Jackson for governor Thursday, framing the Republican primary as a choice between “talkers” and “doers” during a campaign stop in Banks County Thursday night. King, a former police officer, leaned on his law enforcement and military background to vouch for Jackson’s character. He pointed to Jackson’s upbringing in Techwood Homes, a once-notorious public housing project in Atlanta. King, who became Georgia’sfirst Hispanic statewide official when he was appointed in 2019, compared himself to Jackson, saying that “Jackson’s story would be impossible to tell anywhere else in the world, just like my story.” “I know what kind of neighborhood that place was — tough place to grow up,” King said to a crowd of supporters. “It’s a tough place to police, but even tougher to grow up. He tied his boots tight, and he got to work.” In a social media post announcing his endorsement, King said that Jackson is the GOP’s “best shot at winning in November.” Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ gubernatorial campaign downplayed the endorsement, pointing to a long list of high-profile endorsements already in their camp. “We do have the endorsements of President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Commissioner Tyler Harper, Congressman Andrew Clyde, Congressman Brian Jack, Turning Point Action, the majority of sheriffs across the state and countless elected officials throughout Georgia,” Kayla Lott, a spokesperson for the Jones campaign, said in a statement. Republican Party appeals in Fulton County BOE case Fulton County Republicans are appealing a case about local election board appointments to the state Supreme Court, arguing that a recent Court of Appeals ruling that let the Fulton County Board of Commissioners reject nominations of two conservative election activists threatens the bipartisan nature of election administration. The Fulton County Board of Elections is the body that oversees election administration in Georgia’s most populous county. Allowing commissioners to deny seating the two Republican appointees “not only compromises the Fulton County Election Board, but also the bipartisanship of election boards across the state,” the appeal reads. Last May, Democrats on the board rejected two Republican Party nominees, citing concerns about both individuals’ past actions and arguing that they were not qualified for the position. The nominees were incumbent board member Julie Adams and newcomer Jason Frazier, a right-wing activist who has singlehandedly challenged the voter registrations of tens of thousands of Georgia residents. In June, the Fulton County Republican Party filed a lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court, claiming that commissioners do not have the power to reject nominations from political parties, and in August, a trial court ruled in their favor, declaring that the Fulton County Board of Commissioners must seat the nominees or face daily fines. But last month, the state Court of Appeals sided with the county, overturning the trial court’s verdict and the contempt charges. Republican party leaders vowed to keep pushing back against Fulton County. “We will keep fighting until they are held accountable and forced to follow the law,” Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters and GAGOP Chair Josh McKoon said in a joint statement, “and we will not stop until Republican nominees are given the equal representation they are entitled to under Georgia law.” A spokesperson for Fulton County declined to comment on the case, citing pending litigation. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST — DONATE TO THE GEORGIA RECORDER Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. The post Big money and endorsements flow as Georgia primary approaches appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Big money and endorsements flow as Georgia primary approaches
by Ross Williams, Alander Rocha, and Maya Homan, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission] April 10, 2026 Georgia lawmakers are back home in their districts after adjourning for the year – barring an unscheduled special session to handle unfinished elections business. But while the halls of the Capitol are now largely empty, that hasn’t meant a slowdown in the world of Georgia politics. In this week’s roundup, the money and endorsements are coming in hot and heavy as lawmakers jockey for position in Georgia’s pivotal May 19 primary elections. And there’s been new action in the battle over elections in Fulton County, where Democratic county commissioners have refused to seat two GOP nominees they call election deniers to the county election board. GOP group pledges millions to unseat Ossoff It’s not yet clear who the Republican nominee to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff will be – but whoever it is got a big financial boost this week. The Senate Leadership Fund, a Super PAC that supports Republicans in the Senate, announced Monday it will spend $44 million in Georgia, part of a $342 million advertising reservation across eight battleground states. The fund is calling it the largest investment in the group’s history, and the results of all that money could be hard for Georgians to miss this summer. The PAC says it will spend on broadcast, cable and radio ads, as well as direct mail, text messages and more, including a particular focus on online streaming platforms. “Beginning in the summer and running through Election Day, SLF’s advertising will expose the extraordinary obstruction and failures of the Democratic Party while highlighting incredible Republican candidates and their plans to keep America safe, strong, and prosperous,” the group said in a press release. Three men lead the pack to be Georgia’s GOP candidate: Congressmen Buddy Carter and Mike Collins and former football coach Derek Dooley. Republican voters will make their pick during the May 19 primary elections. As the only Democratic senator up for re-election in a state won by Republican President Donald Trump in 2024, Ossoff is seen as a prime target for the GOP. The race is likely to be closely watched and expensive. But Ossoff’s campaign isn’t taking the money race for granted. According to Federal Election Commission data, Ossoff has raised more than any other Senate candidate in the nation, bringing in nearly $64 million since 2021, more than twice the second-place fundraiser at about $30.5 million. Ossoff’s war chest includes more than $43 million raised in 2025 alone. Democrats eye state House seats While national Republicans hope they can pick off Ossoff, Democrats are hoping they can pick up some seats in the state Legislature. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which supports Democratic candidates in state legislative races, released a list of 50 priority races nationwide, including three in Georgia. In House District 48, which includes parts of Fulton and Gwinnett counties, attorney Adam Cleveland, a Democrat, is set to challenge Republican state Rep. Scott Hilton of Peachtree Corners. Former President Joe Biden won Hilton’s district in 2020, but Hilton was re-elected in 2022 and 2024, defeating Democratic challengers by a comfortable margin. Democrats are hoping a blue wave will help push Cleveland over the top. In House District 105 in Gwinnett County, Democratic former state Rep. Farooq Mughal is set for a rematch against Buford Republican state Rep. Sandy Donatucci, who bested him in 2024 by just 80 votes. And in House District 145, which includes parts of Bibb and Monroe counties, Democrats are hoping to prevent a flip. In 2024, Macon state Rep. Tangie Herring won by about 1% against Republican Noah Harbuck. Republican Eric Wilson, the co-founder of an emergency medical service company, is running against her in November. The Georgia House of Representatives currently includes 99 Republicans and 79 Democrats plus one vacant seat previously held by Democrat Dexter Sharper who pleaded guilty to unemployment fraud and one seat held by Rep. Sharon Henderson, who was suspended by executive order. Georgia’s first Hispanic Constitutional officer endorses Jackson Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King threw his weight behind businessman Rick Jackson for governor Thursday, framing the Republican primary as a choice between “talkers” and “doers” during a campaign stop in Banks County Thursday night. King, a former police officer, leaned on his law enforcement and military background to vouch for Jackson’s character. He pointed to Jackson’s upbringing in Techwood Homes, a once-notorious public housing project in Atlanta. King, who became Georgia’sfirst Hispanic statewide official when he was appointed in 2019, compared himself to Jackson, saying that “Jackson’s story would be impossible to tell anywhere else in the world, just like my story.” “I know what kind of neighborhood that place was — tough place to grow up,” King said to a crowd of supporters. “It’s a tough place to police, but even tougher to grow up. He tied his boots tight, and he got to work.” In a social media post announcing his endorsement, King said that Jackson is the GOP’s “best shot at winning in November.” Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ gubernatorial campaign downplayed the endorsement, pointing to a long list of high-profile endorsements already in their camp. “We do have the endorsements of President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Commissioner Tyler Harper, Congressman Andrew Clyde, Congressman Brian Jack, Turning Point Action, the majority of sheriffs across the state and countless elected officials throughout Georgia,” Kayla Lott, a spokesperson for the Jones campaign, said in a statement. Republican Party appeals in Fulton County BOE case Fulton County Republicans are appealing a case about local election board appointments to the state Supreme Court, arguing that a recent Court of Appeals ruling that let the Fulton County Board of Commissioners reject nominations of two conservative election activists threatens the bipartisan nature of election administration. The Fulton County Board of Elections is the body that oversees election administration in Georgia’s most populous county. Allowing commissioners to deny seating the two Republican appointees “not only compromises the Fulton County Election Board, but also the bipartisanship of election boards across the state,” the appeal reads. Last May, Democrats on the board rejected two Republican Party nominees, citing concerns about both individuals’ past actions and arguing that they were not qualified for the position. The nominees were incumbent board member Julie Adams and newcomer Jason Frazier, a right-wing activist who has singlehandedly challenged the voter registrations of tens of thousands of Georgia residents. In June, the Fulton County Republican Party filed a lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court, claiming that commissioners do not have the power to reject nominations from political parties, and in August, a trial court ruled in their favor, declaring that the Fulton County Board of Commissioners must seat the nominees or face daily fines. But last month, the state Court of Appeals sided with the county, overturning the trial court’s verdict and the contempt charges. Republican party leaders vowed to keep pushing back against Fulton County. “We will keep fighting until they are held accountable and forced to follow the law,” Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters and GAGOP Chair Josh McKoon said in a joint statement, “and we will not stop until Republican nominees are given the equal representation they are entitled to under Georgia law.” A spokesperson for Fulton County declined to comment on the case, citing pending litigation. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST — DONATE TO THE GEORGIA RECORDER Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com. The post Big money and endorsements flow as Georgia primary approaches appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Pam Bondi’s extreme political loyalty to Trump wasn’t enough to save her job
by Austin Sarat, Amherst College, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] After President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 2, 2026, news reports suggested that she fell from grace, not for being too independent, but for not being effective enough at defending him and prosecuting his political enemies. As The New York Times reported the previous day, Trump was disappointed with “Ms. Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which has become a political liability for Mr. Trump among his supporters. He has also complained about her shortcomings as a communicator and vented about what he sees as the Department of Justice’s lack of aggressiveness in going after his foes.” The president has long indicated that whoever served as attorney general in his administration should see themselves as his lawyer rather than as someone representing the U.S. government. During his first presidential term, Trump was gravely disappointed with Jeff Sessions, his first attorney general, who recused himself from the investigation into alleged political interference in the 2016 election. He replaced Sessions with William Barr, who abandoned Trump when the president did not accept the results of the 2020 election. Having learned from those mistakes, Trump set out to find a political ally and loyalist to take the helm at the Justice Department in his second administration. As a scholar of law and politics, and someone who has written about the role of the attorney general, I think Trump’s desire has a familiar ring to it. It is not unusual for presidents to put people who share their views and policy preferences into the role. But Trump has gone far beyond what is usually done. Bondi’s ascent Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz was Trump’s first choice for attorney general during the president’s second term. Many commentators viewed Gaetz as a firebrand who was temperamentally unsuited for that position. Some criticized him for calling the president an “inspirational leader of a loving and patriotic movement” in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. In the face of growing opposition generated in part by allegations of his misconduct, Gaetz withdrew. Trump turned to Bondi a few hours later. She had served as Florida’s attorney general and drawn praise from across the political spectrum for her professionalism. A bipartisan group of former state attorneys general wrote a letter attesting to their “firsthand knowledge of her fitness for the office” and her “wealth of prosecutorial experience and commitment to public service.” In addition, as PBS noted at the time of her appointment, Bondi was “a longtime Trump ally and was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial, when he was accused — but not convicted — of abusing his power as he tried to condition U.S. military assistance to Ukraine on that country investigating then-former Vice President Joe Biden.” She also showed her loyalty by attending Trump’s New York trial for paying hush money to porn actor Stormy Daniels, with whom he allegedly had an affair. At the time of her nomination, Bondi seemed to have the attributes of an attorney general. She had the credentials to take on the job of running the DOJ and the confidence of the president who appointed her. From confirmation to downfall During her confirmation hearings, Bondi promised to safeguard the Justice Department’s independence and bolster its transparency. She also vowed to not serve as the president’s personal attorney. And in response to a question from Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, she pledged in January 2025 that “there will never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice.” But she also showed her willingness to joust with Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. She hewed to the MAGA script by refusing to say that the president had lost the 2020 election. And she mounted a spirited attack on the Biden Justice Department, which she claimed had been “weaponized for years and years and years.” Once in office, Bondi took on the difficult task of leading the Justice Department while also pleasing the president. She stood by when Trump used an appearance at the department to give, according to The New York Times, a “grievance-filled attack on the very people who have worked in the building and others like them.” The Times added: “He appeared to offer his own vision of justice in America, one defined by personal vengeance rather than by institutional principles.” Bondi apparently did not do enough to deliver on that version of justice. Last year, Trump had to urge Bondi to take action against his political enemies, including former FBI Director James Comey, California Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Leticia James. “They’re all guilty as hell,” Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, “but nothing is going to be done. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” he added. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” Bondi took her marching orders and launched investigations of those the president named. However, she was not able to secure any convictions. NBC News quoted a former official in the Trump White House who said that failing to secure indictments “is a problem for job security with the president.” If that wasn’t enough, Trump was also reportedly frustrated with the way Bondi had handled the release of the Epstein files, first promising full disclosure and then botching the rollout of the files. Contending visions of the attorney general’s job Bondi’s tenure illustrates the conflicting visions of what an attorney general should do that animate today’s American politics. The questions Democrats asked her during her confirmation were designed to get her to commit to their view of what the attorney general should do. Those questions signaled their belief that anyone occupying that office should maintain their distance from the president and uphold the Justice Department’s independence. But right from the start of the republic, presidents have chosen close political allies to serve as attorney general. It’s common for presidents to appoint their friends and supporters to be attorneys general. Since Franklin D. Roosevelt, many presidents have chosen their campaign manager or their party’s national chairperson to be attorney general of the United States. But even compared with this history, Trump and his allies have a radically different vision, seeing the attorney general as just another Cabinet member whose responsibility is to carry out the president’s policies and implement his directions. As Trump put it in a 2017 interview with The New York Times, he has the “absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department.” In the end, it seems that Bondi was fired for her failure to be effective in the political role assigned to her. It is likely that the president will want to replace her with someone even more political than she was, who promises to deliver more of the results he wants. Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The post Pam Bondi’s extreme political loyalty to Trump wasn’t enough to save her job appeared first on Cobb Courier.
Pam Bondi’s extreme political loyalty to Trump wasn’t enough to save her job
by Austin Sarat, Amherst College, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] After President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 2, 2026, news reports suggested that she fell from grace, not for being too independent, but for not being effective enough at defending him and prosecuting his political enemies. As The New York Times reported the previous day, Trump was disappointed with “Ms. Bondi’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which has become a political liability for Mr. Trump among his supporters. He has also complained about her shortcomings as a communicator and vented about what he sees as the Department of Justice’s lack of aggressiveness in going after his foes.” The president has long indicated that whoever served as attorney general in his administration should see themselves as his lawyer rather than as someone representing the U.S. government. During his first presidential term, Trump was gravely disappointed with Jeff Sessions, his first attorney general, who recused himself from the investigation into alleged political interference in the 2016 election. He replaced Sessions with William Barr, who abandoned Trump when the president did not accept the results of the 2020 election. Having learned from those mistakes, Trump set out to find a political ally and loyalist to take the helm at the Justice Department in his second administration. As a scholar of law and politics, and someone who has written about the role of the attorney general, I think Trump’s desire has a familiar ring to it. It is not unusual for presidents to put people who share their views and policy preferences into the role. But Trump has gone far beyond what is usually done. Bondi’s ascent Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz was Trump’s first choice for attorney general during the president’s second term. Many commentators viewed Gaetz as a firebrand who was temperamentally unsuited for that position. Some criticized him for calling the president an “inspirational leader of a loving and patriotic movement” in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. In the face of growing opposition generated in part by allegations of his misconduct, Gaetz withdrew. Trump turned to Bondi a few hours later. She had served as Florida’s attorney general and drawn praise from across the political spectrum for her professionalism. A bipartisan group of former state attorneys general wrote a letter attesting to their “firsthand knowledge of her fitness for the office” and her “wealth of prosecutorial experience and commitment to public service.” In addition, as PBS noted at the time of her appointment, Bondi was “a longtime Trump ally and was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial, when he was accused — but not convicted — of abusing his power as he tried to condition U.S. military assistance to Ukraine on that country investigating then-former Vice President Joe Biden.” She also showed her loyalty by attending Trump’s New York trial for paying hush money to porn actor Stormy Daniels, with whom he allegedly had an affair. At the time of her nomination, Bondi seemed to have the attributes of an attorney general. She had the credentials to take on the job of running the DOJ and the confidence of the president who appointed her. From confirmation to downfall During her confirmation hearings, Bondi promised to safeguard the Justice Department’s independence and bolster its transparency. She also vowed to not serve as the president’s personal attorney. And in response to a question from Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, she pledged in January 2025 that “there will never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice.” But she also showed her willingness to joust with Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. She hewed to the MAGA script by refusing to say that the president had lost the 2020 election. And she mounted a spirited attack on the Biden Justice Department, which she claimed had been “weaponized for years and years and years.” Once in office, Bondi took on the difficult task of leading the Justice Department while also pleasing the president. She stood by when Trump used an appearance at the department to give, according to The New York Times, a “grievance-filled attack on the very people who have worked in the building and others like them.” The Times added: “He appeared to offer his own vision of justice in America, one defined by personal vengeance rather than by institutional principles.” Bondi apparently did not do enough to deliver on that version of justice. Last year, Trump had to urge Bondi to take action against his political enemies, including former FBI Director James Comey, California Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Leticia James. “They’re all guilty as hell,” Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, “but nothing is going to be done. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” he added. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” Bondi took her marching orders and launched investigations of those the president named. However, she was not able to secure any convictions. NBC News quoted a former official in the Trump White House who said that failing to secure indictments “is a problem for job security with the president.” If that wasn’t enough, Trump was also reportedly frustrated with the way Bondi had handled the release of the Epstein files, first promising full disclosure and then botching the rollout of the files. Contending visions of the attorney general’s job Bondi’s tenure illustrates the conflicting visions of what an attorney general should do that animate today’s American politics. The questions Democrats asked her during her confirmation were designed to get her to commit to their view of what the attorney general should do. Those questions signaled their belief that anyone occupying that office should maintain their distance from the president and uphold the Justice Department’s independence. But right from the start of the republic, presidents have chosen close political allies to serve as attorney general. It’s common for presidents to appoint their friends and supporters to be attorneys general. Since Franklin D. Roosevelt, many presidents have chosen their campaign manager or their party’s national chairperson to be attorney general of the United States. But even compared with this history, Trump and his allies have a radically different vision, seeing the attorney general as just another Cabinet member whose responsibility is to carry out the president’s policies and implement his directions. As Trump put it in a 2017 interview with The New York Times, he has the “absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department.” In the end, it seems that Bondi was fired for her failure to be effective in the political role assigned to her. It is likely that the president will want to replace her with someone even more political than she was, who promises to deliver more of the results he wants. Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The post Pam Bondi’s extreme political loyalty to Trump wasn’t enough to save her job appeared first on Cobb Courier.