DSA: Democrats Squabble Again

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for Sept. 1, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Boy, is the House back. The chamber voted 370-48 to fund federal agencies until mid-December, averting concerns about a September shutdown ahead of the midterms.

• A good number of Democrats joined Republicans to vote for the CR because it tackled border patrol concerns and restored funding for some previously excluded programs.

A pair of moderate Democrats, Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, rescued a GOP push to denounce socialism and the DSA by siding with Republicans on a key procedural vote today.

• Neither party seemed prepared — Hakeem Jeffries told reporters he “didn’t get a heads-up. You’ll have to talk to Katherine [Clark.]”

Also up this evening: Rep. Chuck Edwards’ censure and the Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act.

THE HILL

New Georgia Rep. Everton Blair was sworn in this afternoon to replace the late David Scott. Aisha Wahab, former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s replacement, will be sworn in tomorrow.

• Democrats’ ranks will rise to 214, cutting the GOP’s margin to two votes.

House GOP defense hawks — among them Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers, Rep. Ken Calvert and Rep. Rob Wittman — are again urging the Senate to pass the third reconciliation bill, NOTUS’ Joe Gould reports. Lawmakers acknowledged the Pentagon has been moving money within accounts to pay for the Iran war, which was not included in its 2026 budget request.

• Sending Recon 3.0 “would plug a lot of holes until we can get something else passed,” Calvert told reporters today.

THE ADMINISTRATION

USPS’s mail-in ballot restriction plans involve a “rushed” and untested new system that could prevent voters from receiving their ballots, a new whistleblower report says.

Chevron will increase its production capacity in Venezuela after the U.S. expanded its control over the country’s oil industry. Energy Secretary Chris Wright is planning to lead a group there soon.

The CDC has scrubbed two measles deaths in Pennsylvania from its website.

The administration is struggling to assuage investors’ concerns over the U.S. economy.

Is it 2009 again? MapQuest has surged in popularity after rebuffing an executive order to rename Lake Ontario, The Washington Post reports.

MOVE OVER, TEEN SPIRIT

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kelly Poe and Jonann Brady. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.