Good afternoon. Here’s what you need to know.

THE LATEST

Reconciliation? Check back in June. Senators will take up the budget bill after the Memorial Day recess.

• “I really don’t know,” President Donald Trump said when asked if he’s losing control of Senate Republicans. “I only do what’s right. I don’t need money for the ballroom.”
  

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faced heavy opposition while pushing the new $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund at the Senate Republican lunch today. The White House is stressing there are “no partisan restrictions” — and applicants can include “Senators whose records were secretly subpoenaed.”

• Sen. Lisa Murkowski called the fund “a bomb in the middle of a pretty well-planned out reconciliation bill,” adding that “nobody held back” at the lunch.
  

• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden introduced the “SLUSH FUND Act” to impose a 100% tax on any payouts, matching Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson’s House version.
  

• Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Tom Suozzi have drafted text to kill the fund, but are waiting for answers from Blanche about who can access payouts.
  

The DNC’s 2024 election autopsy is finally out — and DNC Chair Ken Martin denounced it immediately after he released it. The report includes errors, missing sections, conflicting data points, and no conclusion on lessons learned.

• “I could not in good faith put the DNC’s stamp of approval on the report that was produced,” Martin said in a statement. “By not putting the report out, I ended up creating an even bigger distraction. For that, I sincerely apologize.”
  

• The document’s author refused to finish the report and is no longer working with the DNC, sources told NOTUS.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Trump’s plan for a 250-foot arch cleared the Commission of Fine Arts today, months after the president overhauled the panel with his appointees. The National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to review the plans in early June.

The president is postponing signing an executive order allowing federal oversight into AI models before they’re publicly released over concerns that it would hurt the industry.

THE AGENCIES

The EPA is loosening restrictions on “super pollutant” chemicals, saying that allowing their increased use will drive down grocery prices.

• One economist told NOTUS the average customer would likely save about $2 a year.
  

The DOJ charged 15 people in Minnesota in connection with alleged Medicaid fraud schemes totaling $90 million, FBI Director Kash Patel announced.

A federal judge tossed the DOJ’s suit seeking Maine’s complete voter rolls, saying Title III of the Civil Rights Act is not designed to audit voter roll compliance. Six other states have dismissed similar attempts.

All U.S.-bound American citizens and permanent residents who’ve visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within three weeks of arrival in the U.S. can only enter through Dulles International Airport over Ebola outbreak concerns.

CONNOR’S WEDDING

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