Politics and views in the United States

Democrats charge the GOP is laying the groundwork to challenge November's results. The House passed a $70 million budget reconciliation and Senate GOP leaders are frustrated at Democrats blocking intelligence re-authorization.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

It's been pretty clear to all of us that Republicans are laying the groundwork to do anything, and they will say anything to hold power.

California Democratic Congressman Pete Aguilar says President Donald Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud in the California primary are another example of looking for a reason to challenge the midterm results.

The state takes a long time to count millions of mail-in ballots and more Republicans tend to vote in person.

That creates what's called a red mirage, the illusion that GOP candidates are doing better than they are.

But right-wing lawmakers, social media figures, and even some Justice Department officials are repeating Trump's charges.

And in fact, after a week of counting ballots, Fox News commentator Steve Hilton edged out billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer to face former state attorney General Xavier Becerra in the race for California governor.

The White House is also working to move forward with Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting nationally.

In keeping with the order, the Postal Service is proposing states be required to submit voter lists before mailing ballots, and Homeland Security wants states to create databases of all voting-age citizens.

Despite numerous lawsuits often described as likely to succeed, a federal judge declined to stop the moves.

The U.S. Supreme Court says Alabama can use a congressional map which federal courts twice consider discriminatory to black voters.

Alabama will have only one majority black district out of seven, even though blacks make up more than a quarter of the population.

Jatawn Bosby-Gilchrist with the ACLU of Alabama says they've seen this before, and they can't rely on courts to protect their rights.

Historically, the courts have never given black Alabamians, black Southerners their freedom, and so we cannot allow the court to dictate our freedom now.

What we need to continue doing that we've already been doing is mobilizing folks, ensuring people are getting to the polls, and ensuring that they are informed.

The House approved a $70 billion budget reconciliation bill, sending to Trump's desk enough funding for ICE and the Border Patrol to carry out his immigration agenda until the end of his term.

Democrats were unable to include popular reforms to how immigration enforcement is carried out, demanded after ICE killed two protesters in Minneapolis.

Speaker Mike Johnson says this bill's passage is good news for everyone except them.

They gained absolutely nothing from their reckless crusade to return our country to open borders and unfettered mass migration.

Senate Republicans say they're frustrated by Democrats blocking reauthorization for FISA Section 702.

For two decades, it's allowed spy agencies to collect communications between U.S. residents and foreigners without a warrant.

Democrats want to keep mortgage regulator Bill Pulte from becoming the acting National Intelligence Director.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said, quote, we don't need a weaponized director of national intelligence, but warns against letting 702 lapse.

The Section 702 program will go dark.

America's enemies, however, will not.

They will continue working against the United States, whether that's conducting cyber attacks, planning terrorist activity or trafficking fentanyl and other deadly drugs into our country.

I'm Edwin J. Viera for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.