Josh Hawley in the news for opposing federal AI preemption while pushing GOP takes on tech and culture. U.S. senator from Missouri, former Missouri AG.
President Donald Trump has said he will suspend the 18.4ยข federal gasoline tax "till it's appropriate" to ease rising pump prices; he has endorsed legislation Sen. Josh Hawley is introducing but cannot act unilaterally. Suspension would cut roughly 4% from retail prices and would reduce funds for the Highway Trust Fund.
The Senate has cleared a path to debate a roughly $70 billion bill funding ICE and CBP, with Republicans rallying to pass it via budget reconciliation. Democrats are set to offer amendments, including a bid to permanently ban a $1.776 billion settlement fund tied to allies who supporters say were persecuted.
The White House has issued a scaled-back executive order asking frontier AI firms to voluntarily share advanced models 30 days before release for cybersecurity review. Last week the administration has imposed export-style restrictions that forced Anthropic to cut access to its Fable and Mythos models, prompting industry alarm about ad hoc controls and the limits of the voluntary framework.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has moved toward ending federal monitorship after decades of oversight. Barbara Jones oversees the process with a path to a permanent compliance role; the union has implemented internal controls and vowed tougher discipline. The development follows ongoing mergers of union leadership and the approval of related reforms.
The Senate confirms a permanent FEMA administrator candidate who has pledged objectivity and faster disaster decisions, amid concerns about partisan influence and staff downsizing.