Texas Senate passes bill that would require public schools to use Christian B.C./A.D. system to track years
Senate Bill 2617 passed the chamber on a 22-9 vote, sending the proposal to the Texas House for further consideration just two weeks before the legislative session is set to end.
In addition to preventing schools from purchasing certain materials, the bill would require districts to adopt policies mandating that teachers use B.C. and A.D. during classroom instruction, running contrary to the terms some academics prefer to use — 'Before Common Era' (B.C.E.) and 'Common Era' (C.E.).
'By putting this into law, the Senate bill protects Texas' long standing approach to teaching history clearly, consistently, without political distortion — giving parents, teachers and students confidence in a consistent foundation for learning,' said Sen. Brandon Creighton, the Republican bill author who chairs the education committee.
The legislation passed without a debate on the Senate floor.
'Before Christ' and 'Anno Domini' (which means 'In the year of our Lord') are commonly used to keep track of years before and after Jesus Christ's birth, a precise date that is unknown. Historians also use 'Before Common Era' and 'Common Era' in an effort to ensure time-tracking is inclusive of different faiths and cultures other than Christianity.
'It pains me that we would not be teaching our students to understand the terminology that is widely used throughout the world,' said Paul Colbert, a former state legislator who was the only person to testify on the bill during a committee hearing last month. 'But it pains me even more that we would be denying them the opportunity to learn about the respect for others' religious backgrounds, others' cultural backgrounds, that were the reason for that shift over time.'
The legislation is being proposed three years after the Texas State Board of Education considered moving away from using B.C. and A.D. in favor of the more religiously inclusive terms. The board ultimately did not adopt the policy — which members considered among broader revisions to the state's social studies standards — deciding instead to push back further discussion on history instruction to this year.
The State Board of Education has shifted further to the political right since then. It seems unlikely that the 10 Republicans who currently make up the panel's majority would support the policy previously put forward.
SB 2617's approval in the Senate comes as conservative Christians continue pushing to infuse more religion into public schools and life. Earlier this month, Texas became the latest state to allow families to use taxpayer dollars to fund their children's tuition at private and religious schools. The Senate has also advanced bills that would require public schools to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms and allow time for prayer.
Meanwhile, the State Board of Education authorized an optional elementary school curriculum last year that includes heavy references to the Bible and Christianity while omitting context highlighting the role slavery and racism played in major historical events.
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Indianapolis Star
a few seconds ago
- Indianapolis Star
New Indiana IREAD law sparks parent concern as student retention set to rise
Parents are stressed, and kids are coming home crying. These are the emotions more families say they're experiencing this summer because of a new law that will likely mean more third graders are kept from progressing to the fourth grade. The law that is affecting this year's rising fourth graders will hold back students who do not pass the state's standardized early literacy test, or IREAD, by the end of the third grade and don't meet one of the mandated exemptions. Some parents were left confused this summer as their second- or third-graders were told they have to go to summer school to improve their reading due to the new law; others think holding them back will do more harm than good. One parent who spoke to IndyStar said that their rising third grader is dealing with stress and anxiety over passing the test, especially while trying to get the proper help for their severe dyslexia. 'I don't know how, for an 8 or 9-year-old, that you tell them they're not good at reading and then make them do the year all over when it's already been a struggle for them, and then what, just tell them to try harder at school?' one parent told IndyStar. 'It's just putting kids in a bad education situation for the rest of their lives,' said the parent, who asked not to be named to protect their child's privacy. However, lawmakers like Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, who supported the bill, say this is a necessary step to help young readers continue to grow in school. 'We must recognize we do kids a much bigger disservice when our schools advance students who are not ready to move on in their studies,' Bray told IndyStar. 'Kids learn to read and then read to learn, so ensuring our Hoosier students are prepared for their next level of education is absolutely critical.' Educational experts often cite third grade as a pivotal point in a student's life, where, if foundational reading skills aren't mastered, it could lead them to be academically behind for the rest of their lives. Final scores for this year's IREAD results won't be released until August, but schools are already anticipating the need to adjust staffing and classroom sizes as more students are held back. Indiana schools have historically had the authority to hold students back if they don't feel that they're ready to advance, but the state has been increasingly promoting students over the past decade, according to state data. According to the Indiana Department of Education's third-grade literacy data, in 2012, the state promoted just 4.7% of its third graders who didn't pass IREAD, but in 2023, that had grown to 17% being promoted. This trend also follows national data, where from 2000-2016, retention rates have been dropping. Wayne Township schools for the 2023-24 school year saw about 65% of its third graders pass IREAD, the third-worst proficiency rate among Marion County's 11 school districts. However, in the 2022-23 school year, they allowed 29% of third graders who didn't pass IREAD to continue to the fourth grade. Under the law passed last year, if a student meets one of these exemptions, they can move on to fourth grade: Some English language learning students will also get an exemption from being retained, at least for the next two school years. This year, House Bill 1499 was passed, which allows schools whose third-grade population is comprised of at least 50% English language learners can register those students as exempt from retention if they are unable to pass IREAD. However, this exemption will only last until the start of the 2027-28 school year. This could impact an estimated 550 third-grade English language learners across 25 public schools in Indiana, according to the bill's fiscal note. For this upcoming school year, Wayne Township anticipates needing additional third-grade class sections at two of its 11 elementary schools. 'All students who don't pass IREAD this summer will participate in targeted instruction and intervention next year,' said Jeannine Templeman, Wayne Township's chief communications officer. Indianapolis Public Schools saw the lowest IREAD proficiency rates among Marion County's districts in 2024 at 59%. However, IPS Communications Director Alpha Garrett told IndyStar that they are not concerned about overcrowding in its third grade classrooms for the upcoming school year. Garrett said they are concerned about how IREAD has become more 'high-stakes' in nature and what kind of impact it will have on students' and staff's experiences. One IPS parent whose son did not pass IREAD in second grade told IndyStar she felt misled because of the school's emphasis on getting students to pass it before being held back is required. 'They made it seem like it was mandatory that they pass in the second grade, when really they're testing them on things that aren't even in his grade level yet,' the IPS parent said, who is not being named over concerns that their child would be bullied. 'They made it seem so scary, and didn't explain it well enough that it would be OK if he didn't pass this year.' The IPS parent's son has been getting extra help in summer school this year, but continues to feel anxious about what this test will mean for him heading into third grade. Garrett said that students who are retained in third grade will be placed with a teacher state evaluations show is a "highly effective" educator. Mandatory summer school for third graders who don't pass IREAD was also included in the legislation that requires retention, along with two other chances to pass the test before fourth grade. However, for the next two years, the state will be working with less money for summer school as the budget for 2025-27 allocated around $17.4 million for both years, which is around a $918,000 annual decrease from the 2023-25 budget. In total, Hoosier students now have five chances to pass the test throughout the second and third grades. If students pass IREAD in the second grade, they do not have to retake it. The Indiana Department of Education said schools will be given priority reimbursement for summer school based on how many second- and third-grade students they're serving. Republican leadership in the House and Senate also point to the $170 million from the Lilly Endowment given to the state in 2022 to specifically help with early literacy, as well as a new $100 million allocated to the state department under the 'Freedom and Opportunity in Education Fund' for the 2025-27 budget. Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said during the session that some of the $100 million could go toward summer learning. But there is competition for that money, since Jenner also plans to use it for expanding ILEARN checkpoint testing, teacher recruitment efforts, student data tracking efforts and literacy training for teachers, among other things. The Indy Summer Learning Labs is another tool more schools across the state are using for summer learning, with now over 140 sites across the state serving over 12,000 students. The learning labs support five weeks of free or low-cost summer school during June and July for rising students in first through ninth grades. The labs dedicate the morning hours of the day to learning math and English language arts, and the afternoon is open for extracurricular activities. Liberty Grove Schools at Elder Diggs School 42, an IPS innovation charter school, is one of those learning lab sites this year. The labs are supported by funding from the state's Learning Recovery Grants and are run by the Mind Trust. The Indianapolis-based education organization is typically known for its work around curating charter schools, but it also provides the curriculum and other financial support for lab sites. Liberty Grove founder, Morrise Harbour, wishes they could invite all 250 of their K-6 students to summer school, but they could only afford to offer it to 75. 'We have to offer as many opportunities to our students as possible," Harbour told IndyStar. "Now, they don't have to be mandated to come, but what we're saying is 'if we can afford for you to come, then come.'' Harbour said additional staffing to support retained students may be needed, but they won't know until IREAD results are finalized. This summer, they had 17 third graders retaking IREAD and therefore had to attend the mandatory summer schooling, but 19 other third graders chose to join them at the summer learning lab. Since Liberty Grove Schools opened on the west side in the 2022-23 school year, they've been able to raise their IREAD scores from 29.3% proficient in 2023 to 41% in 2024. The school says they've been using the "science of reading" practices in the curriculum since the start, so adjusting to the retention law has been easier for them than maybe other schools. Every school in the state was required to adopt an early literacy curriculum that supports the science of reading from the state-approved list for the 2024-25 school year. The science of reading is a body of research that focuses on how brains learn to read, with a heavy emphasis on phonics and phonemic awareness, along with teaching fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Harbour thinks that, along with more money, more time to get districts adjusted to the law would help schools like his that serve predominantly low-income students. For the 2024-25 school year, all of Liberty Grove's students qualified for free and reduced lunch. 'Any change of this magnitude where it almost seems like it's all or nothing, in a lot of ways, it takes time,' Harbour said. 'So, obviously, just some time for schools to adjust.' While the state will see more third graders being held back starting this year, Indiana overall has seen growth in its reading proficiency rates in recent years. Overall, statewide IREAD proficiency rates have been steadily increasing since scores dropped in 2021, which is a different story than the 10 years prior, which saw scores steadily declining since the test was first administered in 2013. Last year's scores showed that 82.5% of third graders were reading at grade level, which is still far off from pre-COVID levels of 87.3%. Indiana's fourth-grade reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the "nation's report card," also showed good results, with Indiana's average score improving for the first time since 2015. Indiana ranks sixth in the nation in fourth-grade reading proficiency. Some Indianapolis parents are even taking the chance to become trained in the kind of curriculum that educators are using to teach reading to young students. Elisah Smith is a parent to a rising fourth grader in Warren Township and also participated in the RISE Indy Freedom Readers program, which trains parents for 16 weeks on the science of reading practices. Smith's daughter was able to pass IREAD, in part she says, because the teachers at her Warren Township elementary school were transparent about the specifics around the test. "I think the more transparent you are with parents, the less stress it is for the kiddos, and letting the kiddos know that this is their opportunity to take it, but there will also be other opportunities, too, if you don't pass it," Smith told IndyStar. Smith plans to volunteer in Warren Township to help other young readers once the school year begins. Advice that she would give other parents who have a child struggling to read is to seek help. "Don't be afraid, and don't keep that a secret," Smith said. "There are literacy programs out there and we are not here to judge the parent. We are here to make sure that the student is successful."
Politico
40 minutes ago
- Politico
Thune's pre-recess game plan
IN TODAY'S EDITION:— Thune's 'minibus' dream for this week— Grassley's willing to cancel August recess— GOP blames Hamas as conditions in Gaza worsen Senators are racing the clock to make a dent in both the government funding process and President Donald Trump's backlog of nominees before heading home for August recess. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is hoping to get the first appropriations package through the chamber by the end of this week, with lawmakers on the hook for landing a deal to avoid a shutdown come Sept. 30. To that end, GOP leaders are negotiating with members of their conference over a 'minibus' of three bills that would, collectively, fund the departments of Commerce, Justice, Agriculture and Veterans Affairs, as well as key military construction projects and the FDA. Sen. John Kennedy's opposition to including legislation that would fund congressional operations will likely force leadership to postpone debating a fourth bill at this time. The pending package will require senators to run out two, 30-hour debate clocks; the ability to move faster will require buy-in from all 100 senators. It will also take time for lawmakers of both parties to agree on amendments and then hold votes, and Democrats are still deliberating their strategy, a person granted anonymity to share private negotiations tells Jordain. Republican leadership still believes it can pass the mini-bus before leaving town, according to a second person granted anonymity. But one potential fallback option, according to two people granted anonymity, could be for the Senate to schedule a final passage vote before they leave town for the first week back in September. Senate Republicans are also under pressure from Trump to confirm more of his nominees before heading home for recess. Thune has warned his members to prepare to vote at least through this weekend after the president urged senators to stay in Washington through August to wrap up the work, though many lawmakers aren't pleased with that idea. They're eager, instead, to get back to their home states, especially as they look to counter Democratic messaging against the freshly-passed GOP megabill. Other Senate Republicans say they're ready to give Trump what he's after. Over the weekend, Sen. Mike Lee repeatedly urged his colleagues to either work through August to advance nominations or cancel all pro-forma sessions over the next month to allow Trump to make recess appointments. 'The Senate can't have it both ways,' Lee said in a post on X. Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley also said he's on board with the president's call for the Senate to stick around to vote on nominations through August, writing on X, 'Trump needs his administration in place.' Republicans have typically been unenthused by the idea of recess appointments, though, and it's unlikely they'd go along with that plan. And while Thune is threatening to keep the Senate in session deeper into August, many lawmakers view it as just that: a threat to get Democrats to cut a deals on nominations to get out of town. 'I think it's fair to say that we're going keep the pressure on the Democrats to, you know, stay here until either they cooperate or we're just going to grind it out and do it the old fashioned way,' Thune told Jordain. GOOD MONDAY MORNING. Email us at mmccarthy@ jcarney@ crazor@ and bguggenheim@ Follow our live coverage at WHAT WE'RE WATCHINGWith help from Jordan Williams The House will meet for a pro forma session at 2 p.m. The Senate is in session and will vote to move forward with David Wright's nomination to be a Nuclear Regulatory Commission member at 5:30 p.m. Lawmakers will vote to confirm Wright and move forward with Earl Matthews' nomination to be DOD general counsel at 8 p.m. — Senate Agriculture will consider the nominations of Brian Quintenz to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Michael Boren to be under secretary of agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment at 5:30 p.m. The rest of the week: The Senate will continue marking up government funding bills and confirming the president's nominations. Pro subscribers receive this newsletter with a full congressional schedule and can browse our comprehensive calendar of markups, hearings and other notable events around Washington. Sign up for a demo. THE LEADERSHIP SUITE Johnson pans bipartisan push for a vote to release Epstein files Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday criticized an ongoing effort from Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna that would force a House floor vote to compel the release of more files related to the charges against the deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The bipartisan duo's proposal is 'reckless,' Johnson said on NBC's 'Meet the Press,' arguing it would force the DOJ and FBI to release information 'that was not even credible enough to be entered into the court proceedings.' He also said it wouldn't do enough to protect Epstein's victims. 'These are minors in many cases who were subjected to unspeakable crimes, abject evil,' Johnson said. 'They've already suffered great harm. We do not need their names being unmasked. The Massie and the Khanna [bill] ... does not have adequate protections.' Asked whether Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell would be deserving of a pardon — something Trump has yet to rule out — Johnson said: 'I think 20 years was a pittance. I think she should have a life sentence at least ... I have great pause about that as any reasonable person would.' Johnson last week suggested the House Oversight effort to subpoena testimony from Maxwell might be a waste of time since she could not be counted upon to serve as a 'credible witness.' Massie and Khanna, in a separate, joint interview on the same program Sunday, rejected the argument that their bill would put Epstein and Maxwell's victims at risk. 'That's a straw man,' Massie said. 'Ro and I carefully crafted this legislation so that the victims' names will be redacted and that no child pornography will be released. So [leadership is] hiding behind that. But we're trying to get justice for the victims.' Khanna argued that many of the victims 'do want these files released for closure and for healing.' The two lawmakers predict they will easily collect the 218 signatures required to circumvent leadership and force a floor vote on the matter upon the House's return from recess in September. Republicans blame Hamas as starvation conditions in Gaza worsen As the U.S. pulls out of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, GOP leaders say Hamas' inability to cooperate is damaging any hopes of progress in the region. Last week, a U.N. World Food Programme official said about a quarter of the population in Gaza is facing famine-like conditions. Yet as global condemnation sharpens against the Israeli military's limit on aid routes, Trump and Republican leaders continue to insist Hamas is to blame for the fact that civilians, including children, are dying of hunger. 'People are stealing the food, they're stealing the money,' Trump told reporters Sunday. 'They're stealing weapons. That whole place is a mess… the Gaza Strip.' Johnson echoed those talking points on NBC: 'Israel, since this war began, has supplied over 94,000 truckloads full of food,' he said Sunday. 'But Hamas has stolen the food, a huge amount.' (The New York Times reported Saturday that the Israeli military has not found proof that Hamas has systematically stolen aid from the U.N.) The Israeli military on Sunday paused fighting in various population centers across Gaza to increase the delivery of humanitarian aid. Airdrops of aid have resumed. Still, some congressional Democratic leaders who have typically been mindful not to appear unsupportive of a longtime U.S. ally are sending dire warnings to Israel about the starvation crisis — and telling Trump his administration needs to take urgent action. 'The starvation and death of Palestinian children and civilians in an ongoing war zone is unacceptable,' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement late Friday. 'The Trump administration has the ability to bring an end to this humanitarian crisis. ... It is imperative that humanitarian aid be surged into Gaza immediately, the remaining Israeli hostages be released and the ceasefire negotiated by the Biden administration restored.' POLICY RUNDOWN SMITH ENDORSES ROLLBACK OF GAMBLING DEDUCTION CHANGES — House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith said Friday he supports reversing a new policy that got shoehorned into the GOP megabill that will curtail tax deductions for gambling losses. 'The version of the one big, beautiful bill that passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee did not make any changes to the tax treatment of gambling losses,' Smith said at a field hearing in Las Vegas, the tax-writing panel's first stop in a recess campaign to sell the sweeping domestic policy package. The provision, which has caused an uproar in the gambling community, will reduce the amount of gambling losses that taxpayers can deduct — from 100 percent to 90 percent — beginning in 2026. It would effectively mean that an individual could still owe taxes on their gambling activities even if they break even. Smith blamed Senate Republicans for inserting the provision, adding that 'many members on both sides of the aisle are open to working to address it before it goes into effect on January 1.' Rep. Dina Titus, who has introduced legislation in the House that would reverse the policy change, made a guest appearance at the committee event in her home state and thanked Smith for his support. She noted that Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, along with the Resorts Association and the American Gambling Association, all came out in support of reversing the new tax rules. RSC LAUNCHES TASK FORCE FOR SECOND MEGABILL — Republican Study Committee Chair August Pfluger on Friday announced the creation of the 'RSC Reconciliation 2.0 Working Group,' which will focus on crafting a policy framework for the next legislative package Republicans want to pass through the party-line budget reconciliation process. Pfluger touted the conservative coalition's role in driving down the deficit impact of the final version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. GOP leaders and committee chairs in both chambers have indicated over the past month there is ample opportunity to legislate further in the arenas of tax, trade and particularly health care. But it's not yet clear what the broader political appetite will be to pursue a second partisan package after the intraparty strains the process put on Republicans the first time around this year. JIM JORDAN IN EUROPE — House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan will meet with the European Commission's executive vice president for tech policy, Henna Virkkunen, today after leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to London and Brussels over the weekend, Anthony Adragna reports. That sit-down will come as Jordan has used his gavel to condemn European tech laws, which he has accused of censorship against American social media companies. He's also expected to tout a Judiciary committee staff report that was released this past Friday, which knocks the European Union's Digital Services Act as a 'foreign censorship threat' and alleges that 'overzealous European bureaucrats' are being 'empowered' to 'impose global censorship standards,' including on the U.S. BIPARTISAN SCRUTINY ON USDA SHAKEUP — Democrats and Republicans on Senate Agriculture have serious questions about the USDA's recent shakeup that would shift most of its Washington-area staff among five regional hubs around the country. The top committee Democrat, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, called the relocation plan 'half-baked,' while Chair John Boozman expressed disappointment he wasn't consulted on the plan. Bipartisan scrutiny of the proposed agency reorganization will come to a head during a committee hearing Wednesday, where lawmakers will hear from Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden. Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E: CAMPAIGN STOP THE GOP'S MASTRIANO PROBLEM — Trump's advisers privately fear far-right firebrand Doug Mastriano could make Republicans lose the Pennsylvania governor's seat and drag down the GOP ticket in the midterms if he wins the nomination, Holly Otterbein reports. Republicans blame Mastriano for costing the party a Senate contest, multiple House seats and a state legislative chamber in 2022 when he lost the gubernatorial race by 15 points. Trump initially endorsed him in the primary at that time but came to regret the decision as Mastriano raised little money and aired almost no TV ads. Now, as he teases a comeback bid against Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, people close to Trump's political operation tell Holly the president's team thinks Mastriano 'could jeopardize multiple down-ballot congressional races.' NORMAN MAKES IT OFFICIAL — Rep. Ralph Norman is entering the race for South Carolina governor, setting up a competitive Republican primary in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Henry McMaster, Jacob Wendler reports. Norman, a House Freedom Caucus stalwart who has represented South Carolina's 5th District since 2017, has already changed his X handle to 'Ralph Norman for Governor' and launched his campaign website. He's poised to primary Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson, the son of S.C. GOP Rep. Joe Wilson. Rep. Nancy Mace has previously said she is 'seriously considering' entering the race as well. COOPER MAKES IT (SORT OF) OFFICIAL — Former Gov. Roy Cooper seemingly announced his bid for Senate in North Carolina this past weekend at a Democratic state party dinner. 'Everybody who is planning to run for office next year, please stand up!' Cooper told the crowd on Saturday night — then added, to enthusiastic cheers from the audience, 'Hey, I'm not sitting down. Am I?' Democrats, who see North Carolina as one of the party's best opportunities in an otherwise challenging Senate midterm map, have been eagerly awaiting Cooper's decision about whether to run for the seat being vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis. Trump has endorsed RNC chair Michael Whatley on the Republican side. THE BEST OF THE REST Democrats Get More Vocal About 'Horrors Upon Horrors' in Gaza, from Brett Bachman at NOTUS Democratic candidates are posting weightlifting videos in search of a midterm lift, from David Wright at CNN JOB BOARD Joel Valdez is now acting deputy press secretary for the Pentagon. He most recently was comms director and senior adviser for Rep. Lauren Boebert and previously worked for former Rep. Matt Gaetz. Devyn Shea is now press secretary for Sen. Dan Sullivan. He most recently was press secretary for Del. Kimberlyn King-Hinds. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Rep. Gabe Evans … former Rep. Liz Cheney … former Sen. Bill Bradley … NBC's Courtney Kube … Mark Meadows … Richard Haass … Kathy Dedrick (5-0) … Josh Bell of Rep. Ron Estes' office … Abigail Kane … Patrick Boland … Tanya Snyder … Stacy McBride of HB Strategies … Michael Herald of Sen. Todd Young's office TRIVIA FRIDAY'S ANSWER: Dale Marsico correctly answered that George Washington did not visit Rhode Island during a congressional recess in 1789 because the state had not ratified the constitution yet. TODAY'S QUESTION, from Dale: What occupation did Franklin Delano Roosevelt claim when he voted, even while serving as president? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@
Boston Globe
4 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Vice President JD Vance is on the road again to sell the Republicans' big new tax law
In West Pittston, Pennsylvania, Vance told attendees at an industrial machine shop that they should be able to keep more of their pay in their pockets, highlighting the law's new tax deductions on overtime. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Vance also discussed a new children's savings program called Trump Accounts and how the new law promotes energy extraction, while decrying Democrats for opposing the bill that keeps the current tax rates, which would have otherwise expired later this year. Advertisement The legislation cleared the GOP-controlled Congress by the narrowest of margins, with Vance breaking a tie vote in the Senate for the package that also sets aside hundreds of billions of dollars for Trump's immigration agenda while slashing Medicaid and food stamps. The vice president is also stepping up his public relations blitz on the bill as the White House tries to deflect attention away from the growing controversy over Jeffrey Epstein. Advertisement The disgraced financier killed himself, authorities say, in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Trump and his top allies stoked conspiracy theories about Epstein's death before Trump returned to the White House and are now reckoning with the consequences of a Justice Department announcement earlier this month that Epstein did indeed die by suicide and that no further documents about the case would be released. Questions about the case continued to dog Trump in Scotland, where he on Sunday announced a framework trade deal with the European Union. Asked about the timing of the trade announcement and the Epstein case and whether it was correlated, Trump responded: 'You got to be kidding with that.' 'No, had nothing to do with it,' Trump told the reporter. 'Only you would think that.' The White House sees the new law as a clear political boon, sending Vance to promote it in swing congressional districts that will determine whether Republicans retain their House majority next year. The northeastern Pennsylvania stop is in the district represented by Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan, a first-term lawmaker who knocked off a six-time Democratic incumbent last fall. On Monday, Vance will be in the district of Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes, who is a top target for the National Republican Congressional Committee this cycle. Polls before the bill's passage showed that it largely remained unpopular, although the public approves of some individual provisions such as increasing the child tax credit and allowing workers to deduct more of their tips on taxes.
