Kash is Misusing More Cash

5.14.26

Happy Thursday and welcome back to Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Let’s break down the latest news.

Heated Exchange Erupts at Senate Hearing Between Kash Patel and Van Hollen….A Senate hearing on the FBI’s budget turned heated as FBI Director Kash Patel and Sen. Chris Van Hollen traded personal accusations, including claims of excessive drinking and misuse of funds. Patel denied allegations about his conduct and fired back with accusations of his own, which Van Hollen also rejected. The exchange escalated to both men agreeing to take a drinking “audit” test.

Common Sense Takeaway: Ummmm, what? First of all, Kash—everybody in America has seen you chug beers on camera. That alone is concerning. You also have multiple allegations of misuse of funds, including a very recent one about doing a "VIP snorkel" around the USS Arizona in an outing coordinated by the military. Everybody knows the saying: you shouldn’t throw stones if you live a glass house.

Republicans Caught Between Needing Trump and Running From Him…Donald Trump is once again at the center of the Republican Party’s midterm strategy, and also its biggest dilemma. GOP leaders are relying on him to energize the base and drive turnout, but in competitive districts, some Republican candidates are keeping their distance, aware of his deep unpopularity with independents. With rising inflation and an ongoing Middle East conflict weighing him down, Trump’s presence on the campaign trail will just as easily mobilize Democratic voters as Republican ones. Behind the scenes, there’s little clarity on a coordinated midterm strategy, and concerns are growing as Republicans defend a narrow House majority with more vulnerable seats than Democrats.

Common Sense Takeaway: The current reality of the GOP is that they need Trump to win, but he may also be the reason they lose. We tried to tell them after January 6th to drop the dead weight, but they didn’t. They clung on to that sinking ship for dear life. I have friends who live in Alabama who have told me privately that many MAGA supporters in the area are pissed at him for two broken promises: the war in Iran and outrageously high gas prices.

Senate Votes to Withhold Lawmakers’ Pay During Shutdown…The Senate unanimously passed a resolution to withhold senators’ pay during future government shutdowns, an effort led by John Kennedy. The measure, which passed 99–0, aims to reflect the “shared sacrifice” faced by federal workers who go unpaid during funding lapses, with salaries released once a shutdown ends. Due to constitutional rules, the policy won’t take effect until after the next election, but lawmakers say it’s intended to discourage repeated shutdowns following two lengthy funding lapses in recent months.

Common Sense Takeaway: Now this is a bipartisan effort I can get behind. This makes sense, but particularly because of the two shutdowns that occurred in the last year. Hopefully, this is a kick in the butt for members to actually reach a deal before funding lapses and Americans have to go without healthcare again.

Races To Watch 👀

Today’s Race: NE-02. A swing district with an open seat after Republican Rep. Don Bacon retired.

Ally’s choice: Democrat Denise Powell. Denise Powell is a small business owner, former corporate executive, and public education and healthcare advocate who says she left the corporate world to focus on community and political engagement in Nebraska. She founded an organization after 2016 that has supported local candidates, public schools, and efforts opposing abortion bans in the state. Now running for Congress, she argues that Nebraska families are facing rising costs and cuts to public services, and says Washington policies are not reflecting local needs. Her campaign focuses on strengthening schools, protecting healthcare programs like Medicaid, and supporting working families and veterans.

Here’s her campaign website: deniseforcongress.org

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Check back tomorrow for more.