Panic! In the Speaker’s Office

Good afternoon. This is the Afternoon Sun newsletter for Sept. 16, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

A meeting in Mike Johnson’s office — meant for caucus leaders to discuss suspending the gas tax — went off the rails late last night, with multiple sources describing the session as one of the most contentious this year.

• “This is fucking war! This is war!” Rep. Andy Harris (R-Maryland) shouted at one point, sources in the room told The Washington Sun’s Reese Gorman.

House Republicans opted to cut their workweek short by one day, avoiding a contentious long-shot vote on whether to impeach Pete Hegseth. After today’s votes, the chamber won’t be back in session until after the midterms.

THE HILL

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-New Jersey) is sending anti-congressional stock trade mailers, even as he trades stocks, The Sun’s Mark Alfred scoops.

Republican senators say even their Trump-loving constituents are tired of the Iran war.

The just-concluded primary season made at least one thing resoundingly clear: Democrats are seeing an explosion in voter turnout.

Latinos hold less than 7 percent of top House staff positions, according to a new report from the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association.

THE ADMINISTRATION

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time since 2023 in an attempt to tamp down high inflation that’s heated up with the Iran war.

• Trump railed against the decision on Truth Social this afternoon, saying rates should be “1%, or less.” He added: “We are ‘carrying’ almost every country in the World, and that cannot go on any longer.”

Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) filed an emergency motion challenging the Kennedy Center’s abrupt closure to the public. Additional fencing reportedly went up around the building today.

Administration officials say the Venezuelan oil deal won’t lower gas prices before the midterms.

Chief of staff Susie Wiles announced she is “cancer-free” after receiving an early-stage breast cancer diagnosis several months ago.

THE WORLD

EU leader Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the group’s first associate member as tensions rise between the U.S. and its northern neighbor.

A new global poll found declining comfort with either the United States or China taking a leading role in world affairs, even as support for international cooperation remained steady.

THE COURTS

The family of a 37-year-old woman who died while pregnant filed a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and others, alleging state law prevented her from getting a potentially life-saving abortion.

THE UPPER CHAMBER

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