I love democracy

I’ve come up with an easy way to determine how concerned House Republicans are about Trump dragging them down in this fall’s midterm elections. All you need to do is ask them whether they plan to be seen with him next week at the American Airlines Center in Dallas during the party’s 2026 national convention.

Chances are, they’re not going to be there. Trump’s cratering approval ratings appear to have spooked vulnerable House Republicans into staying far from the grand celebration of all things Trump. I spoke to eight different incumbent Republicans running in some of the closest races this cycle, and not a single one of them confirmed they planned to attend what Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters has dubbed “Trumpapalooza.”

Quite a few of them were clear they could not attend, each with a different excuse.

Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) has a debate scheduled against his Democratic opponent during the second night of the convention.

“We’re trying to work it all out at this point, but it’s conflicting with my—at least right now—only televised debate that we do in Arizona,” Ciscomani told me. “So we’re gonna have to prioritize the debate if it comes to that.”

Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) has conflicting “work stuff,” telling me, “I have a place I have to be that day and can’t be there.” Congress is out of session, but Hill does have some (very) limited private-sector duties.

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) was a bit more forthcoming about her reasons for not attending: Her time would be better spent back home than in Texas.

“Because I have a district that I have to be in and take care of, so I’ll be in my district,” she said.

Several more Republicans were undecided on whether they would attend. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said her being there hinges on whether she can find someone to watch her kids for the week. That’s certainly valid. However, most of the undecided representatives I spoke with sounded as though they had simply not planned their lives that far in advance. (Given that the convention will kick off a week from tomorrow, I feel for their assistants.)

“I’m not sure,” Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.) told me. “I haven’t made any plans as of right now.”

“We’re still trying to figure that out,” said Rep. John McGuire (R-Va.).

Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) told me he doesn’t know what he’s doing yet, either. Asked what could help him reach a decision, Crane said, “Just a bunch of different things.”

“Obviously we’re in the middle of campaign season,”¹ Crane added. “So that’s my priority.”

“I don’t know yet,” said Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) when I asked if he’s planning to book a ticket. “It should be a lot of fun—a lot of excitement, and a good framing of why our message is common sense and [the Democrats’ message] is crazy.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that some members “need to be in their districts on those two days on September 9 and 10,” adding:

It’s a critical time right before early voting begins nationwide. So people have made individual decisions based upon what’s best for their district and all that. But we’ll have at least an appearance by—most of our members I think will be there.

Holding a national convention in a midterm election cycle is odd, especially when its primary purpose appears to be elevating a president as he reaches historic levels of disapproval. (The president is slated to speak on both nights of the convention.) Perhaps that’s reason enough for the candidates whose races will determine the balance of the House next year to stay far from the American Airlines Center.

Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen

Pro tip: Never plan a vacation to a national park at the end of September. Why? Well, that’s often around when the government’s funding mechanisms stop working, leading to closures and members of Congress standing around asking when somebody is going to do something about it. But this year, your trip will be safe.

While funding was set to expire on September 30, House Republicans passed the spending bill Tuesday afternoon after some good old-fashioned infighting.

The continuing resolution would fund the government through December 11, meaning we will get to do this all over again just in time for Christmas. Sigh.

The infighting this time centered on a hemp policy amendment. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, opposed language that allows hemp-derived THC products—what he calls “gas station weed”—to be classified as hemp for regulatory purposes. Doing so amounts to “a failure of the federal government to adequately regulate it,” Harris says.

Other lawmakers pressed wrinkles into what should be a smooth process. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) sent a letter to the chairmen of the Appropriations and Budget Committees outlining his opposition to the CR as it was written. Roy noted that the spending bill would direct money to abortion providers, which he cited as counter to the conservative cause.

“These are not incidental matters,” Roy wrote.

Congress possesses the power of t