update & legislative report 08/09/2025

You can make a difference

How To Get Involved

Join us every Saturday, 12-1 for our weekly protest. We’ve partnered with veterans groups to fight democracy and all our rights every week. We’ll be in Highland on the SE corner of Ridge and 41 at the Veterans Flags Memorial.
Limited parking, along with handicapped spots, is available behind the memorial. If the lot is full, park at Wicker Park and rally on the NW corner of Ridge and 41. Bring your signs and your passion! And please bring nonperishable food items. We donate to a different pantry each week.
Please let us know you’re coming and sign up here.

Our next public meeting will be Thursday, Aug. 14 at 6pm at the H.O.P.E. Center, 222 McCelland Ave. in Michigan City. Join us as we hear and learn from State Representative Pat Boy and Angie Henzman of Stronger Together. We’ll learn what’s been happening at the statehouse along with what to expect in the next state legislative session. We’ll also learn about changes to voter registration in Indiana in addition to Indivisible updates and more!
Please sign up here.

Then on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 6pm, at the Merrillville Library we’ll meet again, this time with a focus on immigration and Briar Woods.
Join us for a talk by Pablo Balcazar of Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance and an update on Briar Woods by Rafael Manzo. A grassroots community group has been working to save the Briar East Woods, a 32-acre, 4,700 year old ancient dune – woodland in Hammond, Indiana from destruction by the Governor’s Parkway bridge, a city of Hammond overpass project.
Please register here.

This month we are supporting Hilltop Neighborhood House which provides many services to the community.
They are in need of back-to-school backpack supplies. If you are able, please bring some supplies to donate:
colored pencils, watercolor paints, markers, construction paper, looseleaf paper, notebooks, erasers, glue, scissors, playdough, craft sticks (popsicle sticks), tempera paint
Hilltop Neighborhood House empowers the community and strengthens families by providing a place to learn, grow and belong. Lear n more about this important community outreach organization here: https://hilltophouse.org/.
Please bring your items to one of our Aug. meetings.

Republican lawmakers in Indiana have been asked by the Trump Administration to redraw the state’s congressional map, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans. 
The White House and GOP allies have been exploring redistricting Indiana’s map as part of their broad push to create more Republican seats across the country.
Indiana Republicans control seven of the state’s nine congressional seats. Republicans believe they could easily redraw Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.) out of his northwestern district. (Punchbowl News)
Your own words are best, but here’s a suggested script to get you started: 
“I am outraged that Republicans would resort to redrawing maps to squeeze out the last two Democratic representatives in Indiana. If Republicans want more representatives in Congress, they should promote and enact policies and values that appeal to voters. In gerrymandered districts, elected officials choose their voters. Hoosiers must be allowed to choose who represents them in government. Let the voters decide who represents them! Do not even consider redrawing Indiana’s already heavily gerrymandered maps. Redistricting is a march to authoritarianism.” 
Contact Governor Braun: 317-232-4567; Email: https://in.accessgov.com/gov/Forms/Page/gov/share-an-opinion/1
Contact your state representative and senator: https://iga.in.gov/information/find-legislators

Make calls to federal legislators! It’s very easy with 5calls. They provide phone numbers and scripts along with information about each issue or bill: https://5calls.org/

Hope from a young Hoosier:
“Staying can be an act of resistance — and hope
You need time, money and privilege to move — and not everyone has that — which is why it’s important to consider the change that can come from staying.
“Existence is resistance,” Butler University graduate Mae-Mae Han said. “If [you] belong to a minoritized group or marginalized group, literally just being that identity and not being afraid to exist in that as that identity is going against what [conservatives] want.”
Han is a graduate of Butler’s pharmacy program. She intends to stay in Indiana, even considering how the state is more restrictive in access to health care.
“Learning about just the health care statistics of Indiana has made me more motivated to be the best pharmacist that I can and advocate for patient care,” Han said.”
“It’s really important for people who do care about making social change to stay in Indiana,” she added. (IndyStar)

Enacted, signed into law

H.R. 1815: VA Home Loan Program Reform Act
H.R. 517: Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act
S. 1582: GENIUS Act

Congress

Passed the House and Senate
S. 423: PRO Veterans Act of 2025
S. 201: ACES Act of 2025
H.R. 1316: Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act
H.R. 2808: Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act
 
Passed the House, Senate next

Senate
Passed by Unanimous Consent (House next)
S. 1020: A bill to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of certain hydropower projects.
S. 1595: Improving Police CARE Act
S. 2480: Telecom Cybersecurity Transparency Act
S. 2480: Telecom Cybersecurity Transparency Act

Senate Republicans confirmed (from GovTrack)

  • Jeanine Pirro as the top federal prosecutor for D.C. (WaPo)
  • Andrew Puzder, Representative of the United States of America to the European Union, with the rank of Ambassador, confirmed 53-44. Puzder is a former fast food executive who did not get confirmed in the first Trump Administration due to a mix of proven and alleged misconduct including hiring an undocumented immigrant (admitted by Puzder), failing to pay taxes (admitted by Puzder), abusing his ex-wife (which she later recanted) and sexually assaulting an employee (they reached a settlement). Two Democrats voted for him: Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).
  • Emil J. Bove III, United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit was confirmed 50-49. Bove negotiated a quid pro quo with Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, to drop a corruption prosecution if Adams would agree to help with the Administration’s deportation efforts. Several whistleblowers also came forward before the vote claiming that Bove had directed them to ignore the courts when judges ruled against the administration. Previously Bove was one of President Trump’s personal lawyers. Now, at 44 and with a record of loyalty to the President regardless of law or circumstance, he has a lifetime appointment as a judge, a position in which he is supposed to render judgements in an unbiased manner.
  • Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence was confirmed 52-44. Kent, a twice failed Congressional candidate for Washington’s 3rd District (held now by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez), has a long history of association with white nationalists and conspiracy theorists.

To find and contact your Members of Congress:  https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials 

In other news

“The Department of Health and Human Services has decided to slash about $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine development.”  The mRNA vaccine is highly effective and safe. (CNN)

Texas is in the process of further gerrymandering its congressional districts—at Trump’s behest—to gain 5 more republican seats from that state. Not sure what gerrymandering is or how it works? Check out APNews. And yup, it’s mostly legal. Under a heavily gerrymandered state like Indiana legislators in effect choose their voters—we don’t get to choose our representatives. That’s at both the state and federal levels.

“The National Weather Service has received permission to hire 450 meteorologists, hydrologists and radar technicians just months after being hit hard by Department of Government Efficiency-related cuts and early retirement incentives.” (CNN)

April, the Trump administration cut off food aid to Afghanistan. The U.S. had provided 4.6 billion to the World Food Program. Now millions of Afghans are experiencing acute food insecurity and malnutrition. (CNN)

“Israel’s cabinet approved a plan today to take over Gaza City, the territory’s capital and its largest population center before the war displaced many of its residents. The announcement runs counter to U.S. and other international calls to negotiate an end to the almost two-year war and prompted criticism from some foreign governments; Germany said today it would halt exports to Israel of arms that could be used in Gaza. It also spurred fears that Israeli hostages and Palestinian civilians would be put at risk in an unpopular war expansion.” (Council on Foreign Affairs)

“Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to launch a grand jury investigation into accusations that Obama administration officials manufactured intelligence about Russia’s 2016 election interference, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. The move follows a referral from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who declassified documents last month that she alleged undermined the Obama administration’s conclusion that Russia had launched a campaign of influence and hacking to help Donald Trump win the election against Hillary Clinton. CNN has previously reported that Gabbard’s allegations misrepresented what the intelligence community actually concluded.” (CNN)

“In an attempt to block Republicans from aggressively redrawing Texas’ congressional map in their favor, House Democrats left the state on Sunday. The Texas Constitution requires two-thirds of state House members to be present to conduct legislative business and the Democrats’ absence denies the GOP a quorum.” (CNN) 

The Department of Veterans Affairs has proposed a rule limiting abortions to those necessary to save the life of the mother. Biden had expanded access to include victims of rape and incest  and in cases where the mother’s health is impacted by the pregnancy. The new rule is up for public comment for 30 days starting Aug. 4. (CNN)

“Columbia University reached an agreement with the Trump administration that it said would restore federal grant funding in exchange for paying a federal penalty of more than $200 million. (The Hill)

The administration announced an additional probe against George Mason University, making it the fourth since Trump took office. (The Hill)

Five universities are under investigation over scholarships for “Dreamers.” (The Hill)

The courts
“A  federal judge ordered a two-week halt to construction at an immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” as she considers whether it violates environmental laws. (AP News)

“A federal appeals court kept a temporary restraining order in place preventing immigration stops based on skin color, language spoken or accents.  The administration asked the Supreme Court to lift the injunction. BTW, in violation of the injunction, DHS resumed their stops in LA on Wednesday.”  (HuffPost)

The Eighth Circuit ruled Monday that only the Justice Department can sue under Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act; private parties or individuals have no standing.  (Section 208 provides assistance for disabled people to vote.) This will more than likely end up before the Supreme Court.  (HuffPost)

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration cannot reallocate billions meant for disaster mitigation. (PBS)

“A federal appeals court ruled Friday night to uphold a lower court’s temporary order blocking the Trump administration from conducting indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in Southern California.” (Western Slopes Now)

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction, blocking the provision in the reconciliation law that unconstitutionally “defunds” Planned Parenthood from going back into effect. This means that patients can use Medicaid at Planned Parenthood health centers throughout the country and that those health centers can be reimbursed for the services they provide … (Planned Parenthood.org)

The Supreme Court agreed to discuss Ghislaine Maxwell’s petition to appeal her conviction on September 29, 2025, when they meet for a conference to review petitions received over the summer.  (Scotus blog)

 A federal judge dismissed a case brought by the Trump administration over Chicago policies not to participate in federal immigration enforcement.  
The judge stated that the federal government cannot compel states to “enact or administer a federal regulatory program… while Congress has many enumerated powers, and may even overtake state law, it may not wield States as federal tools.” (WBEZ)

The Ninth Circuit (Appeals) Court upheld the ban on Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship which makes it more than likely that it will be decided by the Supreme Court. (HuffPost)

SCOTUS
“The Supreme Court halted ruling that limits Voting Rights Act enforcement.”  It halted a lower court’s ruling that prevented private parties from suing under Article 2 of the Voting Rights Act (prohibits discrimination in voting.)  It’s another case from the Court’s shadow docket.  There were no written opinions, even by the dissenters:  Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch. (The Hill)

“The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the conduit for federal funds to NPR and PBS, announced on Friday that it is beginning to wind down its operations given President Trump has signed a law clawing back $1.1 billion in funding for public broadcasting through fiscal year 2027.” (NPR)

The Supreme Court, on the shadow docket, cleared the way for Trump to remove three Democratic members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission stating it is an executive agency, and the president can fire the members at will. The three liberal justices, Sotomayor, Kagan and Brown, dissented. (HuffPost)

Economy
The jobs report came in weaker than expected. Trump angrily claimed the report was rigged and fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (CNN) Trump later hosted an economist from the Heritage Foundation (that wrote Project 2025) who presented more flattering numbers. No criteria or evidence was given that justified the new numbers.

POTUS
Trump has just set new tariffs for every country around the world. Even the nations that negotiated trade deals will see tariffs rise on the vast majority of goods America imports. While the “universal” tariff for goods coming into the US will remain at 10% — the same level that was implemented on April 2 — that rate will apply only to countries with which the US has a trade surplus. A 15% rate will serve as the new tariff floor for about 40 countries with which the US has a trade deficit. More than a dozen countries will have tariff rates that are higher than 15%, either because they agreed to a trade framework with the US or because Trump sent their leaders a letter dictating a higher tariff. The new trade policy will go into effect for Canada today. However, virtually every other country will see the tariffs implemented on August 7, in order to give Customs and Border Protection enough time to make the necessary changes to collect the new duties.  (CNN)

“Trump and Putin are set to meet for a summit in the Last Frontier state next Friday to discuss the war in Ukraine.” (The Independent)

“The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement benefits. One Air Force sergeant said he was “betrayed and devastated” by the move.” (AP News)

“President Trump instructed the Commerce Department to “immediately” begin working on a new census.
The development comes as the White House is pushing red states to draw new congressional maps more favorable to Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms. The Constitution requires the census every 10 years to apportion congressional districts.
Per the Census website, the Decennial U.S. Census is designed to count every resident in the United States and is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. The next census is set to take place in 2030.” (Axios)

“Trump will nominate economic advisor Stephen Miran to temporarily fill a seat on the Federal Reserve board after Adriana Kugler’s unexpected departure. Miran said yesterday that Trump’s policies reduce the need for high interest rates. He has been a vocal critic of the Fed, including the economic stimulus the bank deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Miran still faces Senate confirmation for the position.” (Financial Times)

“Trump will nominate economic advisor Stephen Miran to temporarily fill a seat on the Federal Reserve board after Adriana Kugler’s unexpected departure. Miran said yesterday that Trump’s policies reduce the need for high interest rates. He has been a vocal critic of the Fed, including the economic stimulus the bank deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Miran still faces Senate confirmation for the position.” (Financial Times)

New executive order affecting the unhoused and programs to assist them promises to institutionalize them instead of addressing root causes: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/07/ending-crime-and-disorder-on-americas-streets/

“The Trump administration issued a memo declaring that federal agencies will allow workers to promote their religious beliefs to colleagues, display religious items and pray at work. According to the guidance, a federal worker “may engage another in polite discussion of why his faith is correct and why the non-adherent should re-think his religious beliefs.” But there is one caveat: “provided that such efforts are not harassing in nature.”” (CNN)

More on the budget bill—and the national debt:
The coming decade is almost certain to see Americans take more seriously our large national debt. I see this as a silver lining that will push states to think more deliberately about taxes and public services.
Poor states, including Indiana, will likely struggle far more than affluent states. Three federal programs illustrate how states are treated differently.
The first is Medicaid. Under the current plan, states each pay a different share of the total cost. Typically, poor states pay a lower share. Indiana ranks 32nd, paying under 25 cents on each dollar of Medicaid spending in the state. The richer, top 10 states pay between 36 and 41 cents out of every dollar spent on Medicaid.
Conceptually, it would seem easy to cut federal spending and simply have all states assume equal shares of Medicaid. The problem with this approach is that taxpayers in rich states, including New York, California and Illinois, pay much higher federal taxes than do folks in Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. (IndyStar)

Indiana

“Vice President JD Vance spent several hours in the Hoosier State Thursday trying to build support for a new redistricting, but Gov. Mike Braun and legislative leaders haven’t jumped on board yet.
The visit came amid a tussle in Republican-held Texas over new maps — and threats from Democrat-run states to retaliate.
Braun told reporters the Statehouse meeting went “pretty good” and that “we covered a wide array of topics.” He confirmed that at least part of the discussion was about redistricting, specifically. 
When asked if state and federal officials came to any agreement, the governor said only that “we listened.”” (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
 
Rep. Ed Soliday threatens Portage funding in row with mayor. “Soliday’s message was seemingly prompted by a Facebook post made by [Mayor] Bonta earlier on July 28. In it, the mayor voiced support for adding elected positions to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, the state body tasked with reviewing rate increases sought by Hoosier State utilities, among other related duties.”
(NWI Times)
 
A third of Indiana counties lack voucher-accepting private schools, complicating choice expansion, from Chalkbeat Indiana.

To find and contact your Indiana legislators: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators/