The Capitol Hill Reader 133: Cuba Emergency Powers, a Short-Term Funding Patch, and an Epstein Gallery
Your weekly government sampler
Hello readers,
We have a quite the digest for you this week, including, but not limited to:
White House actions (Jan. 27–30): A rapid-fire week of executive action, including an INDYCAR “Freedom 250 Grand Prix” planned for D.C., a Cuba-focused national emergency tariff regime aimed at countries supplying oil to Havana, and a new “Great American Recovery” initiative to coordinate federal addiction treatment and recovery efforts.
California wildfire rebuild crackdown: A new executive order targeting L.A.’s slow reconstruction process, pushing FEMA/SBA toward preempting state/local permitting and replacing it with a federal self-certification model, plus audits of unspent hazard mitigation funds.
Congress: The Senate passes a “Clean CR” extension from the House, barring a few amendments, while the House itself has no floor action.
The Focus: A gallery of “Epstein files” screenshots
Federal courts (paid): SCOTUS reasserts AEDPA limits in Klein v. Martin (Brady dispute), and the Ninth Circuit blocks DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s attempt to unwind TPS protections for Venezuelans and Haitians
Let’s get to it.
The Actions of the President
The actions used below are the same as on the White House website, which you can see here.
January 30, 2026
Executive Order - CELEBRATING AMERICAN GREATNESS WITH AMERICAN MOTOR RACING
This executive order directs the Departments of the Interior and Transportation to fast-track the planning and approval of a new INDYCAR street race (dubbed the “Freedom 250 Grand Prix”) to be held in Washington, D.C. near the National Mall as part of the “America250” celebration.
Within 14 days of the order, Interior and DOT must designate an appropriate race route through the city and the two agencies are instructed to, in coordination with city officials, expedite all needed permits and authorizations to prepare for and conduct the event.
January 29, 2026
Executive Order - ADDRESSING THREATS TO THE UNITED STATES BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA
This executive order declares a national emergency with respect to Cuba under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the National Emergencies Act (NEA), citing Cuba’s alleged support for hostile states and terrorist groups and its broader regional destabilization.
It establishes a new tariff-based enforcement regime that allows the United States to impose additional ad valorem duties on imports from any foreign country that directly or indirectly provides oil to Cuba, effectively creating secondary penalties aimed at isolating Havana economically. The order assigns the Secretary of Commerce the role of identifying countries supplying Cuba with oil, while the Secretary of State (in coordination with Treasury, DHS, and USTR) recommends whether and how steep the tariffs should be.
It also gives the President broad authority to modify the tariff system in response to retaliation or changed circumstances, directs ongoing monitoring and reporting to Congress, and supersedes inconsistent prior executive actions.
Executive Order - ADDRESSING ADDICTION THROUGH THE GREAT AMERICAN RECOVERY INITIATIVE
This executive order launches a new White House-led effort to coordinate the federal response to substance use disorder, describing addiction as a “chronic but treatable disease” and pointing out that millions of Americans who need treatment don’t seek it due to hurdles like access and finances.
To respond to this, the order creates the “Great American Recovery Initiative,” co-chaired by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and a Senior Advisor for Addiction Recovery, with an Executive Director reporting to the White House Domestic Policy office. The main goals of the initiative include consolidating and increasing the efficacy of federal recovery programs, as well as improving communication between the criminal justice system and existing recovery apparatuses to improve recovery rates and reduce recidivism.
Proclamation - YEAR OF CELEBRATION AND REDEDICATION, 2026
This is a proclamation kicking off a year of celebration for The United States’ 250th anniversary. Here is an excerpt:
As we celebrate the 250th year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we acknowledge with gratitude and pride that July 4, 1776, represents the most seminal political event in all of human history.
Unlike other nations, America’s Founding was rooted in the belief that every man, woman, and child is “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Click on the linked title above to read the entire thing.
January 28, 2026
Proclamation - NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK, 2026
This is a proclamation honoring “national school choice week, 2026.” It largely talks about how the Trump administration is clawing back the federal school funding apparatus from left-wing radicals. here is an excerpt:
To further defend the American parent, my Administration is bringing the sinister “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” agenda to a screeching halt and replacing it with a system based on the fundamental principle of merit. We are proudly eliminating Federal funding for schools that permit discriminatory treatment and anti-American indoctrination. We are bringing common sense back to our classrooms and once again teaching our children to love their country and honor our history.
January 27, 2026
Executive Order - ADDRESSING STATE AND LOCAL FAILURES TO REBUILD LOS ANGELES AFTER WILDFIRE DISASTERS
This executive order directs the federal government to override state and local permitting barriers that the administration says have slowed rebuilding after the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon wildfires, and to accelerate the use of federal disaster aid. It instructs FEMA (DHS) and the Small Business Administration to consider issuing regulations that would preempt California and local pre-approval permitting requirements for federally funded rebuilding projects, replacing them with a “self-certification” model in which builders attest they meet applicable state and local health and safety standards (yes, you read that right).
The order also pushes federal agencies to fast-track environmental and historic review processes (including under NEPA, Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act), requires agencies to designate senior officials to prevent delays, and calls for legislative proposals within 90 days to give FEMA/SBA more authority when state or local governments obstruct recovery. Finally, it mandates review and audit steps focused on nearly $3 billion in unspent California Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds, including potential future grant conditions or recoupment if “misuse or failure” is found.
The Actions of Congress
The Senate
Notable Measures Considered
H.R.7148 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026
This measure is essentially a “clean CR extender + cleanup,” as in it amends the existing Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026 by extending the stopgap funding deadline to February 13, 2026. It also retroactively treats the CR as covering the period around January 31, 2026, when there was a lapse in appropriations, and explicitly authorizes the use of appropriated personnel funds for pay, allowances, and benefits to support payments related to shutdown conditions.
This bill was PASSED on January 30, 2026, by a yea-and-nay vote of 71 YEAS to 29 NAYS.
There were some notable amendments for this measure, some of which passed and while others failed. They were:
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Amdt. No. 4290; To rescind certain amounts appropriated for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and certain changes to Medicaid.
REJECTED by a yea-and-nay vote of 49 YEAS to 51 NAYS
Motion to Table Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) Amdt. No. 4286; To eliminate funding for the United States African Development Foundation.
TABLED (killed) by a yea-and-nay vote of 58 YEAS to 42 NAYS
Motion to Table Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) Amdt. No. 4234; To strike the earmark for the Community and Training Center by the New Immigrant Community Empowerment.
TABLED (killed) by a yea-and-nay vote of 58 YEAS to 42 NAYS
Motion to Table Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) Amdt. No. 4236; To strike all earmarks (special local grants, member-directed payouts, smaller projects)
TABLED (killed) by a yea-and-nay vote of 67 YEAS to 33 NAYS
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) Amdt. No. 4272; To eliminate funding for refugee and entrant assistance.
REJECTED by a yea-and-nay vote of 32 YEAS to 67 NAYS
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Current paid subscribers, be sure to check out the Federal Courts section below.
The House of Representatives
The House is out of session this week because it’s on a scheduled district work period, or basically a built-in recess week where members are expected to be back home rather than taking floor votes in D.C.
In practice, that time gets used for:
constituent meetings and casework
local events / site visits
fundraising, schmoozing
committee meetings / hearings
behind-the-scenes prep for the next legislative push, whips cracking
pickleball
So, while we’ve got no floor action to report on, it’s not that “nothing is happening,” it’s just not happening on the floor.
The Focus: The Epstein Files, a Gallery
Before the inevitable takes start flying, we want to be clear about what follows. The screenshots below are being circulated as part of the latest few “Epstein files” dumps, and whether any one page turns out to be verified or meaningful is almost secondary to the bigger point: this is information being released in fragments, without a clean chain of custody, without a full timeline, and without the kind of context that would normally accompany something this serious.
That’s not a reason to dismiss it, but it is a reason to read it soberly. In a healthier system, this material would be handled through formal investigative and legal processes, not internet-driven drip releases that generate maximum attention and minimum resolution. Use this gallery as documentation of what’s being pushed into the public sphere right now, and keep in mind that the release itself is part of the story.
You can dig through the files yourselves here.
Segway inventor Dean Kamen emailing Epstein about his “magical” time on the island.
Melania documentary director Brett Ratner cuddling women in photos
The “Invisible Man,” i.e. Prince Andrew, emailing Ghislaine Maxwell
An email talking about Trump’s many flights on Epstein’s private jet
President Trump partying with redacted ladies
Bill Clinton, Ghislaine, and Jeffrey at a party, and Clinton in a hot tub
Bill Gates and Prince Andrew at an event
Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton, and Diana Ross
Chris Tucker and Ghislaine Maxwell
We highly recommend checking out the files for yourselves, which you can do here via the Department of Justice website. There are many, many people that you will recognize therein, from Mick Jagger, to Kevin Spacey, to Melania Trump, and a lot more.
The Federal Courts
The Supreme Court of the United States
Klein v. Martin (Opinion Released 1/26/26)
