Washington is still trying to spend abroad, police speech, and fight Trump on enforcement. Today’s briefing tracks the House Ukraine split, the failed Tlaib war powers push, a Biden-era censorship fight, and Trump’s $70 billion border win in the Senate.

The House passed a Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions bill Thursday, 226-195. The package sends another $1.3 billion to Ukraine and adds new sanctions on Russia. Eighteen House Republicans voted yes, joining nearly every Democrat.

Most House Republicans voted no, lining up with President Donald Trump’s end-the-war approach. House GOP leadership opposed the bill, but the cross-party bloc had the votes anyway.

Let me be clear about what happened here. Republican voters asked for an off-ramp. They asked for audits. They asked why Washington can always find money for Kyiv while the border, debt, housing, and crime sit in their own neighborhoods.

The answer from 18 House Republicans was simple: more money first, accountability later. The sanctions piece matters too. Sanctions are not free. They can hit energy markets, supply chains, and prices. Congress loves to vote for foreign policy gestures and then act shocked when Americans pay the bill.

The media angle will be “bipartisan support for Ukraine.” The real story is the old Washington foreign policy machine still has enough Republicans to keep running without the base. Watch the Senate fight next, because that is where Trump’s pressure campaign either tightens the line or breaks open.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib tried to limit President Trump’s hand on Lebanon with a war powers resolution. The House crushed it, 92-324, with 117 Democrats voting no. Progressive Democrats backed Tlaib, and Rep. Thomas Massie joined them.

The media will frame this as a left-right war powers fight, but the real split is inside the Democratic Party over Israel, Lebanon, and whether they want to own the fallout from cutting off support during a live conflict.

A separate roll call report showed the Ukraine aid package passing 226-95, with 18 House Republicans voting yes with Democrats. Independent Rep. Kevin Kiley of California also voted yes. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was the only Democrat to vote no.

That tells you how deep the Ukraine consensus still runs inside the Democratic caucus, and how a small Republican group can keep the funding pipeline alive even when Trump says stop the blank checks.

Sen. Bill Cassidy filed an amicus brief asking a court to block an “anti-weaponization” fund tied to Biden-era “misinformation” programs. Cassidy argues the program invites viewpoint policing and turns federal power against disfavored speakers. He recently lost Louisiana’s GOP primary to Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow, with Just the News reporting he finished third behind state Treasurer John Fleming. Set the politics aside. The court fight matters because government speech programs have a habit of becoming pressure campaigns against platforms, reporters, and citizens.

Rep. Judy Chu confronted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a House Ways and Means Committee hearing. Chu pressed him on inflation and tied her attack to President Trump’s military action against Iran. Bessent pushed back and turned the exchange into a basic American history check, which Chu could not answer.

Hearings are supposed to expose facts, not produce clips for social media. This one exposed a lawmaker who came ready to attack, not ready to answer.

The Senate passed President Trump’s $70 billion immigration enforcement package after an all-night vote-a-rama. The bill funds ICE operations, Border Patrol staffing, detention beds, and deportation logistics. Democrats tried to narrow enforcement and shift money elsewhere, while several Republicans broke ranks on amendments and process votes.

Trump got a major win, but the GOP cracks matter. The House and final talks will show whether Republicans fund real enforcement or water it down before it reaches Trump’s desk.

This week had one pattern: Washington keeps testing whether Trump’s voters are paying attention. Ukraine funding, war powers, censorship fights, and border money all came down to the same question. Will elected Republicans follow the base, or drift back to the old habits when the pressure hits? Forward this to one person who needs to read it this weekend.

That number tells the real story of the week. Democrats did not pass Ukraine aid alone. They had Republican help.

If 18 GOP members can keep foreign aid moving against Trump’s position, the fight over America First policy is not just between the parties. It is inside the Republican conference.

I will keep tracking the names, the votes, and the money. Weekend reading - full archive at projectlibertyus.com.

Stay free,

Brett Lee Editor, Project Liberty projectlibertyus.com

Follow: @projectlibertyus | @real brett lee