The Archive

IN THIS EDITION

Kicking it at the Congressional Soccer Match

AI is sparking the Hill’s creativity

Antisemitism becomes a GOP wedge issue

The rocky start to appropriations

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Kicking it at the Congressional Soccer Match

Welcome to The Readback, our weekend digest featuring the best of Punchbowl News this week – a quick roundup of all our scoops, analysis and Capitol Hill insight you won’t find anywhere else. We’ve also included a few of our favorite outside reads from the week.

Every week, I lace up my boots and step out on a soccer field somewhere in D.C. to play the beautiful game. But this week, it was different.

Instead of facing off against competitors in my District Soccer leagues, the competition included House members and professional soccer legends.

I was lucky enough to play in the Congressional Soccer Match at Audi Field on Wednesday. The U.S. Soccer Foundation hosts the game every year, bringing together Democrats and Republicans on the pitch to raise money to expand soccer opportunities for underserved communities in the country.

This year’s festivities brought together members of Congress, former professional soccer players and a few fortunate outsiders like myself on the immaculate grass that hosts the D.C. United and the Washington Spirit.

Punchbowl News is a proud sponsor of the game, which meant I got to snag a spot during the main event. There were two Republican and two Democratic teams each, who faced off in 7v7 games. Whichever party got the highest aggregate scores across the four matches won the cup.

When I showed up at Audi Field, I had no clue who I’d be playing for. Checking in, I was handed a red shirt, red shorts and red socks. Republican it would be!

Stepping into the visitors’ locker room at Audi Field, I struck up a conversation with Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), one of the co-chairs of the Congressional Soccer Caucus. LaHood had just been at the White House for the launch of the World Cup Task Force on Tuesday. The Illinois Republican is an avid soccer fan and one of the Hill’s top experts on how the United States needs to prepare for the influx of visitors for next summer’s big event.

Two former U.S. Men’s National Team legends — Alexi Lalas and Stuart Holden — rolled in. Lalas, an outspoken analyst on Fox Sports’ soccer coverage, was known for his flowing red hair in his playing days. Holden, Fox Sports’ lead soccer color commentator, starred for the Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League in the 2010s.

Warming up with the GOP team, Holden joined in the pre-match passing circle and showed off his skills. I was pretty starstruck. When I lived in London as a middle schooler in the 2010s, Holden was one of the few Americans playing at the top level of English soccer. Now I was passing right next to him!

My team featured GOP Reps. Juan Ciscomani (Ariz.), Mike Haridopolos (Fla.), David Valadao (Calif.) and Randy Feenstra (Iowa). Our coach was Tab Ramos, who played in multiple World Cups for the United States and was recently an MLS manager.

Feenstra, who grew up playing soccer in his Iowa high school’s indoor dome, confessed he was nervous about sliding around the field in his sneakers. In the end, Feenstra had nothing to worry about and was a calm presence at the back. Valadao contributed to our team’s first goal with a pass in the buildup from his position up front.

At one point in the first game, I breezed by a Democratic player who gave me a friendly shove. After the blur of the play, I looked up and saw it was House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar. We shared a nice laugh and went on with the game. That’s the beauty of the Congressional Soccer Match!

Because of soccer’s demanding physical nature, it’s not feasible to field teams only comprised of members of Congress. So the ringers — whether it was Holden, former D.C. United star Steve Birnbaum or other ex-pros — proved crucial to deciding which team won the day. It’s a unique dynamic that doesn’t exist in the Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park.

In the end, the Democrats won by an aggregate score of 6-4. While disappointed to lose, playing at Audi Field in front of friends and family was a real highlight. I had a couple of shots, but didn’t get any goals. There’s always next year!

What I’m reading: After Jake Sherman recommended it, I read Brock Colyar’s dispatch from New York City’s West Village in New York Magazine. We need this kind of coverage of D.C.’s neighborhoods.

– Max Cohen

We want to extend thanks to our partners from this week — The U.S. Soccer Foundation, The Trust for the National Mall and Atlantic Council. Punchbowl News was a proud partner of the Congressional Soccer Match and America’s Ball for the Mall — both key moments on the road to the United States hosting World Cup games and the lead-up to the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026.

We also joined the Atlantic Council for its 2025 Distinguished Leadership Awards featuring Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, General John “Jay” Raymond (Ret.), Victor Pinchuk, Judy Collins and more. Sign up now to watch the full broadcast on May 22.

Up next! We’re excited to announce our media partnership with March of Dimes! Join us in person at the organization’s annual Gourmet Gala on Wednesday, May 14. We’ll have live coverage of the cooking competition between members of Congress on our X page.

AI is sparking the Hill’s creativity

There’s no shortage of ideas for bills that touch on artificial intelligence.

If you think AI needs to be regulated as soon as possible, that could be bad news.

I sat through the Senate Commerce Committee’s hearing this week with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft President Brad Smith and AMD CEO Lisa Su.

The senators who questioned the executives had a ton of ideas about how to regulate AI bias, whether to stop states from regulating AI at all, and how to address data use and intellectual property concerns. Senators also thought about ways to start up new initiatives on standards, education and climate impact.

Now I’ve sat through a ton of tech hearings over the years. And I’ve seen lawmakers display a shocking lack of curiosity and ideas about new tech. In some ways, this flurry of bill ideas is a reaction to the sense that Congress was too slow and too ignorant when it came to social media.

But I also remember a time when lawmakers were even less sure than they are now about what they wanted to do about tech.

Congress looked at search, e-commerce and social networking. When it did, lawmakers couldn’t decide if the biggest concern should be privacy, competition, liability for content, misinformation, kids’ protection or other issues.

They had a lot of ideas then, too.

Congress probably should, and probably will continue to, consider all those topics. But the sheer variety reflected the lack of consensus among lawmakers and the lack of unified demand from voters on the topic.

The plethora of proposals basically means senators (and House members) are waiting to figure out which ideas will attract a viable coalition and which ones need tweaking to work.

Plenty of lawmakers and a lot of industry figures would argue this is for the best. The tech will evolve. Some issues and some providers will go away. Other problems, and companies, will become more prominent.

My question is, how long will — or should — lawmakers be unsure where to go?

What I’m watching: I finally got around to season 3 of “The Bear” ahead of a trip to Chicago. As with the prior two seasons, when I finish an episode, I realize I’ve been holding my breath. I exhale and giddily lament: “This show!”

– Ben Brody

Antisemitism becomes a GOP wedge issue

When you think of a sensitive issue like antisemitism, you typically don’t think of it being a divisive topic.

But for some House Republicans, who’ve championed efforts to combat anti-Jewish sentiment, the issue is more complicated than you might think.

This week, I explored the growing view from conservatives that Congress should be less involved when it comes to antisemitism.

Most of the members I spoke with, who have voted against bills to tackle Jewish hate on college campuses, argued that most legislation infringes on First Amendment rights.

Now that’s not to say that these members don’t condemn antisemitic rhetoric or campus protests that have turned chaotic in the wake of the war in Gaza.

Here’s what Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) had to say about the issue:

Christian conservatives have pushed back on two particular bills recently that deal with this specific issue.

GOP leadership pulled a bill from the floor schedule this week that aimed to protect Israel from boycotts. Massie, as well as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), vocally opposed that bill.

The Antisemitism Awareness Act, which sailed through the House last year with broad bipartisan support, is also struggling in the Senate. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voted with Democrats during a committee markup last week to approve several amendments that could ultimately tank the bill for other Republicans.

But these efforts are largely supported by Republicans.

The House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing on antisemitism incidents across college campuses this week.

President Donald Trump has also made this a priority. Trump threatened to pull funding from Ivy League universities and deport foreign students who engaged in alleged violence during chaotic protests last year.

What I’m watching: Like everyone else, I’m planning to watch “Conclave” tomorrow. Is anyone else following Pope Crave on X?

– Mica Soellner

The rocky start to appropriations

Lawmakers have more to deal with than just reconciliation.

Government funding runs out at the end of September. That deadline is coming faster than you think, and this appropriations cycle is already bumpy.

Cabinet secretaries testified at several appropriations hearings this week, mostly to little fanfare, with the exception of FBI Director Kash Patel. Patel told House appropriators on Wednesday that he disagreed with the White House’s recommendation of a $500 million cut to the FBI. Patel walked back those comments on Thursday.

It was a striking comment from a member of the cabinet. Even Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, was surprised.

If even Cabinet secretaries aren’t on board with the Trump budget, it’s going to be extremely difficult for lawmakers to agree as well.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also ruffled some appropriators’ feathers this week. Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) pushed Noem for more information about the budget request, saying he didn’t see enough justification for requesting cuts to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, FEMA and TSA.

“Going forward, we expect to receive routine briefings and reports from DHS on time and any changes and programs and policy,” Amodei said during the hearing. “It is your absolute prerogative to make changes. Please tell us.”

Noem faced Republicans who disagree with her plan to get rid of certain non-discretionary FEMA grants. House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), the head of the Senate DHS funding bill, both advocated for the reinstatement of those grants.

Speaking of FEMA, the acting administrator was fired after criticizing the White House’s plan to eliminate FEMA during an appropriations hearing.

Cole’s plan for appropriations is going to add to the challenges, too. Cole said he’s going to write funding bills as close as possible to Trump’s budget, which includes cuts to federal law enforcement agencies and the gutting of programs that many Republicans want to keep.

In the Senate, Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have all already expressed their serious concerns with the proposal.

The biggest appropriations fights are yet to come. Several Cabinet secretaries will go in front of the authorizing committees next week, like the House Judiciary Committee, which will be more inflammatory.

What I’m reading: With the announcement of the new American pope, I’m reading this New York Times profile of Pope Leo XIV. The story came out about a week before he was selected. It’s an interesting read on his background and how Pope Leo XIV differs stylistically from his predecessor, Pope Francis.

– Samantha Handler