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THE TOP
About that debate…

Welcome to The Readback, our weekend digest featuring the best of Punchbowl News – 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.
Without further ado…
Here at Punchbowl News, we’re focused on covering the power, people and politics of Washington from our home base of Capitol Hill. That makes reporting on events like the presidential debate interesting.
Of course, we’re going to cover the biggest news story of the week. But with events like this — Capitol Hill adjacent — we take care to do it in a way that brings value to our readers and gives them insight they can’t find anywhere else.
For live events, you always have a loose coverage plan going in but know you have to maintain maximum flexibility given that anything can happen.
We’d originally discussed a Friday AM story that focused on the top three debate takeaways that would matter most to Capitol Hill. That plan went out the window within the first 12 minutes of the debate.
Early on, President Joe Biden gave a nonsensical answer that ended with, “We beat Medicare.” Former President Donald Trump pounced on that. But even without a studio audience present, you could feel America collectively gasping at what they were watching.
The lead of our Friday AM edition says it all: We watched what you watched. “To call it a disaster is too kind,” one House Democrat said.
The rest of Thursday night and Friday were dominated by questions of whether Biden should step aside, allowing the opportunity for a presumably younger Democratic nominee to take on Trump.
Here at Punchbowl News, we sprung into action, blanketing the Friday morning House votes to reach as many Democrats as we could to get their opinions on the debate.
Some usually press-friendly Democrats sprinted right past us, not wanting to answer the obvious questions. Other Democratic members struggled to state the obvious — Biden had a terrible performance — without stepping out of line.
Not surprisingly, no one would say on the record that Biden shouldn’t continue running for president. But it wasn’t hard to read between the lines — many Democrats are panicked about what this means for the presidential, House and Senate contests in November.
Read our post-debate takeaway here.
What I’m listening to: I’m a huge fan of Elin Hilderbrand, queen of the beach read. She just released her last Nantucket-related novel, “Swan Song,” this month, and I can’t wait to dive into it. But Hilderbrand also has a really cool podcast called Books, Beach and Beyond with co-host Tim Ehrenberg. The two interview famous authors, publishers and bookstagram influencers each week, and it’s always a fascinating conversation.
— Heather Caygle
You can find The Readback in your inbox every Saturday at 10 a.m. And don’t hesitate to reach out to readback@punchbowl.news with feedback. Enjoy The Readback.
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Congressional softball game passes the vibe check

As the resident Punchbowl News sports correspondent, I was delighted to attend the Congressional Women’s Softball Game on Wednesday night.
The softball game is, in many ways, a more intriguing and low-key version of the Congressional Baseball Game. Instead of Republicans versus Democrats like the baseball game, the softball game pits a bipartisan group of female lawmakers against an all-female team comprised of members of the D.C. media.
This year, the media team — dubbed the “Bad News Babes” — beat the members 9-4. That scoreline slightly flattered the lawmakers, in truth, as the journalists raced out to a 9-0 lead.
The vibe at the softball game was immaculate. In contrast to the sprawling baseball game at Nats Park, the softball game plays out in the friendly confines of Watkins Elementary School on Capitol Hill and felt like a state fair of sorts.
McDonald’s handed out free McNuggets and fries. C-SPAN and Netflix dished out fashionable branded hats. Screech, the Nationals mascot, posed for pictures. Everyone was in a good mood for a good cause.
The charity event raised over $600,000 for an organization that supports young survivors of breast cancer.
And unlike past congressional sporting events, there were no protester disruptions. Last year, climate activists entered the outfield and caused a lengthy disruption at the softball game. But thanks to a double-fenced perimeter patrolled by U.S. Capitol Police officers separating the bleachers from the outfield, no one dared breach the field this time.
What I’m watching: It’s a great summer of soccer. The Euros knockout rounds start this weekend. I’ll be tracking if England can up their sluggish group-stage performances and advance deep in the tournament. Plus, the Copa America is playing out in the United States. Hopefully, the U.S. team can beat Uruguay and advance to the final eight!
— Max Cohen

Figuring out Finance and 2025
It’s been a busy stretch for us here at The Vault.
Last week, we put out our quarterly special edition of The Vault, a personal favorite of mine because we get to bring you a Vault-specific Power Matrix! (Read it all here.) Once that was wrapped up, I got to turn to another fun story that had been on my mind.
My biggest focus right now is covering the ramp-up to the 2025 tax fight over the expiring Trump tax cuts. And I love getting to think about the people and the who’s-who in the room influencing these debates over the next year-and-a-half-plus.
That’s why we wanted to tell the story of Senate Finance Committee Democrats. Four of the panel’s five most senior Democrats are likely going to be gone next Congress. A fifth is one of the most vulnerable Democrats, Ohio’s Sherrod Brown. Something like a third of the committee ranks could turn over in 2025 depending on the election results.
What I quickly figured out: Plenty of Democrats and people around Washington have noticed the timely opening to get onto the tax-writing committee. Progressives in particular see an opportunity to yank the committee to the left with new additions — a typical play from the left’s playbook but an interesting one nonetheless.
And when it comes to specific turnover, I’m really eyeing the exit of Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who’s been a big player on some significant bipartisan tax efforts like retirement policy and affordable housing. Cardin partnered often — especially on retirement savings legislation — with his longtime friend, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who exited last Congress. Big changes for the Finance Committee’s dynamics over the last few years.
There’s just been so much turnover, especially since the original fight over the Trump tax cuts back in 2017. Let us know who’s on your mind when it comes to the exiting and fresh faces for the tax battle coming up.
What I’m watching: House of the Dragon’s second season. It’s been so good so far, and the show has such a fun cast. I won’t spoil anything but if you’re watching, send me your takes!
— Laura Weiss
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Good goes after Jordan in latest HFC brawl
There seems to be never-ending drama inside the Freedom Caucus. This week, Jake and I explored the latest tension point in the ultra conservative group with lots of details about the private turmoil they’re in.
We reported that beleaguered HFC Chair Bob Good (R-Va.) pushed out the executive director of the group’s political arm, Ray Yonkura. Yonkura is a close ally of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and served as the Ohio Republican’s chief of staff for several years.
Good’s move is notable for several reasons.
Jordan is a founder and original member of the Freedom Caucus. It’s no secret that he has removed himself from some of the group’s positions since becoming closer to House GOP leadership, but no one has dared to directly challenge him on this.
And Good is currently losing a primary race to Virginia state Sen. John McGuire, who was backed by former President Donald Trump. The race has yet to be officially called and Good, who is down by 373 votes, is already planning to request a recount.
We tried to ask Good about why he ousted Yonkura, but we were met with a “no comment,” not just by the chairman but also by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), who was walking with him. Talk about testy.
We did get some juicy private details about HFC’s contentious meeting this week.
Inside the room: As we reported, Good and Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) got into a heated exchange over Davidson supporting McGuire against Good in the primary.
Now, the HFC Board is discussing whether they should list Davidson as “not good standing,” lowering the threshold to eventually kick him out of the Freedom Caucus.
Jordan also raised concerns about the group’s poor fundraising trajectory. Former HFC Chair Scott Perry (R-Pa.) is politically vulnerable this year. Jordan asked how they will protect him with such a weak operation. Yikes.
Finally, Good also laid into members about leaking to the media. He’s upset that too many of the group’s internal conversations end up in the press. He probably won’t like this item!
What I’m listening to: I’ve been listening to a lot of The Smiths this week. A good summertime sadness vibe.
– Mica Soellner
Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. Political ads courtesy of AdImpact.

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Presented by Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance
Americans know who to blame for rising drug prices: Big Pharma. A majority of Republicans, Democrats, & Independents all believe Big Pharma’s focus on profits keeps drug prices high. Let’s hold Big Pharma accountable – it’s an issue we’re united on.