Can Republicans clear the bench before November?

How to get a job on the Hill!

On this week's episode of Highway to Hill: Want to work on Capitol Hill but don't know how to break in? Charlie and SoRelle are joined by Tom Manatos, founder of Tom Manatos Jobs [https://www.tommanatosjobs.com/], to talk about how to actually get a job in Congress. Tom started his job board by cutting and pasting email listings back in the pre-internet days, and now it's become the go-to resource for Capitol Hill positions. Tom breaks down what entry-level jobs actually look like, what a day in the life of a junior staffer looks like (Capitol tours, constituent calls, and catering), and the key to early success on the Hill: hard work and obsessive attention to detail. Plus, the surprisingly bipartisan reality of Congress, why networking is 75% of the battle, and three concrete steps you can take today to start your Hill career — even if you're not in DC yet. And yes, people really do just walk up and introduce themselves in this town. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit highwaytohill.substack.com [https://highwaytohill.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Has anyone seen my member of Congress?

Today on Highway to Hill: We go into private eye mode as we try to locate some members of Congress who haven’t been showing up to work for quite awhile. Why do members of Congress miss votes in Washington, and what do they owe to their constituents? Plus, we break down what it means when the whole Congress goes on “recess”, and why a little R&R isn’t the worst thing in the world. This week’s syllabus 📚 * “The Mystery of a Congressman’s Absence Deepens [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/nyregion/tom-kean-congress-missing.html]” (Tracey Tully, New York Times) * “Absent Congressman Calls Allies, but Stops Short of Public Appearance [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/25/nyregion/tom-kean-new-jersey-missing.html]” (Tracey Tully, New York Times) * “Rep. Thomas Kean Still Trading Stocks Amid Months-Long Absence [https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/05/26/rep-thomas-kean-still-trading-stocks-amid-months-long-absence/]” (Sara Down, Forbes) * “Congresswoman Frederica Wilson misses 40+ votes on House floor; confirms she underwent eye surgery [https://www.local10.com/news/politics/2026/05/15/congresswoman-frederica-wilson-misses-40-votes-on-house-floor-confirms-she-underwent-eye-surgery/]” (WPLG Local10) * “Potential successors are lining up as Frederica Wilson weighs exit [https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article315908826.html]” (Claire Heddles, Miami Herald) * House Calendar [https://www.majorityleader.gov/house-legislative-calendar-2026/] * Senate Calendar [https://www.senate.gov/legislative/2026_schedule.htm] * “‘Representation matters’: DNC members condemn Wasserman Schultz’s run in historically-Black distric [https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2026-05-26/wasserman-schultz-dnc-election-black-district]t (Carlton Gillespie, WLRN Public Media) * “Poll: Debbie Wasserman Schultz leads CD 20 contest, remains popular with Black, Caribbean voters [https://floridapolitics.com/archives/798629-poll-debbie-wasserman-schultz-leads-cd-20-contest-remains-popular-with-black-caribbean-voters/]” (Jesse Schnecker, Florida Politics) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit highwaytohill.substack.com [https://highwaytohill.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Is MAGA red a primary color?

On this week’s episode of Highway to Hill: It’s party primary season across a whole bunch of states. Quite a few high-profile incumbents have been ousted or are clearly in trouble thanks to endorsements (or non endorsements) from Donald Trump. Is the president’s star power in the GOP enough to keep them save in the midterms, or is he just adding to the Republicans’ electoral problems? Plus, some polisci on why the incumbency advantage just ain’t what it used to be. This week’s syllabus 📚 * “Christian Menefee leads Al Green by 7 percentage points in latest poll ahead of TX-18 Democratic runoff [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/election-2026/2026/05/12/551511/houston-primary-runoff-election-poll-menefee-green-mealer-cain/]” (Andrew Schneider, Texas Public Media) * “Senate advances resolution to end Iran war as GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy flips to support it [https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-advances-resolution-end-iran-war-trump-bill-cassidy-rcna346001]” (Sahil Kapur, NBC News) * “Massie’s primary is the most expensive in history. Pro-Israel groups have played a huge part. [https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/17/massie-aipac-record-spending-israel-maga-trump-primary-00925375?user_id=66c4bd1e5d78644b3a9af247&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter&utm_source=join1440]” (Lisa Kashinsky, POLITICO) * “Republican Senators Are Livid at Trump’s Endorsement of Paxton [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/us/politics/republican-senators-trump-paxton.html]” (Michael GoldMegan Mineiro and Carl Hulse, The New York Times) * “How Andy Barr out-maneuvered Kentucky’s warring factions to win Trump’s endorsement — and probably a Senate seat [https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/19/kentucky-senate-seat-andy-barr-00927068]” (, POLITICO) * “GOP Senate primaries in Georgia and Alabama head to June runoffs [https://rollcall.com/2026/05/20/gop-senate-primaries-in-georgia-and-alabama-head-to-june-runoffs/]” (Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire, Roll Call) * “It’s Nothing Personal: The Decline of the Incumbency Advantage in US House Elections [https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/681670]” (Gary Jacobson, The Journal of Politics) * “Former Rep. Barney Frank dead at 86 [https://rollcall.com/2026/05/20/former-rep-barney-frank-dead-at-86/]” (Niels Lesniewski, Roll Call) * “Mysterious Meddling in Democratic Primaries Has G.O.P. Fingerprints [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/us/politics/gop-mystery-pac-midterms.html]” (Shane Goldmacher, The New York Times) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit highwaytohill.substack.com [https://highwaytohill.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Ballroom dance with the devil

On this week’s episode of Highway to Hill: After demolishing the East Wing of the White House last year, President Trump wants Congress to fund his massive ballroom project — to the tune of $1 billion. Charlie and SoRelle break down why Trump needs congressional approval (a judge ruled construction can’t continue without “express authorization”), how Republicans are trying to sneak ballroom funding into a Secret Service security package through budget reconciliation, and whether this has anything to do with actual security concerns or if it’s just about rubber-stamping a vanity project. What’s in that billion dollars anyway? Then, in the Gavel Drop: SoRelle catches us up on the Senate’s latest attempt to stymie the president with a War Powers Resolution; plus, Nebraska Democrats are trying a Hail Mary strategy by dropping out of the Senate race entirely to support an independent candidate. Will ditching the toxic party brand work, or is this just giving up on party-building in red states? This week’s syllabus 📚 * “Americans oppose Trump ballroom 2-to-1; even more oppose his signature on money [https://abcnews.com/Politics/americans-oppose-trump-ballroom-2-1-oppose-signature/story?id=132503095&cid=eml_npd_nws_nbcp_05112026&tpcc=eml_npd_nws_nbcp_05112026]” (Emily Guskin, ABC News) * “Beyond Ideology: Politics, Principles, and Partisanship in the U. S. Senate [https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo8158910.html]” (Frances Lee, University of Chicago Press) * “Senate G.O.P. Stands by Security Money for Trump’s Ballroom [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/us/politics/trump-white-house-ballroom.html]” (Carl Husle, New York Times) * “Republicans are sweating about the White House ballroom project [https://www.axios.com/2026/05/13/republicans-trump-white-house-ballroom]” (Hans Nichols, Axios) * “Federal judge orders Trump pause construction on White House ballroom [https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/31/trump-white-house-ballroom-lawsuit-order-00852455]” (Jacob Wendler and Cheyanne M. Daniels, POLITICO) * “3 Republicans Join Democrats in Closest Senate Vote Yet to Halt Iran War [https://time.com/article/2026/05/13/iran-war-vote-senate-murkowski-closest-vote-yet/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us]” (Nik Popli, Time Magazine) * “❓What happened last night: Nebraska gets the Ricketts-Osborn Senate showdown [https://decisiondeskhq.substack.com/p/nebraska-primary-ricketts-osborn-democrats]” (Geoffrey Skelley, DecisionDeskHQ) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit highwaytohill.substack.com [https://highwaytohill.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

An artificially intelligent Congress?

On this week's episode of Highway to Hill: The generative AI revolution is coming to Congress — or is it? Charlie and SoRelle are joined by Aubrey Wilson from POPVOX Foundation [https://substack.com/profile/284520536-popvox-foundation] to break down how Congress is (or isn't) using AI right now. Why is adoption so mixed across offices, and what are the biggest barriers to using these tools safely and effectively? Aubrey explains how AI could help solve Congress's capacity crisis by processing information faster, drafting better constituent responses, and freeing up staff time for actual constituent service. But she also warns about the risks: hallucinations, privacy concerns, shadow AI users who don't know the rules, and the lack of institutional training and oversight. Plus, why does Congress need its own custom-built AI tools instead of just using ChatGPT? This week’s syllabus 📚 * The Call to Create the Congressional Capacity and Technology Office [https://www.popvox.org/blog/c-tech] (Aubrey Wilson, POPVOX Foundation) * Where the House and Senate are on Internal Use of AI — POPVOX Foundation [https://www.popvox.org/blog/house-senate-ai] (Aubrey Wilson, POPVOX Foundation) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit highwaytohill.substack.com [https://highwaytohill.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]