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On Politics

Thu Jun 11 2026

Zachary Schermele | Congressional Reporter

@zachschermele

Hello readers and welcome back to On Politics. Zach Schermele here, USA TODAY's congressional reporter. It's Thursday, and here on Capitol Hill, Republicans are riding high from yet another win at the annual Congressional Baseball Game.

The Missouri MVP

At last night's Congressional Baseball Game here in Washington, Republicans once again whooped Democrats, trouncing them 11-2 in the GOP's sixth consecutive win.

One player stood out: Sen. Eric Schmitt, 50, managed to make ESPN's top 10 plays of the day. At the bottom of the third, he dove to catch a fly ball and came up with a bloodied nose (watch the moment here ). The first-term Missouri Republican, who played in college at Truman State University, was later named MVP.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, catches a fly ball during the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on June 10, 2026.

Eric Lee, REUTERS

"Left it all on the field," he wrote on social media after the game.

See more photos from the game here.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, connects for a single in the fifth inning during the annual congressional baseball game.

Kevin Dietsch, Getty Images

Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas; Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri; and Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, pose with a trophy after the annual congressional baseball game.

Eric Lee, REUTERS

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A politics rundown

•	Critics warn Trump’s intel chief pick is a threat to national security
•	Some states detach from Freedom 250's Great American State Fair
•	Minnesota man pleads guilty in shootings of state lawmakers
•	Dem candidate acquitted on NYC immigration court protest allegations

Daily photo gallery: UFC Freedom 250 preview at White House South Lawn unveils The Claw

The Taylor Swift-spy law connection

The House of Representatives failed to renew a key government surveillance and counterterrorism law today, virtually guaranteeing the provision will expire for the first time since it was enacted in 2008.

In a vote doomed over Democrats' opposition to President Donald Trump's new acting spy chief, the chamber couldn't pass an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

For nearly two decades, the statute has authorized U.S. spy agencies to collect the communications of foreigners – and, privacy hawks argue, sometimes Americans. Intelligence authorized by the provision makes up the bulk of the president's daily security briefing, lawmakers say.

It has been credited with stopping numerous terrorist attacks, including a threat aimed at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024.

Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said it's an "untested question" exactly how the statute's expiration would impact intelligence gathering.

Ranking member Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) speaks during a House Select Intelligence Committee hearing on March 19, 2026.

Andrew Harnik, Getty Images

"Unfortunately, a lot of these questions will be litigated in court," he said.

Hazmat incident at Pentagon

Emergency crews responded to a hazmat incident at the Pentagon today, defense and local fire officials said.

As my colleague Natalie Neysa Alund reports, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed a shelter-in-place was in effect after an "air quality issue" was detected.

"The Pentagon has sophisticated systems to ensure the safety of the building and its occupants," Parnell said.

Before you go...

💬We also want to hear from you! What questions do you have for our team as we get closer to November? Is there a race you’re watching closely? Let us know by jumping in the comments on Reddit or responding to this newsletter. And you can find our answers here, including my explainer on each party's views on ICE funding.

Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.

House blocks spying law that shapes Trump's daily security briefing

A view of the U.S. Capitol dome during a protest on May 20, 2026.

The House of Representatives failed to renew FISA Section 702, a surveillance law that allows U.S. spy agencies to collect foreigners' communications.

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