Johnson sends House members home early, citing campaign needs

Five Republican-aligned political action committees have reserved advertising for the six and a half weeks remaining before the November 3 midterm elections, with the largest single commitment a $173 million booking by the Senate Leadership Fund, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Congressional Leadership Fund has reserved $159 million. The Trump-aligned No Going Back PAC reserved $82 million according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact, the Safety and Affordability PAC is scheduled to spend $35.7 million, and MAGA Inc. has reserved roughly $1 million, WSJ Washington coverage chief Damian Paletta reported. Paletta noted the totals could “easily adjust upward” as the PACs plan their buys. The Senate Leadership Fund and Congressional Leadership Fund figures were reported by WSJ colleague Anthony DeBarros, who also noted that large amounts of money will come in from other GOP corners.

Paletta wrote that other groups could also bring in large amounts of money, including the tech industry — citing AI and data centers as examples — which “feel like they have a lot to gain or lose based on the election’s outcome.”

Democrats will be spending heavily as well, and they could be spreading money across a larger number of states as they try to create more pathways toward a Senate takeover, Paletta wrote.

Each day, Democrats believe they are expanding the number of House and Senate seats they could take from Republicans in the November elections, Paletta wrote. “The polls right now might favor Democrats, but there is plenty of time between now and Nov. 3,” he wrote. He added that “voter views on candidates can shift a lot between now and November” and that “ad spending could play a big role in that.” Paletta also wrote that the 2026 midterm “feels like it started a bit earlier than past races” and that “voters might have already made up their minds earlier than in the past.”

House lawmakers got an early dismissal and are heading home until after the November elections. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) said letting members leave this week — rather than later this month — is the best path for GOP candidates in the final campaign stretch. The early departure has reignited a debate over lawmakers’ work ethic, amid ongoing concerns about high gas prices and what Paletta described as “the dangers of AI.”

In other items from the WSJ Politics newsletter: Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R., Fla.) rolled out an ad criticizing President Trump on his immigration enforcement tactics. Trump was scheduled to hold a policy meeting Friday at 11 a.m. ET and to make a healthcare announcement at 2:30 p.m. ET. Trump refrained from name-calling and insults toward Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh after the Fed raised interest rates by a quarter point on Wednesday, though Paletta reported that “the positive relationship might not last if the Fed decides to raise rates again in October.” The president wants an interest-rate cut, and Trump gave Warsh a long leash — for now.

The newsletter, curated and edited in collaboration with Alistair Dawber and Emily Martocci, also noted that on this day in 1973, future president Jimmy Carter filed a report with the International UFO Bureau claiming he had seen an unidentified flying object in 1969.

The 2026 midterm elections are scheduled for November 3.