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The Politics Hour: House Republicans take aim at D.C. taxes and the Smithsonian 17%
By Mblitz7%
7/23/2026, 3:35:24 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 20 faulty reasoning types, including Indoctrination, Framing Effect, and Negativity Bias, with Recency Bias as the most egregious example at 13.8% saturation with 47 hits. Analysis detected 490 faulty-reasoning hits from 340 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 32.4% and a BS Rank of 17% (17,748 of 21,198 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 83.70% of the article peer group.
House Republicans are pushing a bill aimed at restricting D.C.’s ability to decrease or increase local taxe s.
D.C. lawmakers are calling it an egregious attack on Home Rule.
Council Chair Phil Mendelson joins the show to discuss why not allowing the District to change the tax code could “paralyze” the city .
Plus, Kojo and Tom ask him his thoughts on driverless vehicles , ticket scalping , the bottle bill , and working with a new mayor .
The White House released a report earlier this month accusing the Smithsonian museums of “undermining faith in American institutions .”
This week, House Republicans followed the Trump administration’s lead with a subcommittee hearing focused on sharply questioning the Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
Virginia Congressman James Walkinshaw defended the Smithsonian throughout the hearing and joins the show to take us behind the scenes.
Plus, he weighs in on proposed historic preservation changes that would make it easier for President Trump to remake the District.
Maryland communities, like many others around the country, are pushing back on data center development.
This week, Montgomery County moved closer to extending its data center permit pause to 18 months, and a Maryland state senator is looking to introduce legislation for a statewide moratorium.
But tech companies are now fighting back .
WAMU’s Maryland reporter Jenny Abamu explains what’s at stake.
We want to hear from you !
Send your questions for Chair Mendelson, Rep.
Walkinshaw, and Jenny to kojo@wamu.org.
You can also call in at noon on Friday to 1-800-433-8850.
Sorting political fact from fiction, and having fun while we’re at it.
Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies, and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.
Produced by Matt Blitz
Tom Sherwood , Resident Analyst; Contributing Writer for Washington City Paper
Phil Mendelson , D.C.
Council Chair
James Walkinshaw , U.S.
Representative, Virginia’s 11th Congressional District
Jenny Abamu , WAMU’s Maryland reporter
Analysis
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