The New Counting Rule
Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., is introducing a new bill to change how House seats are counted. The Make Apportionment Great Again (MAGA) Act would only count citizens for representation. This proposal could strip seats from states with large noncitizen populations. Per Fox News, the U.S. census has traditionally counted every person living within borders. This new law would force a major shift in congressional maps across the country.
The bill does not require a new census right now. Instead, it forces states to use existing records to reapportion by 2027. A new question will appear on the 2030 census asking about citizenship status. California, New Jersey, New York, and Florida each have a population where immigrants constitute one-fifth. A 2024 report by the Center for Immigration Studies said noncitizens caused a net increase of 14 seats in Democrat-leaning states.
Legal Challenges and Past Comments
The 14th Amendment states that House seats come from “counting the whole number of persons in each State.” This language does not specify citizenship status. Experts say Clyde’s bill could face a significant legal battle in the courts. Pro-immigrant groups have long criticized GOP election efforts and may challenge the law.
Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., appears in a video from 2021 discussing immigration for redistricting. Clarke said she needed more people in her district just for redistricting purposes. The video resurfaced in July and shows her speaking at a House Foreign Affairs Committee briefing.
Cabinet Travels and Sanctions Votes
While this bill moves forward, the White House is also active on the campaign trail. Before the midterms, members of President Trump’s Cabinet undertook 500 domestic trips to key states. These trips happened between Memorial Day and Labor Day to reach Americans ahead of 2026.
Cabinet secretaries went to Texas 46 times and Pennsylvania 42 times. They also visited New York 40 times, Iowa 28 times, and Michigan 25 times. This summer, Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler recorded the highest number of trips. Vice President JD Vance and Attorney General Todd Blanche announced major fraud victories from Kansas City.
House Democrats now face a tough choice on a bill to sanction Russia and Iran. This legislation would instruct the president to increase tariffs on Russia by as much as 500%. It also targets countries buying Russian energy with up to 100% tariffs. Rep. Gregory Meeks said the bill would “do more harm than good” by expanding presidential power.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats will “continue to stand by the Ukrainian people.” He noted they must address concerns about giving Donald Trump authority the Supreme Court said he does not have. Should the rule pass, the full House is scheduled to vote on the sanctions bill Wednesday afternoon. This vote sets a procedural hurdle for the final decision on punishing Putin.
