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I’m Jonathan Tamari, senior Washington reporter for Bloomberg Government, and each weekday I’ll be coming to you with inside-the-room reporting and insights that reveal what’s really happening in Washington—and how it impacts you. Email me with feedback and comments here. If this newsletter was forwarded to you sign up here. Today: Politics and taxes, the Fed gets a visit from Pirro’s prosecutors, and how to boost revenue by 31,000%. Tax BrawlIt’s probably only fair that the head of the IRS has to sweat on tax day, too. Frank Bisignano, the agency’s CEO, is heading to Capitol Hill today for a hearing on how the IRS handled tax season and implemented last year’s sweeping GOP tax bill, Erin Slowey reports. 
Frank Bisignano, chief executive officer of the Internal Revenue Service, on March 4
Photographer: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg
It’ll be one of several places where Republicans and Democrats plan to have it out over the tax cuts, offering a window into what’s shaping up as one of the central arguments for the midterm elections. Donald Trump’s budget director, Russ Vought, is also going to the Hill to talk about the president’s proposed boost to military funding, Mica Soellner reports. Of course, the April 15 date virtually assures he’ll be pressed by both sides about the ups and downs of the GOP’s signature tax law. (Congress loves a theme!) Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the Small Business Administration’s Kelly Loeffler will be at a 1 p.m. White House press conference. The entire House GOP leadership is holding a news conference on the Capitol steps today to promote the cuts. Republicans are hanging much of their midterm hopes on the tax cuts. It’s their number one selling point to show voters they’ve addressed cost-of-living concerns for everyday people. GOP senators have done 52 events this year (19 in April) promoting the measure – which they’re trying to rebrand from The One Big Beautiful Bill to the Working Families Tax Cuts. The events have included business roundtables, factory tours, daycare visits, restaurant stops and talks with miners and police. The big pitch is tax cuts for tips and overtime (a reminder: that’s why a DoorDasher delivered McDonald’s to the White House Monday). The problem: the tax cuts so far aren’t translating into public support, according to polling. Democrats have bashed it as another giveaway to the wealthy. 
A record 70% of voters think they’re taxes are too high, according to a Fox News poll released last week. That’s up 11 points from March of last year, before the tax cuts were passed. The average refund has grown about $350, roughly 11% per IRS data. But Trump promised $1,000, Caitlin Reilly reports today. About 70% of taxpayers got a refund through the start of April, compared to 67% at the same time last year. Many people seem flatly unaware of any benefits, according to polling Caitlin cites, and the law’s benefits are competing with economic drag from Trump’s tariffs and war. Republicans hope tax season turns around perceptions. Top GOP Senator John Thune said many people will realize the benefits of the cuts “for the first time” as their refunds come in. “Republicans made big changes to the tax code that benefit millions of Americans, and we need to make sure they know about it,” he said in a statement. “It’s important that Republicans use every opportunity to educate the public on how the Working Families Tax Cuts deliver safe streets, more money in your pocket, and new opportunities to get ahead.” Democrats say they’d love Republicans to campaign on the tax cuts. “No amount of political Tax Day spin will change the reality that hardworking families are getting more and more” angry at House Republicans, Viet Shelton, a spokesman for Democrats’ House campaign arm, told me, using a stronger word than angry. This argument will last well beyond April 15. Top NewsTrump reiterated to Fox Business that the war is “close to over” and told ABC that the ceasefire ending next week may not need an extension. There’s been work to set up another negotiation between the US and Iran, though nothing firm yet. Mediators are moving closer to extending the ceasefire before it expires April 22, opening the door for more talks, AP reported. During the same Fox interview, Trump urged Republicans in Congress to pursue a “slim” spending bill focused on funding immigration enforcement, weighing in on a spat that has divided GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Prosecutors made a surprise visit to the Federal Reserve Tuesday, sparking another clash in the DOJ’s ongoing investigation. Three DOJ officials were denied entrance to the Fed construction site, prompting a sharp exchange between the bank’s attorney and DC prosecutor Jeanine Pirro. It’s not a great sign for Kevin Warsh’s nomination, which is being held up by a GOP senator who objects to the investigation. In a sign of its increasing isolation, the US has offered a diplomatic version of the silent treatment to many of its European partners. That’s included freezing much of Europe out of consultations on Trump’s recent move to impose a blockade against the few ships Iran has allowed to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, and Washington’s decision to let a waiver on Russian oil expire. 
After years of worsening odds in the annual H-1B visa lottery, some US businesses this year saw selection rates jump to over 50% for high-skilled foreign workers, according to initial results shared by immigration firms. The rise from around 30% in prior years is being driven by a much smaller pool of applicants due to the $100,000 fee rolled out by the White House. Watch This 
Beijing has hosted a handful of world leaders this week, as President Xi Jinping lamented what he said is an international order falling into “disarray.”
Go Deeper With BGOV
Checkmate Government Relations reported a 31,638% jump in federal lobbying revenue last year, according to an exclusive Bloomberg Government analysis. The firm proves that one factor mattered most when it came to success on K Street in 2025: connections to the president and his circle. Ches McDowell, the firm’s managing partner, is a hunting buddy of the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr. Another lobbyist, Chris LaCivita Jr., is the son of a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 campaign.
On Today’s AgendaExport and import prices will be reported OMB Director Russ Vought testifies at the House Budget Committee on the president’s fiscal 2027 budget request IRS CEO Frank Bisignano testifies at the Senate Finance Committee on the 2026 tax filing season and budget request Energy Secretary Chris Wright testifies at the House Appropriations Energy subcommittee on the budget request Senate Appropriations subcommittee holds a hearing on FIFA World Cup preparation FEC filing deadline for federal candidates covering the 1Q of fiscal 2026 More From BloombergLike Washington Edition? Check out these newsletters:
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