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This week’s edition brought to you by Daniel Malloy Managing Editor |
JULY 5, 2025 | In a past life, I was one of those reporters you see chasing members of Congress around the Capitol, covering the legislative hurly-burly of the day. So I can empathize with the bedraggled members of the Fourth Estate, not to mention congressional staff, after a week of all-night votes and negotiations around the “Big, Beautiful Bill.” (Please cut them some slack at your holiday weekend cookouts.) While there’s quite a bit to unpack about the Republican megabill that narrowly and dramatically cleared Congress this week, our editors’ picks start with a close look at the energy implications. No all-nighters needed to engage with our expert analysis. |
1. Big and beautiful?Donald Trump has made “dominance” the goal of his energy policy. Does the megabill deliver? To Landon Derentz, who served as director for energy on the US National Security Council during the first Trump administration, it sets a “foundation” by backing nuclear and resilience efforts, but there’s more for Congress to do—particularly in permitting reform. Andrea Clabough and David Goldwyn, a former State Department special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs, warn that by cutting back the Biden administration’s tax credits for renewables, the bill could undermine the clean energy industry—and send prices soaring. Power up with their takes on the bill. |
2. Pentagon prep.In the coming months, the US Defense Department is due to release its vision for the next four years, and our experts have ideas on how to make sure it meets the moment. Welcome to the National Defense Strategy Project, a series of publications that will continue to roll out over several weeks. “The challenges ahead—including intensifying strategic competition with China, rapid technological change, and new domains of conflict—demand a clear, focused, and forward-looking strategy,” writes Clementine Starling-Daniels, who leads our Forward Defense program. Don’t miss Clementine’s five priorities for the next NDS, a homeland defense strategy for the border and beyond, and the case for a US pivot to China—not Asia. |
3. Diminished defense.News broke this week that the White House will block previously approved shipments of weapons to Ukraine—reportedly including Patriot batteries and other defensive weapons. This “decision is a serious mistake that undercuts the administration’s efforts to make peace in Ukraine,” writes former US ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst. “The problem seems to be insufficient coordination within the Trump administration, especially with the Department of Defense.” John argues that withholding these weapons undercuts the “peace through strength” the president exhibited in his strikes on Iran. Read his take on how Moscow is perceiving the move. |
4. Tehran’s test.Trump’s recent musing that Iran should be able to sell oil to China turned heads in the Washington policy community. The White House quickly clarified that it is not backing off its punishing sanctions on Iran following the US attack on Iranian nuclear sites. Kimberly Donovan, a former senior US Treasury official, says this clarification is a “relief” but “not enough.” Washington needs to get tougher on enforcing existing sanctions, Kim argues, “to ensure that Iran cannot rebuild its nuclear program using oil revenues it receives from China.” Explore how the US can take on the “Axis of Evasion.” |
5. Bucharest-bound.This week, the Atlantic Council opened its newest office—in Bucharest. Why Romania? The country is pivotal for energy (located on the Black Sea), diplomacy (a pro-Europe reformer was just narrowly elected president over a populist insurgent), and security (it borders Ukraine and has been targeted by Russian influence). “This new office is a flag for freedom, for democracy, for entrepreneurship, for transatlantic partnership, and for a future where Romania plays a significant role regionally, in Europe, across the Atlantic, and globally,” our CEO, Fred Kempe, said this week at the office’s christening. Watch the full conversation featuring top Romanian officials and Atlantic Council experts. |
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