Lawmakers are reportedly fearful for their safety following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, with some changing their behavior by canceling events or carrying firearms, according to NBC News reporting on September 11th, 2025. This heightened concern for security is occurring as the U.S. Coast Guard continues its investigation into inappropriate social media activity by a member. Separately, the U.S. population growth is forecast to slow further, with deaths expected to exceed births in 2031, two years earlier than previously projected, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Concerns over safety in Congress have led to tangible changes in lawmaker conduct, with reports indicating a palpable sense of fear. This atmosphere is compounded by the ongoing U.S. Coast Guard investigation into personnel's social media activity, which the agency stated is contrary to core values, as confirmed via a statement released on X. The investigation is supported by the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, the U.S. deficit for August was $345 billion, with $29.5 billion collected in tariffs, according to data cited by Jamie Dupree on X. The total deficit for fiscal year 2025 is $1.973 trillion, an increase from the same point in 2024. In legislative matters, Republican leaders are considering a House vote next week on a stopgap spending bill to extend government funding through November 20. The Senate may vote on this measure late next week, according to Politico. Senate Democrats attempted to hotline a proposal to delay a procedural vote on a GOP rules change until Monday, but this request was rejected by Republicans, as reported by Andrew Desiderio on X. Separately, the Trump administration has requested an appeals court to re-fire Lisa Cook before an upcoming Federal Reserve board meeting, as reported by Kyle Cheney. In military news, the second B-21 Raider aircraft has completed its first flight, accelerating the test campaign for mission system and weapons evaluations, according to the Secretary of the Air Force's official X account. In New Jersey, a National Research poll conducted between September 8th and September 10th shows Mikie Sherrill leading Jack Ciattarelli 47% to 45% in the gubernatorial race, according to PollTracker2024 on X. Representative Morgan Luttrell, a Republican from Texas, announced he will not seek re-election, with reports suggesting his decision may be due to dissatisfaction with his time in Congress. The Department of Justice reported a water disruption at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay led to the relocation of three "low-threat aliens." Representative Don Bacon stated that firmness towards Russia is necessary, advocating for military aid to Ukraine and secondary sanctions against Russia. In a separate development, a bipartisan deal in the Senate regarding a legislative matter faced challenges due to a lack of unanimous consent to proceed today, with Senator Lankford expressing doubts about sufficient trust to punt the issue to the following week. U.S. lawmakers completed a trip to Burkina Faso last month, marking their first successful visit in three years due to previous political instability and violence in the Sahel region.
