President Trump appoints Katie Bailey as director of White House Legislative Affairs

President Donald Trump announced on Oct. 9, 2026 that Katie Bailey has been promoted to director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, making her the administration’s top liaison to Congress.

The timing is critical as the GOP prepares for the November midterm elections, where control of the House and Senate hangs in the balance and the administration’s legislative agenda faces heightened scrutiny.

Bailey arrives from her current role as special assistant to the president and deputy director of legislative affairs. Her résumé includes service as legislative director for Sen. Mike Braun (R‑IN) during his six‑year Senate tenure, and prior work for the late Sen. Tom Coburn (R‑OK) and on the House Oversight Committee during the Obama administration.

She replaces James Braid, who left the post in September. Braid was praised by Vice President J.D. Vance for steering a suite of landmark achievements, including the nation’s largest tax cut, the completion of the border wall, two avert‑ed government shutdowns, the first crypto‑focused bill, and a rapid cabinet confirmation pace.

The personnel shift follows a recent wave of senior staff changes, most notably the September departure of press secretary Karoline Leavitt and the appointment of conservative commentator Katie Zacharia to the role.

Bailey is expected to assume negotiations with lawmakers swiftly, guiding pending legislation such as the SAVE America Act, the Sunshine Protection Act, the Protect College Sports Act, and the “Reconciliation 3.0” bill through a Congress that is currently out of session and will reconvene for a lame‑duck period after Election Day.

With the midterms looming and the possibility of a Democratic shift in either chamber, the White House is bracing for a post‑election environment that may require bipartisan cooperation, heightened oversight, and a renewed legislative strategy.