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This Week in Congress!

 

This week, Congress returned with a flurry of activity! From intense debates over President Trump’s Iran strikes to the sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBBA), which continued through budget negotiations.

War Powers & Iran Strikes

  • Sens. Graham (R-SC) and Cotton (R-AR) defended the Saturday strikes on Iran’s Natanz, Fordow, and Esfahan facilities with Cotton framing it as controlled diplomacy, and Graham calling Iran’s leaders “religious Nazis.”
  • Bipartisan pushback: Reps. Khanna (D CA) and Massie (R KY) decried the action as unconstitutional without congressional briefing or approval. “There was no imminent threat,” Massie emphasized. Sen. Kaine (D-VA) planned a floor vote on the action.
  • Democratic alarm: Rep. Himes (D-CT) warned the strikes could lead to U.S. casualties and a “massive gamble” that risks deeper regional conflict.

“One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBBA)

  • Senate delays loom: Republican holdouts threatening to stall the bill, which ties together huge tax cuts, military and border-enforcement spending.
  • Congressional Budget Office scrutiny: Analysts are debating the fiscal impact, with earlier scoring showing mixed projections on deficits and debt ceiling triggers.
  • Parliamentarian rulings: Senate scrapped parts of the House-passed bill including Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and environmental rollbacks to meet Byrd Rule criteria

Trade Review Act

  • Tariff oversight moving forward: This bipartisan bill (Cantwell (D-WA) - Grassley (R-IA)) in Senate, Bacon (R-NB) in House would mandate a 60-day congressional review of major tariff changes, which is building momentum amid broader trade policy scrutiny.
    The House voted on H.R. 260 (No Tax Dollars for Terrorists), H.R. 1998 (Pirate Sanctions), the Romance Scam Prevention Act, and various OBBBA provisions. Additional House votes were taken on the Military Construction/Veterans Appropriations (H.R. 3944), DUI legislation (H.R. 875), special interest alien reporting (H.R. 275), and H.Res. 516 condemning the LA riots. Meanwhile, the Senate continued deliberations on the OBBBA, with final text likely shaped by moderates concerned about the deficit and Byrd Rule violations. Additionally, the chamber voted on a War Powers resolution curbing military operations in Iran unless explicitly authorized by Congress. Lastly, the Trade Review Act advanced to floor debate.
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