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President Trump has called for the next budget reconciliation process to be fast and focused. Republican leaders, including Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson, emphasize that the bill should be narrowly streamlined, covering only three years of appropriations for DHS immigration enforcement and border security. They argue that funding for agencies that would otherwise be supported…

On April 3, the White House released the President’s discretionary budget request, proposing a 44% increase in defense spending and a 10% decrease in non-defense discretionary spending. The president’s budget is mostly symbolic and rarely influences Congressional appropriations. This month, the House Appropriations Committee will begin marking up spending bills, starting with Military Construction-Veterans Affairs…

The Senate recently rejected an amendment to require photo ID for federal elections, with the bill debate set to continue.  On March 31, President Trump signed an executive order enforcing stricter mail-in voting rules and directing states to identify eligible voters; Democrats have filed a lawsuit against its enforcement.

The government’s authority to conduct warrantless surveillance of foreigners abroad under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) expires in one week. Republican leaders and the White House are pushing for a clean 18-month extension, and the House plans to vote on the measure this week. The proposal is politically divided. The Speaker…

Democrats plan to push Iran War Powers resolutions this week. Even if passed, they lack enough support to overcome a likely presidential veto. The effort mainly aims to spotlight opposition to the war and compel Republicans to state their stance.  

Congress was in session this week in anticipation of a two-week Passover/Easter break starting next week, but the Senate may cancel all or part of that recess. The House voted on the following bills:  The Senate confirmed Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary, debated the SAVE America Act along with…

The Senate began debate last Tuesday on the voter identification bill, a top priority for President Trump and on Saturday, the chamber voted strictly along party lines to reject two amendments: a Republican proposal to bar transgender women from competing in women’s college sports, and a Democratic amendment from Minority Leader Schumer (D-NY) attempting to…

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has now been unfunded for 38 days. TSA lines and airport wait times continued to worsen over the weekend as more agents quit or stayed home. In response, President Trump announced that ICE agents will be deployed to airports and some Democrats interpret this as an effort by the…

The Pentagon is reportedly preparing to request $200 billion in FY 2026 supplemental funding to support operations in Iran. Many Democrats have already vowed to oppose any such spending, characterizing the effort as an unauthorized war. Without a major unifying event, it is highly unlikely that the measure could pass the Senate on its own,…

Last Wednesday, Senate Democrats forced a vote on one of five pending War Powers resolutions, this one sponsored by Sen. Booker (D-NJ) (S.J. Res. 118). The measure, which would have directed the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities within or against Iran that have not been authorized by Congress, failed by a vote of…