FIRST THINGS FIRST

Louisiana Republicans’ effort to redraw the state’s congressional map after the Supreme Court’s Callais decision has raised the possibility that the Congressional Black Caucus’s next potential chair may not be around to lead the group after the November midterms.

Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.), the current first vice chair who is next in line to succeed Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) next Congress under the caucus’s traditional leadership ladder, is facing growing uncertainty as Louisiana Republicans explore new congressional maps that could dismantle one of the state’s two majority-Black districts in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent voting-rights ruling. Several CBC members told me they would support Carter for the chairmanship if he remains in Congress.

Carter argued the fight over Louisiana’s congressional map is also a fight over the kind of leadership emerging inside the CBC and the broader House Democratic caucus.

“It’s clear that they’ve identified people who are not going to fall for the okie doke and they’ve recognized that our brand of leadership is a strong one and that we come prepared,” he told me in an interview on Tuesday evening. “So maybe we are too strong for their liking, maybe we are too outspoken for their liking, maybe we are too polished for their liking, maybe we have demonstrated a level of no-quit, you-can’t-bullshit-us kind of quality, and that’s threatening to them.”

Still, Carter said the CBC’s leadership bench extends beyond any one member or election cycle.

“But I will tell you this: Rather it me, [House Minority Leader Hakeem [Jeffries (D-N.Y.)] or anybody else, we’re training up new members to do just the same,” he said. “You can knock any of us down, the next one is going to come just as strong.”

Carter arrived in Congress in 2021 after winning the special election to replace former Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), who left Capitol Hill to join former President Joe Biden’s White House. Before coming to Washington, Carter spent years in the Louisiana legislature and on the New Orleans City Council, building deep ties across the state’s Black political establishment now mobilizing against the GOP’s redistricting push.

After the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, Louisiana Republicans moved almost immediately to revisit the state’s congressional map.

Gov. Jeff Landry delayed Louisiana’s congressional primaries to give lawmakers time to redraw the maps after the Supreme Court ruling, a move Democrats and voting-rights groups argue has injected chaos into the election calendar and intensified accusations that the process is being rushed to capitalize on the Court’s decision before legal challenges can catch up.

The current proposals being floated in Baton Rouge could eliminate one or both of Louisiana’s majority-Black congressional districts, including Carter’s New Orleans-based seat and the Baton Rouge-to-Shreveport district held by Rep. Cleo Fields (D-La.).

Under the current map, Carter’s district is majority-Black and heavily Democratic. Republicans now appear to be exploring maps that would either crack up New Orleans and merge parts of Carter’s district into white Republican seats or preserve Carter while dismantling Fields’ district, depending on which configuration produces the safest overall GOP advantage.

There’s also growing speculation that Republicans may decide it’s politically cleaner to target Fields rather than Carter because New Orleans’ Black political infrastructure is harder to split cleanly without generating significant backlash and litigation risk. Fields publicly said this week he would not run against Carter regardless of which new maps emerge to avoid a member-vs-member Democratic primary if Republicans collapse the state back toward a 5R-1D map.

Over the weekend and into this week, Carter convened a large voting-rights town hall at Dillard University in New Orleans alongside local elected officials, clergy and civil-rights advocates.

Before these events, he made an appeal to the better angels of the state lawmakers with whom he had previously served.

“And as I said, they got a tough job to do, tough decisions to make, but not because of right or wrong, but because of the forces of evil that’s pushing [the new maps],” he told me. “So my position was very clear: ‘Listen, man, step out of this and do what’s right. Do what’s right because I’ve seen you do it before.”

OVERSIGHT

New Jersey Dems introduce ICE oversight bill one year after Delaney Hall visit

Reps. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) and Rob Menendez (D-N.J.) introduced legislation Tuesday that would guarantee members of Congress immediate access to immigration detention facilities without advance notice as part of their oversight responsibilities while holding private contractors liable for noncompliance.

The measure would codify Congress’s authority to conduct oversight of ICE and DHS facilities, a power lawmakers argue already exists through Congress’s constitutional oversight role and a 2019 appropriations rider.

As I reported in Tuesday evening’s Sunset, it comes as Republicans are racing to keep President Trump’s immigration-and-border reconciliation package on track for floor consideration before the Memorial Day recess ahead of Trump’s self-imposed June 1 deadline.

Menendez argued Republicans should have to account for how the Department of Homeland Security has spent taxpayer dollars before Congress approves additional immigration enforcement funding through reconciliation, particularly after Democrats spent months demanding policy changes during the record-long DHS shutdown.

He accused Republicans of applying a double standard by citing waste, fraud and abuse to justify roughly $1 trillion in proposed health care cuts in their first reconciliation bill last summer while resisting comparable scrutiny of DHS ICE spending under former Secretary Kristi Noem. He said lawmakers should conduct a full audit of the department’s spending and enforcement activities before approving more funding outside the normal appropriations process.

“That should be the conversations Republicans should want to have, instead of just adding $70 billion to the slush fund that’s literally killing Americans,” he told me. “But you know, Republicans just will not hold this administration accountable or even do what’s right by their own communities and what’s right by the taxpayers.”

Menendez also said Democrats’ demands during the DHS funding fight centered on what he described as basic guardrails that had previously limited immigration enforcement activities at sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals and places of worship before the Trump administration rolled them back. He pointed to recent incidents in his district, including two constituents who he said were detained outside a church in Jersey City, as evidence of why Democrats pushed for the restrictions to be restored.

“So the reforms are things that would bring us to a place that is in a better place than we’ve seen previously,” he said.

The trio’s new bill comes one year after their visit to Delaney Hall, which later prompted the Trump administration to charge McIver with allegedly “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers.” She faces up to 17 years in prison if convicted.

First Things First • In the span of a few hours on Monday, President Donald Trump once again demonstrated how quickly he can reorder the priorities of a Republican-controlled Congress around his own political instincts and legislative demands.

First came Trump’s endorsement of a federal gas-tax holiday amid mounting economic anxiety tied to the war in Iran, immediately prompting congressional Republicans like Sen. Josh Hawley (Mo.) and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.) to announce forthcoming companion legislation.

Then, Trump publicly pressured the House to pass the Senate-backed 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act despite bipartisan negotiations already underway in the lower chamber to revise several contested Senate provisions that had stalled the bill for weeks.

Whether Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) ultimately moves the Senate bill unchanged or allows the House to continue working through its own version, the episode offered another vivid illustration of how Trump approaches a GOP-led Congress as a governing instrument expected to adapt in real time to his political priorities and timetable.

Ironically, congressional Democrats in March proposed suspending the 18.4-cent federal gas tax through the end of September, with legislation from Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) in the Senate and Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in the House.

“I’ve supported it for months. It should have been done months ago. I think we all need to come together in favor of suspending the gas tax. Everyone who supports it deserves credit for it. The president’s a little bit late to the party, but better late than never.”

When asked whether Democrats risk handing Republicans a political opening by opposing the proposal as Trump and congressional Republicans rally around a gas-tax holiday, Blumenthal defended his support for the legislation as a straightforward attempt to lower energy costs for consumers.

“I think Democrats have been very clear that we’re supporting reductions in energy prices using every means available. And I can’t speak for Democrats who may have objections to this bill. I’ve been supporting it because I think it’s the right thing to do.”

But as I reported in last night’s Sunset, a driver filling up a 15-gallon tank would save roughly $2.75 per trip if Congress fully suspended the tax and oil companies and retailers passed the entire savings through to consumers. So while a gas tax holiday would provide Americans with some relief, it probably wouldn’t be the kind of dramatic, wallet-changing relief politicians would market during a war-driven energy crunch. Democrats could also argue that the relief is too small to offset war-driven price spikes meaningfully and would benefit oil companies if savings are not fully passed through to consumers.

Not to mention, the federal gas tax helps fund the Highway Trust Fund, which finances roads, bridges and transit infrastructure. Suspending it without replacing the revenue would increase pressure on transportation funding at a moment when deficits are already ballooning due to the GOP megabill and wartime spending demands.

“I think right now, the best thing that can happen for gas prices is for the Strait [or Hormuz] to get opened up again, the shipping lines get opened up again. That’ll normalize gas prices as much as anything,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). “Obviously, any time that you suspend the gas tax, that leaves a big hole in the Highway Trust Fund, which also has implications down the road. No pun intended.”

Democrats backing the proposal, meanwhile, have pushed back on concerns that a temporary suspension would cripple federal transportation funding.

“I’ve heard that objection,” Blumenthal said. “But there are other sources to provide money for the Highway Trust Fund, and there’s no immediate need for this source of revenue for it.”

Meanwhile, few lawmakers are as grateful as Thune for Trump’s backing of his chamber’s housing bill, which remains one of Congress’s last chances to meaningfully address the cost-of-living concerns that will be top of mind when voters head to the polls in six months.

“I think one thing we can do quickly is the House could pick up and pass the housing bill, which is designed to make housing more affordable,” Thune told reporters hours before Trump nudged the House to follow suit. “And I think that strikes at the very heart of the broader affordability issue.”

Kiggans under fire to resign • Social media erupted on Monday afternoon after a Virginia radio host told Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) should keep his “cotton-picking hands” out of Virginia politics, a phrase widely viewed as a racist slur with roots in slavery-era language.

“That’s right. Ditto. Yes. Yes to that,” Kiggans responded before later saying she was agreeing only with the broader point about Jeffries staying out of Virginia politics and did not condone the language itself.

But by then, the backlash was in full force.

“Jen Kiggans heard a vile racist slur and agreed out loud—that’s who she is,” Chris Taylor, a spokesperson for the Congressional Black Caucus’s political arm, said in a statement. “We’re going to make sure her constituents know she condones this racist crap.”

CBC Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), whose district neighbors Jeffries, and his two top lieutenants were among the Democrats who called on Kiggans to step down.

“First they gutted the Voting Rights Act. Now they are using brazenly racist language to attack Black leaders,” House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) said. “[Jen Kiggans] should immediately apologize and resign.”

House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) called Kiggans’ agreement with the racist comments disqualifying for a member of Congress.

“Republicans are taking us backwards in every single way,” the number-three House Democrat said. “Rep. Kiggans must apologize then get the hell out of the House.”

Kiggans’ district, which encompasses the low-lying plains of southeastern Virginia with Black voters comprising nearly 25% of the population, is firmly on the CBCPAC’s House battlefield. Former Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), who narrowly lost to Kiggans in 2022 after serving two terms in the House, is seeking the Democratic nomination in 2026.

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SCOTUS clears way for AL to erase majority-Black districts • The Supreme Court on Monday overturned lower court rulings that required the state to maintain two majority-Black districts and ordered the case reconsidered under the Court’s new Louisiana v. Callais standard, handing Alabama Republicans another opening to redraw the state’s congressional map ahead of the midterms. Reps. Terri Sewell and Shomari Figures are the delegation’s only Black and Democratic members.

The move marks the latest escalation in the post-Callais redistricting wars reshaping the House battlefield across the South. But as I reported in last night’s Sunset, Jeffries told his members in a letter Monday afternoon that they would still take control of the House in November because Republicans are defending one of the narrowest majorities in modern history in a political environment shaped by rising costs, backlash to the GOP’s agenda and what he described as growing public frustration with President Trump.

Related: Virginia Democrats asked the Supreme Court to reverse last week’s ruling from the Virginia Supreme Court invalidating the voter-approved congressional map adopted through last month’s referendum.

The Supreme Court also extended until late Thursday afternoon its administrative stay of a lower-court ruling that would have immediately reinstated in-person dispensing requirements for the abortion pill. The stay was set to expire today. The extension preserves nationwide access to mifepristone through mail delivery and pharmacy dispensing. Read more about the case in Monday morning’s Sunrise.

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FIRST THINGS FIRST

Congress is back: Police Week, spending fights and Trump abroad

Congress returns from a weeklong recess this week, with the Senate back this evening and the House returning Tuesday night for a two-week sprint before the Memorial Day break.

It’s National Police Week and House Republicans are reviving their tough-on-crime playbook with a slate of so-called law-and-order bills designed to elevate law enforcement, target progressive criminal justice policies like cashless bail and sanctuary jurisdictions and force Democrats into politically uncomfortable votes on crime and public safety.

The House will also take up Republicans’ first fiscal year 2027 appropriations bill as lawmakers try to avoid a repeat of the chaotic 2026 funding cycle, which was plagued by multiple record-long government shutdowns and spending bills that weren’t enacted until seven months into the fiscal year.

Across the Capitol, the Senate will begin the process of confirming Kevin Warsh to serve as the next chair of the Federal Reserve before current Chair Jerome Powell’s term expires Friday. Paid subscribers to Once Upon a Hill got the full rundown on this week’s agenda in Sunday evening’s edition of Congress Nerd Sunset, plus a look at how two court rulings over the last 10 days scrambled Democrats’ path back to the House majority.

Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled Tuesday morning to mark up its portion of the GOP’s $72 billion immigration funding package, although Democrats are expected to delay a committee vote until next week. Republicans are also likely to face questions over the bill’s $1 billion allocation for President Donald Trump’s planned East Wing ballroom after Trump and allies previously insisted private donations would cover the project.

Lawmakers also have just 32 days left to reach a long-term agreement on reauthorizing the federal government’s foreign surveillance powers. Privacy hawks continue pushing for warrant requirements before intelligence agencies can surveil Americans communicating with foreign targets, while conservatives are demanding a ban on a central bank digital currency.

Trump is set to travel to China this week for a high-stakes meeting with President Xi Jinping on trade and economic relations. Trump also dismissed Iran’s latest response to a U.S. peace proposal as “totally unacceptable” as negotiators remain far apart on a deal aimed at ending the war, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

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THE COURTS

Supreme Court prepares to rule on medication abortion restrictions

The Supreme Court is expected to decide today whether to preserve nationwide access to mifepristone through mail delivery and pharmacy dispensing after Justice Samuel Alito last week temporarily blocked a lower-court ruling that would have immediately reinstated in-person dispensing requirements for the abortion pill.

At issue is a recent 5th Circuit decision siding with Louisiana and ordering the Food and Drug Administration to roll back rules that expanded access to mifepristone by mail. If allowed to take effect, the ruling would effectively end non-in-person dispensing nationwide, including in states where abortion remains legal.

Abortion-rights advocates view the case as the latest escalation in the anti-abortion movement’s post-Dobbs strategy to restrict abortion access nationally through the courts after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

“Since then, anti-abortion politicians have tried to pick up the baton and continue these nationwide attacks on medication abortion access,” Julia Kaye, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union Reproductive Freedom Project, told me. “The idea that Louisiana’s anti-abortion attorney general should get to decide what access to medication abortion looks like in the dozens of states with legal protections for abortion is outrageous, yet the 5th Circuit rubber-stamped that request.”

The case has drawn unusually broad opposition from medical, pharmaceutical and public-health groups. Organizations ranging from the American Medical Association to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America filed amicus briefs urging the justices to block the lower-court ruling.

Congressional Democrats also weighed in last week. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and more than 250 Democratic lawmakers argued in a separate filing that mifepristone is a safe and effective medication used in nearly two-thirds of abortions as well as miscarriage care.

The Trump administration did not respond by the court’s Thursday deadline.

“The administration’s silence speaks volumes and is a permission slip to the Supreme Court to restrict access to medication abortion nationwide, betraying decades of science and President Trump’s campaign promises not to impose new federal restrictions on abortion,” Deirdre Schifeling, the ACLU’s chief political and advocacy officer, said in a statement. “The outcome of this case could damage access to abortion and miscarriage care in every state in this country, including those that protect abortion rights.”

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● ● ○

HANTAVIRUS

Schumer links cruise ship outbreak to Trump public health cuts

Chuck Schumer accused the Trump administration on Sunday of weakening the nation’s public health defenses as officials respond to a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship carrying American passengers.

In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Schumer argued that cuts to federal health programs, staffing reductions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the administration’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization have undermined the government’s ability to manage infectious disease threats involving Americans abroad.

“The U.S. is at a disadvantage to protect the public from the dangers of hantavirus,” Schumer wrote, urging the administration to restore staffing and funding for public health programs and rejoin the WHO.

The letter comes as three people have died and several others have fallen ill from hantavirus aboard the ship, which carried 17 American passengers. Schumer noted reports indicating the outbreak involves the Andes strain of hantavirus, the only known variant capable of person-to-person transmission.

Schumer specifically criticized the administration’s decision last year to fire full-time employees within the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program as part of broader DOGE-directed workforce reductions, arguing the cuts weakened the federal government’s ability to identify and respond to threats aboard cruise ships. He also pointed to staffing shortages at CDC Port Health Stations, which monitor infectious diseases entering the country through ports and transit hubs.

The New York Democrat additionally accused the administration of providing delayed and insufficient public communication about the outbreak and questioned whether turmoil at the CDC—including the absence of a Senate-confirmed director—has slowed the response.

The letter requests detailed information by May 17 on CDC staffing levels tied to the outbreak response, coordination with the WHO, plans for screening and monitoring returning passengers and communication with state and local health departments handling possible quarantine and contact-tracing efforts.

○ ●

FIRST THINGS FIRST

CBC ramps up organizing after voting rights ruling

Within 24 hours of the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, the Congressional Black Caucus’s political arm and Let It Resound—a 501(c)(4) group closely aligned with the caucus—committed an initial low six-figure investment to a rapid-response effort aimed at turning outrage over the ruling into organizing infrastructure and voter outreach.

A source close to the CBC described the effort as a coordinated social media push designed to reach Black voters, organizers, and community leaders in real time with information they can act on. The broader initiative is expected to grow into a seven-figure investment and will include tools and resources intended to help Americans respond to what caucus allies view as escalating attacks on voting rights and democratic participation.

The effort is also designed to shape the broader public narrative around the ruling while moving supporters toward real-world political engagement and organizing actions tailored to individual states, according to the source.

At the same time, CBC members have remained in close communication with local civic and elected leaders in affected states, convening strategy sessions and coordinating on-the-ground mobilization efforts.

The CBC’s response comes as Republican-led states across the South have aggressively moved to redraw congressional maps ahead of the midterms in ways Democrats argue could further erode Black political representation and eliminate Democratic seats.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed a new congressional map Thursday aimed at unseating Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), the lone Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation.

South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi could also revisit their maps in ways that threaten Democratic-held seats represented by CBC members.

Louisiana lawmakers previously weighed redrawing their map to flip one or two Democratic districts before pausing the effort, while Florida’s newly redrawn map recently took effect in a move Republicans hope could net the party up to four additional seats.

Georgia appears more likely to wait until the next redistricting cycle in 2028, though Democrats privately acknowledge little is off the table anymore.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) insists Democrats will still win back the majority this fall.

The Court’s conservative majority held in Callais that the state crossed a constitutional line by relying too heavily on race to draw Rep. Cleo Fields’s district, arguing the Voting Rights Act did not require Louisiana to create a second majority-Black seat. Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion further narrowed how Section 2 can be used, while Justice Elena Kagan warned in dissent that the Court was weakening one of the country’s central protections for minority voters. In practical terms, the ruling makes it harder to force states to create majority-minority districts and easier for legislatures to defend contested maps in court.

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DEMOCRACY

Hinson pushes House GOP to ban prediction market betting

Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) introduced legislation Thursday that would extend the Senate’s ban on participating in prediction markets to the House, adding momentum to a bipartisan push to curb lawmakers and government officials from profiting off politically sensitive information.

The proposal would update House rules to bar members of Congress, congressional staff and House officers from entering into agreements tied to the outcome of specific events.

“Members of Congress shouldn’t be able to use insider knowledge to make a profit. We should take immediate action to ensure DC politicians can’t make money off of policies they are influencing,” Hinson, who is running to succeed retiring Sen. Joni Ernst, said in a statement. “I am calling on our House Republican leadership to bring this to the floor immediately. It should receive unanimous support.”

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) did not respond to a request for comment.

The Senate ban was proposed by Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Alex Padilla and passed by unanimous consent before senators left Washington last week for recess.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) last Sunday urged the House and White House to follow the Senate’s lead and prohibit government officials from wagering on prediction markets. Schumer described the Senate action as the first step toward a broader federal ban that would extend across the executive and judicial branches.

A spokesperson for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told me this week that Jeffries broadly supports the bipartisan effort and is reviewing the Senate measure with House Administration Committee Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.). As I reported in Tuesday morning’s Sunrise, the White House declined to say whether President Donald Trump believes the ban should apply to the executive branch.

The bipartisan push comes as public trust in Congress remains near historic lows. Just 17% of Americans say they trust the federal government to do what is right, while roughly eight in 10 voters believe lawmakers fail to separate their personal financial interests from their official duties, reinforcing perceptions that Washington is self-interested, inefficient and disconnected from ordinary Americans.

○ ● ●

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Republicans race to entrench power across the South

In the week since the Callais ruling weakened a key Voting Rights Act protection, Republican officials across several Southern states have accelerated efforts to revisit congressional maps in ways that could strengthen the GOP’s grip on power while diluting Black voting strength.

With primaries already underway in some states and the midterms rapidly approaching, the post-Callais push underscores how redistricting is evolving from a once-a-decade process into an ongoing power struggle, with Republican legislatures seeking ways to maximize their House advantage through state-controlled maps.

“This is insane,” Rep. Steve Cohen, the lone Democrat in Tennessee’s congressional delegation, said of the state’s new proposed map that would crack Memphis across multiple districts. “It’s a blatant, corrupt power grab that would destroy the Black community’s and our entire city’s voice.”

The new map Tennessee unveiled on Wednesday would create a 9–0 delegation, with each district comprising a seat that President Trump won by at least 20 points in 2024.

Below is a roundup of the current state of play across the rest of the South:

• Louisiana: Gov. Jeff Landry has suspended the state’s congressional primaries this month to give Republican lawmakers time to redraw the map, with the expectation that the state could move from a 4R-2D delegation to a 5R-1D map by eliminating the second majority-Black district created under prior Voting Rights Act standards.

• Alabama: Republicans hope to use the Supreme Court’s recent Voting Rights Act ruling to overturn or replace the court-ordered map that created a second Black-opportunity district, though there’s conflicting messaging inside the state GOP about whether a redraw will happen immediately.

• South Carolina: Republican lawmakers are laying the groundwork for a possible special session to redraw the state’s congressional map, with Democrats warning the effort could target Rep. Jim Clyburn’s neighboring Democratic district and further lock in GOP control.

• Mississippi: Republicans are under growing pressure from Trump allies to redraw the map in a way that could weaken or eliminate Rep. Bennie Thompson’s district, though logistical and legal hurdles have slowed any formal congressional redraw so far.

• Georgia: The Peach State’s congressional map remains under litigation tied to Voting Rights Act claims, but Republicans view Callais as a potential opening to protect or expand their current advantage without creating additional Black-opportunity districts.

• Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis just signed a new congressional map expected to net Republicans up to four additional GOP-friendly seats, immediately triggering lawsuits alleging violations of the state’s Fair Districts anti-gerrymandering protections.

Meanwhile, Democrats are already challenging the new GOP maps in court while pushing to remove remaining redistricting guardrails in blue states ahead of the 2028 cycle.

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2026 MIDTERMS

Democrats hold edge in new Marist poll despite enthusiasm gap

President Trump’s numbers are softening almost everywhere outside the core Republican coalition, while Democrats are showing signs of a favorable midterm environment without fully resolving their own enthusiasm gaps, according to a new Marist Poll.

Democrats lead the generic congressional ballot 52%-42%, a notable edge in a political environment where control of the House is likely to hinge on a small number of competitive districts. (Democrats posted similar advantages in several Marist polls during the 2018 cycle before retaking the House.)

But Republican voters are actually slightly more enthusiastic about voting this November than Democrats, 82% to 79%—a sign that while Democrats currently hold the broader political advantage, the GOP still retains the intensity edge. That’s a warning light for Democrats who assume anti-Trump sentiment alone will drive turnout.

“The +10 is anti-Trump and pro-checks-and-balances,” a Democratic operative told me. “The lack of enthusiasm is a lack of clarity on what Democrats stand for and what they will do with their majority.”

While the two largest ideological caucuses have rolled out agendas outlining policies Democrats could pursue if they flip the House in November, some members and aides have privately expressed anxiety about making explicit promises when their ability to deliver would depend heavily on the size and makeup of a potential majority, as well as the political realities of the moment.

“Politics is like football. Don’t play if you’re scared because you’re going to get yourself hurt,” the operative said. “Democrats have to be clear on what they stand for. Republicans are going to attack you either way.”

Trump’s overall job approval sits at 37% approve and 59% disapprove, including a 51% “strongly disapprove” number. The erosion is especially pronounced among independents (63%-32%), voters under 45 (63%-31%), women (63%-32%) and college graduates (65%-33%). Older, rural, white voters without college degrees remain his strongest base of support.

The economy numbers are particularly striking because that has traditionally been Trump’s strongest issue. Yet voters disapprove of his handling of the economy by a 61%-35% margin.

The foreign policy findings tell a similar story. Voters say Trump has weakened America’s role on the world stage by a 62%-38% margin. And on Iran, he’s underwater 60% to 33%, with more respondents saying U.S. military action in Iran has done “more harm than good” than the reverse (61%-38%).

Taken together, the poll paints a country uneasy with Trump’s governing style, skeptical of his handling of the economy and foreign affairs, and increasingly open to Democrats serving as a check on unified Republican power.

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● ● ○

ECONOMY

Democrats question how BNPL loans affect credit scores

Senate Democrats are pressing the nation’s biggest credit reporting agencies on how they plan to navigate the rapid rise of Buy Now, Pay Later loans in a system with few consistent rules, little transparency and uneven consumer protections that could affect millions of Americans’ credit scores in ways borrowers may not fully understand.

At the center of the concern is a growing disconnect between the explosive growth of BNPL products and the credit reporting industry's outdated infrastructure. Some BNPL lenders report loans to credit bureaus while others don’t. Some credit bureaus incorporate the data, while others may treat it differently. Consumers, meanwhile, often have little visibility into how any of it affects their credit profiles.

“Until all relevant parts of this industry align on the use of BNPL data, consumers are left in limbo where BNPL data from a subset of lenders is provided to a subset of credit reporting companies with varying impacts for consumers,” Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) wrote this week to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. “Given the exceptional growth in the BNPL industry in recent years, BNPL loans are becoming a larger part of consumer’s credit pictures at the same time that Americans are under historic financial pressures.”

The scrutiny comes as more Americans turn to services like Klarna, Affirm and Afterpay to cover groceries, utilities and other basic expenses amid persistent financial strain. LendingTree reported that 54% of BNPL users this year said they relied on the loans to cover essentials, while 47% said they missed at least one payment in the past year.

The latest push builds on Congress Nerd’s reporting last December on growing Democratic scrutiny of the lightly regulated BNPL industry as consumers increasingly use multiple installment-payment apps at once to manage cash flow and stretch monthly budgets.

○ ● ●

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Dems see medication abortion fight reshaping the midterms

National Democrats view a recent wave of conservative legal attacks on medication abortion as a sign the issue could once again become a defining fight ahead of the November midterms.

The Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade transformed abortion into a galvanizing issue during the 2022 cycle that helped Democrats outperform expectations by energizing women, younger voters and abortion-rights supporters—while blunting an anticipated Republican red wave.

Now, with the high court weighing emergency appeals that could restrict mail-order access to mifepristone, Democrats see an opening to campaign on preserving and expanding abortion access as the issue returns to the center of the national political debate.

“If it doesn’t [become a midterms issue], then we’re not doing our jobs,” a Democratic lawmaker told me Tuesday evening.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week to effectively reinstate a requirement that patients obtain the drug in person from a medical provider.

The judges sided with Louisiana’s argument that mail-order access conflicts with the state’s abortion restrictions and policies regarding fetal personhood. Although Louisiana brought the case, the ruling applied nationwide and could have affected millions of women in states where abortion remains legal.

The Supreme Court issued an administrative stay three days later, temporarily pausing the ruling and restoring full access to the drug while the justices review the case.

Anti-abortion groups have long challenged the FDA’s 2000 approval of mifepristone, as well as policy changes in 2016 and 2021 that expanded access through telemedicine prescriptions and mail delivery. The latest case follows a 2024 Supreme Court ruling dismissing a similar challenge over lack of standing, with Louisiana’s lawsuit attempting to clear that legal hurdle by bringing the case through the state itself.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Hakeem Jeffries and more than 250 congressional Democrats filed an amicus brief earlier this week urging the Court to overturn 5th Circuit’s ruling that members argue could restrict access to mifepristone and disrupt the FDA’s drug approval authority.

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HEALTHCARE

Democrats spotlight nursing workforce strains during Nurses Week

House Democratic leadership is urging members to hold healthcare events in their districts to coincide with National Nurses Week, according to a person familiar with the guidance.

The push comes as Democrats spotlight rising healthcare costs heading into the midterms, while nurses face mounting pressure from heavier workloads, fewer supports and a more precarious labor market.

“This National Nurses Week, we celebrate the valuable contributions of our nursing workforce and call attention to the obstacles and challenges nurses face every day,” Congressional Nursing Caucus Co-Chair Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) said in a statement. “Nurses provide essential, dedicated care across the country, and we must support their work while helping more people enter the field.”

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), who is married to a nurse and co-chairs the Senate Nursing Caucus, said he has seen firsthand how demanding the job can be.

“In every corner of Oregon, nurses offer vital care, support, and advocacy to patients and their families during challenging times,” he said. “Let’s pause this week to express gratitude for and honor the nurses in our communities for their unwavering skill, commitment, and compassion. We must remain dedicated to providing them with the support necessary to continue their life-saving work.”

More broadly, nurses are navigating a mix of workforce strain, policy pullbacks and economic pressure under President Trump’s second-term agenda and congressional Republican priorities.

On the care-delivery side, the administration rescinded the Biden-era federal minimum staffing rules for nursing homes, which would have required 24/7 coverage by registered nurses. Republicans have also moved to delay or roll back similar standards in legislation, steps critics say could deepen chronic understaffing and stretch nurses even further in already high-pressure settings.

At the same time, shifts toward deregulation and gig-style staffing models are putting downward pressure on wages, job stability and labor protections. Budget pressures and proposed healthcare cuts have compounded that strain, with nurses warning of shrinking resources, unsafe patient ratios and burnout conditions that have already fueled labor unrest, including the large 2026 New York City nurses strike.

Merkley and Congressional Nursing Caucus Co-Chair Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) also raised concerns last week after the Education Department finalized a rule excluding post-baccalaureate nursing programs from qualifying as professional degrees.

Critics say the change would lower federal borrowing limits for nursing students, potentially discouraging new entrants, worsening workforce shortages and creating additional barriers to entering the profession, particularly for lower-income students.

National Nurses Week runs from May 6 through May 12.

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HEALTHCARE

Top Dems demand PEPFAR data from Rubio

House Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) earlier this week pressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to release last year’s missing data for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), warning that withholding three-quarters of reporting undermines transparency, oversight, and the program’s bipartisan support.

They also pointed to troubling signs in the limited data available—including declines in testing, diagnoses, and treatment starts—and caution that without full transparency, the U.S. risks derailing progress toward ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by the end of the decade.

“After decades of U.S investment, PEPFAR, was on track to eradicate HIV/AIDS by 2030. That remarkable goal is only within reach because we gained a detailed understanding of the HIV epidemic through the collection, analysis and dissemination of data, which in turn allows programs to reach the right people in the right place at the right time,” Shaheen and Meeks wrote in a letter to Rubio. “Without this understanding, we risk squandering the U.S.’s legacy of leading the worldwide charge to eradicate HIV/AIDS and save lives.”

PEPFAR has become a flashpoint in the broader Trump 2.0 fight over foreign aid, global health, and America’s role abroad. The program, launched under President George W. Bush in 2003 and long viewed as one of the most successful bipartisan foreign-aid initiatives in modern history, is now operating inside a dramatically reshaped “America First” agenda under Rubio.

While the administration says HIV prevention efforts for millions of people has largely been maintained, outside researchers and advocates say the broader HIV infrastructure has weakened sharply under funding freezes, staffing cuts, and reporting disruptions. Recent data showed declines in HIV testing, diagnoses, treatment initiations, and preventative care programs like PrEP.

Even with pressure from Trump allies to slash foreign aid spending, bipartisan coalitions in the Senate preserved billions of dollars in PEPFAR funding last year, underscoring the program’s unusually durable support on Capitol Hill.

The core tension now is whether PEPFAR remains primarily a public-health and humanitarian initiative or evolves into a narrower instrument of strategic statecraft tied to Trump-era priorities about trade, migration, and great-power competition.

Critics warn the transition risks reversing decades of progress against HIV/AIDS, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, while the administration argues it is modernizing the program and pushing partner nations toward greater self-sufficiency. Shaheen and Meeks would like to maintain Congress’s oversight responsibilities to determine if it has been successful thus far in that mission.

○ ● ●

FIRST THINGS FIRST

White House stops short of backing full prediction market ban

The White House said President Donald Trump believes government officials shouldn’t misuse nonpublic information for personal gain—including on prediction markets—but declined to say whether he supports extending the Senate’s new ban to the executive branch.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said that while the executive branch does not have a blanket prohibition on federal employees participating in prediction markets if done lawfully, existing ethics rules and criminal laws bar the use of nonpublic information for financial benefit. He added that White House staff were recently reminded that those restrictions apply to prediction markets.

“No government official should be misusing nonpublic information for their personal financial benefit—this includes misusing nonpublic information to place bets on prediction markets,” Ingle said.

The response echoes Senate Democrats’ concerns about insider trading risks but stops short of endorsing a government-wide prohibition pushed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), leaving unclear whether the administration would back legislation or take executive action.

Prediction markets allow users to wager real money on the likelihood of future events—elections, interest rate decisions, wars, and legislation—effectively turning forecasts into tradable contracts, with prices reflecting the market’s implied probability of an outcome.

Platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi have surged in popularity, drawing increased scrutiny from lawmakers over potential misuse of insider information.

The Senate’s unanimous ban took effect immediately after adoption of a rules change led by Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) to close potential loopholes.

A spokesperson for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told me he was broadly supportive of the bipartisan push and would be looking at the Senate-passed bill in conjunction with Morelle.

Update: This item has been updated to include comment from a spokesperson for Hakeem Jeffries.

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IMMIGRATION

Senate GOP eyes $40B ICE boost in party-line package

Senate Republicans have proposed a roughly $40 billion surge in federal immigration enforcement and border operations, including more than $30 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, billions more for border personnel and surveillance technology, and $1 billion for President Donald Trump’s East Wing ballroom—despite the administration previously saying the project would be funded by private donations, not taxpayers.

The funding details—part of a second reconciliation package Republicans want to pass by the end of the month—were outlined in portions of the bill released Monday by Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chair Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

The proposals would lock in funding for ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection through the end of Trump’s second term using a process that bypasses a Democratic filibuster. The committees are expected to mark up its portion of the bill next week when Congress returns from recess.

“Republicans won’t allow our country to be dragged backwards by Democrats’ radical, anti-law enforcement agenda,” Grassley said in a statement. “The Senate Judiciary Committee is taking action to help provide certainty for federal law enforcement and safer streets for American families.”

Ryan was equally critical of his colleagues across the aisle.

“Senate Democrats refuse to vote for a single dollar to secure our borders or enforce our immigration laws, even against the most violent illegal aliens,” he said. “To make sure those vital functions are funded, my committee will vote later this month to give the funding needed.”

The proposed ICE funding would scale the entire enforcement chain—from arrest to detention to removal—while embedding the agency more deeply in local policing.

The package also includes nearly $3.5 billion for CBP to hire and train agents and support equipment, operations, and maintenance tied to immigration enforcement, along with a $2.5 billion supplemental fund for the Department of Homeland Security secretary to deploy across related programs.

The proposal comes days after the House passed a Senate DHS funding compromise—excluding ICE and CBP—following a record-long 76-day shutdown that disrupted agencies including TSA, FEMA, the Secret Service, and the Coast Guard, as Democrats pushed unsuccessfully for immigration reforms after federal agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minnesota during enforcement operations earlier this year.

Hill Republicans already provided roughly $75 billion directly to ICE for enforcement, detention, and operations last summer through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, part of a broader $170 billion immigration enforcement package across DHS, including CBP and related programs. It was the largest ICE funding infusion ever enacted, turning the agency into the best-funded federal law enforcement operation in the country.

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ELECTIONS

Jeffries taps Morelle to lead New York redistricting response

Hakeem Jeffries is putting a fellow New Yorker to work.

The Brooklyn Democrat has tasked House Administration Committee Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) with sitting down with New York elected officials today to figure out a coordinated response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais.

The outreach is part of a broader push by Jeffries to work with allies across the country to map out lawful ways to protect voters and keep representation tied to communities and suggests his role in Democrats’ national response to the redistricting fights will stretch well past the 2026 midterms.

“While far-right extremists on the Supreme Court have twice recklessly cleared the path for partisan gerrymandering, Democrats refuse to unilaterally disarm,” Jeffries said. “This is just the beginning. Across the nation, we will sue, we will redraw and we will win.”

Morelle is set to huddle with Gov. Kathy Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris to get on the same page about a state response.

What he’s putting on the table starts with a comprehensive legal review of New York’s strongest voting-rights tools, including a potential 2027 constitutional amendment.

From there, it’s about strengthening state guardrails against voter suppression and discriminatory rules, tightening protections for election workers and infrastructure, and taking a more aggressive approach to public education and rapid response to misinformation and intimidation.

Jeffries and Morelle are also pushing for closer coordination with national democracy, civil rights and legal groups on additional safeguards.

“The Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act ruling is the latest civil rights and democratic disaster,” Morelle said. “We will not allow these efforts to silence communities or undermine fair representation.”

○ ● ●

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Republicans limp into recess after deadline scramble

Congress starts a 10-day recess today after a chaotic sprint to the finish this week, with Republicans checking off a stack of time-sensitive priorities before leaving town.

The House finally moved to reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security, ending a record-long shutdown that had started to show up in real life, including those long TSA lines and airport delays across the country.

Both chambers also kicked the can on Section 702, extending the government’s foreign surveillance powers into mid-June just hours before the deadline to buy time for a broader fight over reforms, including limits on warrantless surveillance of Americans.

On top of that, the House pushed through a partisan farm bill—with help from 14 Democrats—after a messy two-day Rules Committee meltdown and an overnight floor slog.

And Republicans adopted the Senate’s budget framework, clearing the way to fund ICE and CBP through President Donald Trump’s term.

Democrats, not surprisingly, aren’t impressed. They see a governing majority lurching from deadline to deadline, passing fixes they’d already proposed weeks earlier.

“Since February, we’ve been saying this was the solution, to fund DHS and to hold harmless FEMA and TSA and Coast Guard. [House] Republicans refused and said that it wasn’t possible,” House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said. “Clearly, they were wrong and they caved. And it just shows how chaotic this place is under Speaker [Mike] Johnson [(R-La.)].”

Aguilar said Democrats will press the argument this recess that Republicans aren’t delivering on the issues voters actually care about.

“We’re going to keep hammering that this group isn’t doing anything to make people’s lives better,” Aguilar said.

Johnson took a victory lap after getting through the week. But he took some bruises. The House cleared the DHS bill on a voice vote, the same tactic House Republicans blasted when the Senate used it weeks earlier, before Johnson ultimately accepted the outcome he’d delayed.

This week also exposed some early strain between Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.)—a partnership that’s undoubtedly about to be tested again.

Margins are tight in both chambers and House conservatives are clamoring to expand the reconciliation bill beyond ICE and CBP funding to include additional policy priorities in a dynamic that could complicate the path forward for Mike Johnson and John Thune as they race to meet Donald Trump’s June 1 deadline. Meanwhile, any serious 702 overhaul could run headfirst into an administration that prefers a clean extension. And the Senate will likely write its own farm bill, which GOP hardliners hate too.

Enjoy the breather. I promise you it won’t last.

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2026 ELECTION

VOTING RIGHTS

Warnock defers filibuster talk as Dems plot voting rights push

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) sidestepped fresh concerns about the Senate filibuster blocking future voting rights legislation to blunt the impact of this week’s Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court decision, arguing the focus should be on Democrats reclaiming power first.

House Democrats reiterated this week—after the Court’s conservative supermajority narrowed Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act—that passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore and strengthen the landmark 1965 law banning racial discrimination in voting, would be a top priority if they retake the majority—a push Warnock has long championed as a lead sponsor.

The bill would almost certainly fall short of the 60 votes needed to advance in the Senate though, leaving Democrats without a clear legislative response to the court’s decision.

“I’m focused on winning the midterms so we can have the benefit of that kind of argument,” Raphael Warnock told me Thursday.

But after the Court ruled a congressional map could likely stand if a state shows it was drawn for partisan gain rather than racial discrimination, Warnock added that ending partisan gerrymandering should be part of the debate.

Warnock has introduced an amendment to the SAVE America Act to do just that. The provision is also included in the Freedom to Vote Act, another bill he leads that would set national standards for voting access, including early voting and mail-in ballots.

“There’s no question that our democracy is in crisis,” he said. “The Supreme Court poured fuel on that fire.”

The tenuous path forward for voting rights legislation reflects a familiar dynamic from 2021, when sweeping House-passed bills died in the Senate amid unified GOP opposition and resistance from then-Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) to exempting the measures from the upper chamber’s 60-vote threshold.

Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress during this push, which had the backing of former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris. Regardless of what happens in November, a Republican will still be president—an obstacle that left some members I spoke to wondering if the conversation was even worth having at this point.

There’s a layer of irony here. President Trump has urged Republicans to scrap the filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act, a position that would render this debate largely moot.

But GOP senators, despite their usual deference to Trump, have shown no appetite to follow through, underscoring how firmly they would be expected to defend the 60-vote threshold if they return to the minority.

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ELECTIONS

Menefee moves to end House vacancy delays

Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) took action on Thursday to close what he calls a loophole governors can exploit to delay filling vacant House seats.

The Houston-area lawmaker rolled out his first original bill to impose a national timeline for special elections that was shaped by his own experience.

Menefee said the bill is personal after his district went nearly a year without representation before he was sworn in February to complete the term of the late Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas), who passed away the previous March. Menefee argued the vacancy left constituents without a voice during votes on major legislation, government funding and even a prolonged shutdown, with no member in Washington to advocate on their behalf.

“So for my community, that was a heartbreaking period,” he told me. “And it was important for me to kick it off with making sure that that doesn’t happen to any other community again.”

Menefee argues the Constitution requires special elections but sets no deadline, creating a patchwork system where some states have no firm timeline and others rely on vague standards like “as soon as practicable.”

His bill—entitled the Special Elections Timeliness (SET) Act—would require states to complete special elections within 180 days of a vacancy. (If a regularly scheduled general election falls in that window, it counts.) The attorney general could sue to force compliance and “aggrieved” parties—including House leadership—could bring civil action.

“This bill is intended to be simple and straightforward. I don’t care if you’re Republican, Independent, Democratic, we should all be able to get behind the idea that taxing people without giving them representation is disenfranchising and straightforward,” Menefee told me. “Every community should be able to send a member to Congress. I don’t care how they vote. Once they get to Congress, they should be able to be in the room to represent your communities. And I hope that my colleagues get behind the effort.”

ICYMI: Read last night’s edition of Congress Nerd Sunset

○ ● ●

2026 ELECTION

After Callais, Jeffries bets on candidate quality for the midterms

Moments after news of the Callais decision broke, Hakeem Jeffries stuck with his prediction that House Democrats will reclaim the majority in November—a confidence I later learned is rooted in the caliber of candidates his political operation believes it has recruited this cycle.

Jeffries told me that the effort started early. Party leaders began building their bench in 2025, targeting candidates they believe can compete in tough districts, raise money quickly and connect with voters on everyday costs.

“We began recruiting in 2025 in the early part of the year to make sure that we had the strongest possible candidates in order to run in districts that we knew would be challenging all across the country, and to fight through the Republican efforts to rig the midterm election,” Jeffries said.

He also pointed to the math. Democrats needed to flip 24 seats to win the majority in 2018 and ended up gaining 40. This time, he argued, the path is narrower—just three seats—with roughly 40 to 45 districts in play nationwide.

“We are on track to take back the majority. We know it. Donald Trump knows it,” Jeffries added. “And the reality is we’re just going to stay the course, continue to fight back, work through the obstacles and then we’re going to come out in the majority on the other side.”

A notable share of the slate includes repeat candidates who came close in 2024—people like Christina Bohannan in Iowa—who are now running again with stronger infrastructure behind them. The focus is on fewer unknowns and more candidates who have already shown they can raise money, run a district-wide campaign and hold up in a tough cycle.

You’re also seeing candidates whose résumés lean more toward community leadership than ideological branding—military veterans, local elected officials, tribal leaders, ministers—and who can talk about doing the job, not just debate it online. That’s by design in swing districts and even in some red-leaning territory.

And even as those backgrounds vary, the message has remained zeroed in on lower costs, accessible healthcare and economic stability for everyday Americans. That’s the throughline Jeffries is betting can translate across very different districts. The open question now is whether that theory holds with voters six months from now.

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2026 ELECTION

Callais decision sharpens CBC ground strategy

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) told me the caucus plans to lean on its on-the-ground infrastructure—grassroots groups, clergy networks and local partners—to reach voters in a fragmented media environment and connect with people who aren’t tuned into traditional political channels.

Midterms almost always bring lower turnout than presidential years, so Democrats are focused on shaping who shows up in November and where.

“We’ve got to turn voters out,” Clarke said. “We understand the assignment. Our partners and allies understand the assignment—we’re ready to go, and we’re mobilized.”

Beyond Black voters, Democrats know young people, suburban moderates and Trump-weary independents will also be key to a winning coalition. The challenge is reaching those groups consistently, credibly and at scale in an environment that’s splintered in every direction.

And in the aftermath of Callais, Democrats can’t lean as much on map design to secure representation, which puts more pressure on campaigns to build winning coalitions through turnout and persuasion.

But Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), who serves as the CBC’s whip, argued the caucus has already shown it can win beyond majority-Black districts.

“Let’s not have a binary conversation about only Black people can represent Black seats because when we do represent a district, the entirety of the district rises,” she said. “This is a larger issue about snatching democracy from the hands of voters across this country and continuing to demoralize and marginalize the Black vote. So this is a call to action. If you are Black, if you love anything that is Black, you need to be working to get everybody registered to vote, because your vote’s on the line next.”

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2026 ELECTION

Schumer forms task force to counter election threats

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and several Senate Democrats launched a new task force to identify threats and safeguard elections ahead of the midterms, in response to what they see as continued efforts by President Donald Trump and national Republicans to undermine American democracy.

Schumer and a group of senators met with former Attorney General Eric Holder, elections attorney Marc Elias, and other top election experts on Wednesday afternoon as they began mapping out their election protection strategy for the fall.

“We’re looking at what we do before Election Day, what we do on Election Day, what we do after Election Day, and today, we’re ramping up our efforts,” Schumer said. “We see the need for it just today, in today’s Supreme Court decision, which was a despicable decision.”

The Democratic fear isn’t just that Trump might contest the results after Election Day. Party insiders warn that his administration and allies are trying to shape the electorate, control the rules, pressure election officials and pre-seed fraud claims before Election Day arrives.

Trump signed a March 2025 order seeking more federal control over election rules, and a March 2026 order aimed at citizenship verification and a national list of verified eligible voters. The White House casts this as a matter of election integrity, while critics call it an unconstitutional attempt to override state-run election systems.

The Trump administration has also pushed states to turn over voter-roll data, including nonpublic information, as part of its “election integrity” effort. The courts have rebuffed some of those demands, while voting-rights groups argue the data push could lay the groundwork for improper purges before November.

Administration officials have also tried to gain influence over elections in at least eight states through investigations, raids and demands for access to balloting systems and voter ID information. That’s the kind of federal pressure that national Democrats and state election officials warn could disrupt normal election administration.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department’s Voting Rights Section has been hollowed out and redirected toward voter-roll litigation and fraud claims. Democrats see that as especially alarming because the DOJ can shape both pre-election rules and post-election challenges.

Don’t forget about the SAVE America Act, which includes Trump’s proposal for federal proof-of-citizenship voting restrictions. 23 mostly Republican-led states have adopted pieces of that agenda, even if the federal bill stalls. Democrats argue that those rules risk blocking eligible voters who lack immediate access to documents such as passports or birth certificates.

And as I mentioned above, the Supreme Court’s Callais decision makes it harder to use Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act to challenge maps that dilute minority voting power, and GOP-led states are already moving quickly. Florida, for example, approved a new congressional map designed to boost Republicans after the ruling.

I’m told the task force will focus on quickly identifying problematic state actions, coordinating lawsuits, filing injunctions before rules take effect, and preparing for post-election challenges. But it can’t directly stop a state from passing a restrictive rule or redrawing a map. And with Republicans in control of Congress, the odds of passing new federal protections in time for 2026 are low. So structurally, there’s a limit to how much they can change the playing field.

ICYMI: Read last night’s edition of Congress Nerd Sunset

○ ● ●

GOVERNMENT FUNDING

Hegseth, Caine to sell $1.5T Pentagon budget to Dem skeptics

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine head to the Hill this morning to sell the Trump administration’s $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget before the House Armed Services Committee—a price tag that’s already hitting resistance from Democrats.

It will be Hegseth’s first appearance before Congress since the war in Iran started.

Top House Democrats aren’t just balking at the size of the defense increase. They’re zeroing in on the tradeoffs, arguing the proposal pairs a massive Pentagon boost with cuts to housing, health care and education—areas they say are central to lowering costs and improving economic mobility.

“We’re willing to be at the table, but you cannot cut healthcare and supplemental nutrition. You cannot cut programs that Americans rely on all for the purpose of defense,” House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said Tuesday. “We cannot support a budget that only supports the DOD and Pentagon and Pete Hegseth while turning our back on the American people and the struggles that they face.”

Vice Chair Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) is taking a similar line, arguing he won’t back more Pentagon funding without a strategy reset that reflects lessons from the Iran war. He pointed to three early takeaways: U.S. defensive munitions are already being depleted, even a less capable military like Iran has managed to hit U.S. bases with meaningful damage, and the cost imbalance between high-end U.S. interceptors and low-cost drones is unsustainable.

“Until the Department of Defense comes up with a new strategy, they should not be asking for any more funds,” Lieu added.

The administration argues the roughly 66% jump over the current $900 billion-plus budget is necessary to counter global threats, with investments aimed at force modernization, the defense industrial base and naval expansion—including 18 new “battle force” ships—as well as pay increases and a proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system.

At the same time, the broader Trump budget would cut non-defense discretionary spending by about $73 billion, or roughly 10% below 2026 levels. That includes a $10.7 billion reduction to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, $15.8 billion from Health and Human Services and $2.3 billion from the Education Department.

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FOOD SECURITY

Craig urges Dem ‘hell no’ on GOP farm bill

House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (D-Minn.) has been urging Democratic leadership to whip against the GOP’s five-year farm bill as the House moves to take it up today in a bid to stiffen Senate Democrats’ leverage ahead of what she wants to be a bipartisan compromise.

Craig’s core objection is straightforward: the bill would effectively lock in the GOP’s earlier changes to Title IV—the SNAP section—by extending that policy baseline for the life of the farm bill, rather than reopening it for negotiation.

“It’s a bad bill. If Republicans want to have a bipartisan farm bill, then they’re going to have to reengage because, remember, they got to get to 60 [votes] in the Senate. And so my message to Democrats is, let’s not do their work for them,” Craig told me. “Let’s force them back to the negotiating table by sending a ‘hell no’ on the House version, and make sure that we give our Senate colleagues an opportunity to negotiate a truly bipartisan farm bill that we all could support.”

Title IV took a hit in the OBBBA. The law reduced federal spending on SNAP by roughly $180–$300 billion over 10 years, depending on the estimate—one of the largest cuts in the program’s history.

Rather than slashing benefits across the board, Republicans rewrote the rules to expand work requirements, shift costs to states, tighten updates to the formula that sets benefit levels, and put downward pressure on enrollment over time.

Beyond SNAP, the GOP farm bill would extend core agriculture programs through roughly 2031, locking in a multi-year baseline across commodities and conservation while emphasizing domestic production, supply chains, and national security over some of the climate and nutrition priorities Democrats advanced in the 2018 law.

Congress hasn’t passed a new five-year farm bill since 2018, leaning instead on a series of short-term extensions—most recently punting it into this year.

The farm bill was long a bipartisan trade: nutrition programs for Democrats, farm supports for Republicans. But that deal has all but broken down in recent years.

Fights over SNAP funding, work requirements, and benefit levels have hardened along ideological lines, while disputes over commodity supports, crop insurance, and conservation funding have turned more regional and partisan. The coalition that typically carries a five-year bill is getting harder to hold together, as we’ll likely see in the House this week.

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● ● ○

IMMIGRATION

Supreme Court weighs Trump move to end TPS

The Supreme Court takes up a high-stakes immigration case today that could determine whether the Trump administration can end Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian nationals.

At issue in the consolidated cases—Mullin v. Doe and Trump v. Miot—is whether the administration can legally revoke those protections for roughly 350,000 people, or whether courts can step in to review how that decision was made.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who recently led a successful House effort to extend Haiti’s TPS designation, said the uncertainty is already taking a toll.

“The anxiety is real because people can’t plan their lives. They’re living with uncertainty and they don’t know if they’re going to be deported back to a place that is very dangerous,” she said, urging the justices to uphold what she emphasized is a lawful status.

The Trump administration argues that federal law gives the Homeland Security secretary broad authority over TPS decisions and shields them from judicial review.

Challengers counter that courts can—and should—review whether the administration followed required legal procedures before moving to terminate protections. Haitian and Syrian TPS holders also argue the decision was tainted by unconstitutional racial animus, pointing to past comments by President Trump.

The stakes extend well beyond this case.

A ruling for the administration could make it easier to unwind protections for the broader TPS population—about 1.3 million people from 17 countries, including Venezuelans.

For now, lower court rulings are keeping the current protections in place while the case plays out. A decision from the Supreme Court is expected later this summer.

Meanwhile, Pressley is teaming up with Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) to push a Haiti TPS bill in the Senate and has joined an amicus brief led by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) backing the program ahead of today’s arguments.

“This is the right thing to do,” Pressley said. “It’s common sense, smart policy, and I hope they’ll uphold the law.”

○ ● ●

THE SENATE

Graham says he’s open to ballroom hearing

Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told me on Monday evening he would welcome a congressional hearing on the Trump administration’s White House ballroom project, signaling openness to scrutiny even as he and Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) push legislation to direct $400 million in taxpayer funds toward construction.

The administration has faced criticism for moving ahead with the project, which began last year with the demolition of the East Wing, without explicit congressional authorization, while maintaining that private donations back it. Graham suggested the White House would be willing to make its case on Capitol Hill.

“I think they would love to do that. I welcome a hearing, okay? Have a hearing. Yeah, whatever committee,” he said. “Have a hearing. Should we do my bill? Should we do our bill? You want to do that? I mean, that’s fine with me, yeah.”

Graham said the funding would be offset by new or increased fees tied to imports and border processing—things like duties, user fees, or charges collected by CBP and that his preference is to pass his bill as a stand-alone measure as opposed to attaching it to the immigration-focused reconciliation bill Republicans are currently working on.

In the immediate aftermath of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting on Saturday evening, Republicans began pointing to it to justify the ballroom. But the dinner is a private event at a private venue run by a private organization—not the White House—and it routinely hosts far more guests than the proposed ballroom would hold, with the president attending as an invitee of the White House Correspondents’ Association. That raises questions about why senators like Lindsey Graham are drawing such a direct line between the two.

“Well, I find it appropriate if you’re going to have the president of the United States, the Vice President, the Speaker of the House and half the cabinet in a room, the room matters. And the idea that you can’t do this in the ballroom will be up to the Correspondents’ Association,” Graham said. “It is insane to do this again. Anybody who suggests that we have an event like this in the times in which we live in a facility like Hilton, that’s crazy. We’re going to have to accommodate the times in which we live.”

● ○ ●

REDISTRICTING WARS

Republicans escalate attacks on Jeffries over redistricting rhetoric

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) spent much of his first 18 months as party leader operating below the national noise.

But in recent months—beginning with the opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer, the government shutdown last fall and demands for ICE reforms after federal immigration agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year—the Brooklyn Democrat has taken on a higher-profile role as he ramps up efforts to help Democrats retake the House majority in November.

Republicans have focused in particular on a line Jeffries used while marking a Democratic redistricting win in Virginia—“maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time”—which he deployed to describe an intensified, state-by-state battle over congressional maps.

GOP critics have pointed to the remark as evidence of what they argue is escalatory political rhetoric as the fight over redistricting intensifies ahead of the midterms. After the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, Republicans and conservative commentators elevated that quote as evidence of inflammatory Democratic rhetoric.

Sen. Schmitt argued on Monday evening that Jeffries’s doubling down on his “maximum warfare” comment amounted to empty tough talk aimed at winning back the House, calling it over-the-top and out of step with what the moment demands.

“I think the left has a real assassination-culture problem right now, and we better start talking about it, and we better start resolving it. The Luigi Left here, this is serious business. And I don’t see my Democrat colleagues trying to tone it down.” (Jeffries was the target of a serious death threat from a convicted Jan. 6 offender who received a pardon from Trump.)

But Jeffries didn’t invent the phrase. Instead, he lifted it from a 2025 description of a Trump-aligned redistricting strategy, in which a person close to the president described the GOP approach in identical terms. And while sources close to Jeffries acknowledge his language is blunt, they say it reflects the current state of play more than a departure from it.

Jeffries, for his part, told reporters that violence has no place in politics—regardless of who it targets or where they fall ideologically—and should be unequivocally rejected. But he remained defiant despite multiple opportunities to walk back his use of controversial rhetoric.

“I stand by it,” he said. “You can continue to criticize me for it. I don’t give a damn about your criticism.”

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● ● ○

ROYAL VISIT

King Charles makes rare Capitol address as alliance tested

King Charles III will address a joint session of Congress this afternoon to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence and to strengthen the U.S.-U.K. alliance amid heightened diplomatic tensions over the war in Iran.

The address is expected to emphasize shared democratic values and the principles of reconciliation and renewal. He will also highlight the shared history, democratic traditions, and security interests, including NATO, the Middle East, and the AUKUS pact.

Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that Democrats are eager to welcome King Charles to the Capitol and engage in a bipartisan show of support for the U.S.-U.K. alliance, while arguing that recent Republican policies have strained that historically close relationship.

“Hopefully, the king’s visit is going to go a long way toward repairing the damage that this administration has done to one of our most important allies in the world,” Jeffries added.

The rare address—the first by a British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991—comes at a tense time as President Trump has criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s stance on the war.

Senate leadership, including the Secretary of the Senate and the Deputy Sergeant at Arms, will lead the Senate to the House chamber approximately 35 minutes before the speech is scheduled to begin. House leaders have advised members to be seated around the same time.

Speaker Johnson will greet the king on the Speaker’s Balcony Hallway before walking by Statuary Hall for a photo opportunity. Johnson, His Majesty, and Leaders Thune, Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Jeffries will participate in a separate photo op at the top of a private meeting.

The speech is a central part of His Majesty’s first U.S. state visit as king. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeted King Charles III and Queen Camilla Parker Bowles at the White House not long after they arrived stateside. The four dignitaries also participated in a tea and beehive tour.

Before the speech on the Hill, President Trump and the First Lady will welcome King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the South Portico, kicking off a series of ceremonial engagements. The leaders will move inside for a private guestbook signing and gift exchange in the Blue Room, followed by a receiving line with official delegations in the Cross Hall.

The president will then sit down with Charles III for a closed-door bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, while the First Lady and Queen Camilla break off for a separate event with students at the White House Tennis Pavilion focused on U.S.-U.K. history and innovation.

The evening program will reset with another formal greeting at the South Portico before the group heads into the residence for a private tour and document viewing. After a second receiving line in the Blue Room, the day concludes with a formal dinner in the East Room.

○ ● ●

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Johnson’s jam-packed week

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was already heading into a high-wire legislative stretch. Now, the fallout from Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting—where a gunman tried to breach security and opened fire before being subdued—has added a new layer of urgency and unpredictability to an already packed agenda.

What’s on deck: Johnson is trying to move three major items before the May 4 recess: a FISA Section 702 extension, a GOP farm bill and a Senate budget resolution to unlock billions of dollars in multi-year ICE and CBP funding. Each one comes with its own coalition problems—and limited room for error.

All three measures must clear the Rules Committee first, setting up an early procedural test this afternoon. Any hiccup there could derail the floor schedule before it begins.

• On FISA: Johnson is boxed in between conservatives demanding warrant requirements and a ban on a central digital banking currency, and Democrats led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who are wary of extending surveillance powers while Kash Patel remains in charge at the FBI.

• On budget reconciliation: Conservatives want to expand the Senate-passed budget resolution beyond immigration enforcement to include the SAVE America Act, safety-net cuts and new funding tied to Trump’s ballroom push—an effort now newly energized by the weekend’s security scare (more on that in the next item).

• On the farm bill: House Agriculture Democrats are opposing the GOP bill over SNAP cuts, limits on state regulations and what they see as a tilt toward large agribusiness.

The backdrop: The week also carries a ceremonial spotlight, with King Charles III set to address a joint meeting of Congress during a state visit marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.

● ○ ●

WHCD SHOOTING FALLOUT

GOP goes all-in on Trump ballroom

In the aftermath of Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, Republicans are leaning aggressively into President Trump’s push for a new White House ballroom at a moment when the cost of living remains voters’ top concern. As I reported in Sunday’s Congress Nerd Sunset, the juxtaposition is not lost on Democrats, who see a clear political opening heading into 2026.

Lawmakers in both chambers have rushed to introduce legislation backing the project, even as Trump has said it would be funded through private donations. The flurry of activity reflects how quickly Republicans have moved to align with the president’s argument that the incident underscores the need for expanded and reconfigured event space.

Democrats say the response highlights a broader disconnect between GOP priorities and the economic pressures facing most Americans.

“They expect the rational to be drowned out by the insane,” a House Democrat told me over the weekend. “But that is not going to happen.”

Behind the scenes, multiple Democratic sources said they plan to sharpen that contrast in the coming days as they pair the GOP’s ballroom advocacy with what they view as insufficient Republican action on prices, from housing and health care to groceries and child care.

The argument is one that has dominated this Congress: that Republican governance under Trump is too often oriented around the president’s personal and political priorities, rather than the kitchen-table concerns likely to define the midterms.

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● ● ○

THE HOUSE

House to vote to up USCP waiver cap

The House is set to vote this evening on bipartisan legislation to give the U.S. Capitol Police more flexibility to retain veteran officers, as leadership tries to avoid a near-term staffing squeeze driven by retirements.

What it does: The bill allows the Capitol Police Board to extend an officer’s service up to age 65, up from the current waiver cap of 60, while keeping the mandatory retirement age at 57 intact.

The change is narrow: officers would still need board approval and must meet physical and operational standards to stay on the job.

Why now: Nearly 60 officers are already working under waivers, a figure larger than two recent recruiting classes.

At the same time, a sizable cohort hired after 9/11 is approaching retirement age, raising the risk of a sudden experience drain even as the force has rebounded to more than 2,300 sworn officers after the January 6 collapse.

Meanwhile, threats against lawmakers remain at record levels. Losing dozens of seasoned officers in a compressed window would strain both readiness and institutional knowledge.

What they’re saying: “The men and women of the United States Capitol Police have one of the most important and challenging jobs in the Legislative Branch,” House Administration Committee Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) said. “The Department cannot afford to lose a substantial number of experienced, fully capable officers solely because they reach an arbitrary age threshold. This is a prudent, targeted step to preserve experience, maintain staffing, and help ensure the Department has the workforce it needs.”

The precedent: Congress has taken similar steps in narrower contexts. In the mid-2000s, lawmakers gave the FBI temporary authority to retain certain agents up to age 65 to ease staffing pressures, though those provisions were limited in scope and duration.

NATIONAL SECURITY

Jeffries targets Patel as 702 vote nears

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) spoke with Speaker Johnson this week about the trust gap between House Democrats and the Trump administration, warning that FBI Director Kash Patel’s leadership of the nation’s top law enforcement agency could dampen Democratic support for a FISA Section 702 extension.

House conservatives remain reluctant to extend the government’s surveillance powers without changes, including a warrant requirement for searches involving Americans tied to foreign targets and a ban on a central bank digital currency. With whip problems on his right flank and Jeffries declining to guarantee Democratic votes amid concerns about one of the administration’s most controversial figures, Johnson faces a narrow and uncertain path forward with the FISA provision set to expire in a week.

“We recognize that in the abstract, [702] is an important tool to help keep the American people safe from foreign terrorist actors. At the same period of time, there is zero reason for us to trust Kash Patel,” Jeffries told reporters on Thursday morning. “Why is he still around as the FBI director? He is clearly and deeply flawed and unqualified, and many Republicans know it.”

The Brooklyn Democrat pointed to a New York Times report this week that the FBI scrutinized one of its reporters after she published a story about Patel’s girlfriend, raising fresh concerns about the bureau’s independence and press freedom.

According to the report, agents searched internal databases for information on reporter Elizabeth Williamson. They explored whether her reporting could violate federal stalking laws after she wrote about FBI resources being used to provide security and travel support to Patel’s girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins.

But the inquiry appears to have gone beyond a routine threat response. While the FBI interviewed Wilkins after she received a threat, officials also recommended pursuing a deeper investigation into the reporter, a step that the Justice Department ultimately halted. No charges were filed, but the episode has triggered backlash. The Times leadership called it a potential First Amendment violation, and some DOJ officials reportedly viewed the probe as retaliatory.

“As long as he’s still around as the FBI director, particularly with the most recent disclosures that he’s weaponizing the bureau of the FBI not to keep the American people safe, not to protect us from terrorism, not to go after narco-traffickers, but to go after perceived political adversaries, we’re going to continue to make clear that Kash Patel’s continued presence as the FBI director, is going to make bipartisan common ground on the FISA 702 question extremely difficult,” Jeffries added.

Patel isn’t the only top Trump administration official to receive Jeffries’ ire this week after the Pentagon abruptly pushed out Navy Secretary John Phelan in the wake of escalating clashes with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other Pentagon leaders, especially over shipbuilding policy and control of major defense programs.

Phelan had already been losing authority internally, with senior officials shifting key responsibilities away from him. The breaking point came amid frustrations with his pace on the administration’s shipbuilding push and broader tensions with Hegseth’s leadership style. There was also an ongoing ethics investigation into Phelan’s office, which added to the pressure surrounding his tenure.

Hegseth replaced him with Hung Cao as acting Navy secretary, marking the first service secretary removal under Trump this term and part of a wider purge of senior military leadership.

“Pete Hegseth is a complete and total disgrace at this point, and the mismanagement at the Department of Defense is extraordinary,” Jeffries said. “We’ve lost so many talented, patriotic, skilled, high-ranking officials within our military, and the departure of the Secretary of the Navy is the most recent example by all accounts.”

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Jeffries blasted Hegseth for firing Phelan in retaliation for dissent, arguing the move came at a precarious moment as the U.S. faces a deteriorating situation in the Middle East. He also blamed President Trump for what he described as a costly and misguided conflict with Iran, while arguing Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz has given it strategic leverage, as Americans are bearing the consequences through rising gas prices.

The Democratic leader’s attacks on Patel and Hegseth follow a familiar pattern of isolating controversial administration figures, elevating specific incidents, and applying sustained political pressure to force accountability or removal. He has used the same approach with former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over a mass deportation operation tied to the deaths of two U.S. citizens and former Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the Epstein files.

If Johnson is unable to stitch together a coalition to pass a 702 extension in the House, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is ready to jump ahead of the speaker. Before the Senate adjourned for the weekend, Thune took the first step toward advancing a clean three-year extension that, if passed, would shift the dynamic from an open-ended House negotiation to a take-it-or-leave-it scenario.

Johnson would no longer be shaping his own bill. He’d be deciding whether to put the Senate product on the floor—with limited room to accommodate conservative demands like a warrant requirement—and under intense pressure to force his conference in line or risk being blamed for letting 702 expire.

“If they can’t come together behind something, then, yeah, we’re prepared to move here,” Thune told me this week.

CAMPAIGNS

Jeffries projects confidence on House as SCOTUS decision looms

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) projected confidence on Wednesday that Democrats will win back the majority in 2026, even as the Supreme Court of the United States weighs a redistricting case that could reshape the map.

The Court has yet to rule in Louisiana v. Callais, a case with major implications for Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the future of majority-Black districts. Republicans see an opening to redraw maps if the justices weaken the law, but election experts say the window for sweeping changes before November 2026 is already narrowing.

“Whenever the Supreme Court decision comes down, hopefully a majority of the justices do the right thing,” Jeffries told me. “But whatever the circumstances are, we are committed to ensuring that there’s going to be a free and fair election in November, and when that happens, Democrats will take back control of the House of Representatives.”

Jeffries’ public confidence comes on the heels of the successful redistricting referendum in Virginia this week, where his political operation went all in to win the ballot measure that could net Democrats up to four seats if it survives a court challenge.

The delay in Callais has kept both parties in a holding pattern. But Jeffries argued the Supreme Court should stick with precedent and preserve Section 2, calling it a foundational, bipartisan civil rights law meant to safeguard fair elections. He pointed out that the Court—specifically Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh—upheld the provision as recently as 2023 in Allen v. Milligan, and said he sees no reason they would reverse course now.

“Now, I know that some of the far-right justices who are operating in the pocket of the Republican Party are trying to do everything possible to give MAGA extremists an electoral advantage,” Jeffries said in a thinly veiled reference to Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. “And we’re just not going to let it happen.”

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While the courts sort out the Virginia referendum, Jeffries has shifted his focus to Florida, where Republican lawmakers are preparing to convene a special session next week to consider new congressional maps.

Jeffries, speaking to reporters during a Virginia victory-lap press conference, warned Florida Republicans against pursuing an aggressive redraw aligned with Gov. Ron DeSantis. He argued that such a move could backfire politically, citing Texas as a cautionary example and predicting Republicans would fall short of their most ambitious seat targets.

“Our message to Florida Republicans is F around and find out,” Jeffries said. “The Republicans are dummymandering their way into the minority before a single vote is cast.”

The irony is that, despite the ruthlessness Jeffries has demonstrated during the redistricting wars, it was just five years ago when a House Democratic majority passed the For the People Act, which would have effectively ended partisan gerrymandering nationwide by requiring states to use independent redistricting commissions for congressional maps. But it never took effect because it stalled in the Senate.

Jeffries said Democrats stand behind those efforts to establish a national standard but not at the expense of unilateral disarmament.

“Apparently, that’s what Donald Trump believed that we would do. That’s what [Trump political advisor] James Blair believed that we would do,” he said. “They had us confused in terms of the moment that we’re in and the need to push back consistently with the fierce urgency of now.”

○ ● ●

GOVERNMENT FUNDING

Schatz: Dems to center cost-of-living in vote-a-rama

Senate Democrats are preparing for a marathon vote-a-rama as soon as today, when they can offer an unlimited number of amendments to the GOP budget resolution Republicans plan to pass this week to unlock new immigration funding.

The rapid-fire voting session will begin once the chamber exhausts up to 50 hours of debate—time either side can yield back—and is expected to stretch for hours as Democrats force politically charged votes.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who is in line to serve as the number-two Senate Democrat next Congress, told me the caucus plans to keep its focus squarely on the affordability crisis throughout the process.

“We’re going to focus almost exclusively on the cost of living, and we’re going to make the point that they have this extraordinary tool, and they’re using it to pre-fund ICE with no reforms, rather than to reduce the cost of gasoline and electricity and groceries and health insurance,” Schatz said. “And so we’re going to make that case that they have an opportunity, they have the majority to try to do something about the cost of living, and they just literally won’t.”

Schatz, who currently serves as chief deputy whip, acknowledged some members may offer amendments on some of the reforms Democrats demanded during a recent round of unsuccessful negotiations with the White House.

“It’s not like you can just call a play and that’s the thing because every member has a right under the rules to offer an amendment,” Schatz said. “And I do think reforms related to ICE will be among the amendments considered, but our primary focus is going to be on the cost of everything.”

As for whether Democrats will use all of their debate time: “I don’t want to preclude anybody from using it.”

During vote-a-rama, senators are permitted to offer an unlimited number of amendments. Each is typically allowed only 30 to 60 seconds of explanation per side, followed by a 10-minute roll-call vote. The session continues until all pending amendments are disposed of or no more are offered, often lasting throughout the night. Even though most amendments to a budget resolution aren’t binding, they give the minority a chance to put members on record on politically sensitive issues.

As I reported in Tuesday evening’s Sunset, Senate Republicans voted to open debate on a 58-page budget resolution that provides a $140 billion budget allowance split equally between two committees—Homeland Security and Judiciary—over the next decade for immigration and border legislation.

No Democrats voted in favor of the procedural motion.

The two committees must report legislative text by May 15 for the Budget Committee to package into a single reconciliation bill. Republicans are aiming for a roughly $70 billion reconciliation bill, with duplicate instructions to Judiciary and Homeland Security designed to maximize flexibility given their overlapping jurisdiction. The GOP used the same playbook in last year’s budget resolution for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

A second vote-a-rama will occur later in the process once the actual reconciliation bill reaches the floor. President Trump has set a June 1 deadline for Hill Republicans to send the bill to his desk.

● ○ ●

THE HOUSE

Democrats turn the page after Cherfilus-McCormick exit

With Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick now out of Congress, House Democrats are eager to close the book on a bruising ethics saga and redirect attention to their midterm priorities, after what members have described, both privately and publicly, as an unwelcome distraction.

The sentiments followed days of quiet conversations among Democrats—many of them within the Congressional Black Caucus—that reflected deep unease about how to proceed.

Members wrestled with whether to move toward expulsion after the House Ethics Committee found Cherfilus-McCormick committed more than two dozen violations tied to allegations she misused roughly $5 million in federal funds, even as her criminal trial on related charges is not scheduled until early next year.

The divide—between enforcing standards now or waiting for the courts—could have surfaced in a floor vote but was ultimately resolved with her exit.

“That would have been a very hard vote,” a member, who planned to vote against expulsion and was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the situation, said. “I don’t think that anyone should be expelled, especially when there are criminal allegations, until they have been adjudicated in court.”

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), who serves as the CBC’s whip, pointed to what she described as an uneven application of ethics standards, noting that Republicans have members facing their own investigations while pushing aggressively for Cherfilus-McCormick’s removal.

“The hypocrites have turned into the morality police, and many of the folks who were leading the charges to expel her have allegations that have been brought upon them that are equally damning,” she said. “So if there are court cases, let those get the proper space in front of a judge and a general.”

CBC Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) said she discussed the political realities with Cherfilus-McCormick and what course of action might best serve her, emphasizing that while the conversation reflected input from other members, she was speaking personally rather than on behalf of the caucus.

“We knew that the sentencing phase of this was coming up,” Clarke said. “And the idea was, Listen, we know how much you love being a member. Your well being is most important.’”

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), who chairs the CBC’s political arm, also expressed frustration that the expulsion push was fueled by partisanship. He accused Republican leadership of only accepting former Rep. Tony Gonzales’s resignation until Eric Swalwell stepped down.

“I hope that there’s one standard, which is really important for me,” Meeks added.

Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that Cherfilus-McCormick made the right decision on behalf of constituents to resign and is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

“House Democratic leadership will work with her staff to ensure that the needs of the people in her congressional district are met during this transition.”

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● ● ○

IMMIGRATION

Democrats force rare hearing on ICE conduct, DHS shutdown

House Homeland Security Committee Democrats will hold a rare “minority day” hearing this afternoon to press the Trump administration over its mass deportation policies and the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown, after Republicans declined to call key agency officials to testify.

Democrats used House rules to compel invitations to White House officials Stephen Miller and Tom Homan—the architects of the administration’s immigration crackdown—along with several U.S. citizens who allege they were shot, detained or otherwise mistreated by ICE and CBP.

The hearing, a continuation of a late-March session, is expected to feature some of the first on-the-record testimony from those individuals as Democrats seek to highlight the human impact of enforcement actions and force public accountability from administration officials.

Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), a member of the committee, told me she expects Republicans to spend the hearing defending ICE’s funding with what she described as misleading arguments, while overlooking what she called the agency’s harmful treatment of U.S. citizens.

“What we’re going to continue to do, as we’ve been doing in every committee hearing, is to continue to talk about the cruelty that ICE has forced on to the American people, all of the things that they have been doing across the country that we see with our own eyes, in broad daylight,” she said. “And I think it’s important that we have these reforms and show the American people why we need these reforms.”

Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), another Homeland Security Democrat, said it’s still unclear which administration officials will appear, accusing Republicans of keeping Democrats in the dark about whether Stephen Miller or Tom Homan will testify. She added that two Chicago residents are expected to speak and suggested their experiences could refocus attention on earlier immigration enforcement actions that she said have been overshadowed in the broader national debate.

“I want to make sure that it is a space where their voices are heard, but it’s also not a place where we’re just reliving their trauma and we’reactually talking about what we’re going to do so that never happens again,” she told me. “Because I hate this whole thing of, like a charity thing, ‘Oh, put the poor people, put the Black people, put Latino people, to just talk about their their sad story.’”

○ ● ●

CAMPAIGNS

Virginia voters weigh redraw with House control at stake

Voters in Virginia will head to the polls today to decide whether to amend the commonwealth’s constitution to allow a one-time, mid-decade redraw of congressional maps before 2030 that could net Democrats up to four seats in November.

Several Democrats are bracing for a much tighter outcome than the landslide victory California enjoyed when voters approved a ballot measure to redraw its congressional maps to offset a Republican gerrymander in Texas.

“I think what you can tell from polling and from early vote, which is actually a better measure, I think the yes side will win narrowly,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told me. “But it’s going to be close.”

Rep. Susas Subramanyam (D-Va.) also expects a nail-biter.

“It’s going to be interesting,” he told me. “I think we’re going to win, though.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who campaigned in Virginia earlier this month with Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), accused Republicans of misleading voters to believe former President Barack Obama and Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) are opposed to the referendum.

“It’s going to be close because Virginia is a purple state, and Republicans have spent tens of millions of dollars to lie to the people in the Commonwealth of Virginia because they can’t defend their position.”

President Trump and Speaker Johnson teamed up for a tele-rally Monday night aimed at driving a “no” vote on the Virginia referendum.

Jeffries told me ahead of the event that he hoped the rally would be broadcast across the commonwealth because it would expose his position against what Democrats describe as a fair and aggressive response to Republican gerrymanders in Texas, North Carolina and Missouri.

“Donald Trump, up until this point, has been trying to hide his position. He’s been in the presidential witness protection program as it relates to the referendum in Virginia,” Jeffries said. “But he can’t hide anymore, and we’re urging everyone to vote yes to stop the MAGA power grab.”

Florida state Republicans are actively exploring redrawing their congressional maps to squeeze out two to three additional seats (with some early talk as high as five, although even some Republicans see that as aggressive. Gov. Ron DeSantis has already called for a special legislative session next week specifically to revisit the congressional map.

But as of now, lawmakers haven’t released a concrete proposal. The upcoming session is where that would take shape. And Florida’s “Fair Districts” rules and recent court fights limit how aggressively maps can be drawn purely for partisan gain—meaning any new map is almost certain to face challenges.

Jeffries told me his focus was on Virginia, and then Democrats would turn their attention to the Sunshine State.

“We’re going to continue to fight back all the way through the finish line [today] in Virginia,” Jeffries said. “And then we’ll take the fight to Florida.”

● ○ ●

ETHICS WATCH

House Democrats brace for ethics fallout in Cherfilus-McCormick case

Hakeem Jeffries told reporters Monday that House Democrats will convene as a caucus to weigh the punishment the House Ethics Committee is expected to recommend for Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), whom the panel found last month committed 25 violations tied to allegations she misused roughly $5 million in federal funds connected to her family business, routed money into her campaign through intermediaries, and violated campaign finance and disclosure rules.

The committee can recommend penalties ranging from a reprimand or censure to fines, corrective actions, or expulsion. Democratic sources tell me they expect the bipartisan panel to call for Cherfilus-McCormick’s removal from office.

“We will proceed in a manner consistent with these types of ethics matters, which is to always, and at all times, follow the facts and apply the relevant law without fear or favor,” Jeffries said. “We’ll have a conversation as a caucus in the aftermath of the recommendation, which we anticipate will be bipartisan from the Ethics Committee.”

The proceeding is expected to function less like the penalty phase of a trial. Committee counsel and the congresswoman’s legal team will present arguments, written submissions and supporting materials—such as letters from community and religious leaders, including the president of the Palm Beach County Democratic Black Caucus, several religious and local leaders and the president of Women of Veterans Affairs.

House Republicans expected to file a resolution to expel Cherfilus-McCormick after the Ethics Committee releases its recommendation, regardless of the discipline it proposes. Expulsion requires a two-thirds vote of the full House (288 members with full attendance).

Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) is the most recent member expelled from the House, after members removed him in December 2023 following a blistering Ethics Committee report that found substantial evidence of wrongdoing. Santos was sentenced last April to just over 7 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft. In October 2025, Trump commuted his sentence, leading to his early release after serving only a few months.

A report cited a source claiming Cherfilus-McCormick sought a Trump pardon at a White House Christmas party—but her office denies it, and the allegation remains unverified.

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● ● ○

ECONOMY

Powell probe clouds Warsh hearing as Tillis threatens delay

Sen. Thom Tillis is expected to use much of his time at Kevin Warsh’s Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing this morning not to question the nominee, but to explain why he plans to block the Federal Reserve pick from advancing out of committee.

Tillis has said he will block Warsh’s nomination until a Justice Department investigation into current Fed Chair Jerome Powell is resolved. The senator is among a small group of Republicans who argue the probe risks politicizing the Fed or being used to pressure monetary policy, so they don’t want to move forward with a new chair under those conditions. And since Republicans have only a narrow majority, Tillis’s opposition can stall the nomination before it ever reaches the floor.

“I’m not going to spend much time talking to Kevin,” Tillis told reporters on Monday. “I’m going to start talking about what a bogus investigation Powell is subject to.”

The Justice Department is examining a multi-billion-dollar renovation of the Fed’s D.C. headquarters and whether Powell gave false or misleading testimony to Congress about the project’s cost, scope, and features. Powell and many economists argue the probe is part of a broader push by Donald Trump to pressure the Fed to cut interest rates or step aside. No charges have been filed, and a federal judge has already questioned whether there’s any evidence of a crime at all.

“The problem I have has nothing to do with the nom. It has to do with the process that we’ve got to get cleaned up,” Tillis said. “And what a shame. If the investigation wasn’t happening, this nominee would be going through in no time. And hopefully we can still clear the gates to where that still happens for him.”

Tillis told reporters that he expects the hearing to be acrimonious due to Democratic opposition to Warsh.

Democrats are lining up a transparency-and-ethics attack with aggressive questioning about Warsh’s undisclosed or complex financial holdings, potential conflicts of interest and whether Warsh can act independently of Trump. Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and others have already argued his disclosures are incomplete and raise concerns about entanglements and oversight gaps.

“It’s going to be a shirts-and-skins exercise,” Tillis said. “But I think that the Republicans should rightfully be very positive about his nomination. He’s a great nominee.”

Powell’s term expires May 15, creating a hard deadline for confirmation or a messy interim arrangement.

○ ● ● ●

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Peace talks in doubt as Iran tensions spike

Vice President JD Vance is expected to arrive in Islamabad, Pakistan, today alongside Jared Kushner and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff for a second round of peace talks, though Iranian state media said Sunday that Tehran does not plan to participate, citing U.S. demands and the ongoing naval blockade.

The talks come amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has been intermittently disrupted and Iranian vessels have reportedly fired near commercial tankers.

President Donald Trump said U.S. forces seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that allegedly attempted to bypass the blockade, a claim that would mark a significant escalation.

The White House has vowed to maintain the blockade until a deal is reached, while Iran calls it a violation of a fragile ceasefire and is demanding sanctions relief and access to frozen assets, with major disagreements still centered on Tehran’s uranium enrichment program.

These developments are unfolding as a fragile ceasefire has begun to fray, with clashes around the Strait of Hormuz and both sides accusing the other of violations, following an initial round of negotiations that ended without a breakthrough over sanctions relief and Iran’s nuclear program.

A new NBC News poll shows foreign policy is a liability for the president. 68% disapprove of how he’s handling the Iran conflict. And 61% oppose further military action, while the cost of living remains voters’ top economic concern—and his biggest weakness.

“As a direct result of the costly and reckless Republican war of choice, gas prices have skyrocketed, putting more cost pressure on working-class Americans, everyday Americans and middle-class Americans. Enough,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told reporters last Thursday. “Donald Trump and Republicans have failed the American people.”

● ○ ● ●

LOOKING AHEAD

What else I’m watching

DHS shutdown week 10: The DHS shutdown has entered its tenth week, extending the record for the longest funding lapse in American history. The House GOP still refuses to pass the Senate deal to reopen most of the agency while funding the ICE and CBP through the filibuster-proof reconciliation process.

Senate reconciliation 2.0 budget resolution: The Senate is expected to vote this week on the budget resolution, the essential non-binding framework passed by both houses of Congress that initiates the reconciliation process.

The Senate Budget Committee is expected to skip a markup before it goes to the floor, stripping members of a key step in the process that gives members a chance to debate, amend and formally advance the reconciliation instructions.

“Look, what they’re doing is an end-run around the entire appropriations process because they want to fund Donald Trump’s out-of-control, lawless ICE without any reforms,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committees, told me. “They want to give them a complete blank check, even after they shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.”

While bypassing the markup is unusual, it’s not unheard of and is an acknowledgment of the tight deadline Republican leaders are under to enact a final bill before Trump’s June 1 deadline—seven weeks from today.

A marathon voting session known as a “vote-a-rama” will occur in the Senate before the final passage of the budget resolution. Senators can offer an unlimited number of amendments after the 50 hours of statutory debate time have expired. Each amendment is typically allowed only 30 to 60 seconds of explanation per side, followed by a 10-minute roll call vote.

The session continues until all pending amendments are disposed of or no more are offered, often lasting throughout the night. While most amendments to a resolution are non-binding, they are used by the minority party to force difficult political votes on the record.

FISA 702 negotiations: Congressional Republican leaders have 10 days until another FISA 702 cliff could jeopardize the federal government’s authority to collect foreign intelligence without a warrant.

After the House failed to pass a five-year compromise with modest reforms or a clean 18-month extension early Friday morning, it passed a two-week continuation of the status quo to allow for further negotiations on a long-term solution. The Senate moved quickly to pass the measure hours later.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) acknowledged uncertainty about what the House could deliver and suggested the Senate may need to shape the outcome if the lower chamber remains stuck. This could look like senators drafting or refining the eventual compromise, or at a minimum, setting the terms the House has to react to.

As I reported in Sunday’s Sunset, House Democrats secured a commitment from Republican leadership to release the results of ongoing FISA 702 negotiations at least 72 hours before any floor vote.

SCM Ethics sanctions hearing: The House Ethics Committee will meet on Tuesday to decide what punishment to recommend to the House for Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), who was found guilty by the panel last month of 25 violations centered on allegations she misused roughly $5 million in federal funds tied to her family business, funneled money into her campaign through intermediaries and broke campaign finance and disclosure rules.

The sanctions spectrum is wide and increases with the intent, scale and abuse of office. The committee can recommend anything from a reprimand or a censure to fines and corrective actions or expulsion.

House Republicans are expected to file a resolution to expel Cherfilus-McCormick after the Ethics Committee releases its recommendation. A few Democrats have already signaled they would support it. But expulsion is rare and requires a two-thirds vote of the full House (288 members, assuming Rep.-elect Analilia Mejia (D-N.J.) is sworn in this evening).

“We await the recommendation that the Ethics Committee will make in a bipartisan way as they’ve done up until this point,” Hakeem Jeffries told me. “And then the Congress as a whole is going to have to make a decision as to how to implement the most appropriate punishment.”

Jeffries declined to disclose whether he has spoken to Cherfilus-McCormick or intends to do so before the hearing.

VA redistricting referendum: Voters in Virginia will decide on Tuesday whether to amend the commonwealth’s constitution to allow a one-time, mid-decade redraw of congressional maps before 2030.

If approved, the Democratic-controlled legislature could replace the current map with a new one for upcoming elections, then revert to the normal bipartisan system after 2030. The proposed map could shift Virginia from a roughly 6–5 split to a 10–1 Democratic split.

Normally, maps only change after the census—so this is a break from the standard cycle. But Democrats argue the referendum is a fair and aggressive response to GOP mid-decade gerrymandering in states like Texas, North Carolina and Missouri. (Republicans call it a power grab that overturns the bipartisan redistricting system voters approved in 2020.)

“There’s a lot of energy behind the effort to make sure that we stop the MAGA power grab,” Jeffries told reporters. “We’re not going to take our foot off the gas pedal. We’ee going to keep marching forward to make the case to the American people.”

FY27 approps hearings: The House and Senate Appropriations Committees will resume hearings on the Trump administration’s 2027 budget request.

The House Approps Interior subcommittee will hear from Secretary Doug Burgum on Tuesday and the Commerce-Science-Justice panel from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday. The full committee will mark up the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Financial Services and General Government bills on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Senate Approps subcommittees will hold hearings on the budget requests for Interior, FSGG, USDA and the Department of Energy.

The Warsh hearing: Kevin Warsh’s confirmation hearing to become Federal Reserve Chair is scheduled for Tuesday before the Senate Banking Committee. If confirmed, Warsh is expected to advocate for more aggressive rate cuts and structural reforms at the Fed.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) has said he will block the nomination unless a Justice Department probe involving Fed Chair Jerome Powell is resolved. Because the committee is closely divided, that single defection can stall the nomination entirely—and Leader Thune has acknowledged that Warsh likely can’t advance without him. Powell’s term expires May 15, creating a hard deadline for confirmation or a messy interim arrangement.

Democrats are lining up a transparency and ethics attack on undisclosed or complex financial holdings, potential conflicts of interest and whether Warsh can act independently of Trump. As I reported on Friday, Senate Banking Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Committee Democrats have already argued his disclosures are incomplete and raise concerns about entanglements and oversight gaps.

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Happenings

All times Eastern

The House is in at noon and will vote at 6:30 p.m. on a series of suspension bills, including measures to extend FirstNet, modernize emergency alerts and 9-1-1 oversight, and accelerate and tighten accountability for broadband deployment.

The Senate is in at 3:30 p.m. and will vote at 5:30 p.m. to confirm Andrew Davis to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Texas.

The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces will hold a hearing at 3:30 p.m. on the Department of Energy’s atomic energy defense activities and the Defense Department’s nuclear weapons program in reviews of the Pentagon’s 2027 defense authorization request.

The House Rules Committee will meet at 4 p.m. to prepare several bills for floor consideration this week.

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● ● ● ○

Read All About It

“California’s blue armageddon” by Mark Leibovich: “One of the most liberal states in the country can’t find a Democrat to lead it.”

“America’s Next Moon Mission Depends on Elon Musk, for Better or Worse” by Anna Rogers: “The government, unwisely, has ‘concentrated immense power in the hands of a single individual.’”

“Students are speeding through their online degrees in weeks, alarming educators” by Todd Wallack: “Some online colleges allow students to take unlimited courses on their own time, leading to quick degrees and worries about devaluing credentials.”

First Things First

Mejia wins New Jersey special runoff: Rep.-elect Analilia Mejia (D-N.J.) on Thursday night won the special election to fill the seat vacated by Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.). Mejia, a progressive labor organizer and political strategist who co-led the Center for Popular Democracy, worked on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, and served in the Biden-era Department of Labor, defeated Republican nominee Joe Hathaway in a race the AP called just seven minutes after the polls closed. (She will face Hathaway again in November for the chance to serve a full term.) When Mejia is sworn in, she will shrink Speaker Johnson’s vote margin on party-line bills from two to one, following the recent addition of Rep. Clay Fuller (R-Ga.).

Warren, Senate Banking Dems press Scott to delay Warsh hearing: Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led all 10 Committee Democrats on Thursday morning in a letter to Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) calling for the delay of next week’s nomination proceedings for Kevin Warsh, President Trump’s nominee to serve as the next Federal Reserve Chair, until the pretextual investigations into Chair Jerome Powell and Governor Lisa Cook are closed. They called for the Committee to instead hold a public hearing to assess President Trump’s involvement in directing these criminal investigations. After meeting with Warsh, Warren told reporters that her concerns about the nominee had deepened, citing his failure to disclose over $100 million in assets, his unexplained appearance in Epstein-related records, and an FBI background review that she said did not address either issue.

How a House GOP revolt sank Johnson’s FISA 702 vote

A handful of House conservatives delivered Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) a stunning rebuke early this morning, with a dozen Republicans rejecting a five-year package of reforms to the government’s warrantless foreign surveillance authority—known as Section 702—before 20 GOP lawmakers tanked a procedural vote to even debate a clean 18-month extension of those powers.

The episode marked a striking collapse—even for Johnson, who has already seen multiple rules fail under his speakership and several more come perilously close. After canceling and delaying votes this week to mediate between the House Freedom Caucus, which demanded stronger privacy protections, and the White House, which pushed for a clean, longer-term extension, he secured neither. Instead, the House passed a two-week extension of existing Section 702 authorities by unanimous consent before adjourning until Monday—buying Johnson time to regroup after a bruising night on the floor.

“Late-night votes never go well. People are punchy. That was tonight,” a House Democrat texted me as they left the floor just after 2 a.m. “We came back to vote down a bill we all knew was going to fail. This speaker cannot count.”

Not the usual GOP policy fight

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows the U.S. government to collect communications of foreign nationals abroad without warrants, but it often captures data on Americans in contact with those noncitizens.

The Freedom Caucus and civil libertarians from both parties wanted structural reforms, especially a warrant requirement for queries of U.S. citizens. The tremendous trust gap that exists between House Democrats and the Trump administration, including acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel, and the president himself, heightened the sensitivity against a straightforward continuation of the status quo without stricter guardrails.

“Sometimes it’s about the policy,” a House Democrat told me. Sometimes it’s about the people implementing the policy. This is one of those times.”

With Johnson facing a math problem with the rule on Wednesday afternoon, he canceled the vote series that had been scheduled for that time. He scrapped two additional afternoon series on Thursday amid ongoing talks among administration officials, House GOP leadership and the holdouts.

Just before midnight, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s office released text of the manager’s amendment to the unworkable extension and announced members would reconvene to debate the measure before advancing it to final passage.

The amendment extended Section 702 through April 2031—a major shift, given that leadership and the White House were seeking a shorter-term duration. It required a warrant to intentionally target a U.S. person’s communication and limited FBI “backdoor searches” to address the long-running abuse complaints. The bill also strengthened criminal penalties to include fines and prison time for unauthorized disclosure of 702 data, improper queries of U.S. persons and false statements to the FISA court. There was also a new structure around the FBI’s use of the provision and several explicit oversight provisions to try to claw back congressional visibility.

But House Democrats and several hardliners almost immediately expressed dissatisfaction with the proposal, specifically the warrant provision, which multiple people told me applied to targeting, not necessarily all database searches. In other words, the government can still act without a warrant if the person is a foreign agent, tied to a crime, or under other existing FISA authorities. This was a nonstarter for many members of the same group Johnson had been bargaining with for days. And within hours, the House had resumed the gridlock the speaker thought he had resolved.

To be clear, this debate wasn’t just a typical right-flank negotiation over how far to push policy. It reflected the fundamental divide over the surveillance authority itself. And instead of working to narrow that gap early, Johnson has let it spill into a late-stage scramble, canceling and postponing votes before trying again in the middle of the night.

“Nancy Pelosi would have never done this,” a House Democratic aide texted me, referring

The Senate path forward

Most senators went home for the weekend after the final vote of the week on Thursday afternoon, a signal of the little confidence they had that their GOP colleagues would make enough progress on a resolution to justify sticking around on a scheduled fly-out day.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told me that the sooner the Senate received the bill from the House, the more likely it would be to process it quickly and readily. He was hesitant to take any options off the table, including a short-term funding patch if Johnson and the White House were unable to reach a deal with the Freedom Caucus.

But the South Dakota Republican acknowledged that almost any option they chose would require a time agreement to bypass the Senate’s traditional rules that allow for lengthy, unlimited speeches.

“At some point, it’s going to be a consent exercise. We’re going to need some cooperation to get it done before things go dark on the 20th,” Thune said. “I hope we have that level of cooperation, but we aren’t going to know that for sure until the House processes and sends it to us.”

The Senate will meet this morning to formally receive the bill. Thune could possibly set up the first procedural vote if no senators object on the floor.

It’s worth noting the House approved a significant piece of must-pass legislation with sweeping national security implications in the dark of night, weeks after conservatives slammed senators for passing a bipartisan deal to fund DHS, minus ICE and CBP. This place is full of ironies, I tell you.

Happenings

All times Eastern

The House is out.

The Senate is in at 10 a.m.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies will hold a markup at 8 a.m. on the FY27 MilCon-VA funding bill.

The House Education and Workforce Committee will hold a hearing at 9 a.m. with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on HHS’s policies and priorities.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government will hold a markup of the FY27 FSGG funding bill.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense will hold a budget hearing at 9:30 a.m. in the National Guard and Reserve Forces.

Editor’s note: After a 2 a.m. adjournment and canceled floor votes, Friday’s committee schedule remains in flux. As of publication, these hearings and markups are still on the books.

● ● ● ● ○

Read All About It

“It’s not just Iran. Trump is flailing on multiple fronts” by Jonathan Lemire: “The president is on a losing streak, and even some of his aides are dismayed by his choices.”

“Trump picked the wrong pope to bully” by Ed Kilgore: “Pope Leo is very popular, even among Catholic conservatives who strongly disliked his predecessor.”

“What brought down Eric Swalwell” by Jon Allsop: “How the attention economy produced a moment of congressional reckoning.”

👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! It’s Thursday morning. Thank you for waking up to Congress Nerd Sunrise. Shout out to my girl A’ja Wilson, who signed a new deal with the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday in the largest contract in the league’s 30-year history. Wilson’s contract is one of the first major contracts under the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, which dramatically raised salaries and tied them more directly to league revenue—a structural shift that made a deal like this possible.

When I saw the news, I flashed back to my interview with Wilson in 2024 at the White House during the Aces’ visit after their second championship. She expressed her gratitude for the increased visibility of the gender pay gap, but the star forward encouraged fans and decision-makers to continue the conversation beyond a few news cycles.

“I hope that it’s not just a trend that just sounds good right now and people just want to talk about it,” Wilson, who also lists an Olympic gold medal and New York Times bestseller on her résumé, said. “I would much rather people be about it and invest and support. At the end of the day, put your money where your mouth is and really try to make those changes.” Looks like the league took heed and her pockets are much deeper because of it.

📌 New this morning: RFK Jr. heads to Capitol Hill for high-stakes hearings … How Pressley persuaded Republicans to join her Haiti TPS discharge petition

📬 Get in touch: michael@onceuponahill.com

○ ● ● ● ●

FIRST THINGS FIRST

The path to FISA reauthorization still looks murky: House Republican leaders on Wednesday morning canceled a procedural vote to set up debate and final passage on an extension of the Section 702 spy powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after conservative hardliners threatened to prevent the measure from floor consideration.

The White House and GOP leadership, which are pushing for a clean 18-month extension of the government’s authority to collect foreign intelligence by surveilling non-Americans abroad without a warrant, spent the day negotiating with the holdouts who are seeking new limits on surveillance, including requiring a warrant before searching intelligence databases for Americans’ communications that are incidentally collected under the program. It remains to be seen whether an agreement will emerge before Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) reattempts the rule vote. 702 expires on Monday night, leaving the Senate little time to process whatever solution Johnson can pass in the House.

Senate Dems deliver firm rebuke of Israel: 80% of the Senate Democratic Caucus voted on Wednesday night to block arms sales to Israel. The two votes were forced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who said after that they signal a growing willingness among Senate Democrats to break with the long-standing norm of largely unconditional U.S. military support for Israel and reflect a shift toward greater scrutiny of how that aid is used under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a changing political dynamic inside the party.

40 Democrats voted against the sale of $151.8 million in 1,000-pound bombs that human rights groups say have been used in strikes that resulted in civilian casualties, including in densely populated areas of Gaza and Beirut and 36 opposed $295 million in bulldozers commonly used by the Israeli military in demolition operations in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank. As I reported in Wednesday’s Sunset, the proposed transfers have drawn scrutiny under the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act, which set conditions on U.S. military assistance.

Meeks’ Iran WPR could go either way: House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) told me Wednesday afternoon that he was still working to nail down the final votes for his War Powers Resolution to limit President Donald Trump’s military authority in Iran. He said the outcome of today’s vote remains uncertain, as several Republicans have yet to lock in their positions, leaving it effectively a toss-up. The Senate failed for the fourth time to begin debate on a separate War Powers Resolution in a 47–52 tally.

● ○ ● ● ●

HEALTH CARE

RFK Jr. heads to Capitol Hill for high-stakes hearings

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will face lawmakers in two separate and highly anticipated hearings this morning, where he’s expected to face intense scrutiny of his leadership of the principal federal agency responsible for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services.

RFK Jr. will first appear before the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, before testifying this afternoon in front of the House Appropriations panel responsible for funding his agency.

The former environmental lawyer entered office as a polarizing figure who brought years of vaccine skepticism and anti-establishment politics into a job traditionally grounded in scientific consensus, then used the office to remake federal health policy in ways critics say undermine that consensus.

Since taking over, he has moved to narrow vaccine recommendations, replaced the CDC’s outside vaccine advisers with picks seen as more aligned with his views, and presided over deep staffing cuts and restructuring across the federal health bureaucracy. Those moves have drawn lawsuits, alarm from mainstream medical groups and criticism from former public health officials, while supporters see him as challenging a public health establishment they no longer trust.

Eden Giagnorio, the top spokesperson at 314 Action, an advocacy group focused on recruiting, training, and electing Democrats with backgrounds in science to public office, told me she’d like to see members challenge RFK Jr. about his changes to the vaccine schedule and the vacancies in key positions within the department.

“Children are dying. Measles outbreaks are continuing to spread. Voters across the political spectrum are concerned about this,” she said. “We also don’t have a CDC director or Surgeon General. We haven’t for over a year now. He needs to answer for that, and the deeper cuts he’s making to [the National Institutes of Health].”

314 Action Executive Director Eric Polyak said the administration’s disinvestment in scientific research is salient to everyday Americans, who tend to support this funding because they see it as driving medical breakthroughs, economic growth and national security while improving quality of life.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets some blowback from Republican members too on some of the cuts to research,” he told me. “We’ve already seen some of that already with the NIH budget proposal and such.”

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IMMIGRATION

How Pressley persuaded Republicans to join her Haiti TPS discharge petition

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) is on the verge of securing a hard-won victory for the immigrants’ rights movement ahead of a vote today on a bill to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haiti through early 2029. The three-term congresswoman led a discharge petition to force a vote on the issue and secured the support of all Democrats, six Republicans and an independent to clear the final procedural hurdle on Wednesday afternoon.

Ahead of the vote, Pressley credited her doggedness and the dedication of her staff, who developed what she described as a robust whip strategy and storytelling campaign.

“It’s the anatomy of activism,” she told me. “Because it’s not just about the message, it’s about the most effective messengers for members. And we built a coalition of partners in labor, immigrants, rights advocates, and we’re just leaving nothing to chance here.”

Supporters of extending Haitian TPS argue that ongoing violence, political instability and humanitarian crises in the Caribbean nation make it unsafe for people to return, while TPS allows them to live and work in the U.S. until conditions improve.

Pressley said that without TPS, hundreds of thousands could lose legal status and work authorization, face possible deportation and disrupt U.S. communities and industries that rely on their labor.

“This will separate families and decimate our economy, and I’m very grateful for the Republicans. Again, these are not partisan issues,” she said. “I’m just appealing to people of conscience to not only keep families together, but to do what’s in the best interest of our workforce and our economy. This is the first encouraging step forward and bright spot in a long time on anything in the immigration space.”

● ● ● ○ ●

Happenings

All times Eastern

Floor action

The House is in at 10 a.m. and will vote at 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the FISA reauthorization rule, the Haiti TPS extension bill, the Meeks Iran War Powers Resolution, three Clean Air Act deregulatory measures and a nonbinding resolution expressing support for the tax policies in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The Senate is in at 10 a.m. and will vote at 11 a.m. on a Congressional Review Act disapproval resolution to

overturn a 20-year, 225,000-acre mining ban near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and 1:45 p.m. to limit debate on the nomination of Andrew Davis to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Texas.

Committee hearings

The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing at 9 a.m. with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy

and Water Development, and Related Agencies will hold a budget hearing at 10 a.m. with the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Homeland Security will hold a budget hearing at 10 a.m. on CBP, ICE and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense will hold a budget hearing at 10 a.m. on the U.S. Army.

The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on promoting access to credit for everyday Americans.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy will hold a hearing on the FY27 Energy Department budget.

The Senate Budget Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on President Trump’s FY27 budget proposal.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on how competition can lower drug prices.

The House Administration Committee will hold an oversight hearing at 10:15 a.m. with secretaries of state on voter list maintenance and eligibility verification.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies will hold a budget hearing at 10:30 a.m. on the USDA.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing at 11 a.m. on the office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

The House China Competition Committee will hold a hearing at 11 a.m. on China’s campaign to steal America’s AI edge.

The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere will hold a hearing at 2 p.m. on Latin America following Nicolás Maduro’s fall.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Homeland Security will hold a budget hearing at 2 p.m. on CISA, TSA, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service and FEMA.

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight will hold a hearing at 2 p.m. on sanctuary policies.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing at 4 p.m. on the U.S. Forest Service.

News events

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) and members of the Texas congressional delegation will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. on immigration enforcement in Big Bend National Park.

Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) and Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) will hold a press conference at 12 p.m. on guaranteed paid vacation for workers.

The House Oversight Subcommittees on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs & Military and Foreign Affairs will hold a roundtable at 2 p.m. on artificial intelligence.

Reps. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.) and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) will hold a press conference at 2:15 p.m. on Black maternal health.

● ● ● ● ○

Read All About It

“It’s not just Iran. Trump is flailing on multiple fronts” by Jonathan Lemire: “The president is on a losing streak, and even some of his aides are dismayed by his choices.”

“Trump picked the wrong pope to bully” by Ed Kilgore: “Pope Leo is very popular, even among Catholic conservatives who strongly disliked his predecessor.”

“What brought down Eric Swalwell” by Jon Allsop: “How the attention economy produced a moment of congressional reckoning.”

👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! It’s Wednesday morning. Thanks for starting your workday with Congress Nerd Sunrise. It’s also Tax Day, and as you’ll see in Happenings, members are flooding the zone with events to promote—or disparage—the tax provisions in the GOP’s signature legislative achievement, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

☝🏾 First things first: The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office is investigating former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) after a Southern California woman accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 2018. Swalwell, who resigned his seat on Tuesday afternoon, is also under investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for a separate allegation. Former Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) stepped down from Congress on Tuesday amid mounting bipartisan pressure after he admitted to an inappropriate relationship with a staffer who later died by suicide. Both men were at risk of expulsion had they chosen to remain in office.

ICYMI: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told me the House Ethics Committee needed to expedite its probe into whether Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) failed to properly disclose required information, violated campaign finance laws in his 2022 and 2024 campaigns, improperly solicited or received gifts, got special favors because of his office, engaged in alleged sexual misconduct or dating violence, and misused congressional resources or status. As I reported in Tuesday evening’s Sunset, Jeffries call to quicken the Ethics proceedings involving Mills suggests growing unease with the committee’s slow-moving process and political pressure as misconduct allegations linger.

Lawmakers have turned their attention to Mills and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) as the next targets of potential expulsion. Cherfilus-McCormick is facing ethics scrutiny tied largely to federal charges that she stole $5 million in FEMA funding. Jeffries said the caucus will decide in the coming days whether to take a position on expulsion, declining to get ahead of that internal discussion even as some members push for swift action.

FISA latest: The House Rules Committee reported a rule late Tuesday night for a clean 18-month extension of Section 702, the controversial provision under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that allows intelligence agencies to target non-Americans outside the U.S. for foreign intelligence information without a warrant. (Specifically, it forces U.S. companies like Google or Verizon to provide emails, texts, and calls.)

While it is designed to protect national security, Section 702 captures incidental communications of Americans, drawing the ire of privacy hawks on both the right and the left, who advocate for limits on data collection and seek to compel the government to obtain a warrant before searching intelligence data for information on U.S. citizens.

Section 702 is not permanent and must be renewed by Congress. It was reauthorized in early 2024, but is slated to expire in less than a week. President Donald Trump urged House Republicans to unite behind a clean extension of FISA 702, arguing it is critical to national security and military operations despite his claims of past abuses against him. More than 50 House Democrats sent a letter to congressional leadership urging it to include stronger Fourth Amendment protections in the upcoming reauthorization, including closing data-broker loopholes and requiring warrants.

The three House conservatives who sit on Rules and could have blocked the rule, which sets the terms and conditions for floor debate and final passage of a bill, from receiving full consideration this week did not vote (Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Morgan Griffith (R-W.Va.). But don’t be surprised if the rule fails on the floor later today.

House clears aviation safety bill: The House passed the ALERT Act on Tuesday evening in a strong bipartisan 396–10 vote. The sweeping aviation safety bill is a response to the deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport last year and would mandate new collision-avoidance technology, tighten air traffic control procedures, and overhaul helicopter and airport safety rules. (Rep. Maxine Waters (Calif.) is the only Democrat who voted against the measure.) The vote comes less than a month after the House narrowly rejected the Senate-passed ROTOR Act, which focuses on mandating ADS-B In technology and is backed by NTSB, major pilot unions, and families of the victims of the DCA accident

📌 New this morning: Underwood isn’t waiting on a Democratic majority on Momnibus

📬 Get in touch: michael@onceuponahill.com

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HEALTH CARE

Underwood isn’t waiting for a Democratic majority on Momnibus

Lauren Underwood participated in a discussion on Tuesday afternoon with the left-leaning advocacy group Protect Our Care about her signature legislative proposal: the Momnibus, a package of 14 bills designed to tackle the root causes of maternal mortality, morbidity and disparities.

America’s maternal health care crisis has worsened since the Illinois Democrat arrived in Washington in 2018. Affordable Care Act and Medicaid funding have been reduced by more than $1 trillion under Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, affecting programs that cover over 40 percent of births. The changes have coincided with more than 40 maternity care providers closing services, including labor and delivery units, while the expiration of health care tax credits has increased costs and reduced coverage for some women.

But against the backdrop of Black Maternal Health Week, and in partnership with lawmakers like Cory Booker (D-N.J.)and Alma Adams (D-N.C.), the Illinois Democrat isn’t waiting for Democrats to win back the majority to advance the agenda she has pursued since arriving in Washington in 2018.

“The Black maternal health crisis is not new. We’ve seen disparities for decades. Our colleagues can’t look away when, as a result of these policy choices, more moms are dying,” Underwood said. “And I think everyone in this moment is looking for a solution. How do we make this right? It’s the Momnibus.”

Underwood, Booker and Adams reintroduced the package three weeks ago and have attracted 204 cosponsors. Four of the 14 proposals in the Momnibus are bipartisan, and Underwood said she is looking for legislative vehicles on which those measures could potentially ride.

She told me she has encouraged colleagues to engage with the Momnibus however they can—whether that means backing one bill or the full slate—while emphasizing that most maternal deaths are preventable and arguing the focus should be on driving that number down to zero.

Despite broader cuts proposed by the administration and enacted by congressional Republicans, she said she secured more than $100 million in fiscal year 2026 investments for the policies and plans, leveraging her perch on the powerful House Appropriations Committee to pursue additional funding next fiscal year.

“Whatever doesn’t get done this year gets done next year is my point of view,” she said. “And no one’s told me no.”

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HAPPENINGS

All times Eastern

Floor action

The House is in at 10 a.m. with first votes scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and last votes expected at 9:15 p.m. on a series of measures, including the rules for FISA reauthorization, three Clean Air Act bills and a resolution expressing support for the tax policies in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The Senate is in at 10 a.m. and will vote at 2 p.m. on an Iran War Powers Resolution.

Committee hearings

The House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on strengthening U.S. commercial diplomacy.

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on the Second Amendment.

The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on combatting fraud and exploitation in U.S. capital markets.

The House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on understanding fraud in federally funded programs run by the states.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on reforming the United Nations.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on the Second Amendment.

The Senate Commerce Committee will hold an oversight hearing at 10 a.m. on the Federal Trade Commission.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on restoring the Great Lakes region.

The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on the IRS 2026 filing season and IRS operations.

The House Budget Committee will hold a hearing at 10:15 a.m. on President Trump’s 2027 budget request with OMB Director Russell Vought.

The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections will hold a hearing at 10:15 a.m. on understanding AI’s economic impact on workers and employers.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing at 10:15 a.m. on legislative proposals to improve public health.

The House Small Business Committee will hold a hearing at 10:30 on the benefits of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Homeland Security will hold a hearing at 11 a.m. on preparations for the FIFA World Cup.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies will hold a budget hearing at 2 p.m. with Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces will hold a hearing at 3 p.m. on 2027 missile defense and missile defeat programs and activities.

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch will meet at 3 p.m. on the 2027 budget request for the Congressional Budget Office, Government Publishing Office and Government Accountability Office.

The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness will hold a hearing at 3:30 p.m. on military readiness for FY27.

The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee will hold a hearing at 3:30 p.m. on programs for justice-involved veterans.

The Senate Committee on Aging will hold a hearing at 3:30 p.m. on empowering seniors through financial literacy to protect savings, prevent fraud and promote independence.

News events

House Republicans and Democrats will hold their weekly conference and caucus meetings at 9 a.m.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) will hold a Tax Day press conference at 10 a.m.

House Administration Committee Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) and Reps. Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), and Nikema Williams (D-Ga.) will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. to launch a policy task force.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) will hold a press conference at 10:45 a.m. on Temporary Protective Status for Haiti.

House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) and Vice Chair Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) will hold a post-meeting press conference at 10:45 a.m.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) will hold a press conference at 12 p.m. on the Equal Tax Act.

Reps. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Lauren Boebert will hold a press conference at 12 p.m. on FISA reforms ahead of the reauthorization vote.

The Senate Republican Conference will hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

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