Shutdown shadow over recess
Lawmakers left Washington without a DHS funding deal, setting up a potential third shutdown of Trump 2.0 as both sides dig in over ICE accountability.
Today in Congress
Programming note: Once Upon a Hill will pause for Presidents’ Day on Monday, Feb. 16. There will be no Sunday evening Congress Nerd Sunset or Monday morning Congress Nerd Sunrise. I’ll be back in your inbox with Sunset on Monday evening.
👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! The looming Department of Homeland Security shutdown at midnight Saturday could extend through the President’s Day recess absent a significant breakthrough in the coming days. Democrats are expected to respond to the White House’s latest counteroffer on Immigration and Customs Enforcement reforms this weekend, but neither side appears eager to budge.
Democratic leaders believe they are aligned with public opinion in pressing for ICE accountability and pushing back on what they describe as executive overreach on immigration enforcement, while Republicans argue Democrats are jeopardizing funding for agencies such as TSA, FEMA and the Coast Guard, since ICE and Customs and Border Patrol are currently flush with funding from the megabill the GOP passed last summer.
This will mark the third full or partial shutdown of Trump 2.0 and add to a difficult stretch for President Donald Trump that includes the ongoing fallout from the Epstein saga, a bipartisan House rebuke of his Canada tariffs earlier this week and controversy over a racist meme against the Obamas that was shared from his account last week (and he still refuses to apologize for).
Happenings
All times Eastern.
The House is in recess but will convene briefly at 10 a.m. for a non-voting session.
The Senate is in recess but will convene briefly at 9 a.m. for a non-voting session.
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will travel to Fayetteville, North Carolina, where the president will deliver remarks to military families at 1:30 p.m. at Fort Bragg. They will also participate in a private military engagement before traveling to Palm Beach, Florida, where the president will participate in a private dinner at 7:45 p.m. at Mar-a-Lago.
Saturday and Sunday: The president will participate in private meetings at 4 p.m. at Mar-a-Lago.
Monday: The president and first lady will travel from Mar-a-Lago to the White House.
In the Know
— President Trump and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin unveiled what the administration called the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history, formally rescinding the 2009 “endangerment finding” and rolling back federal greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles and other sources. The endangerment finding had been the legal and scientific basis for nearly all federal climate regulations under the Clean Air Act and its repeal effectively dismantles that framework—while prompting sharp criticism from scientists, health experts and environmental advocates who say the move abandons decades of climate policy and will increase pollution and health risks.
— Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) teamed up to reintroduce the Child Care for Every Community Act, legislation that would cap child care costs nationwide, with half of families paying no more than $10 a day. Ocasio-Cortez becomes the House co-lead following former Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s departure for the New Jersey governorship, as Democrats continue to situate universal child care within their broader affordability agenda.
— Ring canceled its planned integration with surveillance firm Flock Safety amid intense privacy backlash that was amplified by its Super Bowl ad for an AI camera feature, which critics said stoked fears of mass surveillance and ties to law enforcement systems. The company said the integration never launched and that no data was shared, but the decision reflects growing criticism from users, advocates, and some lawmakers over the civil-liberties implications of closer Ring-to-Flock ties.
Read All About It
“The Epstein emails show how the powerful talk about race” by Ali Breland: “The files reveal the disgraced financier’s interest in ‘race science.’”
“How to sleep with other people” by Doris Chevlen: “To make sharing a bed better for everyone, try these tools and techniques.”
“Is the rat war over?” by Rivka Galchen: “In New York, a rat czar and new methods have brought down complaints. We may even be ready to appreciate the creatures.”