Hill votes scrapped amid nor’easter
A rapidly intensifying storm forces House and Senate leaders to cancel evening votes, postponing a GOP farm bill markup and snarling East Coast travel for lawmakers returning to Washington.
Today in Congress
House and Senate leaders scrapped Monday votes as a rapidly intensifying nor’easter barrels up the East Coast, postponing a House Agriculture Committee markup of Republicans’ farm bill and delaying a Senate procedural vote on the House-passed Department of Homeland Security funding bill. The House had planned to take up a slate of suspension bills, but travel disruptions—with blizzard conditions, up to two feet of snow and wind gusts topping 60 mph forecast from the mid-Atlantic through New England—grounded thousands of flights at major airports and forced members to stay put. It marks the second major snowstorm to snarl Capitol Hill in recent weeks amid a blisteringly cold winter that’s got this spring baby ready to hang up the heavy parka and chase lawmakers through the hallways in something lighter than the scuffed black boots that have taken a beating all season.
Happenings
All times Eastern.
The House will meet at noon and will debate a series of suspension bills at 2 p.m.
The Senate will meet at 3 p.m. for a brief session.
The House Rules Committee will meet at 4 p.m. to prepare the Homeowner Energy Freedom Act and Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act for floor consideration.
President Donald Trump will participate in an angel family remembrance ceremony at 10 a.m. in the East Room, followed by a policy meeting at 11 a.m. in the Oval Office and executive time at 1 p.m. in the Oval.
In the Know
— The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee rolled out the first 12 candidates in its competitive 2026 “Red to Blue” program, giving them early access to strategic guidance, staffing and fundraising support as Democrats aim to reclaim the House majority. The initial slate includes veterans, mayors, farmers and former nominees in battleground districts across Arizona, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
— President Trump announced he will raise the global baseline tariff to 15% from 10%, escalating his trade posture even after the Supreme Court ruled his use of emergency powers under IEEPA to impose earlier tariffs was unlawful. The move signals the administration’s intent to keep broad-based import duties in place despite legal setbacks.
— Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed legislation approving a new 10-1 congressional map that would be used in Virginia’s 2026 elections if voters approve a constitutional amendment this April in a plan that could shift the state’s congressional delegation from 6–5 Democratic to a potential 10–1 advantage. The measure now heads to the ballot, where approval would give Democrats a chance to net up to four seats in the redistricting wars.
Read All About It
“X really is pulling users to the right” by John Herrman: “Algorithmic radicalization has now come for the elites, too.”
“How streaming became cable TV’s unlikely life raft” by Patience Haggin: “Charter Communications and other providers are slowing the cord-cutting exodus by bundling the very apps that once threatened their survival.”
“Why people are craving a different kind of therapy right now” by Sigal Samuel: “A psychiatrist explains why Internal Family Systems is having a moment, despite its lack of evidence.”