America mourns as Iran war widens
Three U.S. service members were killed in action as Iranian missile and drone strikes hit American installations, marking the first U.S. combat deaths of the escalating conflict.
Today in Congress
The country this morning remains in mourning after three American service members were killed in action as Iranian retaliatory missile and drone strikes hit U.S. positions across the region, marking the first confirmed American fatalities in Operation Epic Fury, the conflict President Donald Trump announced against Tehran over the weekend. American forces targeted nuclear facilities, missile infrastructure and other military assets in a campaign that followed weeks of regional force buildups and involved Tomahawk cruise missiles, stealth fighter jets and one-way attack drones. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes against Israeli targets and U.S. bases across the region, escalating the confrontation into open hostilities and triggering the first confirmed American combat deaths.
In a six-minute address from Mar-a-Lago before returning to Washington on Sunday, President Trump said the nation grieves for “the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation,” while vowing to continue what he described as a righteous mission. He prayed for the recovery of the wounded, expressed love and gratitude to the families of the fallen and acknowledged the likelihood of further casualties, saying, “There will likely be more before it ends.” He pledged that the United States would avenge the deaths and deliver what he called the most punishing blow to those responsible.
As the region braces for wider fallout, Israel has renewed strikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah and oil prices have climbed in early trading, signaling both military and economic risks from the expanding conflict.
Happenings
All times Eastern.
The House is out.
The Senate is in at 3 p.m. and will take a key procedural vote at 5:30 p.m. on the House-passed Housing for the 21st Century Act, which senators are expected to amend.
President Trump will participate in executive time at 8 a.m., a Medal of Honor ceremony at 11 a.m., signing time at 1:30 p.m. and back-to-back policy meetings at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
In the Know
— Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced a privileged resolution that will force a Senate vote demanding the Trump administration disclose details about human rights abuses and drug trafficking ties linked to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, whom President Trump pardoned last December. The measure, filed under the Foreign Assistance Act, would require a State Department report on Hernández’s record and could block U.S. security assistance to Honduras if the administration fails to comply.
— Reps. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.) introduced legislation to reestablish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office for Students and Young Consumers, which the Trump administration shuttered in 2018. The Students and Young Consumers Empowerment Act would restore the office’s complaint and enforcement functions, give it new authority to collect industry data on risky loan practices and strengthen coordination with the Department of Education to protect student borrowers.
— Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced the SPARK Act, a bill that would create new federal grant and low-cost loan programs to expand access to capital for minority and underserved entrepreneurs. The legislation would fund community-based incubators and accelerators and provide direct financing to small businesses, positioning it as a Democratic answer to widening racial wealth and lending gaps ahead of the 2026 cycle.
Read All About It
“War and peace cannot be left to one man—especially not this man” by David French: “The Constitution isn’t a technicality.”
“Trump has no plan for the Iranian people” by Anne Applebaum: “The mere act of bombing Iran will not by itself create a stable regime.”
“A Texas Senate race is testing Democrats’ stomach for race and gender fights” by Teo Armus and Liz Goodwin: “Latino voters will probably decide the primary contest between Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico—two rising stars who are stylistic opposites.”