Four years later in Ukraine
On the war’s fourth anniversary, Trump’s pledge to end the conflict collides with the reality of his first year-plus back in office, as U.S. support wavers and Europe braces for a longer fight.
Today in Congress
President Donald Trump will deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term tonight when he’ll step to the rostrum in the House chamber amid mounting political pressure at home and rising uncertainty abroad. Paid subscribers will get a full preview and what to watch for in this evening’s Congress Nerd Sunset. If you’re not subscribed yet, now’s the time—it’s the essential pre-SOTU read before he takes the stage.
As the war in Ukraine hits its four-year mark today, the conflict on the ground remains a brutal, grinding fight with tens of thousands of civilian casualties and millions displaced, and Russia holding roughly less than a fifth of Ukrainian territory despite massive costs and a largely static front. President Trump ran in 2024 vowing he could end the war “within 24 hours” and put pressure on Kyiv and Moscow to negotiate, but he steadily shifted his tone after taking office last year, dropping the one-day claim and instead pushing a U.S. peace proposal that has proved difficult to sell to both Kyiv and Moscow.
In his first year-plus back in the White House, Trump has paused U.S. weapons aid at times and leaned into negotiations that many analysts see as Moscow-friendly, even as European allies step up their own support amid concerns about Washington’s reliability. Trump’s 2024 campaign rhetoric about ending the war quickly has given way to a more complex, contested reality in which peace prospects are unclear, U.S. aid has been uneven, and broader allied strategy and European defense posture increasingly fill the gap left by Washington’s retreat.
Happenings
All times Eastern.
The House will meet at 10 a.m., with first votes expected around 1:30 p.m. and final votes likely by 4 p.m. House Republicans are moving forward with two energy-related bills focused on home appliances and homeowner energy standards. Also on deck: previously delayed votes on a government information quality measure and a Senate-passed aviation bill. After wrapping up, the House will recess and reconvene at approximately 8:35 p.m. for the State of the Union.
The Senate is in at 2 p.m. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) will deliver Washington’s Farewell address following the prayer and pledge. Senators will be permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes after the address. The Senate will take a procedural vote at 5 p.m. to advance the House-passed 2026 Department of Homeland Security funding bill. (It is expected to fail as Democrats and the White House remain far apart in negotiations on ICE reforms. Senators will gather in the Senate chamber at 8:20 p.m. to proceed as a body to the House for the State of the Union.
President Trump will participate in executive time at 9 a.m. at the White House, followed by the annual State of the Union luncheon in the Blue Room. He will deliver his speech at 9 p.m.
The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing at 9:30 a.m. to examine rebuilding American critical minerals supply chains.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on advancing national security through commercial diplomacy.
The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on assessing information sharing and security collaboration ahead of major events.
The House Science Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on how to increase the infrastructure for artificial intelligence data centers.
The House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. on the Defense Department’s struggling background check system.
The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing on the next generation of America’s health care workforce.
The House Judiciary Committee will mark up the Shut Down Sanctuary Policies Act at 10 a.m.
The Senate Budget Committee will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. to examine sanctuary cities.
The House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections will hold a hearing at 10:15 a.m. on innovative approaches to paid leave.
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment will hold a hearing at 10:15 a.m. on challenges and opportunities for safe, reliable and affordable drinking water.
The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia will hold a hearing at 2 p.m. on strengthening export control enforcement.
The House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education will hold a hearing at 2 p.m. on teaching in the AI age.
House Republicans and Democrats will hold their weekly conference and caucus meetings at 9 a.m.
Senate Republicans and Democrats will hold their weekly policy lunches.
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) will hold a press conference at 9:30 a.m. with faith leaders on immigration ahead of the State of the Union.
Reps. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) will hold a press conference at 10 a.m.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) will hold a press conference at 10 a.m.
Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.) and DWC members will hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. ahead of the State of the Union.
Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will hold a press conference at 3 p.m. to introduce their State of the Union guests.
DWC Chair Leger Fernandez and Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) will hold a press conference with Epstein survivors ahead of the State of the Union.
In the Know
— The Department of Education confirmed for the first time that it is weighing a potential sale of all or part of the federal student loan portfolio, though officials say no final decision has been made. In a response to an inquiry from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) last November, the department declined to detail how borrower protections would be preserved or which private-sector entities it has consulted, fueling Democratic concerns about conflicts of interest and the future of legally guaranteed loan terms.
— Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) introduced legislation Monday to expand Head Start to more than 11 million eligible children nationwide, raise educator pay to at least $60,000 a year and broaden support services for working families. The bill, backed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Sen. Sanders, would significantly scale up the early childhood program amid broader fights over federal education funding.
— Rep. Pressley reintroduced legislation with Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) that would require Medicare to cover medical wigs for people experiencing hair loss due to alopecia or cancer treatment. The bill would classify cranial prosthetics as durable medical equipment, aiming to reduce out-of-pocket costs that can run into the thousands of dollars.
Read All About It
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“Girls who love boys who love boys” by E. Alex Jung: “When did everyone start fujoing out?”
“Bye-bye, BBL: The great cosmetic undoing Is here” by Marisa Meltzer: “The legions who flocked to dermatologists and plastic surgeons to be filled and plumped are now seeking to reverse their procedures. Here’s what they’re getting un-done now.”