Congress: The Senate & The House

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Senate rejects effort to halt arms sales to Israel, but most Democrats vote to block them More than three dozen Democrats supported an effort by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday to block arms sales to Israel, signaling a growing discontent in the party with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the wars in Gaza and Iran. Read more.

Why this matters: The two resolutions to block U.S. sales of bulldozers and bombs to Israel were opposed by all Republicans. Similar resolutions forced by Sanders in 2024 and 2025 were also rejected, but the number of Democrats voting with Sanders has more than doubled in less than two years. “It’s clear that Democrats are beginning to listen to the average American who is sick and tired of spending billions of dollars to support Netanyahu’s horrific wars when people in this country can’t afford housing or health care,” Sanders said after the vote. Among the Democrats voting against the resolutions were Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Senate Republicans reject effort to halt Iran war, but some eye future war powers votes   Justice Jackson chides Supreme Court conservatives over ‘oblivious’ pro-Trump emergency orders   Trump’s budget director defends White House plan for massive boost in military spending   Democrats crow about fundraising in competitive Senate races   Democrat Analilia Mejia and Republican Joe Hathaway compete for suburban New Jersey House seat   Melania Trump pushes for updating a foster care program during a rare visit to Capitol Hill

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😫 Johnson stuck on FISA

Even with President Trump's help, House Republicans can't dial in the votes to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

• Leadership has twice punted a planned vote — including a 3:15pm vote today.

Why it matters: The national security tool will lapse Monday night without congressional action.

• The White House and GOP leadership have been pushing for a clean 18-month extension of the surveillance authority, but members are still demanding changes.

State of play: A bloc of conservatives is vowing to vote no on the procedural rule vote, in which House Speaker Mike Johnson can afford to lose only two members.

• Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who has been demanding that the SAVE Act ride with FISA, has made clear she won't budge on her opposition to the rule.
• Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who frequently votes against rules, has been outspoken in his opposition.

Behind the scenes: Negotiations among conservatives, GOP leaders and the White House have centered around warrant requirements, a key Freedom Caucus demand.

• There have also been discussions around a short-term (and last-resort) extension, 30 or 60 days, of the surveillance authority to give members more time to negotiate.

The bottom line: Johnson told reporters that he hopes to start voting on FISA tonight, but that could slide to tomorrow or even Monday.

• GOP leaders could move to open the rule vote and call conservatives' bluff on voting it down.
• It's a familiar Johnson tactic: Keep the vote open as long as it takes to get support, while members continue to be whipped by leaders, the White House or even Trump himself.

— Kate Santaliz

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‼️ Scoop: Dems eye war powers vote barrage

Illustration: Aïda Amer / Axios. Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images

A group of House Democrats is discussing plans to force a vote on an Iran war powers every day until one passes or U.S. operations in the region end, Axios has learned. Why it matters: It's the kind of showy flood-the-zone tactic that the Democratic grassroots is constantly trying to get the party's lawmakers to pursue in resisting the Trump administration. Some centrists aren't immediately dismissing the proposal, even as it's not clear if House Democratic leadership will get behind the tactic. "I'd welcome it," Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), who represents battleground-district members in leadership, told us. "I've voted for it twice," said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.). "I'll vote for it as many times as we need." Driving the news: The idea was raised at a Congressional Progressive Caucus lunch today, multiple sources familiar with the matter told us. One member floated introducing enough war powers resolutions to force a vote every day that the House is in session, which was positively received, the sources said. It's not a "finalized plan," one source told us on the condition of anonymity to share details of private conversations. But members "were interested in it" and it is "more than just one person talking," the source said. — Andrew Solender

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🚔 Shutdown endgame

Expect a few plot twists, but Senate GOP leaders are confident they can pass a budget resolution to fund ICE and the Border Patrol by the end of next week.

Why it matters: As the House struggles to resolve its internal divisions on FISA, the Senate is moving ahead on a separate track — advancing a budget resolution to fund immigration enforcement, with a "vote-a-rama" as early as Wednesday.

• Once the Senate passes a budget resolution, the DHS funding fight will shift back to the House.
• Speaker Mike Johnson could try to pass the non-immigration portions of DHS funding, which cleared the Senate two weeks ago.
• Or he could wait for the Senate to pass a broader reconciliation package, expected to include from $65 billion to $75 billion for three and a half years of funding for ICE and Border Patrol.

Zoom in: Republicans still need to work out the size and scope of the package — and whether it needs to be paid for.

• "We need to do a much broader reconciliation," Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said in a video posted to X, repeating an argument he made behind closed doors this week.
• "Let's not think small. Let's think big."
• "There needs to be a price. What was the price for Elizabeth Warren and the radical Democrats for shutting down the government? Congratulations, guys: You just increased ICE by 10%," Cruz added.

Zoom out: If the House falters on extending FISA beyond the current 10-day reprieve, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is prepared to act with a three-year extension.

• "We've just got to have optionality here," Thune said today.
• And on the budget resolution he is committed to a "skinny" approach — and he has the president's backing.

The bottom line: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) told reporters he "would love to see how we can pay for this," but he ultimately expects a resolution to pass.

• "I think all amendments are always hard," he said. "But you have a right to do it, and you've got a right to try to be convincing. We'll see how good I am."

— Hans Nichols

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🛑 Johnson boxed in

Johnson hit a wall he couldn't scale last night when a broad coalition of House Republicans blocked him on a FISA extension.

Why it matters: The Senate bailed Johnson out by voice-voting an emergency short-term extension. But Johnson has more than two dozen Republicans to flip.

• Opposition came from both conservatives — who want stricter warrant requirements on the surveillance authority — and Republicans who favored a clean extension.

The big picture: Johnson has repeatedly held votes open and endured plenty of drama — sometimes calling in help from President Trump — to pass tough votes despite vocal conservative opposition.

• Last night's last-minute negotiations and late-night vote doomed the deal, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), who voted against the rule, told us.

The bottom line: Giving too much ground on warrants risks losing intelligence hawks. Giving too little could lose privacy-minded conservatives.

— Kate Santaliz

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Bibi torches U.S. support

Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Getty Images

Israel's polling collapse among younger Americans, driven by contempt for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is hitting Congress, too: Lawmakers who started out staunchly pro-Israel are becoming increasingly vocal critics, Axios' Andrew Solender and Justin Green report. 💣 Zoom in: Every Senate Democrat who's eyeing a 2028 presidential run voted against arms sales to Israel in votes earlier this week. 40 Senate Dems voted on a resolution to block arms sales to Israel, up from just 15 on a similar vote last April. Netanyahu is "destroying the bipartisan nature in terms of support for Israel," Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) told Punchbowl News. 🏛️ Over in the House, some Democrats are turning against defensive support, including funding for Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system. That was "seen as insanely fringe four years ago," Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) told Axios. But multiple Democrats who voted for Iron Dome in 2021 told Axios they're done providing financial aid. 📊 By the numbers: Older Republicans and white evangelicals are the last groups to hold majority favorable views of Israel, according to new Pew polling. For every other group, Israel's favorability has collapsed since 2022: ⬇️ Down 31 points among older Democrats (ages 50+). ⬇️ Down 22 points among both younger Republicans/GOP leaners and younger Dems/Dem leaners. ⬇️ Down 14 points among Protestants, 23 among Catholics and 20 among the religiously unaffiliated. Even white evangelical support, which was at 80% in 2022, has slid by 15 points.

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🐘 House GOP defies Trump

The House Republican revolt on FISA yesterday wasn't just a setback for Speaker Mike Johnson — it was a rare defeat for President Trump with his own party, Axios' Kate Santaliz writes.

• Why it matters: Trump usually delivers House Republicans on big votes. This time, he couldn't — exposing the limits of his influence and leaving Johnson exposed.

The White House, in tandem with GOP leadership, mounted an intense pressure campaign to convince holdouts to come on board for a clean extension of the warrantless spy program.

• It ultimately fell short. More than two dozen Republicans voted down two separate procedural votes early yesterday — once unheard-of for members in the majority, but now an increasingly common tactic.

🖼️ The big picture: On almost every issue, Trump has successfully bent House Republicans to his will. Johnson's legislative strategy has depended on it.

• There's often drama on the floor during tough votes, but the conference typically falls in line.

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Rare House doubleheader

Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) and Cory Mills (R-Fla.) are next in line this week for the House's wave of expulsion votes.

Why it matters: The two Florida lawmakers could become the seventh and eighth members to ever be expelled from Congress.

• Cherfilus-McCormick was found guilty by the Ethics Committee on a litany of charges, most notably for funneling $5 million in COVID relief funds to her congressional campaign. She has denied wrongdoing.
• Mills faces allegations including financial misconduct, campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct, all of which he denies.
• Reps. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) resigned last week ahead of imminent expulsion votes over alleged sexual misconduct. Both denied the allegations.

Zoom in: Speaker Mike Johnson signaled support last week for Greg Steube's (R-Fla.) plan to introduce a resolution tomorrow to expel Cherfilus-McCormick — after the House Ethics Committee makes its disciplinary recommendations.

• Johnson declined to answer last week when pressed on whether Mills — still under investigation by the Ethics Committee — should go too.
• Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) introduced a resolution this evening to expel Mills at the same time as Cherfilus-McCormick. It could be months until the Ethics Committee releases findings on Mills.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is declining to stake out a position before Cherfilus-McCormick's sanctions hearing, telling reporters his caucus will meet afterward to discuss the matter.

• House Democrats will "proceed in a manner consistent with our approach to these types of ethics matters, which is to always ... follow the facts and apply the relevant law without fear or favor," he said.

Jeffries signaled he is not prepared to support a retaliatory expulsion measure against Mills before he receives full due process, telling reporters he is "waiting for the Ethics Committee to report out what's going on in terms of the investigation."

• He called for that investigation to be "expedited" so that "we can take up his fate on the House floor."

The bottom line: Expelling a member of Congress takes a two-thirds vote, a high bar in a narrowly divided House in which neither party is eager to lose seats.

• The vast majority of Republicans will vote to expel Cherfilus-McCormick.
• Mills' allies can argue he has not received due process, giving lawmakers grounds to sideline an expulsion vote.

— Kate Santaliz and Andrew Solender

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🏛️ Kevin Warsh's big day on the Hill

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

At Kevin Warsh's Fed confirmation hearing today, Republicans will cast him as a change agent ready to shake up a tradition-bound institution, Axios Fed watcher Neil Irwin writes. In remarks introducing Warsh obtained by Axios, Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) will say the onetime Fed governor "brings a reformer's heart" and "will shake up a stagnant institution at a time when change is sorely needed." That echoes some of Warsh's own criticisms of the Fed, saying that the central bank "must not be ruled by pointy-headed economists poring over outdated models and reams of market data." Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee plan to focus on potential conflicts of interest stemming from Warsh's expansive portfolio, which includes some investments that could be affected by Fed policy. They also intend to question his independence from President Trump. Go deeper: What to look for ... McCormick's full introduction.

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• 🏛️ Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) resigned from Congress after being found guilty by the Ethics Committee on several charges, including funneling $5 million in COVID relief to her campaign. She has denied wrongdoing. More from Kate Santaliz, Hans Nichols and Andrew Solender.

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🧹 House cleaning

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

The last time this many scandal-plagued House lawmakers quit in quick succession was 2017 during #MeToo. Why it matters: Shame is in short supply in Congress. But three lawmakers have resigned in the last week to avoid getting expelled from the House. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) resigned today just ahead of a House Ethics Committee hearing to recommend her punishment over a litany of charges she denies. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) agreed to resign last week after bipartisan calls for an expulsion vote over sexual misconduct claims that he denies. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) resigned last week over allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, which he denies, after an expulsion push against him. Between the lines: House leaders and their allies often push embattled lawmakers to quit ahead of expulsion votes. Multiple members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who had been among Cherfilus-McCormick's most ardent defenders, spoke to her ahead of the Ethics Committee hearing, a senior House Democrat told us. House Speaker Mike Johnson encouraged Gonzales to end his reelection bid last month after he admitted to having an affair. Gonzales decided to retire, then made his retirement immediate during last week's expulsion frenzy. Zoom in: House Ethics Committee chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) told us he needs more resources to "move matters through more quickly." "Ethics is front and center of leadership," Guest said, adding he'd like to speak to Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about how additional resources could be beneficial. The panel released a rare public statement yesterday calling on victims of sexual misconduct to report their accusations to the committee. It also included a list of current and past misconduct allegations. "We are looking at every potential avenue to tighten up the rules and make sure that women have an avenue to report," Johnson said today. What's next: Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is planning to force a vote on expelling Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) this week over allegations that include financial misconduct, campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct, all of which he denies. Mills shot back: "[Mace] wants to fundraise, she wants political theatrics, she does this all the time where she'll pick a fight for fundraising and try and get social media clicks and likes, but I'm actually challenging her to go ahead and put it forward." — Kate Santaliz, Andrew Solender and Justin Green

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🤕 Dems' Santos hangover

Cherfilus-McCormick's resignation has some Democrats fuming about what they say was an unfair process and even expressing buyer's remorse about voting to expel George Santos from Congress.

• Santos (R-N.Y.) was expelled in 2023 in a 311-114 vote — with all but four Democrats voting for his ouster — after the Ethics Committee accused him of a "complex web of unlawful activity" involving his finances.

Zoom in: "I think we're going a little too far when we start expelling members who ... fall victim to an indictment, but before they have been convicted or pleaded guilty," Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) told us.

• Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) told us: "We ought to be extremely careful about due process."

What to watch: We spoke to more than half a dozen Democrats who said they have serious reservations about voting to expel Mills before his Ethics Committee process is concluded — or even after that.

• "Why we think we should get in front of cases, judges, charges, juries, is beyond me," Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) told us.

The other side: Other Democrats signaled that Cherfilus-McCormick's resignation has actually warmed them up to the idea of ousting Mills.

• "I think we're setting new standards, and the standard has got to fit for everybody, Democrats and Republicans," said Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.).

— Andrew Solender

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‼️ Thune nudges Trump

Senate Majority Leader John Thune is pressing the Trump administration to end the GOP staring contest over Kevin Warsh's confirmation as Fed chair.

Why it matters: Frustration inside the GOP conference is mounting over the own goal they see President Trump making on spurring economic growth and taming inflation.

• "We all agree that Kevin Warsh is a great pick and hopefully will be confirmed," Thune told reporters.
• "The sooner the administration can wrap up this investigation and get ready to move forward with the new Fed chairman, the better off everybody will be."

Zoom out: Warsh's nomination is caught in a three-way standoff among Trump, Fed chair Jerome Powell and an outgoing senator: Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).

• Trump has attacked Powell over interest rates and cost overruns tied to Fed headquarters renovations.
• Tillis believes those criticisms are a pretext to pressure the Fed on monetary policy. He's drawn a line and won't advance Warsh until the Department of Justice formally ends its investigation into Powell.

Zoom in: "Let's get rid of this investigation so I can support your confirmation," Tillis told Warsh.

• Tillis has personally vouched for Warsh, adding: "I think you're going to be independent."

The bottom line: Powell's term as chair expires May 15.

• If Warsh isn't confirmed by then, Powell has indicated he would remain as chair pro tempore.

Go deeper: Axios chief economic correspondent Neil Irwin's report from the hearing

— Hans Nichols

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Hardly anybody likes Congress

Data: Gallup. Chart: Sara Wise/Axios Americans' disapproval of Congress is tied for an all-time high, according to new Gallup data out today. 86% of Americans say they disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job, matching the high-water mark last reached in November 2015. 📉 Just 10% say they approve — a hair above the all-time low of 9%. That's based on an April 1–15 survey of 1,001 U.S. adults. 🫏 🐘 The partisan breakdown paints an especially stark picture. Republican support for Congress has cratered, falling from 63% as recently as March 2025 to just 20% in the latest survey. Data: Gallup. Chart: Sara Wise/Axios Gallup points out: "Beyond the ongoing DHS funding impasse, congressional disapproval ... may reflect Republicans' frustration over Congress not passing legislation, including the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which passed the House in 2025 and would require citizenship documentation to register to vote." The pollster also cites tensions over the Iran war, high gas prices and high-profile ethics scandals. See the data.

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Senate passes budget plan for ICE and Border Patrol in bid to reopen Homeland Security Department

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate took the first steps in a new effort to reopen the Department of Homeland Security early Thursday, voting to adopt a budget plan that would fund ICE and Border Patrol over Democratic objections and sending it to the House.

https://apnews.com/article/senate-homeland-security-shutdown-ice-border-patrol-cc395349d03dea6d3080b06be7974899?

Senate passes budget plan for ICE and Border Patrol The Senate took the first steps in a new effort to reopen the Department of Homeland Security early Thursday in an overnight session, voting to adopt a budget plan that would fund ICE and Border Patrol over Democratic objections and sending it to the House. Read more.

Why this matters: The entire department has been shut down since mid-February as Democrats have demanded policy changes in the wake of fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents. The Senate adopted the final resolution 50-48 just past 3:30 a.m.    Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other GOP leaders say they hope to keep the bill narrowly focused on ICE and Border Patrol and get it to Trump’s desk in the coming weeks, but potential roadblocks for the bill in the House remain. House Speaker Mike Johnson has still not said when the House will take up the Senate’s legislation that would fund the rest of the department. And it is unclear if members of his GOP conference will unite behind the narrowed budget bill as some House Republicans have argued that they should add other priorities to the legislation.

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GOP buyer's remorse

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

Buyer's remorse is hitting House Republicans over their midcycle redistricting war — a strategy meant to protect their majority that's now in danger of backfiring, Axios' Kate Santaliz writes. Why it matters: What began as an effort to create more GOP-controlled seats — and avoid a Democratic takeover that would weaken President Trump — now could be a wash, or even add to Democrats' edge. At Trump's request, Republicans kicked off the unusual mid-decade redistricting push in Texas. That triggered countermoves in Dem-led California and Virginia, where voters approved a new map on Tuesday that could leave the GOP with just one seat, down from five. When asked if the strategy was worth it, Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) — chair of the NRCC, the House GOP campaign committee — told Axios: "It's not for me to say … because really, it wasn't my decision." 🖼️ The big picture: Republicans privately have expressed skepticism for months about the Trump team's aggressive redistricting strategy. Now, some lawmakers are publicly saying the blowback may outweigh the gains. "I think it is a mistake in hindsight," Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said. "They thought they could just do Texas and nobody else is gonna respond? … We started a war." Between the lines: Voters' views on the redistricting derby itself could also become a factor in the election alongside Trump's handling of the economy, the Iran war and other issues. 🔮 What's next: All eyes will be on Florida, where state lawmakers could draw a new map to give Republicans up to five seats. But not all Florida Republicans are on board. Graphic: The Cook Political Report 📊 NEW this morning: A Battleground District Project poll shows Democrats with a 6-point advantage on the generic ballot (asking people about parties, not specific names), with independents choosing Dems by a 25-point margin. "If these survey results were to be replicated this fall, Democrats would not only net the three seats they need to flip control of the House, but would also put seats that Trump carried by high single- and low double-digits in play," Cook Political Report editor-in-chief Amy Walter and managing editor Carrie Dann write in their analysis. More graphics.

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US citizens shot by ICE beg Congress to rein in federal immigration agents

WASHINGTON — Nearly all Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee failed to show up for a Wednesday hearing convened by Democrats to highlight President Donald Trump’s aggressive tactics in his mass deportation campaign that have ensnared U.S. citizens. 

https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/04/22/repub/us-citizens-shot-by-ice-beg-congress-to-rein-in-federal-immigration-agents/?

Congress struggles with questions about ethics investigations after 3 members resign

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republican leaders Tuesday defended the secretive process used in that chamber to investigate allegations of wrongdoing, though they did confirm referring a complaint made against Arizona Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego to the Ethics Committee.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/04/22/repub/congress-struggles-with-questions-about-ethics-investigations-after-3-members-resign/?

US Senate Dems to force votes on rising costs, immigration crackdown in marathon session

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that Democrats will use the unlimited number of amendment votes they are allowed on Republicans’ budget resolution to illustrate policy differences on cost-of-living issues and immigration activities. 

https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/04/22/repub/us-senate-dems-to-force-votes-on-rising-costs-immigration-crackdown-in-marathon-session/?

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😈 "Hell week" coming

House Speaker Mike Johnson is staring down a brutal pre-recess session as he tries to cram three high-stakes votes through a fractured conference.

• "Next week is going to be hell week," Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) told reporters.

Why it matters: Johnson has built a reputation for pulling off the improbable. But his rank-and-file have shown a new willingness to buck President Trump, whom the speaker relies on to close tough votes.

• The House will take up three contentious measures next week: A long-term extension of Section 702 FISA, the farm bill and the Senate-passed budget reconciliation resolution to fund ICE and Border Patrol.

🚔 Johnson's biggest headache may be the Senate-passed budget resolution to fund parts of the Department of Homeland Security.

• 🥊 House Republicans don't buy that the Senate will do a third reconciliation bill, and they're demanding to make reconciliation 2.0 as ambitious as possible.
• "We don't trust the two-step process. I just will be honest with you, because the two-step process has the separation in it. That's a sticking point," Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) told us.
• "We're not there yet," House Budget chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) told The Hill about getting members on board with a package that's just ICE and Border Patrol.

💰 Between the lines: DHS is running low on funds to pay its employees.

• For GOP leaders, it may not be tenable to wait a couple of weeks for the reconciliation process to wrap up before passing the rest of the DHS funding.

🥀 Johnson also faces a thorny path on a three-year extension of FISA that doesn't include warrant requirements, a key demand from conservatives.

• "If you're not going to have warrants, I'm not going to play ball," Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told us.
• There's also a push to attach unrelated measures: "I believe that the votes are not there unless FISA includes" a ban on central bank digital currency, Self said.
• The program is set to lapse next Thursday night without an extension, and some members say another short-term patch may be needed.

What's next: Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) told us that a meeting last night "resolved a lot of the issues" members had, but several conservatives expressed reservations as of this morning.

— Kate Santaliz

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Day 1 impeachment push

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Getty Images Resistance-minded House Democrats are pushing their colleagues to begin building the case against President Trump now in anticipation of a Day 1 impeachment vote if they retake the House, Axios' Andrew Solender writes from the Capitol. Why it matters: The mere existence of this movement shows how much pressure Dem lawmakers will face next January if they retake the House and/or Senate. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) told Axios the party should "build up the case so that when we are in power in January, we've created the conditions ... we've done the fact-checking, we've done the shadow hearings, everything we need to be able to impeach" Trump. Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) told Axios that if Democrats recapture the House, as history says is likely, "the push for impeachment is going to be overwhelming." 🪞 Flashback: In the immediate aftermath of the 2024 election, Democrats didn't even want to hear the word impeachment. "People ridiculed me," said Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), who was the first Democrat to introduce articles of impeachment against Trump last year. When Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) forced a vote on impeaching Trump last June, 128 Democrats voted with Republicans to quash the effort, while just 78 voted to advance it. 🏛️ Things have changed drastically. When Green forced another vote to impeach Trump last December, his support went from 78 Democrats to 140. Another 47 Democrats voted "present," including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and his top deputies. Just 23 sided with Republicans. ps:Just a big waste of time!!

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Congress keeps holding all-nighters, creating dysfunction after dark

Leaders in both major political parties have sometimes used overnight sessions to exhaust members, overcome objections and push legislation to passage. But it’s a scenario that is playing out again and again, nearly business as usual, as the House and the Senate fracture and careen from one crisis to the next. Lawmakers say it’s a symptom of a broken Congress that leaders are increasingly forced to govern in the dead of night. Read more.

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Tillis says he’s ready to move ahead with confirming Warsh as Trump’s pick as Fed chair

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican senator who had effectively blocked confirmation of President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve said Sunday he was dropping his opposition after the Department of Justice ended its investigation of the current central bank chair.

https://apnews.com/article/tillis-powell-federal-reserve-warsh-justice-department-3867248f5664b14e6f545724e6ed085a?

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Congress' cold wars

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are openly clashing over Homeland Security funding, complicating Republicans' path out of the 72-day shutdown.

Why it matters: Thune is unlikely to say it publicly, but frustration is running high among Senate Republicans over Johnson's failure to pass a DHS appropriations bill that cleared the Senate — twice.

• The two leaders began the month with a joint statement and a joint plan of action: fund ICE and Border Patrol through reconciliation, and the rest of DHS through the regular appropriations process.
• 🪫 DHS has warned that its stopgap fund to pay staff will run out in the coming weeks.

Driving the news: Johnson is looking to modify the Senate-passed DHS bill to secure votes in the House. As written, it doesn't have the votes to pass until after a reconciliation bill is passed.

• "It has some problematic language because it was haphazardly drafted," Johnson said of the bill funding the non-immigration parts of DHS.
• "We have a modified version that I think is going to be much better for both chambers. It doesn't change most of the substance,' he said.

👎 A few hundred feet away, Thune was asked to respond to what Johnson had just said. He was diplomatic, but his message was clear:

• "I think we did everything we can to ensure that everything is appropriately funded," he said.

Later, Thune seemed open to working with Johnson on how to alter the bill.

• "We're working with the House to see if there's a way to do that," Thune said.

⌛️ Zoom in: The main point of contention in the House is around language that "zeroes out" funding for ICE and Border Patrol in the Senate-passed appropriations bill.

• A broad group of members wants to strip that language from the Senate bill, avoiding taking a vote seen as defunding law enforcement.
• They're still considering waiting until the reconciliation process is complete, and pairing a final vote on that with the DHS appropriations bill. But that would likely leave the department shut down through mid-May.

✍️ Between the lines: Johnson appears to be signaling relatively minor edits — more of a stylistic rewrite than a substantive overhaul.

• Even small changes would require the Senate to take up and pass the bill again.

The bottom line: Both men are Republicans. Both are leaders. And both are staking out public positions that could make a private deal harder to reach.

— Hans Nichols and Kate Santaliz

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✍️ Thune's bailout plan

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has an eleventh-hour plan to avoid a "blackout" of FISA Section 702, but he's running out of ideas — and patience — on how to end the 73-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

Why it matters: Thune's frustration with House members has been building all week — and it's only Tuesday.

• A FISA extension that includes a ban on a central bank digital currency is "dead on arrival over here," Thune said. "They know that."
• A short-term extension "would not be ideal," he added. "But all options will be on the table to ensure that we don't have a blackout."

Between the lines: Thune and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) have been working on a three-year extension that "could get a significant bipartisan vote" in both chambers.

• "We'll see if that lands," Thune said.

Driving the news: Thune got a late assist tonight from the Office of Management and Budget, which urged the House to "immediately" pass the DHS funding bill that cleared the Senate on April 2.

• "Immediate passage of S. Con. Res. 33, as passed by the Senate, will ensure swift passage of a reconciliation bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol for the remainder of the President's term," states the memo, first reported by Punchbowl.
• "If this funding is exhausted, the Administration will be unable to pay all DHS personnel beginning in May," the memo adds, warning of disruptions to air travel, unpaid law enforcement — including Secret Service and Coast Guard — and broader national security risks.

The bottom line: Thune is still open to a semantic tweak to win over House conservatives on DHS funding.

• But he noted — archly — that the bill "passed, not once, but twice by unanimous consent over here."
• "I don't know what else we can do at this point," he said.

— Hans Nichols

[phkrause]

🔮 Prophecy comes true

The House canceled votes tonight, the latest sign that "hell week" is coming true for Speaker Mike Johnson.

🔮 Why it matters: Johnson has three must-pass items on his agenda this week. But it took a two-day marathon at the House Rules Committee to move them to the House floor. (It finally did it tonight in a 9-4 vote).

1. FISA Section 702: Stuck over numerous issues, expires Thursday night. Johnson can play for time with another short-term extension or rely on a Senate bailout.
2. Farm bill: Stuck over a MAHA fight on pesticides. Leaders have agreed on an amendment vote on pesticides, Politico reports, but it's in trouble on the floor.
3. Homeland Security funding: The shutdown is on Day 73 and DHS is warning it can't pay staff for much longer.

🧊 Driving the news: The White House is siding with the Senate on DHS funding, urging the House to cave on the government shutdown (see item No. 1).

• But House Republicans are unified against ending the shutdown until the Senate passes a reconciliation bill.
• "There are very few things that garner the strong support of every member of our conference [and] that one was roundly rejected," House Budget Committee chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) told us last night about voting for the Senate-passed bill.

🚜 Between the lines: Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) is a "no" on the "rule" for the farm bill after Republicans on House Rules voted down her amendments, she tweeted today.

— Kate Santaliz and Justin Green

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Forty organizations call on Congress to center workers in federal AI legislation

Employers’ increasing use of AI systems has the potential to affect the lives and livelihoods of workers across the country. Without appropriate guardrails, employers’ integration of these technologies may jeopardize workers’ rights, put workers at risk of discrimination, violate privacy rights, and dramatically impact the economic stability of working families.

https://www.epi.org/publication/forty-organizations-call-on-congress-to-center-workers-in-federal-ai-legislation/?