Congress: The Senate & The House

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🪧 Jeffries defends hecklers

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries defended the members who defied him by heckling and harassing Trump during last night's speech.

Why it matters: It's a marked departure from last year, when Jeffries privately chewed out the House Democrats who disrupted Trump's speech.

• One difference is that this time, there has been minimal internal fallout among House Democrats toward the disruptions, multiple lawmakers tell us.
• 🤷‍♀️ The heckling was "not what people wanted, but nobody is pissed or even surprised," one House Democrat said.

Driving the news: "I thought the Democratic response was appropriately restrained and forceful at the same period of time," Jeffries told reporters today at the House Democratic retreat.

• 📺 "That was obvious to anybody who was watching," he insisted.
• Jeffries had repeatedly urged members in the run-up to the speech to either skip it or attend in "defiant silence," instructing them not to hold up signs or make any other "unforced errors."

The bottom line: "As we had asked everyone to do, if you're going to go, we will express ourselves in a manner consistent with being in the House chamber," Jeffries said, "and that was done."

— Andrew Soldender

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🌊 Mace makes waves

House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) is opposing Rep. Nancy Mace's (R-S.C.) resolution to publicly release the panel's reports on congressional sexual harassment investigations, we have learned.

Why it matters: Mace's push comes as Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) is facing mounting backlash over allegations he had an affair with a former staffer before she died by suicide. Gonzales has denied having the affair; his office didn't respond to a request for comment.

• The standoff is intensifying scrutiny of how House leaders handle allegations of misconduct.
• Johnson has resisted calls to urge Gonzales to step down, despite several of his own members calling on the Texas lawmaker to resign.

🚘 Driving the news: Guest told us today that Mace's proposal would be "detrimental" to the committee's investigative process. He said he could support a version of the legislation allowing public release after an investigation concludes.

• Mace, meanwhile, said in a video posted Tuesday: "The reason that no one is ever held accountable here in Congress for their transgressions is because both sides protect the other."
• Mace plans to offer the resolution as privileged next Wednesday, which would force a vote on the House floor within two days.

🔎 Zoom in: The resolution would direct the Ethics Committee to preserve and publicly release, within 60 days of adoption, all reports tied to investigations into members accused of sexually harassing staff or engaging in sexual relationships with staffers. Victims' personally identifiable information would be redacted.

• "That would be something that would impede our ability to conduct a full, thorough investigation," Guest told us today, warning that making public disclosures mid-investigation could "hamper" fact-finding.
• Johnson has not commented on the measure.

— Kate Santaliz

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Surgeon General Hearing

Dr. Casey Means, a strategist behind Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again agenda, urged tackling the root cause of chronic diseases yesterday during her confirmation hearing to become the nation's next surgeon general. Lawmakers across the aisle repeatedly pressed Means on vaccines, which she suggested should be a discussion between individuals and their doctors. The Stanford-educated physician dropped out of her surgical residency program in 2018, citing a belief that the healthcare system is broken. She went on to open an alternative medicine practice, cofound a health-tracking app, and write a bestselling book. Critics, including two former surgeons general, question her credentials, citing that her medical license lapsed in 2024 and the hundreds of thousands of dollars she reportedly made promoting health and wellness products, sometimes without disclosing her business interests.  An October survey found roughly four in 10 parents openly align with the Make America Healthy Again movement. Of those parents, 58% do not trust US health agencies to ensure vaccine safety and effectiveness.  ps:I don't either anymore! Not with this group of geniuses!!

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Hillary Clinton testifies she has no information on Epstein’s crimes and doesn’t recall meeting him

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told members of Congress on Thursday that she had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s or Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes, starting off two days of depositions that will also include former President Bill Clinton. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

Live updates: Hillary Clinton testifies in Epstein case

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🤖 Congress rips AI ultimatum

Democratic senators — and at least one Republican — are urging the Pentagon to withdraw its ultimatum to Anthropic, insisting Congress must participate in the debate over military use of artificial intelligence.

Why it matters: The unprecedented showdown between the Department of Defense and Anthropic has largely been a two-party contest. Now Congress wants to enter the fray.

• 🔥 "Why in the hell are we having this discussion in public?" Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said to us. "Why isn't this occurring in a boardroom or in the secretary's office? I mean, this is sophomoric."
• "It's fair to say that Congress needs to weigh in if they have a tool that could actually result in mass surveillance," said Tillis, an Armed Services Committee member.
• "The deadline is incredibly tight," Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) told us. "That should not be the case if you're dealing with mass surveillance of civilians. You're also dealing with the potential use of lethal force without a human in the loop."
• "There's a contract in place that was signed with the administration, and now they're trying to break it."

🚘 Driving the news: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said today there has been "virtually no progress" in negotiations. The Pentagon set a deadline of 5:01 pm ET tomorrow for it to use its model Claude as it sees fit.

• On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed Amodei he would declare the company a "supply chain risk" if it doesn't comply. That would essentially blacklist the company.
• The Pentagon could also invoke the Defense Production Act, which would force the company to tailor its model to the military's needs.

The intrigue: Before Amodei's statement, some senators were optimistic the two sides would reach an agreement.

• "I think that's going to be resolved," said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "If Anthropic doesn't choose to follow this business plan, there are other sources."

Zoom in: Many Democrats are deeply skeptical about giving the Pentagon unfettered access to Anthropic's Claude code without congressional oversight.

• "DOD is trying to strong-arm Anthropic into providing every tool they have to surveil U.S. citizens," Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said. "I have serious concerns about that."

The bottom line: Lawmakers are essentially making two demands: Lift tomorrow's ultimatum, and let Congress work with the administration and AI industry to develop clear rules of the road.

• ⏰ "If we need more time, we need more time. These are fundamental issues of our time," Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) told us.

— Hans Nichols

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US military used laser to take down Border Protection drone, lawmakers say

The U.S. military used a laser Thursday to shoot down a “seemingly threatening” drone flying near the U.S.-Mexico border. It turned out the drone belonged to Customs and Border Protection, lawmakers said.

https://apnews.com/article/military-laser-border-drone-texas-airport-55aaab7093f7d6dd174f909f3875001c?

Bill Clinton says he ‘did nothing wrong’ with Epstein as he faced grilling over their relationship

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton told members of Congress on Friday that he “did nothing wrong” in his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and saw no signs of Epstein’s sexual abuse as he faced hours of grilling from lawmakers over his connections to the disgraced financier from more than two decades ago.

https://apnews.com/article/bill-clinton-jeffrey-epstein-deposition-congress-9ea23ac5a5ffd1c7b9511e46308e8b21?

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💥 Dems split on Iran

A potential U.S. strike on Iran is exposing a quiet but consequential split inside the Senate Democratic caucus.

Why it matters: The Democratic base strongly opposes war with Iran, but some of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's colleagues are more open to military action — provided Congress has a say.

• Nearly all Democrats are insistent that Congress needs to be consulted, but they are less clear on whether the U.S. should strike Iran to thwart its nuclear ambitions.
• Schumer, like many of his colleagues, is avoiding complicated policy questions by emphasizing Democratic unity on procedural matters.
• We asked Schumer whether he personally supports a strike, and he said: "The administration should come clean and tell the American people their goals." It's a line — and essentially a policy dodge — he's repeated all week.

🚘 Driving the news: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) is planning to put senators on record next week with a war powers resolution vote, which Schumer is cosponsoring, that would curtail President Trump's authority to strike Iran without congressional approval.

• Senate Republicans killed a similar Democratic effort in January to curb Trump's power to strike Venezuela, with Vice President Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

⚡️ Flashback: In 2002, Schumer voted to authorize the use of military force in Iraq, along with 29 of his Democratic colleagues. Only one other of the 29, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), is still in the Senate.

• Four of the 23 total "no" votes in 2002 are currently in the Senate: Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

🔎 Zoom in: Moderate Democrats are more willing to leave the door open to military action, with an important caveat: Congress must be consulted.

• Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) told us this week that Iran "should never have a nuclear weapon" but appealed to the Trump administration to "exercise every bit of diplomacy that we can first."
• Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and former CIA analyst, told us she's "ready to get the brief" and that the president must "be really clear" about his goals.

📢 But the party's left flank is loudly lining up against military action in Iran.

• Trump "has never put forward a rationale for why America should go to war against Iran, because he doesn't have one," Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told us this week.
• "Donald Trump does not have the authority, and he does not have the backing of the American people to initiate a war with Iran," Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told us.
• "You can't take out Iran's nuclear program without a ground invasion," Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told us. "Nobody in this country supports a ground invasion."

The bottom line: With potential strikes in Iran in the coming days and a war powers vote next week, senators in both parties will be forced to go on the record on Iran.

— Stephen Neukam

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Congress' AI ask

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The chair and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee are formally pressing Anthropic and the Pentagon to resolve their dispute before this evening's deadline, a source familiar with the matter told us. Why it matters: Pressure has been mounting on Congress to step in as the Pentagon and Anthropic engage in a prolonged public battle over the limits of using Anthropic's Claude AI in classified settings. We told you last night that Congress was itching to enter the fray over the Pentagon's ultimatum to Anthropic. 📪 Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Reed wrote Anthropic and the Pentagon today, calling for the Pentagon to extend its deadline and urging the two sides to resolve the matter, sources tell us. Defense appropriations chair Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and ranking member Chris Coons (D-Del.) also signed the letter. 🤖 Catch up quick: The Pentagon and Anthropic are in a high-stakes clash over the limits Anthropic wants to place on the department's use of its AI model Claude: no mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. Anthropic said yesterday it would not accept the Pentagon's demands but would remain committed to negotiations. What's next: Pentagon officials have said Anthropic has until 5:01pm EST today to agree to their demands or face losing its contract. — Ashley Gold and Maria Curi

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• 🏛️ Hawkish Democrats could doom party leaders' effort to force a vote reining in President Trump's war powers, Axios' Andrew Solender reports. Go deeper.

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🏛️ Dems call to restrain Trump

Top Democrats yesterday urged Congress to return to Washington and vote on war powers resolutions after the Trump administration struck Iran, Axios' Kate Santaliz, Avery Lotz and Hans Nichols report.

• The House isn't expected to return until Wednesday. The Senate returns Monday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) before the strikes.

• Rubio updated the Gang of Eight — a group made up of the party leaders in both chambers and top lawmakers on the Intelligence Committees — on Iran last week.

The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner of Virginia, criticized the administration for acting without congressional authorization.

• "The American people have seen this playbook before — claims of urgency, misrepresented intelligence, and military action that pulls the United States into regime change and prolonged, costly nation-building," Warner said.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said: "Every single Senator needs to go on the record about this dangerous, unnecessary, and idiotic action." Kaine had been planning to force a vote on his war powers resolution next week.

• Video of Georgetown march ...

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Democrats Finally Get Around to Forcing Iran War Powers Vote

House Democratic leaders threw their weight behind a vote to force President Donald Trump to make the case for war with Iran on Thursday, after concerns from advocates that they were slow-walking a war powers resolution.

https://theintercept.com/2026/02/26/iran-war-powers-vote-democrats-gottheimer-moskowitz/?

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Lawmakers finally questioned the Clintons about Epstein. They also asked about pizzagate and UFOs

WASHINGTON (AP) — A House committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein labored for six months to question former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but once they finally had a chance to sit down with some of the highest-ranked officials to ever be deposed by Congress, the sessions veered off track with a leaked photo, talk of the pizzagate conspiracy theory and questions about disclosing government information on UFOs.

https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-bill-clinton-hillary-clinton-deposition-3d5cf44a6b2f5c0333e41a3e3f86c06c?

• 👩‍⚕️ Some key Republican senators are undecided on advancing President Trump's pick for surgeon general, nutrition influencer Casey Means, after she ducked tough questions on her vaccine views. Go deeper.

ps:What a farce!!!!!

💰Dems' Iran long game

Senate Democrats expect to lose a symbolic vote this week to check President Trump's authority to strike Iran. They're preparing for a bigger fight over the war's funding.

Why it matters: The War Powers Resolution vote, which could come as soon as tomorrow, will unite the Democratic Party on process. But a potential funding debate could expose deeper foreign policy disagreements in the party.

• Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a leading progressive critic of Trump's foreign policy, told us today that Democrats need to focus on "the purse strings" in trying to push back against the war in Iran.
• Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said on X yesterday that "when the bill comes" for Trump's military action, "the middle eastern countries that we have been protecting need to pay for it."

Driving the news: After being briefed by administration officials this afternoon, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Congress may need to consider a supplemental appropriations package down the line.

• "There are more details to be determined on how long the operation goes and what the need is," Johnson told reporters.
• Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told us that while she hasn't heard whether a supplemental will be needed, the U.S. is "spending a lot of money in the Middle East."
• 👟 "Let's wait. Let's play one step at a time," said Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). "Let's deal with the War Powers first."

State of play: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed senior lawmakers from both parties ahead of separate briefings for the full House and Senate tomorrow.

• 🤔 Lawmakers left the briefings with starkly different views, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling the Trump administration's justification for using force inadequate.
• "I found the answers completely and totally insufficient," Schumer said. "In fact, at least to me, that briefing raised many more questions than it answered."

🌍 Zoom out: Just as Democrats — with the exception of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) — are expected to support the War Powers Resolution, Republicans look to be united in opposition — except for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

• "What this administration has done is consistent with what previous administrations have done, and in prior conflicts," Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters.
• It was addressing a "national security issue that needed to be addressed," Thune said.

🔎 Zoom in: Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who initially supported a War Powers Resolution on Venezuela, announced he would oppose one on Iran.

• Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told reporters they were still undecided.
• Centrist Democrats, including Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), said they're supportive.

The bottom line: While the resolution is expected to fall along party lines, a funding fight will be less predictable but more consequential.

— Stephen Nuekam and Hans Nichols

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🤕 Retirement troubles for Johnson

Data: Axios research; Note: "Other" refers to Libertarian Rep. Justin Amash; Excludes nonvoting members, members who resigned and those who died while in office; Chart: Axios Visuals As of today, House retirements are now tied with 2018, a midterm election that handed Republicans 40 losses and Democrats the majority. Why it matters: It's a troubling sign for Johnson, who is already navigating a razor-thin majority. 🚨 Historically, the party with more departures tends to lose seats and often the majority. So far this midterm, 31 House Republicans are retiring or running for other offices, compared with 21 Democrats. 🚘 Driving the news: With Rep. Ryan Zinke's (R-Mont.) announcement that he won't seek reelection, the House is on the cusp of breaking the record set eight years ago for the most retirements this century (you'd have to go back to 1992 to find more). Zinke's decision brings total House retirements to 52 — roughly 1 in 8 lawmakers. 🧮 By the numbers: In 2018, 34 House Republicans decided not to run for reelection, compared to only 18 Democrats before their party wrested control from the GOP. In 2022, the opposite pattern emerged. By the end of the year, 31 Democrats had retired, versus 18 Republicans, ahead of a GOP takeover. Between the lines: There's been a concerted, and so far successful, effort from GOP leadership to persuade battleground members, like Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), to stick around. — Kate Santaliz and Hans Nichols

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🏛️ Scoop: Lutnick to testify on Epstein ties

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, once a Manhattan neighbor of Jeffrey Epstein, voluntarily agreed to an interview with the House Oversight Committee over his ties to the convicted sex offender, Axios has learned.

• Lutnick told Axios: "I look forward to appearing before the committee. I have done nothing wrong, and I want to set the record straight."
• 🗂️ Lutnick's past association with Epstein has been under growing scrutiny since he appeared in Justice Department files.

🚪 The closed-door interview, with a transcript to be released, will take place in the coming weeks.

• Lutnick hasn't been accused of wrongdoing.

House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said in a statement to Axios: "Secretary Lutnick has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for a transcribed interview."

• "I commend his demonstrated commitment to transparency and appreciate his willingness to engage with the Committee. I look forward to his testimony."

White House spokesperson Kush Desai tells Axios: "Secretary Lutnick continues to be a critical asset for President Trump, having played a key role in securing major trade and investment deals."

• "The entire Trump administration, including Secretary Lutnick, remains focused on delivering more wins for the American people."

Go deeper.

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Dems eye AUMF

Senate Democrats are plotting how to bring a formal Authorization for Use of Military Force measure on Iran to the floor, with some eyeing an expected supplemental funding request as leverage to force a vote.

Why it matters: Democrats aren't overly optimistic about succeeding with tomorrow's vote on the War Powers Resolution, led by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). It is scheduled for 4pm.

• 👀 However, they're already looking for their next opportunity to restrain President Trump on Iran — and put Republicans on the record on the use of military force in the Middle East.
• "We are exploring right now how we might get an AUMF to the floor," Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said. "But the first challenge is to try to get Sen. Kaine's bill adopted tomorrow."

In the Senate, a new funding bill would require 60 votes, which "might provide the leverage to get the AUMF," Reed said.

• House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole told reporters the Pentagon is preparing a supplemental funding request to send to Congress, but it hasn't arrived yet.

🚘 Driving the news: Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) argued during a private Democratic lunch today for the need for an AUMF vote.

• Kaine told colleagues during today's closed-door lunch that he agrees on the need for an AUMF vote, the sources said.

The other side: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) insists that Trump can continue the military campaign without explicit congressional approval, for now.

• "The president has the authority that he needs to conduct the activities and the operations that are currently underway there," Thune told reporters.

Republicans were quietly confident they would defeat Kaine's resolution, though at least two GOP senators — Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) — were publicly undecided before today's all-senators briefing.

💪 The bottom line: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has signaled he's open to forcing an AUMF vote.

• But Democrats believe an AUMF must technically be introduced by a Republican senator, and they are discussing ways to force the GOP's hand.

— Stephen Neukam and Hans Nichols

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Senate rejects war powers bill to halt attacks against Iran

https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-lebanon-march-04-2026?

Senate Republicans vote down legislation to halt Iran war in Congress’ first vote on the conflict

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans voted down an effort Wednesday to halt President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, demonstrating early support for a conflict that has rapidly spread across the Middle East with no clear U.S. exit strategy.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-senate-vote-war-powers-06f9465c16218f90192f7502baa736eb?

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Gov. Tim Walz tells a House panel the Trump immigration crackdown hampered Minnesota’s fraud fight

Minnesota’s governor and attorney general on Wednesday defended their efforts to combat fraud and told a U.S. House committee that their efforts have been hampered by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the state.

https://apnews.com/article/walz-fraud-trump-minnesota-immigration-08abbae9e2dc58db4d8d75ce402092b1?

House Republicans grill Walz and Ellison over Minnesota’s welfare fraud scandal

Washington  — Months after intensifying into a national political flashpoint, Minnesota’s welfare fraud scandal returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, where sentiment veered from accountability and allegations of a cover-up to immigration enforcement and retaliation.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/04/us/minnesota-fraud-investigation-walz-ellison

Nancy Mace Grills Tim Walz With Bizarre Question During Heated House Hearing

Mace also accused Walz of “presiding over one of the worst government fraud scandals in American history" during the spat.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nancy-mace-questions-tim-walz-what-is-a-woman-house-hearing_n_69a8b048e4b0865be0c719a8

If anyone is really interested in what happened at the hearing you can listen to it hear!!!!!

Minnesota Fraud: Walz, Ellison testify before House Oversight Committee

https://www.fox9.com/news/minnesota-fraud-walz-ellison-congress-march-4-2026

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💊 Johnson's attendance nudge

House GOP leaders are publicly reminding their members they have a "duty" and an "obligation" to show up and vote.

Why it matters: Attendance has been a low-grade headache for Speaker Mike Johnson this year.

• 🗳️ After last night's primary results, it could turn into a full-blown migraine.
• 🎾 Johnson is juggling two types of lawmakers: the ambitious and the (potentially) embittered.
• And as the primary season grinds on, the former can quickly become the latter.

📢 What they're saying: Johnson says he expects members to "do their duty" and cast votes.

• In practice, though, there's little he can do to drag them back to Washington.
• House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) is projecting calm.
• "Attendance has always been a concern with a narrow majority, and we've been working through that for the last year and a half," Scalise said. "It's going to be no different now than before."

✅ Reality check: Lawmakers in tight primaries feel the gravitational pull of the campaign trail, not the House floor.

• And defeated lawmakers can develop a Capitol Hill version of senioritis — they just can't be bothered to show up.

Zoom in: In Texas, two House Republicans — Reps. Wesley Hunt and Dan Crenshaw — lost their primaries yesterday.

• Two more — Reps. Chip Roy and Tony Gonzales — are fighting for their political lives ahead of a May 26 runoff.
• Both Roy and Gonzales showed up to vote today.
• So did Hunt, who skipped 92% of House votes in January while running for Senate. Crenshaw, who lost his House seat, did not.

By the numbers: Seven additional GOP House members are running for Senate.

• Ten more are running for governor. In several races, one of them is guaranteed to lose — and potentially disengage.
• Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter are competing in Georgia's GOP Senate primary on May 19.
• Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman are both running for governor in South Carolina's June 9 primary.
• In Arizona, Reps. Andy Biggs and David Schweikert are facing off in the July 21 primary for governor.

The bottom line: Senate Majority Leader John Thune hasn't had to sweat his margins the way Johnson has.

• But he caught a break today: President Trump is now expected to endorse Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn ahead of a brutal — and expensive — runoff against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
• Johnson, meanwhile, still has to count heads. 

— Hans Nichols and Kate Santaliz

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🚨 Progressives' red line

Progressive groups are preparing to primary any House Democrat who votes tomorrow against a War Powers Resolution constraining the Trump administration from carrying out military operations in Iran, we have learned.

🌊 Why it matters: A fresh wave of Democratic infighting would be a headache for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as he seeks to secure a House majority eight months from now.

• 👉 "Any Democrat voting against this resolution is really voting against the base of the party, and it will be a very politically perilous vote," a senior progressive House Democrat told us.
• The lawmaker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not been previously publicized, said there are "several progressive groups that will primary anyone" who votes no.
• "They're already preparing. If the filing deadline has passed, they'll do it in '28," the House Democrat added. "It's basically inviting a primary challenge."

☎️ Another House progressive told us that progressive groups are "organizing calls into their districts to make sure that every Democrat votes for" the resolution.

Between the lines: The war powers measure is supported by Jeffries and the rest of the Democratic leadership, putting the holdouts on an island.

Go deeper: Senate rejects bid to restrain Trump's war in Iran

— Andrew Solender

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Can Congress limit Trump in Iran? It would be a rare step Multiple times during President Donald Trump’s second term, Congress has debated his military authority, first in Latin America and now the Middle East. The latest test will come in the GOP-controlled House on Thursday after the Senate voted down a Democratic measure to limit Trump, at least theoretically, in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Read more.

Why this matters: Under the Constitution, the military reports to the president. But the document grants oversight roles to Congress. Trump says he won’t sign anything limiting his options – proof for some experts that control over a civilian-led military has skewed from its original design. “The Constitution gives war powers to two different branches of government,” said military historian Peter Mansoor, an Ohio State University professor and retired U.S. Army colonel. “The pendulum has swung towards the executive,” he said, adding that “the framers meant for Congress to be the most powerful branch.”   Article I of the Constitution, which established Congress, states that lawmakers “shall have power ... to declare war.” Article II, which established the presidency, makes the chief executive the “commander in chief of the Army and Navy.” Congress has not declared an official state of war since World War II. Yet since 1945, U.S. service members have fought and died in full-scale conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, among other places. As of Wednesday, six U.S. service members have died in the Iran war.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ House to vote on Iran war powers resolution in a test of Trump’s strategy   Senate Republicans vote down legislation to halt Iran war in Congress’ first vote on the conflict   Republicans take another crack at Homeland Security funding, citing Iran war   WATCH: White House says Trump’s ‘feeling based on fact’ that Iran posed an imminent threat

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House committee votes to subpoena Bondi over the Epstein files Five Republicans joined Democrats to support the subpoena proposed by GOP Rep. Nancy Mace in a sign of continued frustration among conservatives with the department’s review and release of a tranche of documents related to the disgraced financier. Read more.

Why this matters: The move amounted to a sharp rebuke of Bondi by Republicans who have been clamoring for information about Epstein’s abuse of young girls and his interactions with rich and powerful people. “The American people want answers on the Epstein files, and so do we,” Mace, of South Carolina, said in a post on X.   The Justice Department had no immediate comment on the subpoena. Bondi has defended the department’s handling of the files and has accused Democrats of using the furor over the documents to distract from Trump’s successes, even though some of the most vocal criticism has come from members of the president’s own party.

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• 🏛️ Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other House GOP leaders called on Rep. Tony Gonzales to drop his reelection bid after Gonzales admitted to having an affair with a former staffer. Go deeper.

 

🏛️ Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) announced after 11 p.m. ET that he's withdrawing from his reelection race, after admitting an affair with a former aide who later died by suicide. He'll finish his term. Keep reading.

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📣 GOP cheers for Mullin

Republicans and Democrats responded to President Trump's public firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with essentially the same emotion: relief.

Why it matters: The initial bipartisan consensus has already evaporated.

• Senate Majority Leader John Thune welcomed the nomination of Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) as "a fresh set of eyes and fresh approach."
• Thune, saying Mullin is "pretty well vetted around here," promised a speedy confirmation.

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will oppose Mullin's nomination and continue to demand changes at the DHS — which is on Day 19 of a shutdown — before releasing any funds.

• "This is a problem of policy, not personnel. The rot is deep," Schumer said.

Zoom out: Congressional Republicans — along with the White House — were somewhere between exasperated and angry over Noem's tenure at the department.

• 🤠 Trump wasn't a "happy cowboy" over her most recent Senate appearance on Tuesday, said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.). She faced harsh questions from Kennedy and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).
• ❤️ And Mullin is one of their own. "The president asked me what I thought about him, and I told him that I was very fond of Markwayne. I think he's smart," Kennedy said.

👀 What we're watching: Mullin's nomination will land in the Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)

• Mullin called him a "freaking snake" last month.
• But one of the panel's Democrats, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), announced that he will support Mullin.
• "I want to work together," Fetterman said.

The intrigue: House Speaker Mike Johnson, ever worried about his thin majority, called Oklahoma's governor and asked him not to pick one of his GOP members to replace Mullin, assuming his confirmation.

• "We can't lose anyone," Johnson said.

The bottom line: Noem's departure provided some drama in the Senate, with Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) reading Trump's Truth Social post to his colleagues live during a closed-door lunch.

• But it hasn't altered the shutdown dynamic. Senate Democrats blocked a bill today to fund DHS, and workers are going without pay.
• 💰 "I'm not going to vote for $1 more for that agency as long as they are body-slamming American citizens, barging into American homes without warrants or murdering Americans," Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said.

— Hans Nichols, Stephen Neukam and Kate Santaliz

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🚨Dems' next target

Attorney General Pam Bondi may suffer the most collateral damage from Noem's firing, with congressional Democrats now saying it gives them space to focus their criticism and scrutiny squarely on her.

Why it matters: Bondi has already faced intense flak from Congress over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, with lawmakers in both parties accusing her of being insufficiently transparent.

• Five Republicans on the House Oversight Committee voted with Democrats yesterday to subpoena Bondi to testify about the Epstein matter.
• And Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) introduced articles of impeachment today against Bondi, charging her with obstruction of Congress and dereliction of duty for withholding documents in the Epstein case.
• A DOJ spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the impeachment measure.

💬 What they're saying: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, when asked about Noem's ouster at a press conference, name-checked Bondi and White House adviser Stephen Miller as the two who have "got to go" next.

• 💥 "We're going to approach those two toxic individuals with the same intensity that has now led to the termination of Kristi Noem," he said.
• House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) told us: "Look, there's a culture of lawlessness and chaos in the Cabinet and Noem was a big part of it, but Bondi is a central part of it, and she's been at the heart of the Epstein cover-up."
• "Pam Bondi is the most high-profile member of the Cabinet that is involved in corruption, so I think a lot of folks are going to look at that," said Oversight Committee ranking member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.).

— Andrew Solender

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💃 Johnson's delicate dance

Johnson wants Rep. Tony Gonzales to abandon his reelection bid ahead of a May 26 runoff — but he won't go as far as to say the Texas Republican should resign.

Why it matters: Johnson is treading a delicate line aimed at protecting his razor-thin majority after Gonzales' admission that he did, in fact, engage in a relationship with his staffer.

• Johnson described Gonzales' resignation as a political "death penalty" to reporters this afternoon, hours after he and his leadership team called on the Texan to exit the race.

🚘 Driving the news: Gonzales had denied the affair for months, but admitted to it last night on the "Unshaken and Unafraid With Joe Pags" YouTube show.

• Relationships between members of Congress and their staff are prohibited under the House Code of Official Conduct.
• Johnson and his fellow leaders today urged the Ethics Committee — which yesterday formally launched an investigation into Gonzales — to act "expeditiously."

Catch up quick: Gonzales has been under intensifying scrutiny — and faced calls from GOP colleagues to resign — since the San Antonio Express-News reported that he had an affair with his former regional director, Regina Santos-Aviles.

• Santos-Aviles died last year after setting herself on fire outside her Uvalde home.

The speaker and his leadership team said they'd urged Gonzales "to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues."

— Kate Santaliz