Congress: The Senate & The House

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⛏ Johnson digs in

House Speaker Mike Johnson is inching closer to hard red lines on future negotiations over the Department of Homeland Security.

• "They sent us a bill that literally put the number zero in the bill for the funding of border security and customs and immigration enforcement. We can't do that," Johnson said today on Fox News.
• At the same time, President Trump is weighing whether to use a rare constitutional power to force Congress to return next week, he told the New York Post today.

Why it matters: Senate Republicans have already yielded to Dems' shutdown hostage taking on ICE funding, and Trump — who's been all over the place — weakened the GOP's leverage by paying TSA.

• But Johnson is rejecting bipartisan paths while he bets on a GOP-only solution to fund the department.
• The speaker has staked out the position that GOP leaders won't help pass a deal that doesn't fund ICE and Customs and Border Patrol.
• Democrats won't fund immigration enforcement without reforms, and those reforms aren't acceptable to GOP hardliners in the House.

Zoom in: GOP leaders could keep negotiating with Democrats on ICE and CBP funding, but talks have gone nowhere for six weeks.

• They could also try using the reconciliation process to bypass the Senate's 60-vote threshold, but that would take time they don't have.
• "The Senate has to do [its] job and help us on this heavy lift," Johnson told Fox News today.

Between the lines: A Democratic-led discharge petition to fund DHS without ICE and CBP is unlikely to win GOP support right now, but getting 218 signatures is always a concern for GOP leaders because of the tight margins, a leadership aide told us.

• Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) told us he doubts any Republicans would sign on, saying the agency needs to be fully funded.

The intrigue: Problem Solvers co-chairs Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) are floating a bill to fully fund DHS with ICE reforms, including limits on masking and new warrant requirements.

• Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told us today he plans to support it, noting he won't back a bill that doesn't fully fund the department.
• GOP leadership hasn't weighed in on the proposal.

— Kate Santaliz and Hans Nichols

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📺 Ad watch: Schumer hammers Collins

A group linked to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is deploying America First-ish rhetoric against Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the GOP's most vulnerable incumbent in 2026, for backing the Iran war.

• "We need that money in Maine, not the Middle East," say a pair of new ads paid for by a 501(c)(4) that's affiliated with the Schumer-linked Senate Majority PAC.

Why it matters: Public support for the Iran war is wavering, and Democrats are trying to turn Collins' support for it into a political liability.

• Collins voted against a bill this month that would have restrained Trump's ability to carry out military action in Iran. She said after the vote that "unequivocal support to our service members is critically important."
• Collins voted against a Democratic bill last year to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits and repeal Medicaid cuts. But she did support other individual efforts to extend the health care tax credits.

The big picture: Democrats are dealing with their own divide on Iran, including in Maine.

• Gov. Janet Mills, running for Senate, has criticized Trump's unilateral decision to attack Iran without consulting Congress. Mills is Schumer's endorsed candidate in the Maine Senate Democratic primary.
• But progressive Graham Platner, who is leading Mills in polls, has been aggressively opposed to the war, holding an anti-war protest in the state this month.

The other side: "Chuck Schumer can't figure what to do in Maine," Collins campaign spokesperson Shawn Roderick told us in a statement.

• "Janet Mills continues to struggle and he is afraid to attack Graham Platner because he knows the national progressives will have a fit. So instead, he resorts to his usual ways and throws lies and half-truths at Senator Collins. Mainers have seen Senator Schumer do this over and over again, and they know better."

The bottom line: Maine, with just 1.5 million residents, is on track to become the most expensive race per capita in the country.

• The same Democratic group spent $2 million on ads against Collins in the Maine Senate race just last month.
• Almost $37 million has been spent on ads in the race so far, according to AdImpact.

— Stephen Neukam

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👀 Republicans blink first

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

The longest (partial) government shutdown ever is on course to end with a whimper after House Speaker Mike Johnson embraced a plan he called a "joke" just five days ago. "We can't do that," Johnson said yesterday about passing Department of Homeland Security funding without cash for ICE and Customs and Border Protection. But Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune will do it anyway as they pursue a two-track funding plan that ends the shutdown now and funds ICE and CBP via future budget reconciliation, the two said today. Why it matters: Thune and Johnson argued Democratic opposition left them with no alternative but to pursue three years of ICE funding in one fell swoop. "[T]he Republican Congress will fully reopen the department, make sure all federal workers are paid, and specifically fund immigration enforcement and border security for the next three years so that those law-enforcement activities can continue uninhibited," the two wrote in a joint statement. They also pointed to momentum from the Senate Budget Committee as justification for the shift. Trump called on Congress to fund ICE and CBP by June 1 in a Truth Social post today. That's essentially the Senate's plan that the president rejected days ago. Zoom in: Arm-twisting will be needed to get the first track through the House. "What a joke," one GOP lawmaker told us of Johnson's reversal on the Senate bill. Some GOP lawmakers tell us they'll vote against the Senate-passed bill, and they could leverage the rule vote. Johnson has a long track record of holding tough votes open while holdouts negotiate (and get calls from Trump). Once (if?) that's done, leadership has a big fight on its hands to stop reconciliation from getting loaded up with non-immigration priorities. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) told us that it would need to move quickly and include health care reforms. Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) told us yesterday that "leaving parts [of DHS] unfunded to be resolved in reconciliation is a bad idea." What's next: The Senate is expected to take up the DHS bill and try to pass it by unanimous consent tomorrow morning, with House action to follow at an undetermined time. Johnson hasn't decided whether he will call lawmakers back to Washington from a two-week recess that began Monday. The reconciliation process will also start in the Senate, with a Trump-set deadline of June 1. The bottom line: ICE and CBP never stopped running during the shutdown thanks to billions in funding from the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act. — Kate Santaliz

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🏎 Dem victory laps

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries gloated in statements today that Republicans had to cave after realizing Democrats wouldn't.

• Schumer said: "We were united, held the line and refused to let Republican chaos win."
• Jeffries said: "Mike Johnson and House Republicans have come to realize that we will never bend the knee."

Why it matters: The long fight played well to the Democratic base.

• Schumer and Jeffries didn't secure the changes to ICE and CBP they jointly demanded in February. But Republicans going alone means Democrats also didn't have to take tough votes on any deals they'd negotiated.

The bottom line: Schumer was politically wounded by other government shutdown fights over the last year.

• He's escaping the DHS shutdown without any major divisions in his caucus.

— Stephen Neukam and Andrew Solender

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🛑 Schumer warning signs

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's approval rating in New York has cleared 40% just once during the last six months, according to polling from Siena University.

• His approval was at 53% at the same point in President Trump's first term, according to Siena.

Why it matters: Schumer is obsessed with his hometown polls. He's up for reelection in 2028 and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is eyeing his seat.

• The minority leader's New York approval rating reached 38% in March, according to polling late last month by Siena.
• His recent high-water mark was 42% in September, and his local ratings bottomed out at 32% in November.
• That was around the time that Senate Democrats voted to end a record long government shutdown, outraging the party's base. Schumer opposed the deal between Democratic moderates and Senate Republicans but still faced significant blowback over his caucus' cave in negotiations.

Zoom in: Schumer's polling slide comes as Ocasio-Cortez campaigns across New York, far from her district in the Bronx and Queens.

• That includes a series of town halls in upstate New York last summer.
• AOC has the option of running for president or Senate, as Axios has reported. She's joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on a nationwide "Fighting Oligarchy" tour.

Between the lines: Schumer and his team focus intensely on his presence in the state, with the Democratic leader frequently holding press availabilities and public events while back in New York on weekends and during recess.

• Schumer has toured all 62 counties in the state for 27 straight years, a pledge he made during his first Senate election in 1998.

The bottom line: Schumer's national favorability among Democrats hovers around 43%, according to polling averages compiled by Decision Desk.

• In April 2018, two-thirds of national Democrats viewed Schumer favorably.

— Stephen Neukam

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‼️ The speaker's game plan

House Speaker Mike Johnson told his conference during a two-and-a-half hour call today that he thinks the Senate could pass a narrow reconciliation package funding ICE and Customs and Border Protection within two weeks.

Why it matters: Johnson promised he won't hold a vote on a Department of Homeland Security funding bill until the Senate makes significant progress on funding for ICE and CBP, sources told us.

• His members are deeply frustrated with leadership's plan to fund the agency, and he doesn't have the support to pass a DHS funding bill without ICE and CBP right now.

🤬 Driving the news: Frustration boiled over during the call as House Republicans vented about Johnson's and Senate Majority Leader John Thune's two-track funding approach for DHS.

• There was a widespread feeling among Republicans that they no longer trust the Senate after last week's split over DHS funding, sources told us.
• Members worry that if the House moves first on passing a DHS funding bill without ICE and CBP, the Senate could backtrack on funding those two agencies.

Another friction point: Several members want to strip language from the Senate bill that zeroes out ICE and CBP funding, avoiding a vote seen as defunding law enforcement.

• Johnson signaled openness to that idea, two sources on the call said. But any changes would require Senate passage again.

— Kate Santaliz

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🏆 Jeffries winning streak

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is catching break after break as the left runs aground in Democratic primaries.

Why it matters: Every loss for an outsider leftist in a Democratic House primary is effectively a win for Jeffries.

• His core support lies in the mainstream liberal and moderate wings of the party, with more left-leaning candidates generally the least likely to commit to voting for him for House speaker if Democrats take the majority in the midterms.

Driving the news: After bruising losses in the Illinois primaries last month, one group trying to boost young progressive insurgents — Leaders We Deserve — is facing blowback from a campaign it supported.

• Sources close to the congressional campaign of Illinois state Sen. Robert Peters, who finished a bruising third in the primary to succeed Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), said the David Hogg-affiliated PAC dangled the hope of financial support that never materialized.
• The group even urged them to try to neutralize AIPAC and avoid taking an endorsement from another left-wing group, Justice Democrats, sources told us.
• The campaign of Irene Shin, an unsuccessful House candidate in Virginia, had similar grievances against Leaders We Deserve, the Washington Post reported last summer.

Between the lines: Progressive operatives told us Leaders We Deserve has undergone leadership changes in recent months that they said should address these issues.

• Leaders We Deserve officials have defended their decision-making, saying it would be a waste to spend heavily in support of campaigns like Peters', which they say was doomed to fail.

What's next: The Congressional Progressive Caucus is looking to throw more weight around in primaries, hoping to get left-wing splinter candidates to drop out in favor of more viable alternatives.

— Andrew Solender

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💰 Republicans on defense

The top super PAC for Senate Republicans plans to spend twice as much this year to defend GOP seats as to target Democrats, it announced today.

Why it matters: The GOP's map of must-defend states has grown by two since this time last year.

• Senate Majority Leader John Thune —and NRSC chair Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.)— have long known Ohio, Maine and North Carolina would be dogfights.
• But the Thune-linked Senate Leadership Fund's early plans also include $29 million in Iowa, where Sen. Joni Ernst (R) is retiring, and $15 million in Alaska, where former Rep. Mary Peltola (D) will make it tough on Sen. Dan Sullivan (R).

Zoom in: "Our job is to preserve the majority," SLF executive director Alex Latcham told the New York Times.

• Latcham is "100% confident" Thune will keep his majority after November, he told the Times.

The big picture: SLF plans to spend $79 million in Ohio and $71 million in North Carolina; $42 million was previously announced in Maine.

• On the offensive side, it plans to spend $45 million in Michigan, $44 million in Georgia and $17 million in New Hampshire to target Democratic-held seats.

Between the lines: Texas — and its nasty Cornyn vs. Paxton runoff to come next month — hasn't made SLF's fall list.

• Latcham told the Times he doesn't view Democratic nominee state Sen. James Talarico as competitive (yet) in November.

— Justin Green

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⏭️ Scoop: Sheehy backfills Mullin

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) has tapped Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) to join his whip team, succeeding former Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who is now Homeland Security secretary.

Why it matters: Sheehy will be responsible for sounding out senators on how they intend to vote on consequential pieces of legislation, as Congress weighs a second reconciliation package and a potential supplemental to replenish munitions used in Iran.

• "Every vote matters for national security, a strong and growing economy, and energy dominance," Barrasso said in a statement. "My friend — and Montana neighbor — Tim Sheehy will be a critical part of the team to get the votes and pass the Trump agenda."
• "Tim makes our deputy whip team even stronger."

Between the lines: Joining the whip team typically means a senator will vote with leadership.

• After Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) opposed Trump's "big, beautiful bill" in 2025, he quietly left the whip operation.

Zoom out: Sheehy joins fellow freshmen Sens. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) as a deputy whip, giving him greater visibility into how legislation is shaped — and more exposure within the GOP conference.

• Barrasso's 11-member team hails from across the country, with Sheehy and Chief Deputy Whip Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) both representing states that border Barrasso's Wyoming.
• They gather weekly in Barrasso's office to discuss strategy for passing legislation.

Zoom in: Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, has worked closely with the Trump administration and has been a frequent TV defender of the president's position on Iran.

• He had the rare feat of helping pass a law as a first-year senator, allowing the transfer of excess Defense Department aircraft to fight wildfires.
• He has also flexed his political muscle, vowing to torpedo the "big, beautiful bill" if it didn't strip out a provision allowing federal lands to be sold for housing development.

— Hans Nichols

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• 👩‍💼 Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not comply with a subpoena to appear before the House oversight committee next week for questioning over her handling of the Epstein files. Go deeper.

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‼️ Dems' Trump encore

Photo illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios. Photos: Anna Moneymaker, Drew Angerer/Getty Images

It took a year, but Democrats are inching closer to the all-out opposition that defined the end of President Trump's first term. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries gave ground today to his backbenchers, announcing a 25th Amendment briefing to be led by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on Friday. The last time Democrats were so into the 25th Amendment was January 2021, when former Speaker Nancy Pelosi got a resolution passed calling on former Vice President Pence to invoke it. The House followed the resolution with Trump's second impeachment. Why it matters: The time it takes for Democratic leadership to yield to riled-up rank-and-file lawmaker demands is getting shorter and shorter. A year ago, Dems fumed at Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) for introducing articles of impeachment. But the taboo around impeaching Trump has been tossed out the window, and rank-and-file calls for the 25th Amendment have returned. More than 85 Democrats had called for Trump's removal by last night. Between the lines: One senior House Democrat said it was a factor that so many members went public with calls to invoke the 25th Amendment. Lawmakers were "very, very frustrated" with Trump's comments on Iran yesterday, this Democrat said, adding that leadership faced private pressure to take a stronger approach. "It's where the electorate is," said a senior House progressive. "Trump's actions the last couple days were scary." Still, Jeffries and his top deputies have not gone as far as many of their members in explicitly calling for Vice President Vance and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment. ⏮️ But the Raskin briefing left some of Jeffries' more centrist members befuddled. "I personally think it's a fool's errand," grumbled one centrist House Democrat. Another Democrat, asked why Jeffries took this step, told us they have "no damn idea." What they're saying: "There is tremendous angst in the country about Trump's deranged threats to commit war crimes," Raskin, who has publicly called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked, told us. "The Constitution is not perfectly designed for an emergency like this, but the 25th Amendment is definitely the closest avenue we have for a federal response," Raskin said. What's next: In addition to Raskin's briefing, Jeffries announced that Democrats will seek unanimous consent to pass an Iran war powers resolution at the House's pro forma session tomorrow morning. Republicans will undoubtedly block that attempt, but it signals that Democrats are feeling more bullish about the prospects of passing the measure when the House returns to session next week. House Democrats will hold a press conference on the Capitol steps after the pro forma, Jeffries said. — Andrew Solender

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🥊 Contempt of Congress standoff

Democrats are threatening to hold former Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress after the Justice Department said she'll no longer comply with a subpoena for a deposition on April 14.

Why it matters: Getting the full House on board with a contempt of Congress vote is unlikely. But lawmakers in both parties see Bondi's testimony as key to getting answers in their monthslong investigation into the Epstein files.

• Bondi previously told reporters she will "follow the law" in responding to a subpoena from the panel.
• "The Department of Justice has stated Pam Bondi will not appear on April 14 for a deposition since she is no longer attorney general and was subpoenaed in her capacity as attorney general," a committee spokesperson said.
• The panel will reach out to Bondi's personal attorney "to discuss next steps," the spokesperson added.

The bottom line: House Oversight chair James Comer (R-Ky.) told reporters last month that "we'll talk about it" when pressed on whether the committee would move to hold Bondi in contempt.

— Kate Santaliz

ps:Don't waste your time!! This only applies to democrats!!

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🏛️ House Dems open to 25th Amendment push

House Democratic leadership took a step yesterday toward embracing a long-shot push to remove President Trump from office through the 25th Amendment, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.

• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a letter to colleagues that Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) will host a virtual briefing Friday afternoon "on Trump administration accountability and the 25th Amendment."

Between the lines: Congressional Democrats largely repudiated the notion of pursuing long-shot maneuvers, like impeachment or the 25th Amendment, a year ago.

• A centrist House Democrat grumbled about the new efforts: "I personally think it's a fool's errand."
• But Democratic lawmakers don't want to get an earful from the party faithful for being insufficiently combative.

Trump's declaration that "a whole civilization will die tonight" if the Iranian regime did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz led to an eruption of calls from Democratic lawmakers for his removal.

• More than 85 House Democrats, along with a pair of Democratic senators, called for Trump to be impeached or for Vice President Vance and the Cabinet to convene and remove Trump by invoking the 25th Amendment.

See a list of Dems calling for Trump's impeachment or removal.

ps:Another waste of time!!

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🫣 Impeachment reality check

Look past the loudmouths: House Democrats with sway are signaling they won't lean in on impeaching President Trump this year.

• "That's not the fight right now," former Trump impeachment manager Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) told us today.

Why it matters: Democratic lawmakers are running out of ways to meet the grassroots' demands to up the ante on anti-Trump resistance.

• "People are pissed and know we have to fight," a senior House Democrat told us.
• But Republicans control Congress, and the Senate requires a two-thirds majority to convict a president impeached by the House.
• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has given no indication he would get behind a proactive Trump impeachment effort this year, a Democratic leadership aide and a House Democrat close to the leader told us.

Zoom in: The current math in Congress has led lawmakers to pay lip service to moves like impeachment and the 25th Amendment in response to the latest Trump outrage and then focus their attention on more plausible but less flashy tactics.

• Dean doesn't think it is "the best use of our time" to push for Trump's ouster over his posts about Iran on Truth Social, even though she thought the posts merited his removal.
• "Right now we have to end this war, and we have to reclaim our constitutional responsibility," she said.

Between the lines: Jeffries has tried to keep his caucus focused on issues he views as more pertinent to voters, such as affordability and health care.

• Jeffries has largely avoided offering explicit guidance on impeachment efforts, but he has sent clear signals about where his head is at on the topic, Democratic lawmakers told us.
• He has also pumped the brakes on rank-and-file lawmakers' rogue efforts, with leadership talking Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) out of forcing a vote to impeach Trump last May.
• When Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) forced impeachment votes last June and December, Jeffries voted with Republicans to quash the former and voted "present" on the latter.

What we're hearing: Jeffries has remained characteristically opaque in his public statements, saying in an appearance on MS Now's "Morning Joe" today: "We've ruled nothing out and we've ruled nothing in."

• Several House Democrats told us they have not received more explicit guidance from leadership on impeachment behind closed doors.

Yes, but: Jeffries has given several clear indications of his lack of zeal for impeachment in general.

• When most of his members got on board with a push to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in January, Jeffries told reporters he wouldn't rush the effort until he was sure an impeachment vote could pass.

What's next: There may be more rogue Trump impeachment votes this year, as well as votes to impeach individual Cabinet secretaries.

• "We've successfully run out of town some of his Cabinet secretaries," Jeffries said on "Morning Joe." "I believe Pete Hegseth is next, and we're going to keep our foot on the gas pedal to push this guy out."
• But don't expect the kind of concerted, leadership-backed effort to impeach Trump that Democrats mounted in 2019 and 2021 until and unless they win back the House.

— Andrew Solender

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🤑 No pay-fors, no problem

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

House Republican leaders are unifying around a narrow reconciliation package to fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection without spending offsets — allowing the Senate to pass a traditional appropriations bill with a simple majority. Why it matters: The surgical reconciliation bill being fast-tracked falls short of the full-scale abolition of the filibuster demanded by Trump. But the move — which Republicans say they're making under duress — could expand the types of legislation that can bypass the Senate's 60-vote threshold. "None of the DHS spending will need to be offset," House Budget Committee chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) told us. "We would just be moving it from within the current budget, so it's inherently offset." Asked whether Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is on board with a no-offset approach, Arrington said: "He agrees. We need to move quickly." Between the lines: Republicans are borrowing from the Democratic playbook. In 2021 and 2022, Democrats used reconciliation to pass the American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, with billions of dollars for the programs. Republicans howled at the time, but the Senate parliamentarian allowed it — setting a precedent. Last year, Republicans crammed billions of dollars for the Pentagon — and yes, immigration enforcement — into the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act. Zoom in: Graham, along with Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), will meet with Trump tomorrow to discuss how to fund immigration enforcement at DHS through the budget reconciliation process. "We're going to have to go it alone, because Democrats aren't interested in funding national security at a time of increased global concerns," Barrasso told reporters. "The goal is to do it in a targeted way — the hope is to get it done fast." Zoom out: House conservatives say they will not pass any DHS bill that lacks funding for CBP and ICE until the Senate passes reconciliation funding for the agencies. House Speaker Mike Johnson has promised he won't bring up a DHS funding bill until the Senate at least passes a reconciliation budget resolution. The bottom line: Old-school appropriators are frustrated that they have to resort to a similar tactic to fund the government. "Their refusal to fund ICE and Border Patrol leaves our borders and our country less secure and sets a precedent they may one day come to regret," Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the chair of the Senate appropriations committee, said in a statement. — Hans Nichols and Kate Santaliz

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🏛️ Swalwell could ignite expulsion votes

The scandal surrounding Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) could ignite expulsion votes for at least three of his House colleagues, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.

• Why it matters: Multiple members in the 119th Congress accused of grave misbehavior have so far survived every push to oust them. The bill may finally be coming due.

⚖️ What's happening: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) announced plans to force a vote next week to expel Swalwell, who is facing allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment, which he denies.

• Swalwell is also under investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

Democrats plan to counter with a vote to expel Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), as Axios first reported. Gonzales admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide and is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

• If those votes succeed — which may be a long shot, given that expulsion requires a two-thirds majority — votes to expel Reps. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) could follow, sources say.

Go deeper: Swalwell loses all 21 of his endorsements from Dem colleagues.

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Rep. Eric Swalwell of California says he will resign after sexual misconduct allegations

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California announced Monday he will resign from Congress following sexual assault and misconduct allegations that prompted loud bipartisan calls for him to step down.

https://apnews.com/article/congress-ethics-swalwell-california-governor-a1626c5f4dbcc16c85f4313a8d7e5464?

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas says he will retire after bipartisan calls for expulsion

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas said Monday he will retire from Congress after bipartisan calls to expel him.

https://apnews.com/article/congress-gonzales-retirement-affair-3791f1a1eefe9fabfeb1647bc7bb0b0f?

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🚨 House breaking point

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

Congress' seemingly endless cascade of scandals reached a new level today with two embattled House members announcing plans to leave Congress voluntarily rather than face expulsion. Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have expressed hesitation to push any of their members out of office before they have received full due process. But some of their rank-and-file were ready to do that anyway. Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) preempted their fed-up colleagues today by quitting Congress. Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) and Cory Mills (R-Fla.) are possible targets of expulsion votes in the coming weeks, as we first reported on Saturday. Driving the news: Allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment made by four women last week against Swalwell — which he denies — have driven other long-simmering scandals back to the surface. Gonzales, who came under Ethics Committee investigation after admitting to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide, said he will file his "retirement from office" tomorrow. Cherfilus-McCormick was found guilty by an Ethics subcommittee of a litany of charges, including funneling $5 million in COVID relief funds to her campaign. She is also under federal indictment; she has maintained her innocence. Mills is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee on an array of alleged misdeeds, including domestic abuse, stolen valor and financial misconduct, which he denies. Zoom in: Some rank-and-file members argue that their colleagues shouldn't be formally sanctioned on the basis of allegations until they are substantiated by a formal process. Leadership has so far managed to redirect every effort to expel a member this congressional session, usually through a motion to refer the matter to the Ethics panel. Between the lines: "The ethics process is completely flawed. ... I've been deeply disappointed by the pace and the disjointed approach," one senior House Democrat vented to us last month ahead of Cherfilus-McCormick's trial. Cherfilus-McCormick has been under investigation over allegations dating to 2022, with the panel set to finally meet April 21 to determine "what, if any, sanction would be appropriate." The intrigue: The internal politics of members of Congress punishing one another are tricky, with lawmakers often enmeshed deep within the institution through connections and seniority. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) had to surrender his leadership of the powerful House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense when he was indicted on bribery charges in 2024, only to regain the position after President Trump pardoned him in December. — Andrew Solender

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‼️ Thune's "anorexic" reconciliation

Senate Majority Leader John Thune's plan to pass an "anorexic" reconciliation bill funding only Customs and Border Protection and ICE is already being challenged by his GOP colleagues.

Why it matters: Thune's theory is straightforward: The narrower the bill, the faster the Senate can move it.

• But some Republican senators are already eyeing reconciliation 2.0 as a vehicle for other priorities. Others want the spending to be offset.
• "Let's put a saddle on it and ride it, see how much we can get done," Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) told reporters.
• "We need to do the war," he added. "And then I'd put the SAVE Act in there — but add money to it."
• "I think we ought to pay for everything. We're running $2 trillion deficits," Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) told reporters.

Between the lines: Thune is on notice to hold the line and not cut any side deals.

• "A lot of it depends on how firm John [Thune] is going to be," Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told reporters. "My guess is you'll have at least four or five senators, maybe more, take a run at him."
• "If John holds firm, then the bill will remain skinny. If he doesn't, it'll jeopardize passage."

Driving the news: Senate Republicans will attempt to settle on a strategy at their lunch meeting tomorrow, but Thune has already put down a marker.

• "Think skinny. Very, very skinny — anorexic-like skinny," Thune told reporters.
• "We're going to get it done. We're going to fund ICE — Immigration and Customs Enforcement — as well as Border Patrol," Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said on Fox News. "We're going to do it for the entire time that President Trump is in the White House."

Zoom in: Funding immigration enforcement at current levels would cost roughly $50 billion over three years, though the overall price tag hasn't been settled on. Any increase above current levels could pose another challenge.

• "My desire is to spend less money, not more," said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). "Are you hearing anybody talking about spending at current levels on ICE?"

The bottom line: Thune is focused on finding consensus in his chamber, but there's still a problem in the House, where conservatives insist they won't vote for any DHS appropriations until the Senate advances the reconciliation package for CBP and ICE.

• "I try not to tell the House what to do or how to do it, but obviously, the sooner we can get all those agencies funded, the better," Thune said.

— Hans Nichols

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‼️ Next week's star guests

Six Trump Cabinet secretaries are being summoned by Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) for hearings next week on President Trump's 2027 budget request.

• Treasury's Scott Bessent, Health and Human Services' Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Commerce's Howard Lutnick, Interior's Doug Burgum, Energy's Chris Wright and Agriculture's Brooke Rollins are set to appear before subcommittees on April 22, we scooped this afternoon.

Why it matters: It may seem rich to talk about next year's budget while the current one is unfinished as of April 14. But Collins is serious about stopping reconciliation bills from replacing the regular appropriations process.

• "We don't want to set up a system where we're relying on endless reconciliation bills," she told us today.
• "It's important to remember that 11 of the 12 appropriations bills did go through on a bipartisan basis," Collins said.

Zoom in: Collins is also trying to convince Democrats that they lose leverage when Republicans resort to reconciliation to fund more controversial agencies.

• "I would much rather that we do appropriations bills. I particularly don't like multi-year reconciliation bills," Collins told us.
• "But the fact is, it's the Democrats who put us into this position. My hope is that the Democratic committee members will take a constructive approach and that they believe in the appropriations process."

Between the lines: Collins wants to show Maine voters she can still deliver ahead of November's elections, when she's seeking her sixth term.

• Her potential Democratic opponent in the general election, Graham Platner, has said he would seek a seat on the Appropriations Committee if elected.
• He's engaged in a nasty primary with Gov. Janet Mills, but is acting like it's finished and is focusing on the general election.
• "We're going to lose her power, her seniority," if Collins is defeated, Platner acknowledged this week at a town hall in Boothbay, Maine.

What's next: "We will then go into markups in June, and I hope that bills will be brought to the floor in July," Collins told us.

• "There are a lot of difficult choices to be made."

— Hans Nichols

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🕵🏻‍♂️ Johnson calls in the closer

Trump will host FISA-skeptical lawmakers at the White House tonight in a last-ditch effort to flip holdouts ahead of tomorrow's vote on reauthorizing the surveillance program.

Why it matters: Speaker Mike Johnson is facing an uphill climb to pass a clean extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and he is leaning heavily on the White House to get a clean 18-month extension over the line.

• Hardline conservatives are threatening to sink the bill unless changes are made regarding privacy concerns.
• Other members are demanding that the SAVE America Act, the GOP's signature elections bill, be attached to FISA — which would make it dead on arrival in the Senate.
• Politico first reported on the briefing.

Zoom in: The administration and GOP leadership have been working for weeks to win over holdouts, including hosting a briefing at the White House for skeptics just before the two-week recess, we previously reported.

• The White House argued last night that threats tied to the "Biden border crisis," drug cartels and cyberattacks on critical infrastructure underscore the need to preserve FISA authorities.
• Johnson, Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Intelligence Chair Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) were also invited to the briefing, two sources told us. 

— Kate Santaliz

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Sexual abuse allegations are spurring calls for a broader reckoning in Congress Resignations came quickly this week from two congressmen — Reps. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican — who were accused of sexual misconduct toward staff members. Yet some congresswomen said that the pair of resignations took too long and proved what they’ve long been saying: that more must be done to rid Capitol Hill of sexual predation. Read more.

What to know: It was a reckoning of sorts for Capitol Hill, the most striking since the careers of roughly a dozen male politicians were toppled during the heights of the #MeToo movement. “Today was an important turning point,” said Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. “That it should — that abuse of power — should never be accepted, and above all, in public office.”   Following the #MeToo movement, the House changed its rules to require annual trainings on sexual harassment and discrimination for members. The House also approved legislation to speed the slow-moving process for harassment complaints, require more disclosure of settlements and force lawmakers to personally pay any penalties they’re required to make.

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📉 Israel's low point on Capitol Hill

Photo illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Photo: Noam Moskowitz/picture alliance via Getty Images

Israel's relationship with Democrats on Capitol Hill is rapidly deteriorating, with a growing number of lawmakers saying they can no longer support U.S. funding for even the country's defensive weaponry. Why it matters: Opposing the use of American taxpayer dollars to fund Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system was "seen as insanely fringe four years ago," Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) told us. No longer. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) told us he "cannot support more military assistance" to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he has "supported Iron Dome in the past, but there doesn't seem to be any accountability." Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) told us he doesn't think that position is "wildly controversial in light of what the Israeli government has said for a long time." "I think many of us are in the place of saying, 'They have enough money to wage the wars they're doing, they don't need our money, period," said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.). The intrigue: McGovern, Huffman and Pocan voted to fund Iron Dome in 2021, along with 207 of their Democratic colleagues and 210 Republicans. Zoom in: "I've never seen public opinion change as fast on any issue, including gay marriage ... as it has on the U.S.-Israel relationship," said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). Khanna previously voted for Iron Dome funding but now opposes it. He acknowledged Congress is a "lagging indicator" but said that "even here, [opinion on Israel] is slowly changing." Zoom out: "More than anything, the Iran war has probably been the issue," a swing-district House Democrat told us on the condition of anonymity. "That's the bigger issue because you have people like, 'Why are we in this f*cking war?' And all lines lead to Netanyahu." Even Netanyahu himself, Frost noted, has said he wants to "taper off" U.S. military assistance to Israel over the next decade. "When I heard him say that, I knew that that opinion would be pushed more into the mainstream," the Florida Democrat said. The other side: Other House Democrats told us they are not willing to take the step of calling for a wind-down of U.S. funding for Iron Dome. "I'm not prepared to go that far," said Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), a Jewish progressive who nevertheless told us that Netanyahu's leadership has brought Israel's relationship with Democrats to a really bad place. "The United States has benefited from every investment we've made in joint programs like Iron Dome, Arrow and David's Sling. ... You can't reduce it to a simple pledge," said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), the chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition who is Jewish. — Andrew Solender

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Dem dumps on DSCC

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) renewed his attacks on the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee today, criticizing party leaders for picking favorites in contested primaries, including in Maine. "The first rule of Fight Club is don't talk about Fight Club, but a group of us in the Senate formed the Fight Club for a number of reasons," he said at an Axios News Shapers event in Washington. Why it matters: For Van Hollen, establishing the "Fight Club" to challenge President Trump and Schumer wasn't really a choice. It was a response. "We want to push the caucus to fight even harder against the lawless Trump administration. I think we've made some progress since this time last year," said Van Hollen, himself a former DSCC chair. "We are also very unhappy with the fact that the DSCC has been putting its foot on the scale as the party organization in the Senate in some of these races. So that's what formed the Fight Club." Between the lines: Van Hollen wants to show his party that he's ready to go to war for progressive causes ahead of a possible presidential run. He announced on stage that he'll be heading to New Hampshire in June. Zoom in: Van Hollen declined to make any new endorsements, but he had high praise for Graham Platner in Maine and harsh criticism for the DSCC. "It was a big mistake for the DSCC to weigh in in Maine for the governor," Janet Mills, he said. "She's been a great governor, but whether you're for the governor or for Platner, the DSCC should not be weighing in." He stopped short of endorsing Platner, saying only: "I think Graham Platner is a great candidate." Reality check: The DSCC has not formally issued any endorsements this cycle. Schumer has officially endorsed Mills in Maine and privately indicated that he believes Rep. Haley Stevens is the strongest candidate in Michigan, according to people familiar with the matter. "The DSCC has one goal: to win a Democratic Senate majority," DSCC spokesperson Maeve Coyle told us in a statement. "We've created a path to do that this cycle by recruiting formidable candidates and expanding the map, building strong general election infrastructure, and disqualifying Republican opponents — those are the strategies that led Senate Democrats to overperform in the last four election cycles, and it's how we will flip the majority in 2026." Zoom out: Democrats are increasingly optimistic about their chances of winning the Senate in the midterms. They would need to win an open seat in North Carolina, defeat five-term incumbent Susan Collins in Maine, and flip two states that Trump won by double digits in 2024 to get to 51 votes. Republicans appear to accept that they have a lot of defense to play. The Senate Leadership Fund's two biggest ad reservations are in Ohio and North Carolina — two states they already hold. But Democrats' chances are complicated by contentious primaries in two key states — Michigan and Maine — where divides between the progressive base and party leaders, including Schumer, have widened. — Hans Nichols

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🏛️ Diminished RFK

When HHS Secretary RFK Jr. testifies on the Hill today, his opening remarks won't include the word "vaccine." Instead, he'll tout new federal dietary guidelines and "historic wins" on drug-pricing deals with 16 pharma companies.

• Why it matters: The remarks reflect Kennedy's diminished autonomy and political influence, as the White House tries to reel in divisive parts of his agenda ahead of midterms, Axios' Peter Sullivan writes.

During seven (!) hearings before House and Senate committees over the next week, Kennedy is expected to face questions about vaccines, autism and other hot-button issues.

• It's a high-stakes test of how well Kennedy can stay on message as the Trump administration tries to pivot away from controversies and emphasize priorities like lowering drug prices.

🥊 Kennedy and his Make America Healthy Again movement have suffered setbacks in court and within the administration.

• He has been making campaign-like appearances around the country, touting less controversial policies like promoting healthy foods.
• His official HHS podcast emphasizes "the root causes of America's chronic disease crisis."