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United States Senate

United States Senate

Legislative chamber

Appears in 10 stories

Stories

House revolt against Trump’s federal union crackdown

Rule Changes

Companion FY27 defense bill contains no provision blocking DoD funding for the union order, setting up a conference fight with the House; S.2837 remains stalled at 49 of 60 votes needed

Donald Trump's March 2025 order stripping collective bargaining rights from most of the federal workforce has survived its biggest court test. In June 2026, the Ninth Circuit closed off any further appeal in the union's lead case, clearing the way for agencies to keep canceling contracts nationwide.

Updated 4 days ago

Congress moves to tariff the biggest buyers of Russian oil

Rule Changes

Passed the bill and sent it to the House

China and India have spent more than four years buying discounted Russian oil, helping keep money flowing to Moscow's war in Ukraine. On August 7, the U.S. Senate passed a bill to punish them for it. The vote was 86 to 11.

Updated 5 days ago

Senate locks in multi-year ICE and Border Patrol funding

Money Moves

Passed the bill

ICE and Border Patrol budgets normally have to be renegotiated every year, which gives both parties leverage during shutdown fights. Early Friday, the Senate voted 52-47 to fund them for three years straight, through the end of President Trump's term.

Updated Jun 5

Congress confronts its war powers as US-Iran conflict escalates without authorization

Rule Changes

Advanced war powers resolution procedurally 50-47 on May 19; final vote not yet scheduled

The House voted 215-208 on June 3 to order President Trump to end military operations in Iran, the first time either chamber passed such a measure on a final vote since the conflict began February 28. Four Republicans broke with their leadership: Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky. The Senate advanced a parallel resolution 50-47 in May but has not scheduled a final vote.

Updated Jun 4

Congress debates federal citizenship proof requirements for voter registration

Rule Changes

Floor vote scheduled for week of March 16 amid filibuster fight

Since 1993, Americans have registered to vote by attesting to their citizenship under penalty of perjury, with no proof required. The House passed the SAVE America Act 218-213 on February 11, 2026, mandating in-person documentary proof (a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers) for federal election registration.

Updated May 27

The Venezuela raid and congressional war powers

Force in Play

Defeated war powers resolution 50-51

Congress hasn't declared war since 1942, though presidents have ordered 212 military strikes without formal declarations. On January 3, 2026, U.S. special forces raided Venezuela, captured President Nicolás Maduro in his residence, and flew him to New York to face narcoterrorism charges.

Updated May 22

House passes SPEED Act: a hard turn toward faster permits—and a new fight over who gets to build

Rule Changes

Next battleground; can pass, rewrite, or bury SPEED

Washington keeps saying it wants to "build faster." On December 18, 2025, the House passed the SPEED Act—a blunt instrument designed to squeeze environmental reviews and make lawsuits harder to use as a brake.

Updated May 15

Congress lets ACA subsidy cliff hit, setting up a 2026 premium shock

Rule Changes

Bipartisan working group negotiations collapsed; FY2026 funding bill passed without ACA subsidy provisions

Enhanced premium tax credits expired January 1, 2026. By late January, 1.2 to 1.4 million fewer Americans had enrolled for marketplace coverage, with total 2026 enrollment at 22.8–22.9 million.

Updated May 11

House’s $900 billion defense bill ties troop raise, Ukraine aid and a boat-strike backlash

Rule Changes

Passed final NDAA 77–20 on December 17, preserving 65-year streak and sending bill to Trump.

President Trump signed a nearly $901 billion defense bill into law on December 18, 2025, cementing the 65th consecutive year Congress has passed a National Defense Authorization Act. It delivers troops a 3.8% pay raise and locks in $800 million for Ukraine weapons over two years.

Updated May 10

Trump’s 2025 national security strategy revives Monroe Doctrine and pivots U.S. power to the Americas

Force in Play

Investigating legality of boat strikes and Venezuela operation

On December 5, 2025, the Trump administration released a 33-page National Security Strategy declaring a Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The document formally revives the 19th-century idea of the Western Hemisphere as a U.S. sphere of influence and promises to reassert American preeminence across the Americas.

Updated May 10