Good afternoon! The Trump administration’s week ahead is expected to focus primarily on the Iran conflict. The Senate will continue to work on housing legislation, with a vote on final passage possible by week’s end. The House is out of session, as House Republicans gather in Doral, Florida, for their annual three-day issues conference. The president is scheduled to address the conference this afternoon. Negotiations on Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Department of Homeland Security funding remain stalled.
WHITE HOUSE
- President Trump is scheduled to speak to House Republicans at their annual issues later today.
- The administration continues to manage the consequences of the war with Iran. Seven Americans have now been confirmed killed in the conflict, while reported Iranian casualties exceed 1,300, though those figures have not been independently confirmed. Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reportedly been selected as Iran’s new supreme leader.
- The State Department today ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to safety risks, marking the first ordered departure since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28. The order follows reported Iranian strikes targeting areas near the U.S. Embassy compound in Riyadh.
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The economic effects of the conflict are also beginning to intensify. Oil prices surged over the weekend, with crude briefly rising above $100 per barrel and approaching $120 at one point.
SENATE
- The Senate will devote most of its floor time to debating its version of comprehensive housing legislation. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has filed cloture, the procedural motion to speed up debate on the measure. Senate amendments are due Monday afternoon, and if cloture is invoked, the Senate is expected to spend a substantial portion of the week considering the bill. A vote on final passage is possible before the Senate adjourns for the weekend.
- The Senate bill text combines provisions from the Senate Banking Committee’s bipartisan housing package with elements of the House-passed bill, the Housing for the 21st Century Act. Both the House and Senate bills aim to increase housing supply, reduce barriers to development, and streamline federal housing programs.
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The Senate will also take up the nomination of Lieutenant General Joshua Rudd, U.S. Army, for elevation to the rank of General.
HOUSE
- The House is out of session and is scheduled to return to Washington on Monday, March 16.
- House Republicans are in Doral, Florida, for their annual retreat, where they will lay out their legislative priorities for year. A major topic of discussion is expected to be whether Republicans will pursue a second reconciliation package.
- House committee chairs are also expected to use the retreat to discuss legislative priorities for the remainder of the year, including financial services, housing, homeland security, defense funding, agriculture, transportation & infrastructure, and FY27 budget priorities.
