Good afternoon! The Trump Administration continued its focus on the Iran conflict, issuing a Jones Act waiver to ease domestic energy shipments. President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security passed his first hurdle. The Senate failed a second time to pass a war powers resolution to limit the campaign and began debate on the SAVE America Act. The House failed to pass a resolution to that would have initiated a process to amend the U.S. Constitution and signaled an upcoming vote on a key surveillance law set to expire next month. The Department of Homeland Security funding standoff showed little sign of breaking despite a new deadline set by Senate leadership.
WHITE HOUSE
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The White House released a legislative blueprint Friday, urging Congress to preempt state AI regulations, outlining six principles covering child safety, electricity costs, intellectualproperty, and censorship concerns. House Republicans quickly endorsed the framework, yet passage remains uncertain. The administration includes exceptions, allowing states to retain authority over data center siting and child protection, in an attempt to build bipartisan support.
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The European Parliament’s trade committee voted Thursday to advance the European Union (EU)-U.S. trade deal to a full parliamentary vote, which could occur as soon as next week. The agreement, struck last summer, set a 15% tariff ceiling on most EU exports to the U.S., but that rate is uncertain after the Supreme Court invalidated President Trump’s Emergency Tariff Authority. EU lawmakers inserted a provision requiring the US to formally guarantee the 15% ceiling before the agreement takes effect. If the full parliament approves the deal, it will then move to member states for ratification. The administration signaled it intends to honor the deal, though the specifics remain unclear.
- President Trump issued a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, a 1920 law requiring cargo shipped between U.S. ports to be carried on U.S.-flagged vessels, temporarily allowing foreign tankers to transport oil, gas, fertilizer, and other commodities domestically. The administration framed the move as a national security measure to prevent energy supply shortfalls during the ongoing Iran conflict, which has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz and triggered what the International Energy Agency called the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.
SENATE
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The Senate voted 47-53 on Wednesday to reject a Democratic war powers resolution that would have required congressional approval to continue the United States military campaign against Iran, the second failed attempt to limit President Trump’s authority as the conflict nears the four-week mark. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was the only Republican to support the measure. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) broke with Democrats in opposition. Democrats have filed six separate resolutions to end U.S. military involvement and plan to force additional votes unless Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio testify publicly on the war’s rationale.
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) set a deadline for next week to resolve the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding standoff, warning he would postpone a scheduled two-week spring recess if no deal is reached. Senate appropriators from both parties held their first face-to-face meeting with White House “border czar” Tom Homan on Thursday. Both sides signaled little progress. More than a month into the partial shutdown Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers are not being paid and some have quit, leading to longer airport lines and intensifying pressure on lawmakers to reach a deal.
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The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 8-7 Thursday to advance the nomination of Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to lead DHS, setting up a potential full Senate confirmation vote as early as next week. The vote broke along party lines with two exceptions: Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-KY) voted against Mullin, while Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) crossed the aisle to support the nomination. Mullin, who has represented Oklahoma in the Senate since 2023, was chosen by President Trump to succeed outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem.
- The Senate is staying in session this weekend debating the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, a bill that would require additional documentation to register to vote. Majority Leader John Thune has acknowledged that currently the legislation does not have 60 votes needed to advance.
HOUSE
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said Tuesday that the chamber plans to vote on reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in mid-April, after the House returns from the two-week spring recess. The law is set expire on April 20th. Section 702 of the legislation permits intelligence agencies to collect electronic communications of non-US citizens abroad, including, in some cases, the private messages of Americans in contact with foreign surveillance targets. Leadership is pushing for a clean 18-month extension without additional reforms, an approach backed by the House and Senate Intelligence Committee chairmen and, notably, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who previously advocated for adding a warrant requirement.
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The House voted 211-207 on Wednesday to reject a resolution that would have launched the process of amending the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced federal budget. The measure, sponsored by Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ), would have barred the government from running a deficit, capped spending relative to a three-year average of tax receipts, and required a two-thirds majority in both chambers to approve any new tax increases. The resolution faced long odds from the start, as constitutional amendments require a two-thirds vote in each chamber and ratification by three-fourths of all states.
