Good afternoon! Congress returns to Washington, D.C. this week with a busy agenda. House and Senate Republicans have started work on a budget reconciliation legislation. Trump administration department and agency heads will testify in support of the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget request. The U.S.-Iran peace talks collapsed over the weekend, and the president announced that a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will begin today. Israeli and Lebanese diplomats will meet at the State Department on Tuesday for ceasefire talks.
WHITE HOUSE
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The United States and Iran did not reach an agreement after 21 hours of negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, their first such meeting since 2015. Vice President JD Vance, leading the U.S. delegation, stated that Iran would not make an “affirmative commitment” to forgo nuclear weapons or related capabilities. He described the U.S. proposal as Washington’s “final and best offer” before departing Pakistan without a deal.
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President Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday following the collapse of peace talks. The blockade is expected to take effect today.
- Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought will testify before the Senate and House Budget Committees this week to discuss the administration’s $2.2 trillion discretionary spending request for FY 2027. It is approximately 21% increase over current levels driven largely by a proposed increase in defense funding.
SENATE
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Senate Republicans hope to begin aligning with the House Republicans to pass one or two bills through budget reconciliation. The process allows a majority party to pass legislation that either increases or decreases spending by a simple majority vote, sidestepping the usual 60 votes needed to pass legislation in the Senate.
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Republican leadership is working quickly to draft a budget resolution, which they hope to have ready by next week. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) said leaders want a “targeted” and “fast” first package focused on funding for Immigration & Customs Enforcement and Customs & Border Patrol. A second bill later this year could address energy policy and voter identification, though the scope of remains uncertain.
- Senate Democrats plan to force an Iran war powers resolution vote this week. Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) will bring up the resolution, which would prohibit military operations against Iran unless specifically authorized by Congress.
HOUSE
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The House may consider the Senate-passed fiscal year 2026 Department of Homeland Security funding bill; DHS has not been funded for nearly two months. House leadership had postponed action before recess, opting to wait for progress on budget reconciliation legislation.
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The House is expected to vote this week on the ALERT Act, a comprehensive aviation safety bill that would direct the Federal Aviation Administration to implement new requirements for civil and military aviation operations as well as improve airport and airspace safety standards and regulatory procedures. The bill will be considered under suspension of the rules, requiring a two-thirds majority for passage.
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The House is also scheduled to consider reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which expires April 20. The statute allows for warrantless surveillance of non-U.S. persons located outside the U.S. to collect foreign intelligence.
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Energy Secretary Chris Wright will testify before both the House Energy & Commerce Committee Energy Subcommittee and the Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittee this week in support of the administration’s FY27 $53.9 billion funding request for the Department of Energy, which is an increase of $4.8 billion over fiscal year 2026.
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins will testify before the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee on the administration’s budget proposal, which would cut the Department of Agriculture funding by 19%.
