Good afternoon! The White House continued to focus on the conflict with Iran. President Trump extended his pause on attacking Iran’s energy facilities for 10 days, until April 6. The President stated the administration is in talks with Iran. The President is scheduled to deliver his annual budget request to Congress on April 3. On Capitol Hill, the Senate passed a partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill early Friday morning that funds most of the agency but excludes immigration enforcement. Earlier today, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not bring the bill up for a vote.
WHITE HOUSE
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President Trump extended his pause on strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure by 10 days, saying talks with Iran were going “very well,” although the Iranian government stated no talksare taking place.
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The Pentagon announced Tuesday it is preparing to deploy approximately 3,000 troops from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East. Approximately 2,200 Marines from the 31st Expeditionary Unit are already on their way and due to arrive in the region as early as today.
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President Trump will sign an emergency order to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees as early as this afternoon. While there are no details yet, it is likely that fundingprovided to DHS in last year’s reconciliation bill will be tapped to pay TSA employees.
SENATE
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The Senate passed a modified DHS funding bill by voice vote early Friday morning that would fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, with the exception of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and most of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), sending the measure to the House for a potential vote as early as today. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) indicated Republicans intend to pursue funding for ICE and CBP through a filibuster-proof budget reconciliation bill in the coming months.
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Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said he plans to move forward on a second reconciliation bill immediately after recess, with the package expected to cover immigration enforcement funding, defense spending, Iran war costs, and potentially provisions related to the SAVE America Act.
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The Senate on Tuesday rejected, 47-53, a motion to discharge an Iran war powers resolution, curbing for the third time this month an effort by Democrats to end American involvement in theongoing war against Iran. Two previous efforts by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) to force war powers votes were also recently voted down.
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Markwayne Mullin was sworn in as Secretary of Homeland Security Tuesday in an Oval Office ceremony, making him the first member of the Cherokee Nation to serve in a presidential cabinet. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt subsequently appointed energy executive Alan Armstrong, chairman of pipeline operator Williams Companies, to fill Mullin’s Senate seat through the end of the year.
HOUSE
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House Republican leadership announced Friday it would not take up the Senate-passed partial DHS funding bill, instead pursuing a 60-day continuing resolution to fund the entire department,rejecting the Senate’s approach, and extending the shutdown into a seventh week. This comes after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he would work in line with the “will of the conference” as some Republicans pushed back against the Senate deal.
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A group of House Republican hard-liners met Thursday with Speaker Johnson, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe,and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel to reiterate their opposition to a clean reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), asking for the opportunity to vote on amendments addressing warrantless surveillance practices as a condition of their support.
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House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats introduced legislation Thursday that would block the use of federal funds for military action against Cuba unless Congress has declared war orauthorized the use of force. The bill follows a Senate war powers resolution filed earlier this month with the same goal, sponsored by Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA). The measures reflect growing Democratic concern that President Trump, having unilaterally deployed military force in Venezuela and Iran, may move next against Cuba.
