Lindsey McPherson

DHS shutdown to affect unpaid workers more than public; most operations deemed essential

The public may not notice the impacts of a likely Department of Homeland Security shutdown, but it would harm the essential employees who must work without pay to secure airports, respond to natural disasters, protect U.S. coasts and thwart cybersecurity attacks, administration officials told lawmakers Wednesday.

February 11, 2026

McConnell discharged after weeklong hospital stay

Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former majority leader, was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday after a weeklong stay for an unspecified illness.

February 11, 2026

Three Republicans side with Democrats to restore House ability to overturn Trump tariffs

House lawmakers, for the first time since President Trump implemented sweeping tariffs, now can use their authority to end the emergency declarations he used to justify the import levies on a whole slew of countries.

February 10, 2026

Federal prosecutors fail to secure grand jury indictment for ‘seditious six’ Democrats

Federal prosecutors from the District of Columbia reportedly tried and failed Tuesday to convince a grand jury to indict six Democratic lawmakers who created a video last year to urge members of the U.S. military and intelligence community to defy unlawful orders.

February 10, 2026

DHS shutdown all but inevitable after Democrats reject offer to postpone the Friday deadline

Democrats are refusing to extend the latest deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security, all but guaranteeing the department will shut down at midnight Friday.

February 10, 2026

Democrats slam White House counteroffer on immigration enforcement as ‘insufficient’

Democratic congressional leaders called the White House's counteroffer to their immigration enforcement demands "incomplete and insufficient."

February 10, 2026

House passes bills to create 250th anniversary commemorative coins, congressional time capsule

The House on Monday passed a pair of bills in honor of America's 250th anniversary that would create a commemorative coin and a congressional time capsule.

February 9, 2026

White House sends counteroffer to Democrats’ immigration enforcement demands

The White House on Monday sent a counteroffer to Democrats' 10-point list of immigration enforcement demands, as the two parties negotiate a Department of Homeland Security spending bill.

February 9, 2026

No Noem or no deal: Democrats vow to oppose any funding bill if DHS chief remains in charge

House and Senate Democrats already have a long list of demands for keeping the Department of Homeland Security funded past Friday, but some have an extra caveat.

February 8, 2026

Democrats float breaking up DHS bill: Funding TSA, FEMA, other agencies except ICE and border patrol

Democrats refusing to pass a Department of Homeland Security spending bill without changes to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations want to split up the bill to fund other essential agencies while negotiations continue.

February 6, 2026

GOP rejects Democrats’ new proposed rules for ICE as ‘radical,’ unrealistic

Republicans on Thursday resoundingly rejected Democrats' new proposals to reel in ICE, saying the 10-point list of reforms, including barring arrests near schools and courts and giving localities a veto over operations, was the stuff of "fantasy land."

February 5, 2026

Republicans reject Dems’ immigration enforcement demands, prepare to extend stopgap DHS funding

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said most of Democrats' 10-point list of demands for curtailing the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations are "very unrealistic and unserious."

February 5, 2026

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt joins senators’ push to repeal Section 230, the Big Tech shield law

Actor and filmmaker Joseph Gordon-Levitt says he has a "certain kind of love for the internet," but his love does not extend to "amoral" social media companies that put profits over the well-being of their users.

February 4, 2026

DHS funding fight: Democrats preparing list of demands for reining in Trump’s deportation force

House and Senate Democrats plan to release a detailed list by Thursday of the immigration enforcement guardrails they want added to a full-year Department of Homeland Security spending bill.

February 4, 2026

House gives final approval to spending package to end partial shutdown, sends it to Trump’s desk

The House narrowly voted Tuesday to clear a spending package that ends a four-day partial government shutdown and keeps most agencies funded through the remainder of the fiscal year.

February 3, 2026

Senate Republicans eye talking filibuster for voter ID bill, but Thune warns of ‘opportunity cost’

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans will discuss whether to enforce the talking filibuster rule to break a Democratic blockade on a GOP election integrity bill, but he advised to consider ramifications.

February 3, 2026

GOP lawmakers drop voter-ID demand under pressure from Trump

President Trump persuaded his MAGA allies in Congress not to prolong the partial government shutdown in an effort to force the Senate to vote on a GOP election integrity bill.

February 2, 2026

Trump, congressional leaders urge against prolonged shutdown over voter ID bill

President Trump is signaling to his MAGA allies in Congress that they should not prolong the partial government shutdown in an effort to force the Senate to vote on a GOP election integrity bill.

February 2, 2026

House opposition mounts to spending package needed to end partial shutdown

The government is in a partial shutdown, and the House may struggle this week to pass a second iteration of a funding package needed to end it amid opposition from lawmakers in both parties.

February 1, 2026

Senate passes ‘26 spending package, except for Homeland Security funding

The Senate on Friday passed an amended spending package that replaces a full-year Department of Homeland Security funding bill with a two-week stopgap to give lawmakers time to hash out policy disagreements over immigration enforcement.

January 30, 2026