Mar 20, 2026
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By Mia McCarthy and Jordain Carney
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IN TODAY’S EDITION:
— Thune threatens to cancel recess without DHS deal
— House Dems try again on war powers
— Senate Banking eyes housing bill sweetener
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is keeping the Senate in session over the weekend. | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Get ready for a rare working weekend in the Senate with no break in sight.
Majority Leader John Thune is keeping senators at the Capitol the next few days to continue debating an all-but-doomed elections bill and advance nominees. Senators may have to work through the following weekend as well if the Department of Homeland Security is still shut down, threatening their planned two-week recess.
“I’m not excited about it,” one GOP senator told Jordain.
In the meantime, the Senate is expected to vote again today on a DHS funding bill that will fail.
— ‘SAVE’ ACTION SATURDAY: Senators will likely vote Saturday on an amendment to the SAVE America Act that would ban transgender women from participating in women’s sports — a demand from President Donald Trump that isn’t in the House-passed bill. The amendment will almost certainly fail to reach the necessary 60 votes, given Democrats are likely unified in their opposition. Keep an eye on which Republicans vote against the amendment.
The Senate could also consider Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s procedural gambit to force a vote that’s tangentially related to TSA funding. The effort would need 60 votes, meaning it will likely fail. Republicans could try to kill it before Saturday.
— MULLIN VOTE SUNDAY: The Senate will then take its first vote on Sunday to move forward with Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to become DHS secretary, after he cleared a committee vote Thursday morning.
Mullin should be on a glidepath to confirmation. Republican senators believe Sen. Rand Paul’s beef is personal and doesn’t reflect a larger issue among GOP senators, Jordain reports. The question is how many Democrats will vote for their soon-to-be former colleague as the DHS funding impasse goes on. Sen. John Fetterman was the sole Democrat who helped advance him out of committee.
The Senate will also vote likely Sunday to confirm Colin McDonald to be assistant attorney general for national fraud enforcement.
— RECESS AT RISK: Next week isn’t looking much better for the Senate schedule. Absent a DHS deal, Thune said Thursday the Senate won’t leave for its two-week recess.
“We’ll find out very quickly, I think, if the Dems want to make a deal,” Thune told Jordain Thursday night. “I think there’s deal space there. … We just got to find out how serious the Democrats are.”
A DHS funding agreement doesn’t appear likely any time soon. A group of bipartisan senators left a meeting with White House border czar Tom Homan Thursday afternoon with few signs of progress.
Thune said Republicans are waiting to see if rank-and-file Democrats can get “permission” to negotiate a DHS agreement, suggesting GOP senators see the path out of the shutdown through the same group that solved last year’s funding fight. But another person granted anonymity to discuss Thursday’s closed-door meeting said it wouldn’t enable Republicans to pick off one-or-two Democrats at a time.
“I’m glad the White House was here, but we are a long ways apart,” Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray told reporters leaving the meeting.
TGIF. Still no Celsius in the Senate refectory. Email us when they’re back: mmccarthy@politico.com and jcarney@politico.com. Follow our live coverage at politico.com/congress.
A message from The Alzheimer’s Association:
A simple blood test can detect Alzheimer’s before symptoms appear, enabling significantly more effective treatment. The bipartisan Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act ensures people benefit from this scientific milestone. Congress has acted to allow Medicare coverage for mammograms and other pivotal screening tests. Now Congress has the same generational opportunity to redefine Alzheimer’s care: Unlock early detection to enable early treatment. Congress must pass the ASAP Act.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
With help from Jordan Williams
The House is out.
The Senate will vote on a bill to fund DHS at 1 p.m.
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THE LEADERSHIP SUITE
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats will force a vote on an Iran war powers resolution soon. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP
House Dems to try again on war powers
House Democrats are preparing to force another vote on an Iran war powers resolution next week, likely on Wednesday, three people granted anonymity to describe private plans tell Meredith Lee Hill.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that this time, the resolution would earn support from some of the Democrats who voted against it “earlier in this war.”
Four Democrats — Reps. Greg Landsman, Henry Cuellar, Jared Golden and Juan Vargas — helped kill the last war powers resolution on March 5, just a week after the U.S. and Israel killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Middle East war has now lasted nearly three weeks and it’s unclear how long the U.S. will be involved.
“All we’ll need is a few Republicans to join us so we can stand up for the American people who are overwhelmingly opposed to Donald Trump’s reckless war,” Jeffries said.
POLITICO’s Economy Summit
Join POLITICO’s Economy Summit on March 25 for discussions with government and industry leaders about the policy decisions that will determine tomorrow’s market risks and opportunities. Hear from Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Gary Cohn, and more. RSVP to attend in person or virtually.
Republicans cast doubt on party-line supplemental bill
Congressional Republicans are facing serious doubts they can pass Iran war funding on their own, especially as the potential price tag balloons to hundreds of billions of dollars. But as Mia reports with Meredith and Jordain, passing it with a handful of Democrats in the Senate doesn’t look any easier.
The idea of passing an Iran war supplemental via reconciliation was floated at last week’s GOP policy retreat, but momentum has slowed after reports the war funding request could reach $200 billion. It would also be politically complicated to find offsets for the spending and go through the necessary procedural gyrations.
“It’s such a contortion to make things fit in reconciliation that there’s probably a preference for regular order,” Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker said in an interview.
Meanwhile, Democrats are digging in on their opposition to the war. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole cautioned the discussions are “all speculative” for the time being while acknowledging reconciliation “might be the only way” to get Pentagon money through the Senate.
There’s talk of adding sweeteners to get Democrats on board, like disaster or farm aid. Others are now floating attaching Ukraine aid, something with broad Democratic support and uneven GOP buy-in. But Democrats are already throwing cold water on the idea.
“Look, pinning us against our own interests isn’t something I’ll support,” said Rep. Mike Quigley, a strong advocate for Ukraine aid.
A message from The Alzheimer’s Association:
POLICY RUNDOWN
A POTENTIAL TRADE IN CRYPTO, HOUSING TALKS? — In an attempt to ease the bicameral standoff over affordable housing legislation, Senate Banking Republicans are discussing the possibility of adding community bank deregulatory provisions from the House-passed housing bill to pending cryptocurrency legislation, Jasper Goodman scooped.
The panel members are debating whether doing so could encourage their House colleagues to accept a Senate-approved housing package that passed this month, according to three people granted anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Sen. Katie Britt, who chairs a Senate Banking subcommittee on housing, helped pitch the idea, two of the people said.
The banking measures are a priority for House Financial Services Chair French Hill, who is opposed to passing the Senate housing measure without changes. But House Republicans have a number of outstanding issues with the Senate housing bill, and it’s unclear if they would accept the trade.
Talks remain fluid, and no final decisions have been made about any additions to the crypto bill, which Republicans hope to advance next month.
NO DOE EARMARKS FOR FY27— Lawmakers won’t be able to request Department of Energy funds for projects in their home states in fiscal 2027, Andres Picon reports for POLITICO’s E&E News this morning. The guidance released this week from Senate Appropriations removes a source of funding for local energy projects that totaled more than $97 million this fiscal year.
The guidance from Chair Susan Collins and Vice Chair Patty Murray lists various accounts from which senators can request earmarks; it does not include DOE’s “Energy Projects” account. That account previously let senators request federal dollars for local initiatives related to energy efficiency, energy security, electricity and more.
It’s common to see year-to-year changes to eligible earmark categories, and the decisionmaking process is bipartisan and largely driven by lawmaker demand. But this shift could deprive states of tens of millions of federal dollars for energy research and development at a time when the electric grid is aging and cyber threats on energy infrastructure are increasing.
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Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E:
- Pro Trade: House Republicans introduce bill to go after Canada’s Online Streaming Act
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THE BEST OF THE REST
Eric Swalwell’s AI-Powered Political Startup Is Making Big Money From Democratic Allies, from Samuel Larreal at NOTUS
What happened when Kansas tried a version of Trump’s SAVE Act? Chaos, from Josh Meyer at USA Today
Have we seen the last of the Epstein files? Lawmakers and victims want more released, from Annie Grayer, Paula Reid, Katelyn Polantz and Tierney Sneed at CNN
JOB BOARD
Who’s hiring?
The American Hospital Association is hiring a political affairs specialist.
Sen. Angela Alsobrooks is looking for a communications director.
Rep. Steven Horsford is seeking a legislative assistant.
A message from The Alzheimer’s Association:
The ASAP Act is a “mammogram moment” for Alzheimer’s — an opportunity to make early detection the standard of care. When Congress enabled Medicare coverage for routine mammograms, screening rates soared and breast cancer deaths dropped significantly. That early investment led to earlier detection, better outcomes and improved quality of life.
Congress can deliver this same breakthrough for those with Alzheimer’s through the bipartisan ASAP Act, which would allow Medicare to cover a simple blood test to detect Alzheimer’s before symptoms appear. Until Congress acts, Medicare cannot cover screening tests for Alzheimer’s. But fewer than 10% of people receive a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment when today’s FDA-approved treatments are significantly more effective. Expanding access to blood-based screening will help more patients receive an early diagnosis, and the opportunity for earlier, more effective treatment. Congress must support the ASAP Act and appropriate Alzheimer’s care.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Rep. Keith Self … Ronna McDaniel … Jenner & Block’s Lily Hopwood … CNN’s Phil Rucker … Kevin Hassett … Gloria Story Dittus of Story Partners … Mark Putnam of Putnam Partners … Arthur Scott … Jon Thompson … Michael Whouley of Dewey Square Group … Jay Heimbach … Benjy Sarlin … POLITICO’s David Ferris … Naomi Zeigler Nagle of Sen. Angus King’s office … Results for America’s Zac Coile … Jessica Carter … Gloria Totten … Cory Gattie … Ruth Osinski of BGR Group … The 60 Plus Association’s Jim Martin
TRIVIA
THURSDAY’S ANSWER: Vicki Herson correctly answered that at least 19 senators have had ownership of the candy desk. Sen. Markwayne Mullin currently owns it — we’ll see who gets it next!
TODAY’S QUESTION, from Vicki: Name the late senator who switched from Republican to Democrat in 2009 during his final term in office.
The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com.
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