Senior U.S. Senator from South Dakota since 2005
As of April 3, 2026, the US Department of Homeland Security remains partially unfunded since February 14, causing over 100,000 DHS employees, including TSA workers, to go unpaid. The shutdown has led to severe staffing shortages at airports, with TSA officers resigning and calling out sick, resulting in long security lines and missed flights. President Trump deployed paid ICE agents to assist TSA with crowd control, but congressional deadlock over DHS funding and immigration enforcement reforms continues, prolonging travel disruptions nationwide.
Senator Markwayne Mullin has been confirmed as the new head of the Department of Homeland Security, replacing Kristi Noem. His appointment occurs during ongoing funding disputes and controversy over immigration enforcement, including recent police shootings. Mullin aims to reduce DHS's public profile and focus on homeland security efforts.
As the government shutdown reaches 41 days, footage of lawmakers on vacation surfaces, fueling public anger. Despite ongoing funding deadlock, many members are seen enjoying leisure activities, while federal workers remain unpaid. Calls for Congress to return grow louder amid viral criticism.
President Trump has issued a final deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning of potential military strikes on civilian infrastructure if Iran fails to comply. The threats have escalated tensions amid ongoing conflict, raising concerns over possible violations of international law and war crimes.
The House of Representatives did not take up a Senate-passed funding bill, prolonging the DHS partial shutdown that began on February 14. The deadlock centers on immigration enforcement funding, with Democrats demanding reforms and Republicans opposing them. The shutdown affects airport security and federal workers' pay, with no immediate resolution in sight.
Congress has approved a short-term extension of a FISA surveillance authority, sending the temporary patch to President Donald Trump after negotiations stalled over warrant protections and unrelated provisions. Lawmakers have been holding marathon overnight sessions and face a fraught path to a longer-term renewal that Republicans and the Senate are disputing.
On April 16, 2026, the US Senate has rejected two resolutions led by Senator Bernie Sanders to block $295 million in bulldozer sales and $152 million in bomb sales to Israel. Forty Democrats supported blocking bulldozer sales, and 36 backed blocking bomb sales, but Republicans opposed both measures, defeating them 40-59 and 36-63 respectively. The votes have reflected growing Democratic unease over US military aid amid Israeli actions in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
Several fraud-focused bills have been introduced and advanced in Congress to extend statutes of limitations, tighten oversight, and recover funds from pandemic-era relief programs amid ongoing investigations into misused dollars.
The White House has laid out its rationale as the 60-day War Powers deadline approaches, arguing a ceasefire with Iran effectively stops the clock. Democrats and some Republicans are pushing for a wind-down or congressional authorization, while lawmakers brace for a possible battleground on Capitol Hill ahead of midterm elections.
A wave of energy storage and grid-neutral projects is reshaping the power landscape. European microgrids in Dublin demonstrate how on-site generation paired with storage can stabilize supply, while a South Dakota project pilots thermal storage adjacent to a biofuels facility to ease wind-backed fluctuations. Simultaneously, a large-scale telecom-to-energy consolidation is prompting questions about consumer costs as regulators weigh rate implications.
Since mid May, multiple outlets have reported that the Justice Department has reached a settlement resolving President Trump’s $10bn lawsuit against the IRS, creating a $1.8bn "anti-weaponization" fund and barring existing IRS audits of Trump, his family and affiliates. Critics, courts and lawmakers have raised legal and ethical objections; separate reporting shows Trump is also directing high-profile public-works projects and White House renovations that are drawing criticism over cost and optics.
Since late May, Trump-endorsed candidates have reshaped key Republican primaries: Ken Paxton has beaten John Cornyn in Texas and will face Democrat James Talarico in November; in South Carolina Trump has backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Sen. Lindsey Graham has secured the president's endorsement for his fifth-term bid. Democrats are raising funds and recalibrating strategy in response.
Newsom has announced plans to levy a 100% state tax on payouts from Trump’s $1.776 billion “anti-weaponisation” fund, asserting the move can be enacted through legislation or a ballot measure. The fund is part of a settlement related to a lawsuit against the IRS. Bessent and Newsom have a history of public sparring.
President Donald Trump has signed a $70 billion package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through the end of his term, ending a months-long impasse that began after two civilians were killed during January immigration operations. Republicans passed the measure through budget reconciliation after Democrats demanded enforcement safeguards and blocked funding earlier this year.
Senate and House debates intensify over a $70 billion three-year funding package for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, with lawmakers grappling over a controversial $1.8 billion settlement fund for Trump allies. The measure has sparked intra-party divisions and a series of amendments as leadership seeks to finalize funding through the end of Trump’s term.
The Senate has cleared a path to debate a roughly $70 billion bill funding ICE and CBP, with Republicans rallying to pass it via budget reconciliation. Democrats are set to offer amendments, including a bid to permanently ban a $1.776 billion settlement fund tied to allies who supporters say were persecuted.
The Section 702 surveillance law is set to lapse this week. President Trump has named Bill Pulte as acting DNI, triggering bipartisan concern and stalling renewal talks while lawmakers debate guardrails and timing. A Senate gridlock persists as Republicans and Democrats clash over the scope of surveillance and the president’s chosen interim leader.
President Donald Trump has delayed Jay Clayton’s Senate confirmation and said Bill Pulte will remain acting director of national intelligence. Trump has tied progress on renewing Section 702 surveillance authority and Clayton’s confirmation to passage of a voter ID bill and has ordered Pulte to cut ODNI staff and return employees to their home agencies.
Republican factions in Congress have rebuked President Trump on Iran, the White House ballroom funding, and the anti-weaponization fund, while Ukraine aid moves forward. The party faces growing fractures as it weighs next steps ahead of Election Day.
Senate leader McConnell has been admitted to hospital and is receiving excellent care. His health issues, including past falls and polio in childhood, have been part of public discussion as he prepares to retire after his current term.
President Donald Trump has delayed the Senate confirmation hearing for Jay Clayton and is keeping Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. Trump has tied renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to passage of his SAVE America voter ID bill, making an immediate FISA reauthorization unlikely.
The 21st Century Road to Housing Act has advanced to President Trump’s desk after an 85-5 Senate vote. The package aims to boost housing supply, curb private-equity activity in single-family homes, and streamline environmental reviews, while House conservatives push for broader election safeguards. Expect a White House decision soon as lawmakers tout affordability gains ahead of the 2026 elections.
The Senate has passed a war powers resolution directing the President to withdraw forces from hostilities with Iran or seek explicit authorization. The House had approved a similar measure earlier this month. The move is largely symbolic but signals growing congressional unease over the conflict.
Trump has cancelled a Capitol signing event for a bipartisan housing package until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, a priority Republicans say would curb noncitizen voting and tighten voter ID. Several Senate Republicans have rebuked him, and the housing bill passes with broad backing, highlighting a fracture over election reforms while the White House probes timing.
The Senate has faced a tense exchange as Republicans push back on the president's Iran war policy amid a clash at a high-level GOP lunch. Several senators have shifted their positions during discussions, while the White House signals ongoing negotiations as lawmakers vote on war powers and related measures.