The House voted 218-206 on Wednesday to approve the 10-member panel, which is predominantly made up of federal officials.

The legislation, the would codify an executive order made by the president.

The bill is sponsored by Republican Rep. John McGuire, who represents Virginia’s 5th District.

“President Trump and congressional Republicans are tackling crime in Washington, D.C. head on,” McGuire said on the House floor. “Reckless D.C. City Council policies have caused citizens from all of the United States and in D.C. to be robbed, raped and murdered.”

D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton criticized the bill as the latest GOP effort to meddle in D.C.’s local affairs.

“D.C. is a world-class city, yet this bill seeks to codify and encourage President Trump’s efforts to control and transform D.C., as well as to demonize D.C. and its 700,000 residents, the majority of whom are Black and brown,” Norton said.

The commission would be charged with ensuring “maximum enforcement of federal immigration law” within D.C. and making sure local law enforcement resources are made available to facilitate apprehending those who are in the country illegally.

The panel would also try to increase the speed of processing concealed carry gun permits in D.C., as well as lowering their costs.

The bill also calls for more efforts to reduce fare evasion on the Metro system.

Efforts to beautify DC

The legislation also calls for the Department of Interior to coordinate with the D.C. government to maintain the “cleanliness” of commonly visited areas of the District, including monument sites and parks.

Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw, who represents Virginia’s 11th District, spoke against the bill and Republicans’ repeated legislative efforts to micromanage the District.

“If President Trump wants to run the District of Columbia, he should resign from the presidency and run for mayor,” Walkinshaw said. “I think there’s an opening.”

D.C. will be electing a new mayor this year as Mayor Muriel Bowser intends to step down.

Walkinshaw also criticized Republicans for withholding close to $1 billion in D.C. funds last year, noting the money could be put toward “locally directed efforts that would have made D.C. safer and more beautiful for its residents.”

Walkinshaw noted that D.C. crime is at its lowest level in decades — something Trump has sought to take credit for, after declaring a crime emergency for the District and sending in the National Guard.

Addressing the beautification of D.C., Walkinshaw argued that it is not intended to improve the lives of local residents.

“It’s an instruction to the Interior secretary and the commission to transform D.C. into Mar-a-Lago on the Potomac for President Trump’s benefit,” Walkinshaw said.

The legislation would still need to be approved by the U.S. Senate.

Democrats would likely try to block it with a filibuster.

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The House Oversight Committee advanced a GOP bill on Wednesday that would get rid of D.C. traffic camera enforcement that annually brings in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the District.

The committee approved the legislation on a 21-19 party line vote.

is sponsored by Rep. Scott Perry, a Republican who represents Pennsylvania’s 10th District.

“The residents and commuters of Washington are both sick and tired of being fleeced for hundreds of dollars of petty, automated traffic fines, all in the name of alleged safety,” Perry said.

His bill would also disallow D.C. from posting signs prohibiting right turns on red light signals.

Perry said it is unfair for drivers who aren’t familiar with the local law to face tickets for right turns that are made legally in their home states.

But D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said Perry’s bill is yet another effort by Republicans to micromanage the District.

She pointed out that Republicans have been trying to eliminate the District’s traffic enforcement system for more than a decade.

After the vote, she released a statement criticizing what she called a “paternalistic, undemocratic and, frankly, petty bill” to overturn D.C. traffic laws.

“The hypocrisy behind this legislation is astounding,” Norton said, noting that Perry is from a state that uses automated traffic enforcement extensively.

DC mayor says traffic cameras make city streets safer

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser released a statement this week before the legislation was brought up in the House committee, noting that traffic fatalities fell last year by 52% to their lowest level since 2014.

“This progress was made possible through a broad strategy to both deter dangerous driving and hold reckless drivers accountable — a strategy that also includes infrastructure upgrades, targeted law enforcement efforts and strengthened accountability,” she said.

Automated traffic enforcement brought in $267 million in revenue for the District last year.

While the legislation to end traffic camera enforcement has moved forward in Congress, it still has a long way to go before becoming law. The House would need to approve the bill, sending it to the Senate.

The legislation would likely hit a roadblock there, in the form of a Democratic filibuster.

Sixty votes would be needed to advance the bill in the Senate.

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U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan has requested the department’s first budget over $1 billion, pointing to increasing security demands and rising threats against members of Congress.

“The threat environment continues to grow,” Sullivan said Tuesday during testimony to the House Appropriations Legislative Branch subcommittee.

Sullivan said last year his department investigated nearly 15,000 concerning statements and threats directed at Congress. That was a 58% increase compared to the previous year.

He said the department is on pace to exceed that this year.

“These are not just numbers. They’re threats against real people,” Sullivan said. “We understand how disruptive and unsettling that can be.”

Last month, Capitol Police arrested an 18-year-old man who ran toward the West Front of the Capitol while carrying a loaded shotgun. No one was injured and the man, later identified by officials as Carter Camacho, was taken into custody.

Camacho told officers he was there to meet a member of Congress but did not say who it was.

Protection of lawmakers expands beyond Capitol Hill

Sullivan told lawmakers his department is not just focused on improving security at the Capitol and the congressional buildings nearby. He said the department now has mutual aid agreements in all 50 states, so that law enforcement resources can be quickly sent in wherever they are needed.

Many lawmakers have expressed concern about their security when they return to their home states.

In 2022, a man broke into the California home of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacked her husband Paul Pelosi with a hammer. He told authorities he had come to the home to interrogate Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who was not there at the time.

David DePape was convicted of two charges in 2024 and .

In recent years, Congress has approved additional funding so that lawmakers can add to the security of their private homes.

Sullivan told lawmakers at the hearing on Tuesday that he has made progress in hiring, but noted the department’s mission has expanded.

“That has placed a strain on our staffing model and increased overtime,” he said.

His budget request for the 2027 fiscal year includes $734 million for salary and expenses and $289 million for general expenses.

Sullivan became police chief last year, succeeding Thomas Manger, who retired in May 2025.

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Maryland U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Virginia Rep. Don Beyer announced new legislation Thursday that seeks to provide federal tax cuts for millions of working Americans trying to make ends meet.

“Under our plan, 130 million Americans will get some tax relief,” Van Hollen said during a news conference, where he also appeared with fellow Democrat Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly.

Van Hollen said it was important for Democrats to present their own plan for addressing affordability issues that are squeezing American household budgets — not to just criticize President Donald Trump’s tax cuts for the wealthy.

“We believe that Americans who are earning just enough to get by, to meet their basic living expenses, should not have to pay a federal income tax,” Van Hollen said.

would not require those earning under $46,000 to pay federal income tax.

A single person earning $50,000 a year would receive a tax cut of $2,800. A family of four earning $95,000 would get a tax cut of $6,000, according to figures provided by Van Hollen.

Beyer, who represents Virginia’s 8th District, said the current tax system is tilted too favorably toward the country’s wealthy.

“Some of the wealthiest people in America actually pay a lower tax rate — not just lower taxes — but a lower tax rate, than nurses and teachers and firefighters and car mechanics,” he said. “And it’s only continuing to move in the wrong direction.”

Van Hollen said he supports other Democrats’ tax proposals, but hopes that his legislation can be a “pillar” for the party, as lawmakers prepare for the midterm elections.

He said the tax cuts would be paid for by imposing a surcharge on Americans who earn more than $1 million a year.

Last year, Republicans approved an extension of Trump’s tax cuts from his first term, as part of the “.”

The legislation includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, which Democrats have criticized as largely aimed at the rich. But Republicans point to several provisions for working Americans, such as a “no tax on tips” provision.

GOP leaders hope that as the benefits of the tax cuts kick in this year, that will help them in the midterm elections.

Van Hollen and Kelly are both seen as possible Democratic presidential candidates in 2028.

Their legislation has close to 20 Democratic cosponsors, but it is unlikely to advance while Republicans control both chambers of Congress.

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Democratic members of Maryland’s congressional delegation made an unannounced visit Monday to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Baltimore and said they were taken aback by the conditions.

“I am disgusted by what I just saw,” said Rep. Glenn Ivey, who represents Maryland’s 4th Congressional District.

Ivey and several lawmakers spoke outside the George H. Fallon Federal Building, after visiting the facility Monday morning.

Ivey, a former prosecutor who noted he’s been in numerous jails and holding cells due to his work as an attorney over the years, said he can’t believe ICE has been holding people in the conditions he saw.

“We adopted two dogs a little while ago and we went to the shelter to go get them,” he said. “And the shelter space is better than the human space they’ve got upstairs.”

ICE has used space in the building to temporarily hold people taken into custody as they begin what can be an unpredictable legal journey related to immigration enforcement.

The lawmakers said many people have had to sleep on concrete floors in unsanitary and overcrowded conditions.

Those visiting the facility included U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks; Rep. Kweisi Mfume, who represents the 7th District; and Rep. Johnny Olszewski, who represents the 2nd District.

Local leaders from Baltimore also spoke at a news conference after the lawmakers’ visit.

Judge has ordered changes at the holding facility

The lawmakers visited the facility just days after a federal judge issued a ruling Friday .

U.S. District Judge Julie Rubin ordered that the five holding rooms at the facility must hold no more than 55 people at a time.

Van Hollen said the facility was previously allowed to hold more than 220 people.

Lawmakers said the rooms have concrete benches and a single toilet.

Van Hollen also said he was glad the judge ordered ICE to make sure that detainees get a medical screening within 12 hours of being brought to the facility.

He said that is important, given what has happened nationwide.

“We’ve seen almost 40 people die in ICE custody last year,” he said. “And nine already in these first months of this year.”

In court filings, the Justice Department argued ICE had been meeting federal legal standards for the facility.

But the judge rejected the DOJ arguments.

Several lawmakers have made repeated visits to the facility, amid ongoing complaints about conditions there.

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Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia is again leading the charge for a congressional war powers resolution on Iran, arguing that members of Congress have no greater constitutional duty than to address matters of war and peace.

“If you don’t have the guts to vote yes or no on a war vote, how dare you send our sons and daughters into war where they risk their lives,” Kaine said.

A vote on the Democratic lawmaker’s is expected on Wednesday.

While the war is underway, Kaine said it is important that all lawmakers go on the record as to whether they authorize future military action against Iran.

Kaine faces an uphill battle to secure enough votes for passage. He needs his fellow Democrats and several Republicans to join him.

One Republican, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, is a co-sponsor of the legislation.

But Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, has indicated he will vote against the resolution.

Kaine previously sponsored a war powers resolution when the U.S. carried out a military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities last June, but .

Paul voted with Democrats and Fetterman voted with Republicans last year.

Even if he can’t get his current bill passed, Kaine said it can have an impact.

“These war powers votes tend to force the administration at a minimum to have to explain itself in ways that then lead the American public to be able to better judge whether or not this is a good idea or not,” he said.

Kaine has long pressed Congress to assert its war powers

Kaine said he pledged when elected to the Senate and appointed to the Senate Armed Services Committee “that I would do anything in my power — anything — to stop our nation from sending … our youngsters into war without a legitimate justification.”

When he served as Virginia’s governor between 2006 and 2010, many military personnel from the commonwealth died in Iraq.

At one memorial event involving a returning Virginia National Guard unit, its leader announced that its members were “all present and accounted for.”

“Obviously, that was an enormous source of joy and pride for him to say those words,” Kaine said. “I looked at his face and I saw in that moment the burden of worry melt from him.”

Kaine said that reminded him of sadder events where those words weren’t said.

Kaine has a son who serves in the Marine Corps, which he acknowledges makes the issue even more personal.

GOP’s defense of attacks on Iran

Republican lawmakers have strongly defended President Donald Trump’s decision, saying there is no doubt the president had the power to order the attack on Iran.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday that Iran for years fomented terror throughout the Middle East, “relentlessly” pursued a nuclear program and “aggressively” expanded its ballistic missile inventory.

“It is clear that Iran poses a serious risk to America’s national security interests as well as those of our allies and partners,” Thune said.

“My prayers are for the success of the mission and above all, for the safety of U.S. personnel in harm’s way,” he said, noting that American military members have already sacrificed their lives in the war.

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Virginia U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, who serves as the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Iran has a long history of terrorism in the Middle East, but that “does not relieve any president of the responsibility to act within the law, with a clear strategy and with Congress.”

Like many other Democratic lawmakers, Warner said Congress can’t be sidelined.

“The Constitution is clear: the decision to take this nation to war rests with Congress and launching large-scale military operations — particularly in the absence of an imminent threat to the United States — raises serious legal and constitutional concerns,” Warner said in a statement on Saturday.

Warner and other Democrats called for the administration to fully brief lawmakers and explain the specific aims of the U.S.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine has a war powers resolution that was prepared before the attack took place, and there’s a push to quickly bring it to the Senate floor for a vote.

In a statement released Saturday, Kaine noted that for months he has “raised hell about the fact that the American people want lower prices, not more war.”

“These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray that they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives,” he said.

Kaine said the Senate should immediately return to session to vote on his war powers resolution.
He said all senators need to go on the record on what he referred to as, “this dangerous, unnecessary, and idiotic action.”

Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican, has a war powers resolution pending in the House.
He called for Congress to convene Monday to consider it.

The Norfolk-based aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is in the region to support the military action against Iran. The carrier and its sailors have already been at sea for more than eight months.

Kaine said it could end up being the longest deployment for a U.S. aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War. The carrier previously supported U.S. military operations off the Venezuelan coast.

House speaker says lawmakers were briefed

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Saturday that Iran is “facing the severe consequences of its evil actions,” noting that the president and the administration had made extensive efforts to pursue a diplomatic solution to “the Iranian regime’s sustained nuclear ambitions.”

“The Gang of 8 was briefed in detail earlier this week that military action may become necessary to protect American troops and American citizens in Iran,” Johnson said.

The briefing of the top congressional leaders, which included Warner, took place before the president’s State of the Union address earlier this week.

Johnson said he also received updates from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) praised Rubio for providing updates on the situation, and said he looks forward to administration officials briefing all senators about the military operations.

“I commend President Donald Trump for taking action to thwart these threats,” he said.

One of the first officials to publicly praise the president for attacking Iran was U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Republican ally of Trump.

“As I watch and monitor this historic operation, I’m in awe of President Donald Trump’s determination to be a man of peace but at the end of the day, evil’s worst nightmare,” he said in an X post. “Well done, Mr. President.”

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Some D.C.-area Democratic members of Congress said they will not attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday evening, electing instead to attend separate events in the District.

The lawmakers have said their decision is a protest to Trump’s policies on a wide range of issues.

“These are not normal times, and they demand a new response,” Rep. April McClain Delaney, who represents Maryland’s 6th District, said in a statement Monday.

She criticized his administration’s treatment of federal workers and legal immigrants.

“I am also deeply disgusted by the personal attacks on Gov. Wes Moore, who has worked tirelessly to ensure no Marylander is left behind amid sweeping federal cuts that are jeopardizing health care and food security,” she added.

McClain Delaney and Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland plan to attend an event on the National Mall on Tuesday, billed as

Van Hollen will be one of the lawmakers speaking at the rally.

“Trump is marching America toward fascism, and I refuse to normalize his shredding of our Constitution and democracy,” he said

Rep. Don Beyer, who represents Virginia’s 8th District, has also said he will not attend the State of the Union.

Democrats are also attending an event at the National Press Club on Tuesday, called Organizers said it is not a protest, but a “live, public rebuttal” to the president’s address.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the televised Democratic response to the State of the Union address from Colonial Williamsburg.

“On Tuesday, I look forward to joining Virginians in this historic place to lay out the next chapter of our story — a clear vision for a stronger, safer, and more affordable future for every American who calls our nation home,” she said in a statement.

Other forms of protest: guests and ‘silent defiance’

Rep. Eugene Vindman, who represents Virginia’s 7th District, plans to bring his brother Alexander as his guest to the State of the Union. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a retired U.S. Army officer, testified before Congress during the first impeachment proceedings involving Trump.

“Bringing Alex as my guest is about honoring the principle that no one is above the law,” Eugene Vindman said in a statement.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, who represents Maryland’s 8th District, and Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, who represents Virginia’s 10th District, plan to bring Sky Roberts and his wife Amanda to the State of the Union.

Sky Roberts is the brother of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who said she was sexually assaulted by Jeffrey Epstein as a teenager. Giuffre died by suicide last year and has been credited with helping to draw attention to the allegations against Epstein.

Raskin praised Sky and Amanda Roberts for continuing to demand “truth and justice.”

Democrats who are in the U.S. House Chamber will sit in “silent defiance,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.

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The Democratic lawmaker was among the first to after the high court’s decision on Friday.

“Broad-based tariffs are a tax on American consumers, and the Trump administration’s attempt to pretend otherwise was laughable in its inaccuracy and deeply disrespectful to the millions of American consumers who have faced higher prices because of Trump’s unaffordable economic policies,” he wrote.

Kaine has led the way for Democrats in the fight against tariffs, getting four bills advanced in the Senate, including

The Virginia lawmaker has cited the economic pain that tariffs can cause not just to consumers, but to small businesses like beer breweries and even pie shops that rely on aluminum pie tins.

In his Friday statement, he also accused the administration of carrying out an “egregious and destructive abuse of presidential power.”

Longtime GOP senator also praises high court decision

Many Republicans criticized the Supreme Court decision, arguing it ties the hands of the president as he tries to take on unfair trade practices to protect American workers.

But, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who served as GOP Senate leader longer than any other lawmaker, strongly backing the ruling.

He said the high court “reaffirmed authority that has rested with Congress for centuries.”

“Congress’ role in trade policy, as I have warned repeatedly, is not an inconvenience to avoid,” he wrote. “If the executive would like to enact trade policies that impact American producers and consumers, its path forward is crystal clear: convince their representatives under Article 1.”

McConnell’s view is one that had been held by most Republicans for decades. But it was upended when Trump was elected to office in 2016, making it clear he supported tariffs.

The president then imposed sweeping tariffs when he returned to the White House last year.

What’s ahead for Congress on tariffs?

U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, a Republican from Ohio, called on fellow GOP lawmakers on Friday to pass legislation that would codify the president’s tariffs affected by the Supreme Court decision.

He called the decision “outrageous” in a

“This betrayal must be reversed and Republicans must get to work immediately on a reconciliation bill to codify the tariffs that had made our country the hottest country on earth!” he said.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson issued statements of support for the president and indicated they would work with him to do what he wants.

But the president, when asked at a news conference about working with Congress to produce new tariff legislation, dismissed the idea.

“I’ve always had the right to do tariffs. It’s all been approved by Congress,” he said. “So there’s no reason to do it.”

However, the president has relied on executive orders — not Congress — to impose his tariffs, which is what the high court called into legal question.

Trump announced Friday that he would impose 10% global tariffs through a different provision.

It would require congressional approval to be extended after 150 days.

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The late Rev. Jesse Jackson had a national profile as a civil rights activist, but for years he also had a major presence in D.C. that included serving as the District’s shadow senator in the 1990s.

The position was created in 1990 and Jackson received more than 100,000 votes for a position that didn’t have a vote in Congress, but was designed to strengthen D.C.’s push for statehood.

Jackson was sworn into the office in 1991, the same year that Eleanor Holmes Norton was sworn in for her first term as D.C. Delegate.

Norton appeared with Jackson at numerous events and praised him in a statement released on Tuesday, after his death was announced. Jackson was 84.

“In his years representing the District, Rev. Jackson stood firmly for D.C. statehood and full self-governance,” Norton said. “His work built bridges across race, class and geography, helping redefine what inclusive democracy could look like in America.”

Norton recently announced she will not seek reelection after 35 years in office, another sign of a passing political era.

Maryland lawmaker fondly remembers campaigning with Jackson

Rep. Glenn Ivey, a Democrat who represents Maryland’s 4th congressional district, said he saw Jackson in action during the reverend’s 1988 presidential run.

Ivey was working for Michigan Rep. John Conyers and they went to Michigan to help with the Jackson campaign.

He said Jackson was a “brilliant campaigner” and “brilliant orator.”

“He could go from speaking to a group of high school students and mesmerize them, and go immediately to a group of white business owners downtown at the Economic Club and mesmerize them,” Ivey said in an interview with ������Ƶapp.

“He just had the ability to really reach every kind of audience, even frankly, when a lot of the people in the audience disagreed with what he was saying or wanted to do,” Ivey said.

Jackson won the Michigan presidential caucus, which made him the first Black candidate ever to win a presidential caucus or primary.

Ivey noted it was a “high water mark” for the Jackson campaign and said it was fun to be a part of that political history.

Ivey also noted that Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition ultimately grew into part of the Democratic Party strategy to include a wide range of American voters.

He also said Jackson “sort of took off the table the idea that African Americans could never be elected to the White House.”

Ivey called Jackson “a dynamic, charismatic figure.”

Jackson’s ties to Ben’s Chili Bowl

Like many prominent black political leaders and celebrities, Jackson loved Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street.

He was added to the eatery’s famous mural in 2018, during a celebration of its 60th anniversary.

Jackson frequented Ben’s Chili Bowl often over the years.

He attended a celebration of the eatery in 2013, pumping up the crowd as he did for many years on the campaign trail.

“Keep hope alive,” he thundered. “Good chili, good hot dogs, good grits! Let me hear you scream.”

It was a moment that briefly recalled the many years that Jackson seemed to be everywhere at once.

in honor of Jackson, calling him a “dear friend.”

“He shared wisdom at our tables, laughter in our dining room, and unwavering love for our community,” the post said. “We are forever grateful for his life’s dedication to justice, equality, and opportunity for all.”

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For all the latest developments in Congress, follow ������Ƶapp Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller at Today on the Hill.

The partial government shutdown is now in its fourth day, but Congress is not in session and lawmakers are not scheduled to return until next Monday.

Even before the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security began just after midnight on Saturday, House and Senate leaders decided to send lawmakers home last Thursday.

There has been a lot of finger pointing between Democrats and Republicans, but little substantive negotiating.

The White House and Democrats continue to say low-level talks are continuing, but it looks like this DHS shutdown will last at least through the week.

Democrats are insisting that reforms to Immigration Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection be implemented if DHS funding is to be approved.

They ratcheted up their demands in the wake of the deadly shootings of two people in Minneapolis in the middle of increased federal immigration enforcement.

“We’re ready to sit down with anyone at anytime, anyplace if they are serious about the types of dramatic reforms that are necessary to get ICE under control,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who was one of the few lawmakers remaining at the U.S. Capitol on Friday.

He chided House Speaker Mike Johnson for letting lawmakers leave Washington for their districts, noting that the House wasn’t in session for 43 days last year .

Why no big push to end the DHS shutdown?

The threats of government shutdowns in the past often led to around-the-clock negotiations to keep the government running.

When shutdowns took place, they were often quickly resolved, as Democrats and Republicans agreed to compromise.

That urgency appears lost, especially in the three most recent shutdowns that have taken place since last fall.

There was clearly no urgency after the Oct. 1 government shutdown began, since it lasted longer than any other before it.

Even when lawmakers managed to end the partial government shutdown before this one, they only approved a two-week continuing resolution for DHS.

A big reason that lawmakers have remained out of town with no urgent call to return is because ICE and CBP both have plenty of funding, due to passage last year of the president’s

The legislation included $75 billion for ICE, an agency that in the past received about $10 billion annually. CBP received $64 billion.

So the agencies that Democrats are targeting for reforms — such as a ban on wearing masks and expanded use of body cameras — have plenty of money and aren’t really impacted by the current shutdown.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer noted on Monday that the ICE and CBP funds extend through 2029.

“All the Democrats are doing right now is trying to shut down TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard,” Emmer said on “CBS Mornings.”

What could end the shutdown?

As with some past shutdowns, many believe issues related to the Transportation Security Administration and air travel could be the impetus for ending the current DHS shutdown if an agreement can’t be reached on immigration enforcement reforms.

During last year’s shutdown, unpaid TSA workers started calling in sick and delays started to mount at the nation’s airports.

TSA workers recently got paid, so their next missed paycheck would be at the end of the month.

Also getting attention is next Tuesday’s scheduled State of the Union address. Some lawmakers believe that could spur more serious DHS negotiations.

But Congress isn’t scheduled to return until a day ahead of the president’s address.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson have held out the possibility of calling lawmakers back early if a deal is reached.

But right now, that seems highly unlikely.

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The U.S. Senate gave final approval Thursday to a bill to prevent D.C. from opting out of President Donald Trump’s administration’s tax cuts, just over a week after the U.S. House backed the legislation.

The joint disapproval resolution to repeal D.C. tax law was passed on a party-line vote of 49-47.

The legislation now goes to Trump for his signature.

D.C. leaders have warned that disallowing the District from applying its own tax law could take away more than $600 million from its spending plan.

There is also the matter of how it could make things more difficult for local tax filers.

“I think our most practical concern is what is it going to do for the tax filing season,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said Thursday. “And I think the broader concern is why would the Congress be interfering with D.C. tax policy that states all over the union are passing.”

All the Democratic senators from Virginia and Maryland voted against the bill, echoing the concerns of the mayor.

Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said there are nearly 20 other states that are decoupling from provisions in the federal tax cuts. He noted they include Virginia, as well as states led by Republicans, such as Alabama.

“This resolution would literally change the rules in the middle of the game,” Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, of Maryland, said. “While taxpayers have already started filing returns, it would require revising tax forms and systems, and could force taxpayers to refile returns.”

But Republicans have argued that the District is effectively taking away a tax cut that their residents should receive.

They point to provisions for no federal taxes on tips and overtime, which are designed to save taxpayers money.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, of Florida, noted that Congress has the power to reconsider laws passed by the D.C. Council.

“This means we have a constitutional responsibility to fight for those living here, in our nation’s capital, just like any legislator should fight for the people living in their state,” he said.

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The U.S. Senate has only a few more days left for lawmakers to agree on reforms for the Department of Homeland Security, and there are few signs that will happen before a Friday midnight deadline.

A two-week continuing resolution for DHS, approved as part of the legislation that ended the last partial government shutdown, expires Friday.

If no new legislation is approved, a partial government shutdown will begin, this time affecting DHS and its agencies, including FEMA, TSA and the Coast Guard.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday that the Trump administration and Democrats held “meaningful talks” over the weekend on law enforcement reforms.

Democrats last week proposed a list of 10 reforms for U.S. Immigration and Customs and Customs and Border Protection.

“Some of them are positive starting points for further discussion, others are nonstarters and unnecessarily tie the hands of law enforcement,” Thune said.

Among the proposals Republicans oppose is a requirement that ICE obtain judicial warrants for raids, instead of using administrative warrants issued by the agency.

Thune said Monday that reaching an agreement and voting on it by Friday will be difficult.

“We’re just a few days away from the deadline that Democrats chose and it’s very possible we won’t have our work finished by then,” Thune said.

If that’s the case, lawmakers may need to pass another short-term continuing resolution for DHS.

Heads of ICE, CBP testify before House panel

The recent deadly shootings of two people in Minneapolis have increased congressional scrutiny of federal law enforcement.

The House Homeland Security Committee planned to hear testimony Tuesday from law enforcement leaders, who were expected to face tough questions.

Those scheduled to testify include ICE Director Todd Lyons, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow.

Congressional Democrats have said they will continue to push for ICE and Border Patrol reforms and indicated they won’t support extending DHS funding without changes.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said ICE and other agencies should follow the same general guidelines expected of state and local law enforcement.

“ICE is out of control right now. The American people know it,” Jeffries said Monday. “And ICE clearly needs to be reined in.”

Jeffries did not appear open to another DHS continuing resolution if it simply extends current funding.

“Our position has been clear: Dramatic changes are needed at the Department of Homeland Security before a DHS funding bill moves forward,” he said. “Period. Full stop.”

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The Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard to D.C. has cost taxpayers more than $330 million, and that figure could nearly double if personnel remain in the District through the end of the year, according to a new congressional report.

The from Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security Committee also states there is no measurable evidence to show whether the presence of National Guard personnel is making D.C. safer.

Guard personnel have been deployed in the District since last August, when President Donald Trump and placed the D.C. police department under federal control.

“While combating crime must be a priority at all levels of government, it is not clear that the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on deploying the National Guard, purportedly to support this effort, is effective in making the nation’s capital any safer,” the report states.

Crime has gone down during the Guard’s deployment, but D.C. leaders have pointed out it was trending downward before the president’s declaration.

How long will Guard personnel remain in DC?

The length of the Guard’s deployment remains open-ended and is now expected to extend through at least July, when Washington celebrates the commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

But various officials have indicated that Guard personnel could remain in D.C..

If that happens, the report states the cost to taxpayers will be on track to exceed more than $600 million. That is more than the entire budget for D.C. police, which is $599 million for fiscal year 2026.

More than 2,000 service members from several states are deployed in the District.

Supporters of the deployment, including Republican members of Congress, say Guard personnel have helped make the city safer by being a visible presence.

Before winter set in, Guard members were involved in a lot of activities related to “beautification” of the nation’s capital, painting fences, pruning trees and spreading mulch.

While they are armed, they are not allowed to make arrests. Guard leaders told lawmakers they have been involved in helping to deal with scuffles on the National Mall.

Two members of the West Virginia National Guard just blocks from the White House last year. One of them died and another was seriously injured.

The report concludes with questions about the effectiveness of the mission and the deployment of Guard members to help deal with crime.

The report states “it remains unclear, for the price of $332 million (and counting), whether the National Guard has actually made D.C.’s streets safer,” and whether resources would be better spent on their “normal missions,” including responding to disasters across the country.

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The U.S. House passed legislation Wednesday to prevent D.C. from opting out of Trump administration tax cuts that District leaders warn could blow a $600 million hole in its spending plan.

The vote on was divided along party lines, 215-210.

The congressional action follows a , which decoupled the city from President Donald Trump’s tax cuts.

D.C. leaders note that similar action has been taken by several states in an effort to maintain revenue.

“Congress has never overturned a revenue-raising law for D.C.,” D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said. “Doing so would be a reckless escalation with real and lasting consequences.

The action by the council was taken to allow the District to spend at least $600 million in local revenue through 2029.

D.C. officials said the congressional action threatens to upend the filing of local taxes, since the District had already prepared paperwork for people to file.

Norton said it “will sow chaos in the middle of tax filing season.”

“It is sabotage and the damage could be severe and intentional,” she said this week, ahead of Wednesday’s vote.

The District has planned to use part of the funds it expected to receive by opting out of the federal tax cuts to expand the local child tax credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Republicans say DC action hurts taxpayers

House Speaker Mike Johnson is among the Republicans who criticized D.C. for not including all the provisions of the tax cuts included in the president’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” that Congress passed last year.

“If this act were to become local law, D.C. residents would be prevented from claiming no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, the increased standard deduction and so much more,” Johnson said. “It’s just wrong.”

Rep. Brandon Gill, a Republican who represents the 26th District in Texas, is the sponsor of the legislation.

“The D.C. Council would rather punish their own residents, their own people, than recognize the achievements of President Trump’s legislation,” Gill said Wednesday on the House floor.

Norton on the floor on Wednesday called the measure “paternalistic.”

“The D.C. law changed only the D.C. tax code,” Norton said. “It did not and could not change the federal tax code.”

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat who represents Florida’s 10th District, said states that have decoupled from provisions of the tax cuts include Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Maine, Colorado and Alabama.

The U.S. Senate is also considering a GOP bill that would block D.C. from decoupling from the federal tax cuts.

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