Louisiana voters decide Saturday whether Sen. Bill Cassidy will hold his seat against Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and John Fleming. Cassidy's 2021 impeachment vote and clashes with the Trump administration have shaped a contentious GOP primary that could lead to a runoff.
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Congress returns to Washington facing critical votes on the Iran war, a prolonged DHS shutdown, and potential expulsions of members amid misconduct allegations. Lawmakers grapple with funding disputes, war powers limits, and ethics investigations as tensions rise.
President Trump orders the Department of Homeland Security to pay all employees amid a nearly 50-day shutdown. Over 35,000 workers, including FEMA and Coast Guard civilians, have gone unpaid due to a congressional impasse over immigration policy.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has rescinded a policy requiring the secretary’s personal review of contracts over $100,000, a change expected to reduce procurement delays that previously hindered agencies like FEMA, CBP, and ICE. Secretary Markwayne Mullin emphasized empowering agency components to make decisions and has also begun reevaluating ICE’s detention facility plans. Meanwhile, amid a partial government shutdown affecting DHS operations, congressional leaders proposed a two-track funding plan to reopen DHS and address immigration enforcement funding separately, though political disagreements continue to stall progress.
The Department of Homeland Security shutdown has become the longest in U.S. history at 45 days, caused by House Republicans rejecting a Senate bipartisan funding package that excluded ICE and parts of CBP. The shutdown has severely impacted TSA operations, leading to staffing shortages and long airport security lines, with ICE agents temporarily assisting TSA amid ongoing disputes between the chambers. Both the House and Senate have recessed until mid-April, while leaders continue negotiations, and President Trump has issued an executive order to pay TSA workers but has yet to compel Congress to return early to resolve the impasse.
The Senate approved a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection, continuing a partial government shutdown centered on immigration enforcement funding. The bill aims to restore funding for key agencies like TSA and FEMA amid operational challenges, including TSA staffing shortages and long airport security lines, prompting President Trump to order emergency payments for TSA workers. While Democrats praised the bill for excluding immigration enforcement funding without reforms, House Republican leaders criticized it and have yet to commit to advancing the measure, leaving the shutdown unresolved.







