Congress returns from recess to address a two-month partial DHS shutdown and an 18-month FISA Section 702 extension deadline. Democrats push for a fourth Iran war powers vote, while Republicans consider budget reconciliation to fund ICE and CBP despite White House concerns over separating DHS components. Amidst these maneuvers, Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzalez resign following sexual assault allegations, avoiding expulsion votes. Simultaneously, President Trump denies depicting himself as Jesus on Truth Social, claiming it showed him as a doctor, even as Budget Director Russ Vogt faces scrutiny over a $1.5 trillion Pentagon request for fiscal 2027. Ultimately, these legislative battles highlight deep partisan gridlock and accountability crises just before midterm elections. [Automatically generated summary]
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Congressional Spending Concerns00:14:30
SPAN's Washington Journal.
Join the conversation live at 7 Eastern Tuesday morning on C-SPAN, C-SPAN Now, our free mobile app, or online at c-span.org.
This week, Congress returns after a two-week holiday break.
Lawmakers plan to take up key bills in both the House and Senate.
Expect House members to consider legislation to extend FISA Section 702 Warrantless Surveillance Authority for 18 months.
If approved by the House, the Senate must pass it before the Friday, April 17th deadline.
Senate Democrats intend to force a vote for a fourth time on an Iran war powers resolution to limit unauthorized U.S. military action against Iran.
Three other attempts were blocked, mainly along Senate party lines.
Follow the process when Congress returns this week on the C-SPAN networks and C-SPAN Now, our free mobile video app.
Also, get the full schedule online at c-span.org.
C-SPAN, bringing you democracy unfiltered.
Congress is back after a two-week recess, and there's a lot on the to-do list to help track it all for us.
We're joined by CQ Roll Calls Eris Foley.
Let's start on the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
It will hit the two-month mark this week.
Is there any indication at this point that Republicans and Democrats are moving towards a resolution here?
Republicans and Democrats, right?
That's very generous phrasing.
I think that what we saw on the Senate side, Republicans and Democrats did agree to a bill on the Senate side to fund DHS mostly with ICE, without ICE and some CBP funding.
But yeah, it's sent to the House side, and now the House has rejected it initially, but it's still kind of being waiting in limbo right now.
You have House Republicans who feel very concerned about the idea of not, of leaving out ICE funding, of leaving out immigration enforcement funds, and who want to ensure that a deal to fund DHS will eventually still lead to ICE and CBP getting what otherwise would have been the appropriations they would have for FY27.
So the idea of moving this through a budget reconciliation process, how would that work?
And is that on the table?
Yes.
So because the Senate bill does not include ICE and CBP funding, the idea is that they would use reconciliation because Republicans and Democrats have not been able to come to a deal on reforms for ICE and CBP.
So as a result, the Senate bill doesn't include those funds.
Republicans are trying to use reconciliation as a go-it-alone tactic to approve immigration enforcement funding as part of more of a partisan bill.
But that's a really heavy lift in this Congress.
How long does that take?
And is the White House on board with that approach?
Yes, the White House is also on board with that approach.
The problem is, I think, that Republicans are still trying to get on board with the strategy and just how do you fund DHS while ensuring that there is going to be funding for ICE and CBP.
So there have been conversations about whether they do one reconciliation package or do two reconciliation packages.
If you do two, you might be better able to narrow the scope of an ICE and CBP funding reconciliation package.
But there is still appetite among House Republicans in particular, House Republicans also on the Senate side, to have what's known as pay fors and potentially also using reconciliation to fund defense as well.
Amid an active shooting war in Iran, how much is the White House involved here?
I know Russ Vogt, the budget director, is expected to come up to Capitol Hill later this week to begin the process of the fiscal 2027 budget hearings.
What is he, what kind of questions do you expect him to get on DHS?
Oh, I think definitely there is still, there are still questions about just how they're going to use reconciliation to fund DHS, the ICE in particular and CBP.
There is, of course, a desire among some conservatives, right, to include all of the funding for DHS.
Again, they don't like the idea of separating or, as some would say, leaving behind ICE and CBP.
There are also questions, too, with regards to DHS and using reconciliation resources to fund defense for fiscal 2027.
What that process looks like, what that means for appropriations for this year, this coming year, how that impacts the budget.
A fiscal 2027 budget request for the Pentagon to the tune of $1.5 trillion, more than a 40% increase, I believe is the number.
And again, steep cuts at other agencies, including the EPA, one of those to see double-digit cuts.
What kind of questions are you expecting vote to get on that overall budget proposal?
I think there's just, yeah, what you're saying too, it's kind of a similar tactic as what we saw last year, the idea of using reconciliation resources to plus sub-defense while also still cutting funding on the non-defense side.
So there will probably be questions about just that kind of the idea of parity potentially.
Some Democrats have already discussed the need for parity when it comes to FY27.
There might be questions as to what a potential supplemental funding request could also look like from the administration, timeline for reconciliation.
We know that Trump has set a June 1 deadline, but if you're talking about multiple reconciliation packages and you're talking about a potential immigration enforcement package, it's still unclear what all would fit, right, and both of these are maybe one of these reconciliation packages.
On supplemental funding requests, where are we on that warfighting funding request?
It was originally $200 billion is what we were hearing was being floated, and now we're closer to $100 billion.
Why?
And what's the status of when that could be passed?
So there's been, to your point too, a lot of different reports and even lawmakers have kind of just been floating around different numbers from $200 billion to $100 billion.
There was a recent report last week, notice had on how the figure looks like it might be closing in the administration on a 98, roughly $98 billion in funding, which is a lot less than what some other members were expecting.
But it's not been made an official request just yet.
There's also going to be funding, potentially some lawmakers are expecting on the disaster relief side potentially.
And that could be a pot sweetener, right?
Like there is a lot of skepticism in Congress about the idea of a bipartisan defense supplemental.
So it could be something that maybe helps secure more support on the other side, but still a lot of skepticism.
Less of a funding question, but more on what it could mean.
We're hearing now that Congress is back an effort this week in the Senate and perhaps in the House as well to limit President Trump's Iran warfighting powers.
How did they do that?
What does that look like?
And what's the status of that as we begin to get members of the House and Senate back up here on Capitol Hill?
Yes, House Democrats attempted that during the pro forma.
They've also attempted that earlier this year.
There could be what some are saying, maybe a shift in the winds from what we saw earlier this year.
You have some Democrats who previously weren't in support of that measure that might be supportive if it were to come to the floor again.
And you also have Senate Democrats also wanting to keep the pressure on Republicans right now.
This is a war that some Democrats would say, again, the polling does not show to be necessarily in Trump's favor right now with the public.
There are some concerns and uneasiness amongst some Republicans even at this point, or just an idea that there is a point where Congress will need to step in potentially, depending on how long this persists.
So definitely probably in the weeks ahead, we'll probably see maybe more efforts like what we're seeing this week with Senate Democrats are planning to do and also just about the House Democrats are also kind of proposing right now and pushing for.
Eric Foley, our guest of CQ Roll Call, taking your phone calls on everything that's happening this week with Congress returning after that two-week recess.
Here's how you can call in.
Republicans 202-748-8001.
Democrats 202-748-8000.
Independents 202-748-8002 as folks are calling in.
Take us to Eric Swalwell, the reports that came out over the weekend, now the end of the gubernatorial campaign, and potential expulsion from Congress.
What's your read on whether that could happen?
I think it could still be expulsion, it's just something that could be a heavy lift just because of the voting threshold.
You have bipartisan support, however, from members and growing support behind the idea of expelling not just Swalwell, but also Gonzalez.
And you have Tony Gonzalez, Republican of Texas.
Right.
In light of these very serious allegations, and there's also growing pressure for investigations into these allegations.
So there's a lot of scrutiny right now happening on both sides of the aisle.
Whether that translates to an expulsion vote, a successful expulsion vote, it's a little unclear.
An investigation, how long would that take?
Who conducts that investigation?
How does that work when Congress is trying to police itself?
I think that those are still questions that we're trying to look into.
I just think that there's so much pressure right now that for both parties involved, lawmakers want to see answers.
There's a lot more scrutiny just on Capitol Hill in general.
The idea that lawmakers are kind of tying is also to just the need to ensure that powerful people are held accountable for abuses against staff, against, as some lawmakers have said, just young women.
There's a culture, I think, right now that lawmakers are trying to just are facing pressure at least to tap into and rooting out.
But all of that comes amid a backdrop of a very narrowly divided house between Republicans and Democrats.
Perhaps all the more reason why this could be one Democrat and one Republican if this does happen, that it would likely happen together?
There are reportings that are, there's reports that are suggesting that there is an appetite if you're going to move on one lawmaker to also from one party, especially I think what you're saying, giving the margins, that you could do both theoretically at the same time when it would balance the scales, so to speak.
But I think there's so many questions as to what that process will even look like.
And you have Swalwell who's also denying the allegations.
So many questions, so many phone calls.
Let's get to some of them.
Eris Foley with us of CQ Roll Call.
This is James in Newark, New Jersey.
Independent, good morning.
Yes.
How y'all doing?
Good, James.
What's on your mind?
What's your question?
How much is money going to go to homeless vets?
My brother died.
He was homeless.
He's dead.
I'm very angry that none of this money go to homeless banks.
Homeless bets.
What do we know about funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs and homelessness issues as well?
Is that something you try?
Right.
I am, I have to double check the numbers on homelessness for veterans, but I do think that Veterans Affairs is one of the departments in, could be wrong, I have to double check, but in the fiscal 2027 budget request, that did see an increase for FY27.
What else were your takeaways from?
We are a little more than a week past the FY 2027 budget release.
We talked about the top line numbers for the Pentagon, EPA receiving steep cuts.
What else were your takeaways when you were paging through those many pages of budget projections or at least budget asks?
I think it's interesting that some agencies, like the Department of Education, for instance, didn't see, I think, as steep of cuts as people anticipated, but there are still steep cuts still across the board for some other agencies.
It's interesting to see kind of this return again to this idea of trying to reduce non-defense spending while plusing up defense spending, but doing so outside of reconciliation when you have also a number of Republican appropriators who are also concerned about the idea of using so much in reconciliation resources to plus up the fence.
But there is this kind of push and pull in the party when you have also conservatives who...
For non-Hill folks who are not following this day-to-day, what does that mean?
Reconciliation resources using...
Yeah, why is that something that's interesting to you of using the resources in one place and not the other?
Well, so by funding defense programs outside of the annual appropriations process, and using reconciliation, the idea is that you don't have to trade increases potentially.
As some members would say that defend this idea on the Republican side, you don't have to trade increases dollar-for-dollar parity for defense programs the way you would in negotiations with Democrats as part of potentially FY27, our regular government funding talks for non-defense increases.
Do budgets matter anymore?
It used to be a big thing when the president would release his fiscal whatever year budget.
There would be cameras as the budgets were being printed at the government printing office and there was a big to-do.
And now it sort of seems like it's a Friday event that doesn't get a whole lot of attention.
We'll have hearings coming up.
Those will get attention, but it's more an opportunity for members of Congress to finally buttonhole individual cabinet secretaries about their particular issues.
And then Congress ends up doing whatever it wants anyway with budget numbers as the process plays out.
So does the president releasing a budget matter anymore?
Midterm Election Budget Impact00:10:51
I think so.
I could be biased as a budget reporter, but I think so.
I think, I mean, it provides, it's largely symbolic.
There's not going to be all of the increases and cuts that the administration pursues seeing.
You're not going to see that enacted in regular appropriation bills.
But it does provide a guide for Republicans, for the majority party to fight for certain priorities of the president as part of the appropriation talks.
And last year, at least when it came to reconciliation resources, for an example, it did provide kind of a roadmap that was followed when they were plusing up defense, Republicans' defense and homeland security funding as part of the big, beautiful bill from last year.
So they were kind of successful in that effort in plusing up the funding that they wanted to see plus up.
And the numbers didn't shake out entirely how I think some conservatives would have wanted in the top line, but they were able to still boost defense and homeland security funding outside of the annual appropriations process.
What are your thoughts on Russ's vote as OMB director as compared to how other OMB directors have treated that role or how often they come up and speak with members of Congress?
How has he shaped the position of Office of Management Budget Director?
Great question.
I mean, if you're a Republican, you would say that there are Republicans who feel that they have an ear to OMB.
They feel that they can have their questions answered with regards to just how grants are handled in their states or funding for certain agencies.
Democrats would say the opposite.
Multiple Democrats I've spoken to some appropriations members who would say that it's not as easy to get that type of information from OMB.
But you can see that also just with the minority party and the president in those types, the president but the White House in those kind of situations.
I don't know to the extent that we're seeing maybe in this administration.
It depends on who you ask.
You can ask your questions of Aris Foley of CQ roll call by calling in on phone lines for Democrats 202-748-8000.
Republicans 202-748-8001.
Independents 202-748-8002.
A couple more minutes here.
This is Douglas in Tampa, Florida, Republican.
Douglas, go ahead.
Good morning.
Thank you again for C-SPAN and thank you for your thoughtful, plain responses.
My question would really be: what does Congress look like?
What does Washington look like in the wake of the Iran war and a lot of the irredment and blasphemous text coming from the White House, which a lot of religious leaders from the left-right centers are demanding apologies from the president, which is not always the strong suit?
I'd like to know what that looks like for the road ahead for the evangelical Republicans as well as some of the moderates that were trying to turn the other cheek and let this ride.
And before I go, thank you again for C-SPAN.
And I just must say, Miss, as an attorney getting ready to get his day going, you're exceptionally beautiful.
I'll take my answer.
All right, that's Douglas in Florida.
Thanks, Douglas.
Appreciate that.
I mean, I think that what's interesting, I think, is happening with Republicans.
While Republicans are, of course, like there are Republicans who are supportive of, have been supportive of the administration and its initial response in this conflict with Iran.
We're starting to see at least some appetite amongst Republicans.
I'm not sure how strong it will get for Congress to have some input the longer this persists, if this goes past a certain point.
With regards to the religious aspect, I wish, I haven't, it hasn't come up as much in my conversations, but definitely something I would like to delve more.
So with members coming back this week, who's the member you're going to go try to interview first?
What are you going to be asking about?
Is it Iran war related?
Is it budget-related?
What are you going to go do this week?
I think the big question right now is reconciliation.
Iran as well, there's so many different topics happening, but for me, I think what's top of mind for this week is going to be reconciliation, one package or two, how conversations went within the conference this past week.
Does it seem like more are coalescing around the idea of a singular budget package or a multi-pronged approach as we've seen favored by the Senate, not just this year, but also past year, in the previous year, upcoming meetings with the president.
We know that the president met with Senator Barrasso, Senator Graham on Friday.
Afterwards, there's still this push kind of on the Senate side for the case of multiple reconciliation bills.
So I think it's really interesting to see how Republicans, if they are beginning to, in both chambers, unify behind the multi-pronged kind of approach on reconciliation.
And what would that tell us if they do do that about What happens in the rest of this Congress and the path they're trying to take amid a looming midterm election?
Right.
Well, so speaking to Jody Arrington, chair of the House Budget Committee, I think he's said that, and the same thing that other Republicans have said, the closer you get to midterm elections, the idea of just doing any type of reconciliation bill is difficult.
You don't have the same pressure of the debt limit from last year.
You don't have the same pressure of retiring, I mean, of expiring tax cuts from last year as well.
So to do one reconciliation bill was a few weeks ago, if you talk to some Republicans in both chambers, it was seen as kind of idealistic, right?
It wasn't seen as, for some, at least like a serious idea, which is why there's concern about taking ICE and CBP out of an appropriations bill in the first place, because people didn't know entirely if there would be a Reconciliation 2.0.
The absence, if they do move on the Senate bill, of ICE and CBP funding will definitely make the case stronger for a reconciliation bill, but to do two to advance the president's priorities is a much bigger task.
One is already extremely difficult.
Two, by before midterm elections, is not impossible.
We'll see what happens together.
This is Nan in Lorton, Virginia Independent.
Nan, go ahead.
Yes, good morning.
I'm calling because I'm not hearing the clarity about this money that was given to Iran during the Obama administration.
That money, that $400 million payment, was based upon the agreement that was with the Shah back in the 70s.
So you're talking about monies that were technically in a fund that was set up by the Iranian government.
So we didn't give them any of our taxpayer money.
Eris Foley, any thoughts on Iran and money?
And I wrote down, I'm interested.
I was not here during the Obama administration, but I have a note now to look further into that.
What else are you working on this week as you get set to go chase after members of Congress as Capitol Hill reporters do throughout the day?
Right.
Well, as again, I was saying before, reconciliation and preparation is definitely top of mind.
Excited also for the budget hearings to come up and see what fireworks come out of those conversations.
I don't feel entirely, I think, confident in the idea of us getting any appropriation bills passed probably before midterm elections.
And even getting appropriation bills passed before the end of the fiscal year is always a pretty difficult task in the first place.
But one of those potential omnibus situations or that we just continue resolution to continue on the current funding path for months or longer at a time?
It's a really big question, Mark.
I mean, you have Republicans who have the House right now.
And again, there's just been this desire to continuously try and break the omnibus curse, as some would term it.
So the idea of them doing an omnibus, even if Democrats, let's say they did take back the House, I mean, I don't know.
Both sides can go back and forth when they're in power.
So it depends.
We have to see.
If you want to read about both sides going back and forth when they're in power, roll call, a good place to go for that roll call.com.
Eris Foley, a congressional reporter at CQ Roll Call, always appreciate your time.
Thank you.
Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez announced on his ex-account that he'll resign from Congress following allegations of sexual assault, saying he will file for retirement from his position.
Representative Gonzalez's resignation announcement comes amid several sexual misconduct allegations, including an admission that he had previously had an affair with an aide who later committed suicide.
Congressman Gonzalez's announcement comes just an hour after California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell announced his decision to resign from Congress over allegations of sexual assault.
In his statement, Congressman Swalwell apologized to his family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment and went on to acknowledge the attempt to have him expelled from Congress, saying, Expelling anyone in Congress without due process within days of an allegation being made is wrong.
But it's also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties.
Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.
The decision of the two to resign from their positions comes ahead of possible expulsion votes that could have come later this week.
The decision of both men, one Democrat and one Republican, to depart from Congress, will not change the balance of power in the House.
Democracy is always an unfinished creation.
Democracy is worth dying for.
Democracy belongs to us all.
We are here in the sanctuary of democracy.
Great responsibilities fall once again to the great democracies.
American democracy is bigger than any one person.
Freedom and democracy must be constantly guarded and protected.
We are still at our core a democracy.
This is also a massive victory for democracy and for freedom.
President Trump spoke to reporters outside the Oval Office after having McDonald's delivered via the online food ordering service DoorDash.
Democracy's Core Victory00:00:37
He then took questions from reporters on several topics, including the ongoing conflict with Iran and a recent Truth Social post depicting himself as Jesus, which he denies, saying he thought it depicted him as a doctor.