Stories

Browse major news stories and see what officials have said.

Aug 13, 2026· Updated

The House Votes 308-117 to Stop Changing the Clocks — and the Fight Moves to a Senate Where the Opposition Is Republicans From States That Would Not See Sunrise Until After 9 A.M.

On July 14, 2026, the House passed the Sunshine Protection Act 308-117, sending President Trump's long-standing demand for permanent, year-round daylight saving time to the Senate. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL). Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), presiding over the vote, played the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" from his phone as he read the tally. The split does not run cleanly along party lines. The bill's loudest champions are Florida Republicans; its Republican opponents are from northern and Mountain West states — Reps. Bryan Steil (R-WI), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and Harriet Hageman (R-WY) all voted no — where year-round daylight saving would push winter sunrise past 8:30 or 9 a.m. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposed the measure, while Democrats including Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) argued the sleep-medicine evidence favors permanent standard time instead. Trump renewed his pressure on the Senate on August 13, 2026. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) has publicly objected, invoking the failed 1974 experiment with year-round daylight saving, and Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) has said it does not work for his state. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said it remains to be seen whether the bill can reach 60 votes. The Senate returns from recess September 14.

“This is an issue that Republicans, Dumocrats, and Independents can unite behind.”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · Aug 13, 2026

Jul 25, 2026· Updated

House Adopts $95 Billion "Reconciliation 3.0" Budget Blueprint 216-214 With SAVE Act Money Inside

On July 22, 2026, the House adopted H.Con.Res. 113, a $95 billion budget reconciliation blueprint, by a vote of 216-214. The framework directs four House committees — Armed Services, Agriculture, Administration and Intelligence — to draft legislation allocating roughly $60 billion for defense, $13 billion for intelligence, $12 billion for farm relief, and $10 billion to administer the Safeguard American Vote Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote. Routing the SAVE Act through reconciliation is a way around the Senate filibuster that has blocked it repeatedly. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Warren Davidson (R-OH), along with Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA), joined every Democrat in voting no. The blueprint faces an uncertain path in the Senate, where Republicans including Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell have previously voted against the SAVE Act.

“We expect that we will confront the largest voter suppression effort in the history of the country. We're going to continue to stand strong against the voter suppression efforts of the Republican Party led by Donald Trump.”
Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) · Jul 25, 2026

House Passes Second Iran War Powers Resolution 214-208 as Senate Rejects Its Own 47-49

On Thursday, July 23, 2026, the House voted 214-208 to limit President Trump's authority to expand the war with Iran — the second war powers rebuke the chamber has passed since the war began, and the first since the ceasefire collapsed and the US resumed strikes in early July. The resolution, led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), drew four Republican crossover votes: Reps. Tom Barrett (R-MI), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Warren Davidson (R-OH). The vote came five days after an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack killed three US service members. Later the same day the Senate rejected a parallel measure 47-49, denying opponents of the war the bicameral rebuke they had secured weeks earlier. The House resolution is not legally binding.

“We have all the authorities necessary at this moment.”
Pete Hegseth (R-MN) · Jul 23, 2026

House Passes Stock Trading Restrictions 232-198, but Exempts the President

On July 22, 2026, the House passed the Stop Insider Trading Act 232-198, with 13 Democrats joining Republicans. The bill bars members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children from buying individual publicly traded stocks, and requires public notice 7 to 14 days before any covered sale, published online by the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate. Lawmakers may keep stocks they owned before entering Congress, may still buy private stock, and may hold certain investment funds. Most House Democrats voted no, objecting that the measure stops short of a full trading ban and exempts the president, vice president and cabinet — an exemption that drew particular attention given Trump's roughly 3,600 reported first-quarter trades. Republicans also attached a federal voter ID amendment, deepening the Democratic split. The bill's path in the Senate remains uncertain.

“I believe this is our opportunity where we can simply stop members of Congress from trading individual stocks. Period. Full stop.”
Bryan Steil (R-WI) · Jul 22, 2026

House Passes $70 Billion ICE and Border Patrol Funding Bill 214-212, Sending It to Trump's Desk

The House narrowly passed the Secure America Act (S.2) 214-212 on June 9, 2026, sending the $70 billion immigration enforcement package to Trump's desk. Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA), who caucuses with Republicans, was the only non-Democrat to vote against it, citing concerns about bypassing the bipartisan appropriations process. The bill funds ICE ($38.6B) and CBP ($26B) through fiscal year 2029, locking in immigration enforcement funding through the remainder of the Trump term. The Senate had passed the bill 52-47 on June 5.

“With today's vote, House and Senate Republicans have officially ended the third Democrat government shutdown of this Congress. And here's the end result of Democrats' record-setting obstruction: CBP and ICE will now be funded for the remainder of President Trump's term and Democrats will have no ability to defund these agencies in the 119th or 120th Congresses. We have three full years of funding. What we've done now by funding it for three years, we've taken away [Democrats'] ability to cut that funding, to block that funding or to take hostage the funding for the remainder of the Trump administration.”
Mike Johnson (R-LA) · Jun 9, 2026

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