What Happened With Congress?

Every summary we've sent on Congress since January 1, 2025, newest first, each linked to its source. Each brief goes up here 14 days after our readers get it by text the morning it happens. Get today's brief here.

The Latest on Congress

Monday, October 5, 2026

Full Brief
  1. 3

    Brazil Senator Flavio Bolsonaro (son of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro) leads presidential election with >56M votes (vs incumbent President Lula's 53.7M); Both advance to Oct 25 runoff (2nd-round vote after neither wins >50% of valid votes)

Every Summary on Congress

October 20261 Summary

  1. Monday, October 5, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Brazil Senator Flavio Bolsonaro (son of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro) leads presidential election with >56M votes (vs incumbent President Lula's 53.7M); Both advance to Oct 25 runoff (2nd-round vote after neither wins >50% of valid votes)

September 20261 Summary

  1. Wednesday, September 16, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Impartial federal oversight body Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates Iran war costs Pentagon $38.1B through Aug 1; Continued fighting could add $2B-$3B monthly, with higher costs if conflict intensifies

August 20262 Summaries

  1. Monday, August 10, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      US Senate confirms (50-49) former Trump defense lawyer Todd Blanche as attorney general, succeeding Pam Bondi following her removal from DOJ

  2. Thursday, August 6, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      US Senate confirms (51-44) former deputy surgeon general Dr Erica Schwartz as CDC director, becoming CDC's 1st confirmed leader after 11mo under acting directors

July 20263 Summaries

  1. Thursday, July 30, 2026Full Brief
    1. 5

      US Senate confirms (51-47) federal prosecutor Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence, replacing acting spy chief Bill Pulte amid bipartisan concerns over Pulte's lack of intelligence experience

  2. Wednesday, July 22, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      US Defense Sec Pete Hegseth says Iran war "costs $37.5B, including anticipated costs through Sep 30" (vs $29B in May); Pentagon seeks $88B supplemental funding from Congress

  3. Tuesday, July 14, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      Trump notifies Congress Iran hostilities "have resumed"; Administration says Jul 7 military action begins new 60-day War Powers period before congressional authorization is required

June 20264 Summaries

  1. Thursday, June 25, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      White House requests $87.6B funding from Congress, including $67B for Pentagon costs related to Iran war, $11B in farmer aid for crop assistance & storm recovery & $1.4B for Ebola response in Central Africa

  2. Wednesday, June 24, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      US Congress passes war powers measure for 1st time, directing Trump to halt Iran military action or seek congressional approval; Senate approves (50-48) after House passes (215-208) marking bipartisan rebuke of Trump admin's actions

  3. Tuesday, June 9, 2026Full Brief
    1. 6

      Federal judge blocks Trump's $100K H-1B visa fee for skilled foreign workers (imposed Sep 2025) ruling President lacked authority to impose "tax" without Congressional approval

  4. Friday, June 5, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      US House of Representatives approves (215-208) war powers resolution seeking to limit US military action against Iran; Measure moves to Senate for final vote

May 20262 Summaries

  1. Thursday, May 14, 2026Full Brief
    1. 2

      US Senate confirms (54-45) Trump pick Kevin Warsh as Fed Reserve chair ahead of Jerome Powell's term ending Fri; Warsh will begin 4yr term leading world's most powerful central bank amid rising inflation & pressure to lower interest rates

  2. Monday, May 11, 2026Full Brief
    1. 1

      Federal trade court rules (2-1) Trump's new 10% global tariffs (imposed in Mar) are "invalid" & "unauthorized by law" after Supreme Court previously struck down broader levies in Feb; Judges say Trump "exceeded authority granted by Congress"

April 20261 Summary

  1. Thursday, April 30, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Pentagon acting top financial officer Jules Hurst III testifies in Congress that US-Iran war "cost $25B to date, with most spent on munitions" providing 1st estimate as conflict drives energy price surge

March 20261 Summary

  1. Wednesday, March 25, 2026Full Brief
    1. 4

      Senate confirms (54-45) Trump nominee Senator Markwayne Mullin as new DHS Secretary, replacing Kristi Noem amid backlash over immigration enforcement

February 20263 Summaries

  1. Friday, February 20, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Peru's Congress elects 83yo former judge Jose Maria Balcazar as country's 8th president in 10yrs, replacing interim leader Jose Jeri (ousted over corruption allegations 4mo into term)

  2. Wednesday, February 18, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      Peru's Congress ousts (75-24) interim President Jose Jeri, removing leader 4mo after taking office over undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen; Impeachment marks 2nd presidential ouster in <6mo & 6th departure before term's end within past decade

  3. Monday, February 2, 2026Full Brief
    1. 3

      US federal government partially shuts down after Congress fails to pass DHS funding bill amid dispute over proposed restrictions on federal immigration agents following killings of 2 US citizens

December 20252 Summaries

  1. Friday, December 19, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      White House reclassifies cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III drug (moderate to low potential for dependence), expanding medical research access while keeping federal prohibition in place; Directs Congress to explore CBD access

  2. Wednesday, December 10, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      Education Dept ends SAVE Plan covering 7M+ borrowers after court settlement, calling Biden student loan repayment program "illegal" for "offering artificially low & faster forgiveness without congressional authorization, projecting $342B cost over 10yrs"

November 20255 Summaries

  1. Thursday, November 20, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump signs bill requiring DOJ to release all Jeffrey Epstein investigation files within 30 days after initially opposing measure; Bill passed House (427-1) & Senate (by unanimous consent)

  2. Wednesday, November 19, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      House of Representatives passes (427-1) bill requiring DOJ to release Jeffrey Epstein investigative files within 30 days; Bill now goes to Senate for approval before heading to Trump for signature

  3. Tuesday, November 11, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      US Senate advances (60-40) bill to reopen government after 40-day shutdown, funding agencies through Jan 30; Deal includes Dec vote on extending Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) subsidies after Democrats win concession; House & Trump must approve to reopen government

  4. Thursday, November 6, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Ongoing federal government shutdown becomes longest in US history on 36th day after Senate failed (54-44) for 14th time to advance House-passed resolution to end stalemate

  5. Monday, November 3, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Federal judges block Trump admin's SNAP benefits (food stamps) suspension for 42M Americans, ordering use of $5B contingency funds after ruling halt based on "erroneous" legal conclusion; USDA claims lack of authority without Congress approval

October 20257 Summaries

  1. Tuesday, October 21, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Bolivia elects centrist senator Rodrigo Paz as president, ending nearly 20yrs of leftist rule; New president faces 40yr high inflation, fuel shortages & plummeting gas exports

  2. Friday, October 17, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Uruguay's Senate legalizes (20-11) euthanasia, becoming 1st country in predominantly Catholic Latin America to allow assisted death for patients with incurable, unbearable illnesses

    2. 3

      AP-NORC poll: 58% of Americans blame Trump & Republicans for shutdown, 54% blame Democrats; 54% call shutdown "major issue" with Democrats more alarmed at 69% vs 37% of Republicans; Congress confidence at 4% as shutdown enters 3rd week

  3. Monday, October 13, 2025Full Brief
    1. 6

      Peru's Congress removes (122-8) President Dina Boluarte for "moral incapacity" amid corruption scandals & surging crime; Congress chief Jose Jeri sworn in as interim president

  4. Wednesday, October 8, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      US government shutdown enters 7th day as Senate rejects Republican (52-42) & Democrat-led (50-45) stopgap funding bills for 5th time in continuing stalemate

  5. Monday, October 6, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      US Senate rejects (54-44) House-passed Republican stopgap funding bill to end government shutdown; Earlier Democrat bill also failed (46-52) leaving shutdown in 3rd day

  6. Thursday, October 2, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      US government shuts down (1st time in 6yrs) after Congress fails to pass funding bill by midnight deadline amid dispute over healthcare provisions; 750K federal employees placed on unpaid leave as Democrats demand Medicaid cuts reversal while Republicans push to extend current funding with no changes

September 20252 Summaries

  1. Monday, September 8, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump signs order giving Defense Dept secondary title "Department of War" (1789 name until 1947 renaming after WWII) to "signal strength to adversaries" but full renaming needs Congress approval

  2. Monday, September 1, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      Trump bypasses Congress to cancel $4.9B in foreign aid using "pocket rescission" (1st since 1977), ensuring funds lapse with <45 days left in fiscal year; Targets State Dept & USAID amid broader $60B overseas assistance cuts

August 20252 Summaries

  1. Wednesday, August 13, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      Independent federal oversight body Congressional Budget Office (CBO) claims Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" cuts poorest Americans' income by $1.2K/yr via aid restrictions while boosting richest 10% by $13.6K from tax cuts, with 2.4M to lose food stamps & 10M+ Medicaid by 2034

  2. Monday, August 4, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Corporation for Public Broadcasting shuts down after Congress cuts funding for 1st time since its 1967 founding, canceling $1.1B over 2yrs (part of Trump's $8B rescission cuts); CPB distributes federal funds to NPR, PBS & 1.5K+ local stations

July 20257 Summaries

  1. Thursday, July 24, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      House of Representatives increases home security funding by $20K per member & personal guard allowance from $150 to $5K/mo in pilot program through Sep, following assassinations of Congressional intern, 2 Minnesota state lawmakers & their spouses; Capitol Police investigated 9K+ threats in 2024 (+18% vs 2023)

  2. Monday, July 21, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump signs GENIUS Act (House 308-122, Senate 68-30), establishing 1st major crypto regulatory framework for $250B stablecoin market & allowing banks, financial companies & credit unions to issue dollar-backed stablecoins

    2. 3

      Congress approves (House 216-213, Senate 51-48) Trump's $9B rescissions package, withdrawing allocated funds for public broadcasting (PBS, NPR) & foreign aid (USAID); 1st successful presidential rescission since 2000

  3. Monday, July 14, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      State Dept lays off 1.3K domestic employees, following Supreme Court's 8-1 ruling allowing Trump to proceed with major federal workforce reductions; Admin's May letter to Congress targeted 3.4K total domestic reduction

  4. Monday, July 7, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      US Congress passes (218-214) controversial "One Big Beautiful Bill," Trump publicly signs it into law in 4th July ceremony

  5. Thursday, July 3, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Remittances sent from US to Mexico drop -4.6% annually in May in largest drop in 13yrs (2nd annual decline); US Congress weighs 1% remittance tax; Neighbors El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala register sharp annual increases; Mexico is world's 2nd largest remittance recipient (chiefly from US) after India

  6. Tuesday, July 1, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Senate passes (51-50) Trump's controversial "big, beautiful" tax breaks & spending cuts bill after late-night "vote-a-rama" (with record-breaking 45 amendments) as VP Vance's vote breaks 50-50 tie; Bill now returns to House, which approved it in May

June 20254 Summaries

  1. Thursday, June 26, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Federal judge orders Trump to release $5B in Congress-approved budget for electric vehicle charging infrastructure expansion after he froze it, citing overreach & violation of separation of powers

  2. Friday, June 20, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      Senate passes (68-30) bipartisan GENIUS Act, 1st bill to regulate US dollar-pegged crypto stablecoins; Bill needs House approval before arriving at Trump's desk

  3. Wednesday, June 11, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Trump introduces $1K government-funded, tax-deferred investment accounts for children born 2025-2029 as pilot program in controversial "big, beautiful bill" currently under Senate scrutiny; Major CEOs (Dell, Uber, Goldman Sachs, Robinhood) pledge billions to further fund employees' children's accounts

  4. Friday, June 6, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Impartial federal oversight body Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates Trump-endorsed & House-passed "big, beautiful" tax cut & spending bill adds +$2.4T to US deficit in 10yrs & raises health uninsured by 11M

May 20254 Summaries

  1. Thursday, May 29, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      3-judge federal international trade court unanimously rules most of Trump's tariffs illegal (citing lack of authority, which is exclusive to Congress) & orders full reversal in 10 days; Ruling affects tariffs invoked via IEEPA, does not target industry-specific tariffs (auto, steel, aluminum) that use different statute; Global markets & dollar rally in response; Trump admin appeals

  2. Friday, May 23, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      House passes (215-214) Trump's controversial "big, beautiful bill" after negotiated last-minute revisions; It extends trillions in 2017 tax cuts (Trump's 1st term), raises debt limit by $4T & boosts defense, border security, immigration enforcement; Raises university tax, reduces food assistance & Medicaid; Nonpartisan budget analysts estimate it adds $3.8T to national debt over 10yrs; Bill now moves to Senate for approval

  3. Thursday, May 22, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      Trump selects $175B Golden Dome (inspired by Israel's Iron Dome) aerial missile system design & appoints Space Force Gen Michael Guetlein to complete it in 3yrs; Congress Budget Office estimates $831B+ actual cost over 20yrs+; System will operate missiles capable of intercepting rockets from worldwide & space

  4. Wednesday, May 14, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Treasury Sec Bessent notifies Congress that government will reach debt limit by Aug, urges raising or suspending it by Jul; US paid $684B (16% of total fed spend) to service total $36T debt in 2025

April 20257 Summaries

  1. Wednesday, April 16, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      California (US' largest economy) sues Trump, challenging his unilateral authority to impose sweeping tariffs without congressional approval or direct foreign threats

  2. Monday, April 14, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      House passes (216-214) Republican-led budget framework, raising debt ceiling by $5T & targeting $1.5T+ in federal spending cuts in coordination with Senate

  3. Friday, April 11, 2025Full Brief
    1. 7

      Senate confirms (60-25) Lt Gen Dan "Razin" Caine as head of military, 2mo after Trump fired Gen CQ Brown Jr in effort to remove leaders supporting DEI policies

    2. 8

      Senate confirms (52-44) Paul Atkins as SEC chair; He is a crypto advocate & former Republican SEC member (2002-2008)

  4. Thursday, April 3, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      Senate passes (51-48) symbolic (non-binding) resolution rebuking & reversing Trump's earlier announced Canada tariff with 4 Republicans joining all Democrats

  5. Wednesday, April 2, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      NJ Dem Senator Cory Booker breaks new Senate speech record (25hr) in protest against Trump; Previous record set in 1957

  6. Tuesday, April 1, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump says he is "not joking" about pursuing 3rd presidential term, claiming "there are methods to do it"; Overturning 22nd Amendment (which prohibits 3rd term) requires 2/3rds vote in Congress or 2/3rds of states calling constitutional convention, then 3/4ths of states to ratify

March 20259 Summaries

  1. Monday, March 31, 2025Full Brief
    1. 7

      State Dept notifies Congress of dissolving USAID by Jul, after cutting 80% of agency's programs & firing thousands, citing taxpayer funds mismanagement & US priorities misalignment

  2. Friday, March 28, 2025Full Brief
    1. 7

      Trump asks NY Representative Elise Stefanik to stay in Congress to maintain Republicans' slim voting margin instead of serving as UN Ambassador

  3. Friday, March 21, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump signs executive order abolishing Education Dept, shifting oversight to states; Department spends 4% of federal budget & likely cannot be shut without approval of Congress, which established it in 1979

  4. Monday, March 17, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Congress averts federal government shutdown as Senate passes (54-46) Republican-led 6mo stopgap funding bill on Fri; Bill cuts domestic spend by $13B & adds $6B to defense

  5. Friday, March 14, 2025Full Brief
    1. 7

      White House withdraws ex-Florida Rep & vaccine skeptic Dave Weldon's nomination for CDC Director hours before confirmation hearing over insufficient Senate votes

  6. Thursday, March 13, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      House passes (217-213) Republican-led 6mo stopgap government funding bill, advancing it to Senate requiring 7 Democrat votes; Senate Democrats willing to risk government shutdown to negotiate favorable terms by Fri deadline

    2. 7

      Senate confirms (67-32) ex-Oregon Rep Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer as Sec of Labor

  7. Thursday, March 6, 2025Full Brief
    1. 7

      Senate confirms (51-45) ex-WWE CEO Linda McMahon for Sec of Education to execute Trump's promise to shut down agency

  8. Wednesday, March 5, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Trump delivers longest-ever presidential address to joint session of Congress (State of Union equivalent); Democrats protest with signs, walkouts & forcible removal of Texas Rep Al Green from chamber for interrupting address with calls defending Medicaid

February 20255 Summaries

  1. Thursday, February 27, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      House narrowly passes (217-215) multi-trillion budget bill laying foundation for Trump's legislative priorities of $4.5T in tax cuts, $2T in spending cuts, $4T debt ceiling increase, $100B increased military spend, immigration enforcement & energy deregulation; Bill will now undergo reconciliation with Senate's bill

  2. Monday, February 24, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Longest-serving Republican Senate party leader Mitch McConnell (83yo) to retire before 2026 reelection

    2. 7

      Senate confirms FBI Director Kash Patel (51-49) & Small Business Administration Head Kelly Loeffler (52-46)

  3. Thursday, February 13, 2025Full Brief
    1. 7

      Senate confirms National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard (52-48) & Health Sec Robert F Kennedy Jr (52-48)

  4. Wednesday, February 5, 2025Full Brief
    1. 8

      Senate confirms (54-46) Pam Bondi for US attorney general

January 202512 Summaries

  1. Friday, January 31, 2025Full Brief
    1. 5

      Senate confirms (79-18) former ND Governor Doug Burgum as interior secretary; Confirmation hearings continue for Tulsi Gabbard (director of national intelligence), Kash Patel (FBI director), Robert F Kennedy Jr (health secretary)

  2. Thursday, January 30, 2025Full Brief
    1. 8

      Former NJ Senator Bob Menendez (D) sentenced to 11yrs after conviction on corruption including cash & gold bribes from foreign governments

  3. Wednesday, January 29, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Senate confirmation hearing for Trump's controversial health secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. starts today

  4. Monday, January 27, 2025Full Brief
    1. 4

      Senate confirms veteran & former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary (51-50) requiring VP Vance to cast tie-breaker; South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as secretary of homeland security (59-34)

  5. Thursday, January 23, 2025Full Brief
    1. 1

      Trump deploys 1.5k troops (82% increase) to US-Mexico border under national emergency order he signed on Mon, readies 10k troops for possible future deployment; Congress passes GOP-led Laken Riley Act requiring detention of undocumented migrants charged with certain crimes including theft & violence

  6. Tuesday, January 21, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      Senate unanimously confirms Trump's 1st nomination of ex Senator Marco Rubio (R FL) as Sec of State

  7. Wednesday, January 15, 2025Full Brief
    1. 3

      Senate confirmation hearings continue today with 6 Trump nominees, including Pam Bondi for Attorney General, Marco Rubio for Sec of State, John Ratcliffe for CIA Director

  8. Tuesday, January 14, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      10+ Senate confirmation hearings for Trump's nominees this week begin with controversial Defense Sec nominee Pete Hegseth appearing before Senate Armed Services Committee

  9. Tuesday, January 7, 2025Full Brief
    1. 6

      Congress certified President-elect Trump's win in 2024 election

  10. Monday, January 6, 2025Full Brief
    1. 2

      Congress meets today to certify President-elect Trump's victory, clearing way for Jan 20 inauguration; Today marks 4yr anniversary of Jan 6 2021 riot where Trump's supporters swarmed & vandalized US Capitol

    2. 6

      Biden seeks Congress approval for $8B arms sale to Israel, following $20B sale in Aug; US is Israel's largest supplier, providing 69% of its major conventional arms 2019-2023

  11. Friday, January 3, 2025Full Brief
    1. 7

      119th Congress begins today; GOP narrowly controls House (219-215) & Senate (53-47) as House votes for speaker

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