The House and Senate called off Monday evening votes as another snowstorm hit the Northeast, but President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address remains on track for Tuesday evening.
And as Trump prepares to deliver the first official State of the Union address of his second term, the Department of Homeland Security remains shut down and Congress is showing no signs of progress toward a deal to fund the department.
The Senate will now take a procedural vote at 5 p.m. Tuesday on whether to take up a DHS funding bill, but it’s not expected to get the 60 votes needed to limit debate.
Republicans have sought to blame Democrats for the current partial shutdown because of their refusal to back DHS funding as part of the broader fiscal 2026 appropriations law. Democrats say there must be an overhaul of immigration enforcement operations.
“Unfortunately, rather than dramatically reform ICE, the administration has decided to shut down FEMA, shut down the TSA and shut down the Coast Guard,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said on Fox News Sunday.
As of Sunday, the Transportation Security Administration halted “all courtesy escorts, including for members of Congress,” according to a statement from Homeland Security.
“TSA and CBP are prioritizing the general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts. FEMA will halt all non-disaster related response to prioritize disasters,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.
Trump will likely blame Jeffries and other Democrats for the lapse during Tuesday night’s address to Congress.
The State of the Union may also be an opportunity for the president to make the case for further U.S. military strikes against Iran. As the administration has been building up forces in the region, the House could vote this week on an Iran war powers resolution.
“Trump is positioning two aircraft carriers, a dozen warships & hundreds of fighter jets to prepare for a possible war with Iran. I first got into politics to end the Iraq War,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., posted on X last week. “I won’t let Trump launch a disastrous war without Congress voting to stop it.”
Khanna said he plans to move to discharge the war powers measure, potentially forcing a floor vote before House Democrats are scheduled to head to Leesburg, Va., for their annual issues conference.
House agenda includes aviation safety bill
The House has a hodgepodge of legislation to consider during the truncated week. Among the items is a Senate-passed aviation safety measure.
The bill, which already passed the Senate, is due to be considered under suspension of the rules, an expedited process that requires a two-thirds vote. The House also has on the agenda a pair of energy policy bills.
One of the big-ticket committee items for the week has been pushed back due to the inclement weather. The House Agriculture Committee was scheduled to begin marking up a new farm bill this week, but that is now delayed until the week of March 1.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., also has his eyes on calling up bipartisan housing legislation, but sequencing the way forward for that bill may be complicated by the ongoing partial shutdown.
Before turning to the important legislative business of the week, the Senate will continue the annual tradition of reading Washington’s Farewell Address, with Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., taking a turn at reading the speech this year. Given the weather, the reading is now expected on Tuesday.
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