House GOP Leaders Advance DHS Funding Extension Rejecting Senate Deal

• On March 26, 2026, President Trump signed H.R. 3377 authorizing Medal of Honor for Marine James Capers, Jr. for Vietnam War valor. • H.R. 7194, the Nicholas Dockery Medal of Honor Act, authorizes award for Army soldier Nicholas Dockery's Afghanistan service heroism. • H.R. 7211 authorizes Medal of Honor for John W. Ripley for Vietnam War acts, marking rare posthumous or delayed recognitions.

• Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced the Cost-of-Living Emergency Act on March 27 to combat rising essentials prices outpacing wages. • Bill mandates DOJ-FTC task force for emergency enforcement against price gouging, fixing, and discrimination on goods like utilities. • Invokes Defense Production Act for supply chain fixes backed by data to lower costs, plus creates 12-member bipartisan Congressional Cost-of-Living Commission for expedited relief proposals.

• Senate Resolution SR665 designates April 2026 as National Native Plant Month to promote conservation awareness. • Resolution highlights ecological benefits of native plants for biodiversity and environmental health. • Part of 119th Congress efforts to recognize environmental observances amid policy debates.

• Senators introduced the Fiscal Commission Act mirroring House version to create commission recommending fiscal health policies. • Commission aims to tackle rising U.S. debt through targeted policy proposals amid ongoing budget concerns. • Bill provides structured approach for bipartisan fiscal reforms without specifying exact recommendations upfront.

• Democrat Emily Gregory, a first-time fitness business owner, defeated Republican Jon Maples in a Florida State House special election for a district encompassing President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. • Maples was endorsed by Trump and aligned with his policies, yet Gregory flipped the seat previously won by 19 points by Republican Mike Caruso in 2024. • The stunning upset signals building Democratic momentum ahead of the 2026 midterms in Trump's backyard.

• President Trump announced on Thursday he would sign an emergency order to pay Transportation Security Administration agents unpaid for weeks due to the ongoing homeland security funding impasse in the Senate. • The administration plans to redirect funds from last year's tax cut and domestic policy law to the Department of Homeland Security, per two anonymous officials familiar with the plan. • The move addresses intensifying airport chaos caused by Democrat-refused funding unless tied to open border policies, highlighting partisan divides over immigration enforcement.

• Senate passed a funding package by voice vote on March 27, 2026, covering most DHS operations except ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations, paving way to end partial shutdown before two-week recess. • Package includes $20 million for body cameras on immigration agents, drawing from January negotiations, while Republicans eyed reconciliation for more immigration funding. • Deal averts further disruptions amid Trump's unilateral TSA worker payments, with House potentially voting Friday; impacts $140 billion prior windfall for ICE and CBP.

• The US Treasury Department is preparing to place President Donald Trump's signature on every new US paper bill, marking the first time for a sitting president, according to an anonymous Treasury official speaking to the Associated Press on Thursday. • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's signature will also appear, with Bessent stating 'there is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country' than with dollar bills bearing Trump's name. • This initiative coincides with efforts to feature Trump's image on a 24-karat gold commemorative coin for America's 250th birthday on July 4, approved earlier this month by a federal arts commission.

• A March 26 SCOTUSblog outside opinion by Neil Weare examines a Supreme Court ruling that permitted a president to redefine birthright citizenship, highlighting judicial deference in constitutional matters. • The piece critiques the court's approach to executive overreach on a core 14th Amendment right, drawing parallels to historical citizenship disputes. • It argues the decision sets a precedent for future policy changes via executive action without robust judicial checks.

• At a Thursday Cabinet meeting, President Trump urged mayors and governors of blue cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco to allow federal troops to 'come in and stop the crime,' citing claimed 75% crime drops in Washington, Memphis, and New Orleans. • The proposal revives past contentious deployments, including 4,000 California National Guardsmen and 700 US Marines sent after June immigration raids in LA, which a federal judge ruled unlawful for causing 'greater harm' to the city. • LA Mayor Karen Bass previously condemned such actions as a 'chaotic escalation,' and US District Judge Charles Breyer ordered control of the Guard returned to the governor, with a Supreme Court ruling ending similar nationwide deployments.

• The U.S. House passed the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act (H.R. 7296/S. 1383) on February 11, 2026, by a 218-213 vote, requiring documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration. • The act mandates counties to verify citizenship, conduct ongoing voter list maintenance, and comply with uniform federal standards, overriding some state systems without added funding. • Priority for Speaker Mike Johnson and the White House, it expands county administrative burdens on election officials amid debates over voter integrity.