Senate Passes

• The Senate voted early Friday morning to approve a Department of Homeland Security funding bill that excludes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and portions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), ending weeks of stalled negotiations. • Republicans indicated they plan to fund immigration enforcement agencies through a separate reconciliation bill in fiscal 2027, bypassing the normal appropriations process and relying solely on GOP votes. • The Senate-passed measure faces significant obstacles in the House, where hardline conservatives have already signaled opposition, threatening to extend the DHS shutdown beyond its current five-week duration.

Bill passes by 213 to 203 votes in move prolonging weeks-long budget standoff that has disrupted travelUS House Republicans rejected a bipartisan Senate deal to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security and instead passed their own funding measure late Friday, extending a weeks-long budget standoff that has disrupted travel.The stopgap bill, which proposes funding the DHS in full for eight weeks, passed by 213 to 203 votes after Republicans in the lower chamber refused to take up a Senate-passed deal that excluded money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. Continue reading...

House of Representatives still needs to act before funded agencies such as airport security can reopen, CNN reportsThe US Senate has passed legislation that will finance most of the Department of Homeland Security but withhold funds from ICE and part of Customs and Border Protection, the office of the Senate Democratic party leader, Chuck Schumer, said in a statement.The agreement would fund DHS components such as the Transportation Security Administration and US Coast Guard, the statement said. CNN reported that the House of Representatives will still need to act before funded agencies within the department can reopen. Continue reading...

• On March 3, 2026, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed S. 3971, the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act, reauthorizing the SBIR and STTR programs through September 30, 2031, after their expiration on September 30, 2025. • The bill, providing over $4 billion annually in non-dilutive R&D funding, introduces enhanced foreign due diligence, application limits, strategic breakthrough funding, and carryover of FY2026 funds. • This legislation safeguards U.S. technological leadership by prioritizing small innovative firms amid global competition.

• The U.S. Senate passed its version of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644) by a 89-10 vote, sending it back to the House for reconciliation on federal housing policy reforms. • This bipartisan legislation aims to ease housing development barriers, building on prior House actions amid national affordable housing efforts.

• The U.S. Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on March 24, 2026, sending it back to the House to increase housing supply through reforms. • The legislation targets zoning and permitting barriers to boost construction amid ongoing housing shortages. • Passage marks a key step in addressing national housing crisis, potentially easing affordability for millions if enacted.

• The U.S. Senate unanimously passed Sen. John Cornyn's (R-TX) End Special Treatment for Congress at Airports Act on March 20, 2026, requiring members of Congress to undergo standard TSA screening like other passengers. • The bill prohibits federal funds for expedited access at checkpoints, addressing perks that allow lawmakers to bypass lines amid a DHS funding shutdown affecting 120,000 employees without paychecks. • Cornyn stated, 'Members of Congress are getting an unfair perk... trust in Congress is at an all-time low,' emphasizing restoration of public trust as key impact.

• The New York State Senate passed a bill sponsored by Senator John Liu and Assemblymember Ron Kim requiring health insurers to cover diabetes screening for Asian American and Pacific Islander individuals with BMI of 23 or higher, aligning with clinical guidelines for higher metabolic risk. • Physician Charles Lopresto, DO, from Queens advocated for the bill, noting Type 2 diabetes often goes undiagnosed for years, leading to complications like kidney disease and vision loss in diverse communities where 11% of Queens adults have diabetes. • The legislation addresses gaps in traditional BMI thresholds of 25+, aiming to enable earlier detection and prevention in at-risk populations per New York Department of Health data.

• The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (S. 3971), extending the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs for five years. • SBIR and STTR provide critical federal funding helping small businesses translate research discoveries into commercial technologies, often in partnership with universities. • The bill now moves to the House for consideration, with the earliest possible vote expected after March 16, 2026.

• The Senate passed H.R. 6644, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, on March 12, 2026, with a bipartisan vote of 89 to 10, combining housing supply and community investment measures. • The bill includes provisions to raise caps on bank community development investments, update the definition of manufactured housing to include modular and prefabricated homes, and restrict large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes. • The White House Office of Management and Budget issued a statement strongly supporting the Senate amendment and indicating the president's advisors would recommend signing it into law if presented in its current form.