Congressional

• Congressional Democrats have initiated a formal investigation into whether President Trump's pardons were driven by so-called "pay-to-play" schemes involving financial contributions or other considerations. • Democratic Representative Dave Min of California is one of three lawmakers leading the probe into the suspicious circumstances surrounding select presidential pardons. • The investigation reflects Democratic concerns about potential corruption or quid pro quo arrangements influencing the Trump administration's use of presidential clemency powers.

• Virginia's Supreme Court invalidated a voter-approved congressional redistricting map on Friday that would have given Democrats significant gains in the 2026 midterm elections. • The map would have provided Democrats an advantage in 10 House districts while leaving only one safe Republican seat, potentially delivering Democrats as many as four additional congressional seats. • The ruling represents a major setback for House Democrats and a significant victory for Republicans as the midterm elections approach, with implications for control of Congress.

• Virginia's Supreme Court ruled on Friday to invalidate a new congressional map passed by voters in April that favored Democrats, handing a major win to Republicans ahead of midterm elections. • The rejected map would have created 10 House districts advantageous to Democrats, leaving only one safe Republican seat, according to CBS News analysis. • The decision reverses a voter initiative and bolsters Republican chances in Virginia's congressional races, as noted by Fox News legal correspondent Shannon Bream and CBS election law expert David Becker.

• The Trump administration requires congressional approval to prolong a 30-day federal takeover, announced May 8, 2026. • The measure targets unspecified federal operations, highlighting inter-branch power dynamics. • Extension could impact national policy enforcement, drawing bipartisan scrutiny on executive overreach.

• Alabama's state Legislature adjourned a special session on Monday after demonstrators entered the State House in Montgomery to protest Republican plans to adopt a gerrymandered congressional map that dilutes Black voter power. • Following the Supreme Court's recent ruling striking down the last remaining major provision of the Voting Rights Act, Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall filed an emergency motion to lift an existing injunction barring map changes before 2030. • The protest reflects broader national tensions over voting rights and congressional redistricting following the Court's decision to gut key Voting Rights Act protections.

• Florida has become the latest state to approve a partisan gerrymandered congressional map, reflecting ongoing efforts to reshape electoral districts for political advantage. • The redistricting decision continues the national battle over gerrymandering, with states competing to structure congressional districts to favor particular political parties. • The approval demonstrates the persistent challenge of partisan gerrymandering in U.S. electoral politics and its impact on representation and competitive races.

Ron DeSantis approves maps that give Republicans an advantage in four more races in November’s midtermsUS politics live – latest updatesFlorida governor Ron DeSantis signed a new gerrymandered congressional district map into law Monday which gives Republicans an electoral advantage in four additional races in November’s midterm elections.“Signed, Sealed, and Delivered,” DeSantis said in a post on X, with a map of the new districts attached. Continue reading...

President seemed to suggest that legislative deadline to approve war no longer applies as Democrats push backUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailDonald Trump said in a letter sent to congressional leaders on Friday that hostilities with Iran have “terminated”, suggesting that the 60-day deadline to seek approval from the legislative branch no longer applied.Friday marks 60 days since the US president notified members of Congress that the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on 28 February. Under the War Powers Act of 1973, the president can deploy troops to respond to an “imminent threat” but must receive congressional approval within 60 days to continue military operations. Continue reading...

Pete Hegseth argued that a ceasefire agreement with Iran more than three weeks ago ‘means the 60 day clock pauses, or stops’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHello and welcome to our live coverage of the day.Today marks 60 days since the Trump administration notified Congress that it was carrying out strikes on Iran – meaning that under the War Powers Act of 1973, today is the deadline for Donald Trump to either end the Iran war or seek congressional authorization to extend it.Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in Washington DC, released edited security-camera video of the incident at the White House correspondents’ dinner amid questions about whether or not the suspected gunman, Cole Allen, fired his weapon before being subdued. While the video shows four muzzles flashes from the agent’s gun as he fired at Allen, it was not immediately clear that it does show Allen discharging his weapon after he pointed it at the agent.Sean Curran, the director of the US Secret Service, told Fox News that Allen was stopped not by secret service gunfire, but by a box used to transport a metal detector, which he tripped over.Congress has passed a 45-day extension of section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a law that grants US intelligence agencies warrantless spying powers.Trump has threatened to withdraw troops from Spain and Italy, two countries that countries have been vocally critical of his war in the Middle East. This comes after Trump suggested reviewing US military presence in Germany after the country’s chancellor said America was being “humiliated” by Iran. Continue reading...

• A Pennsylvania state court ordered election officials to draw a new congressional map by June 2026, ruling that the current Republican‑backed map unlawfully diluted the voting strength of Black and Latino communities in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. • The judge found that the existing districts concentrated minority voters into a handful of “safe” Democratic seats, limiting their influence in neighboring competitive districts and violating state constitutional protections for equal representation. • The decision threatens Republican hopes of holding a narrow House majority in 2026 and could force the legislature into a court‑supervised redistricting process if lawmakers cannot agree on a replacement map.

• The Supreme Court decided on April 29, 2026, whether Louisiana's new congressional map constitutes an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, marking a significant ruling on voting rights and district boundaries. • The case, Louisiana v. Callais, examined Louisiana's 2022 redrawn congressional districts that were previously challenged in federal court under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. • This decision affects ongoing redistricting battles across the country as states prepare for the 2026 midterm elections, with implications for both Democratic and Republican seat counts.

• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled new congressional district maps that could eliminate additional Democratic seats in the House. • The redistricting proposal targets areas with Democratic incumbents, intensifying battles ahead of the 2026 midterms. • Republicans see this as key to maintaining House majority, while Democrats warn of voter suppression tactics.

At the heart of the case was the question of how much lawmakers are allowed to consider race when they redraw districtsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US supreme court has ruled that Louisiana will have to redraw its congressional map, in a landmark voting rights case.At the heart of the case, Louisiana v Callais, was a thorny question of how much lawmakers are allowed to consider race when they redraw districts to ensure that Black voters are adequately represented. The supreme court initially heard oral arguments in the case last March, but took the unusual step of asking lawyers to re-argue the case last fall. In setting the case for a re-argument, the justices raised the stakes of the case, asking lawyers to focus on whether section 2 of the Voting Rights Act was constitutional. Continue reading...

The case is part of a national redistricting fight with high stakes for the November midterm electionsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxVirginia supreme court justices on Monday questioned whether the state’s Democratic-led legislature complied with constitutional requirements when it sent a congressional redistricting plan to voters, in a case that carries high stakes for the balance of power in the US House.The new districts, which could net Democrats four additional seats, won narrow voter approval last week. But a Republican legal challenge contends the general assembly violated procedural rules by placing the constitutional amendment before voters to authorize the mid-decade redistricting. If the court agrees that lawmakers broke the rules, it could invalidate the amendment and render last week’s statewide vote meaningless. Continue reading...

Proposal from Ron DeSantis would net Republicans up to four additional US House seats ahead of midterm electionsRon DeSantis, Florida’s Republican governor, on Monday unveiled his proposal for redistricting his state’s congressional maps, a move he hopes will net his party up to four additional House seats in November’s midterm elections.The long-awaited reveal, which will be debated during a special session of Florida’s legislature called by DeSantis beginning Tuesday, is the latest, and possibly final, act of a nationwide “gerrymandering” battle for control of Congress sparked by Donald Trump that looks increasingly to be moving back in Republicans’ favor. Continue reading...

House Democratic leader says result should serve as a warning to Ron DeSantis after latest blow to Donald Trump’s redistricting battleHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The vote to approve new congressional maps in Virgina could embolden Florida’s Republican-controlled state assembly to consider tit-for-tat changes to its own map, the House Democratic leader has said.If Florida Republicans proceed with this illegal scheme, they will only create more prime-pick up opportunities for Democrats.We are prepared to take them all on, and we are prepared to win. Continue reading...

Governor called referendum after president urged GOP-led states to redraw maps to protect House majorityVoters in Virginia on Tuesday approved new congressional maps intended to boost Democrats’ chances of retaking the House of Representatives, in the latest blow to Donald Trump’s effort to use mid-decade redistricting to preserve his control of Congress.The tit-for-tat redistricting battle began last year after Trump pressed Texas’s Republican-controlled legislature to redraw that state’s congressional maps in a bid to oust as many as five Democratic House lawmakers in the November midterm elections. Continue reading...

Backed by Abigail Spanberger, the measure could boost Democrats and counter Donald Trump’s redistricting pushUS politics live – latest updatesVirginia voters will on Tuesday decide whether to adopt new congressional maps that could help Democrats win control of the House of Representatives and scuttle Donald Trump’s effort to use mid-decade redistricting to preserve Republican control of Congress.Polls show the referendum redrawing the maps has only a narrow lead in a state that Kamala Harris won two years ago. The issue appears to have engaged many voters, with nearly more than 1.37m ballots cast in early voting. Continue reading...

• House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune unveiled a plan to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, resolving a 48-day partial government shutdown. • The agreement bypasses prior splits between GOP leaders, aiming to restore pay for affected federal workers. • Trump endorsed the measure, signaling he will sign a related executive order soon.

• On March 20, 2026, the White House issued the National Policy Framework for AI, urging Congress to preempt state laws and promote innovation. • Framework emphasizes five principles: child safety, communities, creators, censorship prevention, and U.S. competitiveness, building on December 2025 executive order. • Recommendations include protections against AI scams, workforce training via land-grant institutions, and free speech safeguards for AI outputs.

• Republicans in Congress are escalating investigations into multiple aspects of the Trump administration, including communications between the administration and private companies, financial contributions to Trump's White House ballroom, and settlement funds for the Trump Presidential Library. • Congressional Republicans are scrutinizing federal contracts awarded to companies with ties to the administration, potentially improper use of government information by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and business investments related to Trump family interests in defense, drone, crypto, real estate, and media industries. • Investigations are also focusing on presidential pardons, with Democrats seeking transcribed interviews of individuals pardoned by Trump and related parties where allegations exist of donations or inappropriate influence linked to the pardons.

• 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.

Midwestern state has a slate of competitive races with money flowing in from donors including AipacSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxIllinois voters on Tuesday will decide between a crowded field of Democratic candidates vying to be the state’s next senator as the midwestern state also nominates candidates for five open congressional seats.Longtime Illinois senator Dick Durbin’s retirement leaves a competitive race that includes two US representatives and the lieutenant governor vying to replace him, with massive infusions of money coming to the candidates from outside groups, including donors affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), that are spending millions to sway voters. Continue reading...

A Friday report from congressional Democrats highlights that President Trump's tariffs, enacted after Supreme Court invalidation of prior measures, could impose over $2,500 in annual costs on average U.S. households amid efforts to replace lost federal revenue. The analysis critiques the policy as regressive, exacerbating affordability pressures from recent economic strains like energy prices. Trump administration officials defend the tariffs as essential for domestic industry protection and national security. The report fuels midterm election debates on fiscal policy as Democrats push alternative revenue strategies.

A Friday report from congressional Democrats reveals President Trump's expanded tariffs, following Supreme Court invalidation of prior measures, could impose over $2,500 in annual costs on average U.S. households amid efforts to replace lost federal revenue. The analysis highlights economic burdens as Trump pushes replacements for struck-down tariffs, exacerbating affordability concerns. This development matters as it fuels partisan clashes ahead of midterms, with Democrats using the figures to critique GOP economic policies. Upcoming congressional hearings may scrutinize the report's projections and potential legislative offsets.