House Approves

• U.S. House of Representatives 週四通過了一項 Homeland Security 撥款法案，為結束該機構長達兩個月的停擺鋪平了道路，此前該停擺已導致聯邦移民、邊境及 cybersecurity 運作的部分中斷。 • President Donald Trump 隨後簽署了該措施，恢復了對 Department of Homeland Security 的全面撥款，並避免了本財政年度內機場安檢、驅逐行動及邊境執法可能面臨的中斷。 • 這場停擺衝突使 Trump 盟友與溫和派 Republicans 及 Democrats 在邊境執法層次上產生對立，但最終法案在保留 Trump 時代核心邊境舉措的同時，也軟化了一些強硬的開支要求。

投票當天正值 US supreme court 撤銷 Voting Rights Act 的一項關鍵條款。Florida 議會批准了一份新的 congressional map，旨在最大限度地擴大 Republicans 在該州的優勢，這是 Donald Trump 在今年 midterms 之前發起的全國 redistricting 爭奪戰的一部分。此次投票發生在州長 Ron DeSantis 公布其提案兩天後，且與 US supreme court 撤銷 Voting Rights Act 關鍵條款在同一天。這項決定可能會讓 Democrats 更難挑戰 Republicans 試圖以限制有色人種選民影響力的方式重新劃分 congressional districts 的舉動。Continue reading...

The decision to extend a warrantless security law until 30 April came after 20 Republicans worked with House Democrats to defeat attempts to pass five-year and 18-month renewalsSign up for the Breaking News US emailHello and welcome to our live coverage of US politics.The House of Representatives voted early on Friday to briefly extend an expiring and controversial law that grants the US government sweeping powers for warrantless surveillance.Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon to be followed by a meeting between Israeli and Lebanese leaders next week.Progressive Democrat Analilia Mejia won a New Jersey special election for the US House on Thursday. Mejia, who was endorsed by Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is far more critical on Israel and was the only candidate in the Democratic primary to call Israel’s actions during the war in Gaza a genocide.Todd Lyons, the acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is stepping down after a turbulent year carrying out Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.Donald Trump nominated Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general during his first administration, to lead the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).Schwartz was under immediate pressure from critics of the health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, to oppose his anti-vaccine ideology. At a heated oversight hearing, House Democrats grilled Kennedy over his vaccine rollbacks.Speaking in Las Vegas, Trump told supporters “the war in Iran is going along swimmingly, we can do whatever we want.” He did not explain why, then, the US military has been unable to stop Iran from closing the strait of Hormuz.The US Department of Justice opened an investigation into Eric Swalwell following his resignation from Congress, according to a source familiar with the matter.Police in Illinois responded Wednesday evening to the home of Pope Leo’s brother, John Prevost, after a bomb threat was made, NBC Chicago reported. Continue reading...

• The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act of 2025 on March 16, with the bill now awaiting President Trump's signature to become law. • The legislation eliminates procedural legal defenses in Nazi-era art recovery claims, including acquisitive prescription, the act of state doctrine, and international comity, allowing foreign states to be subject to U.S. court jurisdiction for Nazi-looted art claims. • Representative Laurel Lee stated the new version ensures claims "are evaluated on their merits—not dismissed because of technical legal barriers," expanding upon the 2016 predecessor legislation.