Capitol agenda: DHS despair takes hold on Blue Light News

The vibes are bad.

An overwhelming sense of frustration and despair is taking hold on Capitol Hill as lawmakers struggle to reach a deal on DHS funding before a two-week recess begins Friday.

The funding framework Republican senators sketched out with President Donald Trump Monday appears to be on life support and there’s no backup agreement. Democrats say Republicans suddenly gave up this week on negotiating new rules for immigration enforcement agents. Trump is showing little interest in driving a deal, blaming Democrats for backing out of agreements with Republicans.

“Because they don’t want to settle,” Trump said at Wednesday night’s NRCC dinner. “They want chaos.”

Bipartisan talks continued late Wednesday night, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune is leaving the door open to keeping senators in Washington into or through the recess. But Republicans privately expect to have attendance issues after several colleagues just skipped out on a rare weekend session to work through the SAVE America Act.

“I just want to go home,” said one GOP senator granted anonymity to vent.

What else we’re watching: 

— Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick hearing: Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) will appear before House Ethics Thursday for a rare public “trial” over financial fraud charges. House Democratic leaders are steering clear of condemnation as she faces a likely expulsion vote.

Cherfilus-McCormick faces accusations that she stole millions in FEMA funds and committed various campaign finance infractions. She has maintained her innocence, saying “the full facts will make clear I did nothing wrong.”

House GOP leaders believe they will have the requisite two-thirds majority to expel her and plan to force a vote. But leaders are waiting to see what the panel recommends at the conclusion of the trial.

— Judiciary takes up data center bill: The House Judiciary Committee will vote Thursday on a proposal aimed at easing the legal landscape for AI data centers.

Under Rep. Michael Baumgartner’s (R-Wash.) Protect American AI Act, data center permits would remain in place even when environmental reviews for the projects are challenged by litigation. It’s one of the first congressional proposals on data centers to receive a committee vote, and it comes as Trump pushes Congress to ease AI regulations.

Jordain Carney, Katherine Tully-McManus, Jennifer Scholtes, Hailey Fuchs, Riley Rogerson and Amelia Davidson contributed to this report.