Congress

Capitol agenda: Markwayne Mullin’s rockier-than-expected road

Published

3 months ago

March 19, 2026

It’s Markwayne Mullin’s day of reckoning after a fiery Senate hearing Wednesday.

The Oklahoma Republican will likely secure the votes he needs at the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Thursday, though it’s not a sure thing. If things go as expected, he could be confirmed as DHS secretary early next week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Blue Light News.

But Wednesday’s drama at HSGAC — the only obvious chokepoint for his nomination — heralds some real issues going forward given the fierce opposition Mullin encountered from Chair Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and tough questioning from Democrats.

— One angry chair: Paul told reporters Mullin’s anger issues and his expression of sympathy for the man who attacked and severely injured Paul in 2017 means “he’s unfit to be leading a large law enforcement agency.”

But Paul made clear his personal opposition would not preclude showing “courtesy to the White House,” and he vowed to move forward with Thursday’s 9:30 a.m. vote.

The chair predicted Mullin would still advance with the help of at least one Democrat. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) appears open to supporting Mullin, though he would not commit publicly to backing him Wednesday, saying only his “mind is still open.”

Even if Mullin stalls in the panel vote, Paul suggested the White House could ask for a “negative recommendation,” allowing a floor vote to proceed. “I mean, there are things I would consider,” he said.

But he also made clear he will be watching Mullin closely as he takes the reins at DHS — especially immigration enforcement agencies that have been plagued by use-of-force controversies.

“We’re going to go fast with the nomination hearing. We’re going to go fast with the vote. But I can’t vote for a guy who’s got anger” issues, Paul said.

— Many skeptical Democrats: Mullin presented himself during Wednesday’s hearing as a different type of leader than ousted Secretary Kristi Noem. Democrats weren’t receptive.

“My goal at six months is that we’re not in the lead story every single day,” Mullin said. “My goal is for people to understand we’re out there. We’re protecting them.”

Mullin indicated he’d reverse a controversial administration decision allowing ICE agents to enter homes with only an administrative warrant, not a signoff from a judge. Ending that practice is a huge sticking point for Democrats in DHS funding talks.

But several HSGAC Democrats like Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Ruben Gallego of Arizona said after the hearing that Mullin’s comments aren’t a ray of hope for breaking the shutdown impasse. At least not yet.

“Openness [to judicial warrants] doesn’t mean anything to me until I see it in actual legislation,” Gallego told Blue Light News.

What else we’re watching:

— Gabbard takes the stand again: The House Intelligence committee will have a hearing on worldwide threats to American security, with testimony from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, FBI Director Kash Patel, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and other officials at 8:30 a.m.

— Sanders to force vote on Israel arms sale: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is introducing joint resolutions of disapproval Thursday over several U.S. arms sales to Israel amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, his office tells Blue Light News. The resolutions take aim at a combined $658 million worth of munitions sales.

— Next Epstein deposition: Darren Indyke, a lawyer for Jeffrey Epstein and a co-executor of his estate, will testify before the House Oversight committee Thursday in a highly anticipated closed-door deposition. Eager for answers about Epstein’s crimes, lawmakers are amid a series of closed-door sessions with people who are seen as close to the late convicted sex offender, including his accountant Richard Kahn and client Les Wexner.

Jordain Carney and Hailey Fuchs contributed to this report.

Congress

House Republicans slam Trump’s ‘risky and uncoordinated’ military funding strategy

Published

1 hour ago

June 22, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

House Republican appropriators are publicly rebuking the Trump administration for seeking must-have military cash through a party-line reconciliation bill that’s not guaranteed to clear Congress.

In a report they plan to release later this week, obtained by Blue Light News, House appropriators warn that the White House is trying to fund “critical efforts” like weapons and military equipment through the party-line process, rather than using it to “scale up” military dollars beyond Congress’ regular government funding bills.

“This approach is risky and uncoordinated,” reads the report, an official addendum that goes along with the chamber’s defense funding bill for the fiscal year that starts in October.

In particular, appropriators criticized President Donald Trump’s budget request for splitting funding for the F-35 fighter, the most expensive program in Pentagon history, between the two bills.

The annual government funding bills and the reconciliation process are “entirely separate tracks, with different timelines, committees of jurisdiction, and approval processes,” the report notes.

Many Republican lawmakers are also doubtful GOP leaders will succeed in enacting another party-line package this year.

Jennifer Scholtes contributed to this report.

Congress

House to accelerate housing bill consideration, final passage as soon as Tuesday

Published

2 hours ago

June 22, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

The House will begin consideration of a bipartisan housing bill Tuesday, with a final vote potentially taking place the same day, accelerating a previous plan to secure congressional passage of the legislation, according to four people familiar with the planning granted anonymity to discuss planning not yet public.

The Senate will hold a final vote on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Monday.

House leadership had planned to fast-track approval of the housing affordability bill by suspending the rules, a maneuver that limits debate but requires a two-thirds majority vote, as soon as Wednesday, but are looking to move that process a day earlier, the people said.

President Donald Trump is expected to hold a signing ceremony for the bill as soon as Wednesday, said two people familiar, involved with the planning conversations.

The housing bill aims to tackle housing affordability and boost homeownership and supply as the looming midterm election is dominated by cost-of-living concerns and Congress has a narrowing window to get legislation through before the August recess.

Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.

Congress

Dershowitz to testify on Epstein ties

Published

3 hours ago

June 22, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Alan Dershowitz is scheduled to speak with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on July 20 as part of its ongoing Jeffery Epstein investigation.

“I asked to be allowed to set the record straight and correct various misconceptions,” Dershowitz said in a text message. “I look forward to doing so.”

The prominent criminal defense attorney who once represented O.J. Simpson and President Donald Trump also worked on Epstein’s 2008 plea deal, which many have argued allowed Epstein — who died by suicide behind bars in 2019 — to continue to prey on young women and girls for another several years before his later incarceration.

The Oversight Committee is separately set Friday to interview investor Leon Black, whose business dealings with Epstein have been under congressional scrutiny for years.