Disclaimer: Many of the developments discussed below are fluid and may change rapidly. The information is relevant and accurate as of 9:00am EST on April 1, 2026.
Department of Homeland Security Shutdown
As of March 31, the federal government has been in a partial shutdown for 45 days. The lapse in funding only affects the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but travel across the US is disrupted as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees have missed several paychecks. The center of the shutdown revolves around demands to reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). President Trump issued an executive order to direct funds to TSA personnel, but many officers are still waiting to receive their full backpay.
In addition, Kristi Noem was recently removed from her position as Secretary of Homeland Security. President Trump nominated Senator Markwayne Mullin (R‑OK) to succeed her, and the Senate confirmed Secretary Mullin by a vote of 54–45. Following Mullin’s departure from the Senate, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) appointed Alan Armstrong to fill the vacant seat.
Takeaway: There is no immediate end to the partial shutdown as the House and Senate begin a two-week recess. The executive order to direct funding to TSA removes a key negotiation point for the GOP.
Congressional Recess
Congress is set to return from recess in mid-April and address several pending legislative items. The priority legislation will be funding for DHS after Congress departed without an enacted appropriations bill. Before recess, the House and Senate released competing versions of DHS funding legislation, signaling that negotiations will continue.
Currently, the Save America Act falls short on the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. In response to the impasse on this priority legislation, President Trump has renewed his call to eliminate the Senate filibuster. His proposal has encountered resistance from Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who maintains that there is insufficient support within the Senate GOP to abolish the filibuster.
The Pentagon has requested $200 billion from Congress and the White House to support military operations in Iran. Congressional Republicans are considering advancing the funding through a second budget reconciliation bill. A reconciliation bill would allow the measure to pass the Senate with a simple majority, eliminating the need for Democratic votes. Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House, but any reconciliation package would need to meet the demands of fiscal conservatives.
Takeaway: Congress will have a full legislative agenda upon their return from recess. Legislators left Congress without securing funding for DHS, extending the partial shutdown. In addition, President Trump continues his efforts to abolish the Senate filibuster and pass the Save America Act ahead of the midterm elections.
2026 Midterm Elections
In March, several elections were held in Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and Illinois.
In a highly competitive Texas Republican Senate primary, neither incumbent Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) nor Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) secured the majority needed to clinch the nomination. However, President Trump indicated that he would endorse a candidate and pressured the unendorsed candidate to drop out of the race. In response, Ken Paxton stated that he would drop out of the race under the condition that the Save America Act is passed. The primary runoff is set for May 26, 2026.
On the other side of the isle, State Representative James Talarico (D-TX-50) defeated US Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30) to become the Democrat nominee for the Texas Senate seat. Talarico will face off against either John Cornyn or Ken Paxton.
In Georgia, a special election was held to fill the seat of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14) following her retirement from Congress. Candidates Clayton Fuller (R) and Shawn Harris (D) are set to face off in a runoff election on April 7, 2026, after neither candidate secured 50% of the vote.
Takeaway: Midterm elections are underway across the US. The GOP maintains a slim majority in the House and Senate, but several tight races may flip control of Congress and have major implications for the Trump administration’s policy agenda.
