Live updates: Hegseth takes heat in Senate; DHS funding bill heads to Trump’s desk
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was back in the hot seat Thursday, when he faced questions from senators over the ongoing Iran war and President Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense budget request a day after similar clashes with House Democrats .
It was part of a busy day on Capitol Hill. The House passed a bill by voice vote to fund the bulk of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a major step toward ending the record-breaking 10-week shutdown.
The development came a day after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) cleared a key hurdle by adopting a budget blueprint for a reconciliation bill that would fund immigration enforcement without Democratic buy-in. Johnson had initially planned to wait until the reconciliation bill was fully passed before voting on the bill to fund the rest of DHS, but he has come under immense pressure from the White House and Senate Republicans as the funds to pay DHS employees dwindle.
Congress on Thursday also passed a 45-day extension of the nation’s warrantless spy powers, ensuring the program doesn’t go dark after midnight while teeing up more debate about how to reform it.
Trump on Thursday hosted a farewell event for King Charles III and Queen Camilla. He later signed an executive order expanding retirement benefits.
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