Busy week in Congress ends in Byrd bath

Savannah Behrmann and Valerie Yurk, CQ-Roll Call on May 15, 2026

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WASHINGTON — Republican leaders in Congress scored some victories this week in nominations and appropriations but struck out on easily advancing their partisan “reconciliation 2.0” proposal to fund immigration enforcement.

The bill faces a hurdle in the form of the Senate Parliamentarian, who on Thursday evening advised that several provisions violate the Senate’s restrictive Byrd rule — and more could be coming.

This throws an obstacle in the way of the GOP’s efforts to provide $72 billion in funding for immigration enforcement by President Donald Trump’s June 1 deadline, as Republicans will have to rewrite parts of the package to pass it with the filibuster-proof budget reconciliation process, requiring a simple-majority vote to pass, instead of the 60-vote threshold required for regular legislation.

Republicans are expected to try to rewrite the legislation to remedy the violations or, if that’s not possible, remove the offending provisions ahead of a Homeland Security Committee markup of the title next week.

Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough was expected to hold a second “Byrd bath” Friday to hear arguments from Democratic and Republican Senate staff about the Judiciary Committee’s portion of the bill, including Secret Service money for security upgrades tied to Trump’s White House ballroom project.

Senate money moves

While the record-breaking DHS shutdown ended last month, the Senate took action this week, via voice vote, to freeze pay for senators during future funding lapses. The resolution from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., would require the Senate secretary to withhold compensation for the duration of a shutdown.

Friday also marks the end of Jerome Powell’s time as chairman of the Federal Reserve. The Senate this week confirmed Kevin Warsh to replace Powell as chairman for a four-year term as well as a 14-year term on the board. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., crossed the aisle to join the Republican majority for the confirmation.

And Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee scored a victory after it voted Thursday to approve, mostly along party lines, legislation that would set the rules for the operation and oversight of digital asset markets, advancing a landmark bill the panel has been working on since last summer.

Only two Democrats on the committee — Sens. Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland — joined Republicans, spelling possible future trouble for the legislation on the Senate floor. The legislation is a substitute amendment adopted Thursday to replace the text of a market structure bill passed by the House last July, requiring that chamber to take it up again.

House police week

Meanwhile, the House celebrated Police Week by passing a number of law enforcement bills, including one targeting bail fraud, and also cleared its fiscal 2027 Military Construction-VA appropriations bill.

Behind the scenes, House and Senate lawmakers continued negotiations on a bipartisan Senate-passed housing package that’s been held up in the House for weeks over provisions on “build-to-rent” homes and other language.

Despite calls from the White House and the Senate to pass the bill as-is, it appears negotiations fell apart this week when leadership signaled they would bring their own language to the floor next week.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters on Thursday, “I mean, the clearest path to getting that done and on the president’s desk, it’s just to pass the Senate bill.”

At the institutional level, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., announced a “bipartisan partnership” Wednesday to address sexual misconduct by members of Congress.

Leadership designated Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., and Kat Cammack, R-Fla. — who chair the Democratic Women’s Caucus and Republican Women’s Caucus, respectively — to lead the effort, which a news release said would “identify reforms and solutions to make Congress a safer work environment for women and all survivors.”

War powers

Lawmakers continue to be confronted by the Trump administration’s conflict in Iran, bringing with it skyrocketing gas prices and questions over the war’s price tag as well as the president’s authority as the 60 day-day mark has come and gone.

Democrats in both chambers again this week tried, and failed, to move separate resolutions to curb the war in Iran, but more Republicans did cross party lines to support them.

In the House, Republicans Tom Barrett of Michigan and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania changed their votes this time, joining Thomas Massie of Kentucky, barely rejecting it in a 212-212 vote.

The Senate on Wednesday rejected Democrats’ seventh attempt, 49-50, but Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined previous GOP “yes” votes, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine.

(Paul M. Krawzak, Jacob Fulton, Nina Heller, Rebecca Kheel and Mark Schoeff Jr. contributed to this report.)