Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth returns to Capitol Hill on Thursday for a Senate grilling, following a combative House hearing where he sparred with Democrats over the ongoing Iran conflict and President Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense budget request. The back-to-back appearances underscore the administration's escalating military and fiscal pressures.
During Wednesday’s House session, Hegseth faced sharp questions about recent Pentagon leadership firings and $400 million in withheld aid for Ukraine. He confirmed the funds have now been released. The hearing erupted over Iran war costs and the firing of the Army chief, with Democrats accusing the secretary of mismanagement and politicizing the military.
On the Senate side, lawmakers are preparing for another war powers vote as the Iran conflict approaches the 60-day mark. The Senate is expected to debate a resolution to limit the president’s authority, reflecting growing bipartisan unease over the conflict’s duration and cost.
Meanwhile, a landmark Supreme Court decision on Wednesday weakened a central provision of the Voting Rights Act, prompting immediate political fallout. Republicans celebrated the ruling as a midterm game-changer, while Democrats warned it would suppress minority turnout and reshape electoral maps ahead of November’s elections.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) late Wednesday cleared a key procedural hurdle for reconciliation, adopting a budget blueprint for a second reconciliation bill focused on funding immigration enforcement. The move signals the GOP’s legislative priorities as the midterm campaign intensifies.
President Trump is scheduled to host a farewell event for King Charles III and Queen Camilla on Thursday, before attending policy meetings. The visit has drawn attention to diplomatic ties amid the ongoing war.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted the Supreme Court’s ruling, calling it an assault on voting rights. Schumer accused the court of dismantling the Voting Rights Act, particularly in a Louisiana redistricting case that could alter congressional maps across the South.
As the day unfolds, both chambers remain in session, with the House also expected to take up additional budget measures. The twin pressures of war and voting rights are setting the stage for a contentious stretch leading into the midterms.
