Iran war powers vote fails 46-51; Warsh confirmation hearing draws Democratic 'no' votes

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., forced Tuesday's vote on her War Powers Resolution, the latest in a series she has pressed alongside Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Adam Schiff, D-Ca., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. The resolution failed 46-51.

"This entire war has been unnecessary, illegal, and unwise," Baldwin said. "The American people have been crystal clear that they do not want this war. They want what they were promised from this president: lower costs and no foreign wars."

Sen. Markey offered his own statement after the vote. "Thirteen U.S. service members have died and over five thousand civilians have been killed in the region, gas prices have skyrocketed, and we are all less safe than before the war started," said Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass. "I will not vote for one more penny to fund this illegal war."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., dismissed the effort on Fox News. "Democrats are almost cheering against American success in this region," Thune said. "The president is operating under his authority, the Article II branch of the government as commander in chief." Murphy, in floor remarks, challenged that framing directly: "We've never seen a foreign conflict mismanaged in public like this before."

Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee sharpened their opposition to Kevin Warsh's nomination as Federal Reserve chair, with Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., announcing a definitive 'no' after Warsh declined to commit to defending the tenure of Fed Governor Lisa Cook — whose firing was blocked by federal courts. "Mr. Warsh did not provide me or my constituents with the certainty that he would be an independent voice overseeing our economy — so I cannot vote to confirm him for this position," Alsobrooks said.

Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., questioned Warsh on AI and monetary policy. "What I don't want to see is us use AI as an excuse for making policy. Too much depends on it. Too many families' lives depend on it," Blunt Rochester said. Warsh responded: "I don't claim to have perfect knowledge of how any of these are going to go, but I do have an intuition."

In a floor statement, Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa., introduced Warsh and praised his credentials, calling him uniquely prepared to lead a Federal Reserve he described as facing "an overextended balance sheet; a poor record on inflation; and a weak understanding of the profound opportunities offered in today's economy." McCormick urged colleagues to support "his speedy confirmation."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., posted a video from her questioning, noting she asked Warsh to name one element of Trump's economic agenda he disagreed with — leaving the answer, per her release, to viewers.

Senate Republicans moved to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through budget reconciliation — bypassing the traditional appropriations process and the bipartisan DHS funding deal Democrats say is ready to move. Majority Leader Thune said Tuesday the goal is to "forward-fund ICE and CBP" for three years, adding: "I don't see any scenario where Democrats ultimately are going to say, 'We are going to fund these agencies.' They can't do it."

Democrats responded with floor speeches and amendments. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Republicans "could have spent their reconciliation process on gas prices or the health insurance catastrophe that's about to hit Americans" but instead are "spending $70 billion on this rogue agency." Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, put it this way: "People are going broke. And we are lighting money on fire in the government. It's just for all the wrong things."

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., framed it as a spending-priority question on the floor: "Republicans are responsible for the chaos we face, and Americans increasingly wonder: what have they done to help their families?"

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., introduced amendments to the reconciliation bill — including one to restore Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, one to require local consent before new ICE detention facilities are built, and one to reinstate clean energy tax credits. "Families in New Hampshire and across the country have been clear that there is a cost-of-living crisis that needs immediate attention," Shaheen said. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., focused specifically on veterans, arguing Republican leaders "cannot find the time or the $13 billion to ensure our combat-injured veterans receive their full, earned benefits" while pursuing $140 billion for ICE.

Thirty-eight Senate Democrats and independents sent a coordinated letter Tuesday demanding the U.S. Postal Service defy President Trump's March 31 executive order directing USPS to create and maintain "Mail-in Absentee Participations Lists" that would determine ballot eligibility. The letter is being covered across at least seven separate senator press releases.

"The Constitution provides no role for the President in regulating federal elections. And no statute delegates to the President any authority to regulate elections or voter eligibility either, including via USPS," the senators wrote. "By issuing the executive order, however, the President is attempting to unconstitutionally consolidate power to personally regulate American elections."

The senators concluded: "For over 250 years, the Postal Service has bound our country together with a constitutionally recognized mail service, and for 250 years, the American people have democratically elected their leaders. Any attempt to effectuate this order would violate the Constitution, break these bonds, and threaten the foundations of American democracy."

The letter was led by Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine — whose state relies heavily on mail delivery — also signed and issued a separate release noting Maine is "one of the nation's oldest and most rural states."

Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Edward Markey, D-Mass. — co-chairs of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus — unveiled a bicameral report card Tuesday cataloging what they describe as 100 Trump administration environmental rollbacks. The release was timed to Earth Day.

"Declawing the EPA, firing our public health experts, pulling out of climate agreements and eliminating programs that help more Americans breathe clean air and drink safe water is not how you 'Make America Healthy Again' — it's how you make America much, much sicker," said Duckworth.

Sen. Booker tied the moment to a historical marker: "The first Earth Day was 50 years ago, when Americans stood up across the country and demanded clean air, clean water, and a livable environment. Our bedrock environmental protections are in place because of that movement."

Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., also released a video statement, citing local impact: "In Colorado, we just had our warmest winter on record, and across the state we had our lowest snowpack in a century." He added: "Let's cut the bull: climate change isn't a hoax."

Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., filed an amicus brief Tuesday in support of the EPA's decision to rescind its 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding — the regulatory foundation for federal vehicle emissions standards.

The brief argues the finding and subsequent standards "were plain attempts by an administrative agency to resolve a matter of great political significance" without explicit congressional authorization. "The EPA correctly concluded that the major questions doctrine independently barred the Agency from regulating GHG vehicle emissions," the senators wrote, adding: "Because the EPA correctly determined that no such authorization exists, this Court must uphold the EPA's decision to rescind the rule to safeguard the Constitution's core guarantee of separation of powers."

Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, used Tuesday's DOE budget hearing to press Secretary Chris Wright on gas prices topping four dollars a gallon nationally, the use of emergency authority to keep coal plants online, and the administration's cancellation of $8 billion in clean energy project awards.

"When you came before this Committee almost a year ago, I asked you if it was the case that political appointees were on review boards for the cancellation of $3.7 billion in awards. You responded, 'Well, it's absolutely the case.' Those are your words," Heinrich said. "Satisfying a President's desire for political revenge or intimidation is not a lawful basis for terminating projects that were on track to help reduce soaring electricity prices."

On the coal emergency orders, Heinrich asked Wright directly whether consumers should bear the cost of keeping idle plants open. Wright defended the actions, pointing to near-blackout conditions in the Midcontinent grid; Heinrich interjected: "The state of Michigan and the utility in that case, completely disagree with your conclusion that they were at risk."

On gas, the exchange produced a blunt back-and-forth. Heinrich asked what gas costs right now. Wright answered: "Just over four dollars." Diesel? "Over five dollars." Heinrich: "It's closer to six in my state."

In an op-ed published Tuesday in the Washington Reporter — and promoted in a companion press release — Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, argued for a national photo ID voting standard, citing his tenure as Ohio Secretary of State. Husted said he brought a "clean, simple amendment" to the Senate floor requiring voters to show a driver's license, state ID, passport, military ID, or tribal ID. "Every single Senate Democrat voted against the amendment with a vote of 53-47. But this is not over," Husted wrote.

Husted, who also joined the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism on Tuesday, is a cosponsor of Sen. Joni Ernst's anti-fraud legislative package — a 17-bill bundle Ernst said is projected to save $240 billion. "The fraud stops here, folks!" Ernst said. "Many politicians and lenient, liberal judges look the other way while criminals steal more than $1 billion from taxpayers every day."

The package is cosponsored by 12 Republican senators and includes bills on COVID fund clawbacks, deepfake scam task forces, and improper payment transparency.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Tuesday titled "Stealth Stealing: China's Ongoing Theft of U.S. Innovation." Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., ranking member, used his opening to criticize the administration for actions he said undermine the same innovation ecosystem the hearing was convened to protect.

"He has imposed on-again, off-again tariffs with little regard to whether they target our allies or adversaries. As a result, our nation's reputation has fallen, making it more difficult to build the coalitions and engage in the international organizations that are necessary to collectively counter China's growing global influence," Durbin said.

Durbin pressed witnesses on the Nvidia chip sale to China, asking: "Are we selling our souls here by giving away this kind of hard-fought innovation?" Witness Helen Toner, of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, responded that "controlling access to chips and to computing power is really the best lever we have in AI competition with China."

A separate floor statement release from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was listed among the day's releases but contained no body text.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced questioning in two Senate committees Tuesday. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., pressed Kennedy on the WISeR AI prior authorization pilot, which she said has stretched Medicare approval times from two weeks to four to eight weeks across six states. "A.I. is being used as a denial device for the CMS system," Cantwell said. "If we really think we're going to put A.I. in charge of deciding [care] instead of doctors, I think we're going to have some real problems." Kennedy responded: "That kind of delay is unacceptable, and we will work with you on it."

Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said Kennedy admitted under questioning to opposing Trump's decision to back Monsanto in a Supreme Court case involving the herbicide glyphosate — publicly acknowledging the disagreement for what Markey called "what appears to be the first time." "It was clear to me that the President disregards Secretary Kennedy's advice and sidelines him from important public health decisions," Markey said.

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., challenged Kennedy on TrumpRx, the administration's direct-to-consumer drug platform. "All but one of the 16 TrumpRx companies have increased prescription drug prices since making their deals. The prices are going up!" Welch said. "TrumpRx is a fraud." Kennedy committed to working with Welch on the bipartisan Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act.

Several bipartisan bills and resolutions moved Tuesday across unrelated issue areas.

Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced the Railroad Retirement Fairness Act, which would eliminate a provision that reduces retirement benefits when rail retirees or spouses continue working for their last non-railroad employer. "Too often our outdated systems are stacked against workers," Coons said.

Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., won unanimous Senate passage of a resolution designating April 22 as National Assistive Technology Awareness Day. "For millions of older Americans and people with disabilities, assistive technology is an essential lifeline," the lawmakers said in a joint statement.

Sens. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., hosted more than 20 music artists at a Capitol Hill roundtable to advance the TRAIN Act and NO FAKES Act, which would require AI companies to disclose when copyrighted works are used in training and protect artists from deepfakes. "The voices, words, heart, and soul that live in the music artists create is astonishing — that's deeply human, and can't be replicated by AI," Welch said.

And in an unusual cross-aisle pairing, Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Jim Justice, R-W.Va., John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., introduced the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act, which would allow SNAP recipients to purchase hot rotisserie chicken with their benefits. "Allowing SNAP recipients to purchase hot rotisserie chicken is a simple, practical step to make the program work better for the people it serves," Capito said.

Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa., announced Tuesday that the Department of Energy will preserve nearly $5 billion for five hydrogen hubs, including two with Pennsylvania partnerships — MACH2 and ARCH2 — expected to create a combined 41,000 jobs. "I am proud to have fought for this funding and to see it preserved," McCormick said. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told the Senate Energy Committee the department is "absolutely funding these in phases."

Separately, Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan — both R-Alaska — announced $115.4 million in Port Infrastructure Development Program grants for seven Alaska port projects. "These investments will help revitalize Alaska's ports, enhancing our ability to bring our natural resources to market and ensure a secure supply chain for everything from bulk fuel to groceries," Murkowski said. Sullivan credited a provision he secured in the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act permanently waiving MARAD's cost-benefit analysis requirement for port projects in noncontiguous states.

Signals

• volumeToday's 68 releases are 39.5 percent below the Tuesday average of 112.4, making this one of the lightest single-day outputs of the year on a non-recess Tuesday.
• coordinatedThe USPS mail-in voting letter generated at least seven separate press releases from seven different senators on the same day, a clear coordinated rollout.
• coordinatedThe Earth Day environmental report card generated at least four separate releases from three Senate co-chairs (Duckworth, Booker, Markey) within the same news cycle.
• volumeSen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., issued five releases in a single day — on the SPLC indictment, the China IP hearing (twice), the USPS letter, and a floor speech on DHS reconciliation — an unusually concentrated single-day output.
• silent breaksSen. Alan Armstrong, R-Okla., has not issued a release in 999 days per the tracking data — a persistent anomaly worth flagging for any reporter covering the Oklahoma delegation.
• recessThe Senate is 13 days from an early May state work period; no votes are scheduled for today.

Quiet desks

Senators with no release in two weeks or more.

• Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-OK—
• Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY50d
• Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC34d