Iran war's 60-day clock dominates Senate as GUARD Act clears Judiciary

Three senators — Curtis, Kim, and Schiff — converged Thursday on the 60-day War Powers threshold, though from different partisan starting points. Curtis, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a detailed statement marking the deadline and signaling active negotiations with colleagues and the White House. "From the beginning, my position has been that the President's actions in Iran have been consistent with his legal authority under the War Powers Resolution of 1973. However, that same law is clear that after 60 days, military action must begin to wind down unless Congress provides formal authorization," he wrote.

Curtis framed his position as structural rather than adversarial: "The legacy of the Vietnam War serves as a permanent reminder of the devastation that occurs when the lines of authority are blurred or ignored." He said he is engaged in "thoughtful discussions" with Senate colleagues and the Administration "on a path forward that honors our respective constitutional roles."

In a floor statement, Kim cited a cost of "at least $25 billion of working Americans' taxpayer dollars" spent on what he called "this reckless war of choice," and noted average gas prices above $4 per gallon. Kim has also filed his own separate War Powers Resolution, one of several Senate Democrats have filed or plan to file.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously Thursday to advance the GUARD Act, bipartisan legislation targeting AI chatbots that expose minors to sexual content or encourage self-harm. The bill was led by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and co-sponsored across party lines by Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Katie Britt, R-Ala., Mark Warner, D-Va., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., among others.

The bill bans AI companions for minors, requires AI chatbots to disclose their non-human and non-professional status, and imposes criminal penalties on companies whose systems engage minors in sexually explicit conduct or solicit self-harm or violence. Parents of children harmed by AI chatbots attended the committee session. Sen. Britt, a lead sponsor, addressed them directly: "It is sick that we're having to sit here to make them do that. I want to say thank you to these parents, thank you. Your stories are what has motivated the movement."

Warner, also a co-author, said: "AI chatbots put the mental and physical health of young people at risk. I'm encouraged to see this bipartisan legislation advance through committee. It is time to put clear guardrails in place to protect children from manipulative or dangerous chatbot interactions and hold tech companies accountable." Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, separately praised the bill during the same committee session and entered into the record letters from Texas State Sen. Angela Paxton urging AI child-safety guardrails. The bill now advances to the full Senate floor.

The Senate Armed Services Committee's FY27 budget posture hearing — featuring Hegseth, Gen. Caine, and acting Comptroller Jules Hurst III — became a forum Thursday for pointed Democratic questioning on financial conflicts of interest alongside the Iran war. Sen. Warren pressed Hegseth on reports that administration insiders placed prediction market bets using nonpublic war information. "Americans are paying a high price for Donald Trump's war with Iran: 14 service members dead, over 400 more wounded, prices rising for nearly every American family," Warren said. "But someone is profiting off Trump's war — insiders who know what's going on and who place bets on that inside information."

Hegseth responded that everything was "completely above board," according to the Warren release. Warren also questioned Hegseth about his own personal investments, citing what she described as a possible violation of his ethics agreement. Separately, the full Senate passed by unanimous consent a resolution from Sen. Moreno banning sitting senators, officers, and staff from using prediction markets. "United States Senators have no business engaging in speculative activities like prediction markets while collecting a taxpayer-funded paycheck, period," Moreno said.

Chairman Wicker, R-Miss., who led the hearing, used his opening remarks to reiterate support for President Trump's $1.5 trillion defense budget request and the global threat environment: "We live in the most dangerous security environment since World War II. Every uniformed officer that has come before this committee has agreed with that statement." Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., praised Hegseth at the same hearing for "ending DEI policies and strengthening our military might through merit."

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer led 11 senators — all Democrats on the Judiciary Committee — in demanding answers Thursday from White House Counsel David Warrington over a Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel opinion declaring the Presidential Records Act of 1978 unconstitutional and "invalid in its entirety."

The senators wrote that an April 2 White House memorandum building on that OLC opinion effectively replaced mandatory preservation requirements with discretionary guidelines. "Regardless of the Executive Branch's internal deference to OLC opinions, OLC does not have the authority to override Supreme Court rulings or unilaterally overturn laws passed by Congress. The PRA remains binding law, and Congress was well within its power when it enacted the PRA," the senators wrote. They added: "We are deeply concerned that, pursuant to the April 1, 2026, OLC opinion and your subsequent April 2, 2026, memorandum, the President and his staff will unlawfully destroy important records covered by the PRA, significantly harming Congress' ability to fulfill its constitutional oversight responsibilities."

Thirty Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio Thursday objecting to reported plans to transfer Afghan interpreters and military allies — stranded at a camp in Qatar since January 2025 — to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was among the signatories.

"We made a promise to our allies. They fought alongside our sons and daughters for years with the understanding that America would not abandon them if the worst came to pass," the senators wrote. "Instead of honoring that promise, the Administration is reportedly offering them a false dichotomy: to return to Afghanistan where torture and death await them, or to be sent to a country in the midst of one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world." The letter cited United Nations characterization of the DRC as gripped by "one of the world's most complex displacement crises despite peace efforts."

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, sent letters Wednesday to nine major AI company chief executives — including leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, xAI, Safe Superintelligence, and Thinking Machines Lab — warning of People's Republic of China espionage targeting U.S. artificial intelligence.

The letters cited a recent jury conviction of a Chinese national and former Google employee for stealing proprietary AI information, as well as a 2025 report finding that China's Ministry of State Security "targets ethnic Chinese as a matter of national policy" and that those with "familial or financial ties to the Chinese mainland are particularly susceptible to intimidation and pressure from the Chinese government." The senators asked each company to describe how it detects and guards against PRC espionage, manages insider threats, prevents model weight theft, and whether it has policies to notify the U.S. government upon detecting security breaches. Separately, Sen. Warner and Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., introduced the Workforce Transparency Act, requiring the Department of Labor to collect and publish data on AI's impact on employment — legislation supported by Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, among others.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., took to the floor Thursday to urge passage of the Strategic Subsea Cables Act, bipartisan legislation co-introduced with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. Barrasso framed undersea cables as carrying "99 percent of the world's internet traffic" and supporting "$10 trillion in financial transactions each and every day."

Barrasso cited Taiwan-area incidents as a prime example of the threat: "According to Taiwan's National Security Bureau, over the past four years, there have been around 30 subsea cable incidents. In one, Chinese vessels allegedly cut cables to the Matsu islands. Both of those cables were cut. It took months — yes, months — to repair them." Barrasso also urged the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which heard the bill Thursday, to move it forward, describing Russia and China as adversaries seeking to "hold our connectivity hostage."

Sen. Fetterman wrote to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Thursday reiterating opposition to the proposed conversion of two Pennsylvania warehouses into ICE detention centers housing up to 7,500 and 1,500 detainees respectively. "While I have been clear in my support for the enforcement of federal immigration law, this decision will do significant damage to these local tax bases, set back decades-long efforts to boost economic development, and place undue burdens on limited existing infrastructure in these communities," Fetterman wrote. He cited a combined loss of "over $1.6M in local tax revenue per year for Schuylkill and Berks counties."

Separately, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., and Rep. Ritchie Torres introduced the Financial Access Protection Act, which would prohibit federally regulated banks from collecting, maintaining, or disclosing customers' citizenship or immigration status as a condition of financial services. "Our financial regulators and financial institutions should not be tasked with enforcing immigration laws and intruding on customers' personal privacy. Full stop. Misguided policies like these will sow chaos in our financial system and create new burdens for our local banks and credit unions," said Alsobrooks.

Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and Sen. Fetterman introduced the FAIR Labels Act Thursday, requiring cell-cultivated and plant-based protein products to carry labels clearly distinguishing them from meat and poultry. The bill would prohibit terms such as "cultivated beef burgers" or "plant-based ground beef" while permitting labels like "cell-cultivated protein burger."

"Deceptive labeling of plant-based protein products hurts American farmers and ranchers. It also degrades consumer trust," said Ricketts. Fetterman framed his support with characteristic directness: "Folks can be in the pro-bio slop caucus, but I'm in the pro-ribeye one. I'm proud to support the FAIR Labels Act to protect our farmers and all consumers who buy their great products." The National Cattlemen's Beef Association endorsed the legislation.

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., led Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., in introducing the Public Lands Integrity Act Thursday — legislation that would prevent federal public lands from being sold through budget reconciliation, which requires only a simple Senate majority. The bill responds to a provision in the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act that nearly authorized selling one to three million acres before bipartisan opposition forced its removal.

"Public lands make Colorado, Colorado," said Bennet. "They're the foundation of our economy, and they represent treasured parts of our communities, our geography and our history. Congress must never use fast-tracked Senate procedure to sell Americans' public lands to fund short-term partisan spending. Not now, not ever." Merkley added: "Oregonians and folks across America are united with a clear message — our public lands are not for sale."

Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., jointly recommended two candidates to the White House Thursday for U.S. attorney appointments in Wisconsin's Eastern and Western Districts — Peter Smyczek and Chadwick Elgersma — forwarded by their bipartisan Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission.

"My bipartisan nominating commission with Sen. Baldwin submitted two well-qualified U.S. attorneys for the President's consideration. Peter Smyczek and Chadwick Elgersma will apply the rule of law and serve the people of Wisconsin's Eastern and Western districts well," said Johnson. Baldwin framed it as a proof of concept: "This is proof that the hard work of this commission and finding common ground can work. The candidates that the commission put forward appear well qualified, to have relevant experience, and committed to delivering justice impartially."

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., reintroduced the Ensuring Seniors' Access to Quality Care Act Thursday, legislation granting nursing homes access to the National Practitioner Data Bank for employee background checks and easing restrictions on in-house Certified Nurse Assistant training programs. Current law bars facilities with certain deficiency findings from running CNA programs for two years even after corrections.

"Seniors and their families deserve care they can trust," said Warner. "This bipartisan legislation will provide senior living facilities with the tools they need to hire and train staff to provide quality care." The bill is also co-sponsored by Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and is endorsed by the American Health Care Association, LeadingAge, and their respective state affiliates.

Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., announced Thursday that FEMA has reinstated public servants who faced retaliation after raising concerns about the agency's disaster response preparedness — workers Kim has advocated for since their suspension. Kim had raised the issue directly with DHS Secretary Mullin at his March 18 confirmation hearing.

"These public servants never should have faced retaliation for raising the alarm and trying to keep Americans safe. I've called for these whistleblowers to be reinstated and applaud their bravery and dedication in the face of attacks from this administration," said Kim. Kim and Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Gary Peters, D-Mich., had also written to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel requesting an investigation into potential unlawful retaliation, citing the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., issued a statement Thursday responding to a Supreme Court ruling he said gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. "The Supreme Court decision gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act results from an ongoing, multi-year attack on the signature policy achievements of the Civil Rights Movement," Ossoff said. "The blatant and cynical aim of this campaign against voting rights laws is to reduce Black representation in the United States Congress. It is essential we restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act to defend every American citizen's access to the ballot and to ensure all Americans have real representation in Congress."

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued a statement Thursday welcoming House passage of the FY2026 DHS funding bill — the same measure the Senate passed unanimously on March 27 and again on April 2. "Speaker Johnson extended the DHS shutdown for over a month for no reason at all. This is the same bill the Senate unanimously passed five weeks ago," Murray said. "After Republicans spent months blocking disaster relief and funding for the TSA, Coast Guard, and our cyber defense agency, it is a very good thing that this bill is finally on track to be signed into law to fund these agencies."

Signals

• volume45 releases filed Thursday against a Thursday average of 79.2 — 43% below baseline, consistent with pre-recess drawdown ahead of the Early May state work period beginning in four days.
• recessSenate is four days from an Early May state work period; no scheduled floor votes appear on today's calendar.
• coordinatedThirty Democratic senators signed a single letter opposing Afghan ally transfers to the DRC, led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal — one of the largest multi-senator coordinated letter actions in the input set.
• coordinatedThe GUARD Act drew releases from four senators on the same day — Hawley, Britt, Warner, and Cornyn — all marking committee passage, a textbook coordinated rollout.
• silent breaksSen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., has been quiet for 23 days but appears in Thursday's input as a co-sponsor on two bills — the TRIA reauthorization and the Supporting Urban and Innovative Farming Act — without issuing her own release.
• silent breaksSen. Rand Paul, R-KY, has issued no releases in 58 days — the longest active silence among non-newly-elected members in the input.

Quiet desks

Senators with no release in two weeks or more.

• Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY58d
• Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC42d
• Sen. Tina Smith, D-MN23d
• Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-NY15d