Monday, March 9th, 2026
Homeland Security Appropriations: The House passed H.R.7744 (221-209), which would provide about $64.4 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
A Senate procedural vote on a full-year DHS funding bill (H.R. 7147) failed 51-45 as negotiators make little to no progress on a deal with immigration enforcement policy changes.
Iran State Sponsor of Terrorism: The House passed H.Res.1099, which states that the House of Representatives declares it is the policy of the United States that Iran continues to be the largest state sponsor of terrorism.
End Unauthorized U.S. Military Actions Against Iran:
House: The House failed to pass H.Con.Res.38 (212-219), which would direct the president to terminate the use of the United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran unless authorized by a formal declaration of war or an authorization for the use of military force. It does not prohibit the gathering or sharing of intelligence or counterintelligence and permits the United States to defend itself from imminent attack, including on our bases and personnel abroad.
Senate: The Senate failed to move forward on S.J.Res.104 (47-53), which directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran unless a declaration of war or authorization to use military force for such purpose has been enacted. The resolution specifies that it shall not be construed to prevent the United States from defending against an attack on the United States or its personnel or facilities in other nations.
Congressional Ethics Violation Records: The House voted (357-65) to refer H.Res.1100 to the House Ethics Committee. The resolution would also force the Ethics panel to share its records on cases where a lawmaker had a relationship with a subordinate. The referral to the Ethics Committee is seen as the House’s way of killing the bill after the opposition of top leadership from both parties was made known.
Housing for the 21st Century: The Senate agreed to proceed on to debate of H.R.6644, which is a bipartisan bill that focuses on incentives for building new homes. It would approve new grants to revamp aging houses, allow for accelerated environmental reviews for housing developments, and create a new program to turn abandoned buildings into housing and more. The bill would also ban large institutional investors from owning more than 350 single-family homes. The bill marks the most consequential housing legislation in roughly three decades and has widespread support among builders, legislators, trade groups, and more.
Tribal Trust Land Homeownership: The House passed S.723, which advocates for homeownership and streamlines the approval process for mortgages on tribal trust land. Currently, in order to be finalized, mortgages involving property on tribal trust land must be reviewed and approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The BIA Mortgage Handbook establishes timelines for BIA offices to process and approve these mortgages. However, these timelines are not always adhered to. The Senate passed the bill in December 2025 and now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature.
Territorial Student Access to Higher Education: The House passed H.R.6472, which would help students from U.S. territories pursue higher education by allowing them to receive in-state tuition at public colleges and universities across the 50 states. Students from U.S. territories are American citizens, but are treated as out-of-state students when applying to public colleges and universities across the country. As a result, families often face significantly higher tuition costs—sometimes tens of thousands of dollars more per year—simply because they reside in a territory.
