Congress Returns to Address Iran War Powers, Member Expulsions, and DHS Shutdown

2026-04-13

The BareStory

Lawmakers are returning to Washington to address several major legislative issues, including the ongoing conflict with Iran, a Department of Homeland Security shutdown, and potential efforts to expel sitting House members.

Democratic leaders plan to force a congressional vote this week aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s military authority regarding Iran. According to individuals familiar with internal planning, the war powers vote is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, marking the first such vote since early March. The legislative push follows unsuccessful ceasefire negotiations in Islamabad and a recent announcement from the president that the U.S. Navy will blockade the Strait of Hormuz. Lawmakers anticipate the administration will request between $80 billion and $100 billion in supplemental war funding.

The legislative schedule may fluctuate depending on impending expulsion votes, which require a two-thirds majority to pass. Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna announced plans to force an expulsion vote against Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell over sexual assault allegations. Swalwell has denied the accusations but suspended his California gubernatorial campaign. Concurrently, Democrats are expected to pursue an expulsion vote against Republican Representative Tony Gonzales. Gonzales recently ended his reelection bid after admitting to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.

Additionally, Congress is navigating a Department of Homeland Security shutdown that began on February 14. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced a tentative agreement to restore department funding while pursuing separate immigration enforcement measures through the budget reconciliation process. However, the proposal faces opposition from a faction of House Republicans demanding that all department funding be handled entirely through reconciliation.

Left Perspective

Reclaiming Constitutional War Powers
Purging Institutional Moral Failures
Rejecting Procedural Hostage Tactics

Right Perspective

Preserving Executive Strategic Deterrence
Enforcing Baseline Civic Duty
Mandating Strict Border Sovereignty

Left Perspective

• Reclaiming Constitutional War Powers Prioritizing institutional checks and balances, the push to limit military authority reflects a structural rejection of unilateral executive war-making. The tentatively scheduled Thursday vote is viewed as an essential mechanism to mandate democratic oversight following the breakdown of Islamabad ceasefire negotiations. Appropriating the requested $80 billion to $100 billion for a Strait of Hormuz blockade is seen as a dangerous escalation that bypasses diplomacy and diverts domestic resources toward potentially limitless foreign conflict.

• Purging Institutional Moral Failures Emphasizing the protection of vulnerable individuals from power abuses, the push to expel sitting members relies on establishing strict behavioral baselines. Navigating Representative Luna's expulsion resolution against Eric Swalwell requires prioritizing transparent investigations over partisan shielding to ensure the institution does not harbor predatory behavior. Concurrently, driving the expulsion of Tony Gonzales after his staffer's suicide enforces necessary accountability for exploitative power dynamics and ethical breaches in the workplace.

• Rejecting Procedural Hostage Tactics Valuing the stable functioning of civil services, the ongoing February 14 DHS shutdown is interpreted as a reckless weaponization of the appropriations process. The tentative Johnson-Thune agreement to restore funding is viewed as a necessary retreat from partisan extremism, decoupling essential government operations from ideological demands. Acquiescing to the conservative faction's demand to mandate immigration measures entirely through reconciliation risks normalizing government shutdowns as routine political leverage.

Right Perspective

• Preserving Executive Strategic Deterrence Prioritizing national security and global stability, the executive branch requires unified, unencumbered authority to counter immediate foreign threats. The congressional effort to restrict military action is viewed as a dangerous broadcasting of internal division following the failed Islamabad negotiations. Authorizing the requested $80 billion to $100 billion for the Strait of Hormuz blockade is deemed a necessary projection of strategic deterrence, ensuring adversarial forces cannot successfully choke off vital global transit routes.

• Enforcing Baseline Civic Duty Centering the rule of law and institutional legitimacy, the proposed expulsions serve as necessary mechanisms to excise compromised representatives who degrade the republic's standing. Representative Luna's resolution against Eric Swalwell addresses the severe reputational damage of unresolved sexual assault allegations, demanding his removal to restore institutional honor. The concurrent pressure on Tony Gonzales reflects a strict adherence to traditional moral expectations, arguing that personal scandals and compromised ethics directly undermine an official's capacity for civic duty.

• Mandating Strict Border Sovereignty Viewing national sovereignty as the ultimate priority, utilizing the appropriations process is considered a legitimate and necessary tool to force comprehensive border enforcement. The conservative faction's rejection of the Johnson-Thune compromise stems from a belief that decoupling DHS funding from hardline immigration measures neutralizes their best institutional leverage. Demanding that all funding flows exclusively through budget reconciliation ensures that border security is not sidelined by procedural compromises or administrative delays.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• You may experience short-term disruptions to civil services and essential government operations due to the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

• Long-term national border enforcement policies could shift depending on whether Congress passes immigration measures exclusively through budget reconciliation or a compromise agreement.

• The proposed military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz may secure vital global transit routes in the short term to prevent adversaries from cutting off access.

• Funding the military blockade will require an estimated 80 billion to 100 billion dollars, which could lead to a long-term diversion of financial resources away from domestic needs.

• Congress may experience short-term delays in passing funding and national security legislation as the schedule fluctuates to accommodate expulsion votes for two sitting representatives.

Congress Returns to Address Iran War Powers, Member Expulsions, and DHS Shutdown

The BareStory

Left Perspective

Right Perspective

How it may affect me

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