Politics

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

Illustration for: Congress Returns to Address Iran War Powers, Member Expulsions, and DHS Shutdown
AI-generated illustration. Visual interpretation does not represent real individuals or scenes.

Apr 13, 2026

THE BARE STORY

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.

Same Facts. Different Perspectives.

Two AI models. Two viewpoints. One factual foundation.

Perspective by Claude

• 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.

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.

Read the story at

Note: All TheBareNews content is AI-generated. For additional context, reporting, and updates, you are invited to explore the news outlets linked above.