Senators moved ahead with a bipartisan housing bill this week, paving the way for a final vote once they return from the Juneteenth long weekend. But on another topic, they seemed to go not forward, but back.
President Donald Trump sent negotiations to renew a lapsed spy power authority back to square one Wednesday, souring the mood as senators wait on word from the White House on how to proceed with the reauthorization and a key intelligence nominee.
“I’ve never been asked to slow a nomination down before,” said Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., Thursday of the White House. “We’re just executing, or trying to execute, on what they had asked us to do.”
Others were unhappy over how Trump is rolling out a “memorandum of understanding” with Iran meant to end the war, triggering calls for a congressional briefing from the White House. Particularly concerning for some GOP senators was confusion over a $300 billion “reconstruction” plan for Iran.
Meanwhile, the House had the week off. The chamber left town last week after voting down a short-term extension of the spy powers authority under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
