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‘Hell Week’ in Washington: A look at House Republicans’ current bind, and how we got here
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There’s no such thing as hazing in Congress.
You won’t find «fraternity row,» with each house festooned with a trifecta of deltas, gammas and epsilons.
No drinking games here.
At least not officially.
WHCD SHOOTING SHOWS DEMS ARE ‘PLAYING’ WITH AMERICANS’ SAFETY BY WITHHOLDING DHS FUNDING, GOP LAWMAKER SAYS
Capitol Hill and Greek pledges share one common denominator at the moment: the impending doom of a forthcoming «hell week.» (Aaron Schwartz/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
But get ready for something on Capitol Hill with which many Greek pledges are all too familiar:
«I’m going to say next week is hell week,» warned Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, last Thursday. «Next week is going to be hell week.’
And this was all before the harrowing episode Saturday night at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington.
HOUSE GOP PUSHES BACK ON SENATE’S ‘SKINNY’ PLAN TO END RECORD-BREAKING DHS SHUTDOWN
To wit about the week facing Capitol Hill:
House Republicans face a devil of a week. They must get on the same page as the Senate to pass a budget framework – to prospectively fund ICE and the Border Patrol. FISA, the nation’s controversial spy program expires early Friday morning. That’s to say nothing of trying to pass the farm bill.
If they don’t get all of this done, «Dean Wormer» (of Animal House fame) might just place House Republicans on «double secret probation» before the week is through.
So let’s examine what got House Republicans in this bind.
Let’s start at 3:36 a.m. last Thursday.
We begin there, because in the past several weeks, the most important moments in Congress have unfolded at 2:12 on a Friday morning, 2:16 on a Friday morning and now 3:36 on a Thursday morning.
3:36 a.m. is when the Senate approved a budget framework to possibly fund ICE and CBP. Republicans are running a special legislative gambit called «reconciliation» to bypass a filibuster. That’s because Democrats won’t help. They’ve never secured the reforms they need to support ICE. So Republicans are going it alone.
«We’re trying to use the reconciliation process to get money to secure the border,» said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
Democrats have been cold on ICE funding ever since the wintertime killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Democrats have balked about funding ICE since the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the winter.
«They want to give $140 billion for ICE and Border Patrol without any reforms,» said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. «(They’re) adding $140 billion to an agency that nobody – well, two groups, Border Patrol and ICE – that nobody respects in this country.»
That prompted an explosive response from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during an appearance on Fox.
«It makes my ears red. It takes a lot to get me upset. But Chuck Schumer, no one respects you. The definition of a lying scumbag politician. That is you,» said Mullin of his former Senate colleague.
ICE SHUTDOWN FIGHT MIGHT RESTRICT FEMA, COAST GUARD TO ‘LIFE-THREATENING’ EMERGENCIES
Perhaps this why the white-hot rhetoric on both sides may have contributed to the mayhem of Saturday night.
Mullin says emergency DHS money is about to expire. So pressure is intensifying on the House to align with the Senate with no changes to the outline adopted by the Senate.
«It has to be clean, because it’s got to be quick,» said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. «The last paychecks go out at the end of this month.»
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., says the Senate funding package contains «problematic language.» (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
But remember, this is just the House lining up with the Senate on a blueprint to address the funding lapse at ICE and CBP. The assassination attempt at the White House dinner only amplified the need to fund DHS. And fast. However, Johnson refused to pick up a bill to fund everything else at DHS which the Senate passed twice. Then Johnson agreed to pass the bill after dissing it. But the House has never synced up.
Johnson says the Senate funding package – not the reconciliation framework – «has some problematic language» because it was «haphazardly drafted.»
And now Johnson is suggesting there may be yet another DHS funding bill in the works.
That may be inevitable, considering the chaos of the weekend.
REPUBLICANS EYE ENDING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS FOREVER OVER FEARS DEMS WILL DO IT AGAIN
Budget reconciliation takes a while.
«Reconciliation is still a little ways off,» said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. «They’re running out of runway to fund a lot of those agencies.»
But here’s the other problem with reconciliation: Many conservatives insist on add-ons.
«We should be taking a broader approach to reconciliation,» said Rep. Chip Roy R-Texas.
Here’s what they’re mulling: Maybe money to cover the cost of the war in Iran. Perhaps a suspension of the federal gasoline tax. Additional tax cuts. You name it.
Many on the right demand the inclusion of the SAVE America Act. The bill requires proof of citizenship in order to vote.
«I think you’d see a lot more folks on our side jump on board with it if they had that,» said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., about the SAVE America Act.
Many on the right demand the inclusion of the SAVE America Act in a reconciliation bill. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., argued, «you’d see a lot more folks on our side jump on board with it if they had that.» (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
However, even advocates of the SAVE America Act doubt the GOP can stuff that into a Senate bill which must be fiscal in nature. Many demand an additional, expansive reconciliation bill which is not limited to DHS.
«This is probably the only reconciliation we’re going to have before the break. That’s a poor excuse for the work we’re doing up here,» complained Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. «One bill with that limited amount.»
«People probably intend to do a third reconciliation bill. But you’re not looking at Bambi’s baby brother here,» said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. «This is the last train leaving the station.»
All aboard?
SENATE TAKES FIRST STEP TO FUND ICE, BORDER PATROL IN BID TO CUT DEMS OUT OF THE FUNDING PROCESS
For the moment, President Trump is still focused on the reconciliation outline.
«We need all Republicans to join together and support this Budget Blueprint, which will allow us to bypass Democrat obstruction in the Senate, and fund Immigration Enforcement with only Republican Votes. The Senate passed this Blueprint last week on Thursday morning, and now, House Republicans must UNIFY, and pass the same Blueprint to get the Bill done,» wrote the President on Truth Social.
The President added that he wants a «FAST and FOCUSED» bill by June 1.
That’s nearly five weeks from now.
Hence the challenge of the week.
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«This is so difficult. Up here, we can’t agree with much,» fumed Nehls.
But here’s a little secret. Every week on Capitol Hill in recent memory has morphed into a political inferno. A failed exercise to fund the government which lingered since last summer. Fights over the Epstein files. Resignations amid dark political scandals. Efforts to expel other lawmakers. You name it.
«If you’re going through hell, keep going,» said Winston Churchill.
Which is maybe why Congress goes through the same hellish, legislative landscape nearly every week.
congress, house of representatives politics, republicans
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El régimen de Irán afianza su relación con Rusia mientras Estados Unidos evalúa su propuesta para reabrir el estrecho de Ormuz
El ministro de Exteriores iraní, Abbas Araghchi, destacó este lunes por la noche el fortalecimiento de la relación con Moscú tras mantener conversaciones al más alto nivel, en medio de la continuidad de la guerra en Medio Oriente y de las negociaciones aún abiertas sobre el estrecho de Ormuz.
“Nos complace interactuar con Rusia al más alto nivel, ya que la región se encuentra en un gran flujo de cambios. Los eventos recientes han evidenciado la profundidad y la solidez de nuestra asociación estratégica», afirmó el jefe de la diplomacia iraní a través de X. “A medida que nuestra relación continúa creciendo, agradecemos la solidaridad y damos la bienvenida al apoyo de Rusia a la diplomacia”, expresó.
En paralelo, la Casa Blanca informó el lunes que evalúa la última propuesta presentada por Irán para destrabar la situación en el estrecho de Ormuz, dos meses después de la ofensiva de Estados Unidos e Israel que provocó un fuerte impacto en la economía global.
Las conversaciones de paz entre Washington y Teherán para poner fin a la guerra en Medio Oriente y reabrir por completo la estratégica vía marítima no alcanzaron hasta el momento un resultado concluyente, pese a la vigencia del alto el fuego.
Según reportó la agencia Fars, el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump se reunió el lunes con sus principales asesores de seguridad para analizar la propuesta iraní, luego de que Teherán transmitiera “mensajes escritos” a Washington a través de Pakistán, donde fijó sus líneas rojas en la negociación, incluidos los temas nucleares y el estrecho de Ormuz.
La portavoz de la Casa Blanca, Karoline Leavitt, confirmó que la propuesta “está siendo discutida”.
Por su parte, el secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, señaló en una entrevista con Fox News que el documento presentado por Teherán “es mejor de lo que pensábamos que iban a presentar”, aunque puso en duda la voluntad real de avanzar.
“Tenemos que asegurarnos de que cualquier acuerdo que se alcance sea uno que impida de manera definitiva que avancen rápidamente hacia un arma nuclear en cualquier momento”, sostuvo Rubio.
Durante su visita a Rusia, Araghchi responsabilizó a Washington por el fracaso de la ronda previa de negociaciones. “Los enfoques de Estados Unidos hicieron que la ronda anterior de negociaciones, pese a los avances, no alcanzara sus objetivos debido a las exigencias excesivas”, afirmó el ministro iraní.
El funcionario iraní llegó a San Petersburgo después de visitar Omán y Pakistán, este último señalado como uno de los principales mediadores en la guerra de Medio Oriente. Islamabad había sido sede de una primera ronda fallida de conversaciones entre Estados Unidos e Irán, y la visita del canciller iraní había despertado expectativas de nuevas negociaciones durante el fin de semana.
Sin embargo, Trump canceló el viaje previsto de sus enviados Steve Witkoff y Jared Kushner. El mandatario estadounidense aseguró luego en Fox News que, si Irán quiere dialogar, “pueden llamarnos”, y aclaró que la suspensión del viaje no implica un retorno inmediato a las hostilidades.
Desde Teherán, la posición oficial mantiene una exigencia central: garantías de que Estados Unidos e Israel no volverán a atacar si Irán ofrece compromisos de seguridad en el Golfo. En San Petersburgo, Araghchi afirmó además que la guerra mostró “el verdadero poder de Irán” y la estabilidad del país.
No obstante, dentro de Irán el clima social y económico aparece marcado por la incertidumbre. Un pequeño comerciante identificado como Farshad declaró a periodistas de AFP en Teherán: “Todo en el país está en el aire en este momento. No trabajo desde hace mucho tiempo”. “El país está en completo colapso económico”, agregó.
El impacto también alcanza a la población urbana. Shervin, fotógrafo residente en Teherán, describió las dificultades que atraviesa: “Es la primera vez que llego al punto de retrasarme con el alquiler. Todavía no tengo proyectos”.
Mientras tanto, la situación en Ormuz continúa como uno de los principales focos de tensión. Irán mantiene el bloqueo sobre el paso estratégico, lo que interrumpió flujos de petróleo, gas y fertilizantes y disparó los precios internacionales.
En respuesta, Estados Unidos impuso un bloqueo sobre puertos iraníes.
La presión interna sobre Trump también crece, en medio del alza del precio de los combustibles, la cercanía de las elecciones legislativas de noviembre y encuestas que reflejan rechazo al conflicto entre parte del electorado estadounidense.
En el frente regional, la violencia también persiste en Líbano. El Ministerio de Salud libanés informó que un ataque israelí en el sur del país dejó cuatro muertos y 51 heridos, entre ellos tres niños. Poco después, el Ejército israelí confirmó nuevos ataques contra objetivos de Hezbollah, mientras el primer ministro Benjamin Netanyahu sostuvo que los cohetes y drones del grupo siguen representando una amenaza.
El jefe de la organización terrorista Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, rechazó negociaciones directas entre Líbano e Israel, mientras el ministro de Defensa israelí, Israel Katz, advirtió que “Qassem está jugando con fuego”.
(Con información de AFP)
International,Relations,Diplomacy / Foreign Policy,Europe
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Bernie Sanders’ plans to schmooze with top Beijing AI experts ignite backlash: ‘Holy s—‘
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Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is drawing scrutiny for cozying up to Chinese AI governance officials while championing policies that critics say would hamper America’s ability to compete with Beijing in the global artificial intelligence arms race.
Sanders, who caucuses with Senate Democrats and is a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, is expected to be speaking at a panel discussion on Capitol Hill Wednesday alongside Xue Lan, a professor at the CCP-funded Tsinghua University and chairman of the Ministry of Science and Technology-backed New Generation Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional Committee.
In attendance will also be Zeng Yi, who is the Dean of the Beijing Institute of AI Safety and Governance and is also tied to the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional Committee chaired by Lan. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Max Tegmark, who will also be speaking at the event, indicated the event will focus on «AI existential risk and international cooperation.»
Critics from the White House, the data center industry, and major tech-policy think tanks have argued Sanders is proposing policies that would slow the construction of the very infrastructure needed to keep the United States ahead in the race for AI dominance. Now, Sanders is facing more heat for holding an event on Capitol Hill with two Chinese Ministry of Science-linked officials who support China’s preferred AI governance model.
CHINA RACES AHEAD ON AI —TRUMP WARNS AMERICA CAN’T REGULATE ITSELF INTO DEFEAT
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a news conference on the impact of artificial intelligence on workers at the Hart Senate Office Building on April 16, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
«I think Senator Sanders’ concerns about AI are overstated, but I respect them. We should be asking questions about child safety, community impact, and economic displacement,» China policy expert at the Hudson Institute, Michael Sobolik, said. «What we shouldn’t do is partner with foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party in those discussions.»
Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., pointed out that Tsinghua University is «one of China’s top universities with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party.»
«This is the same China that just blocked Meta’s $2 billion deal to acquire Manus AI, a startup whose founders had already moved to Singapore and whose deal was already done and closed. Beijing decided it did not matter. They stepped in, killed the deal, and restricted the founders from leaving the country while it was under review,» Harrigan wrote in a Monday post on X ahead of the slated panel discussion on Capitol Hill.
«China is aggressively locking down their most powerful AI assets and shutting American companies out,» he continued. «Bernie Sanders wants to hand them a seat at the table to help decide how America handles the same technology.»
«Holy sh–,» Ruthless Podcast co-host Comfortably Smug posted on X.
«It’s a bit on the nose that communist Bernie Sanders is looking to the Chinese Communist Party for their ‘leadership’ on AI,» conservative commentator Steve Guest posted on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to Sanders’ office but did not receive a response in time for publication.
AI TECHNOLOGY RACE IS NEW ‘COLD WAR’ BETWEEN US AND CHINA THAT COULD HAVE DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES: REPORT
In March, Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez unveiled the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, which would impose an immediate federal ban on the construction or upgrading of new AI data centers until Congress passes a broader regulatory framework. Sanders’ own office said the bill is designed to «slow down the development of AI,» and Sanders has separately argued that AI threatens jobs, privacy, democracy, the environment and «maybe the human race.»
U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) hold a press conference to announce the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act at the US Capitol on March 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Even Democrats have balked at the policy proposal, with Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., calling the moratorium «idiocy» at an artificial intelligence summit in D.C. last month, warning it would give China an edge in the AI race.
Cy McNeill, the senior director of federal affairs at the Data Center Coalition, a pro-industry group, said a freeze would risk «rationing access to digital services,» impair U.S. competitiveness and hit Americans’ daily lives. The Center for Data Innovation, a tech-policy think tank, similarly argued the bill relies on «well-worn anxieties» and does not justify halting data-center construction.
US TARGETS CHINESE ROBOTS OVER SECURITY FEARS
Lan, as chair of China’s national expert committee for AI governance, and Li, who told TIME last year that he is «highly involved in policymaking through national governance committees» in China, both have championed governance models that would expand China’s role in writing global AI rules that clash with a freer, more competition-driven U.S. strategy.
Yi has argued that China and the world need mandatory safety and ethics frameworks and more international cooperation, according to comments he made to TIME. He also helped develop UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, the first-ever global standard on AI ethics.
Lan, meanwhile, helped establish a CCP-backed national AI safety body to help «bridge» the gap between technical experts and policymakers, according to TIME.
«China has chosen the path of top-down government control to drive its AI industry. While this strategy affords the CCP some advantages, the American model of bottom-up, free-market capitalism has long been the engine of innovation for the world, and it is more efficient in the long run,» House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie wrote in a February policy review for the Hatch Center.
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A processor chip featuring the flags of the United States and China is shown on a motherboard with a world map background in a 3D render. (Kritsapong Jieantaratip/Getty Images)
«The stakes couldn’t be higher,» Guthrie continues. «China already deploys next-generation technologies to advance many of the regime’s most sinister goals focused on enhancing the power of its Orwellian surveillance state utilizing advanced computing. Even more concerning to the American public is the threat of an adversary’s technology stack serving as the building blocks for future advancements or as a strategic chokehold.»
«The way to beat China in the AI race is to outrace them in innovation, not saddle AI developers with European-style regulations,» Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has also said. Growth and development of new AI technologies will bolster our national security, create new jobs, and stimulate economic growth»
artificial intelligence, bernie sanders, congress, xi jinping, mit
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