Iran Congress
- J. Scott Applewhite - AP
- Updated
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., pauses before taking questions at a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
J. Scott Applewhite - APAs featured on
Republicans are invoking the war in Iran and the prospect of retaliatory terrorist attacks as they tee up votes on a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. The House already approved a DHS spending bill in January, but it faltered in the Senate as Democrats insisted on changes to immigration enforcement operations following the shooting death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. As a result, funding for the department lapsed on Feb. 14. Republicans are calling on Democrats to reconsider in the wake of the conflict in Iran. But Democrats argue that it's a cynical effort that will fail without changes to immigration enforcement operations.
