Congress

President Trump signed an executive order on Oct. 16 formally exempting Russia from multiple curbs under a new congressional sanctions law, covering energy, finance and individual designations, the New York Times, the Guardian and the BBC report. The order was signed during the window before the legislation took effect, widely interpreted as a defining move by the Trump administration to unilaterally reshape U.S. policy toward Moscow. The move triggered strong pushback from Congress, European allies and Ukraine, with Kyiv having resumed long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure — strikes Trump publicly called ‘a disgrace’.

US President Donald Trump announced on October 15 that he is withdrawing a Pentagon plan to livestream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter. The plan had drawn strong bipartisan congressional opposition along with criticism from religious leaders and military ethics experts who warned it would set a dangerous precedent across civil-military relations, military discipline and public ethics. Trump abandoned the plan under pressure, though the episode itself has exposed deep tensions between the US military justice system and public opinion.

Federal agents conducted a pre-dawn raid on Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s home on October 12 in connection with a criminal probe. Omar publicly stated she will not be silenced, and several members of Congress have raised concerns about the timing and manner of the search.

A U.S. federal judge ruled on October 12 that the Trump administration’s taxpayer-funded government promotional ads violated appropriations law, ordering an immediate stop to broadcast. The ruling has again placed the boundaries of executive branch use of public funds under the spotlight.

According to The New York Times, President Trump has publicly targeted Florida Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar after she broke with the administration’s immigration stance. The episode has fueled fresh debate within the Republican Party and exposed the tension between moderates and hardliners ahead of the midterms.

The US House of Representatives has passed legislation by an overwhelming majority giving the president expanded authority to impose harsher sanctions on Russia and its so-called enablers. The bill, reported by The Guardian, marks a rare moment of cross-party alignment on Russia policy and reflects Washington’s sustained hard line toward Moscow. The new authorities are expected to significantly broaden the toolkit available for targeting Russian individuals, entities and third-country supporters, with knock-on effects for global energy markets, supply chains and geopolitics.

The US House of Representatives passed a bipartisan resolution on September 16 to terminate US military operations against Iran, with seven Republicans joining Democrats in favor. The vote marks the first meaningful congressional check on presidential war powers since the Iran conflict began, exposing deepening intraparty divisions over the war’s trajectory and carrying significant implications for White House military planning, diplomatic timelines, and the 2026 midterm landscape.

The US House of Representatives passes a critical spending bill to keep the federal government running ahead of midterm elections, temporarily averting a shutdown crisis while budget negotiations continue.

Core Summary US Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and close ally of President Donald Trump, died on July 12, 2026, following what was described as a brief and sudden illness. He was 71 years old. Graham served in the Senate for over two decades and was known for his hardline foreign policy positions and conservative stance on national security. President Trump released a statement calling Graham a true American patriot who will be greatly missed. ...

Core Summary The US Senate voted on June 23 to pass a resolution aimed at limiting the president’s authority to conduct military operations against Iran without explicit congressional authorization. The vote is seen as a rare institutional rebuke of the White House’s Middle East policy and a reassertion of Congress’s constitutional role in war-making decisions. Event Details The vote comes amid ongoing tensions between the US and Iran. In recent weeks, the White House has repeatedly signaled possible preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, triggering bipartisan concern in Congress. The resolution invokes the War Powers Resolution of 1973, requiring the president to obtain explicit congressional authorization within 60 days of deploying forces to hostilities, or withdraw them. ...