Senate stalemate, secretary switch, stalled salaries: DHS shutdown at 1 month

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▪ Pressure rises to end Iran conflict

▪ US eases Russia oil sanctions

▪ American aircraft crashes in Iraq

▪ Updates on Michigan, Virginia violence

The shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will officially reach the one-month mark tonight at midnight, with no clear signs of when it may end.

Senate Democrats again blocked a measure Thursday to advance a House-approved bill to fund DHS, with all but centrist Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) voting against it. Unlike in past recent shutdowns, Democrats have remained almost entirely unified in sticking to their demands for immigration enforcement reforms.

This was the fourth time Democrats have voted to block legislation to fund DHS. They sought to turn the tables on Republicans on Wednesday, pushing to fund all DHS agencies unrelated to immigration enforcement, but Republicans blocked that effort.

That leaves the Senate at a standstill, with neither side willing to budge. Republicans have sought to add pressure on Democrats to fund DHS following the launch of U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran two weeks ago, but that hasn’t seemed to make any difference in the party’s stance.

One change that has been put in motion since the standoff began is with DHS leadership, with President Trump replacing Kristi Noem as secretary after multiple controversies.Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Trump’s pick to succeed Noem, is set to appear for his confirmation hearing next week, and the president is pushing to have him take over at the end of the month.

Democrats have celebrated Noem’s departure, viewing her as the face of much of the Trump administration’s enforcement tactics, which they have lambasted. But they’ve also signaled they want more changes to DHS policy beyond just a change in leadership.

Another key development is taking place Friday as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers are set to miss their first full paychecks. That comes as airports are facing extended wait times and flight delays that will only worsen as the shutdown goes on, The Hill’s Sarah Fortinsky reports.

Although TSA staff are considered essential employees and required to continue working, the number of absences generally tick up as workers call out sick. That results in longer lines and delays with a staff overwhelmed by the number of passengers trying to get through security. That has added pressure to end past shutdowns.

The number of unscheduled absences among airport security officers has more than doubled during the latest partial government shutdown, and more than 300 employees have left TSA entirely, CBS News reported. Call-out rates have reached double-digit percentages in some airports.

The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports pressure is again mounting for senators on both sides of the aisle to reach a deal in the face of thousands of federal employees going a month without pay and growing airport lines.

▪ Axios: Airports rally for donations for TSA workers.

▪ MS NOW: Lawmakers disagree on whether talks are happening.

3 Things to Know Today

One security officer was injured with non-life-threatening injuries after a man rammed his car into one of the country’s largest reform synagogues in Michigan. No one else was injured, and security fatally shot the suspect. Read more on what we know about the attack here.

A U.S. military refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraqi airspace in an incident officials said was not caused by friendly or hostile fire. Four out of six crew members have been confirmed dead, U.S. Central Command announced Friday. A second aircraft involved in the incident was damaged but landed safely.

The U.S. is temporarily lifting sanctions on Russian oil in an effort to calm soaring prices. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move will only last until April 11 and not provide “significant financial benefit” to the Russian government.

MANAGING PRESSURE: The Trump administration is seeking to manage oil pressures, with consumers facing two weeks of higher prices at gas pumps amid the U.S. operation against Iran.

The Energy Department announced it would release 172 million barrels of oil from the U.S. reserve, part of an international effort to ease price pressures after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping lane.

The Treasury Department is also temporarily easing oil-related sanctions on Russia in a push to blunt the impact on gas prices, which have been elevated since the U.S. launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.

Trump, who has brushed off the higher oil prices as not too harmful to the country, has increasingly faced a push from the public to end the operations.

Polls have gradually shown the American people shifting away from supporting the operation in Iran, raising concerns among Republicans about a potential electoral backlash in the midterms if it doesn’t end soon.

Most of Trump’s base has generally stuck by him, but some high-profile conservative media allies have come out against the U.S.-Israeli strikes.

The president has seemed cognizant of the declining support in signaling the operations may end sooner than his initial four-to-five-week timeline. But the administration still hasn’t laid out clear metrics for what constitutes success, and when it may be achieved.

The Hill’s Filip Timotija reports time is on Iran’s side as Trump faces domestic and international pressure to end the strikes.

House Republicans are promising a supplemental funding package designed to replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles and bolster defenses abroad, The Hill’s Sudiksha Kochi and Mike Lillis report.

Newly selected Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei released his first off-camera statement since assuming the role Thursday, asserting Tehran will continue its attacks on its neighbors in the Persian Gulf region in retaliation for the strikes from the U.S. and Israel. He also vowed that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed while the conflict goes on.

REGIONAL MOVES: Several Gulf countries have been dragged into the conflict as they weather attacks from Iran. The Hill’s Laura Kelly reports Gulf nations are pushing for an end to the war in a rare moment of unity.

Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman rallied 135 nations at the United Nations to condemn Iran’s retaliatory strikes, getting a resolution passed by the U.N. Security Council. The successful vote underscores Iran’s isolation even from Qatar and Oman, two countries historically more friendly to Tehran, Kelly notes.

Israel also continues to expand the conflict, stepping up a bombing campaign in Lebanon to target Hezbollah, a militant proxy group for Iran. The Washington Post reported Lebanon appealed to the U.S. and European leaders to stop the strikes as the death toll rises and even offered to speak directly with Israel.

But Israel rejected the offer, with one person familiar with the conversations telling the outlet that Israel believes now is the time to wipe out Hezbollah entirely.

▪ The Hill: Why naval escorts through the Strait of Hormuz are risky.

▪ The Hill: Gas price hike hits Americans already struggling.

TRADE INVESTIGATION: The White House is launching investigations into the trade practices of more than a dozen countries as part of its contingency plan following the Supreme Court’s ruling that struck down most of the president’s tariffs.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters the administration is opening investigations into the practices of China, the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan and India, NewsNation reported.

The investigations are being launched under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows the president to impose tariffs on countries with “discriminatory” trade practices.

The Supreme Court invalidated most of Trump’s tariffs in a ruling last month, finding that he exceeded his authority in imposing them. Trump quickly imposed 10 percent tariffs through Section 122 of the Trade Act, which allows the president to address “large and serious” trade deficits.

But those tariffs are set to expire in July, leaving the investigations as the next best path for the administration to try to continue with its tariff policy. Greer said the administration wants to wrap up its investigation by the time the 10-percent tariffs expire.

▪ The New York Times: Administration says tariff refunds may take time.

HOUSING BILL HEADS TO HOUSE: The Senate easily approved a bipartisan bill Thursday to try to improve housing affordability, but whether it can pass in the House remains up in the air.

The upper chamber passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in an 89-10 vote, with most of the opposition coming from conservatives. The legislation would add incentives to build new homes, launch a program to allow abandoned buildings to become housing developments and approve new grants to overhaul homes, among other measures.

The Hill’s Al Weaver reports the bill is expected to be one of the only major pieces of bipartisan legislation with a chance to reach the president’s desk this year. If signed into law, it would also be the first major housing bill to be enacted in nearly three decades.

But House Republican leaders have expressed skepticism about the bill, alleging they were left out of the drafting process. Senators have rejected that claim, arguing the bill is made up of priorities for both chambers.

The White House has declared support for the bill, but Trump also hasn’t given as much attention to the legislation as he has to the SAVE America Act, the GOP-back voter requirements bill.

▪ Politico: Trump’s silence leaves housing bill in limbo.

HEGSETH’S REVIEW: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a “ruthless, no-excuses” review of the military’s legal offices, further remaking the Pentagon in his vision.

He said in a video posted Wednesday that he directed service secretaries, judge advocate generals and the staff judge advocate to the commandant to conduct the review.

“For too long, over 20 years, legal shops across the services have grown bloated, duplicative, they’ve muddied lines of authority and pulled critical judge advocates away from what matters most — advising commanders in the fight on operations in deployed environments where seconds and minutes count,” Hegseth said.

The announcement comes a year after Hegseth fired the top lawyers for the Army, Navy and Air Force, alleging they were “roadblocks to orders” given by the president.

Critics have accused Hegseth of seeking to undermine legal oversight of the Pentagon, reduce accountability and target those accused of being disloyal to Trump.

Hegseth also announced Thursday the creation of a new task force to review U.S. war colleges. The task force is designed to ensure the colleges are “effective” and focused on core national security issues.

▪ The Hill: Senate Dem says Hegseth should resign over Iran school strike.

▪ The New York Times: How Hegseth sees moral purpose in war as weakness.

The president will participate in executive time at 8 a.m. He will sign executive orders at 2 p.m. He will greet the National Finals Rodeo winners at 3 p.m. and later leave the White House for Palm Beach, Fla., for the weekend.

The House and Senate are out today.

MISSOURI MAP: The GOP notched a victory in an ongoing battle to implement new congressional lines in Missouri for the midterm elections, as a judge upheld the Republican-drawn map.

A Jackson County circuit judge ruled Thursday against a challenge from a few advocacy groups seeking to block the map from going into effect. The case centered on the question of whether the map complies with a provision in the Missouri Constitution requiring congressional districts to be compact.

Missouri Republicans targeted Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) in the state’s 5th Congressional District, which includes parts of Kansas City. The new map splits the urban center and adds rural territory to the district to make it more conservative.

Cleaver and other Democrats have vowed to fight the map, but the ruling is a setback for those efforts. Still, the ruling is not the end of the battle.

The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments earlier this week in a separate legal challenge over whether lawmakers could redraw the congressional lines midway through the decade.

Although the debate is only over one seat, the outcome of the case could be critical in what may be a closely contested fight for control of the House in the midterms. Republicans have successfully gained seats in Texas and North Carolina through mid-decade redistricting, while Democrats are poised to gain seats in California and one more in Utah, the latter of which through a surprise court ruling.

Virginia is also set to vote on a proposal to redistrict that could give Democrats additional seats in a referendum next month.

▪ The Hill: Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) defends Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) from Trump.

▪ The Hill: Joe Manchin slams Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) for filibuster flip.

OLD DOMINION SHOOTING: One person was killed and two others were injured when a gunman opened fire at Old Dominion University (ODU) in Virginia on Thursday.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the incident is being investigated as an “act of terrorism.”

ODU Police Chief Garrett Shelton said at a press conference that the suspected shooter was found dead when officers arrived on the scene, the local NBC affiliate WAVY reported. The two people injured, who are in stable condition, are members of the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.

The suspected shooter has been identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Army National Guard member who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2016 after pleading guilty to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State. He was released from federal custody in 2024.

The shooting took place in Constant Hall, an academic building on campus. Officials issued an “all clear notification” just after noon, but classes were canceled for the rest of the day, and the university will also be closed Friday.

ODU is located in Norfolk, Va., and is made up of about 24,000 students, nearly 30 percent of which are affiliated with the military.

▪ NBC News: Teen who lost family in Rhode Island shooting scores winning goal.

What is the economy telling us about the midterms? J.T. Young writes in The Hill.

Lebanon’s failure to disarm Hezbollah keeps doing greater damage, Hussain Abdul-Hussain writes in The Hill.

And finally … 👏👏👏 Congrats to this week’s Morning Report quiz winners! They were read up on Iran’s distant and more recent history.

Here’s who went 4/4: Michael Salanik, Stan Wasser, Chuck Schoenenberger, Rick Schmidtke, Carmine Petracca, Richard Baznik, Harry Strulovici, Don Swanson, Linda L. Field, Paul Mastra, Eugene Smith, Jeremy Serwer, Peter Sprofera, Jess Elger, Pam Manges, Bill Bennett, Andre Larroque, Lee Martin, Noam Mayraz, Dennis Barksdale, Ned Sauthoff, Steve Comer, Sari Wisch, Terry Pflaumer, Steve James, Savannah Petracca and Mark R. Williamson.

The Iranian Revolution took place in 1979, resulting in the ouster of then-Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and installation of Ruhollah Khomeini as the first supreme leader.

The 52 hostages were taken shortly after Khomeini’s rise to power and held for 444 days. Major news outlets marked each day with a counter until the hostages were returned home.

At its peak, about 44 percent of the global population lived within the borders of the Persian Empire, considered by some to be the world’s first superpower.

The current population of Iran is estimated to be 92 million.

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