This week on The Hill: Senate takes first steps on reconciliation 2.0

The Senate is expected to vote as early as this week on a budget blueprint for a second reconciliation bill that includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. 

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) will likely have to appease hardline conservatives in his caucus, who have demanded that the bill be broader than the “skinny” package he is pushing for.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and others are hoping to tack on defense funding, a proposal to modify capital gains taxes to reflect inflation and funding to cover ICE and Border Patrol for the next decade in the bill, warning that it could be their last chance to enact President Trump’s agenda before Democrats possibly seize control of one or both branches of Congress in the midterms.

But Thune has opted to keep the reconciliation package small to get it through the House and Senate as quickly as possible.

The reconciliation bill is part of a two-step process aimed at ending the record-breaking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, which has stretched for over two months. The Senate already passed a bipartisan bill to fund the rest of DHS over recess, which the House has yet to take up.

Another challenge for Thune will be getting a clean reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) across the finish line in the Senate ahead of the April 20 expiration deadline – a controversial measure that will likely face pushback from privacy-minded lawmakers in the upper chamber.

What you can expect this week:

Reconciliation 2.0 underway: Senators are aiming to vote on a budget blueprint for a second reconciliation bill as part of a deal to end the partial government shutdown.

Johnson works to clinch FISA deal: Both the House and Senate passed a ten-day extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which was set to expire April 20. But Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) must come up with a deal with hardliners before the new deadline expires on April 30. 

Cherfilus-McCormick faces expulsion vote: The House Ethics Committee is holding a hearing on Tuesday to determine what sanctions to take againstRep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick(D-Fla.), accused of campaign finance violation. House Republicans are preparing to call up an expulsion resolution against her.

Kevin Warsh hearing scheduled for Tuesday: The Senate Banking Committee is holding a nomination hearing for Kevin Warsh, Trump’s pick to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve, on Tuesday.

Senate aims to hold vote on budget blueprint for reconciliation bill

Thune is aiming to keep the reconciliation bill as skinny as possible, but some of his GOP colleagues are pressing to fold in a range of priorities, including provisions to pay federal employees who work during a government shutdown and to extend the moratorium on federal payments to Planned Parenthood.

Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said last week that, “I would love to do as much as we can do, and there will be several amendment opportunities to do that.”

But a broad reconciliation bill will only complicate its path to passage, as it will have a number of hurdles to clear. Reconciliation is a process that allows Republicans to circumvent a filibuster in the Senate, as long as the legislation that’s being considered meets certain budgetary requirements.

Sen. Tom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he thinks the bill “needs to be tight.”

“Why are we trying to make this more difficult? In fact, if you’ve got a really great set of ideas, then convince Sen. Graham to create another reconciliation vehicle, and we can do it after we dispense with the matter at hand,” he added.

Across the Capitol, House Republicans are lashing out against the Senate strategy of splitting ICE and Border Patrol funding from the rest of DHS. Members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus are instead calling for a full DHS bill to be funded through the reconciliation process, posing a headache for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

Some hardline conservatives are also calling for other priorities to be added to the bill, expressing skepticism that Republicans will be able to push through a third reconciliation package later in the year.

“I think we are likely only to be able to have one other bite at the apple. I’m not saying a third is impossible. I’m just saying, look, we’re trying to get appropriations done. You’re going to get to July, then it’s August, then it’s fall, and come on,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), policy chair of the House Freedom Caucus, said. “So my view is, if we need to get DHS funded, let’s get on that horse. Let’s add some other things to it. Let’s move it forward. So you want to deal with defense, deal with it there. Figure out how to pay for things.”

Senate races on a FISA Section 702 extension

In a last-minute turn of events, the House and Senate passed a ten-day extension of Section 702 of FISA, which would allow the government to spy on foreigners located abroad without a warrant. The section is now set to expire on April 30.

And before then, Johnson must negotiate with hardline conservatives, who have insisted on reforms as a condition for a longer-term extension. Trump has been calling for a clean, 18-month extension of Section 702.

After punting several votes and hours of back-door negotiations, the House failed to pass the deal last week made between leadership and members of the House Freedom Caucus. In a 200-220 vote at about 1:15 a.m. Friday morning, 12 Republicans voted with almost all Democrats against accepting the deal, the text of which was revealed just hours before the vote. 

The deal would have extended the nation’s foreign spy powers for five years while adding in warrant language and enhanced criminal penalties for violations.

GOP leaders ended up putting a short-term extension on the floor, which passed unanimously in the lower chamber. 

“We were very close tonight,” Johnson said last week “There’s some nuances with the language and some questions that need to be answered, and we’ll get it done. The extension allows us the time to do that.”

Cherfilus-McCormick on the hot seat

House Republicans are preparing to call up an expulsion resolution against Cherfilus-McCormick, who was accused of funneling millions in improperly paid disaster funds into her campaign.

A House Ethics subcommittee last month announced that the panel had proven 25 of 27 counts of ethics violations against Cherfilus-McCormick, who is under federal indictment over allegations that she stole $5 million from Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster funds for personal use. The committee has scheduled a hearing on April 21 to determine what kind of sanctions would be appropriate to take against her.

Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) has already filed a resolution to expel Cherfilus-McCormick, with plans to move it to the House floor as soon as the Ethics findings are released. 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said she would “fully be backing” the effort, and had called for Cherfilus-McCormick to resign. But Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement last week to the Daily Signal that she has no plans to resign. 

“This is not the time to abandon the district, not when they too are fighting for their future,” she told the outlet.

The effort to expel her will come just a week after former Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) resigned from Congress. Both men had been accused of sexual misconduct and had been facing a wave of bipartisan calls to either step down or face an expulsion vote. 

Warsh nomination hearing set for Tuesday 

The Senate Banking Committee is holding a nomination hearing for Warsh, Trump’s pick to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve, this week on Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Trump had tapped Warsh to replace Jerome Powell, whose term ends on May 15. Powell said last month he would not step down until his successor is confirmed.

Warsh’s confirmation might be held up, however, by the Trump administration’s criminal investigation of Powell, with whom the president has long feuded.

Tillis a member of the Senate Banking Committee, has vowed to keep Warsh’s nomination bottled up in the committee until the Justice Department either ends its or reveals credible evidence of criminal wrongdoing or financial mismanagement at the central bank.

At the hearing, Warsh will likely be grilled by Democrats, who have criticized him for his financial disclosures. His assets are valued between $131 million and $209 million, according to a document submitted to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.

Democrats will also zero in on his past links to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. His name had appeared in a 2010 email released by the Department of Justice that listed the guests for a dinner party hosted by former British politician William Astor. Epstein’s name was also on the list.

In another email that same year, Warsh is listed as a guest traveling to the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy for Christmas. Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s accomplice, is also on the list.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told reporters after her meeting with Warsh last week she has concerns that if he’s confirmed, he “will be Donald Trump’s sock puppet.” 

Alexander Bolton and Sylvan Lane contributed to this report. 

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Patel says he'll sue Atlantic for defamation over report on heavy drinking

Republican gubernatorial candidate dismisses Trump’s approval rating in ...

Waltz says Trump’s threats against Iranian civilian infrastructure ...

Tapper, Stefanik spar over Trump’s ‘whole civilization will die’ message ...

Majority of Cubans, Cuban Americans in South Florida disapprove of ...

House braces for next wave of potential expulsions focused on ...

Most voters blame Trump for rising gas prices: Poll

Senate Republicans hope Supreme Court ‘surprise’ could help save majority

Democrats gain ground in Iowa governor’s race

GOP battle over Salazar’s Dignity Act immigration bill has Republicans ...

Trump says US Navy forcibly seized Iranian-flagged cargo ship in Strait of ...

Pope Leo, Vance seek to mend fences after Trump feud

Eric Swalwell was knifed by the party that long sheltered him

The creator of the gender reveal party is ‘horrified’ at what parents are ...

House Oversight Committee to investigate missing, dead scientists

Critics of Education Department changes see difficult path to restore agency ...

Cruz calls Carlson ‘deranged, leftist psycho’ following comments on ...

NFL takes heat from GOP, Trump DOJ on cost of watching games

© The Hill