Politics and views in the United States

Congress finally approves DHS funding. The Iran War reaches its 60-day War Powers Act deadline and unions push back against Trump Administration union-busting efforts.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

The net result to passing our reconciliation bill is that ICE and CBP are funded for three years.

Democrats got absolutely nothing for their political charade and shenanigans out of that.

After a 75-day partial government shutdown, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson says Congress has agreed on funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

The Senate had approved the agency's budget without money for immigration enforcement in March.

House Republicans, including Johnson, described that as capitulating to Democrats, but stopgap funds moved from another line item by the White House are set to run out this week.

The Democrats are still demanding reforms to ICE and CBP tactics after the shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Preddy in Minnesota.

Johnson says Republicans will fund those agencies separately without Democratic votes or the demanded changes via budget reconciliation.

Beyond money for TSA, FEMA, and civilian Coast Guard employees, the bill also provides full funding for the Secret Service.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune says after the White House Correspondents' dinner shooting, it's important those agents not miss a paycheck.

Saturday night's events were a grim reminder of the need for law enforcement.

And incredibly, some of the law enforcement officers who responded are working for a department that is currently completely unfunded thanks to Democrats' refusal to negotiate on an appropriations bill.

The House also passed a new Farm Bill, the first since 2018.

It could stall in the Senate in spite of higher farm production costs and low crop prices.

One sticking point was possible protections for pesticide producers.

The Iran war has hit an important milestone.

Republican Senate moderates, including Maine's Susan Collins, who faces a tough election, argue that under the War Powers Act, the president can take military action for 60 days without congressional approval.

That deadline passed yesterday at midnight, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the clock is reset by the Seaspire.

Blockades like the one in place against Iran are considered acts of war, but it's not clear if Congress will accept that view.

With Brent crude approaching $115 a barrel, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is urging the US and Iran to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Open the Strait, let all ships pass, let the global economy breathe again.

And that requires more than physical reopening.

It requires shipping to be safe, predictable, and insurable.

Unions nationwide are honoring May Day, the International Workers Day, but the rallies contrast with administration policies seen as anti-labor.

Ava Nijelovska is with CGSU Local 300, which represents graduate students working for Cornell University.

She says they're pushing back because Cornell is one of the schools that gave in to White House threats to cut off federal funding.

To show our power, to assert to Cornell that workers are the people who make this institution run and that we demand better from our employers to protect us, to actually stand up to the federal government, to essentially assert that they're standing with higher education, standing with democracy.

I'm Edwin J. Viera for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

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