Trump Threatens Legislative Standstill Over Voter ID Bill; DHS Chief Fired as Iran War Powers Fail

Both the Senate and the House voted down separate war powers resolutions that sought to require congressional authorization for continued U.S. military operations in Iran. The Senate voted 47-53 on March 4 against advancing the measure, falling short of the 60 votes needed to proceed. The House followed on March 6, rejecting its resolution 212-219. Two Republican representatives — Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Warren Davidson (R-OH) — voted with the majority of Democrats in favor; four Democrats voted against.

The resolutions came after a series of U.S. military strikes on Iran that, according to multiple reports, resulted in the deaths of several senior Iranian leaders. Proponents of the measures argued the strikes were conducted without constitutionally required congressional authorization under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which limits unauthorized presidential use of military force. Opponents argued the resolutions would constrain the executive branch's ability to respond to national security threats.

The March votes marked the eighth round of failed war powers resolutions since the escalation of the U.S.-Iran conflict. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Congress has consistently declined to formally demand oversight of the Iran campaign, effectively leaving military decisions in the executive branch's hands.

President Trump dismissed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on March 5, making her the first Cabinet secretary to leave the administration. Trump announced via social media that Noem would depart DHS by March 31 and transition to a new role as Special Envoy for a Western Hemisphere security initiative called "The Shield of the Americas." He simultaneously named Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) as his nominee to lead the department.

Noem had been the administration's most visible advocate for its mass deportation policies. Her standing weakened following the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration officers during operations in Minneapolis, reported tensions with U.S. Coast Guard leadership — the only military branch under DHS command — and remarks before lawmakers that reportedly displeased the president. A YouGov poll conducted in early March found that roughly half of Americans supported abolishing ICE, representing a significant erosion from earlier polling on the administration's immigration agenda.

Some White House advisers discussed "recalibrating" the immigration enforcement approach ahead of the announcement, according to CNN. Democrats said they did not expect Noem's removal to soften the administration's immigration stance, while some Republican senators, including Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), publicly expressed support for the decision to replace her.