Senate Breaks 90–6 for Spending Bill While Trump Loyalists Reshape Federal Roles
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The Senate passed a government spending bill 90 to 6, funding the government through December 11 and sidestepping two of President Trump's most contentious demands: election integrity provisions and a formal congressional authorization for the Iran war. Five months into armed conflict, Congress has still not passed an Authorization for Use of Military Force, a constitutional gap Democratic senators are using as grounds to press for ending the conflict.
Todd Blanche — Trump's personal defense attorney during the federal criminal cases — was confirmed as attorney general immediately after the spending vote, before the Senate departed on a five-week recess. In an illustration of what that appointment may mean in practice, the Department of Justice has refused to refund restitution payments made by pardoned January 6th rioters, arguing that a pardon eliminates the criminal conviction but does not reverse all financial consequences flowing from it.
The New York Times reported that a manager from one of Trump's golf clubs was placed in charge of the renovation of the National Mall's Reflecting Pool, one of the country's most visited monuments, and that the renovation was botched. The details of what went wrong are under investigation. Separately, Democrats are reportedly organizing oversight hearings and potential impeachment inquiries in anticipation of retaking the House in the midterms.
Two significant immigration and research policy moves drew less attention. A DHS proposal would eliminate the existing 60-day grace period allowing H-1B visa holders who lose their jobs to find a new sponsor before being required to leave the country — a change that would affect tens of thousands of skilled workers in a tech sector that has seen significant layoffs. The NIH separately moved to bar visa holders from its Pathways to Independence program, which helps early-career scientists transition to independent research positions, a decision that researchers warn will push internationally trained scientists toward Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.