Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Republican senators called for firing the Senate parliamentarian — Several Republican senators, including Dan Crenshaw and Tommy Tuberville, called for Senate Majority Leader Thune to fire Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough following her ruling that removed provisions from the reconciliation bill. Crenshaw claimed she had "failed to apply the rules of reconciliation accurately on multiple occasions." Tuberville attacked her as "woke" and appointed by Harry Reid. However, Senators Lisa Murkowski, Bill Cassidy, and Susan Collins declined to support firing or overruling the parliamentarian, with Murkowski stating the parliamentarian was "doing her job."

Supporting reports

• White House removed DNI Gabbard from Iran briefing to Senate — The White House pulled Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard from the team briefing the Senate on Iran, according to Punchbowl News. The briefing team was reduced to CIA Director Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Rubio, Secretary of Defense Hegseth, and Joint Chiefs Chair Caine. The removal occurred as the administration faced intelligence assessments contradicting its claims about the Iran bombing's effectiveness.
• Sen. Murphy objected to DNI Gabbard's exclusion from Iran briefing — Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) stated he had never been part of a major Cabinet-level classified briefing where the Director of National Intelligence was excluded from the room. This occurred when DNI Tulsi Gabbard was barred from a Senate briefing on Iran.

Supporting reports

• White House announces plan to limit classified information sharing with Congress — The Trump administration announced it will limit the classified information it shares with Congress following the leak of the Defense Intelligence Agency assessment, despite no evidence that Congress was the source of the leak. A senior White House official stated: "We are declaring a war on leakers." The announcement came after the administration had already delayed briefing Congress about the Iran strikes past the legal deadline.
• Trump administration planning to restrict congressional access to classified information — On June 25, Axios reported that the Trump administration is planning to restrict access to classified information for members of Congress after the leak of an intelligence assessment on the military strikes against Iran.

Supporting reports

• ICE detention population reached record high — The number of migrants detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities across the country reached a record high of more than 56,000, leading to overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. Federal law permits members of Congress to make unannounced visits to ICE facilities to inspect them, but officers at the Department of Homeland Security last week said members of Congress needed to give at least 72 hours notice before an inspection. ICE claims the power to "deny a request or otherwise cancel, reschedule or terminate a tour or visit" by lawmakers or their staff if "facility management or other ICE officials deem it appropriate to do so."
• Congress faces obstacles in inspecting ICE facilities — ICE officials stated that members of Congress must provide at least 72 hours' notice before inspecting detention facilities, despite federal law allowing unannounced visits. This policy raises concerns about transparency and oversight of immigration enforcement practices.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration postpones congressional briefings on Iran strikes without explanation — The Trump administration postponed classified congressional briefings scheduled for Tuesday regarding the recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, providing little explanation for the delay. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the postponement as "outrageous, evasive, and derelict," demanding answers on strike results, conflict scope, long-term strategy, and risks to Americans. Democrats have alleged the strikes violated the War Powers Act, which requires presidential consultation with Congress before military action.
• Trump cancelled classified House briefing on Iran strikes without explanation — Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) announced that Trump cancelled a scheduled classified House briefing on the Iran strikes with no explanation. Ryan stated that Trump's team could not substantiate claims that nuclear facilities were "completely and totally obliterated" and that the administration lacked clarity on the status of 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium. Ryan also noted that briefers had conflicting conclusions about the operation's success and Iran's proximity to nuclear breakout.

Supporting reports

• Trump cancelled classified House briefing on Iran strikes without explanation — Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) announced that Trump cancelled a scheduled classified House briefing on the Iran strikes with no explanation. Ryan stated that Trump's team could not substantiate claims that nuclear facilities were "completely and totally obliterated" and that the administration lacked clarity on the status of 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium. Ryan also noted that briefers had conflicting conclusions about the operation's success and Iran's proximity to nuclear breakout.

Supporting reports

• Congressional debate and legislative response to unilateral military action — Following Trump's June 21 airstrikes, Congress faced pressure to assert constitutional war powers. The article documents fractured Republican response—Senator John Fetterman praised decisive action while Representative Thomas Massie raised constitutional authority concerns. Democrats and independent voices called for congressional intervention and formal approval. The article calls for citizens to contact representatives demanding a resolution halting military operations until formal approval is granted and for Congress to reform War Powers limitations.
• Congress Criticizes Trump's Unilateral Military Action — Members of Congress, including Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representative Sean Casten, criticized President Trump's decision to bomb Iran without congressional approval, arguing it violated the Constitution. They emphasized that no imminent threat from Iran justified the military action and called for adherence to the War Powers Resolution.
• Representative Ronny Jackson rejected congressional notification requirement — Representative Ronny Jackson (R-TX) told Fox News Channel host Maria Bartiromo that Trump did not have to notify Congress because "[w]e do not have trustworthy people in Congress especially on the left side of the aisle." He claimed that sharing information with Democrats and opposing Republicans would be equivalent to "put[ting] the [ayatollah] on the phone." The article notes there is no basis for this statement.
• Representative Sean Casten called bombing an impeachable offense — Representative Sean Casten (D-IL) posted on social media that the bombing constituted "an unambiguous impeachable offense" because no president has authority to bomb another country that does not pose an imminent threat without congressional approval. He stated: "I'm not saying we have the votes to impeach. I'm saying that you DO NOT do this without Congressional approval."
• House Democratic veterans announce support for War Powers Act resolution against Trump's Iran airstrikes — Twelve House Democratic military veterans, led by Representative Pat Ryan, issued a letter on Monday demanding congressional approval for Trump's airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The veterans, some with Iraq and Afghanistan service records, characterized the strikes as "preventive air strikes" conducted without congressional consent and drew parallels to pre-war Iraq and Afghanistan decisions. Multiple War Powers Act resolutions are gaining momentum on Capitol Hill, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pushing for a vote as early as the week of June 23. The veterans demanded clear answers on military objectives, costs, and potential casualties before escalation.
• Trump attacked Rep. Thomas Massie for opposing Iran strikes — On June 23, Trump posted on Truth Social attacking Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, writing "GET THIS 'BUM' OUT OF OFFICE, ASAP!!!" after Massie introduced a War Powers Resolution and spoke out against Trump's military strikes on Iran.

Supporting reports

• Senate budget proposal includes public land sale mandate and cuts to social programs — The North Carolina Senate released a budget proposal that extends tax cuts for the wealthy, cuts SNAP food assistance, drastically reduces Medicaid, limits court power to challenge Trump administration policies, rolls back clean energy incentives, and mandates the sale of 40 percent of all public land. The article notes that cracks were forming among Republicans over the scope of Medicaid cuts within hours of the bill's release, but warns that backroom deals and reward-punishment structures will influence votes.
• Senate Republicans bypass filibuster to pass Trump tax cut extension via budget reconciliation manipulation — Senate Republicans voted 53–47 on June 24 to approve Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham's decision to manipulate the Congressional Budget Office's budget baseline calculation, allowing Trump's 2017 individual tax cuts to be included in a budget reconciliation bill without triggering the filibuster. Graham directed the CBO to assume the tax cuts would continue indefinitely even if the megabill did not pass, a fictional baseline that violates standard budget reconciliation rules. The Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough was not consulted, and Republicans avoided her formal determination that the provision would increase the deficit beyond the 10-year window and thus be ineligible for reconciliation.
• Senate parliamentarian ruled budget reconciliation provisions ineligible — Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled on June 26, 2025, that many provisions Republicans had included in their budget reconciliation bill do not qualify for inclusion under Senate rules. Specifically, MacDonough determined that major Medicaid cuts that Republicans had counted on to save $250 billion do not fit within budget reconciliation parameters. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) announced the Senate would not override the parliamentarian but would instead seek to revise the measure to comply with Senate rules.
• Republican senators called for firing the Senate parliamentarian — Several Republican senators, including Dan Crenshaw and Tommy Tuberville, called for Senate Majority Leader Thune to fire Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough following her ruling that removed provisions from the reconciliation bill. Crenshaw claimed she had "failed to apply the rules of reconciliation accurately on multiple occasions." Tuberville attacked her as "woke" and appointed by Harry Reid. However, Senators Lisa Murkowski, Bill Cassidy, and Susan Collins declined to support firing or overruling the parliamentarian, with Murkowski stating the parliamentarian was "doing her job."
• Senate Majority Leader Thune declined to fire or overrule parliamentarian — Senate Majority Leader John Thune stated he would not fire the Senate Parliamentarian or call for a vote to overrule her decisions, saying "that would not be a good option for getting a bill done." Thune's position aligned with moderate Republicans who defended the parliamentarian's independence, suggesting the majority would proceed with removing the ruled-out provisions rather than attempting to override the parliamentarian.
• Senate parliamentarian ruled provisions improperly added to reconciliation bill — The Senate parliamentarian ruled that many provisions Republicans added to the budget reconciliation package were improperly included and must be removed. The ruled-out provisions included Medicaid provider tax cuts, ACA limits, a ban on transgender care in Medicaid, denial of Medicaid to green card holders, penalties for states providing care to undocumented immigrants, citizenship proof requirements, student loan repayment limits, expanded Pell Grants, and restrictions on cost-sharing for abortion-covering insurance. These provisions would not survive a filibuster as standalone bills.
• Republican lawmakers called for firing of Senate Parliamentarian — On June 26, Republican lawmakers called for the firing of Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough after she declared that several measures in the GOP's tax and spending bill couldn't be passed via the reconciliation process, meaning they would need 60 votes to pass. The provisions include several restrictions on Medicaid, student aid, and other assistance for many immigrants who aren't US citizens, as well as a block on funding for gender-affirming care through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.
• Senate Parliamentarian removed provision restricting court injunctions against federal government — On June 23, the Senate Parliamentarian removed a provision from the GOP's tax and spending bill that would have restricted the power of courts to issue injunctions or restraining orders against the federal government. The provision would have required plaintiffs seeking an injunction to pay a fee equal to "the costs and damages sustained by the federal government," a move legal experts said would deter people from filing lawsuits. The removal was based on a challenge by Democratic senators, finding it did not comply with the "Byrd rule."