Trump weighs next steps on Iran; Senate GOP plots ‘big, beautiful bill’
by TheHill.com -
President Trump is back at the White House on Tuesday after leaving the G7 summit in Canada a day early to deal with Israel-Iran war.
The big decision for Trump may be whether to use America’s B-2 bombers to drop the GBU-57 bunker-busting bombs on the Fordow nuclear facility in Iran that is buried in a mountain.
Israel launched its attack on Iran last week with the goal of cutting off Iran’s capability of acquiring nuclear weapons that could be launched into Israel. That goal probably cannot be reached without the U.S. or U.S. weaponry, as Israel has neither the bombs nor the planes to fly them.
Trump on Monday night urged Tehran’s millions of residents to evacuate, saying Iran “should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign” and said the nation “can not have a nuclear weapon.”
But there are divides within the GOP and Trump’s own MAGA movement over the wisdom of becoming even more embroiled in the Israel-Iran war. Iran has warned that doing so would forever cut off the possibility of nuclear talks, and Trump campaigned against getting the U.S. into any long-running wars.
Eyes in Congress will be on that conflict, but also on the Senate, where the Finance Committee released the final piece of the GOP’s budget puzzle on Monday evening. It sheds light on its proposed cuts to Medicaid, its tax plans and more.
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What to know as Israel-Iran conflict hits fifth day
Democratic drama: Union leader exits underscore DNC divisions
Here’s what’s in the Senate GOP’s version of Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
Follow along on these stories and more today.
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4 minutes ago
Vance: Trump ‘may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment’
Brett Samuels
Vice President Vance weighed in Tuesday as the Trump administration debates its next steps in the conflict between Israel and Iran.
In a lengthy post on X, Vance laid out the administration’s issues with Iran enriching uranium and argued the president has shown “remarkable restraint” thus far.
He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately belongs to the president,” the vice president wrote. “And of course, people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy.
“But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue,” Vance continued. “And having seen this up close and personal, I can assure you that he is only interested in using the American military to accomplish American people’s goals.”
He said Trump had in recent months “encouraged his foreign policy team to reach a deal with the Iranians” to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Vance also argued Iran had enriched uranium “far above the level necessary for any civilian purpose.”
22 minutes ago
House Democrats file amicus brief to restore NIH funding
Mike Lillis
House Democrats this week filed a legal brief challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to gut medical research funding through the National Institutes of Health.
The amicus brief, endorsed by 152 House Democrats, argues that the administration lacks the authority to cut funding already allocated by Congress for specific purposes, in this case medical research.
“The unconstitutional decision by the Trump administration to gut the NIH should shock the conscience,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “Congress appropriated these funds and only Congress has the power to claw them back.”
In February, as part of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cost-cutting campaign, the administration announced it would slash NIH payments to hospitals and other research facilities. The move was designed to target programs the administration deemed to fall under the umbrella of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) — a broad if nebulous national movement aimed at expanding opportunities for minorities.
The DOGE cuts prompted a series of lawsuits from medical colleges, universities and state attorneys general, which have been consolidated as they work their way through the courts.
On Monday, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled against some of the Trump administration’s NIH cuts. U.S. District Judge William Young, who was appointed by President Reagan, said the move was “arbitrary” and amounted to “racial discrimination and discrimination against America’s LGBTQ community.”
In response, the Health and Human Services Department told The Associated Press that it is weighing all legal options, including the possibility of appealing the ruling.
32 minutes ago
Starmer: Trump doesn't plan to get involved in Israel-Iran
Katie Wadington
British Prime Minsiter Keir Starmer nodded to the G7’s statement urging de-escalation between Iran and Israel in saying Trump does not plan to get the U.S. involved in the conflict.
“There’s nothing the president said that suggests that he’s about to get involved in this conflict — on the contrary,” he told The Times of London on Tuesday.
“Throughout the dinner yesterday I was sitting right next to President Trump, so I’ve no doubt in my mind, the level of agreement there was in relation to the words that were then issued immediately after,” he added.
42 minutes ago
Trump: ‘I don’t care’ that Tulsi Gabbard said Iran wasn’t close to having nuclear weapon
Miriam Waldvogel
President Trump rejected his own director of national intelligence’s assessment of Iran’s nuclear capabilities in remarks as he returned from the Group of Seven summit in Alberta, Canada, a day early to weigh America’s response to escalating airstrikes between Israel and Iran.
Tulsi Gabbard testified before Congress in March that while Iran had an “unprecedented” stockpile of weapons-grade uranium, the country did not appear to be building a nuclear weapon.
“I don’t care what she said. I think they were very close to having one,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One in the wee hours of Tuesday morning in response to a direct question about Gabbard’s testimony.
Read more here.
an hour ago
Vance: Trump 'has earned some trust' on Iran approach
Brett Samuels
Vice President Vance offered his thoughts on the administration’s handling of Iran in a lengthy post on X, arguing the president has shown “remarkable restraint” thus far.
“He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately belongs to the president,” Vance posted. “And of course, people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy.
“But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue,” Vance continued. And having seen this up close and personal, I can assure you that he is only interested in using the American military to accomplish American people’s goals.”
an hour ago
Schumer: More money needed for senators’ security after Minnesota shootings
Alexander Bolton
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) told reporters Tuesday that Congress needs to spend significantly more money on senators’ personal security in the wake of an attack that killed a Minnesota state lawmaker over the weekend.
Schumer said that threats against senators and other elected officials have increased dramatically in recent years and that Capitol police will put together a comprehensive menu of options to better protect lawmakers when they’re away from the Capitol.
“The Capitol police and the [Senate] Sergeant at Arms gave a very detailed discussion about how they can protect members here, back in our states, in our homes, in our offices. The violences, the threats against elected officials, including people in the Senate, has dramatically increased,” he said.
“That means we need more protection. We need more money,” he said.
Read more here.
an hour ago
Tina Smith aide: Lee exploited Minnesota deaths ‘to post some sick burns’
Miriam Waldvogel
A senior staffer for Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) sent a scathing and emotional email to the office of Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Monday night after Lee blamed the political left for the shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses.
“It is important for your office to know how much additional pain you’ve caused on an unspeakably horrific weekend,” Ed Shelleby, Smith’s deputy chief of staff, wrote in the email, which was first reported by Semafor.
“Using the office of US Senator to post not just one but a series of jokes about an assassination—is that a successful day of work on Team Lee? Did you come into the office Monday and feel proud of the work you did over the weekend?”
State Rep. Melissa Hortman (D), a friend of Smith’s, was assassinated along with her husband by a gunman who also shot state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife over the weekend. The suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, is said to have kept a list of at least 45 other lawmakers, including Smith.
Over the weekend, Lee posted or engaged with several tweets that blamed the shootings on the political left, remarks that have drawn outrage from his Democratic colleagues on the Hill.
an hour ago
Israel-Iran strikes stretch into fifth day
Julia Mueller
Strikes between Israel and Iran stretched into a fifth day on Tuesday, as Trump made an early departure from the G7 summit amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Trump was peppered with questions overnight on his flight back to Washington on everything from potential U.S. military involvement to evacuation orders for Tehran and his response to Tulsi Gabbard telling a congressional committee recently that Iran was not believed to be building a nuclear weapon.
“I don’t care what she said. I think they were close to having one,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
Read more here.
2 hours ago
Oz to pitch GOP senators on need for Medicaid changes
Alexander Bolton
Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, is scheduled to speak to Republican senators at lunch Tuesday on the need to reform Medicaid, according to a GOP source familiar with the schedule.
Oz is expected to speak in detail about the need to protect the program for low-income families, the elderly and the disabled, and what the administration views as current abuses of the program, such as people in the country without authorization receiving Medicaid benefits.
Oz will address GOP lawmakers a day after the Senate Finance Committee unveiled proposed changes to Medicaid that would go beyond the spending cuts to the program passed by the House last month.
Read more here.
2 hours ago
Israel: Iran's most senior military commander killed
Ashleigh Fields
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Tuesday they killed Iran’s senior military commander in ongoing strikes against the nation to destroy its progress toward nuclear developments.
“For the second time in 5 days— the IDF has eliminated Iran’s War-Time Chief of Staff, the regime’s top military commander,” the IDF wrote in a statement on X.
“Ali Shadmani, Iran’s senior-most military official and [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei’s closest military advisor, was killed in an IAF strike in central Tehran, following precise intelligence.”
The wartime chief of staff was charged with coordinating Iran’s counteroffensive strikes.
Shadmani’s death follows the killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Hossein Salami in addition to several other <a href=”https://thehill.com/policy/international/5349021-who-are-the-officials-killed-in-the-israeli-attack-on-iran/:~:text=Israel%20launched%20sweeping%20attacks%20against,Iran’s%20nuclear%20infrastructure&text=The%20strikes%20killed%20several%20top,commanders%20and%20six%20nuclear%20scientists”>high ranking military officials, and nine nuclear scientists, in Israeli strikes.
2 hours ago
Bipartisan lawmakers to introduce resolution to prohibit US involvement in Iran
Emily Brooks
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers plans to sign on to a war powers resolution to prohibit U.S. involvement in Iran as its conflict with Israel intensifies, and they are signaling they may force a vote on the matter.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who is one of the most outspoken libertarian-leaning Republicans advocating against U.S. military intervention abroad, posted on the social media site X on Monday that he would introduce such a resolution on Tuesday.
“This is not our war. But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution,” Massie said. “I’m introducing a bipartisan War Powers Resolution tomorrow to prohibit our involvement. I invite all members of Congress to cosponsor this resolution.”
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said he would co-lead the resolution with Massie and that the resolution would be privileged — a designation that can allow the members to circumvent leadership to force a full House vote.
“No war in Iran. It’s time for every member to go on record. Are you with the neocons who led us into Iraq or do you stand with the American people?” Khanna said in a post on X. “I am proud to co-lead this bipartisan War Powers Resolution with Rep. Massie that is privileged and must receive a vote.”
Read more here.
2 hours ago
Greene defends Carlson after Trump 'kooky' crack
Dominick Mastrangelo
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) defended pundit Tucker Carlson after he was attacked by President Trump late Monday over the commentator’s criticism of the president’s posture toward Iran.
Trump, in a Truth Social post, called Carlson “kooky” and insisted he and others urging the U.S. to stay out of the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran should understand “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
Greene, a staunch Trump supporter, pushed back on the president’s criticism of the former Fox News host.
“Tucker Carlson is one of my favorite people. He fiercely loves his wife, children, and our country,” Greene wrote on the social platform X. “He unapologetically believes the same things I do. That if we don’t fight for our own country and our own people then we will no longer have a country for our children and our grandchildren.”
Read the full story here.
3 hours ago
Hegseth: 'We are postured defensively ... to be strong' in Middle East
Tara Suter
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the U.S. is “postured defensively in the region to be strong” amid conflict between Israel and Iran in the Middle East.
“Our job is to be strong. We are postured defensively in the region to be strong, in pursuit of a peace deal. And we certainly hope that’s what happens here,” Hegseth said on Fox News’s “Jesse Watters Primetime.”
“And ‘America First’ means we’re going to defend American personnel and American interests,” he added.
Read the full story here.
3 hours ago
Trump knocks ‘publicity seeking’ Macron over Israel-Iran ceasefire remarks
Ashleigh Fields
President Trump took a swipe at French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday morning, accusing his European counterpart of inaccurately suggesting he abruptly returned to Washington from the Group of Seven (G7) summit to bolster peace talks between Iran and Israel.
“Publicity seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a ‘cease fire’ between Israel and Iran. Wrong!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that,” he added, echoing comments he made earlier on Air Force One. “Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay Tuned!”
The exchange comes days after Israel launched a missile strike targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and missile sites, which killed several top military leaders. Iran hit back, launching a counterattack that has led to five consecutive days of warfare.
During a press conference at the G7, Macron said “There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange.
“An offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions,” the French president continued. “We have to see now whether the sides will follow.”
Macron said last week that France would work with its partners to deescalate the conflict in the Middle East. He has also condemned Iran’s nuclear program.
3 hours ago
Menendez to report to prison for start of 11-year corruption sentence
Ella Lee
Former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is set to report to a federal prison in Pennsylvania on Tuesday to begin an 11-year sentence following his conviction on bribery and other corruption charges.
The New Jersey Democrat was found guilty last year on all 16 counts, including that he accepted bribes from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for his political clout and that he acted as a foreign agent of Egypt.
Menendez is expected to be housed at the Federal Correctional Institution Schuylkill, a facility in Minersville, Pa., that has both a medium and minimum-security prison and is less than three hours from his New Jersey home. It houses roughly 1,200 inmates.
A federal appeals court last week denied Menendez’s last-ditch bid to stave off his prison term while appealing his conviction, letting his report date stand in a 2-1 decision that offered no explanation for the split.
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