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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth contended Thursday in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee that the president is not required to seek congressional authorization under the War Powers Resolution to continue the military campaign in Iran because a ceasefire “pauses, or stops” the 60-day clock. President Trump formally notified Congress of the operation on March 2, meaning the 60-day deadline would otherwise expire today. (NYT.) (WaPo.) (WSJ.)
The Senate on Thursday blocked Democrats’ sixth attempt to advance a war powers resolution to limit President Trump’s authority to continue the military campaign in Iran. (CBS.)
CNN reported that expenses to repair U.S. military bases in the Middle East will likely bring the real cost to date of American military operations in Iran to between $40 and $50 billion. The Pentagon’s top financial officer told lawmakers on Wednesday that the U.S. has spent $25 billion since the conflict began in February. (CNN.)
The House of Representatives on Thursday voted to approve a Senate-passed bill to fund the bulk of the Department of Homeland Security. The bill, now headed to President Trump’s desk, will fund all of DHS with the exception of Border Patrol and ICE. Republican lawmakers plan to fund those agencies through the reconciliation process, which does not require Democratic support. (WaPo.)
Congress on Thursday passed another short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which authorizes the intelligence community to collect without a warrant communications of foreigners abroad, even if those subjects are interacting with Americans. (NYT.) (WaPo.)
The Justice Department on Thursday released a 197-page report detailing how the “Biden Administration’s policies regularly clashed with a Christian worldview and burdened traditional religious practices.” The report was published by the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias pursuant to a presidential executive order. (Report.) (NYT.)
President Trump on Thursday announced his latest pick for surgeon general, marking the president’s third attempt to fill the post of America’s top doctor. The confirmation of his previous pick stalled due to opposition, including some Republican lawmakers, over her views on vaccines and wellness. (WaPo.) (NYT.)
Andrew C. McCarthy argued that President Trump’s use of the legal system to go after political opponents is weakening rather than accelerating his agenda, as illustrated by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s decision to remain on the Fed’s board for the foreseeable future. (National Review.)
Pending Interim Order Applications Involving the U.S. Government in the Supreme Court
Blanche v. Perlmutter: The government filed an emergency application on October 27 requesting the Supreme Court to stay a district court interlocutory injunction that temporarily reinstated Shira Perlmutter to her role as Register of Copyrights while litigation over her removal continues. Chief Justice Roberts formally set a deadline of November 10 for a response to the application. Perlmutter submitted a response on November 10. Blanche submitted a reply on November 12. The Court deferred the application for stay on November 28 pending the Court’s decisions in Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook.
Trump v. Cook: The government filed an emergency application on September 18 requesting the Supreme Court to stay a preliminary injunction issued by a district court that blocked President Trump from removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Cook filed an opposition to the request on the same day. The Chief Justice formally set a deadline of September 25 for a response to the application. Cook filed a response on September 25. On October 1, the Court deferred action on the stay application pending oral argument in January 2026 and established a supplemental briefing schedule. Additional amicus briefs were filed on October 29. Both sides filed supplemental briefs on November 19 and the Court heard oral argument on Jan. 21, 2026.
Mullin v. Doe: The government filed an application on February 26 requesting the Supreme Court stay pending appeal of a preliminary injunction issued by a district court preliminarily enjoining then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem from terminating temporary protected status designation for Syria. The government asked the Court to construe the application as a petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment and grant the petition. On March 16, the Court consolidated the case with a challenge to the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of Temporary Protected Status designations for Haiti and granted certiorari before judgment of the consolidated cases while deferring action on the government’s request for a stay.
Trump v. Miot: The government filed an application on March 11 requesting the Supreme Court to stay a lower court order postponing then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s decision to terminate temporary protected status designation for Haiti. The government also asked the Court to treat the application as a petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment and grant the petition. On March 16, the Court consolidated the case with Mullin v. Doe.