Today in One Sentence. For the fourth time, Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic resolution to force Trump to end U.S. military action in Iran without congressional approval Trump said the war with Iran was “very close to over” and claimed Iranian leaders wanted “to make a deal very badly” House Democrats introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth House Republicans delayed a planned procedural vote on renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after their own members threatened to block it Trump – again – threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell if he stays on as a Fed governor after his term as chair ends Senate Republicans plan to move quickly on any Supreme Court vacancy that opens before the midterms and 65% of voters blame Trump for the rise in gas prices.

1/ For the fourth time, Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic resolution to force Trump to end U.S. military action in Iran without congressional approval. Rand Paul was the only Republican to support the measure, while John Fetterman was the only Democrat to oppose it. The war is now in its second month, and the War Powers Resolution requires Trump to end the operation within 60 days unless Congress authorizes it. Several Republicans, however, have begun to warn that their support might not last much longer, with Thom Tillis saying it will soon be time to “fish or cut bait” and John Thune saying the administration “need[s] a plan for how to wind this down”. (NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / Reuters / CBS News / Politico)

  • The Pentagon is sending thousands more U.S. troops and warships to the Middle East. The buildup includes about 6,000 troops aboard the USS George H.W. Bush and about 4,200 more with the Boxer Amphious Ready Group, adding to roughly 50,000 U.S. personnel already in the region. (Washington Post)

  • Russell Vought told Congress the White House has no “ballpark” estimate for the cost of the Iran war. The Office of Management and Budget Director told the House Budget Committee “We’re not ready to come to you with a request. We’re still working on it. We’re working through to figure out what’s needed in this fiscal year versus next fiscal year.” (Politico / CNBC)

2/ Trump said the war with Iran was “very close to over” and claimed Iranian leaders wanted “to make a deal very badly,” adding that if the U.S. “pulled up stakes right now” it would take Iran “20 years to rebuild that country.” U.S. Central Command said its blockade of Iranian ports was “fully implemented,” while Iran warned that if the blockade remains in place it “will not allow any exports or imports to continue” across the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea. The White House, meanwhile, pushed back on reports that Trump wanted to extend the ceasefire, which expires next week, saying that was “not true at this moment.” Trump nevertheless said oil prices would fall “very big” when the war ends and that the stock market “is going to boom.” (CNBC / Axios / Bloomberg / CBS News / Associated Press / New York Times)

  • JD Vance admitted that young voters “do not love” Trump’s Middle East policy, but urged conservatives not to “get disengaged” and argued they should stay with Trump because the administration had delivered on other priorities. (The Hill / Associated Press / New York Times)

3/ House Democrats introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but the resolution is largely symbolic and not expected to advance in the Republican-controlled House. It accuses Hegseth of causing civilian casualties in Iran, possibly violating the law of armed conflict, mishandling sensitive military information, obstructing Congress, abusing his power, and bringing disrepute on the armed forces. The Pentagon dismissed the effort as a “charade,” saying Hegseth would remain focused on carrying out Trump’s objectives in Iran. (Axios / The Hill / CBS News)

4/ House Republicans delayed a planned procedural vote on renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after their own members threatened to block it. A bipartisan group of lawmakers is demanding privacy changes, including requiring a warrant before agencies can search Americans’ communications or buy personal data from brokers, warning that AI has made it easier to analyze huge amounts of personal data at scale. Republican leaders, the White House, and intelligence officials say those changes would make Section 702 harder to use and that a warrant requirement “won’t work” because intelligence agencies sometimes have to act within hours. (Politico / Axios / CBS News / The Guardian)

5/ Trump – again – threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell if he stays on as a Fed governor after his term as chair ends. Powell’s term as chair expires May 15, but he can remain on the Board of Governors until 2028, and said he’ll stay until the Justice Department’s investigation into the Fed’s headquarters renovation is finished. The probe has also delayed Kevin Warsh’s confirmation because Sen. Thom Tillis said he will block the nomination until the case is resolved. Trump said that if Powell stays on the board past May 15, “then I’ll have to fire him, OK? If he’s not leaving on time, I’ve held back firing him. I’ve wanted to fire him, but I hate to be controversial.” (New York Times / CNBC / Axios / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / NBC News / NPR)

  • Justice Department prosecutors made an unannounced visit to the Federal Reserve’s headquarters construction site. They were turned away after seeking a tour of the $2.5 billion renovation project. (Wall Street Journal / NBC News / Washington Post)

6/ Senate Republicans plan to move quickly on any Supreme Court vacancy that opens before the midterms. While no justice has suggested they plan to retire, Justice Samuel Alito is 76 and Justice Clarence Thomas is 77. Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley said his panel would be “fully prepared” and named Sens. Mike Lee and Ted Cruz as his preferred candidates if one were to step down. Cruz said he had “zero interest” in serving on the court, while Lee said it was “a bridge” he would cross if asked. (Politico / Bloomberg)

poll/ 65% of voters blame Trump for the rise in gas prices, and 55% disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president. (Quinnipiac)

The 2026 midterms are in 202 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 937 days.