As reports of long security lines come in from around the country, passengers share their latest travel experiences after landing at PHL
As reports of long security lines come in from around the country, passengers share their latest travel experiences after landing at Philadelphia International Airport.
The full House will return to session Monday, April 13, with House Democrats trying to pass an Iran war powers resolution.
The House was on two-week recess but met Thursday in a limited pro forma session, with Democrats attempting to lay the groundwork for the war resolution. Backed by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, and Rep. Glenn Ivey, a Maryland Democrat, the Democrats were unable to speak on the House floor as House Republicans rejected the Dems’ effort to force a vote to limit President Trump’s ability to wage war. With most of Congress still on recess, Ivey rose to speak during the pro forma session, but Republican Speaker Pro Tempore Chris Smith gaveled the session to a close.
During a pro forma session, the Republican member presiding does not need to call on members who want to be recognized, meaning the presiding officer can simply adjourn the session after the prayer and Pledge of Allegiance.
Rep. Madeleine Dean of Montgomery County responded after the session: “Over the weekend, we read and heard the president’s Easter morning tweet of profanity, blasphemy, danger and, the following day, his threat to eliminate an entire civilization. Pause there. These are not normal times America. When will my Republican colleagues stand up in the House, in the Senate, the vice president, the Cabinet secretaries who surround this madman? When will they grow a spine? When will they say, ‘Stop’?”
When will the House vote to end the shutdown?
We’re nearing the government shutdown’s eighth week, now at 51 days. A House vote Monday to end the DHS shutdown is unlikely as House Democrats push to pass the Iran war powers resolution aimed at reining in President Donald Trump.
A bipartisan DHS funding bill passed a Senate vote, but the next vote to end the government shutdown stalled on the House floor, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, grappling with how to rally the House Freedom Caucus behind a plan to reopen DHS. The conservative, right-wing bloc of the House, with roughly 30 members, has refused to support the bill that omits ICE and Border Patrol, complicating issues even further as the House remains on recess through next week.
A House vote to end the shutdown is unlikely today, but when could a vote to end the shutdown take place? Senate Democrats say they’ll force a war powers resolution next week when they return from recess, but when? Here’s the latest shutdown news today and when a DHS funding bill in the 2026 budget could come to a vote.
When is the next vote to end the government shutdown 2026?
The House returns at 2:30 p.m. ET Monday, April 13, but the next vote to end the government shutdown is unlikely.
The next vote to reopen the government likely won’t come until at earliest Tuesday, April 14, 2026. A Senate vote to end the shutdown has already passed and a House vote is needed to fund DHS and reopen DHS agencies. The DHS funding bill is not on the Monday schedule.
Did the Senate pass the budget? DHS funding bill update
The Senate passed a DHS funding bill in the 2026 budget that would fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, but not ICE or Border Patrol, though they remain fully funded under President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. A House vote to pass the measure is stalled amid fiery opposition from the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative group of House members led by Maryland Congressman Andy Harris.
When will the House vote to reopen the government?
The House returned at 11:30 a.m. ET Thursday for a brief pro forma session, though a vote to end the shutdown and reopen DHS did not happen. House members are on recess, and while leaders could require members come back to DC to take a vote, it has not happened. Barring any chances, the soonest a House vote to reopen could happen is Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
How to watch House vote live
The House live sessions can be viewed on YouTube channel here. You can also livestream House sessions and hearings on C-SPAN on cable TV or online for free. C-SPAN livestreams on several streaming platforms including FuboTV, Philo, Hulu Live, DIRECTV, and YouTubeTV among others.
When does the Senate vote on war powers resolution?
Senate Democrats led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said they plan to force a Senate vote on a war powers resolution next week to halt US military actions in Iran. A war powers vote can be triggered by Schumer, but when the Senate plans to do so next week when they return from recess is unclear. Democrats will need Republican support if they hope to get it passed, since it requires a simple majority in the House. And the Republican-led Senate has rejected war powers resolutions in prior months.
“This temporary ceasefire agreement — which is already being violated — starts a very short clock for Congress to finally end this unprecedented chaos,” the letter said.
“Absent immediate steps by Republican leadership to stand up to Trump’s increasingly erratic behavior, we will once again force a vote on a War Powers Resolution to finally end this dangerous war in the Middle East,” the letter continued.
The letter was signed by Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Adam Schiff of California, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois.
How to watch Senate vote live
To watch Senate hearings and Senate votes live, go to the Senate.gov website, where it is streamed free. You can watch live coverage of Senate sessions on C-SPAN on cable TV. C-SPAN livestreams on several streaming platforms including FuboTV, Philo, Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV, and YouTube TV. C-Span re-airs Senate hearings with full transcripts as well.
What are pro forma sessions? Pro forma session meaning
A pro forma session is when Congress — the House and Senate — technically meets, but doesn’t debate, vote or pass laws, according to the Library of Congress. It’s often with very few members to meet constitutional or procedural requirements. In other words, it’s done as a formality, with no real business happening.
Latest government shutdown update today
Are TSA agents getting paid now and why are we still in a government shutdown right now? All DHS workers, including TSA agents, will be paid by the end of the week that include all missing payments covering any recent pay periods during the shutdown, new DHS secretary Markwayne Mullin told CBS News.
Polymarket and Kalshi government shutdown odds chance the DHS shutdown lasts 80 days, per aggregate predictions on the legal US predication markets, or through at least May 5, 2026.
Since the House is on spring recess, little action has been taken this week, with a skeleton crew on Capitol Hill meeting briefly for required pro forma sessions, with no votes or action taken. A House vote is stalled over how to fund ICE and Border Patrol, with House Freedom Caucus members angered over the Senate-passed bipartisan bill. It remains unknown when the House will take up a vote, with the likelihood the shutdown lasts at least the week of April 13, when lawmakers return to DC.
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based news reporter covering trending news with USA TODAY Network’s Mid-Atlantic Connect Team. She covers news in the Northeast, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Reach her at LComstock@usatodayco.com.