How Congress’ Stalemates Empower Presidents: Starting Line

ICE Fight Illustrates Congress’ Limits

The sputtering congressional negotiation over ICE is just one example of how Capitol Hill’s repeated failures on major issues have helped marginalize lawmakers, empower presidents, and fan political tensions, Jonathan Tamari reports.

The inability to revamp the immigration system, despite multiple attempts over more than a decade, reflects lawmakers’ wider struggles to address many significant debates in lasting ways. Those chronic stalemates, in turn, have opened the door to unilateral actions by the White House, according to scholars who study the separation of powers.

The result: Wild policy swings every time the presidency changes hands, with partisan solutions that further inflame political divides, as illustrated by the unpopular and diametrically opposed immigration policies deployed by Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Presidential action, however, doesn’t have the staying power of law.

“What you get with gridlock in Congress isn’t just an inability to act, it’s also an inability to have that robust dialogue,” said William Howell, dean of Johns Hopkins University’s School of Government and Policy and author of “Trajectory of Power: The Rise of the Strongman Presidency.” “It’s just total breakdown where the parties are siloed.”

The standoff that led to a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security starting Saturday could last for weeks, Erik Wasson and Matt Shirley report. Democrats in Congress have sent a counteroffer to Republicans and the White House, speilling out limits on immigration enforcement they are demanding, according to an aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Trailblazer Jesse Jackson Dies at 84

Jesse Jackson (center) in a 1984 presidential debate with Walter Mondale (l) and Gary Hart (r) moderated by Dan Rather.

Photographer: Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, an acolyte of Martin Luther King Jr., has died at 84. Jackson disclosed in 2017 that he had Parkinson’s disease.

Jackson made two bids for the White House, Patrick Oster reports. After winning 18% of Democratic primary votes in 1984, he captured 29% in 1988 and won 13 primaries and caucuses to finish behind only Michael Dukakis, then the governor of Massachusetts.

“My constituency is the desperate, the damned, the disinherited, the disrespected and the despised,” he said in a 1984 address. Read More,

The second half of this year is an excellent time to prepare for what could be a very productive 120th Congress when President Donald Trump will be looking to make deals with a likely politically divided Congress to secure his legacy, says Bill Wichterman, a senior adviser in Covington’ & Burling’s public policy practice.

Watch for the president to reach across the aisle to pass some potentially historic legislation that unites a cross-section of both parties,” he adds. Read More

Before You Go

Iran Says It’s Closing Parts of Hormuz Strait as US Talks Resume

Parts of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil-shipping lanes, will be closed for “several hours” on Tuesday as part of Iran’s military drills, state TV in the Islamic Republic reported.

Trump Backs Candidates in Multiple Texas Congressional Races

President Trump has endorsed Jon Bonck as a candidate in Texas’ 38th Congressional District and Carlos De La Cruz in Texas’ 35th Congressional District, according to multiple posts on Truth Social.

Anthropic’s Pentagon Talks Snag on AI Surveillance, Weapons

Anthropic PBC’s talks about extending a contract with the Pentagon are being held up over additional protections the artificial intelligence company wants to put on its Claude tool, a person familiar with the matter said.

Highway Bill Gives Congress Another Chance to Fill Funding Gaps

The pending highway bill gives Congress another chance to close a growing gap between how much cash the government brings in and how much it spends on transportation projects nationwide, but political barriers remain formidable.

SpaceX to Compete in Pentagon Contest for Autonomous Drone Tech

Elon Musk’s SpaceX and wholly owned subsidiary xAI are competing in a secretive new Pentagon contest to produce voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology, according to people familiar with the matter.

Trump Officials Must Restore Historic Site’s Slavery Displays

The Trump administration must restore displays with references to slavery at the President’s House site in Philadelphia, a federal judge ruled Monday in an opinion making heavy reference to George Orwell’s novel “1984.”

Trump Offers Aid for Potomac River Spill in Clash With Democrats

President Donald Trump pledged federal aid to stem a Potomac River sewage spill near Washington and blamed Democrats for an environmental “calamity,” prompting a rebuttal by Maryland Governor Wes Moore.

State Department Fails to Toss Havana Syndrome Benefit Suit

The US Department of State will face a lawsuit from three foreign service workers who say their Havana Syndrome benefit claims were improperly denied.

Carney Taps Veteran Charette as Chief Trade Negotiator to US

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed a veteran public servant as his government’s next chief trade negotiator with the US, putting her at the center of a review of the North American trade pact at a time of testy relations between the two countries.

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