US lawmakers

President Trump is seeking to withhold $800 million in funding that Congress has already approved, according to Reuters and multiple US news outlets. The move raises fresh questions over executive authority and the separation of powers, as lawmakers from both parties weigh whether the administration can refuse to spend money appropriated by law.

Lawmakers from both parties are converging on pharmacy benefit managers as a rare point of bipartisan agreement. The middlemen who negotiate drug prices between manufacturers and insurers are facing growing scrutiny in Congress over their role in high medication costs, with proposals to increase transparency and reform their pricing practices gaining traction across the political divide.

Bill Gates is calling on the US Congress to introduce mandatory safety rules for artificial intelligence, arguing that voluntary commitments from technology companies are not enough to manage the risks of increasingly powerful systems. The appeal adds his voice to a growing debate in Washington over how far regulators should go in overseeing AI development.

A proposed Truth and Healing Commission to investigate the history of US federal Indian boarding schools remains pending in Congress as the Day of Remembrance for boarding school survivors approaches. The legislation would document abuses and lasting harms from the schools, and advocates continue pressing lawmakers to advance it.

A Bloomberg opinion piece argues that Congress should step in and revise the United States' nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, which it describes as flawed. The article calls on lawmakers to address shortcomings in the deal rather than leave it as negotiated. Debate over US-Saudi nuclear cooperation has been politically sensitive, touching on nonproliferation concerns, regional stability, and the broader relationship with Riyadh.

The US Senate is holding its final round of votes this week before lawmakers head home to campaign for the November elections. With control of Congress at stake, the session marks the last chance to advance pending legislation and confirmations until after Election Day, and both parties are watching how vulnerable members position themselves on close votes.

Attention is turning to which US lawmakers will take up the Crypto Clarity Act in the next Congress, a bill aimed at settling how digital assets are regulated. The question comes as crypto firms and investors press Washington for clear rules on whether tokens are securities or commodities. The composition of the incoming Congress, including control of key committees, is expected to shape who leads the drafting effort.

Bill Gates is calling on the US Congress to write artificial intelligence safeguards into law, arguing that guardrails for the rapidly advancing technology should be established through legislation. The appeal adds a prominent business voice to the ongoing debate in Washington over how, and how quickly, to regulate AI.

The Trump administration is moving to cancel $810 million in federal spending that was previously approved by Congress. The reported plan would rescind funds lawmakers had already allocated, setting up a fresh clash between the White House and Capitol Hill over control of the federal purse. The move is likely to draw legal and political challenges from members of Congress who argue the executive branch cannot unilaterally refuse to spend money appropriated by law.

President Trump is moving to withhold spending allocated for immigration, a step that raises immediate questions over presidential authority and Congress's power of the purse. The reported action touches funds tied to immigration programs and enforcement, and it lands amid ongoing disputes over border policy and agency budgets. Observers are weighing the legal implications of withholding money already appropriated by lawmakers, with the story drawing attention across US political media.

Several Republican senators facing competitive re-election contests are publicly distancing themselves from former President Trump on immigration enforcement, calling for ICE to coordinate with local police departments. The push marks a rare public break within the party on a core issue, with the lawmakers seeking positions that appeal to moderate voters in their states. The story is being carried across multiple local US news outlets.

Republican concern is mounting that Donald Trump's attention is drifting away from issues that matter most to voters. The worry, reported in US media coverage, centers on the party's economic standing and whether the president's priorities are hurting Republicans politically. The debate within the party comes as lawmakers weigh how to respond publicly to the White House's agenda.

Lawmakers in Washington are facing renewed pressure to act on artificial intelligence safety, as concern grows over the risks posed by rapidly advancing AI systems. Bloomberg reports that Congress is being pressed to clarify its position on regulation, with debates intensifying over how to balance innovation against potential harms. The issue continues to divide policymakers and industry leaders alike.

US lawmakers and agriculture industry watchers are turning their attention to a busy week in Washington, with farm bill politics at the center of debate. Agri-Pulse reports that the fuel outlook, including ethanol and biofuel policy, and the trade outlook for US agricultural exports are also in focus as negotiators weigh next steps on the long-stalled farm bill.

A new opinion piece argues that US lawmakers should address online child exploitation as a public health crisis rather than through piecemeal legislation. The call adds to mounting pressure on Congress to act as concerns grow over children's exposure to exploitation and harmful content on social media and other online platforms.

A new commentary argues that the Supreme Court is being unfairly blamed for problems that originate in Congress. The piece contends that legislative dysfunction—gridlock, inaction, and failures to pass major legislation—should be laid at the feet of lawmakers themselves rather than the judiciary. The argument is drawing attention in ongoing US political debates about the separation of powers and where responsibility for governance failures truly lies.

Democratic lawmakers are signalling a firmer stance on Palestine, framing a potential flip of the US House of Representatives as an opening for greater human rights accountability in US policy toward Israel and the Palestinians. The discussion centres on whether a new House majority could change committee oversight, conditions on military aid, and congressional scrutiny of the occupation and Gaza.