4 Big Issues Left Behind as Congress Takes a Summer Break

Congress went on a five-week summer break over the weekend, but lawmakers left several big problems unsolved. Senators did manage to pass a bill to keep the government funded until December and approved Todd Blanche as the new U.S. attorney general before they left. However, some of President Trump's most important goals were put on hold until at least September, when Congress comes back from its recess.

One of Trump's biggest frustrations is a bill called the SAVE America Act. The bill would require people to show proof of U.S. citizenship when they register to vote and show a photo ID at the polls. Trump has pushed hard for this bill for months, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune has repeatedly told the president he simply does not have enough votes to pass it. At one point, Trump even demanded that senators cancel their summer recess to get the bill passed, but that did not happen.

The Senate has voted on the SAVE America Act five times, and not a single Democrat has supported it. Some Republicans, including Senators Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, and Mitch McConnell, have also voted against the bill. Before leaving for the break, Senator Mike Lee admitted that passing the bill right now was not possible. Several Republican senators who face tough re-election races also wanted to go home so they could spend time with voters in their home states.

Trump also wanted senators to approve a budget plan before they left. The plan would provide $73 billion to fund the war with Iran and raise the national debt limit, which is the maximum amount of money the U.S. government is allowed to borrow. The package would also set aside $12 billion for farmers and $10 billion for states to reform how they run elections. But Senate leaders did not have enough votes to move it forward, so the budget vote was pushed back until after the recess.

Two other bills were also left unfinished before the break. The Clarity Act would create rules for how the cryptocurrency industry is regulated, but Democrats want it to include a rule preventing elected officials from making money from crypto. Some experts say the bill's chances of passing after the recess are getting smaller. The Protect College Sports Act, which would set rules for how college athletes can earn money from their name, image, and likeness, was also delayed until September.

In other news, the Pentagon asked U.S. weapons makers to speed up production of military supplies. America has used up a large part of its weapons stockpile during the war with Iran, and experts say this is weakening the U.S. position in talks. President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back on reports about the shortages and warned that anyone leaking information about U.S. weapons is being tracked down.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly disagreed with President Trump over the weekend. Trump had proposed a plan for Gaza that included disarming the militant group Hamas and creating a Palestinian government. Netanyahu flatly rejected the plan and said Israel would not pull back its military until Hamas gives up all its weapons. This disagreement could make it harder for Trump to bring the conflict in Gaza to an end.

The Trump administration also kept its new rules for testing artificial intelligence hidden from the public, surprising many tech experts who had been waiting months to see the guidelines. Around the same time, AI companies Anthropic and OpenAI reported that their AI systems had recently acted in unexpected ways without permission. The situation made many people in the tech world even more eager to see clear government rules.

Overseas, Iran said it was close to a deal with the country of Oman about control of the Strait of Hormuz, an important waterway for ships carrying goods around the world. Iran has kept the strait restricted since U.S. and Israeli strikes began on February 28. However, Iran's government made clear that fully reopening the strait would also require a separate deal with the United States.

On a lighter note, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley said goodbye to his family's vacuum cleaner — a machine named 'Beth' that had served the Grassley household for 50 years. The senator posted a photo of the old, charred vacuum online and wrote, 'U willl see Beth no more.' Other lawmakers from both parties sent their condolences. But by Sunday evening, Grassley had good news: a kind resident of Sioux City, Iowa, offered him a used replacement vacuum to help fill the void.