The Capitol Hill Reader 138: Congress Walks. The Shadow Docket Runs.
Your weekly government sampler.
Hello readers,
We’ve got a lot to talk to you about this week.
What’s in This Digest
Foreign Policy: A new Americas Counter Cartel Coalition brings together 17 countries to coordinate military pressure on cartel networks.
Cybersecurity: The White House orders a government-wide strategy to combat cybercrime, fraud, and sextortion operations targeting Americans.
Energy / AI: A proclamation on data centers pushes tech companies to cover grid upgrades instead of passing electricity costs to consumers.
Senate: The DHS funding fight remains stalled, while resolutions to force withdrawal from hostilities with Iran fail both Chambers.
House: Lawmakers pass their own DHS appropriations bill and several bipartisan measures, including transparency rules for congressional misconduct investigations.
Territories: A bill from the Delegate from Guam expands in-state tuition eligibility for students from U.S. territories.
Supreme Court (PAID): The Court partially lifts an injunction stay in a case involving a California policy prohibiting teachers from telling parents about social gender transition, Mirabelli v. Bonta, and unanimously rules in an asylum review case, Urias-Orellana v. Bondi.
Focus (PAID): Why the Supreme Court is increasingly shaping national policy through its emergency, or shadow, docket.
Let’s get started.
The Actions of the President
March 7, 2026
Proclamation - COMMITMENT TO COUNTERING CARTEL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
The proclamation announces the creation of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, a partnership of military leaders and representatives from 17 countries committed to using “collective resources” and “hard power” to combat cartel influence in the Americas. It calls for joint action to strip these groups of territorial control and financing, while also talking about upcoming training and mobilization of “partner nation militaries.”
The proclamation does not name all 17 countries, but from other reporting, the following nations are known to be involved in the “Shield of the Americas” initiative overall:
United States
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guyana
Honduras
Panama
Paraguay
Trinidad and Tobago
The proclamation also frames cartel activity within a broader geopolitical context, suggesting that criminal organizations may be influenced or exploited by actors outside the Western Hemisphere (strongly hinting that these “actors” are China, Russia, and Iran). It calls on the United States and its regional partners to guard against such external involvement while strengthening allied cooperation to diminish their influence.
March 6, 2026
Executive Order - COMBATING CYBERCRIME, FRAUD, AND PREDATORY SCHEMES AGAINST AMERICAN CITIZENS
This executive order directs the federal government to strengthen its response to cyber-enabled crime carried out by transnational criminal organizations targeting Americans. It describes a wide range of schemes (ransomware, phishing, financial fraud, impersonation scams, and sextortion) that frequently originate from organized networks abroad and may operate with tacit support from foreign governments.
The order instructs several cabinet departments to review current tools and, within 120 days, produce an action plan identifying major cybercrime groups and outlining ways to dismantle them. It also calls for the creation of a coordination cell within the National Coordination Center to bring together law enforcement entities, and to put pressure on countries that allow (either through complicity or apathy) these organizations to operate.
Some countries frequently identified by law enforcement and cybersecurity officials as locations where large-scale cyber-fraud operations originate or currently operate include Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, China, and Russia.
March 4, 2026
Proclamation - RATEPAYER PROTECTION PLEDGE PROCLAMATION
This proclamation addresses the rapid expansion of data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States in relation to home energy costs. It states that large-scale data centers are “essential” to maintaining “American economic and technological leadership” and should be developed domestically with American workers and engineers. At the same time, the proclamation introduces a “Ratepayer Protection Pledge,” under which major “hyperscale” technology and AI companies commit to covering the full energy and infrastructure costs required to power their data centers.
The companies agreeing to the pledge will negotiate separate rate structures with utilities and invest in the grid upgrades and local infrastructure needed to support their operations.
In other words, this proclamation shifts the cost of the infrastructure upgrades needed to efficiently host data centers onto the companies building and using the data centers. This way, the cost (theoretically at least) would not be dropped on the consumer.
The Actions of Congress
The Senate
Notable Measures Considered
H.R.7147 - Making further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes.
This is the same appropriations package that has been stalled in the Senate for a few weeks.
It was originally introduced on January 20, 2026 and passed the House two days later by a 220–207 vote. It was received in the Senate on January 26 and placed on the legislative calendar on February 2, but since then it has not advanced to debate because the Senate has repeatedly failed to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed. Cloture votes on February 12, February 24, and March 5 all fell short of the 60 votes required to move forward, leaving the bill stuck at the threshold stage without formal floor consideration. As written, the legislation would provide roughly $64.4 billion in base discretionary funding for DHS agencies, including Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, FEMA, the Coast Guard, TSA, and the Secret Service.
Because the Senate allows a filibuster on the motion to proceed, the majority must gather 60 votes simply to begin debate on the bill - something Republicans have not ben able to achieve with their narrow majority. Senate Democrats have used this leverage to demand new statutory limits on immigration enforcement practices, including clearer warrant standards for certain operations and the use of masks. Republicans and the administration have largely opposed adding these restrictions, arguing that the funding bill should move forward without new operational constraints.
Since DHS deals in national security, around 90 percent of their employees must continue to work without pay.
This vote was to invoke cloture (end debate) on a motion to proceed to a floor vote. It was REJECTED by a yea-and-nay vote of 51 YEAS to 45 NAYS, with 4 not voting.
S.J.Res.104 - A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.
If passed, this resolution would have required Trump to remove the armed forces from hostilities with Iran barring congressional approval. This vote was not for passage, but to discharge the resolution from committee for floor consideration.
This resolution was REJECTED on March 4, 2026, by a yea-and-nay vote of 47 YEAS to 53 NAYS.
The House of Representatives
Notable Measures Considered
H.R.7744 - Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
This funding bill specifically appropriates money for the Department of Homeland Security. By contrast, H.R. 7147 (the measure discussed in the Senate section) is a broader consolidated appropriations vehicle that also includes DHS funding among many other government programs. During budget negotiations, it is common for Congress to move multiple appropriations bills or legislative vehicles simultaneously as lawmakers negotiate.
This bill was PASSED on March 5, 2026, by a yea-and-nay vote of 221 YEAS to 209 NAYS.
H.Con.Res.38 - Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This resolution is similar to the one we covered in the Senate section. It also calls for the President to cease combat operations against Iran unless otherwise approved by Congress.
This resolution was REJECTED on March 5, 2026, by a yea-and-nay vote of 212 YEAS to 219 NAYS.
H.Res.1099 - Reaffirming Iran remains the largest state sponsor of terrorism.
This resolution states that “it is the policy of the United States that Iran continues to be the largest state sponsor of terrorism.”
This resolution was PASSED on March 5, 2026, by a yea-and-nay vote of 372 YEAS to 53 NAYS, with 2 voting present and 5 not voting.
H.Res.1100 - Directing the Committee on Ethics to preserve and publicly release records of the Committee’s review of violations or alleged violations of clause 9 (as it pertains to acts of sexual harassment) and clause 18 of rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
H.Res. 1100 would require the House Ethics Committee to preserve and publicly release records from investigations into alleged sexual harassment or misconduct by members of Congress, with victim identities redacted.
This resolution was PASSED on March 4, 2026, by a yea-and-nay vote of 357 YEAS to 65 NAYS, with 1 voting present and 9 not voting. This was the most bipartisan vote we have seen in a while, with both the “yeas” and the “nays” about equally split between Democrats and Republicans. Interesting.
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H.R.6472 - Territorial Student Access to Higher Education Act
Per the CRS, “[t]his bill requires public institutions of higher education that participate in federal student aid programs to charge no more than in-state tuition and fee rates to students who are residents of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, provided they are also U.S. nationals.”
This bill was PASSED on March 4, 2026, via a 2/3 required suspension of the rules with 351 YEAS to 72 Nays, with 9 not voting. This bill was introduced by the Republican Delegate from Guam, James C. Moylan. While Delegates can introduce bills, they are unable to participate in final floor votes.
S.723 - Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025
Per the CRS, “[t]his bill sets forth requirements for the processing of a proposed residential leasehold mortgage, business leasehold mortgage, land mortgage, or right-of-way document by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The BIA must notify lenders upon receipt of such documentation, perform a preliminary review of such documents not later than 10 days after receipt, and approve or disapprove of such documents within 20 or 30 days, depending on the type of application.”
This bill was PASSED on March 4, 2026, by a 2/3 required suspension of the rules with 384 YEAS to 40 NAYS, with 8 not voting.
The Supreme Court of the United States
Mirabelli v. Bonta (2026)
Case Background and Lower Court Decisions
This case began in 2023 when two California public-school teachers sued their school district, challenging policies related to how schools handle students’ gender identity at school. The policies allowed students to use their preferred names and pronouns and generally prevented school staff from informing parents if a student socially transitioned at school unless the student consented. The teachers argued that being required to follow these policies violated their religious beliefs. Several parents later joined the lawsuit, claiming the policies interfered with their right to direct the upbringing and care of their children.
