What is Congress doing about Trump depends heavily on which party you ask about. The Republican majorities in both chambers have moved quickly to enact the president’s agenda, passing a sweeping reconciliation bill, codifying dozens of his executive orders, and confirming his cabinet. Democrats, without the votes to block most of that, have relied on oversight hearings, procedural motions, impeachment resolutions, and coordination with state attorneys general who have filed more than 700 lawsuits. A handful of Republicans have broken with the White House on specific fights, most dramatically producing the first war powers resolution ever to clear both chambers under the 1973 War Powers Act.
The Agenda Republicans Have Passed
The centerpiece of the 119th Congress is the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a reconciliation package signed on July 4, 2025. It cleared the Senate 51–50 with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie; Republicans Susan Collins, Rand Paul, and Thom Tillis voted no. The law bundled tax cuts, spending reductions, regulatory rollbacks, border security money, and domestic energy provisions with a $5 trillion debt ceiling increase.1PwC. Overview of Senate Passed Version of HR 1 One Big Beautiful Bill Act It also directed roughly $170 billion toward immigration enforcement over four years, including $45 billion for detention and $46.6 billion for border barriers and surveillance.2Migration Policy Institute. Trump 2 Immigration First Year
Beyond that bill, the House has codified 70 of the president’s executive orders and passed 22 Congressional Review Act resolutions unwinding Biden-era regulations, the most any single Congress has enacted. Other laws include the Laken Riley Act, which mandates detention of noncitizens charged with theft-related crimes and was the first standalone immigration bill in 19 years, and the Rescissions Act of 2025, which cut $9 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and foreign aid.3House Majority Leader. House Republican Accomplishments in the 119th Congress2Migration Policy Institute. Trump 2 Immigration First Year
The Senate also rewrote its own rules in September 2025 to allow batch confirmation of lower-level nominees by simple majority. On September 18, 2025, the chamber confirmed 48 nominees in a single 51–47 vote. Majority Leader John Thune said the change was needed to break Democratic delay tactics; Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans were rubber-stamping “historically bad” nominees.4ABC7 New York. Senate Confirms 48 of Trumps Nominees After Changing Chambers Rules
Where Republicans Have Broken With Trump
The sharpest bipartisan break came over the war with Iran. On June 3, 2026, the House passed a concurrent resolution 215–208 directing the president to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran, with four Republicans — Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett, Warren Davidson, and Thomas Massie — joining Democrats.5NPR. House Passes Iran War Powers Vote The Senate passed the same measure 50–48 on June 23, 2026, with Republicans Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Bill Cassidy voting yes and Democrat John Fetterman voting no.6The New York Times. Senate Passes Trump War Powers Iran Resolution
It was the first time since the War Powers Resolution was enacted in 1973 that both chambers had approved a concurrent resolution directing a president to end a military conflict. The practical effect is unsettled. Because it is a concurrent resolution, it does not go to the president for signature, and whether it binds the executive has never been tested. The White House called it a measure of “no significance,” pointing to an April 7 ceasefire. Representative Gregory Meeks, the House sponsor, said he would “explore every legal avenue to ensure Trump complies with the will of Congress.”7Reuters. Congress Has Backed Iran War Powers Resolutions Now What8ABC News. Senate and House Pass War Powers Resolution for the First Time
Republican senators also drove the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in March 2026 after openly criticizing her during Judiciary Committee hearings; Senator Thom Tillis called her tenure a “disaster.” Trump fired her, and former Senator Markwayne Mullin was confirmed as her replacement 54–45.9CNN. Kristi Noem Fired as Homeland Security Secretary
The January 6 pardons produced public dissent but no legislation. Trump pardoned roughly 1,500 people involved in the Capitol riot, including about 600 accused of assaulting police, and commuted sentences for 14 Proud Boys and Oath Keepers convicted of seditious conspiracy. Speaker Mike Johnson defended the move. Representative Young Kim called it an “overreach,” Don Bacon said the blanket approach “bothers a lot of us,” and Tom McClintock and Austin Scott argued for case-by-case review.10Young Kim for Congress. Trumps Jan 6 Pardons Divide House Republicans
Where Congress Has Not Acted
The most striking gap involves the administration’s withholding of appropriated funds. The Government Accountability Office issued at least six formal findings in 2025 that the administration violated the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, covering money withheld from FEMA disaster programs, Head Start, NIH research grants, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Agencies generally declined to respond to GAO requests for information.11Government Executive. GAO Finds Trump Violated Law Sixth Time Withholding FEMA Funds12U.S. Government Accountability Office. Decision B-337202
Congress passed no legislation to force the money out, and the Comptroller General did not file the civil enforcement actions the statute allows. Some funds were released only after private lawsuits or as appropriations neared expiration. Senator Patty Murray called on the administration to “immediately allow these resources to flow.”11Government Executive. GAO Finds Trump Violated Law Sixth Time Withholding FEMA Funds
Bills to reclaim congressional trade authority have moved even less. Representative Don Beyer’s Congressional Trade Authority Act, reintroduced in March 2025, would require a 60-day review period for Section 232 national security tariffs, and a companion Prevent Tariff Abuse Act targets IEEPA tariffs. Both remain in committee.13Rep. Don Beyer. Congressional Trade Authority Act Reintroduction
How Democrats Are Pushing Back
Without the votes to block legislation, House Democrats have used the tools of the minority. The House Oversight Committee held a February 5, 2025, hearing on Elon Musk’s role leading the Department of Government Efficiency. Ranking Member Gerald Connolly moved to subpoena Musk to testify on personnel cuts, data security, and conflicts of interest tied to his companies’ federal contracts; the motion failed along party lines, with Democrat Ro Khanna abstaining.146ABC. Republicans Block Elon Musk Congressional Subpoena A separate House subcommittee chaired by Marjorie Taylor Greene held the first DOGE-focused hearing a week later, with Democrats calling the initiative “reckless and illegal” and Republicans defending it as a waste audit.15The Hill. Elon Musk House DOGE Hearing
Impeachment has been attempted and dispatched. Representative Al Green filed H.Res. 939 on December 10, 2025, charging Trump with “high crimes and misdemeanors” based on what Green described as a “pattern of threatening rhetoric, disregard for democratic norms, and harmful behavior towards lawmakers and federal judges.” Because he introduced it as a privileged resolution, the House had to vote within two legislative days. On December 11, 2025, the chamber tabled it 237–140, with 47 members voting “present.”16GovInfo. H.Res. 93917Congressman Al Green. Congressman Al Green Issues Statement on Members Vote to Table Impeachment
Looking to 2026, House Democrats organized an anti-corruption task force led by Representative Joe Morelle. Its proposals include banning stock trading by members of the executive, Congress, and federal judiciary; a Supreme Court code of ethics; and term limits for justices. The group spans the caucus, from Progressive Caucus leader Greg Casar to New Democrats chair Brad Schneider, and includes Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin, the top Democrats on Oversight and Judiciary.18PBS NewsHour. House Democrats Attempt Anti-Corruption Message to Gain Traction Against Trump
Much of the actual resistance has moved outside Congress. Democratic state attorneys general have filed more than 700 lawsuits against the administration, with California accounting for over 60. Maryland passed a law allowing the state to place liens on federal property or withhold revenue payments if it concludes the administration is defying court orders on withheld funds.19Stateline. As Trump Looks to Punish Foes Democratic States Find Ways to Push Back
Confirmations: What Passed and What Failed
The Senate confirmed the entire Trump cabinet, though several votes were close. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was confirmed 51–50 with the vice president breaking the tie. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as HHS Secretary 52–48, and Pam Bondi as Attorney General 54–46. Others drew broad support: Secretary of State Marco Rubio was confirmed 99–0 and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum 80–17.20United States Senate. Trump 47 Cabinet Nominations
The one high-profile casualty was Matt Gaetz, Trump’s first pick for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew on November 21, 2024, after multiple Republican senators signaled they would vote no; his nomination came under scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation and allegations that he had paid women for sex and had sexual contact with a 17-year-old. The Justice Department never brought charges. Gaetz said he did not want to be “a distraction.”21PBS NewsHour. Florida Republican Gaetz Withdraws as Trumps Nominee for Attorney General
What Voters Think and What the Midterms Could Change
Voters have told pollsters they want Congress to push back harder. A May 2026 Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found 65 percent believe Congress should serve as more of a check on President Trump rather than working to pass his agenda.22Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll. Press Release May 2026 A February 2025 Quinnipiac poll found 54 percent of voters said the system of checks and balances was not working well, including 80 percent of Democrats and 52 percent of independents.23Quinnipiac University. National Poll Release
The 2026 midterms could change the arithmetic. Democrats hold a modest lead in generic ballot polling, and Brookings analysis from August 2025 projected potential Democratic gains of 11 to 19 House seats, above the six needed to flip the chamber. The Senate is harder; Democrats would need to flip four of 22 Republican-held seats. Historically, the president’s party has lost ground in 20 of the past 22 midterms, and Trump’s disapproval has run roughly 5 to 8 points above approval.24Brookings Institution. What History Tells Us About the 2026 Midterm Elections