Hello readers and welcome back to On Politics. Zach Schermele here, USA TODAY's congressional correspondent. It's Monday. This week, the House of Representatives is out, the Senate is in – and the White House has a peace plan to get lawmakers on board with. Let's get into it.
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'Time will tell' on Iran deal |
The United States and Iran have a tentative agreement to halt the war.
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And while President Trump is in Europe this week to ink the memorandum of understanding, he'll also have to sell it here at home. That includes making a case to some of his closest friends in Congress.
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The famously hawkish Sen. Lindsey Graham, arguably the president's biggest ally on Capitol Hill, said on Sunday night he was "somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming."
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Graham, seen here on March 4, just last week won his GOP Senate primary in South Carolina.
Kylie Cooper, REUTERS
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"Under our law, any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and a vote. I look forward to reviewing the final product and I believe it is imperative that the architect of the deal, Vice President Vance and his negotiating partners, be part of the process in presenting the final deal to Congress," he wrote on social media.
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"Congratulations to all in getting us to this point," he added. "Time will tell."
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McConnell hospitalized again |
Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was hospitalized again over the weekend, according to his office.
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“Senator McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning," McConnell's spokesperson, David Popp, said in a statement on Sunday. "He is receiving excellent care."
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Officials have not elaborated on his condition or what prompted his hospitalization. The Kentucky Republican has increasingly struggled with his physical health in recent years, and he now regularly uses a wheelchair to cast his vote in the Senate. USA TODAY reached out to McConnell's office Monday for an update on the senator's condition.
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The Kentucky lawmaker was previously hospitalized in February over flulike symptoms.
Tom Brenner, Reuters
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Majority Leader John Thune said in a Sunday post that he was "glad to hear" his predecessor in the Senate was receiving good medical care and wished him a "full and speedy recovery."
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Supreme Court won't hear tariff challenge |
This morning, the Supreme Court declined to hear from businesses challenging President Trump's tariffs on China. He imposed them in 2018 under a law different from the emergency duties the high court struck down in February.
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As my colleague Maureen Groppe reports, the justices' decision not to review a ruling upholding those tariffs could embolden the administration as it seeks to replace many of the emergency tariffs Trump tried to impose last year.
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💬We also want to hear from you! What questions do you have for our team as we get closer to November? Is there a race you’re watching closely? Let us know by jumping in the comments on Reddit or responding to this newsletter. And you can find our answers here, including my explainer on each party's views on ICE funding.
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Zachary Schermele is a congressional correspondent at USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
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In his new book, JD Vance says it was a mistake to criticize Democrats as childless cat ladies, calling it one of the dumbest things he's ever said.
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While a GOP-controlled Congress has not shown any strong interest in restraining the president’s executive power, the courts may decide otherwise.
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