Hello readers and welcome back to On Politics. Zach Schermele here, USA TODAY's congressional reporter. It's Wednesday, and here in the Capitol, the Senate just voted against ending the Iran war for the seventh time. More on that later.
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Anti-shutdown measure moves forward
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The Senate on Wednesday voted resoundingly to move forward with a measure to temporarily withhold pay from senators during future government shutdowns. The resolution, introduced by Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, advanced with 99 lawmakers in support. (Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska, did not vote, but he also missed an earlier vote Wednesday and had a primary election in his home state on Tuesday.)
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Though many senators are already independently wealthy, the measure's progress represented a rare point of hope for Americans frustrated with Washington gridlock. Over the past year, government shutdowns have broken records twice.
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"I've worked hard to get the votes to pass this," Kennedy said on the Senate floor. "This is about shared sacrifice."
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Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) arrives for a vote at the U.S. Capitol Building on April 13, 2026, in Washington.
Heather Diehl, Getty Images
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Rank-and-file senators make $174,000 per year. Senate leaders, including the majority and minority leaders, earn $193,400 annually.
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Under Kennedy's legislation, senators would, like other employees, receive backpay after future shutdowns end. The resolution would need just Senate approval, and if approved, it would take effect after November's midterm elections.
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President Trump lost the support of a key Republican senator – Alaska's Lisa Murkowski – during a Wednesday vote to advance a measure to stop the Iran war. She joined two other GOP lawmakers: Maine's Susan Collins and Kentucky's Rand Paul.
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Though the vote still failed largely along party lines, Murkowski's flip was a warning sign for the White House about the unease of some Republicans on Capitol Hill as the conflict drags on. Crucially, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania continued to side with the GOP against halting the war.
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Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) attend a Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on May 12, 2026.
Elizabeth Frantz, REUTERS
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After the 60-day deadline for Congress to authorize the war passed two weeks ago, the White House argued that hostilities in the region had "terminated." While questioning Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Tuesday during a budget hearing, Murkowski indicated she didn't buy that argument.
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"Where there is confusion is when the president says hostilities have ended, we still have 15,000 troops that are forward deployed, more than 20 warships and an active naval blockade," she said. "In other words, it doesn't appear that hostilities have ended."
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USA TODAY exclusive on Cuban prisoners
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Political prisoners languishing in Cuban cells are at the center of high-stakes negotiations between United States and Cuban officials that could reshape future relations between the Cold War foes, USA TODAY exclusively reported Wednesday.
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If talks end in a deal, both nations could dramatically expand trade and business ties and ease long-standing travel restrictions, sparking a change on the island unseen since Fidel Castro took power in 1959. If they fail, Cuba could become Trump’s next target following significant operations in Venezuela and Iran.
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Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for 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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Sen. Jim Justice, R-West Virginia, said though he's supportive of suspending the roughly 18-cent tax, it's like "taking an aspirin for cancer."
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The federal complaint alleged that USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins sent several emails to the agency's employees that explicitly promoted Christianity.
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Only days after suggesting that Venezuela could become the 51st state, President Donald Trump doubled down, posting a map of the oil-rich country.
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