One of the downsides of Donald Trump’s theory of presidential power is that it makes it awkward to ask Congress for anything.
In his first year back in office, he lobbied Republicans to put much of his second-term agenda into “one big beautiful bill.” After it passed, he asserted that “we’ve gotten everything passed that we need” and that “we don’t need anything more from Congress.” After the Supreme Court invalidated tariffs he imposed under a law intended for emergencies, he was asked if he would work with Congress to reimpose them. “I don’t have to,” he replied.
But even Trump has to ask sometimes, especially with lawmakers assembled in front of him at Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
In between praising the Olympic men’s hockey team, handing out various medals, bragging about his accomplishments and telling grim stories of violence and death, the president made nine specific demands for congressional action in his almost two-hour speech.
Here’s what he proposed and where it stands.
Require voter ID
What he said: “I’m asking you to approve the SAVE America Act, to stop illegal aliens and others who are unpermitted persons from voting in our sacred American elections.”
The bill: The SAVE America Act would require Americans to present proof of citizenship such as a passport, a birth certificate or naturalization papers in person to register to vote; mandate that voters show one of a narrow list of photo IDs to cast a ballot; and require states to purge voter rolls every 30 days of anyone listed on a federal immigration database.
Concerns: Critics note that the bill would make massive changes to voting rules just months away from a major election. It would also create problems for married women and transgender Americans who have changed their names, and for anyone without a passport or birth certificate; it would also include stricter voter ID rules than there are in states that already have them. Critics also note that the federal database is not always accurate.
Where it stands: In 2025, the House passed the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote. In mid-February, the House passed the SAVE America Act, 218-213, amid broad Democratic opposition, which added the voter ID provisions. Neither bill has the bipartisan support needed to overcome a required 60-vote threshold in the Senate. Some supporters are putting pressure on GOP leadership to abolish or amend the filibuster in order to pass the legislation.
Give the Pentagon $1 trillion
What he said: “We have the most powerful military on Earth. I rebuilt the military in my first term. We’re going to continue to do so [and] approve a trillion-dollar budget.”
The bill: In December, Congress approved an annual defense bill totaling $900 billion in funding with strong bipartisan support. Trump has proposed $1.5 trillion for the next budget.
Concerns: Senior Pentagon officials aren’t sure of what to do with the extra $500 billion, according to a Washington Post report that cited people familiar with the matter who spoke anonymously to characterize internal matters. Deficit hawks note estimates that the bill would add trillions to the national debt through 2035.
Where it stands: The top Republicans on the House and Senate Armed Services committees praised the $1.5 trillion proposal, though at least one key House appropriator — while not dismissing the idea — indicated he wanted to learn more. On the other hand, Trump’s smaller $1 trillion demand from the State of the Union would only require $100 billion more than last year.
Ban insider trading in Congress
What he said: “Let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information. … Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay.”
The bill: In January, Republican Rep. Bryan Steil introduced the Stop Insider Trading Act, which would bar members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children from buying any new individual stocks while they are in office and would require them to file a public notice before selling a stock they bought before they were sworn in.
Concerns: Critics say the bill doesn’t go far enough, since lawmakers could still profit from stocks they owned before entering office. Others — especially Democrats — say the bill should apply to the president, vice president, members of the Cabinet and judges as well.
Where it stands: The GOP-blessed bill passed a key committee and is awaiting a vote on the House floor. Democrats, meanwhile, have launched a discharge petition to try to force a vote on their bill, which would also cover the president and vice president. It’s still a few dozen signatures short. At the State of the Union, both Democrats and Republicans gave the mention of restricting stock trades a standing ovation.
End the partial shutdown
What he said: “Tonight, I’m demanding the full and immediate restoration of all funding for the border security, homeland security of the United States, and also for helping people clean up their snow.”
The bill: Senate Democrats have blocked a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security unless it puts more restrictions on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, such as banning federal immigration agents from wearing masks, requiring they get judicial warrants before searching homes and subjecting them to more oversight from state officials.
Concerns: Republicans have rejected the demands, arguing that they would create safety risks for immigration agents.
Where it stands: While the White House and Democrats have swapped proposals and demands, there’s little sign that progress has been made in negotiations.
Limit Wall Street from buying homes
What he said: “Last month, I signed [an] executive order to ban large Wall Street investment firms [from] buying up in the thousands single-family homes. And now I’m asking Congress to make that ban permanent.”
The bill: The Trump administration has asked Congress to pass a bill that would ban institutional investors that own more than 100 homes from buying any new ones.
Concerns: Critics note that investors with more than 100 homes are responsible for only 3% to 4% of single-family home purchases. Senate Democrats have proposed an alternative approach that would end tax breaks for firms that own 50 or more homes and use the extra money to fund affordable housing construction.
Where it stands: The Republican bill is still being written, but the general idea has attracted bipartisan support.
Bar undocumented immigrants from driving long-haul trucks
What he said: “I’m calling on Congress to pass what we will call the Dalilah Law, barring any state from granting commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.”
The bill: The Non-Domiciled CDL Integrity Act would bar states from granting commercial driver’s licenses to anyone who is not a legal immigrant or in the U.S. on a visa that is directly connected to a job that requires one. Concerns: Critics note that the law would not apply to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children who are currently eligible to work under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Where it stands: The bill is currently before a House committee. What he said: “Surely, we can all agree no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents’ arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents’ will.” The bill: The Chloe Cole Act would allow families to sue doctors or schools that facilitate gender transitions for minors without parental consent or that cause “irreparable harm.” Concerns: Critics note the bill could block the use of androgen blockers, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone to change a person’s physical appearance, which would affect intersex people or others who use hormone therapy for medical conditions. Where it stands: The bill has been in a House committee since September. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate. What he said: “I’m asking this Congress to pass tough legislation to ensure that violent and dangerous repeat offenders are put behind bars and, importantly, that they stay there.” The bill: The Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act would define bail bonds as insurance products, which could allow the federal government to use existing anti-fraud laws to investigate nonprofits that pay bail for low-income defendants. Concerns: Supporters of charitable bail funds argue that they help prevent a two-tiered justice system in which the wealthy can pay to get out of jail while awaiting trial while lower-income defendants remain in jail or are essentially forced to plead guilty. Where it stands: The bill passed a key House committee and is awaiting a full vote on the House floor. What he said: “I’m calling on Congress to codify my most-favored-nation program into law.” The bill: The Trump administration launched a website called TrumpRx that is supposed to offer reduced prices on a number of prescription drugs through deals with drug companies to offer the same prices as in other developed nations. There is no legislation to turn it into law yet. Concerns: Congressional Democrats released a report that found the TrumpRx website directs Americans to brand-name drugs rather than generics, which in some cases mean they would pay more than they would if they bought a generic using a discount coupon. Where it stands: Last month, the White House rolled out a health care policy outline, which included codifying his “most-favored nation” deals for drugs. There’s no bill yet. Kevin Frey and Mychael Schnell contributed to this report. This is a preview of MS NOW’s Project 47 Newsletter. As President Trump continues implementing his ambitious agenda, get expert analysis on the administration’s latest actions and how others are pushing back sent straight to your inbox every Tuesday. Sign up now.
Ryan Teague Beckwith is a newsletter editor for MS NOW. He has previously worked for such outlets as Time magazine and Bloomberg News. He teaches journalism at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies and is the creator of Your First Byline. Recommended
Block gender-affirming care for minors
Investigate charitable bail funds
Turn TrumpRx into law
