Today’s edition of quick hits.
* One of these days, GOP leaders should try to strike a deal: “Republicans invoked the war in Iran and the prospect of retaliatory terrorist attacks as they made another unsuccessful effort Thursday to pass a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats are insisting on changes to immigration enforcement operations as part of the measure and blocked it from advancing. The procedural vote was 51-45, falling well short of the 60 that Republicans needed to proceed with the measure.”
* Speaking of developments on the Hill: “Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a resolution to curb President Donald Trump’s military authority in Iran, sending a clear message to the country and world: GOP lawmakers are — at least for the moment — unwilling to put a check on the president’s operation in the Middle East, and there’s little Democrats can do about it right now.”
* A lawsuit worth watching: “Some two dozen states challenged President Donald Trump’s new global tariffs on Thursday, filing a lawsuit over import taxes he imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court. The Democratic attorneys general and governors in the lawsuit argue that Trump is overstepping his power with planned 15% tariffs on much of the world.”
* A widening conflict: “The Trump administration, bracing for more U.S. casualties and considering whether to put troops on the ground in Iran, has begun reaching out to Tehran’s domestic opposition as potential allies to foment an uprising against the regime.”
* In related news: “Russia is one of the biggest winners in the early days of the largest U.S. military confrontation in decades, as Iranian missiles deplete stocks of Patriot interceptors that Ukraine needs for its defense.” * The final vote, which had been expected at Thursday’s hearing, was pushed to a later date: “The National Capital Planning Commission is expected to green-light construction plans for President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom at its next meeting on April 2, after the Commission of Fine Arts panel — handpicked by Trump — approved plans for the new build in February.” * The latest brutal chapter in a devastating story: “Catholic priests in Rhode Island preyed on hundreds of children for decades, and were protected by bishops more concerned with the church’s reputation than the victims, according to a new report on clergy sexual abuse that echoes findings elsewhere. The report, released Wednesday by Attorney General Peter Neronha, follows a multiyear investigation into the Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island.” See you tomorrow.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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