Legislative Calls to Action -- April 15, 2026
- Apr 14
- 4 min read
The House is returning from recess on April 13, with major legislative action expected to begin on April 14, including potential votes on the DHS funding bill.
DHS Funding and Government Shutdown
The House is under pressure to end a 66-day partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security . Members are debating a Senate-passed funding bill that would reopen the department, though disputes remain over funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. (The Hill)
But Jess Craven of the Chop Wood Carry Water substack reported this on Tuesday:
Congress is considering the possibility of another reconciliation bill, following the massive reconciliation bill last year, H.R. 1, that gutted more than $1 trillion from Medicaid, Medicare, and the ACA in order to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest and big corporations and to fund the Administration’s mass deportation and detention agenda.
Some members of Congress are moving very fast, hoping to draft a proposal for a reconciliation bill by the week of April 20. This time, some members of Congress are considering going through reconciliation to provide even more mandatory funding to ICE and CBP, continuing to pour billions of dollars into immigration enforcement that inflicts violence and harm in our communities, or to further fund the war in Iran instead of investing in human needs. At this point, details on exact amounts that Congress could be looking to fund are up in the air, but some members of Congress, like the chair of the House Budget Committee, have voiced interest in paying for war and ICE by making even further cuts to Medicaid and other critical needs programs…
On timing, the House and Senate Budget Committees are negotiating right now to determine what they will include in their potential reconciliation. Everything is very fluid, so this timing could change. The anticipated timing is below:
The Senate wants to introduce and pass a budget resolution, the first procedural step to moving forward a reconciliation bill, the week of April 20th.
The House would take up the resolution the following week, the week of April 27th.
Congress will recess the week of May 4th.
The Senate is aiming to pass a reconciliation bill the week of May 11th.
The House would aim to pass the reconciliation bill the week of May 18th.
June 1st: The President’s self-imposed goal to have a bill on his desk.
It's Critically Important to Start Calling
Here's a script:
Hi, I’m a Constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I know that Congress is starting to put together a new reconciliation bill, to pass more funding for ICE, CBP, and Trump’s illegal war. The plan seems to be to pay for this by cutting Medicaid further. This is an absolutely terrible idea and a complete non-starter for me. I expect the Senator to oppose any more funding for ICE, CBP, or the Pentagon, and any more cuts to Medicaid. I’ll be watching this vote closely. Thanks.
Second, please ask the Senator to support S. 4115, the BETS OFF Act, to regulate prediction markets and block insider trading. Political wagering on prediction market platforms can be easily abused, and restrictions need to be enacted to stop government insiders from manipulating political events for personal profit.
Thanks.
No to Warrantless Surveillance
Congress may vote on Section 702 of FISA on Wednesday April 15, and this is a critical moment for all of us to speak out.
Section 702 has been used in ways that sweep up Americans’ sensitive information.
The data broker loophole allows the government to buy personal data instead of getting a warrant.
Backdoor searches let the government search Americans’ communications without probable cause.
New AI tools make it easier to analyze geolocation, web browsing, and other private data at a massive scale.
That opens the door to profiling, racial targeting, political abuse, and unchecked surveillance.
The public does not want this. Only 12 percent of Americans want Section 702 extended as-is. Huge majorities want Congress to close the backdoor search loophole and the data broker loophole. (People Power United)
Contact Congress today to say we do not want this AI powered, warrantless surveillance of Americans.
Oppose Medicaid cost-cutting proposal
"The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) has proposed a change to the 340B Drug Program which would significantly reduce a revenue source for many hospitals and clinics ...
The Indiana Hospital Association, which is against the proposal, says the impacts would be felt beyond social safety net programs. “Eliminating the benefits of this program in Medicaid could reduce access in vulnerable communities and shift costs to commercial insurance, driving up premiums for employers and families statewide,” IHA President Scott Tittle said in a statement."
Tell Gov Braun to Keep 340B Funding Where it Belongs
Good News from Indiana
The administration will ask the State Budget Committee to let it divert $200 million from the General Fund to another account — created to cover underfunding in other agencies — and use the money to reopen admissions for a key child care program.
The Child Care and Development Fund is a state-administered federal program that serves about 43,000 children in Indiana. Families must meet income and work requirements to qualify for the assistance. This funding will cover the child care cost for approximately 14,000 children. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)
