GOP-Led Congress Weighs Reasserting Power as Trump Governs Unilaterally

Overview

• New reporting describes Republican leaders largely declining to check the president during the first year of his second term, leaving Congress diminished.
• The administration changed the statutory name of the Kennedy Center, withheld appropriated funds, asserted broad tariff authority, and ordered strikes off South America without congressional authorization.
• Representative Don Bacon urged House Republicans to push back more, citing tariffs and Ukraine policy, and warned that a compliant majority leaves the president unconstrained.
• Even when some Republicans joined Democrats in objecting to legally questionable actions, lawmakers struggled to force reversals from the White House.
• After a year of sparse legislating and a surge in executive actions, Congress faces pressure to decide whether to reclaim authority before the 2026 midterms.