Week Ending September 12, 2026
Most of us only hear about Congress through screaming cable news segments or social media clips designed to make us mad before we’re informed. The People’s Ledger is different. It’s a quick, clear look at what lawmakers are actually debating, funding, and changing – minus the political theater.
The Calm Before the Storm
Congress was quiet this week, but the rest of the government wasn’t.
There were zero House roll-call votes, and the Senate only held brief, empty sessions to keep the lights on. But while lawmakers were off the field, interest on the national debt kept compounding, executive agencies kept flexing their power, and leadership was quietly setting the stage for a chaotic return.
There will be a massive pile of work waiting on their desks Monday morning.
1. The Big Story: Chaos is Coming
What Happened
Between September 7th and September 13th, the House didn’t record a single vote. The Senate met twice in “pro forma” sessions – quick procedural check-ins that last a few minutes – without taking up any legislation.
I expect that calm will end on Monday.
When lawmakers return, the House faces a packed schedule including: sanctions on Russia and Iran, a vote to make the Justice Department’s anti-fraud team permanent, attempts to overturn California environmental rules, and a potential showdown over presidential war powers in Iran. Over in the Senate, members will immediately take up a landmark bill to regulate cryptocurrency.
What Changed
Congress didn’t pass laws this week, but leadership completely reshaped the upcoming agenda:
War Powers in Iran: House leadership put H. Con. Res. 93 on the schedule. It would order the President to pull U.S. forces out of hostilities with Iran unless Congress explicitly approves them.
Foreign Sanctions: The House will review a Senate-passed package targeting Russia and extending sanctions on Iran.
Crypto Regulations: The Senate will vote Tuesday to cut off debate on H.R. 3633 (the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act). This procedural step – called cloture – requires 60 votes to stop a filibuster and move the bill toward a final decision.
Why It Matters
When Congress goes on recess, the federal government doesn’t pause. Presidents keep issuing orders, agencies keep writing rules, and the Treasury keeps borrowing money. Wars don’t freeze just because politicians go home.
What happens after a recess shows us whether Congress intends to act as an independent branch of government or just keep reacting to decisions made by the White House.
Winners & Losers
Likely Winners: Congressional leaders holding the floor agenda; lawmakers demanding a public record on war powers; crypto firms seeking clear legal ground; and the White House, which faces less oversight when Congress isn’t in session.
Likely Losers: Taxpayers watching interest costs mount; fiscal hawks seeing deficits rise without debate; and institutional clarity, especially if Congress uses non-binding resolutions instead of actual laws to challenge executive authority.
2. Quietly Moving Bills
H.R. 7834 – Safe Cloud Storage Act
The Problem: When law enforcement investigates child sexual abuse cases, they often hire private cloud providers to host and analyze digital evidence. Under current law, those private companies face legal liability just for possessing that material – even when assisting the police.
The Solution: Reported out by the House Judiciary Committee on September 8th, H.R. 7834 gives approved contractors limited protection from civil and criminal liability while handling evidence under government contract. Crucially, that protection disappears if the company acts recklessly, negligently, or outside its contract scope.
The Catch: The bill requires vendors to meet strict National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) security standards, enforce end-to-end encryption, and undergo annual independent audits.
What’s Next: Scheduled for an expedited vote under “suspension of the rules” – a process reserved for bills expected to pass with a two-thirds majority.
H.R. 3633 – Digital Asset Market Clarity Act
The Goal: Divide federal oversight of cryptocurrency between the SEC (for securities) and the CFTC (for commodities), while placing legal guardrails around potential Federal Reserve digital currencies.
Why It Matters: For years, crypto has operated in a legal gray area where regulators enforce rules through individual lawsuits rather than clear laws. Whether you love or hate crypto, elected lawmakers – not administrative agencies – should set the ground rules for multi-trillion-dollar financial markets.
What’s Next: Tuesday afternoon’s procedural vote will reveal whether the Senate has the 60 votes needed to move the bill forward.
3. Money & Spending: Washington’s $2 Trillion Deficit
While Congress was away, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) dropped a sobering reminder on September 9th: the federal deficit reached $1.967 trillion through the first 11 months of fiscal year 2026.
Federal Revenues (Oct-Aug): $4.845 Trillion
Federal Spending (Oct-Aug): $6.812 Trillion
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11-Month Operating Deficit: $1.967 Trillion
The Real Story Behind the Numbers
On paper, the CBO notes this deficit is $6 billion smaller than this point last year. But that’s an accounting illusion caused by holiday calendar shifts in 2025. Once adjusted, this year’s deficit is actually $82 billion worse than the same period last year.
The Most Alarming Number in Washington
Through August, the U.S. government spent $1.052 trillion just paying net interest on the national debt.
To put that in perspective:
National Defense Spending: ~$833 Billion
Net Interest on Debt: ~$1.052 Trillion
We are now spending significantly more servicing past debts than funding the entire U.S. military. Net interest costs are up 12% year-over-year.
The Tariff Reality Check: Tariff receipts were only up about $1 billion compared to last year. Why? The federal government has paid out roughly $110 billion in refunds following the Supreme Court’s February ruling against certain executive tariffs.
4. Coming to the Floor (Week of Sept 14)
H. Con. Res. 93 (Iran War Powers): Directs the President to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress issues a formal declaration of war or specific authorization.
Senate Amendments to H.R. 5334 (Sanctions Package): A massive foreign policy bill targeting Russia and extending the Iran Sanctions Act for five years.
Legislative Shell Game: H.R. 5334 originally started as a tax deduction bill for early-childhood educators before the Senate stripped the text and replaced it with foreign sanctions. It’s standard procedure in Capitol Hill, but it obscures tracking for ordinary citizens.
H.R. 9576 (National Fraud Enforcement Division Act): Formally creates a statutory, Senate-confirmed Assistant Attorney General to head DOJ’s fraud enforcement. Writing it into law ensures a future administration cannot quietly dismantle it.
H.J. Res. 210 & 213 (EPA Rules): Resolutions under the Congressional Review Act to strike down EPA approvals for California’s strict emissions rules on commercial ships and harbor craft.
5. Constitutional Power: The War-Powers Flaw
H. Con. Res. 93 raises a vital question: Who decides when America goes to war?
Article I gives Congress the sole power to declare war and fund the military. Article II makes the President Commander-in-Chief. Over decades, presidents of both parties have expanded executive power to launch military actions without asking Capitol Hill first.
H. Con. Res. 93 attempts to rein in the Executive using Section 5(c) of the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which allows Congress to force a troop withdrawal using a concurrent resolution.
The Legal Problem
A concurrent resolution passes the House and Senate, but it never goes to the President’s desk to be signed or vetoed.
In 1983, the Supreme Court ruled in INS v. Chadha that Congress can’t alter legal rights or executive duties without passing a proper bill and presenting it to the President (Presentment Clause). As a result, constitutional legal experts widely agree that Section 5(c) is unenforceable.
If Congress wants to force an end to military conflict, it can’t rely on non-binding shortcuts. It must use its binding constitutional levers: pass joint resolutions, place conditions on military appropriations, or cut off funding entirely.
6. Publius Take: Act Like a Real Branch of Government
A single unifying thread runs through this week’s news: Congress keeps acting like a spectator watching the government instead of the branch that runs it.
If the nation is engaged in armed conflict with foreign nations, Congress should vote clearly on it. No procedural games, no stretching 20-year-old authorizations, and no relying on unconstitutional resolutions. Vote yes or vote no and own the decision.
If the Justice Department needs a national fraud division, Congress should pass a law defining its scope and budget – not leave it to executive decrees.
If lawmakers want sweeping foreign sanctions, debate them out in the open under a clear title – don’t hide foreign policy inside an old tax bill for preschool teachers.
And then there is the debt.
A nation spending over $1 trillion a year just paying interest can’t fix its budget with soundbites and slogans. That number represents decades of reckless choices by both parties. Congress holds the power of the purse. It’s time it started acting like it.
7. The Bottom Line
Congress didn’t vote this week, but the nation didn’t stand still.
The CBO issued another warning that America’s fiscal path is unsustainable. Essential child-protection evidence rules moved forward. Senate leaders prepared for a showdown over the future of cryptocurrency. And when lawmakers return Monday, they face a historic question:
Will Congress reclaim its constitutional authority over war and spending, or keep sitting on the sidelines?
Next week will be much louder. The real test is whether Congress makes actual policy – or just noise.
8. Sources & Further Reading
Congressional Budget Office — August 2026 Monthly Budget Review
GovInfo — H.R. 5334, Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act
GovInfo — H.R. 9576, National Fraud Enforcement Division Act
White House — Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027