The solstice this weekend marked the start of astronomical summer — and in Washington, D.C., that means the legislative clock is ticking.

Lawmakers are eager to head home and campaign on a housing bill that’s nearing passage, but progress on several other issues has stalled, and it’s unclear whether a visit from President Donald Trump will break the logjam or cause further obstruction.

The House returns after a week off to strained relations between senators and the White House, awaiting a solution to a lapsed spy powers authority that has no clear path forward. 

Renewing what’s known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act will be top of mind. Proponents say some key U.S. spy intelligence has gone “dark” since the program lapsed 10 days ago, right as the country is hosting events for its 250th birthday and games for the World Cup. 

Last week, Trump directed Jay Clayton, his pick to be director of national intelligence, not to appear for his scheduled confirmation hearing in front of the Intelligence Committee, which caught Senate Republicans off guard. On Friday, Bill Pulte, a controversial housing official, took over as acting DNI — it was his appointment that led to Democrats’ pulling away from a bipartisan deal on Section 702, which he would oversee in the role.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday that plan “we had in place should happen. I think Clayton should be the new DNI.”

“Mark Warner told me that there are enough votes to get FISA reauthorized, and I would urge President Trump to let Clayton testify,” Graham said. Warner, D-Va., is the ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Graham said he told Trump “that any Democrat that shuts down FISA at a time of great peril for the United States is making a huge mistake. The same would be true of the Trump administration.”

“I think the Democratic votes are there,” once Clayton is confirmed, Graham said. 

And that won’t be the only conversation-starter if Trump drops by Senate Republicans’ conference meeting on Wednesday. 

Senate Steering Committee Chairman Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News he’d invited the president to discuss how to proceed on a voter ID and election overhaul bill, known as the SAVE America Act, which Trump keeps pushing for, but not all Republicans support.

That’s an issue that will continue to be a headache for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., as Trump ties the legislation to separate issues — like reauthorizing FISA — and members publicly spar online.

GOP Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah have been publicly debating whether the legislation could pass in the Senate. “Your job to get ‘em, Mike, if you can. Can’t just complain about others. Prove us wrong,” Cornyn countered to Lee about the chamber’s 60-vote threshold.

Housing and spending

On the flip side of that chaos comes a rare moment of bipartisanship: the Senate is expected to pass as early as Monday night a sweeping housing package aimed at addressing voters’ affordability concerns ahead of the midterm elections.

The measure includes nearly four dozen provisions based on stand-alone measures, including language aimed at streamlining housing regulations to bolster the construction of affordable housing, changing rules to increase manufactured housing and encouraging localities to ease zoning rules.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is expected to move quickly to pass the bipartisan bill once it’s received from the Senate, according to an aide, meaning it could head to Trump’s desk as soon as Tuesday.

The House will also take up two party-line fiscal 2027 spending bills: a $47.3 billion bill covering the State Department and national security, and a $62.2 billion measure for the Energy Department and federal water projects. 

Lawmakers this week are also expected to push for more information on a war-ending pact with Iran the administration announced last week. Senators expressed frustration over how little they’d heard from the White House, as well as specifics on the fate of Iran’s nuclear program.

“This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said in a post on X. “Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future.”

Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, R-Ga., told NewsNation on Sunday, “There are a lot of concessions, but let’s keep in mind that this is a work in progress.”

“Keep in mind that this memorandum of understanding is laced with performance enhancements,” Carter said. “And it depends on what Iran does.”