Chris Van Hollen

The Senate adjourned for a five-week recess until after the midterm elections, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer expressing confidence Democrats will retake the majority, citing strong candidates and a favorable political climate. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans still expect to hold their majority, though likely narrower, given the map favors states Trump carried previously. Democratic strategists remain split between targeting flippable states like Alaska, Ohio, and Iowa versus reach states such as Mississippi and Florida. Separately, Cook Political Report shifted its Florida and Texas governor's races toward Democrats, now rating both Lean Republican rather than safer categories, citing Trump's weak approval ratings and a difficult midterm environment for the GOP, though Republicans remain favored in both pricey, traditionally red states.

Other developments: a bipartisan Senate permitting reform deal faces resistance in the House, where Democrats say they'd rather wait until after the election to negotiate from a stronger position. House Judiciary's Jamie Raskin asked federal watchdogs to probe taxpayer-funded Trump administration TV ads ahead of the midterms. Schumer also said he'll push AI safety legislation next year, with some Republican support, while Third Way unveiled a Supreme Court reform platform featuring 18-year term limits and an ethics code, aiming to shape Democratic discourse through 2028.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) introduced the "No Fencing at the United States Capitol Complex Act," legislation that would prohibit permanent fencing around the Capitol complex. The move comes years after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack led officials to erect a temporary security fence, which stood for about six months and prompted discussion at the time of making a permanent barrier part of broader security upgrades.

Norton, who has long opposed a permanent fence, argued it would send "an un-American message" by turning the Capitol into a fortress rather than addressing actual security threats, and called instead for investment in intelligence, technology and training. She also cited potential disruption to surrounding residential neighborhoods and businesses, noting that streets were blocked and residents forced onto alternate routes after Jan. 6. Van Hollen said the Capitol can be protected "without walling it off to the public." Norton is retiring at the end of her current term.