February 11

CBO projects $1.4T in additional borrowing through 2035

The Congressional Budget Office released its February 2026 Budget and Economic Outlook on February 11, 2026, projecting that the federal government would borrow $1.4 trillion more between 2026 and 2035 than CBO estimated in January 2025. Policy changes — primarily the One Big Beautiful Bill's tax cuts and the tariff revenue offset — accounted for $2 trillion in additional net borrowing. The federal deficit was projected to reach $1.9 trillion in FY2026 and grow to $2.8 trillion by 2034, with debt as a share of GDP rising from 101% to 120% by 2036.

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Senate Democrats introduce Stop Presidential Embezzlement Act to block Trump from profiting off his IRS lawsuit

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced the Stop Presidential Embezzlement Act on February 11, 2026, one week after Wyden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren sent letters to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding to know whether they would defend the IRS or help Trump extract a taxpayer-funded settlement. The bill would impose a 100 percent tax on any settlement or award a sitting president, vice president, cabinet member, or member of Congress receives from a lawsuit filed against the government while in office. Senators Ben Ray Lujan and Peter Welch co-sponsored the legislation.

Trump signs executive order directing Pentagon to buy coal power

President Trump signed an executive order on February 11, 2026, directing the Department of Defense to enter long-term Power Purchase Agreements with coal-fired power plants to supply military installations and defense facilities. DOE was directed to distribute $175 million to upgrade six coal plants in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia, and identified more than three dozen coal plants capable of supplying electricity to military bases. The order framed coal as essential for grid reliability and national security.

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DHS shutdown deadline looms as Democrats block ICE reforms

Senate Democrats blocked a continuing resolution to fund the Department of Homeland Security, demanding reforms to ICE enforcement operations following the Minneapolis killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti. Democrats required provisions including a judicial warrant requirement before ICE could enter homes and a ban on agents wearing masks during arrests. Republicans rejected the ICE reform conditions, setting up a funding lapse with the DHS continuing resolution expiring February 14, 2026.

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House votes 219-211 to terminate Trump's Canada tariffs in bipartisan rebuke

The House of Representatives voted 219 to 211 on February 11, 2026 to terminate the tariffs President Trump had imposed on Canada under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, citing an alleged fentanyl emergency. Six Republicans crossed the aisle to join nearly all Democrats; only Rep. Jared Golden of Maine opposed the resolution from the Democratic side. The joint resolution was led by Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York and advanced to the Senate, where Trump vowed to veto it and threatened primary challenges against any Republican who voted against his tariffs.

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Judge blocks Trump transfer of Biden-commuted inmates to supermax prison

U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly issued a preliminary injunction on February 11, 2026, blocking the Trump Justice Department from transferring 20 death-row inmates — whose sentences Biden had commuted to life without parole in December 2024 — to ADX Florence, the federal Supermax prison in Colorado. Kelly found that DOJ officials predetermined the outcome of the transfer review, calling the process "an empty exercise to approve an outcome that was decided before it even began." He ruled the transfers violated Fifth Amendment due process because they punished inmates specifically for receiving presidential clemency. Trump's January 20, 2025 executive order had directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to house the commuted inmates "in conditions consistent with the monstrosity of their crimes," which Kelly treated as direct evidence of retaliatory intent.

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AG Bondi displays lawmaker search history at Epstein files hearing

At a February 11, 2026 House Judiciary Committee hearing, Attorney General Pam Bondi arrived carrying a printed document labeled with Rep. Pramila Jayapal's name and her search history from the DOJ Epstein files database. DOJ confirmed it had logged all congressional searches of the files, claiming the practice protected victim information. Reps. Jayapal, Jamie Raskin, and Robert Garcia accused DOJ of conducting unconstitutional surveillance on oversight activities and demanded the department stop tracking lawmakers' file reviews. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the monitoring inappropriate.

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CBP fires anti-drone laser at party balloons, triggering El Paso airspace closure

CBP officers at the El Paso border used a military-supplied counter-drone laser to shoot down four mylar party balloons on February 11, 2026, misidentifying them as a cartel drone and without coordinating with the FAA. The FAA responded by closing El Paso airspace below 18,000 feet for up to 10 days, grounding medical helicopters and commercial flights before lifting the closure the same day. Administration officials and lawmakers initially described the incident as a successful cartel drone interdiction; internal documents later showed it was party balloons.

AG Bondi refuses to apologize to Epstein survivors at House Judiciary hearing

Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the House Judiciary Committee on February 11, 2026, where six Epstein survivors seated behind her raised their hands indicating they had never been contacted by the DOJ. When Rep. Pramila Jayapal asked Bondi to turn and apologize to the survivors for leaking their identities from the Epstein files, Bondi refused, calling the request "theatrics" and saying she would not "get in the gutter." Bondi also refused to answer questions about the files under the oversight of her department.

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CBO projects federal debt will hit record 120% of GDP by 2036

The Congressional Budget Office released its February 2026 Budget and Economic Outlook on February 11, 2026, projecting that federal debt held by the public will rise from 101% of GDP in 2026 to 120% by 2036 — surpassing the prior record of 106% set in 1946. Annual deficits are projected to grow from under $2 trillion to over $3 trillion by 2036, totaling $24.4 trillion over the decade. Annual interest costs alone are projected to double from $970 billion to $2.1 trillion by 2036.

House votes 217-214 to cut $125M from lead pipe replacement in final infrastructure year

The House passed an appropriations provision on February 11, 2026 by a 217–214 margin that eliminated $125 million from the final year of lead pipe replacement funding under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funds were repurposed for wildland fire management. The cut represents the last tranche of the law $15 billion lead pipe removal program, funding approximately 12,500 service line replacements at $10,000 each. An earlier draft proposed cutting $250 million; House Democrats salvaged half.

House passes SAVE America Act, 218-213, sending proof-of-citizenship voting bill to Senate

The House passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act on February 11, 2026 by a 218–213 vote, requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, photo ID to vote, and removal of noncitizens from existing voter rolls. All Republicans voted in favor; only Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas crossed the aisle. The bill was sent to the Senate, where Republicans held 53 seats but needed 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.

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House Republicans hold 'Sharia-Free America' hearing framing Islamic law as threat

Republican lawmakers held a congressional hearing titled Sharia-Free America, framing Islamic law and Muslim civic life as incompatible with the U.S. Constitution. Muslim American groups said the hearing weaponized stereotypes and unfairly targeted Muslim communities.