Early Morning Political News: 4‑Minute Read
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THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026
Federal Level
Trump Signs Secure America Act Into Law
President Trump signed the Secure America Act into law on Wednesday, June 10, at an Oval Office ceremony, directing nearly $70 billion to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through January 20, 2029. The bill allocates $38.5 billion to ICE, $22 billion to Border Patrol, and $5 billion for border security technology, including artificial intelligence tools. It also sets aside $350 million to fund immigration enforcement in jurisdictions that do not cooperate with federal agents. The measure ends 116 days of uncertainty over immigration agency funding.¹
FISA Spy Law Expires Tomorrow; Congress Has No Deal
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is set to expire at midnight on Friday, June 12, with no agreement in sight. An attempt on Wednesday to broker a three-week extension collapsed when Senate Democrats insisted that President Trump must first remove acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte. The House is expected to vote today, June 11, on a short-term extension that is widely expected to fail. If no deal is reached, the surveillance program will lapse, though existing court orders may allow collections to continue for several months.²
Government Shutdown Risk Grows After ICE Bill Passage
Congressional leaders warned on Wednesday, June 10, that the risk of a broad federal government shutdown later this year is now higher, not lower, following the passage of the Secure America Act along strict party lines. Democrats who had been needed to help fund the rest of the government in future spending negotiations are now firmly opposed to cooperating with Republicans, and the two parties are no closer to a deal on fiscal year 2027 appropriations. The government’s current funding runs out on September 30, 2026.³
House Republicans Plot a Third Party-Line Bill
House Republicans met with congressional budget scorekeepers on Monday, June 9, and continued discussions Wednesday, June 10, on the shape of a third party-line reconciliation bill. Priorities under consideration include cracking down on alleged fraud in Medicaid, Medicare, and other social programs; affordable housing initiatives; funding for the ongoing Iran conflict; and a potential overhaul of federal energy permitting laws. Speaker Mike Johnson faces the same math that nearly derailed the previous two bills, where any two Republican defections could sink the effort.⁴
Senate Committee Opens AI Regulation Hearing Today
The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee is holding a hearing today, June 11, titled ‘AI and the American Dream: Promoting Innovation, Affordability, and American Dominance.’ The session comes one week after a bipartisan House draft bill to freeze state AI regulations for three years drew sharp opposition from governors, civil liberties groups, and lawmakers in both parties. Today’s Senate hearing is expected to examine how AI is affecting housing costs, consumer finance, and the broader economy.⁵
State Level
Maine Governor Race: Ranked-Choice Count Still Underway
Maine’s Democratic gubernatorial primary remained uncalled on Wednesday, June 10, as the state’s ranked-choice tabulation of last Tuesday’s vote continued. No candidate crossed the 50 percent threshold needed to win outright on first-choice votes, triggering a multi-round count under Maine’s ranked-choice system. Public health official Nirav Shah and former state Senate President Troy Jackson were the leading candidates heading into the tabulation. A winner is not expected to be declared until later this week at the earliest.⁶
North Dakota Senate Primary: Cramer Wins Easily
Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota won his Republican primary on Tuesday, June 9, without a serious challenge and will face Democrat Sandy Sadie in November. The race drew national attention earlier this year when Trump urged a potential primary challenger to enter the contest, though no credible opponent ultimately emerged. Cramer, who had occasionally broken with Trump on some issues, secured the nomination as the GOP fights to hold its Senate majority in a state that voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2024.⁷
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Article Sources
1. The Guardian, “Trump signs $70bn immigration act ensuring ICE funding through 2029,” June 10, 2026.
2. Reuters, “Trump signs $70 billion bill to fund ICE, Border Patrol,” June 10, 2026.
3. The Epoch Times, “Trump Signs $70 Billion Bill to Fund ICE, Border Patrol for 3 Years,” June 10, 2026.
4. Dallas Express, “Trump Signs $70 Billion Secure America Act: Massive Boost For ICE And Border Patrol,” June 10, 2026.
5. The Hill, “Senate Democrats hesitate on FISA extension over Bill Pulte as DNI,” June 10, 2026.
6. Politico, “House will vote Thursday on expected-to-fail surveillance patch,” June 10, 2026.
7. New York Times, “Deal to Renew FISA Surveillance Law Falters in the Senate Over Pulte,” June 5, 2026.
8. Politico, “House will vote Thursday on expected-to-fail surveillance patch,” June 10, 2026.
9. Brennan Center for Justice, “Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA): 2026 Resource Page,” June 9, 2026.
10. Politico, “House Republicans gather congressional scorekeepers to discuss Reconciliation 3.0,” June 8, 2026.
11. The Hill, “GOP plots third reconciliation bill as midterm clock ticks,” June 8, 2026.
12. Alston & Bird, “Public Policy Look Ahead to the Week of June 8, 2026,” June 7, 2026.
13. 270toWin, “Live Results: Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina Primaries,” June 9, 2026.
14. NBC News, “Primary results in Maine, South Carolina, Nevada and North Dakota,” June 9, 2026.