12 MAR 26 SITREP

• Senator John Cornyn publicly reversed his long-held support for maintaining the Senate filibuster in a written opinion published on Wednesday, stating he would support rule changes if necessary to advance legislation including the SAVE America Act backed by President Trump.
• The SAVE America Act would require proof of United States citizenship and a photo identification to vote in federal elections and has expanded policy scope to include provisions targeting transgender rights.
• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton entered a Senate primary challenge against Senator John Cornyn and stated he would consider dropping out of the race if Senate Republicans abolished the 60-vote filibuster threshold to allow passage of the SAVE America Act.
• Political conflict intensified within the Republican Party as President Donald Trump pressured Senate Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act while grassroots support in Texas increasingly aligned with Ken Paxton’s campaign against Senator John Cornyn’s reelection bid.

• Two oil tankers caught fire in the Persian Gulf, forcing Iraq to suspend oil operations while local officials attributed the attacks to Iran and emergency crews rescued dozens of individuals from the burning vessels.
• At least 1 person was reported killed during the tanker incident while a separate cargo ship operating off the coast of Oman was also struck, resulting in the death of a crew member.
• Iranian authorities claimed the cargo vessel had ignored warnings not to transit through the Strait of Hormuz prior to the strike that caused the fatality.
• Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first public statement after assuming leadership following the death of his father in early strikes of the conflict and vowed continued attacks on Gulf Arab neighbors while promising retaliation for individuals described as martyrs killed by United States and Israeli forces.

• Congress failed to reach an agreement to fund the Department of Homeland Security, resulting in a partial government shutdown that continued during the spring break travel period across the United States.
• The shutdown directly affected Transportation Security Administration officers working in airports during increased spring break travel, along with cybersecurity personnel and members of the United States Coast Guard.
• Democratic lawmakers introduced a proposal that would fund nearly all Department of Homeland Security agencies while excluding funding for immigration enforcement operations.
• Republican lawmakers rejected the proposal and demanded that all Department of Homeland Security agencies, including immigration enforcement components, be fully funded within any final appropriations agreement.