Here’s how Congress spent the first day of the second Trump administration

WASHINGTON (CN) — Congressional Republicans on Monday wasted no time forging ahead with President Donald Trump’s agenda, undertaking an evening legislative blitz just hours after the president was sworn in for the second time.

Following Trump’s indoor inauguration ceremony, lawmakers met on Capitol Hill — now under complete GOP control — to advance an aggressive immigration bill that will likely become the first legislation to cross the new president’s desk.

The Senate Monday evening passed the legislation, dubbed the Laken Riley Act, on a 64-35 vote. A dozen Democrats, including Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman and Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, crossed party lines to back the measure.

If made law, the bill would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain people in the U.S. illegally who are arrested or charged with “theft-related” crimes such as burglary or shoplifting. The legislation also includes a controversial provision empowering state attorneys general to sue the federal government over its adherence to immigration law.

The Senate version of the Laken Riley Act is even stricter than the iteration passed in the House earlier this month. Lawmakers approved a pair of amendments expanding the types of offenses that would trigger detainment of immigrants. One amendment, offered by Texas Senator John Cornyn, added assault of a law enforcement officer to that list; a separate provision offered by Iowa Senator Joni Ernst added acts causing death or bodily harm.

With the Senate amendments attached to the bill, it must now return to the House for a second round of approvals. If the measure, which captured significant bipartisan support in the lower chamber, clears this final hurdle, it will head to Trump for his signature.

Democrats in the House and Senate have argued that the Laken Riley Act would burden federal immigration authorities, forcing them to detain tens of thousands of immigrants accused of committing minor crimes. Lawmakers have also pointed out that the measure would restrict due process for immigrants and blur the lines between minor offenses and more serious ones by requiring detainment for both.

And Democrats have further complained about the bill’s provision handing state attorney’s general more power, suggesting that such a move is unconstitutional and undermines the federal government’s legal supremacy over the states when it comes to issues such as immigration enforcement.

Despite that, Senate Democrats threw up few roadblocks to debating the bill last week, hoping that Republicans would allow time to discuss the measure and offer amendments. No Democratic amendments made their way into the legislation’s final form.

The Laken Riley Act is named for a Georgia woman who was killed in 2022 by Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan immigrant. Ibarra — sentenced last year to life in prison — had previously been cited for shoplifting. Republicans argued that if he had been detained for that minor offense, Riley would still be alive.

Meanwhile, the Senate on Monday made inroads on confirming Trump’s slate of Cabinet nominees, starting with Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s appointment as secretary of state.

Rubio, a Capitol Hill veteran and one-time presidential candidate, has proven to be one of the new administration’s least controversial nominees. That dynamic was on full display Monday evening, as the upper chamber confirmed him on a unanimous 99-0 vote.

Both Democrats and Republicans positioned the former lawmaker as eminently qualified to be the country’s top diplomat.

“Senator Rubio is an example of a qualified nominee we think should be confirmed quickly,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor. Schumer said that Democrats would not “reflexively oppose” Trump nominees who are equipped for the job at hand.

The top Democrat framed his support as a pragmatic choice, telling colleagues that while he did not see eye to eye with Rubio on all issues, it was important for the new administration to have a confirmed secretary of state as soon as possible.

Idaho Senator Jim Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that the incoming secretary of state would fill the role of a “principled, action-oriented chief diplomat” who will take on challenges abroad.

“I can’t think of another person better equipped to tackle these issues than our colleague Marco Rubio,” the Republican senator said.

Rubio is the first of Trump’s cabinet nominees to clear the required Senate confirmation process.

Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, the Senate Armed Services Committee on Monday advanced secretary of defense nominee Pete Hegseth to the full chamber on a party line 14-13 vote.

It was a reversal of fortunes for the former Fox News host and Army National Guard member, who just a month ago appeared to be facing an uphill battle to confirmation as some Senate Republicans chafed at accusations of sexual misconduct and financial mismanagement.

Hegseth vehemently rejected those accusations during a hearing in the Armed Services Committee last week. Amid sharp questioning from Democrats, the nominee called reports of sexual assault and alcohol abuse “smears” and attempted to walk back his past comments about women serving in combat roles in the military.

Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon got a decidedly lighter treatment from Senate Republicans, including Ernst, who had emerged as one of his chief GOP critics. But during last week’s hearing, the Iowa senator appeared satisfied by his answers and has since announced that she plans to back his nomination on the Senate floor. With Republican opposition to his ascent evaporating, Hegseth now appears on track to be confirmed as defense secretary.

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