Washington, Feb 26 US Senate Republicans and Democrats traded sharp accusations on tariffs, Iran, and a possible government shutdown, laying bare deep divisions a day after President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
Talking to reporters after a closed policy luncheon on Wednesday (local time), Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans were focused on “securing the border”, “providing monumental historic tax relief to the American people”, and “making sure that our national security interests are met so that we can maintain a safe country”.
He said the party’s agenda would centre on “safer streets, more money in your pocket and new opportunities to get ahead for working families”. A housing bill and action on energy costs were priorities, he added.
On Iran, Thune said there had been a “significant accumulation of assets in that region” and that this was driven by “a national security interest involved here when it comes to not only our homeland, but also a lot of our allies in the region”.
He said the president was “preparing for contingencies” and pursuing “peace through strength” to ensure that “we prevent Iran from ever having a nuclear capability”.
Questioned about tariffs, Thune said “there is authority that the president has” and cited statutes including “232, 301” that have been used in the past. He acknowledged that a recent court ruling had “complicated” the issue, but said “there are other authorities the president can use”.
On funding the Department of Homeland Security, Thune said “government shutdowns are -- nobody wins” and expressed hope for a “breakthrough” requiring “cooperation from the Democrats”.
Across the Capitol, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer offered a blistering rebuttal. He said what the country saw was “not the State of the Union. It was Trump’s state of delusion”.
Schumer accused the president of offering “zero solutions to the problems American families are struggling with every night”. He cited rising costs, saying, “Families are spending this year over $1,700 more because of Trump’s tariff tax, and he’s gloating about it”.
On Iran, Schumer declined to discuss details of a classified briefing but said “what they talked about is very serious” and that “the administration should come clean and tell the American people their goals”.
He also pressed for the release of the Epstein files, saying “the process in terms of releasing the files has been terribly flawed. We demanded that all the files be released. They have not been”.
Iran’s nuclear programme has been a recurring concern for successive US administrations, with Washington maintaining sanctions and coordinating with regional allies to curb Tehran’s capabilities.
Repeated standoffs over federal funding have in the past led to shutdowns that disrupted government services and unsettled financial markets.
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