Johnson, Vought push GOP on Iran-war funding with post-midterm policy pledge

House Speaker Mike Johnson and White House budget chief Russ Vought encouraged Republicans to back a party-line reconciliation package funding the Iran war and farm aid (about $95 billion), with a promise of a broader partisan policy bill after the midterms. Some conservatives remain skeptical as the party moves through a key budget resolution and rule votes that set up stopgap funding, a defense bill, and a stock‑trading ban for Congress. Democrats, aiming to block or constrain the stopgap, push for bipartisan budgeting and offsets. The article also notes Rep. Jamie Raskin seeking records on Jeffrey Epstein’s foreign contacts, signaling potential oversight moves next year, along with tributes and other Capitol developments.