A pair of senators in the potential 2028 presidential class have opened up a commanding lead in the money game, according to their first quarterly FEC filings.

Why it matters: It's an early head start in the money game if they decide to run.

• Senators and House members can directly transfer hard dollars from their congressional campaign accounts into presidential committees.
• Raising massive sums of money isn't proof that a lawmaker is preparing a White House bid — but it's a pretty strong hint.
• For Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, it's a preview of his next two years when he could have half a dozen senators chasing their own goals, which might not align with the caucus'.

By the numbers: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who remains officially "undecided" on a run, had the most cash on hand at the end of the first quarter: $22.3 million.

• Right behind him is Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who is on the ballot this year but is unlikely to face a serious challenge in a deep-blue state: $21.9 million.
• Two House members are next on the list: Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) with $15.5 million and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) with $14.7 million.
• They also face voters in November, but it's hard to see them needing to drain their war chests in safe seats.

Between the lines: Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who visited New Hampshire in July but insists he isn't planning a bid, is further down the list with $10.8 million.

• Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who revealed plans this week to travel to New Hampshire in June, has about $3 million on hand.
• Fresh off expensive 2024 races, two freshmen senators — Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) — have considerably less. Slotkin has $2.4 million and Gallego has $1.9 million in cash on hand.

Flashback: Twenty years ago, then-Sen. Hillary Clinton had roughly $14.3 million in her Senate account at the end of 2006, according to contemporaneous reports.

• In early 2007, she transferred about $10 million into her presidential campaign.
• Then-Sen. Barack Obama, by contrast, ended 2006 with about $750,000 in his Senate account.

— Hans Nichols

Even with President Trump's help, House Republicans can't dial in the votes to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

• Leadership has twice punted a planned vote — including a 3:15pm vote today.

Why it matters: The national security tool will lapse Monday night without congressional action.

• The White House and GOP leadership have been pushing for a clean 18-month extension of the surveillance authority, but members are still demanding changes.

State of play: A bloc of conservatives is vowing to vote no on the procedural rule vote, in which House Speaker Mike Johnson can afford to lose only two members.

• Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who has been demanding that the SAVE Act ride with FISA, has made clear she won't budge on her opposition to the rule.
• Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who frequently votes against rules, has been outspoken in his opposition.

Behind the scenes: Negotiations among conservatives, GOP leaders and the White House have centered around warrant requirements, a key Freedom Caucus demand.

• There have also been discussions around a short-term (and last-resort) extension, 30 or 60 days, of the surveillance authority to give members more time to negotiate.

The bottom line: Johnson told reporters that he hopes to start voting on FISA tonight, but that could slide to tomorrow or even Monday.

• GOP leaders could move to open the rule vote and call conservatives' bluff on voting it down.
• It's a familiar Johnson tactic: Keep the vote open as long as it takes to get support, while members continue to be whipped by leaders, the White House or even Trump himself.

— Kate Santaliz

A group of House Democrats is discussing plans to force a vote on an Iran war powers every day until one passes or U.S. operations in the region end, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: It's the kind of showy flood-the-zone tactic that the Democratic grassroots is constantly trying to get the party's lawmakers to pursue in resisting the Trump administration.

• Some centrists aren't immediately dismissing the proposal, even as it's not clear if House Democratic leadership will get behind the tactic.
• "I'd welcome it," Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.), who represents battleground-district members in leadership, told us.
• "I've voted for it twice," said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.). "I'll vote for it as many times as we need."

Driving the news: The idea was raised at a Congressional Progressive Caucus lunch today, multiple sources familiar with the matter told us.

• One member floated introducing enough war powers resolutions to force a vote every day that the House is in session, which was positively received, the sources said.
• It's not a "finalized plan," one source told us on the condition of anonymity to share details of private conversations.
• But members "were interested in it" and it is "more than just one person talking," the source said.

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— Andrew Solender