Congress is barreling toward a government shutdown next week, mostly because Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is running scared of his party’s radicals.

Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-SD) attentions are properly focused on cleaning up the mess. Once he has done so, he should turn to an oversight agenda he hinted at this week.

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Pressed about recent comments from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr directed at ABC (it should be noted that despite all the attention the FCC still has not actually taken any action against any station owned by ABC), Thune promised that Senate Republicans would deliver robust, even “explosive” oversight of the Trump administration, pointing to the tough questioning Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received from the Senate Finance Committee earlier this month.

“I’ve been around several administrations, several presidents. Every one of them tries to assert as much executive power as they possibly can,” Thune told reporters. “Sometimes that gets tested in courts, and obviously sometimes there’s oversight that happens through the Congress, through the power of the purse.”

Thune is right. While many of Trump’s attempted expansions of executive power will be resolved by the Supreme Court, Congress is a coequal branch of government and has powerful constitutional tools to wield over the executive branch. Senate Democrats will have many lines of questioning for Trump administration officials, but here are a few Senate Republicans should themselves pursue:

Energy. When Interior Secretary Doug Burgum first assumed office, he issued an agenda of energy dominance and promised to “make life more affordable for every American family” by lowering energy costs. This included “working collaboratively to unlock America’s full potential in energy dominance” and completing “all authorized and appropriate infrastructure, energy, environmental, and natural resources projects” quickly.

When it comes to oil and gas projects, Burgum has kept his promise. But on wind and solar projects, his desk has become a graveyard for permitting. Senators should ask him why energy infrastructure projects are not being pursued and if he would be willing to work with Democrats on bipartisan permitting reform. 

Trade. The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in December on the legality of Trump’s tariffs, but the Senate doesn’t have to wait to question officials about the policy or prepare legislation should the Supreme Court rule that the president may not tax imports and exports, a power the Constitution explicitly gives to Congress. 

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) raised the possibility of codifying Trump’s across-the-board 10% tariff on imports as a deficit reduction policy. Senators could ask Trump officials if the White House would work with Congress on such legislation or something like it. Trump says he’d like to use tariff revenue to bail out farmers, which the White House acknowledges needs congressional approval. The outlines of that deal could be questioned.

Family. During his latest presidential campaign, Trump said he wanted “to make it easier for mothers and families to have babies, not harder.” Vice President JD Vance said at the March for Life, “I want more babies in the United States of America.” Unfortunately, not much has been done to help young men and women, in Charlie Kirk’s words, “get married and have kids.”

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Trump has wisely avoided federal subsidies for in vitro fertilization, but the recent tax cut and spending bill was a badly missed opportunity to help growing families. During the presidential campaign, Vance called for a $5,000 child tax credit. The bill raised it by just $200 to $2,200. Senate Republicans could question Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about what future tax relief the administration will seek to help young families. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner could be asked what was being done to lower housing costs, a major barrier to family formation. Education Secretary Linda McMahon could be asked what she is doing to expand federal support for apprenticeship and trades programs.

Thune and his colleagues have an opportunity to show that the Senate is more than a spectator to presidential power. Careful, sustained oversight of Trump’s energy, trade, and family agendas would keep the administration accountable and sharpen Republican priorities for governing. By pressing Cabinet officials on everything from permitting reform to tariff policy, Senate Republicans can demonstrate they are serious about solutions, not just rhetoric. If they seize the moment, they can turn oversight into a constructive exercise that reins in excess and delivers benefits to the public.