WEATHER ALERT
Who will replace Mitch McConnell as Senate GOP leader? It remains deeply uncertain
Read full article: Who will replace Mitch McConnell as Senate GOP leader? It remains deeply uncertainSenate Republicans vying to replace longtime leader Mitch McConnell have been crossing the country to campaign and fundraise for colleagues, making their final arguments before an important upcoming Senate vote.
John Thune is striving to be the next Republican Senate leader, but can he rise in Trump's GOP?
Read full article: John Thune is striving to be the next Republican Senate leader, but can he rise in Trump's GOP?Sen. John Thune of South Dakota is competing intensely to become the next Republican leader in the Senate.
Senate rejects legislation that would expand child tax credit and restore business tax breaks
Read full article: Senate rejects legislation that would expand child tax credit and restore business tax breaksSenators are heading home for the month after failing to advance a bill to expand the child tax credit and restore some business tax breaks.
Many Senate Republicans were done with Trump after Jan. 6. Now they want him back in the White House
Read full article: Many Senate Republicans were done with Trump after Jan. 6. Now they want him back in the White HouseAfter the 2020 election, many Republican senators distanced themselves from Donald Trump.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a close Trump ally, joins race to succeed Mitch McConnell as GOP leader
Read full article: Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a close Trump ally, joins race to succeed Mitch McConnell as GOP leaderFlorida Sen. Rick Scott says he will run for Senate Republican leader when Mitch McConnell steps down from the post, becoming the third Republican in the race.
Wyoming Sen. Barrasso will run for No. 2 spot in GOP leadership, narrowing race to replace McConnell
Read full article: Wyoming Sen. Barrasso will run for No. 2 spot in GOP leadership, narrowing race to replace McConnellWyoming Sen. John Barrasso says he'll run for the No. 2 spot in the Senate Republican conference after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell leaves at the end of the year.
South Dakota Sen. John Thune jumps into race to succeed McConnell as Senate leader
Read full article: South Dakota Sen. John Thune jumps into race to succeed McConnell as Senate leaderSouth Dakota Sen. John Thune is entering the race to be the next Republican leader of the U.S. Senate after Sen. Mitch McConnell steps away from the post in November.
Texas Sen. Cornyn announces run for GOP leader as scramble to succeed McConnell begins in the Senate
Read full article: Texas Sen. Cornyn announces run for GOP leader as scramble to succeed McConnell begins in the SenateTexas Sen. John Cornyn has informed his colleagues that he intends to run for Senate Republican leader.
Democrats embrace tougher border enforcement, seeing Trump's demolition of deal as a 'gift'
Read full article: Democrats embrace tougher border enforcement, seeing Trump's demolition of deal as a 'gift'Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Democrats plan to โconstantly over the next yearโ remind voters that it was Donald Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee, who torpedoed a bipartisan bill on border enforcement.
Biden dangles border security money in attempt to get billions more for Israel, Ukraine
Read full article: Biden dangles border security money in attempt to get billions more for Israel, UkrainePresident Joe Biden is trying to sweeten his pitch for more money for Ukraine by mixing in billions of dollars for securing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Texas AG Ken Paxton attacks rivals, doesn't rule out US Senate run in first remarks since acquittal
Read full article: Texas AG Ken Paxton attacks rivals, doesn't rule out US Senate run in first remarks since acquittalTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton is attacking his Republican rivals while speaking out for the first time since his acquittal on corruption charges in his impeachment trial.
McConnell tries to reassure colleagues about his health, vows to serve out term as Senate GOP leader
Read full article: McConnell tries to reassure colleagues about his health, vows to serve out term as Senate GOP leaderSenate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell declared again that he plans to finish his term as leader despite freezing up twice at news conferences over the summer, brushing off questions about his health as he sought to reassure colleagues heโs still up to the job.
Senators call for Supreme Court to follow ethics code like other branches of government
Read full article: Senators call for Supreme Court to follow ethics code like other branches of governmentThe chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says it's time for Supreme Court justices to bring their conduct in line with the standards of other branches of government.
Democrats and Republicans are skeptical of US spying practices, an AP-NORC poll finds
Read full article: Democrats and Republicans are skeptical of US spying practices, an AP-NORC poll findsThe American public is broadly skeptical of common intelligence practices and of the need to sacrifice civil liberties for security.
Past defeats on police reform bedevil newly divided Congress
Read full article: Past defeats on police reform bedevil newly divided CongressThe release of footage showing Memphis, Tennessee, police officers violently beating Tyre Nichols has renewed calls for Congress to pass police reform legislation.
Congress passes bill to fund police de-escalation training
Read full article: Congress passes bill to fund police de-escalation trainingThe House has passed bipartisan legislation that would empower law enforcement agencies to adopt de-escalation training when encountering individuals with mental health issues.
Manchin rails against 'revenge politics' on permit plan
Read full article: Manchin rails against 'revenge politics' on permit planSen. Joe Manchin on Tuesday railed against what he called โrevenge politicsโณ being used against him, as liberals in the House and Senate team up with Republicans to oppose his plan to speed permits for natural gas pipelines and other energy projects.
Senate to vote on same-sex marriage in coming weeks
Read full article: Senate to vote on same-sex marriage in coming weeksMajority Leader Chuck Schumer says the Senate will vote on legislation to protect same-sex marriage โin the coming weeksโ as a bipartisan group backing the bill is tweaking it to gain Republican support.
Surprise Senate vote would overturn Biden environmental rule
Read full article: Surprise Senate vote would overturn Biden environmental ruleIn a surprise victory for Republicans, the Senate on Thursday voted to overturn a Biden administration rule requiring rigorous environmental review of major infrastructure projects such as highways, pipelines and oil wells โ a victory enabled in part by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
GOP unity? Some aim for reconciliation after tough primaries
Read full article: GOP unity? Some aim for reconciliation after tough primariesTwo days after losing a bitter primary to a rival she once deemed a โselloutโ for occasionally working with Democrats, Katie Arrington appeared at a โunity rallyโ to urge South Carolina Republicans to come together and back Rep. Nancy Mace in the fall general election.
Former Rep. Giffords tells Congress 'be bold' on gun reform
Read full article: Former Rep. Giffords tells Congress 'be bold' on gun reformEleven years after her own life was massively altered by gun violence, former congresswoman Gabby Giffords stood in front of the Washington monument and once again lobbied for stricter gun laws after yet another string of mass shootings in America.
GOP's Cornyn tapped to lead as Senate talks gun law changes
Read full article: GOP's Cornyn tapped to lead as Senate talks gun law changesLess than 48 hours after a gunman stormed an elementary school and killed 19 children and two teachers in his home state of Texas, Sen. John Cornyn was tapped to lead gun policy negotiations in the Senate.
NRA speakers unshaken on gun rights after school massacre
Read full article: NRA speakers unshaken on gun rights after school massacreOne by one, speakers took the stage at the National Rifle Associationโs annual convention in Houston and denounced the massacre of 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school across the state.
NRA stages big gun show in Texas days after school massacre
Read full article: NRA stages big gun show in Texas days after school massacreThe National Rifle Association begins its annual convention in Houston on Friday, and leaders of the powerful gun-rights lobbying group are gearing up to โreflect onโ -- and deflect any blame for -- the deadly shooting earlier this week of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
McConnell, GOP senators to visit Helsinki amid NATO talks
Read full article: McConnell, GOP senators to visit Helsinki amid NATO talksSenate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and a delegation of GOP senators are due to visit Helsinki on Monday for talks with Finlandโs president as the previously neutral Nordic nation bordering Russia seeks NATO membership.
McConnell, GOP senators meet Zelenskyy in surprise Kyiv stop
Read full article: McConnell, GOP senators meet Zelenskyy in surprise Kyiv stopSenate Republican leader Mitch McConnell says senators who visited Ukraine on Saturday have reaffirmed that the U.S. will back Ukraine until it wins its war with Russia.
House passes military lend-lease bill to speed Ukraine aid
Read full article: House passes military lend-lease bill to speed Ukraine aidThe U.S. House has given final passage to legislation that would streamline a World War II-era military lend-lease program to help Ukraine fight the Russian invasion.
Judge Jackson grilled on Guantanamo detainee representation
Read full article: Judge Jackson grilled on Guantanamo detainee representationFour men once held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center were central to some of the questions Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson fielded during her Supreme Court confirmation hearing.
Ketanji Brown Jackson's Guantanamo clients an issue for GOP
Read full article: Ketanji Brown Jackson's Guantanamo clients an issue for GOPPresident Joe Bidenโs Supreme Court nominee will face sharp questions from Republican lawmakers this coming week about the work she did as a public defender representing four Guantanamo Bay detainees.
Republican rift exposes choice: With Trump or against him
Read full article: Republican rift exposes choice: With Trump or against himA rift over the Republican National Committee's symbolic vote to censure former President Donald Trumpโs House GOP critics has exposed the competing forces fighting to control the party.
After bitter battles, Senate eyes less toxic court fight
Read full article: After bitter battles, Senate eyes less toxic court fightIn a Senate where bitter Supreme Court battles have left a lasting imprint, the confirmation of President Joe Bidenโs pick for Supreme Court has the potential to be much less combative and toxic.
Senate passes stopgap funding bill, avoiding shutdown
Read full article: Senate passes stopgap funding bill, avoiding shutdownThe Senate has passed a stopgap spending bill that avoids a short-term shutdown and funds the federal government through Feb. 18 after leaders defused a partisan standoff over federal vaccine mandates.
Biden bill includes boost for union-made electric vehicles
Read full article: Biden bill includes boost for union-made electric vehiclesPresident Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress are looking to give U.S. automakers with union employees the inside track when it comes to winning the burgeoning electric vehicle market.
Biden signs bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday
Read full article: Biden signs bill making Juneteenth a federal holidayPresident Joe Biden has signed legislation Thursday establishing a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery, saying he believes it will go down as one of the greatest honors he has as president.
'Congress should act,' Biden tells lawmakers near and far
Read full article: 'Congress should act,' Biden tells lawmakers near and farThe roar of applause that typically greets a new president entering the House chamber softened to just a few hundred hands clapping as Joe Biden arrived to deliver his first joint address to Congress.
Senate Dems strike jobless aid deal, relief bill OK in sight
Read full article: Senate Dems strike jobless aid deal, relief bill OK in sightWASHINGTON โ Senate leaders and moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin struck a deal late Friday over emergency jobless benefits, breaking a logjam that had stalled the party's showpiece $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. AdMore significantly, the jobless benefits agreement suggested it was just a matter of time until the Senate passes the bill. The House approved a relief bill last weekend that included $400 weekly jobless benefits โ on top of regular state payments โ through August. Republicans criticized the overall relief bill as a liberal spend-fest that ignores that growing numbers of vaccinations and signs of a stirring economy suggest that the twin crises are easing. AdIn another late bargain that satisfied moderates, Biden and Senate Democrats agreed Wednesday to make some higher earners ineligible for the direct checks to individuals.
Biden surveys Texas weather damage, encourages virus shots
Read full article: Biden surveys Texas weather damage, encourages virus shotsโWhen a crisis hits our states, like the one that hit Texas, itโs not a Republican or Democrat thatโs hurting," Biden said. With tens of thousands of Houston area residents without safe water, local officials told Biden that many are still struggling. AdThe president's first stop was the Harris County Emergency Operations Center for a briefing from acting FEMA Administrator Bob Fenton and state and local emergency management officials. Some state officials initially blamed the blackouts on renewable energy even though Texas relies heavily on oil and gas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has sent emergency generators, bottled water, ready-to-eat meals and blankets.
Ties with Saudis at stake as US releases findings on killing
Read full article: Ties with Saudis at stake as US releases findings on killingPresident Joe Biden is expected to speak to Saudi King Salman for the first time in Bidens just over a month-old administration. The language came in contrast to Biden's pledge as a candidate to make Saudi Arabia โa pariahโ over the killing. The Saudi Arabia Embassy spokesman in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. U.S. intelligence findings are coming out more than two years after Khashoggi walked hand-in-hand with his fiancee to the Saudi consulate in Turkey. Once in office, Biden said he would maintain whatever scale of relations with Saudi Arabia that U.S. interests required.
Garland vows sharp focus on Capitol riot as attorney general
Read full article: Garland vows sharp focus on Capitol riot as attorney generalJudge Merrick Garland, nominee to be Attorney General, is sworn in at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington. That is what I intend to do as the attorney general," Garland said. Garland said his first briefing as attorney general would be focused on the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Other backers include two sons of former Attorney General Edward Levi. โThere have been few moments in history where the role of attorney general โ and the occupant of that post โ have mattered more,โ said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the Senate Judiciary chairman.
Snubbed as Obama high court pick, Garland in line to be AG
Read full article: Snubbed as Obama high court pick, Garland in line to be AGThe once-snubbed Supreme Court pick will finally come before the Senate, this time as President Joe Biden's choice for attorney general. Now, the once-snubbed Supreme Court pick will finally come before the Senate, this time as President Joe Biden's choice for attorney general. Garland's high court nomination by President Barack Obama in 2016 died because the Republican-controlled Senate refused to hold a hearing. The Justice Department on late Saturday released a copy of Garlandโs opening statement. Graham said in a tweet that Garland would be a โsound choiceโ to lead the Justice Department.
From city halls, the plea for COVID-19 aid is bipartisan
Read full article: From city halls, the plea for COVID-19 aid is bipartisanCity agencies in Arlington, Texas, have been cut by up to 8%, with officials bracing for more later this year. AdA bipartisan group of mayors notes that aid should be the easy part. A Republican, Williams has joined Democratic Mayor Nan Whaley of Dayton, Ohio, to lead the U.S. Conference of Mayorsโ lobbying effort for local aid. State and local lobbies tried again in a second round of COVID-19 aid but were left out altogether. AdMayors attributed the rebuff to McConnell blocking state and local aid as leverage against Democrats who opposed Republicansโ provision to shield businesses' immunity from lawsuits related to COVID-19.
Lawyer defending Trump accustomed to political disaster
Read full article: Lawyer defending Trump accustomed to political disasterHe argued that Trump could not have โ and would not have โ encouraged the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. โWeโre really here because majority in the House of Representatives does not want to face Donald Trump as a political rival in the future. AdHis reemergence as an impeachment lawyer for Trump was a head-scratching moment for Pennsylvania's political and legal world. He had not campaigned for Trump, and a longtime friend, Brian Miles, told the Inquirer that the two men had never discussed Trump before Castor mentioned recently that he was up for the job. For all the criticism directed at him, Castor suggested that Trump did not criticize his performance.
Trump fumes, GOP senators baffled by legal team's debut
Read full article: Trump fumes, GOP senators baffled by legal team's debutIn this image from video, Bruce Castor, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, speaks during the second impeachment trial of Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Senators, too, criticized what they described as an unfocused and rambling performance as Trump's team and Democratic House managers began to lay out their cases in front of the Senate jury. The anger was echoed by Trump allies, who blasted the lawyers both publicly and privately and with repeated profanities. GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said Castor โjust rambled on and on and on and didnโt really address the constitutional argument. Trump's team did not respond to requests for comment on the day's events or questions about whether they are planning any shakeups to the legal team.
White House budget chief nominee apologizes for past tweets
Read full article: White House budget chief nominee apologizes for past tweetsNeera Tanden also admitted to spending โmany monthsโ removing past Twitter posts, saying, โI deleted tweets because I regretted them." He said that included Tanden calling Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton "a fraudโ and tweeting that โvampires have more heartโ than Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford said Tanden had tweeted more over the past four years than even Trump did. Still, Senate discussion of Tanden's nomination is likely to center more on her past tweets than her budget priorities. Cotton has said they were โfilled with hate.โ Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn suggested previously that she'd face โcertainly a problematic pathโ to nomination.
At 80, Vermont's Sen. Leahy ready to run impeachment trial
Read full article: At 80, Vermont's Sen. Leahy ready to run impeachment trialThe Senate's longest-serving member, 80-year-old Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy, was taken to a hospital Tuesday evening for observation after not feeling well, a spokesman said. Now, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont is stepping into one of his most visible and physically grueling roles: presiding over former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial. โI had some muscle spasms," Leahy, 80, told reporters the morning after feeling ill in his Capitol office. Carle, Leahy's spokesperson, said Senate leaders have been discussing the trial process, and it is โlikely to be limited in duration.โ Trump's first impeachment trial lasted almost three weeks. Leahy will preside as Senate president pro tempore, a largely ceremonial post that usually goes to the majority party's longest-serving member.
At 80, Vermont's Sen. Leahy ready to run impeachment trial
Read full article: At 80, Vermont's Sen. Leahy ready to run impeachment trialThe Senate's longest-serving member, 80-year-old Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy, was taken to a hospital Tuesday evening for observation after not feeling well, a spokesman said. Now, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont is stepping into one of his most visible and physically grueling roles: presiding over former President Donald Trump's second Senate impeachment trial. โI had some muscle spasms," Leahy, 80, told reporters the morning after feeling ill in his Capitol office. Carle, Leahy's spokesperson, said Senate leaders have been discussing the trial process, and it is โlikely to be limited in duration.โ Trump's first impeachment trial lasted almost three weeks. Leahy will preside as Senate president pro tempore, a largely ceremonial post that usually goes to the majority party's longest-serving member.
Democrat floats Trump censure as conviction grows unlikely
Read full article: Democrat floats Trump censure as conviction grows unlikelyHouse Democrats are busy preparing their formal case against the former president for inciting an insurrection, with arguments starting the week of Feb. 8. A week later, on Jan. 13, the Democratic-led House impeached Trump with the backing of 10 Republicans. She said that five is probably โa high mark on what youโre going to see for Republican supportโ for convicting Trump at trial. Some said the censure resolution was too late because Democrats had rejected GOP suggestions of censure before the House voted to impeach. โI guess if we can censure former presidents, then when Republicans get in charge, we can censure Barack Obama or Democrats can censure George Bush."
GOP largely sides against holding Trump impeachment trial
Read full article: GOP largely sides against holding Trump impeachment trialIn this image from video, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore of the Senate, who is presiding over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, swears in members of the Senate for the impeachment trial at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. Late Tuesday, the presiding officer at the trial, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., was taken to the hospital for observation after not feeling well at his office, spokesman David Carle said in a statement. The vote means the trial on Trump's impeachment will begin as scheduled the week of Feb. 8. โYouโre asking me to vote in a trial that by itself on its own is not constitutionally allowed?โ he asked. Instead, Leahy, who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.
Growing number of GOP senators oppose impeachment trial
Read full article: Growing number of GOP senators oppose impeachment trial(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)WASHINGTON โ A growing number of Republican senators say they oppose holding an impeachment trial, a sign of the dimming chances that former President Donald Trump will be convicted on the charge that he incited a siege of the U.S. Capitol. โI think the trial is stupid, I think itโs counterproductive,โ said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.. Arguments in the Senate trial will begin the week of Feb. 8. A few GOP senators have agreed with Democrats, though not close to the number that will be needed to convict Trump. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said he believes there is a โpreponderance of opinionโ that an impeachment trial is appropriate after someone leaves office.
Austin wins Senate confirmation as 1st Black Pentagon chief
Read full article: Austin wins Senate confirmation as 1st Black Pentagon chiefDefense Secretary Lloyd Austin, right, greets Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist as he arrives at the Pentagon, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in Washington. The only senators who voted against Austin were Republicans Mike Lee of Utah and Josh Hawley of Missouri. Before heading to the Pentagon, Austin wrote on Twitter that he is especially proud to be the first Black secretary of defense. Austin retired in 2016 after serving as the first Black general to head U.S. Central Command. The House and the Senate approved the waiver Thursday, clearing the way for the Senate confirmation vote.
EXPLAINER: Can Trump be impeached after leaving office?
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Can Trump be impeached after leaving office?(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trump might argue the calendar is his friend when it comes to a second impeachment trial. In 2019, the last time Trump found himself impeached by the House, he had nearly a year left in his presidency. But on Wednesday, with the inauguration of Joe Biden, Trump will be out of office by the time any Senate trial gets started. On Tuesday, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said she doesnโt think a post-presidency impeachment trial is constitutional. The consequence the Constitution sets up for a president who is impeached and convicted is removal from office.