U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans presented their $1 trillion plan to bolster the pandemic-ravaged U.S. economy in a series of bills that would trim extra unemployment benefits, send $1,200 payments to most Americans, and shield businesses, schools and other organizations from... Read More
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate made a first step Thursday toward new legislation intended specifically to protect elderly people from the ravages of coronavirus. The Senate Special Committee on Aging listened to medical experts’ opinions on measures needed to help... Read More
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday easily passed an amended bill to revive and increase oversight of surveillance powers. Senators voted, 80-16, to pass the measure before finishing up work on Capitol Hill for the week. Under a previous agreement,... Read More
In 2014, Susan Collins was looking at an easy victory in Maine. The veteran Senator was well-funded, well-liked, and faced little competition in her bid for re-election. Her main challenger, Shenna Bellows, was a young progressive with no name recognition... Read More
WASHINGTON - The Senate reached a short-term deal Monday night on reinstating national security authorities that expired over the weekend, giving the chamber a chance to pivot to debate coronavirus relief legislation. Senators unanimously agreed to a 77-day extension of... Read More
WASHINGTON — For only the third time in history, both of Georgia’s U.S. Senate seats are up for election in the same year, drawing unusually strong attention from national Democratic groups who see an opportunity this November in a state... Read More
It is the kind of assertion that brings a reporter up short, temporarily. To hear it twice, in two completely separate conversations, was astounding. It was the idea that as result of changing demographics and highly successful voter registration drives... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan measure limiting President Donald Trump's authority to launch military operations against Iran is moving toward approval in the Senate. The resolution, authored by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, asserts that Trump must win approval... Read More
WASHINGTON - The start of primary season tends to focus the mind on the race for the White House, but if Democrats want to retake control of the U.S. Senate as well, they need to be looking at a decisive... Read More
WASHINGTON — With the announcement from a key Republican that he won’t back a call for witnesses in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, Republicans are likely to wrap up the trial quickly, perhaps as soon as Friday evening. Democrats’ hopes... Read More
WASHINGTON — Sen. Bill Cassidy charted a course along the back corner of the Senate chamber Thursday during President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. The Louisiana Republican walked through an area usually reserved for staff seating, hands in pockets, retracing a... Read More
WASHINGTON — Sen. Lindsey Graham looked restless during the first hour of President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, when none of the senators had access to their cellphones and the president’s lawyers and the House managers traded procedural arguments. It was... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate plunged into President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial with Republicans abruptly abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two days but solidly rejecting Democratic demands for more witnesses to expose what they deem Trump’s “trifecta” of offenses.... Read More
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are locked in a stare-down over the terms of President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, which carries political risks for both sides if it continues deeper into January. The... Read More
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s old congressional campaign website now redirects visitors to his newly created personal Twitter account. The change to MikePompeo.com, which took place on Dec. 27, comes as Pompeo publicly downplays his interest in a... Read More
WASHINGTON — Democrats scored a series of damaging revelations about Donald Trump when they launched their impeachment investigation, but now they’ll begin a crucial election year with the challenge that the most dramatic moments are likely behind them. Even by... Read More
WASHINGTON — A senior White House official and leading Senate Republicans predicted Sunday that congressional Democrats would fail in their bid to force the Senate to summon witnesses in President Trump’s impeachment trial. Democrats countered by asking why, if Trump... Read More
WASHINGTON -- A U.S. Senate committee sought answers again Tuesday on how to stop a nationwide crisis of opioid addictions while acknowledging their previous efforts have largely failed. A record 61,300 people died from drug overdoses in 2017 in the... Read More
WASHINGTON — House Democrats are nearing one of the most important decisions in their effort to impeach Donald Trump: Who will bear the historic duty of prosecuting the president in next year’s Senate trial. With the House planning to vote... Read More
Young people facing homelessness as they age out of the foster care system soon could have easier access to federal housing vouchers. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, is joining with Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican, to propose legislation... Read More
ATLANTA — When Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announces Wednesday that he’s picked financial executive Kelly Loeffler for an open U.S. Senate seat, she’ll have some powerful backup to help defend her new post. The National Republican Senatorial Committee will support... Read More
WASHINGTON -- A Food and Drug Administration official told a U.S. Senate committee this week that new regulations to control vaping are likely coming soon, but couldn’t say when. His testimony drew rebukes and words of frustration from members of... Read More
WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of senators on Tuesday urged both Congress and the Trump administration to take sweeping action to ensure social media sites aren't used as platforms for interference in the 2020 presidential election. The Senate Intelligence Committee... Read More
WASHINGTON - A provision in the Justice Department’s annual funding bill is likely to alter the criminal liability risks for sellers and handlers of cannabis products. Ten states have authorized limited sales of the psychoactive drug for recreation, despite the... Read More
WASHINGTON — Top Senate appropriators pressed the Federal Aviation Administration chief to respond after a federal investigator found that safety inspectors lacked sufficient training to certify Boeing 737 Max pilots. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Jack Reed, D-R.I., the chairwoman and... Read More
WASHINGTON - Speaker Nancy Pelosi sharply rebuked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Friday for allowing 200 days to elapse without any action on H.R. 1, the sweeping reform package the House of Representatives passed last winter. "We sent this legislation... Read More
WASHINGTON - In an era of political polarization here in Washington, state legislatures just might hold the key to getting past the friction and on to bipartisan agreement on meaningful legislation. At least that was the consensus of a panel... Read More
WASHINGTON — Under fire from the left and the right, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday he’ll back a measure to give states another $250 million to upgrade their voting systems to fend off foreign intervention. McConnell, a Kentucky... Read More
WASHINGTON — Nearly two dozen Senate Democrats plan to make it a late night on Tuesday, speaking out on the Senate floor about the impact of gun violence and legislative proposals Congress could explore. The speeches are expected to begin... Read More
WASHINGTON - As Congress adjourned for its August recess, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal, known as the USMCA, seemed to be the last thing on anyone's mind. At the time, an impending fiscal crisis had just been averted, and lawmakers, media... Read More
