U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — To get around Republican obstruction, President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Democrats are considering a change to the Senate's filibuster rules in order to quickly approve lifting the nation's debt limit  and avoid what would be a... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Congress is trying to figure out how to confront the evolving threat of domestic terrorism that increasingly uses the internet to recruit sympathizers. The government doesn’t want to squelch free speech but it does want to halt disinformation... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pressuring lawmakers to reach agreement by next week on a pair of massive domestic spending measures, signaling Democrats' desire to push ahead aggressively on President Joe Biden's multitrillion-dollar agenda. Schumer, D-N.Y.,... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional Democrats and immigration advocates are staring at their best chance in years to overcome Republican opposition and give millions of people in the U.S. without legal authorization a way to become citizens. Their goal is to... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan deal to invest nearly $1 trillion in the nation's infrastructure appeared to be back on track Sunday after a stark walk-back by President Joe Biden to his earlier insistence that the bill be coupled with... Read More

Senate Republicans have blocked debate of a sweeping overhaul of how elections are run in the U.S. The bill was pushed by congressional Democrats who argued it was needed to counter a spate of new GOP laws this year tightening... Read More

WASHIINGTON - Senate Republicans filibustered their Democraticcolleague's signature voting rights bill Tuesday night, denying it the 60 votes needed to advance the bill and start debate. Thought the outcome was a foregone conclusion, it was nevertheless a blow to Democrats'... Read More

Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y. recently went into a couple of Lincoln car dealerships in Syracuse, New York, but “neither one of them had any cars.”  “And they’re not going to have any cars for several weeks because of the chip... Read More

WASHINGTON - Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., made it official this morning, formally launching her Senate campaign to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Marco Rubio. “Unlike some in Washington, I never tire of standing up for what I believe is right, because... Read More

Rep. Stephanie Murphy has decided not to run for U.S. Senate, a decision that appears to clear the path for another prominent Florida Democrat, Rep. Val Demings, to do so. In a video statement released Monday , Murphy said “The... Read More

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer urged his colleagues to swiftly pass the sweeping water infrastructure bill that came before the chamber Tuesday, calling it a potential starting point for Democrats and Republicans to collaborate on infrastructure, "when and... Read More

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (AP) — Rodney Muterspaw figures J.D. Vance has already shown he's got what it takes to be a U.S. senator.  Vance, the "Hillbilly Elegy" author and a fellow Middletown native, broke out of poverty and family chaos and... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — With the Senate split 50-50, leaders of the Democratic majority are looking for ways to advance their priorities and President Joe Biden's agenda  around the typical 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster  by opponents. This week,... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Senate voted 92-7 Thursday to extend the Paycheck Protection Program to the end of May after rejecting Republican efforts to reshape the program and stymie the vote altogether.  The popular program was scheduled to expire on March 31.... Read More

WASHINGTON-  The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Tuesday on common sense gun prevention after two mass shootings occurred in Atlanta and Boulder this past week.  Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., started the hearing with a moment of silence and a... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Senate confirmed Judge Merrick Garland to serve as the nation's next attorney general on Wednesday, with strong, bipartisan showing of support. When the vote was over, the man once denied a U.S. Supreme Court seat due to... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The massive coronavirus relief plan making its way to President Joe Biden's desk includes a plan to temporarily raise the child tax credit that could end up permanently changing the way the country deals with child poverty.... Read More

WASHINGTON - Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., surprised many on Capitol Hill Monday by announcing he will not seek a third term in the U.S. Senate. Blunt was widely expected to seek a third term in 2022, but in a video... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Senate on Saturday afternoon narrowly passed the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package with a 50-49 vote down party lines, moving the rescue plan one step closer to President Joe Biden’s desk. The package, settled on after hours... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate steered on Friday toward a voting marathon on Democrats' $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill after enduring an extraordinary half-day holdup forced by a Republican foe of President Joe Biden's top legislative priority. The chamber planned... Read More

WASHINGTON - For the first time in its history, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms office will be led by a team composed entirely of women. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer announced Wednesday that retired Army Lt. Gen. Karen Gibson will be the... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's Cabinet is taking shape at the slowest pace of any in modern history, with just over a dozen nominees for top posts confirmed more than a month into his tenure. Among Biden's 23 nominees... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats' hopes of including a minimum wage increase in their $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill seemed all but dead as the Senate prepared to debate its own version of the House-passed aid package.  Four days after the... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate launches Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial on Tuesday, with lawyers for the former president insisting he is not guilty of inciting mob violence at the Capitol to overturn the election while prosecutors say he... Read More

About Padilla:  Alex Padilla, California’s then-secretary of state, was appointed to fill the Senate seat held by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in late December 2020.  Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s selection of Padilla, a longtime friend and political ally, ended months of jockeying for the appointment among Democratic factions across the state.  It also... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial is opening this week with a sense of urgency — by Democrats who want to hold the former president accountable for the violent U.S. Capitol siege and Republicans who want it... Read More

WASHINGTON -- A Senate committee reviewed U.S. progress toward reducing climate change Wednesday to determine whether the nation is ready for President Joe Biden’s executive orders on environmental policy. The witnesses and senators spent much of their time discussing emissions... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to meet Monday with a group of 10 Republican senators who have proposed spending about one-third of the $1.9 trillion he is seeking in coronavirus aid, though congressional Democrats are poised to move... Read More

WASHINGTON - Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell dropped his demand that Democrats maintain the Senate filibuster — ending an early stalemate in the Senate that prevented party leaders from negotiating a power-sharing agreement. McConnell announced Monday night that he was... Read More

WASHINGTON - Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who has been trying to walk a political tightrope since the House impeached former President Donald Trump last week, revealed Monday morning that he will not seek re-election to a third term in 2022.... Read More