Senate

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Lara Trump Makes Decision on Senate Race

She opts out, leaving RNC co-chair Michael Whatley to step in, per Politico

(Newser) - Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley is entering North Carolina's Senate race with President Trump's backing, sources tell Politico . Whatley steps in after Lara Trump—President Trump's daughter-in-law and former RNC co-chair—decided not to pursue the seat , opting instead to continue hosting her Fox News...

Senate Delivers a Blow to Public Broadcasting

GOP claws back aid to CPB and foreign programs, with 2 dissensions

(Newser) - The Senate handed President Trump a major victory on spending overnight, agreeing to pull back $9 billion previously approved by Congress for public broadcasting and foreign aid. It marks the first major clawback—formally called rescission—of federal funding in decades. Most of the money, roughly $8 billion, is for...

Ken Paxton's Wife Seeks Divorce on 'Biblical Grounds'

Split follows impeachment trial and allegations of extramarital affair

(Newser) - Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton announced Thursday she is seeking a divorce from her husband, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, citing "biblical grounds." In a message posted on X , the Republican lawmaker described marriage as a "sacred covenant," the Texas Tribune reports. She said she...

Trump's FAA Pick Wins Confirmation Over Objections

Bryan Bedford won't commit to keeping pilot training requirement

(Newser) - The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Bryan Bedford to run the Federal Aviation Administration, putting him in charge of the federal agency at a precarious time for the airline industry after recent accidents, including the January collision near Washington, DC, that killed 67 people. Bedford was confirmed on a near party-line...

Senate Bill 'a Non-Starter' for Some House Republicans

Dozens of GOP lawmakers are leaning no, per Axios

(Newser) - Keeping with Republicans' July 4 deadline, House Speaker Mike Johnson has just two days to push through the Senate's changes to President Trump's so-called "big, beautiful bill," which won't be easy. Dozens of "no" votes will need to be flipped, Axios reports. Johnson admitted...

Senate Finds a Unanimous Moment Over Unemployment

Senators vote unanimously to end benefits for those who where making $1M salaries

(Newser) - As the Senate continues its voting marathon related to the "big beautiful bill," the New York Times points out one moment of bipartisanship that emerged overnight: The chamber voted unanimously to end unemployment benefits for those who were making $1 million or more in the year before they...

CBO: Senate Tax Bill Would Add $3.3T to Deficit

That's $500B more than would be added to the debt with the House version

(Newser) - A Senate plan to extend Trump-era tax cuts could send the US deficit soaring by $3.3 trillion over the next decade, according to a new Congressional Budget Office estimate, which has lawmakers facing mounting questions about how much the country can afford to cut taxes. The CBO and...

Senate Parliamentarian Deals Blow to 'Big Beautiful Bill'

A key Medicaid provision violates Senate rules

(Newser) - The Senate parliamentarian has advised that a key Medicaid provider tax overhaul that's central to President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" doesn't adhere to procedural rules, delivering a crucial blow to Republicans rushing to finish the massive package this week.
  • Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled on Thursday
...

House GOP Balks as Senate Rewrites Trump Tax Bill

Senate changes on Medicaid, SALT drive Republican backlash

(Newser) - House Republicans are threatening to derail a sweeping tax and immigration bill backed by President Trump and Senate GOP leaders, citing major changes to the original House version. The Senate's rewrite of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act adds deeper Medicaid cuts, which detractors warn could hurt rural...

Senate's Vote Against CA Law Sets Up Legal Battle

Senate votes to block California's emissions waivers

(Newser) - The Senate has upended California's ambitious plan to phase out new gasoline cars, igniting a nationwide legal fight that could redefine the future of electric vehicles for about 40% of the US auto market, the New York Times reports. Thursday's vote was 51-44 in favor of blocking...

Senate Passes Bill to Throw Out Tax on Tips

Legislation for a tax deduction worth up to $25K is due to move on to the House next

(Newser) - President Trump's campaign promise to nix federal taxes on tips has just moved a step closer to becoming reality. On Tuesday, the US Senate gave the thumbs-up to legislation that would do just that, meaning the No Tax on Tips Act introduced by GOP Sen. Ted Cruz in January...

MTG: I'm Not Running Against Jon Ossoff

GOP congresswoman from Georgia says she's not interested in serving in a Senate that 'doesn't work'

(Newser) - Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced Friday she won't challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia's 2026 Senate race. The decision, made public in a post on X , comes amid concerns from some Republicans that Greene's divisive brand would hurt the party's chances to reclaim the...

Trump Abruptly Fires Librarian of Congress

Move sparks backlash after Carla Hayden faces conservative group criticism

(Newser) - President Trump on Thursday fired Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, effective immediately, according to an email obtained by the AP . The Obama appointee, who was confirmed by the Senate in 2016 and was the first woman and first African American to hold the role, had her 10-year term...

49-49 Vote in Senate Kills Anti-Tariffs Measure

McConnell and Whitehouse, who both supported the resolution, were absent

(Newser) - A couple of absences in the Senate on Wednesday doomed a bipartisan measure to block President Trump's tariffs. GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell and Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse both had expressed support for the resolution but missed the vote, NBC News reports. That led to a 49-49 tie; the measure...

Cory Booker Speech Breaks Thurmond's Record
Cory Booker Speech
Breaks Thurmond's Record
UPDATED
Apr 1, 2025 7:32 PM CDT

Cory Booker Speech Breaks Thurmond's Record

Democrat spoke for 25 hours in longest Senate speech in history

(Newser) - More than 24 hours after he started speaking on the Senate floor—and more than 11 hours after he declared he had "more in the tank" —Sen. Cory Booker broke a record set by Sen. Strom Thurmond in 1957. Thurmond, a segregationist, spoke for 24 hours and 18...

Democrats Push Bill to Avert Shutdown Past First Vote
No Shutdown: Senate
Passes Funding Bill
UPDATED
Mar 14, 2025 5:30 PM CDT

No Shutdown: Senate Passes Funding Bill

Bill clears chamber despite friction among Democrats

(Newser) - The Senate passed a six-month spending bill on Friday hours before a government shutdown, overcoming sharp Democratic opposition to the measure and sending it to President Donald Trump to be signed into law, per the AP . The vote was 54-46. Democrats voiced frustration that Republicans went ahead with a measure...

Schumer Defends Shutdown Strategy in Op-Ed

One Senate Democrat says it's like giving a bully 'all of your lunch money'

(Newser) - Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised enough Democratic support to pass the Republican funding bill that will avoid a government shutdown, despite admitting the bill is "terrible." In a guest essay at the New York Times , he explains himself while calling President Trump a "nihilist" who'...

McConnell Announces He Won't Run Again

Senator tells the chamber on his 83rd birthday

(Newser) - Mitch McConnell said Thursday that he won't seek reelection next year, ending a decades-long tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce GOP populism of President Trump. The longest-serving Senate party leader in US history chose his 83rd birthday to share...

Bob Menendez Staring at 15 Years in Prison

Prosecutors argue disgraced NJ senator should pay dearly for 'grave abuse of his power'

(Newser) - Prosecutors say former Sen. Bob Menendez should be imprisoned for 15 years for a "grave abuse of his power," after the New Jersey Democrat became the first person to be convicted of abusing a Senate committee leadership position and the first US public official to be convicted of serving as...

In Final Week, Sinema Is Hit With Watchdog Complaint

Outgoing senator is accused of using campaign money for personal travel

(Newser) - Outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has one last controversy to handle: A government watchdog group has accused her of illegally using campaign money to fund lavish travel around the world, reports the Arizona Republic .
  • Sinema has billed her campaign for about $200,000 for trips to Japan, France, the UK, and
...

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