Senate

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

Senate Votes Down Funding Bills for a 6th Time

Party leaders are digging in as shutdown stalemate drags on

(Newser) - Efforts to resolve the ongoing government shutdown stalled again on Wednesday, with the Senate rejecting both Democratic and Republican proposals to restore funding. Both parties remain firm in their demands, extending the deadlock that began eight days ago, the Guardian reports. The vote on a stopgap funding bill already...

'SharpieGate' Figure Will Lead NOAA
'SharpieGate' Figure
Will Lead NOAA
Oct 8, 2025 10:55 AM CDT

'SharpieGate' Figure Will Lead NOAA

Neil Jacobs takes helm years after ethics controversy

(Newser) - The Senate has approved Neil Jacobs as the new head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a move that brings back a familiar face from the " SharpieGate " hurricane forecast controversy. The atmospheric scientist who previously served as the NOAA's acting director was confirmed as part...

White House Making Good on Threat of Shutdown Layoffs

Federal workers and key programs face immediate risk as impasse continues

(Newser) - As threatened by the Trump administration ahead of the government shutdown, federal employees could soon face layoffs as the shutdown continues with no end yet in sight . Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told House Republicans in a conference call Wednesday, the first day of the shutdown,...

Senate Rejects 2 Bills to End Shutdown

Bills failed by same margins as Tuesday night

(Newser) - In what may become a daily occurrence while the government shutdown continues, rival stopgap spending bills were voted down in the Senate on Wednesday. A Democratic proposal to fund the government until Oct. 31 failed in a 53-47 vote, with Republicans united in opposition, the BBC reports. A House-passed Republican...

Fetterman Heaps Criticism on Democrats

But senator, standing by Israel and pushing back on party extremes, says he won't switch to GOP

(Newser) - Sen. John Fetterman is making it clear he's staying put in the Democratic Party, even as he voices discomfort with some of its tactics and rhetoric. On Fox Business Network's Sunday Morning Futures, Fetterman told host Maria Bartiromo that he won't be joining the GOP, though...

Senate Rejects Bills That Would Prevent Shutdown

Republicans said Democrats were making demands that would ramp up spending

(Newser) - The Senate rejected competing measures on Friday to fund federal agencies for a few weeks when the new budget year begins on Oct. 1, increasing prospects for a partial government shutdown on that date. Leaders of the two parties sought to blame the other side for the standoff, reports the...

Ousted CDC Director Shares Her Take on What Transpired

Susan Monarez says RFK Jr. wanted 'blanket approval' of vaccine changes

(Newser) - Former CDC Director Susan Monarez appeared before the Senate on Wednesday, detailing the circumstances of her unexpected firing less than a month after her Senate confirmation. Monarez testified that she was removed for refusing to follow directives from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., specifically his...

Trump's Fed Pick Confirmed Just Ahead of Meeting

Miran becomes first sitting White House official on central bank's board

(Newser) - The Senate on Monday confirmed Stephen Miran, President Trump's senior economic adviser , to the Federal Reserve board in a tight 48-47 vote that came just two weeks after the legislative body received the nomination—the second-quickest Fed confirmation in more than 25 years, the Wall Street Journal reports....

After Kirk Killing, White House Seeks $58M Security Boost

Request to Congress cites increase in threats

(Newser) - In the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, the White House has asked Congress for $58 million in new security funding for top government officials. The request for funds to bolster security for the executive and judicial branches is being considered as part of a stopgap funding bill, with...

Senate GOP Goes 'Nuclear' to Speed Up Trump Nominees

Chamber will be able to approve presidential picks by the dozen, upending its procedures

(Newser) - Senate Republicans on Thursday voted to change the chamber's rules to accelerate confirmation of President Trump's nominees and sideline Democratic opposition. The move marks a dramatic shift in Senate procedure, NBC News reports. The 53-45 party-line vote gives Republicans the ability to change the rules with a...

Hawley Launches Meta Probe on 'Sensual' Kid Convos

Senator slams company's AI chatbot safeguards after report on rules allowing 'romantic' kid chats

(Newser) - Sen. Josh Hawley is launching an investigation into Meta after allegations surfaced that its AI chatbots were given the green light to hold "romantic" and "sensual" conversations with children. The Missouri Republican, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, has called on...

Senate Leaves DC With No Deal on Trump Nominees

Republicans say they may change rules to speed up nominations when they return in September

(Newser) - After days of contentious back-and-forth, during which President Trump told Chuck Schumer he could "go to hell," the Senate ultimately left Washington, DC, for its August recess Saturday night without a deal on confirmations for dozens of Trump nominees still awaiting advancement. Lawmakers say the president privately instructed...

Survived a Fire or Flood? There May Be Mortgage Help Arriving

Senate bill offers pause on mortgage payments for federally backed loans for natural-disaster victims

(Newser) - New Senate legislation aims to give natural disaster survivors a bit more breathing room when it comes to paying their mortgages. The Mortgage Relief for Disaster Survivors Act, introduced Thursday by Sens. Adam Schiff of California and Michael Bennet of Colorado, would allow homeowners with federally backed loans in...

Trump Slams Hawley Over Ban on Congressional Stock Trades

Measure would force lawmakers and spouses to ditch individual stocks

(Newser) - A proposal to bar members of Congress from buying or holding individual stocks cleared a Senate panel Wednesday, with Republican Sen. Josh Hawley crossing the aisle to join Democrats in an 8-7 committee vote. Hawley, who introduced the bill, said, "I practice what I preach," noting he...

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...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Most Read on Newser