Senate

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McConnell Freezes at Microphone
McConnell Freezes
at Microphone
Jul 26, 2023 4:27 PM CDT

McConnell Freezes at Microphone

Minority leader is helped back to his office, then returns to finish press conference

(Newser) - Sen. Mitch McConnell appeared to shut down during a press conference in the Capitol on Wednesday, falling into silence for about 20 seconds in the middle of a sentence until he was helped away. The minority leader was escorted back to his office by a colleague and finished the press...

The Picture Being Painted by Key Debt-Ceiling Players

Words 'confident' and 'optimistic' are getting used, but there's a ways to go

(Newser) - As the clock ticks down to June 1, the president and congressional leaders continue to sound off about the likelihood of striking a deal on raising the debt ceiling. President Biden held a second Oval Office meeting with House and Senate leaders Kevin McCarthy, Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, and Mitch...

NYT Editorial Board Has 'Painful' Words for Feinstein

Board suggests she resign, urges Schumer to act if she doesn't

(Newser) - Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she will return to the Senate. The editorial board of the New York Times suggests she reconsider. And if the 89-year-old doesn't reconsider, the editorial board urges Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to increase pressure on her to step down. The editors laud Feinstein's legacy...

'You Shut Your Mouth,' Senator Tells Teamsters Boss

There was an angry clash during Senate hearing on unions

(Newser) - The head of the Teamsters union had a fiery exchange with Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., at a Senate hearing Thursday, with Mullin telling Sean O'Brien to "shut your mouth" as they clashed over unions. O'Brien was a witness at the Senate Health, Labor, Education, and Pensions Committee...

She's Second in Line to the Presidency, for Now

Senate pro tem Patty Murray moves up temporarily because no House speaker exists

(Newser) - Sen. Patty Murray made history earlier this week when she became the first woman to be sworn in as president pro tempore of the Senate. Now comes an odd footnote, thanks to the political logjam in the House. While the pro tem is usually third in line to the presidency,...

McConnell Celebrates Senate Milestone

Republican is now the longest-serving Senate leader in history

(Newser) - While the House was mired in multiple rounds of voting to select a new speaker Tuesday, things moved ahead smoothly in the Senate, where Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was celebrating a milestone. The 80-year-old became the longest-serving Senate leader in history, with 16 years as the top Senate Republican,...

Ahead of Deadline (and Storm), the Senate Strikes a Deal

$1.7T spending package to avoid shutdown sent to House for final approval

(Newser) - The Senate passed a massive $1.7 trillion spending bill Thursday that finances federal agencies through September and provides another large round of aid to Ukraine one day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's dramatic address to a joint meeting of Congress . The bill, which runs for 4,155 pages,...

Lawmakers Unveil $1.7T Spending Bill to Avert Shutdown

Congress racing to pass bill before Friday deadline

(Newser) - Congressional leaders unveiled a $1.7 trillion spending package early Tuesday that includes another large round of aid to Ukraine, a nearly 10% boost in defense spending, and roughly $40 billon to assist communities across the country recovering from drought, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. The bill includes about $772....

Senate Fears Federal Workers Are Using a 'Trojan Horse'

It passes bill that would bar the downloading, use of TikTok on government devices

(Newser) - TikTok has seen a smackdown of sorts across the nation, with multiple states banning use of the video hosting service on government devices. Now the Senate has voted in favor of a similar ban for federal employees, passing a bill that will need House approval before making its way to...

Kyrsten Sinema Says She's Leaving Democratic Party

'I’ve never fit neatly into any party box,' says Arizona senator

(Newser) - Days after Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock won the runoff election in Georgia, the 51-49 majority the party was expecting in Congress is looking shakier. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema tells CNN that she is leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent. The Arizona senator declined to say whether she would...

Senate Passes Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Act

12 Republicans voted with Democrats

(Newser) - A bill that makes protection for same-sex and interracial marriages federal law passed the Senate in a 61-36 vote Tuesday and will now head to the House for a final vote. A dozen Republicans voted in favor, the same number that joined Democrats for a filibuster-proof majority in vote to...

Fate of the Senate Is &#39;on a Knife&#39;s Edge&#39;


Control of the
Senate Rests
on These
3 States
election 2022
Nov 9, 2022 12:38 PM CST

Control of the Senate Rests on These 3 States

Dems have 48 seats so far, the GOP has 49

(Newser) - Most of the final forecasts heading into Election Day gave Republicans a good chance of reclaiming control of the Senate, if only by a slim margin . As of mid-day Wednesday, the final tally remains up in the air. The Democrats have secured 48 seats to the GOP's 49, with...

Susan Collins: 'I Wouldn't Be Surprised' if a Lawmaker Is Killed

'New York Times' looks at the rise in violent threats against House, Senate members

(Newser) - Amid an increasingly tense political atmosphere and as the midterm elections loom, lawmakers are concerned about what the New York Times describes as a "surge" of violent threats and in-person confrontations. "I wouldn’t be surprised if a senator or House member were killed," Sen. Susan Collins...

McConnell Worried About 'Candidate Quality' in Senate Races

Minority leader thinks the race for control of the chamber is too close to call

(Newser) - Historically speaking, the party of the sitting US president loses ground in the midterms , ceding seats in the House or Senate, or both if it's a particularly brutal bloodbath. But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is holding off on proclaiming any kind of premature victory in his own chamber...

Democrats' Bill Clears Hurdle, Faces Vote-a-Rama 'Hell'

Kamala Harris breaks tie, advances Biden's signature legislation

(Newser) - A divided Senate voted Saturday to start debating Democrats’ election-year economic bill, boosting the sprawling collection of President Biden’s priorities on climate, energy, health, and taxes past its initial test as it starts moving through Congress, per the AP . In a preview of votes expected on a mountain of...

Daylight Saving Change Stalls
Daylight Saving Bill Fades
Jul 25, 2022 7:03 PM CDT

Daylight Saving Bill Fades

House divisions on permanent switch remain, but members mostly cite more urgent priorities

(Newser) - After winning Senate approval in March, legislation to make daylight saving time permanent has just been sitting in the House. Its supporters—or at least those open to the idea—said the main reason is there's a lot going on, the Hill reports. "We have so many other...

Senate Passes Biggest Gun Safety Package in 29 Years

House is expected to approve the bill Friday

(Newser) - The Senate on Thursday easily approved a bipartisan gun violence bill that seemed unthinkable just a month ago, clearing the way for final congressional approval of what will be lawmakers' most far-reaching response in decades to the nation's run of brutal mass shootings. The AP reports the $13 billion...

Senate Has Reached Compromise on Gun Violence Bill

Schumer predicts approval later this week

(Newser) - Senate bargainers reached agreement Tuesday on a bipartisan gun violence bill, potentially teeing up final passage by week's end on an incremental but landmark package that would stand as Congress’ response to mass shootings in Texas and New York that shook the nation. Lawmakers released the 80-page bill nine...

Group of Senators Reaches Broad Deal to Address Gun Violence

10 Republicans agree to measures on 'red flag' laws, background checks

(Newser) - A bipartisan group of senators announced Sunday that they'd agreed to an outline of a gun legislation package that could reverse years of congressional inaction on proposals to reduce mass shootings. The deal includes "red flag" laws and enhanced background checks on prospective gun buyers, NBC News reports....

House Makes a First Move on Gun Laws

Chamber passes legislation, but it stands no chance in the Senate

(Newser) - The House passed a wide-ranging gun control bill Wednesday in response to recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, that would raise the age limit for purchasing a semi-automatic rifle and prohibit the sale of ammunition magazines with a capacity of more than 15 rounds. The legislation...

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