The Latest News about The U.S. Senate

The Senate confirmed four trial court nominees to the federal bench Wednesday, among them a public interest lawyer Democrats say will trim abortion rights. Senators confirmed the nominee, Sarah Pitlyk, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on a 49-44 vote that largely followed party lines. “Sarah’s strong legal experience, sharp intellect, and commitment to the ...

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that the Senate would have no choice but to take up articles of impeachment against President Trump if the House ever approves them. “How long you’re on it is a whole different matter, but I would have no choice but to take it up based on Senate rule on impeachment,” he said in ...

As House Democrats moved forward with an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee convened confirmation hearings for five judicial nominees. Wednesday’s candidates include two appeals court nominees and three trial court nominees. Sarah Pitlyk, a trial court nominee who litigated for pro-life groups and clerked for Justice Brett Kavanaugh, bore the brunt of Democratic criticism ...

The National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) released a new campaign video on Tuesday illustrating the Democratic party’s “race to radicalism” as the 2020 election cycle kicks off. The more than two-minute video is the first of the NRSC’s “Last Line of Defense” series which will highlight the Republican Senate Majority’s role as the last line of defense against the socialist ...

Senate Republicans adopted a permanent ban on earmarks Thursday, signaling to Democrats that the oft-criticized practice won’t be tolerated so long as Republicans control the chamber. Republicans passed the permanent ban at the urging of Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse, who argued the GOP’s current policy, continually re-instating a two-year ban which has existed since 2011, was insufficient. The new ...

As Minority Leader Chuck Schumer looks for Democrats to win back the Senate majority in 2020, his rallying efforts may be hitting a roadblock as many high-profile Democrats are seemingly looking for roles elsewhere. Kicking off the 2020 election cycle, Schumer began courting Democrats who he believed could be potential contenders in flipping some red seats blue. Although former Democratic ...

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his Republican colleagues torpedoed the activist-backed Green New Deal Tuesday as Democrats called the vote a dog-and-pony show. Republicans defeated the proposal 57 to 0 as Democratic lawmakers derided the vote as a political gesture meant to rile up conservatives ahead of an election year. McConnell called the GND Tuesday morning a socialistic ploy ...

Republican senators remain conflicted over the constitutionality of President Trump’s national emergency declaration to secure the southern border. While some are considering joining Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul in his surprise rebuke of Trump’s declaration last weekend, others either support Trump or remain undecided. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott belongs among those firmly backing the President. He told The Daily Caller ...

President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter Wednesday that a Senate vote to terminate his national emergency for border wall funding is not about “constitutionality” but about “desperately needed” border security. “Senate Republicans are not voting on constitutionality or precedent, they are voting on desperately needed Border Security [and] the Wall,” Trump wrote. “Our Country is being invaded with Drugs, Human Traffickers, ...

Senate Democrats introduced a toned-down alternative to the Green New Deal as members stress over having to vote on the controversial resolution. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Delaware Senator Tom Carper introduced a two-page alternative to the Green New Deal resolution Thursday that Republicans are calling a ploy to avoid voting on a “socialist” bill. “I don’t blame Senate ...

President Donald Trump called out Democrats for “slow walking” his executive nominees such as ambassadors in a tweet Sunday. “Democrats in the Senate are still slow walking hundreds of highly qualified people wanting to come into government,” the president wrote on Twitter. “Never been such an abuse in our country’s history. [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch [McConnell] should not let Senate ...

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Wednesday he would be introducing a short-term funding bill that would fund the government until Feb. 8, as funding is set to expire Friday. The passing of the legislation is supposed to give both sides time to debate funding for a border wall, which has become the main issue for government funding. Republicans have ...

The U.S. Senate passed a criminal justice reform bill backed by President Donald Trump, on the Senate floor Tuesday night. The bill, titled the “First Step Act,” includes both prison and sentencing reforms, in which many Republicans had been pushing to pass before Democrats take control of the House on Jan. 3. The vote ended up being… One amendment in the bill which was defeated ...

Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander will not run for re-election in 2020, he announced Monday. “I will not be a candidate for re-election to the United States Senate in 2020,” he said in a statement. “The people of Tennessee have been very generous, electing me to serve more combined years as Governor and Senator than anyone else from our state. ...

Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl will resign from the U.S. Senate at the end of December, he announced Friday. Kyl, who replaced Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain after his death, told The Arizona Republic that he will be leaving office on Dec. 31, when the legislative calendar ends. He said he agreed to finish working until the 115th Congress concluded, ...