Congressional & Capitol Hill News

The Daily Signal delivers comprehensive congressional news with reporting and conservative commentary on House and Senate activities, legislative priorities, committee investigations, leadership battles, and the fight for conservative policy in both chambers of Congress.
Filter articles by
    • Opinion

    225 Years Ago Washington, DC, Was Founded: Here’s Why It Will Never Become the 51st State

    It’s that time of the year again: U.S. House Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton is ramping up her efforts to make Washington, D.C., the 51st state in the Union. Her bill, which would create the state of New Columbia from the existing District of Columbia, is the latest in a long line of legislative proposals with the…
    Mike Sabo
    Read More
    • News

    Top Senate Democrat Unsure Whether Religious Schools That Oppose Gay Marriage Should Keep Tax-Exempt Status

    Following the Supreme Court decision that declared same-sex marriage a constitutional right, Democrats are considering the impact this will have on religious schools and their tax-exempt statuses. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, minority whip and the second most powerful Democrat in the Senate, told The Weekly Standard’s John McCormack that he was unsure if he supported…
    Chelsea Scism
    Read More
    • News

    Senate Democrats Move to Fund Universal Pre-Kindergarten

    A Democratic senator has introduced an amendment to a rewritten version of the No Child Left Behind Act that would fund universal pre-kindergarten. According to Sen. Bob Casey’s office, the amendment, the Strong Start for America’s Children Act of 2015, would fund universal pre-kindergarten by “ending the corporate inversions tax loophole.” Under the legislation, companies…
    Kate Scanlon
    Read More
    • News

    How Michigan Lawmakers Want to Make It Harder for Law Enforcement to Take Your Stuff

    Last year, two Michigan self-described “soccer moms” were the victims of raids conducted by local law enforcement officials, who took telephones, televisions and cash from the women’s homes under civil asset forfeiture laws. The women, Ginnifer Hency and Annette Shattuck, have never been found guilty of a crime. Inspired by cases such as these, a…
    Melissa Quinn
    Read More
    • News

    What the Newest Addition to the Washington Nationals Can Teach Us About Conservatism

    Baseball fans should be on the lookout for a new addition at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., later this week. Ladies & gents, please meet the newest #Nats Racing President: Calvin Coolidge! Welcome to The Show, Calvin. pic.twitter.com/ZWox6RpSYB — Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 1, 2015 Calvin Coolidge will join five other former U.S. presidents in…
    Samantha Reinis
    Read More
    • Opinion

    In King v. Burwell Decision, Supreme Court Justices Acted as Lawmakers, Not Judges

    It’s a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day for conservatives who pinned their hopes of blocking Obamacare on the Supreme Court. Today’s decision allowing the Obama administration to extend subsidies to the federally-run health care exchange will only encourage more bad behavior on the part of our unbound executive. In a 6-3 decision written…
    Elizabeth Slattery
    Read More
    • Opinion

    Lawmakers Should Act to Keep Hamilton on the $10 Bill

     Last week the Department of the Treasury announced a plan to remove Alexander Hamilton’s portrait from the $10 bill and replace it with a portrait of “a woman.” While there is certainly nothing wrong with wanting to include a woman on the nation’s currency, this particular move is a bad idea, for several reasons. In…
    Carson Holloway
    Read More
    • News

    Lindsey Graham Introduces Senate Plan to Ban Late-Term Abortions

    Getting one step closer to what could be the most significant pro-life victory since the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, Sen. Lindsey Graham today introduced a measure in the U.S. Senate that would drastically limit women’s ability to access abortions past a certain point in their pregnancy. The legislation, called the Pain-Capable Unborn…
    Kelsey Bolar
    Read More
    • News

    California to Provide Free Rides Home for Drunk Lawmakers

    Forget the cab fare. Intoxicated California lawmakers now can hitch a ride home at the expense of their taxpayers. In view of four lawmakers arrested over the last five years for driving under the influence, the state has hired two part-time employees who will man a 24-hour car service for senators too drunk to drive…
    Natalie Johnson
    Read More
    • News

    Why These Senators Want to Ban Microbeads in Cosmetics

    A bill has been introduced in the Senate that would ban the use of microbeads in household products such as soap. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, both Democrats from Michigan, introduced the Senate version of a House bill on Tuesday. The House bill was introduced by Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., in March. The Microbead-Free…
    Kate Scanlon
    Read More
    • Opinion

    There’s Good and Bad in Senate’s Version of Defense Authorization Bill

    As early as next week, the full Senate could take up legislation to establish the defense budget for the 2016 fiscal year. The Senate Armed Services Committee has finished its work, approving a 900-page bill on May 14 and releasing its text last week. The National Defense Authorization Act likely will be amended on the…
    Justin Johnson
    Read More
    • Opinion

    Lawmakers Had 10 Months to Fix Broken Transportation Funding. They Didn’t Do Anything.

    Another day, another punt on important policy matters by members of Congress. Faced with a May 31st deadline, lawmakers’ latest “fix” for highway funding—a two-month extension of current policy—comes after members had given themselves ten months to devise a long-term solution. To almost no one’s surprise, the ten months flew by without a whisper of…
    Michael Sargent
    Read More
    • News

    Lawmakers Propose Short-Term Extension for Highway Trust Fund

    Unlikely to reach an agreement by the end of the month, Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would temporarily extend the authorization of the Highway Trust Fund until the end of July. The Highway Trust Fund finances federal highway and transportation projects, and is funded by the federal tax…
    Kate Scanlon
    Read More
    • Opinion

    This Program Epitomizes Waste and Favoritism. Lawmakers Now Have a Chance to Repeal It.

    Do legislators truly care about waste and cronyism? We may get a chance to see how serious (or not) legislators are about these issues if the Senate takes up an amendment to repeal the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s catfish inspection program as part of its consideration of the trade promotion bill. Admittedly, it’s easy to…
    Daren Bakst
    Read More
    • News

    After Blocking Out Some Conservatives, House Passes Iran Review Bill

    The House easily passed a bill today imposing congressional review over a proposed nuclear deal with Iran after party leadership blocked changes proposed by conservatives. Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus had proposed a series of amendments in an attempt to “strengthen” the bill, which the Senate previously passed, but House Speaker John Boehner…
    Josh Siegel
    Read More
    • News

    House Passes Bill Banning Most Abortions After 20 Weeks

    The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The bill, passed by a 242-to-184 vote, would prohibit abortion after 20 weeks—approximately halfway through a pregnancy—with exceptions for victims of rape or incest, or if the life of the mother is at risk. The bill removed a provision in the…
    Kate Scanlon
    Read More
    • News

    Senate Version ‘Not Strong Enough,’ So House Conservatives Seek Changes to Iran Bill

    A group of House conservatives is pressuring GOP leadership to allow the chance to “strengthen” a Senate-passed bill imposing congressional review over a proposed nuclear deal with Iran. Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus are proposing a series of amendments because some believe the Senate bill does not give Congress enough power to actually…
    Josh Siegel
    Read More
    • Opinion

    How Lawmakers Could Reduce Health Insurance Costs for Young Adults By 44%

    How should Congress respond when the Supreme Court hands down its decision in King v. Burwell? At issue in the case is the Obama administration’s regulatory interpretation of the statute governing payment of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance subsidies. If the Court rules against the administration then those subsidies cannot be paid to individuals…
    Edmund Haislmaier
    Read More
    • Opinion

    What Lawmakers Can Do If They’re Serious About Ending Bailouts

    There’s still a widespread belief that the federal government will bail out large financial firms if there’s another crisis. Curbing the Federal Reserve’s ability to spread money around would be a great way to lower the chances of future bailouts. So it’s encouraging to learn that Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and David Vitter, R-La., have…
    Norbert Michel
    Read More
    • News

    Senate Votes to Give Congress Review Over Iran Nuclear Deal

    The Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill Thursday to give Congress at least some voice over a proposed nuclear deal with Iran. The bill, which passed 98-1, would allow Congress to prevent the removal of legislative sanctions against Iran and force the Obama administration to periodically show that Tehran is following the terms of any nuclear…
    Josh Siegel
    Read More