U.S. Senate News
This section focuses on the upper chamber of Congress, from major policy debates to confirmation hearings. The Daily Signal provides a conservative look at Senate priorities.
-
news
Blinken Ignores Congress, Hobnobs With Elite at UN
Secretary of State Antony Blinken was a no-show at a congressional hearing Tuesday morning, triggering House Republicans to move toward holding the nation’s top diplomat in contempt of Congress. Blinken originally was subpoenaed Sept. 3 by House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, for a hearing on the committee’s investigation into the Biden-Harris administration’s poorly… -
news
Senate Democrats Want Women to Enter the Draft, but Republican Representatives Are Fighting Back
Senate Democrats are attempting to require women to register for the draft. But a group of Republican lawmakers are aiming to stop them. Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Mary Miller, R-Ill., led a group of 22 Republican lawmakers in opposition to efforts that would force women to register for Selective Service. The group wrote a… -
news
6 Secretaries of State Testify to Congress on Reliability of Elections. Here Are 4 Takeaways.
Six secretaries of state from across America fielded questions in congressional testimony Wednesday about increasing public confidence in elections. House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., was among committee members who pushed the top state election officials on campaign finance, noncitizen voting, and other election security issues. The secretaries of state who testified were from both… -
opinion
Congress Was Doing ‘Girl Math’ Before It Was Cool
It’s been more than 20 years since the federal government last balanced the budget. While Americans are obligated to lenders and creditors for overspending, the government has made a habit of spending more than it takes in. You could say that Congress was doing “girl math” long before it was cool. Popularized on social media,… -
opinion
Voting Rights Act Court Ruling Could Dramatically Shift Political Control of Congress
In an Aug. 1 decision over redistricting of county commission seats in Galveston, Texas, the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has issued a decision that stops the political misuse of the Voting Rights Act by Democrats and their allies to create voting districts loyal to the Democratic Party instead of protecting the voting rights… -
news
Biden’s 18-Year Term Limit for Supreme Court Equals Half the Time He Was in Senate
President Joe Biden, who spent 36 years in the Senate, argues that half that time—18 years—is long enough to serve on the Supreme Court. Biden’s long-shot package of proposed Supreme Court reforms comes under six months before he leaves office and almost three years since a presidential commission made some of the same recommendations. Vice… -
news
EXCLUSIVE: Conservative Group Alerts Congress to Kamala Harris’ Record
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Vice President Kamala Harris “owns each and every one” of President Joe Biden’s failures, according to a conservative organization that sent a list of Biden’s policies Thursday to every congressional office. “Though the Left and media are out to wipe out the past failures of Harris during the Biden administration, her… -
news
‘I Don’t See How She Survives,’ Senator Says of Secret Service Chief’s Job
Sen. Kevin Cramer said Thursday he expects that Kimberly Cheatle “will no longer be the director” of the Secret Service after “stonewalling” questions about the assassination attempt Saturday on former President Donald Trump. The North Dakota Republican made the comment in an interview with The Daily Signal one day after joining a group of colleagues… -
opinion
Republicans Will Be Ready This Time If GOP Wins Presidency and Congress, Lawmaker Says
With the election less than four months away, a lot can happen, but Rep. Andy Ogles says he’s confident Republicans can win back the presidency and the Senate, and retain control of the House in November. “And as Republicans, we’re going to win the White House. They’re going to win the Senate. We’re going to… -
news
For First Time, Senate Judiciary Committee Nixes Biden Judicial Nominee
The Senate on Thursday rejected President Joe Biden’s nominee to the Manhattan federal trial court. It was the first time a Biden judicial nominee has been rejected in the Democratic-majority Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee, on an 11-10 vote, rejected federal magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn’s nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District… -
news
We Asked Senate Dems About the Bill Banning Noncitizen Voting
All 47 Senate Democrats were silent when asked by The Daily Signal whether they support a pending bill to compel proof of citizenship for voters in federal elections. But the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE Act, is gaining momentum among Senate Republicans. The House passed the SAVE Act on Wednesday by a 221-198… -
opinion
Senate Panel’s Probe Into COVID-19’s Origin Brings Us Closer to Truth
Did you know that four months before the world had ever heard of COVID-19—on Sept. 3, 2019—authorities in the Veneto region of Italy discovered COVID-19 antibodies in local blood samples. Of course, you didn’t. The deadly and mysterious COVID-19 was around much longer than anyone had previously suspected. We now know that fact,… -
news
3 Republican Senators Talk Weaponization of Government
Three Republican senators spoke Tuesday about the weaponization of government and related problems in Congress on a panel at the National Conservatism Conference in the nation’s capital. The panel, hosted by former Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., featured Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Texas; Mike Lee, R-Utah; and Rick Scott, R-Fla. DeMint began the discussion by saying that… -
news
2 Senators Say Biden Debate Performance Raises 25th Amendment Concerns
Members of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet should consider invoking the 25th Amendment to remove the president, two sitting U.S. senators suggested. They said Biden’s performance in the first presidential debate against former President Donald Trump raised questions about his ability to perform his office. “We’ve definitely entered 25th Amendment territory,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote… -
news
Bans on Foreign Funding for Ballot Measures Gain Momentum in Congress, States
Opponents of foreign funding of U.S. ballot measures expect momentum at both the federal level and in states. In May, the House Administration Committee advanced a bill to amend federal election law to prevent foreign nationals from contributing to ballot initiatives by closing a loophole, since federal law and most state laws prohibit foreign contributions… -
opinion
Giving Teeth to a Finding of Contempt of Congress
The House of Representatives recently held Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for failing to turn over audio recordings of special counsel Robert Hur’s interviews with President Joe Biden. Garland, appointed by Biden, refused to provide the recordings. So the House adopted a resolution June 12 holding him in criminal contempt (making him only the… -
news
GOP Senators Demand Information From HHS on In Vitro Fertilization Clinics
As Congress considers legislation on in vitro fertilization, five U.S. senators are asking the Department of Health and Human Services to assess fertility clinic safety standards in an effort to ensure the clinics are adequately protecting the human embryos in their possession. Republican Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, James Lankford and… -
news
EXCLUSIVE: GOP Senators Call for Renewal of Pro-Life Budget Amendments
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Protections for the unborn belong at the forefront of the federal budget, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., wrote in a letter sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday. “As the Senate Appropriations Committee continues to work on legislation for fiscal year 2025, we urge the committee to ensure that long-standing, bipartisan… -
opinion
Congress Wants You: ‘Draft Our Daughters’ Returns
Earlier this week, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted to require young women to register with Selective Service for the draft should one be officially reinstated. Slipped into the Senate’s version of the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act is an amendment to the Military Selective Service Act that would require women between the ages… -
opinion
Warning Labels on Social Media: Surgeon General Wants Them to Protect Young People. Will Congress Act?
Peggy Noonan recently wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed column in response to Jonathan Haidt’s new book: “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.” The book overflows with data supporting Haidt’s conclusion that social media harms children’s and adolescents’ mental health. Noonan reflected on the phenomenon…