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.
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- Opinion
Second GOP Congressman Renounces Vote for ‘Disrespect for Marriage Act’
Another one of the 47 House Republicans who voted for the so-called Respect for Marriage Act has withdrawn his support, charging Democrats with “failing to provide legitimate safeguards for faith-based organizations” that hold “deeply-held religious beliefs” about natural marriage. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., announced on Monday that he will reverse his vote in favor of H.R. 8404, which…Ben Johnson -
- Opinion
Why Congress Should Reject Manchin’s Permitting Bill and Enact Genuine Reform in 2023
Both major political parties agree that America needs permitting reform. Not all reform proposals are helpful, though. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has proposed a permitting reform bill that is a prime example of what not to do. Instead of focusing on permitting reform, Manchin’s bill proposes to nationalize the electricity grid. The Manchin bill proposes…Daren Bakst -
- News
United States Senate Passes Radical Respect for Marriage Act
The United States Senate has passed the Respect for Marriage Act without a vital amendment that conservatives had pushed to protect religious freedom. The bill's supporters have claimed that the much-discussed legislation protects religious liberty. But opponents of the Respect for Marriage Act, including religious institutions like the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, desperately warned…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
Senate Advances Radical Respect for Marriage Act
United States senators voted Monday on a motion to invoke cloture on an amendment to the so-called Respect for Marriage Act, advancing the legislation one step closer to passage. The Senate will now vote Tuesday afternoon on Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee’s amendment (which is a 60-vote threshold), Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford’s amendment, and…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
No Room for ‘Compromise’ on First Amendment Right to Freedom of Religion in Favor of Radical ‘Respect for Marriage Act,’ Ex-Senator Says
Religious freedom is a fundamental right guaranteed by our Constitution and must be protected. Sadly, the same-sex marriage bill facing a Senate vote on Monday puts that freedom in danger for people of faith and religious schools, adoption agencies, and nonprofits. Writing in the Deseret News recently, University of Virginia law professor Douglas Laycock attempts…Sam Brownback -
- News
Meet 3 New GOP Members of Congress
It’s been a little more than a week since the 2022 midterm elections. The Republican Party is projected to win a narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, while the final partisan split of the U.S. Senate remains up in the air after the Georgia Senate race advanced to a runoff election, to be…Samantha Aschieris -
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McConnell Retains GOP Senate Leadership, Defeating Rick Scott
Mitch McConnell will retain the GOP Senate leadership, defeating Florida Republican Rick Scott in a Wednesday afternoon vote. The Kentucky Republican defeated Scott 37-10, with one person voting present, The New York Times reported. The offices of Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, Republican Indiana Sen. Mike Braun, and Republican Missouri…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
Conservative Leaders Call for Delaying House and Senate Leadership Elections
Top conservative leaders released a letter Monday calling on Republican members of the 118th Congress to delay House and Senate leadership elections. Letter signers include Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, Club for Growth President David McIntosh, senior partner at the Conservative Partnership Institute Mark Meadows, Conservative Partnership Institute Chairman Jim DeMint, and more. (The Daily…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
Conservative Senators Defy McConnell, Want to Delay GOP Leadership Elections
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is facing a rebellion in his own conference just days after Republicans underperformed in key races across the country. A growing number of conservative senators want the GOP leadership elections postponed until after the December runoff in Georgia, where Republican Herschel Walker is facing Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock after…Rob Bluey -
- News
7 Progressive Candidates Win Key Races for House, Senate
At least seven progressive Democrats won races Tuesday for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. With 99% of the vote counted, Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a Democrat, beat Republican nominee Calvin Wimbish to win Florida’s 10th Congressional District seat, 59% to almost 40%, The Associated Press reported. Frost, 25, will become the…Gillian Richards -
- News
Ted Budd Wins North Carolina Senate Race
Ted Budd, who has represented North Carolina in the U.S. House since 2017, will join the Senate to succeed Richard Burr, a fellow Republican who is retiring after three terms. With 95% of the vote counted, Budd had 50.7% to Democrat Cheri Beasley’s 47.1%. A Trump-endorsed candidate, Budd, 51, has championed spending cuts as a member…Wallace White -
- News
‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author JD Vance Wins Ohio Senatorial Race
Republican candidate JD Vance has defeated Democrat Tim Ryan in Ohio’s Senate race. Multiple outlets, including Decision Desk and NBC News, projected Tuesday evening that Vance had won the race. Vance campaigned on issues including curbing government spending, restoring America’s manufacturing base, solving the border crisis, putting America first, and ending abortion. He quickly earned…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
How Congressional Continuing Resolutions Hurt Defense Industrial Base
Inflation, Chinese encroachment, and Russian aggression loom large and dark on the horizon, and U.S. defense capabilities have scarcely looked less prepared. The latest congressional continuing resolution, though better than a total government shutdown or a bad appropriations bill, will make matters worse. With the president’s signature on Congress’ latest continuing resolution, the federal government…Caitlyn Wetzel -
- News
We ‘Cannot Afford Another Washington Feeding Frenzy,’ Republican Senators Say
As midterms approach and a Republican victory in Congress hangs in the balance, Republican congressmen have pushed their colleagues to reject Democrats’ plans to increase government funding before the year is up. Forty-two Republicans in the House and 14 in the Senate have joined in opposing Democrats’ plans for a continuing resolution that would extend…Gillian Richards -
- Opinion
Senators Should Stop Playing Games With Religious Liberty and Marriage
Fig leaf, smoke and mirrors, lip service, bait and switch. It’s hard to pick exactly the right way to describe the attempt by Sens. Mitt Romney, R-Utah; Susan Collins, R-Maine; and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., to whitewash (there’s another!) the attacks on people of faith presented by the same-sex marriage bill being considered by the Senate….Roger Severino -
- News
Senate Pushes Vote on Same-Sex Marriage Bill Until After Midterms in Hopes of Gaining GOP Votes
Lawmakers have decided to push a vote on same-sex marriage legislation until after the midterm elections, senators announced Thursday. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, one of the top Republican supporters of the so-called Respect for Marriage Act, said Thursday that the Senate will wait until after the midterms before it attempts to codify the legislation, Fox…Mary Margaret Olohan -
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Cruz Slams Senate Democrat for Blocking School Safety Bills
Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday called out a Senate Democrat for blocking passage of a pair of bills intended to provide schools with additional funding for safety and mental health services. The Texas Republican, in a statement, questioned how Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., could oppose the Securing Our Schools Act and the Protect Our Children’s Schools…Wallace White -
- Opinion
Twitter Whistleblower Reveals No Other Choice: Congress Must Act to Protect Data Privacy
Hacker and network security specialist Peiter “Mudge” Zatko testified Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee about allegations in his whistleblower report last month. The Senate hearing arose from intense concerns that Twitter executives have failed in their responsibility to protect user data. In his whistleblower report, Zatko detailed a systemic lack of institutional concern for…Will Thibeau -
- News
Senator on Democrats’ Same-Sex Marriage Bill: ‘We Have to Fight Back on This’
Passing a bill enshrining same-sex marriage in national law would put the existence of religious nonprofit ministries at risk and send “a pretty strong message that religious beliefs don’t matter,” a Republican senator has said. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vowed Wednesday to bring a bill decreeing that all 50 states must recognize same-sex marriages to…Ben Johnson -
- News
Lost House Seats and Electoral Votes Could Result From Census Undercounts in Red States
A senior adviser to the U.S. Census Bureau recalls sounding the alarm about the agency’s population count in 2020. “Me and a couple of other people at the Census Bureau were pounding the table saying there are going to be problems,” Adam Korzeniewski told The Daily Signal. “The sad thing is that no one cared,”…Fred Lucas