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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- News
8 Senators Propose Extending Daylight Saving Time to Year-Round
A bipartisan group of senators has reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act, which would extend daylight saving time to year-round, rather than keep it at eight months. One of those lawmakers, Sen. Marco Rubio, says the change would “give our nation’s families more stability throughout the year.” The Florida Republican and seven colleagues from both sides…Steven Hall -
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6 Highlights From Congress’ First Hearing on Capitol Riot
Former and current officials responsible for securing the U.S. Capitol fielded questions Tuesday from senators about how the Jan. 6 rioters could have breached the building. Two Senate committees held the first such oversight hearing about a mob’s ability to storm the Capitol, apparently to prevent a joint session of Congress from counting and certifying…Fred Lucas -
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Protecting Newborns Is Common Sense. Time for Congress to Take Action.
Last Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi directed House Democrats to block one specific piece of legislation over and over. Democrats designated one person to stand up and object, every single day, when Republicans tried to bring this bill to the House floor. What legislation could possibly make Pelosi and House Democrats so afraid that they’d…Ann Wagner -
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Congress Must Confront Overspending, CBO Report Confirms
The Congressional Budget Office released the newest version of its “Budget and Economic Outlook” on Thursday, and the fiscal outlook over the next decade is grim. Spending, taxes, deficits, and the debt are all projected to increase to record levels. Even assuming no new spending is adopted, the government is projected to spend $61 trillion,…Matthew Dickerson -
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6 Takeaways From Opening Arguments in Trump’s Senate Trial
The historic opening day of the first Senate impeachment trial of a former president was fiery and emotional in some moments. Democrat House managers and lawyers for former President Donald Trump primarily clashed over the constitutionality of trying a private citizen who was impeached seven days before his term as president expired. The House impeached…Fred Lucas -
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2 Senators Flip-Flop on Keystone XL Pipeline, Thwarting GOP Bid to Save It
Two Democratic senators—Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana—who initially voted in favor of a Republican amendment reversing President Joe Biden’s cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline later reversed themselves and voted with other Democrats to kill the amendment. Both Tester and Manchin voted late Thursday night for the amendment from…Rachel del Guidice -
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‘Talk Is Cheap,’ New Congresswoman Says About Left’s Calls for Unity
Freshman Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, says she is committed to focusing on the “meat and potato issues that affect people’s daily lives.” Van Duyne was the first female mayor of Irving, Texas, from 2011-2017. Now, she says, she’ll draw on her experience in local government to listen to the needs and concerns of Americans…Virginia Allen -
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Sen. Mike Lee Explains Why the Senate Has the Filibuster and Why It Would Be a Mistake to Abolish It
Now that Democrats have President Joe Biden in the White House and narrow majorities in both houses of Congress, some on the left argue that it’s time to get rid of the Senate filibuster. The Senate filibuster rule often slows down legislation and makes it so that 60 votes are required to pass bills, rather…Jarrett Stepman -
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Schumer Is Wrong About Debt. Congress Must Take Debt Danger Seriously, Not Spend Recklessly.
The combination of unified control of the federal government along with the COVID-19 pandemic has seemingly caused some elected officials to think there are no consequences to new spending proposals. However, they must wake up to the dangers posed by recklessly adding to the national debt. On Thursday, Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., exemplified this…David Ditch -
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Conservative Leaders Urge Senate to Preserve Filibuster
Heritage Action for America and a coalition of other national and state grassroots groups have sent a letter to members of the Senate urging them not to abolish the legislative filibuster. They said the filibuster “protects the rights of the minority party” in the Senate and “is an essential part of ensuring a strong system…Steven Hall -
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New Congresswoman Vows to Stand Against Radical Agenda of Leftist ‘Squad’
Freshman Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., is one of several new members of Congress who have formed the “Freedom Force.” The group of conservative Republican leaders says it will stand against the far-left agenda being promoted by the so-called squad led by fellow New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other liberal Democrats. Malliotakis is the daughter…Virginia Allen -
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In the Last House Race Undecided, the Republican Leads by 29 Votes
The only remaining congressional race still not certified will have to wait until at least Jan. 27—and even after that, legal appeals will likely ensue. Republican Claudia Tenney currently leads Democrat Anthony Brindisi by 29 votes in the race in New York’s 22nd Congressional District. But late Wednesday, a state judge ordered the Oneida County…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
3 Ways Congress Tested Its Commitment to Constitution Over 7 Days
While “unprecedented” seemed to be an apt word to describe much of 2020, the beginning of 2021 seems to be continuing the trend by being precedent-breaking in its own right. In the first weeks of 2021, America witnessed Congress face a series of monumental tests of its commitment to the U.S. Constitution, with the outcome of…Kay C. James -
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Ocasio-Cortez Says Congress Must ‘Rein in’ Media Environment
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., says that Congress is looking into reining in “our media environment” to prevent the spread of disinformation. Ocasio-Cortez discussed how she feared for her life during last week’s Capitol riot in a livestream Tuesday evening on Instagram, Fox News reported. A viewer asked Ocasio-Cortez if Congress is discussing “truth and reconciliation…Mary Margaret Olohan -
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Inside the Grassroots Effort to Win Georgia’s 2 Senate Races
Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff appear to have defeated Georgia’s incumbent Republican senators, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, giving the Democrats a majority in the U.S. Senate. Georgia’s two runoff elections were required under state law after no candidate received a majority of the vote Nov. 3. Janae Stracke, the grassroots director of Heritage…Virginia Allen -
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7 Big Moments in Congress’ Debate of Electoral College Vote for President
Congress has certified Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, making him the nation’s 46th president, following lawmakers’ debate Wednesday that went past midnight after being interrupted by rioters who stormed the Capitol in the afternoon. The rioters forced a lockdown of the Capitol that suspended lawmakers’ debate in a joint session of Congress over counting and…Fred Lucas -
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Everything You Need to Know as Congress Debates Electoral College Vote for President
President Donald Trump sounded confident during a rally Monday night in Georgia about his chances for victory after the House and Senate convene a joint session Wednesday to count the Electoral College votes for president. But the probability of altering former Vice President Joe Biden’s lead of 302 votes to Trump’s 232 votes in the…Fred Lucas -
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How Does Congress’ Electoral College Certification Process Work?
Congress is set Wednesday to certify the results of the Electoral College vote. What is the Electoral College certification process, and how does it work? Additionally, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and 10 other Republican senators are asking for an “emergency ‘audit’ of results in battleground states where President Donald Trump disputes the outcome,” according to DallasNews.com….Rachel del Guidice -
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3 Keys to Understanding Senators’ Proposal to Audit Presidential Election
In a move that isn’t without precedent, 11 Senate Republicans are pushing for a special panel to investigate questions of fraud arising from the presidential election. Some conservatives oppose such objections to the election outcome, in which former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, claimed an Electoral College victory of 306 votes to the…Fred Lucas -
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Conservatives Mock Use of ‘Amen and Awoman’ to End Prayer Opening 117th Congress
Conservatives mocked a Democratic representative’s decision to conclude a Sunday prayer opening the 117th Congress with the words “amen and awoman.” “We ask it in the name of the monotheistic God, [unintelligible], and God known by many names and by many different faiths. Amen and awoman," Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., an ordained United Methodist pastor, said at…Mary Margaret Olohan