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
Investigate the Senate Democrat Wrecking Machine
How did we get here? The Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination circus didn’t happen by accident. The emergence of incredible—and by “incredible,” I mean the literal Merriam-Webster definition of “too extraordinary and improbable to be believed”—accusers in the 11th hour was no mistake. It is my contention that this grand unearth-and-destroy spectacle was planned, coordinated, and…Michelle Malkin -
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Democratic Lawmakers in House, Senate Suggest Resurrecting Earmarks
Democrats are floating the idea of reinstating budgetary earmarks as a way to build support for funding the government on time, but some of their Republican counterparts are skeptical. “I don’t know who’s going to be in the majority next year,” Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said on C-SPAN’s…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
Senate Is Dragging Its Feet on Major Prison Reform Bill
It is rare these days in Washington to see bipartisan support for anything, let alone for a major issue with far-reaching implications for the nation. This is why the bipartisan passage in the House, 360-59, of the First Step Act to reform our federal prisons is such big news. The 360 “yes” votes included 134…Star Parker -
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Democrat Senator Worries His Party Is Going Too Far Left
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., is worried his party is alienating moderate voters by moving too far to the left. “If we as a Democratic Party are going to move from a minority at every level that is dedicated to resistance, to a majority that is capable of governing, we have got to move from grievance…Peter Hasson -
- Opinion
Senate Is Killing State Welfare Reform
Few policy reforms have been as popular as welfare-to-work. Why, then, is the U.S. Senate trying to kill state efforts at encouraging able-bodied adults to get a job? Welfare-to-work was one of the signature policy wins of the 1990s, resulting in the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. The legislation was signed by…Jameson Taylor -
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Liberals’ Misleading Spin on Senate Republicans’ 2016 Supreme Court Confirmation Approach
Recent remarks by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., show the script that the left will be using to oppose President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee to fill the vacancy from the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy. The most prominent point so far is that the Senate should wait until after the 2018 election to consider Trump’s…Thomas Jipping -
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Senate Should Be Wary of These 3 Subsidy Myths
As the Senate is considering the farm bill, it should be wary of the many misleading claims made by agricultural special interests. Here are three common myths, debunked: Claim: Farmers are struggling financially. Reality: The opposite is true. Farm households have far greater median income and wealth than non-farm households. In 2016, the median income of farm…Bryan Cosby -
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What It Takes for the Senate to Solve Our Disastrous Debt Crisis
The Congressional Budget Office’s latest long-term budget outlook, released this week, shows that the nation is still on an unsustainable budget path, with no improvement since CBO’s last long-term report. Without swift action to reverse the current course, the nation is headed toward a fiscal disaster. CBO projects that over the next 30 years, debt…Justin Bogie -
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Senate Farm Bill Ignores Conservatives: It Is Bad on Food Stamps and Farm Subsidies
Why would any conservative support the current Senate farm bill? It’s a failure when it comes to food stamps and farm subsidies. This may come as a surprise to some, but the farm bill should really be called the food stamp bill. Food stamps account for about 70 percent of farm bill costs. The Senate…Daren Bakst -
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Will the Senate Seize or Squander the Opportunity for Much-Needed Reform of the Farm Bill?
The Senate is expected to take up its farm bill this week, and if the Senate follows the House’s lead, there will be a relatively closed amendment process, making it impossible for legislators to reduce the waste and abuse in the farm subsidy system. In the House, agricultural special interests and the House Agriculture Committee…Daren Bakst -
- News
Conservative Lawmakers Offer Solution to Child Separations Without Amnesty
The chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus says he will continue to push for a solution to address concerns of separating illegal immigrant parents and children, even as one immigration bill failed to pass Thursday and a vote on a more moderate proposal is scheduled for next week. “If both of these bills fail,…Rachel del Guidice -
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Don’t Ignore the Grave Danger Unaccompanied Illegal Alien Children Face, Idaho Lawmaker Says
“If you were parents,” Rep. Rep. Raul Labrador asked Thursday, “would you send your child hundreds and hundreds of miles with [human] traffickers … that are evil people, that are doing harm to them during the trip?” “So, don’t just think about the kids in the detention facilities, think about all of the children [traveling to…Katherine Rohloff -
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GOP Senators Urge $15 Billion in Spending Rescissions as ‘Start’ on Debt Reduction
The Senate rejected an effort to $15 billion rescission bill on Wednesday with a 48-50 vote. A group of Republican senators led by Sen. Mike Lee of Utah called Tuesday for passage of the bill clawing back unspent funds that were identified by the White House earlier this year. The House narrowly passed the rescission measure…Fred Lucas -
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Conservative Lawmaker Launches Podcast to Explain What’s Going On in Congress
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., has a big idea. On Friday, the conservative lawmaker planned to launch the first episode of his new weekly podcast series, “What’s the Biggs Idea.” Initially, the idea began as a radio show for his Arizona constituents geared toward opening up Congress so they could better understand what was happening in…Katherine Rohloff -
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GOP Lawmakers Pass $15 Billion Spending Rescission Package
The House of Representatives voted 210-206 Thursday night to claw back $15 billion in appropriated spending, making good on the lead of President Donald Trump, who submitted the rescission request last month. “The administration applauds today’s passage of H.R. 3, the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives and…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
Andrew McCabe Seeks Immunity for Senate Testimony
Andrew McCabe, the former deputy director of the FBI, is seeking immunity in order to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to documents released Tuesday. “This is a textbook case for granting use immunity,” Michael Bromwich, an attorney for McCabe, wrote Monday in a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the judiciary panel….Chuck Ross -
- Opinion
The Reason Liberal Lawmakers Are to Blame for High Gas Prices
With consumer confidence at a 17-year high and economic prospects looking relatively strong, congressional Democrats have taken to grousing about the gas pump as a midterm strategy. “These higher oil prices are translating directly to soaring gas prices,” declared Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, “something we know disproportionately hurts middle- and lower-income people.” If this…David Harsanyi -
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Republican Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Rescind $15 Billion in Spending
Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill that would claw back $15 billion in appropriated spending, following the lead of President Donald Trump, who submitted a rescission request earlier this month. “Yes, a $15 billion spending reduction is a drop in the bucket compared to a $15 trillion debt,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said in a…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
Q&A: Why Some GOP Lawmakers May Be Able to Force an Amnesty Vote
This is a lightly edited transcript of an interview on The Daily Signal podcast Monday. Since the interview was recorded, House GOP leadership announced there will be a vote on the Goodlatte-McCaul bill in June. Katrina Trinko: Immigration was supposed to be dead as an issue, but in recent weeks a number of Republicans have…Katrina Trinko -
- Opinion
Podcast: GOP Lawmakers Are Trying to Force a Vote on Amnesty Bill
Against the wishes of House GOP leadership, some Republican lawmakers are working with Democrats to force a vote on controversial immigration legislation. The Heritage Foundation’s Tommy Binion explains. Plus: Classical music can change people’s behavior—and public spaces are taking advantage of this.Katrina Trinko