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
Senators Wanted the FCC to Investigate Sinclair. Read Chairman Pai’s Brilliant Response.
Perhaps dangers to our democracy need to be better defined. After the popular news site Deadspin released a video showing multiple journalists reading the same lines for local stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, social media became inundated with overheated takes from members of the media, celebrities, and politicians saying that it was a harbinger…Jarrett Stepman -
- News
Unhappy With Quick Vote on Spending Bill, Lawmaker Proposes More Time to Read Bills
One conservative lawmaker, upset by the $1.3 trillion spending bill last month, wants to pass legislation that would give lawmakers more time to read bills before they vote on them. “This isn’t a very big ask,” Rep. Tom Garrett, R-Va., told The Daily Signal in a phone interview. Garrett’s bill would amend House rules, requiring…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
Conservative Leaders, GOP Lawmakers Voice Support for Scott Pruitt
A growing number of conservative leaders and GOP lawmakers are voicing their support for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt amid some calls for him to resign. The Conservative Action Project released a letter Friday with 113 signatures of conservative leaders calling on President Donald Trump to keep Pruitt in the administration. “Conservatives stand behind…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
Vermont Lawmakers Leave Law-Abiding Young Adults Defenseless
Law-abiding young adults living in Vermont will soon find it much more difficult to defend themselves and their families after state lawmakers passed a bill prohibiting the sale of any firearm to individuals under 21, unless he or she completes a nearly 15-hour hunter safety course with little practical bearing on personal self-defense. The bill…Amy Swearer -
- News
Lawmaker Shielded Chief of Staff Accused of Hitting, Threatening to Kill Female Employee
Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., kept her chief of staff on the job for three months after he was accused of punching and threatening to kill a female staffer, and then recommended him for his next job, according to news reports. Esty’s former chief of staff, Tony Baker, allegedly abused and sexually harassed the female staffer…Peter Hasson -
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NC Lawmaker Fights Earmark for Rail, Tunnel Project
A North Carolina lawmaker is determined to derail $900 million in federal funding for a rail and tunnel project from New York to New Jersey considered likely to be part of a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill the House is expected to pass this week. Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., has been working since September to…Kyle Perisic -
- Opinion
Senate ‘Loan’ Bill Is a Poorly Disguised Bailout for Private Pensions
Making loans to private individuals or entities has no foundation in the Constitution, but that doesn’t stop government from using lending to encourage desirable behaviors, such as investing in a college education or buying a home. But one proposal before Congress, introduced at the urging of private-sector unions and employers, goes further, calling for taxpayers…Rachel Greszler -
- Opinion
Senate ‘Reform’ Bill Would Barely Change Dodd-Frank
It looks as if the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act is heading toward a vote in the Senate, making it clear that Congress no longer views the Dodd-Frank Act as sacred text. But although this development is welcome, it is a stretch to say the bill undoes, or even amends, much of…Norbert Michel -
- News
See How Your Lawmakers Voted on the Budget Bill
During a brief halt in government funding early Friday morning, the Senate voted 71-28 to pass a budget deal, pushed by Republican and Democrat leaders, that will raise caps on spending by $300 billion over two years. The Senate approved the deal at about 1:30 a.m. Friday, and the House passed it 240-186 around 5:30…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
House Committee Votes to Release Democrats’ Memo on FISA Application
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence voted unanimously Monday evening to release Democrats' Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act memo to the public, sending the document to the president to decide whether he wants to approve its release. Republicans voted to declassify the Democrats' memo, which reportedly weakens allegations made in the memo crafted by the…Amber Randall -
- News
Canadian Senate Passes Bill to Make Anthem ‘Gender-Neutral’
The Canadian Senate passed a bill Wednesday to change the lyrics of its national anthem so that they will be “gender-neutral.” The bill would replace the lyrics “in all thy sons command” with “in all of us command,” according to CBC News. Former member of the Canadian House of Commons Mauril Bélanger first introduced the legislation in…Grace Carr -
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Earmarks Promote ‘Banal Interests,’ Not ‘Highest Interests,’ Former Senator Warns
Reinstating earmarks would encourage corrupted self-interest, a former U.S. senator warns. “Earmarks are about going to your banal interests rather than your highest interests; they’re about you, rather than the country,” former Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., told The Daily Signal in an interview Wednesday. “The people that want to do earmarks say it is Congress’…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
Senate Democrats’ Bid to Overturn Net Neutrality Repeal Unlikely to Prevail
Senate Democrats say they have 50 votes to block the Federal Communications Commission’s December repeal of net neutrality, the 2015 policy of the FCC under the Obama administration that required internet service providers to treat all data on, and users of, the internet equally. They are still one vote short of the 51 needed to…Kyle Perisic -
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Lawmaker Shares Why She Chose Life for Her Child When Doctors Said She Should Abort
A member of Congress said she chose life for her child even though doctors said she should have an abortion, and is encouraging society to take a chance for life. “We were told that our unborn baby had zero percent chance of survival, zero,” Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., said during a speech Friday at…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
This Conservative Lawmaker Explains Why the Embassy Move to Jerusalem Matters
President Donald Trump’s administration is working to build peace in the Middle East, and a big part of that process is the administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, one lawmaker says. “In the Arab world, if you are acting swiftly and with strength, that is something that makes a big impression…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
1 Action Lawmakers Could Take to Make Food Stamp Reform Much More Likely
Congressional Republicans could imperil both the welfare reform and the farm bill reform efforts by failing to learn from history and making the same unforced errors they did three years ago. Next year, Congress is set to consider a comprehensive agriculture bill (aka “farm bill”), as well as reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program…Marie Fishpaw -
- Opinion
The Rich Legacy Orrin Hatch Will Leave in the Senate
Washington, D.C., is filled to the brim with skilled politicians and bright people. What it has in short supply are people who possess those characteristics and who also are wonderful human beings. Orrin Grant Hatch, the senior United States senator from Utah and president pro tempore of the Senate, is one of that very small…Paul J. Larkin -
- Opinion
House and Senate Should Reconcile Their Bills to Replace Dodd-Frank
In June, the House passed the Financial CHOICE Act, a comprehensive financial regulatory reform bill that would replace large parts of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law. Because the Republicans hold a slim majority in the Senate, passing such a comprehensive reform package is difficult, at best. Nonetheless, the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, led…Norbert Michel -
- News
House Passes Historic Tax Reform Bill, but Has to Vote Again
Following the House’s 227-203 Tuesday vote to pass Republicans’ tax reform overhaul, the legislation will move to a vote in the Senate, expected Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. “Today is a momentous day for America,” Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said in a statement. “The forgotten men and women of…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
Liberal Lawmakers Trying to Bail Out Private Pensions With Taxpayer Money
Last year, liberal lawmakers wanted to bail out the United Mine Workers of America’s pension plan to the tune of roughly $6 billion. This year, they’re at it again, except on a larger scale. Under pressure from a few very large and politically powerful unions—including the United Mine Workers of America and the Central States…Rachel Greszler