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.
-
- Opinion
6 Ways the Senate Improves the House Tax Reform Bill
The House version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is a long-awaited step toward updating America’s tax code. If you’re a middle-class taxpayer, the bill has a lot to like. Tax rates are lowered, the standard deduction is doubled, the child tax credit is increased to $1,600, and a parent and non-child dependent credit…Adam Michel -
- Opinion
Congress Could Soon Face a Budget Fight. Here’s How Lawmakers Can Rein in Spending.
Two thousand seventy-five dollars. That’s every American’s personal share of the fiscal year 2017 budget deficit. The total deficit? Six hundred sixty-six billion dollars. It’s the American people who are on the hook for Congress’ incessant spending appetite. The good news, though, is that Congress has a chance to address deficits and overspending as we…Romina Boccia -
- Opinion
A Tale of 2 Tax Bills: Comparing the House, Senate Reform Plans
Last week, the House GOP released the first concrete details on how Republicans plan to update the federal tax code. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provides tax relief to many Americans and has the potential to facilitate real economic growth through important business tax reforms. While the House proposal as a whole is certainly…Adam Michel -
- News
How the Senate Tax Plan Differs From the House Legislation
Senate Republicans released a tax plan Thursday distinct from the House plan in that it delays the corporate tax cut until 2019, but would slightly cut the top individual rate and keeps the status quo in the number of brackets. The Senate Finance Committee proposal goes a step further than the House plan, released a…Fred Lucas -
- News
Why This State Lawmaker Wants the State and Local Tax Deduction Repealed
Repealing the state and local tax deduction on federal income taxes is critical to boosting the economy, a state lawmaker from Pennsylvania says. “I think if you look at the general principle of tax reform, it is not for more spending in government. It is actually to incentivize our economy and grow our economy,” state…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
The Senate Voted to Protect Banks, but It’s Actually a Win for You
January marked the start of the first serious effort at federal deregulation in decades. Yet the massive pile of Dodd-Frank rules has remained largely untouched—until last week. On Tuesday night, the Senate exercised its power under the Congressional Review Act to repeal Dodd-Frank’s controversial arbitration rule, which would have banned many financial consumers from using…Norbert Michel -
- News
McConnell Readies Senate Confirmation Votes for 4 Appeals Judges
Senate Republicans are heading into four votes this week to confirm appeals court judges. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell served notice late last week that the Senate will consider four of President Donald Trump’s nominees to federal circuit courts, the powerful appeals panels that give the final word on the overwhelming majority of cases in U.S….Kevin Daley -
- News
Citing Tax Reform, Nominations, Sen. David Perdue Explains His Push for 24/7 Senate Schedule
This is a transcript of an interview Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., gave The Daily Signal on Tuesday. Rachel Del Guidice: Hello, everyone, and welcome to The Daily Signal’s Facebook Live. I’m Rachel del Guidice and I am joined today by Sen. David Perdue from the great state of Georgia. Senator, thank you for joining us…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
Conservative Lawmakers List Main Goals for Tax Reform
Conservative lawmakers said any tax reform plan needs to benefit the middle class and begin to address the national debt. “Let’s just focus on designing a tax code that does those three things: allows families to keep more of their money, simplifies a totally cumbersome and ridiculous code, and one that will foster and promote…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
Conservative Lawmakers Oppose Bill to ‘Bail Out Insurance Companies’
Conservative lawmakers say they oppose the Alexander-Murray health care legislation because it would bail out health insurance companies. The congressmen discussed the issue Tuesday at the monthly Conversations With Conservatives panel on Capitol Hill. The health care legislation was introduced by Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., after multiple attempts by Senate Republicans…Casey Ryan -
- News
GOP Senator and Former CEO Warns: ‘Important’ to Do Tax Reform in 2017, Not Later
If Congress doesn’t pass tax reform, there could be significant economic consequences, a leading senator and business leader said Tuesday. “We are doing things differently with this bill than we did on the health care bill that ended up in disaster, so I feel like we’ve got a shot at getting it done this year….Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Senate Budget a Major Step Toward Tax Reform, but Falls Short on Spending Reforms
The Senate passed its fiscal year 2018 budget resolution late Thursday night, paving the way for potentially the most comprehensive tax reform package in decades. The proposal is a significant step toward implementing the president and Congress’ tax reform agenda. However, it fails to make significant cuts to federal spending—an important piece of the puzzle…Justin Bogie -
- News
In 1986, Most Senate Democrats Voted for Tax Reform
More than 30 Senate Democrats voted for President Ronald Reagan’s Tax Reform Act of 1986—including one still in office today—and conservatives say Democrats today have no reason to vote against a similar tax reform package now before Congress. “If I hear any more Democrats talking about ‘the bottom rate is going up,’ I’ll remind them…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
11 GOP Senators Ask for 24/7 Schedule to Accomplish Trump’s Agenda
Eleven GOP senators wrote a letter asking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to extend the chamber’s work hours to a 24/7 schedule “ to advance the president’s agenda.” “1,200 nominations are subject to Senate confirmation,” said Caroline Vanvick, deputy communications director to Sen. David Perdue, one of the signers of the letter, in an email…Ian Snively -
- News
3 Senators Talk Next Steps on Health Care
As two Senate lawmakers float yet another plan to fix problems with Obamacare, another wants to revisit legislation that he says would more substantially repeal the health care law. “Actually, we could have more coverage under Graham-Cassidy than under the status quo,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said Wednesday at an event hosted by online media…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
Citing National Debt, Need for Reform, 69 GOP Lawmakers Vote Against Disaster Relief Bill
Sixty-nine Republican lawmakers voted against a $36.5 billion bill for disaster relief, citing concerns about the growing national debt and the lack of reforms for the National Flood Insurance Program. “I voted to provide more money for emergency hurricane relief a few weeks ago, and I’m happy to provide additional aid for Puerto Rico in…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
House Lawmakers Push Legislation to ‘Stop the Spread of Catastrophic Wildfires’
Some House lawmakers are calling for a change in policy to help prevent wildfires. “Active forest management is needed to stop the spread of catastrophic wildfires,” Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., said in a recent statement. “Irreplaceable natural resources and human lives are at stake, and we must focus on the immediate solutions available. It is time…Ian Snively -
- Opinion
6 Takeaways From the Senate Budget Proposal
Last week, the Senate Budget Committee released its long-awaited fiscal year 2018 budget resolution. The purpose of such a resolution is twofold. First, as a visionary document, it lays out the policy priorities of the majority party. And second, it is a necessary step in invoking reconciliation, a powerful tool in the hands of senators….Justin Bogie -
- Opinion
Why Trump’s Appeals Court Nominees Are Backed Up in the Senate
President Donald Trump’s nominations for judgeships on federal courts have been excellent so far, and his just-announced nominees to fill four appeals court vacancies in Texas and Louisiana are no exception. The four are among a slate of new judicial nominations rolled out Thursday by the president as he makes steady progress toward filling more…Elizabeth Slattery -
- News
What Conservative Lawmakers Want to See in a Tax Reform Package
Republicans are set to release further details of their tax reform plan this week, and lawmakers in the House’s most conservative caucus says the plan must lower the tax rate and simplify the code. “Our leadership has to stay strong and so the must-haves are just the basic pieces, deep cuts so we get the…Rachel del Guidice