U.S. Senate News

The Senate confirmed retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson as the new secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in a 58-41 vote, primarily along party lines, Thursday. Carson has said he will work to help underprivileged communities. “I feel that I can make a significant contribution, particularly by strengthening communities that are most in…

After President Donald Trump gave his first joint address to Congress Tuesday night, numerous lawmakers voiced support for Trump’s tone and agenda. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said Trump’s message was “critical” to Americans and noted Trump’s “strong” message on Obamacare. “I was pleased to hear President Trump address many issues critical to everyday Americans, such…

With self-driving cars currently in development and plans for public release within the next five years, lawmakers are busy examining the role of the state and federal government in creating and implementing regulations. At an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing in February, lawmakers and witnesses highlighted the importance of consistent, streamlined regulation. Gill Pratt, executive…

Republican leaders in the House and Senate don’t want to stand up for life by rejecting the legalization of physician-assisted suicide in the nation’s capital, a prominent conservative lawmaker said Tuesday. “We disagree with the law,” Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said. “We disagree with the premise of what D.C. did, and we have the constitutional…

Former and current Republican congressional lawmakers raised concern against reinstating the practice of earmarks during a discussion hosted by the largest conservative caucus in Congress on Tuesday. “I'm astounded that you're even having this conversation,” former Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said during the Republican Study Committee discussion. “If the Republicans really want to give up…

Republicans in Congress had mixed reactions in the immediate wake of President Donald Trump’s executive order Friday stopping individuals from seven countries where Islamist terrorists operate from entering the country for 90 days. Some GOP lawmakers, such as Sens. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., expressed concerns about who the order targeted and how…

President Donald Trump moved at a blistering pace to fulfill several campaign promises during his first week in the White House. At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, however, 13 of his Cabinet nominees continue to wait for confirmation votes. Obama had 11 of his 15 Cabinet secretaries in place after his first week. Trump has…

Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska announced Wednesday they would not vote for Betsy DeVos’ confirmation as education secretary. “Secretary-designate Betsy DeVos has been a champion of education choice,” said Lindsey Burke, an education policy expert at The Heritage Foundation. “Options like the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which has already…

Two of the judges on President Donald Trump’s reported short list for the Supreme Court received unanimous Senate approval during their respective Senate confirmations. Judge Neil Gorsuch was confirmed by the Senate on July 20, 2006, to serve as the judge for the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Thomas Hardiman was confirmed by…

The leader of the House’s largest Republican caucus is putting his weight behind a proposal to ensure that parents and communities make education choices, not the federal government. Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., chairman of the Republican Study Committee, has a solution to fix problems within the education system. Speaking at a Heritage Foundation event Tuesday, Walker…

A group of Republican senators will introduce legislation splitting the country’s largest—and some say most liberal—appeals court into smaller, separate jurisdictions. The effort is led by GOP Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who argues the burgeoning docket on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has dramatically slowed the pace of justice. “With regard to…

Confirmation votes for Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees could be the first indicator of how Senate Democrats from states that went for Trump prepare for re-election challenges in 2018. “Democrats will have to balance their party affiliation with the way their states voted,” @InsideElections says. Democrats must defend 25 of the 33 Senate seats that will…

The Senate’s temporary moratorium on earmarks in the federal budget is about to expire, but one senator says he wants to make sure earmarks don’t make a comeback. “You can’t drain the swamp by feeding pork to the alligators.” —@JeffFlake Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said he will propose Tuesday to extend the moratorium on earmark…

Two conservative lawmakers plan to fight for term limits in the next Congress, saying the effort will foster accountability and complement President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to “drain the swamp.” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., announced they will introduce a constitutional amendment that would limit members of the House to three two-year…

Senate Democrats, digging in their heels Friday over health benefits for retired coal miners, threatened to shut down the government over the weekend for lack of a short-term spending agreement by a midnight deadline. “ We’re not going to shut down the government.” —@SenSchumer But Democrats gave in Friday evening, saying they would fight on…