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
What Lawmakers Can Do If They’re Serious About Ending Bailouts
There’s still a widespread belief that the federal government will bail out large financial firms if there’s another crisis. Curbing the Federal Reserve’s ability to spread money around would be a great way to lower the chances of future bailouts. So it’s encouraging to learn that Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and David Vitter, R-La., have…Norbert Michel -
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Senate Votes to Give Congress Review Over Iran Nuclear Deal
The Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill Thursday to give Congress at least some voice over a proposed nuclear deal with Iran. The bill, which passed 98-1, would allow Congress to prevent the removal of legislative sanctions against Iran and force the Obama administration to periodically show that Tehran is following the terms of any nuclear…Josh Siegel -
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Conservative Lawmakers Speak Out on Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Case
Following Tuesday’s Supreme Court oral arguments on same-sex marriage, The Daily Signal spoke to two conservative members of Congress about the issue. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., shared their perspective from the steps of the court.Paul Runko -
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How Lawmakers, Including Republicans, Just Hiked the Deficit (Again)
The new Congress isn’t getting Washington’s crazy spending under control. In fact, it’s just made it worse. By enacting the Medicare Access and Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2), lawmakers increased the nation’s deficits by $141 billion over the next ten years and guaranteed even larger debt beyond that. So much for their formal commitments and resolutions…Robert Moffit -
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Why a Confirmation Vote on Loretta Lynch Is Imminent in the Senate
Loretta Lynch, President Obama’s nominee for attorney general, is one step closer to a confirmation vote in the Senate after lawmakers today reached an agreement on a bipartisan human trafficking bill. Lynch’s confirmation was stalled after Democrats and Republicans disagreed on a provision in the anti-trafficking bill that would prevent a restitution fund for victims—funded…Kate Scanlon -
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Senate Passes Bill Stabilizing Doctors’ Payments, Adding $141 Billion to Deficit
With just hours to go before Medicare physicians potentially faced deep cuts in payments, the Senate passed legislation that stabilizes such payments but adds $141 billion to the deficit. Fresh off of a two-week recess in their home states, the Senate voted 92-8 to pass the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, which…Melissa Quinn -
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What’s Wrong With New Senate Version of No Child Left Behind
Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., have released a draft of their No Child Left Behind rewrite, which is slated to be considered in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Tuesday. The 601-page proposal has many of the hallmarks of the House No Child Left Behind rewrite—the Student Success Act—which…Lindsey Burke -
- Opinion
How Lawmakers Could Reward Main Street
With more and more Americans feeling unheard and disenfranchised by a political system that works for the well-connected while doing little to address their anxieties, Congress has an opportunity to deliver at least one easy victory to Main Street this year. The question is: Will they take it? This June, the Export-Import Bank is up…Mike Needham -
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Will Harry Reid’s Retirement Shake Things Up in the Senate?
Five-time Democratic Senator and Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada announced his retirement Friday, starting a series of events in motion as Democrats look to anoint the first new leader they’ll have had in almost a decade. News of Reid’s retirement sent the rumor mill swirling. A replacement to the minority leader will officially be…Melissa Quinn -
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House Passes Medicare Doc Fix Bill. How Did Your Representative Vote?
The House Thursday passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015—the so-called “doc fix” bill. The legislation was approved in a 392-37 vote. >>> Click Here to See How Your Representative Voted The bill, a bipartisan deal by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is an effort to make…Kate Scanlon -
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Reflections on the Conservative Budget From the Lawmaker Tasked With Crafting It
The Republican Study Committee’s budget didn’t pass the House, but the lawmaker in charge of crafting the proposal as head of the group’s Budget and Spending Task Force is reflecting on the mark it’s made on the Republican conference. The House voted on six budget proposals Wednesday, which included the Republican Study Committee’s “Blueprint for…Melissa Quinn -
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The 2016 Senate Budget Vote-a-rama Begins!
This morning the Senate concluded debate on the budget resolution and started off on an unofficial procedure known as “vote-a-rama,” a fast-track budget process of addressing amendments that were not disposed of during the previous 50 hours of debate on the budget resolution. The role of the budget resolution is to provide an important framework…John Gray -
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Exclusive: Senator Aims to Use Budget Process to End Operation Choke Point
UPDATE: The Senate Budget Committee approved the amendment to end Operation Choke Point on Thursday by a 13-9 vote. They also passed the committee’s 2016 budget proposal. Sen. Crapo’s Operation Choke Point amendment will now go to the full Senate with the budget package for a vote. Debate in the Senate will begin at 2…Kelsey Bolar -
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How Does the Senate Budget Measure Up?
Following the House budget which was released Tuesday, the Senate Budget Committee released its fiscal year 2016 budget blueprint today. Any good budget should balance within 10 years or less, without raising taxes above the average historical level (roughly 18 percent of gross domestic product (GDP)). In addition, Heritage policy experts previously established seven priorities for the…Romina Boccia -
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Republicans in House, Senate Split on How to Boost Defense Spending
Republicans in the House and Senate unveiled their separate budget proposals this week, kicking off debate over the federal government’s spending for fiscal year 2016. Though the documents were just recently released, spending for the Defense Department is proving to be a point of contention between GOP lawmakers in both chambers. Neither the House nor…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
Senate and House Opposition to the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty Grows, Again
The U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is like much of the United Nations: it won’t achieve anything, but that doesn’t stop it from holding a lot of meetings. The latest meeting was held in Trinidad last month to prepare, of course, for yet another meeting — the first Conference of States Parties to the treaty,…Ted Bromund -
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How Lawmakers Are Trying to Control San Francisco’s Catholic Schools
San Franciscans are currently debating a simple question: Should the government respect the right of Catholic schools to be authentically Catholic? San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone thinks so. But eight California senators and assemblymen sent the archbishop a letter last month, saying that his actions in issuing new faculty guidelines “foment a discriminatory environment in…Ryan T. Anderson -
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Why Are Lawmakers Attacking This Archbishop for Requiring Catholic Teachers to Not Slam Catholicism?
If McDonald’s told its employees that it was unacceptable to diss its fast food as gross, disgusting or unhealthy at either McDonald’s or in a public setting, would it elicit a heated reaction from lawmakers? Probably not. So why are lawmakers getting involved in a Catholic bishop’s decision to tell diocesan employees he expected them…Katrina Trinko -
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Senator Demands Answers on Loretta Lynch’s Role in Money Laundering Settlement
One day after launching an investigation that could delay Loretta Lynch’s confirmation to be attorney general, a Republican senator is raising more questions about her role in a money laundering settlement involving a global bank, terrorists and drug cartels. Lynch, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, negotiated a settlement in December 2012 with…Kelsey Bolar -
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Senator to Loretta Lynch: Why Did No One Go to Jail for Laundering Money to Terrorists?
Loretta Lynch, President Obama’s nominee for attorney general, is facing questions about why she let multiple bank employees who funneled millions of dollars to the Iranian government, Middle Eastern terrorists and Mexican drug cartels walk away without criminal prosecution. Sen. David Vitter, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today launched an investigation into the…Kelsey Bolar