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.
-
news
After Blocking Out Some Conservatives, House Passes Iran Review Bill
The House easily passed a bill today imposing congressional review over a proposed nuclear deal with Iran after party leadership blocked changes proposed by conservatives. Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus had proposed a series of amendments in an attempt to “strengthen” the bill, which the Senate previously passed, but House Speaker John Boehner… -
news
House Passes Bill Banning Most Abortions After 20 Weeks
The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The bill, passed by a 242-to-184 vote, would prohibit abortion after 20 weeks—approximately halfway through a pregnancy—with exceptions for victims of rape or incest, or if the life of the mother is at risk. The bill removed a provision in the… -
news
Senate Version ‘Not Strong Enough,’ So House Conservatives Seek Changes to Iran Bill
A group of House conservatives is pressuring GOP leadership to allow the chance to “strengthen” a Senate-passed bill imposing congressional review over a proposed nuclear deal with Iran. Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus are proposing a series of amendments because some believe the Senate bill does not give Congress enough power to actually… -
opinion
How Lawmakers Could Reduce Health Insurance Costs for Young Adults By 44%
How should Congress respond when the Supreme Court hands down its decision in King v. Burwell? At issue in the case is the Obama administration’s regulatory interpretation of the statute governing payment of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance subsidies. If the Court rules against the administration then those subsidies cannot be paid to individuals… -
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… -
news
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… -
news
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. -
opinion
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… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
opinion
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… -
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… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
opinion
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… -
news
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… -
opinion
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… -
news
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… -
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,…