Senate

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Late Vote Gives Public Workers Full Social Security Benefits

Almost 3 million retirees are receiving reduced amounts

(Newser) - Bipartisan legislation to provide full Social Security benefits to almost 3 million public-sector retirees cleared the Senate early Saturday, 76-20, and was sent to President Biden. The group that includes teachers, firefighters, and police officers now receives reduced benefits, the New York Times reports. The measure approved just before Congress...

As He Heads Out, Biden Beats a Trump Record

President secures his 235th judicial confirmation, the most in single term since Jimmy Carter

(Newser) - President Biden secured the 235th judicial confirmation of his presidency on Friday, an accomplishment that exceeds his predecessor's total by one after Democrats put extra emphasis on the federal courts following Donald Trump's far-reaching first term, when he filled three seats on the Supreme Court. Senate Majority Leader...

Lara Trump Leaving RNC Amid Senate Speculation

Daughter-in-law of the president-elect says she is interested in Florida seat being vacated by Rubio

(Newser) - If Lara Trump weren't the frontrunner to fill the Senate seat in Florida being vacated by Marco Rubio, she appears to be now. On Sunday, the daughter-in-law of President-elect Trump announced she would be stepping down from her role as co-chair of the Republican National Committee and took a...

Mitt Romney Leaves Senate With a Warning

Former GOP nominee addresses dangers of partisanship

(Newser) - Sen. Mitt Romney used his final, sometimes emotional speech on the floor of the Senate to call for bipartisanship to prevail over the nation's political divisions. "There are some today who would tear at our unity, who would replace love with hate, who would deride our foundation of...

Objections Greet Trump's FBI Pick
Objections
Greet
Trump's
FBI Pick
Dec 1, 2024 5:00 PM CST

Objections Greet Trump's FBI Pick

Both parties point out the agency already has a director

(Newser) - Bipartisan opposition emerged Sunday to President-elect Trump's selection of Kash Patel , a fierce and persistent critic of the FBI who has promised to go after political opponents, to be its director. Democrats and Republicans also expressed concern about removing Christopher Wray from his position to make room for Patel,...

Pennsylvania's High Court: Don't Count Disputed Ballots
Casey Concedes
Pennsylvania Senate Race
updated
Nov 21, 2024 6:25 PM CST

Casey Concedes Pennsylvania Senate Race

Democrats' loss sets up Republicans to have a 53-47 majority

(Newser) - With a recount showing no indication of the result changing and his campaign losing battles in court, Democratic Sen. Bob Casey conceded his Pennsylvania Senate race to Republican David McCormick on Thursday. Casey said in a statement that he had called McCormick to congratulate him, the AP reports. "As...

Trump Fumes Over GOP's Absent Senators

As a result, Democrats push through 5 of Biden's judicial nominees in 3 days

(Newser) - President Biden is closing in on President-elect Trump's record of appointing 234 federal judges during a single term and Trump isn't having it. "Republican Senators need to Show Up and Hold the Line," he said Wednesday as Democrats confirmed two more judges in 50-48 and 50-49...

Trump Ally Kari Lake Loses Her Senate Race

Ruben Gallego becomes Arizona's first Latino senator

(Newser) - Democrat Ruben Gallego has been elected Arizona's first Latino US senator, defeating Republican Kari Lake and preventing Republicans from further padding their Senate majority, the AP reports. Gallego's victory continues a string of Democratic successes in a state that was reliably Republican until Donald Trump was elected president...

3 Challengers to Lead Senate Embrace a Trump Demand

Scott, Cornyn, Thune accept president-elect's call for recess confirmations

(Newser) - President-elect Trump laid down a challenge, and the top three candidates to lead the Senate next year accepted. In a Truth Social post, Trump said any GOP senator vying for the position must agree to recess appointments—a tool to get Trump's appointees in place quickly when the full...

Republicans Regain Senate for First Time in 4 Years

Ted Cruz survives in Texas, and Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown is ousted

(Newser) - Republicans will regain control of the Senate for the first time in four years, the AP projects. In the current chamber, Democrats have a 51-49 advantage, but incumbents were playing defense Tuesday night in a number of competitive states. The GOP gained its first seat of the night when the...

For the New Senate, a Milestone
For the New Senate,
a Milestone
Nov 6, 2024 3:00 AM CST

For the New Senate, a Milestone

Two Black women will serve simultaneously for the first time

(Newser) - The new Senate will make history: For the first time, it will have two Black women serving simultaneously, reports the New York Times . Each is the first Black person to represent her state. Only three Black women have served in the chamber previously, one of them being Vice President Kamala...

Adam Schiff Bests Ex-MLB Star to Win Feinstein's Senate Seat

Democrat was heavily favored to win

(Newser) - Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff won the California US Senate seat long held by the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday after a lopsided, low-key contest, the AP reports. The Los Angeles-area congressman, who rose to national prominence as the lead prosecutor in then-President Trump's first impeachment trial, defeated...

Control of the House 'Rests on a Knife's Edge'
Control of the House
'Rests on a Knife's Edge'
the rundown
Nov 5, 2024 7:10 AM CST

Control of the House 'Rests on a Knife's Edge'

Election forecasters predict narrow majorities for either party

(Newser) - It's Election Day and an especially notable one: "The candidates and their supporters are describing it as the most important election of their lifetimes, with democracy and the American way of life at stake," per the Guardian . Tens of millions of people have already voted in-person or...

Races to Watch as GOP Tries to Flip the Senate
Races to Watch as GOP
Tries to Flip the Senate
the rundown
Nov 4, 2024 9:52 AM CST

Races to Watch as GOP Tries to Flip the Senate

Republicans have a strong chance of regaining control

(Newser) - Heading into Tuesday, Democrats control the Senate by the slimmest of margins at 51-49. Republicans, however, have a strong chance—somewhere around 70%—of retaking control after Election Day, reports the Hill . A look:
  • Overall: A total of 34 Senate races are on the ballot, but control of the chamber
...

In 53-Year First, Senate Holds Person in Criminal Contempt

Health care CEO Ralph de la Torre 'is not above the law,' Bernie Sanders says

(Newser) - Democratic and Republican senators were united Wednesday in voting to hold Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre in criminal contempt of Congress. After the unanimous vote, lawmakers said it was the first time since 1971 that the chamber had held a person in criminal contempt and asked the...

Senate Republicans Keep IVF Protections From a Vote

GOP argues the Democratic bill isn't needed and back a more limited one

(Newser) - A Democratic attempt to codify protections for in vitro fertilization hit a Republican wall in the Senate on Thursday, with GOP opponents calling the measure unnecessary. "Why should we vote for a bill that fixes a nonexistent problem? There's not a problem," Sen. John Cornyn told reporters,...

Democrats Put GOP on the Record on Contraception

Republicans block attempt to make access a federal right

(Newser) - Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic measure Wednesday to codify a federal right to contraception access. The bill would have prevented states from enacting legislation to limit access to forms of contraception including hormonal birth control and intrauterine devices, the Washington Post reports. Many Republicans called the bill unnecessary and government...

Aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan Advances in Senate
$95B Foreign Aid Package
Passes Senate 79-18
UPDATED
Apr 23, 2024 9:03 PM CDT

$95B Foreign Aid Package Passes Senate 79-18

'Very few things we have done have risen to this level of historic importance,' Schumer says

(Newser) - This story has been updated with new developments. The Senate has passed $95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars. The bill passed the...

House Vote Sends TikTok Ban to Senate
House Moves Against TikTok
Apr 20, 2024 1:15 PM CDT

House Moves Against TikTok

A previous version of a potential ban stalled, but measure is picking up support among senators

(Newser) - The House passed legislation Saturday that would ban TikTok in the US if the popular social media platform's China-based owner doesn't sell its stake within a year. That doesn't mean the app will go away anytime soon, the AP reports. The decision by House Republicans to include...

US Senate OKs Spying Bill, Despite Privacy Worries

Bipartisan vote gives thumbs-up to reauthorization of FISA surveillance program

(Newser) - Barely missing its midnight deadline, the Senate voted early Saturday to reauthorize a key US surveillance law after divisions over whether the FBI should be restricted from using the program to search for Americans' data nearly forced the statute to lapse. The legislation approved 60-34 with bipartisan support would extend...

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