May 23

Senate to reconsider Patriot Act extension after break

Unable to end a struggle over how to deal with government surveillance programs, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scheduled a last-minute session to consider retaining the National Security Agency's bulk collection of domestic phone records.

On June 1, the NSA will lose legal authority to collect bulk phone records, as key provisions of the Patriot Act expire. The House has passed a new bill replacing bulk collection with more targeted searches. But some senators, including…

May 14

Senate votes to advance trade bill

In a burst of bipartisanship, the Republican-controlled Senate put President Barack Obama's trade agenda back on course on Thursday, clearing the way for likely approval within days of legislation allowing the administration to negotiate global deals that Congress could support…