partisan gridlock

"Register to Vote Here" sign stands outside a polling site for New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary in Portsmouth

Border issues, student debt among issues to determine midterm elections, strategists say

By Amna Nawaz, Matt Loffman

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) is interviewed by David Rubenstein

Paid family leave, billionaire tax likely cut from spending bill over Manchin opposition

Pressure is mounting on U.S. lawmakers and White House officials, who met again Wednesday, to secure a deal on the president’s Build Back Better agenda. But key sticking points, like how to pay for the massive social spending bill, remain.

The U.S. Capitol building on Capitol Hill, seen during sunset in Washington

A billionaire tax is unlikely. Here’s other ways Dems want to pay for their spending bill

To fund their reconciliation bill, Democrats have suggested a billionaires’ tax, which could raise up to $250 billion. But the idea has faced opposition from Republicans and moderate Democrats. Lawmakers are also considering changing taxes on corporations. For more on…

By William Brangham, Karina Cuevas

Public health officials testify at U.S. Senate hearing on COVID-19 response in Washington

Sen. Kaine on next moves for voting reform after GOP blocked Dem measure

The partisan divide in Washington was on full display Wednesday as a Democrat-backed voting bill failed to move forward in the U.S. Senate. Every Republican lined up in opposition to the Freedom to Vote Act, which Democrats say would have…

Here are the Senate seats that will be critical in 2020

While nearly two dozen candidates are competing for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, that party is facing the opposite predicament in the Senate: not enough top-tier candidates are running, in part because many strong contenders are in the presidential race…

By Lisa Desjardins