Dec 21 Senate passes Social Security benefits boost for many retired public service workers By Stephen Groves, Associated Press The Senate passed legislation early Saturday to boost Social Security payments for millions of people, pushing a longtime priority for former public employees through Congress in one of its last acts for the year. Continue reading
Dec 21 Rejecting Trump’s demands, Congress averts government shutdown just after midnight By Lisa Mascaro, Farnoush Amiri, Matt Brown, Associated Press President Joe Biden signed a bill into law Saturday that averts a government shutdown, bringing a final close to days of upheaval after Congress approved a temporary funding plan just past the deadline and refused President-elect Donald Trump’s core debt… Continue reading
Dec 20 Senate confirms 235th federal judge under Biden’s presidency, beating Trump’s first-term tally By Kevin Freking, Associated Press Biden and Senate Democrats placed particular focus on adding women, minorities and public defenders to the judicial rank. About two-thirds of Biden's appointees are women and a solid majority of appointees are people of color. Continue reading
Dec 20 WATCH: Mitch McConnell delivers final floor speech as Senate Republican leader By Associated Press McConnell warned that Republicans could “pay a political price” if they don’t pass legislation keeping the government open by midnight Friday, saying he's has reminded his colleagues “how harmful it is to shut the government down and how foolish it… Continue reading
Dec 15 McConnell says Trump’s nominees should ‘steer clear’ of undermining polio vaccine By Moriah Balingit, Associated Press The statement by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who had polio as a child, appeared to be directed at Trump’s pick for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after a report that one of his advisers filed a petition to revoke approval for the… Continue reading
Dec 05 WATCH: Hegseth speaks with reporters as senators push back on his views about women in combat By Mary Clare Jalonick, Lisa Mascaro, Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press Pete Hegseth has spent the week trying to reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead Trump’s Department of Defense in the wake of high-profile allegations about excessive drinking and sexual assault. But senators in both parties have also expressed concern about… Continue reading
Nov 20 Gaetz meets privately with senators as House GOP reject release of ethics report By Lisa Mascaro, Stephen Groves, Associated Press Republicans on the House Ethics Committee voted Wednesday against releasing a report on the panel's long-running investigation into President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the top Democrat on the panel said. Continue reading
Nov 18 Watch 5:18 Will the Senate serve as a check on Trump’s power or pave the way for his agenda? By Lisa Desjardins, Kyle Midura, Ian Couzens The Senate returns to Washington facing more tough decisions about controversial nominations by Donald Trump. It comes as the president-elect is also pushing to bypass the Senate entirely in confirming his key appointments. Congressional Correspondent Lisa Desjardins reports and takes… Continue watching
Nov 14 Watch 5:23 What Republicans could do with their power as they secure control of House and Senate By Lisa Desjardins House Republicans will maintain their hold on the lower chamber next year, giving the GOP a political trifecta in Washington, controlling both chambers of Congress and the presidency come January. Lisa Desjardins reports. Continue watching
Nov 11 Watch 4:42 Republicans edge closer to winning control of both chambers of Congress By Lisa Desjardins More than a dozen congressional races have yet to be called as House Republicans are looking to maintain hold of the chamber. If they do, it would lead to Republicans holding a political trifecta over Washington. Lisa Desjardins reports. Continue watching