Category: Senate

Senate Moves January 6 Reforms as House Democrats Obsess on Trump Role

News Analysis When the Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act (CPEAA) was approved by the House of Representatives without objection late Tuesday, it provided a marked contrast with the raucous and angry debate earlier in the day in the lower chamber. The CPEAA was a bipartisan measure initiated in the Senate by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and…


Senate Moves Jan. 6 Reforms as House Democrats Obsess on Trump Role

News Analysis When the Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act (CPEAA) was approved by the House of Representatives without objection late on Dec. 14, it provided a marked contrast with the raucous and angry debate earlier in the day in the lower chamber. The CPEAA was a bipartisan measure initiated in the Senate by Sen. Amy Klobuchar…


Senate Passes Bill Opening Path to Raise US Debt Limit, Sends to Biden’s Desk

The U.S. Senate voted to pass legislation that would expedite the process for passing a bill to raise the federal government’s $28.9 trillion debt limit, to avert a U.S. default. The vote for the measure was 59-35, with 10 Republicans joining Democrats in favor of the bill. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was among those in…


Harris Breaks Tie to Confirm ‘Left-Wing Prosecutor’ As U.S. Attorney

Vice President Kamala Harris cast a tie-breaking vote on Wednesday to confirm Biden’s nominee Rachael Rollins as U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts over the objection of all 50 Senate Republicans. Rollins was previously the District Attorney (DA) for Suffolk County, and in that role Rollins was exceedingly lenient, refusing to prosecute those charged with several violent…


Senate Blocks Biden’s Vaccine Mandate for Private Businesses

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday narrowly voted to block President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the private sector. In a 52-48 vote, mainly along party lines, the Senate voted to pass a resolution of disapproval (pdf) of the rule submitted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which is overseen by the Department of…


Bob Dole, Former Republican Presidential Candidate, Dies at 98

Bob Dole, a former Republican U.S. Senator from Kansas and GOP presidential candidate, has died at age 98, his family confirmed in a statement on Sunday. “Senator Robert Joseph Dole died early this morning in his sleep. At his death, at age 98, he had served the United States of America faithfully for 79 years,”…


US Airlines to Participate in Senate Oversight Hearing

WASHINGTON—U.S. airlines will take part in a Senate oversight hearing this month on the industry, an aviation trade group said on Friday, with lawmakers expected to quiz executives about how carriers used pandemic-related federal aid, staffing issues, and other matters. The Senate Commerce Committee has invited the chief executives of seven major U.S. airlines to…


Senate Passes Stopgap Bill to Avert Government Shutdown

The U.S. Senate voted to pass an emergency legislation late Thursday that would keep the government funded through mid-February ahead of a deadline at midnight, sending the bill to President Joe Biden’s desk. The vote of 69–28 to pass the stopgap funding bill will ensure that government agencies be covered until Feb. 18. The measure…


Senate GOP and Some Liberal Democrats Block Advancement of Mammoth Defense Bill

Senate Republicans and some liberal Democrats on Monday blocked a mammoth annual defense policy bill that would authorize some $770 billion in Pentagon spending from advancing, throwing the legislation into limbo. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2022 was introduced by Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking Republican committee member,…


Bi-partisan Tech Bill to Protect US Interests Stalls in the House

A comprehensive bill to boost American science and technology⁠ to compete with China’s growing economic power and global influence, particularly regarding semiconductors capacity, has been stalled in the House of Representatives, after being passed by the Senate in June. As a result, proponents are looking for alternatives to turn it into legislation. The U.S. Innovation…