Category: Senate

MPs Scramble to Pass Priority Bills Before Summer but They Could Stall in Senate

OTTAWA—The House of Commons is poised to break today for the summer—and possibly for an election—after giving eleventh-hour approval to what the minority Liberal government considers its priority legislation. But it’s far from certain the Senate will be as accommodating. Three priority bills have landed in the Senate over the past couple of days and…


Senate Republicans Use Filibuster to Block Democrat-Backed Voting Bill

Senate Republicans on Tuesday evening blocked a Democrat-backed election-related bill via the filibuster, potentially setting up a battle over the 60-vote legislative procedure. Senators voted 50-50 in the equally divided upper chamber on advancing the “For the People Act,” a sweeping bill that would change U.S. voting laws. The bill was co-sponsored by every Democrat…


Michigan Senate Leader Is ‘Watching Carefully’ Election Audit in Maricopa County

Following a series of election-related bills that passed in the state Senate this week, Michigan Republican Senate Leader Mike Shirkey said that his office is awaiting the outcome of the weekslong audit being conducted in Arizona’s Maricopa County before charting a path forward. While Shirkey appeared to be noncommittal to the possibility of signing off…


GOP Senators Slow Biden’s OPM Nominee Confirmation Over Critical Race Theory

Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affair Committee are delaying the confirmation of Kiran Ahuja, President Joe Biden’s nominee for director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), citing her support for critical race theory (CRT) training and her stance on abortion. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), has been the most vocal about opposing Ahuja’s nomination because…


Biden’s First Judicial Nominees Confirmed With Republican Support

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed several judicial nominees nominated by President Joe Biden. The upper chamber voted 66-33 to confirm Julien Neals to the U.S. district court in New Jersey. It then approved Regina Rodriguez to be U.S. district judge for the District of Colorado. Neither vote was particularly close as over a dozen Republicans…


Senate Passes Sweeping Bill to Address China Tech Threat

The Senate on Tuesday voted 68–32 to approve a sweeping package of legislation intended to boost the country’s ability to compete with Chinese technology, as Congress increasingly seeks to take a tough line against Beijing. The bipartisan measure authorizes about $190 billion for provisions to strengthen U.S. technology and research—and would separately approve spending about…


Senate Passes Bill to Send Payments to Victims of Likely Directed Energy Attacks

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill on June 7 which, if enacted, would provide payments to victims of likely directed energy attacks, also known as the Havana syndrome. The syndrome surfaced among more than 40 U.S. embassy staff in Cuba in 2016 and has since been reported by American personnel around the world, including…


House Republicans Raise Concerns About Soft China Bill, Demand Tougher Response

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a sweeping China bill this week to counter Beijing’s rising economic might and global influence. While it’s unclear how quickly legislation could move through the House of Representatives, several Republicans in the chamber are opposing a companion bill that attempts to water down some of the provisions in the…


Texas Senate Passes Major GOP-Backed Election Reform Bill

The Texas state Senate on Sunday morning passed a sweeping election reform bill that was criticized by high-profile Democrats. The bill passed largely along party lines after an overnight debate that stretched into Sunday morning before the bill was passed at around 6 a.m. local time in a closed-door session, according to local media. The…


Senate Republicans Block Legislation to Create Jan. 6 Commission

Senate Republicans on Friday blocked advancing a House-passed bill that would form a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. Senators voted 54-35 on the measure, falling short of the 60-vote threshold to avoid a filibuster. Republican Sens. Mitt Romney (Utah), Ben Sasse (Neb.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine), Bill Cassidy (La.), and…