WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is criticizing the Republican National Committee for censuring two House GOP lawmakers investigating the “violent insurrection” on Jan. 6, 2021, saying it’s not the party’s job to decide whom to support. As former President Donald Trump has downplayed the attack, the RNC last week took a voice…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democrats’ sweeping attempt to rewrite U.S. election and voting law has suffered a major setback in the U.S. Senate. The bill failed in a key test vote Tuesday, blocked by a filibuster wall of Republican opposition. The measure would strike down hurdles to voting that advocates view as the Civil Rights…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Three new Democratic senators have been sworn into office, giving Democrats the majority in the Senate. In a first vote, the Senate has confirmed President Joe Biden’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines. The Senate is now split 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris as a potential tie-breaking vote. That’s…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has all but shut the door on President Donald Trump’s push for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks. The Republican leader says Congress has provided enough pandemic aid and he’s blocked another attempt by Democrats to force a vote. McConnell is unwilling to budge, despite political pressure from Trump…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Whether most Americans will receive $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks is now in the hands of the Senate. President Donald Trump has been pushing to more than triple the $600 payments approved by Congress, reluctantly signing into law the massive relief bill that authorized the smaller checks. On Monday the House voted overwhelmingly…
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a month after the election, some of the nation’s highest-profile Republican holdouts are beginning to embrace reality. They’re coming to terms with the fact that Joe Biden will be president soon. Biden spoke with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday, and McConnell publicly congratulated the Democrat on his victory.…
Washington, D.C. (AP) The Senate has wrapped up a late session approving rules for President Donald Trump’s trial on two articles of impeachment. The Democrats failed in their efforts to gain Republican agreement for issuing subpoenas for documents and witnesses, though such issues can be revisited. A Democratic victory came earlier in the day when…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate’s majority leader, insisting his chamber won’t be irreparably damaged by the bitter fight over new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, is signaling he’s willing to take up another high court nomination in the 2020 presidential election season should another vacancy arise. “We’ll see if there is a vacancy in 2020,”…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (all times local): 11:50 a.m. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the FBI’s background investigation of Brett Kavanaugh didn’t corroborate any of the sexual misconduct allegations against the Supreme Court nominee. McConnell says the FBI didn’t uncover information from any witnesses to corroborate the…