Topic: Senate

The GOP Walkout on Obama's EPA Pick Shows Senate Is as Polluted as Earth

AP

Republican members of a key committee announced that they were not going to attend a hearing meant to advance Gina McCarthy to head the EPA. Which problem is trickier to solve: Senate chicanery or environmental pollution?

By Elspeth Reeve

Aug 20, 2012

Republicans See Few Ways to Avoid Loss With Todd Akin

Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin said women who got pregnant from a rape weren't really raped, and all kinds of Republicans have condemned him for it: Mitt RomneyScott BrownKarl RoveMichelle Malkin, and Sarah Steelman, who came in third in the primary against Akin. But is there anything the party can do about it?

Comments | 4,883 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Aug 8, 2012

Claire McCaskill and How to Attack the Opponent You're Rooting For

Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill made the unusual decision to run attack ads against all three primary candidates running to be her Republican opponent, but one of those attack ads was not like the others.

Comments | 2,587 Views

By Eric Randall

Aug 3, 2012

The Tennessee Democrats Would Prefer You Not Vote for Their Nominee

The Tennessee Democrats have asked that people write-in a candidate of their choice rather than vote for the party's nominee to face Sen. Bob Corker, reports The Tennessean, and that's because the guy who won the Democratic primary, Mark Clayton, sounds ... let's just say not that mainstream.

Comments | 862 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Jul 27, 2012

Ad Watch

Obama Hopes Some Olympic Spirit Rubs Off on Him

Today in Ad Watch: President Obama says "America is the greatest nation on earth" as we get set to demonstrate that by owning the Olympics, the Republican National Committee gives you permission to vote against Obama, and Democrats go for veterans.

Comments | 517 Views

By Adam Martin

Jul 25, 2012

The Senate Actually Passed a Middle-Class Tax-Relief Bill

It turns out when its members agree to play straight and give up filibustering, the Senate can get even controversial legislation passed, as it demonstrated Wednesday by approving the Bush-era tax cuts for all but the highest earners.

Comments | 1,531 Views

By Eric Randall

Jul 18, 2012

John McCain Comes to Huma Abedin's Defense

John McCain gave a pretty forceful floor speech Wednesday morning in defense of Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton's deputy chief of staff (and Anthony Weiner's wife), whom a few House Republicans have suggested is part of a Muslim Brotherhood infiltration of the American government.

Comments | 14,599 Views

By Eric Randall

Jun 21, 2012

Senate Candidate Accidentally Reacts To Every Possible Health Care Outcome

Politico caught Senate candidate Richard Mourdock accidentally uploading three pre-recorded YouTube videos in which he responds to all possible outcomes on the Supreme Court's ruling on the validity of health care reform.

Comments | 1,379 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Jun 14, 2012

Senators Grilling JPMorgan CEO Received $582,088 from JPMorgan

As The Nation's George Zornick reports, it's hard to expect Senators to ask tough questions of the CEO of JPMorgan Chase when the members of the Senate Banking Committee are collective sitting on $582,088 in contributions from JPMorgan Chase.

Comments | 1,379 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Jun 5, 2012

Orly Taitz May Win a GOP Senate Primary If No One Knows Who She Is

The most important election Tuesday is the vote to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, but the funnest election is the California Republican Senate primary, where birther queen Orly Taitz has some chance of becoming an actual Republican nominee.

Comments | 1,380 Views

By Eric Randall

Jun 5, 2012

Senate Republicans Block the Paycheck Fairness Act

The Paycheck Fairness Act, supported by Democrats, failed to get the 60 votes it needed to get past a Republican block in the Senate, in what the A.P. is calling "a choreographed showdown."

Comments | 1,207 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

May 16, 2012

Who Is Nebraska's Deb Fischer?

Republicans want to win back a majority in the Senate in November, and one of their best chances of flipping a Democratic seat is now in the hands of a woman who wasn't backed by either establishment Republicans or Tea Party people.

Comments | 898 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

May 15, 2012

Elizabeth Warren's Native American Story Won't Go Away

Google Alerts didn't exist in 1997, but is it really possible Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren didn't know Harvard Law School was calling her the "first woman of color" it hired?

Comments | 4,449 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

May 8, 2012

New Tactic: Blame Elizabeth Warren for Her Ancestors' Crimes

Some conservatives argue that it's liberals who are the true racists.

Comments | 3,276 Views

By Adam Martin

May 8, 2012

Showdown Looms as Senate Kills a Student Loan Bill

Does this sound familiar? Both sides of the Senate agree they want to extend low interest rates on student loan payments, but they disagree on how to pay for it it, and after Republicans blocked a Democratic bill extending low rates, they're set to double in July.

Comments | 242 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

May 7, 2012

Poll Watch

Romney Ahead Nationally, Obama Ahead Where it Matters

Now that the Republican primary is over, the race between Mitt Romney and President Obama is getting closer. Romney has the edge nationally, but Obama has the edge in the states that matter. Here's our guide to today's polls and why they matter.

Comments | 2,364 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Mar 29, 2012

House Plays Chicken with Transportation Funding Extension

The House of Representatives passed a 90-day extension funding existing transportation projects Thursday, after weeks of struggle and conservative Republican rebellion made it look like even a two-month extension couldn't pass.

Comments | 345 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Mar 22, 2012

No More Insider Trading on Capitol Hill, Please

After letting various scandals bounce around for months, Congress finally passed the STOCK Act that bans insider trading, and this time it's for real.

Comments | 1,207 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Mar 8, 2012

Congress Is No Fun Anymore

Congress isn't as much fun as it used to be because lots of the perks, like free food from lobbyists, are gone, while the moderate pay and low public esteem remain. And also because, for some, it's harder to master the horse trading behind closed doors that helps an ambitious politician rise in the ranks.

Comments | 2,243 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Mar 2, 2012

George Will Has Some Terrible Advice for Republicans

George Will has some advice for how the Republican Party can win in 2012: just give up hopes of beating Obama and focus on winning the Senate back from the Democrats. An intriguing stratagem, but if history is any guide, one that would almost certainly fail.

Comments | 20,001 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Mar 1, 2012

The Senate's Contraceptive Bill Fails

The Republican-led measure to negate Obama's contraceptive mandate met its end, as the Senate voted 51-48 to table the amendment.

Comments | 1,724 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Mar 1, 2012

Cartoon

Olympia Snowe Becomes the Victim of 'Climate Change'

Cartoonist Tom Toles on Olympia Snowe's sudden departure.

Comments | 1,724 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Mar 1, 2012

Republican Takeover of the Senate Looking Less Likely

The sudden retirement of long-time Maine Senator Olympia Snowe may spell the end of Republican hopes to take back the Senate this November.

Comments | 3,323 Views

By Eric Randall

Feb 28, 2012

Snowe to Retire and the Senate Loses Another Moderate

Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, often considered the most moderate Republican senator, won't be seeking reelection, according to a statement she posted to Facebook.

Comments | 2,753 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Feb 27, 2012

Bob Kerrey's Facebook Page Does Not Look Like a Senate Candidate's

The report that former Sen. Bob Kerrey will run for Senate in Nebraska came as a surprise to lots of people -- to Nebraska Democrats, to the Democrat already in the race -- and maybe to Kerrey himself?

Comments | 988 Views

By Eric Randall

Feb 22, 2012

Substances Sent to Colbert, Stewart, and Congress Are Suspicious but Harmless

The FBI announced Tuesday that Viacom receiving "suspicious mailings" addressed to Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, and the Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer reported that three Congressional offices also received suspicious packages containing powdery substances.

Comments | 784 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Feb 16, 2012

Both Sides Can Claim Victory as Congress Has a Deal on Payroll Tax

Expect both parties to claim a victory now that Congressional negotiators have reached a deal to extend a payroll tax holiday for 10 months and unemployment benefits through the end of the year.

Comments | 345 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Feb 14, 2012

Cartoon

How Republicans Get Back to Work

Cartoonist Tom Toles thinks Republican lawmakers are back to their old tricks.

Comments | 1,035 Views

By Dino Grandoni

Feb 9, 2012

House Passes Insider Trading Bill

Now that the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (aka STOCK) Act has been passed by both the U.S. House and Senate.

Comments | 824 Views

By Adam Martin

Feb 3, 2012

Senate Realizes It Can't Not Pass Insider Trading Ban

The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that would ban insider trading by lawmakers and those in the White House (as requested by President Barack Obama), and now it'll go to the House of Representatives, which is reportedly "wasting no time" in addressing it.

Comments | 1,202 Views

By Adam Martin

Jan 20, 2012

Congress Puts SOPA and PIPA on Hold

Votes and further consideration of two proposed anti-piracy bills that led websites such as Wikipedia to go dark in protest this week have been stopped in both chambers of Congress.

Comments | 5,138 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Dec 27, 2011

Ben Nelson Declares: 'It's Time to Move On'

Ben Nelson announced his retirement in a YouTube video on Tuesday afternoon, not "a press conference back home in Nebraska," as Politico had reported earlier in the day.

Comments | 1,897 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Dec 22, 2011

SOPA Calls It a Year as Congress Tables the Bill for Real

After quietly scheduling a last minute markup hearing, the House Judiciary Committee quietly but definitively put the Stop Online Piracy Bill (SOPA) on hold until "early next year."

Comments | 8,944 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Dec 13, 2011

The Titans of Silicon Valley Rally Around the SOPA Alternative

The same group of the world's largest technology companies, including Facebook and Google, that aggressively opposed the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) are now throwing their weight behind the recently released and amicably named alternative: OPEN. 

Comments | 1,696 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Dec 7, 2011

Bring on the Anxiety Parade for the SOPA Alternative

As lawmakers prepare to release the full details of an alternative to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), Internet law expert Jonathan Zittrain remains skeptical that Congress's ability to produce a reasonable anti-piracy plan.

Comments | 3,548 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Nov 17, 2011

Hollywood Dominates the Debate at Internet Censorship Hearing

Having invited only one of six witness voicing opposition to the bill, the House Judiciary Committee avoided digging into the dangerous details of internet censorship during and focused on piracy during its hearing on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

Comments | 4,091 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Nov 16, 2011

The Web Collectively Protests Congress's Censorship Law

Wednesday, November 16 is the first ever American Censorship Day in honor of the first House hearing on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and most of the internet seems determined not to repeat the ironic holiday next year.

Comments | 20,193 Views

By Dino Grandoni

Nov 1, 2011

Senate's Spending Freeze Thawed by a $182 Billion Bill

Today, the U.S. Senate passed a spending bill to the tune of an estimated $182 billion "to fund the day-to-day budgets of five Cabinet agencies" after dragging its feet for months, the AP reports.

Comments | 314 Views

By Dino Grandoni

Oct 21, 2011

Yet Another Obama Jobs Proposal Dies in the Senate

President Obama's jobs proposals are having no easier passing as individual policies as they did as one big package, as the Senate stayed up late on Thursday evening to reject a plan to give states and cities $35 billion to rehire up to 400,000 public workers.

Comments | 1,546 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Oct 13, 2011

Cartoon

So Who Really Killed the President's Jobs Bill?

Cartoonist Lisa Benson thinks the Republicans were framed

Comments | 1,897 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Sep 20, 2011

Google's Best-Case Scenario at Their Antitrust Hearing

The former Google CEO's testimony will impact more than Google's future

Comments | 1,897 Views

By Adam Martin

Sep 16, 2011

FAA Will Stay Open for Business Despite Senator's Objection

A funding bill hailed as a bipartisan success almost got derailed thanks to one man

Comments | 619 Views

By Elspeth Reeve

Sep 13, 2011

It's Official: Elizabeth Warren Running for Senate

Former White House adviser to challenge Scott Brown

Comments | 5,883 Views

By Rebecca Greenfield

Sep 9, 2011

Patent Reform Won't Create the Kind of Jobs Obama's Looking For

The bill passed as a job creator, it doesn't really do that

Comments | 1,159 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Aug 25, 2011

Cartoon

Congress Is Cracked

Cartoonist Tom Toles on compromise (or a lack thereof)

Comments | 1,008 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Aug 11, 2011

Elizabeth Warren Is Getting Ready to Run for Senate

Rumors of her potential candidacy are getting hotter and hotter

Comments | 1,270 Views

By Erik Hayden

Aug 5, 2011

Senate Postpones FAA Standoff with Temporary Funding

The bill gives temporary funding until September 16th

Comments | 860 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Aug 2, 2011

Senate's Failure to Fund the FAA Is Very, Very Expensive

Thousands won't be able to work now that Congress is on recess until September

Comments | 1,548 Views

By Erik Hayden

Aug 2, 2011

Obama: Both Parties Responsible For Economy

The debt deal legislation has reached the 60-vote threshold to pass the Senate

Comments | 3,819 Views

By Ray Gustini

Jul 29, 2011

Scott Brown Says He'll Support Harry Reid's Debt Plan

Massachusetts Republican tells Boston area radio station he'd vote for Reid's bill

Comments | 3,621 Views

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