White House pushes GOP to end blockade of ambassador picks
As President Joe Biden announces two more ambassador nominees, the White House and Democrats are warning that maneuvering by some Senate Republicans to block all but a small fraction of Bidenโs diplomatic and other national security appointees is doing serious harm to U.S. diplomatic efforts around the globe.
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Jan. 6 commission stalls, for now, amid partisan dissension
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has pushed for the commission, which would be modeled after the panel that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. โThe problem is the scope,โ Pelosi said Wednesday. But Republicans swiftly decried the broad latitude that the commission would have to investigate the causes of the insurrection. Senate Republicans cast doubt that there was enough support for the commission. 2 Republican, said he doesnโt think the commission will happen if the legislation isnโt changed.
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Lawmakers fear turning 144 cities into "micropolitan" areas
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators and congressmen is urging the federal government not to approve recommendations to remove 144 cities from the designation of metropolitan statistical areas. Reclassifying them as โmicropolitanโ would put key federal funding at risk, they said. Doing so would reclassify more than a third of the current 392 metro areas as micropolitan statistical areas. In a separate letter to the Office of Management and Budget, Hoeven said the proposal also would hurt micropolitan areas that were on the cusp of becoming metro areas. โIf a metropolitan statistical area is redefined as a micropolitan area, it may fall out of the conversation.
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Democrats muscle ahead with Biden's health secretary pick
President Joe Bidens pick for health secretary is taking heat for his defense of abortion rights from a tag team of Republicans looking to define him and the new administration as out of the mainstream. Becerra now serves as Californiaโs attorney general and previously represented the Los Angeles area for more than 20 years in the U.S. House. Republicans voiced concern about Becerraโs record in support of abortion rights. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Becerra as attorney general โaggressively crusaded in favor of abortionโ and repeatedly inserted California into abortion litigation involving other states. Perceptions changed after Becerra was appointed California attorney general in 2017.
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Fighting Biden virus aid, GOP rekindles Obama-era strategy
Americans are experiencing flickers of optimism at the one-year anniversary of the deadly outbreak as more people are vaccinated. But new strains of the virus and a still shaky economy could unleash another devastating cycle of infections, lockdowns and deaths. Biden and Democrats warn that now is not the time to let up on aid, and that it's better to risk doing too much than too little. McConnell expressed similar optimism last spring when he hit โpauseโ on new spending after approval of the initial round of aid. GOP Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana said by the time they're done they hope to turn public opinion around.
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Fighting Biden virus aid, GOP rekindles Obama-era strategy
AdItโs a tested strategy but comes at an uncertain, volatile time for the nation. Americans are experiencing flickers of optimism at the one-year anniversary of the deadly outbreak as more people are vaccinated. But new strains of the virus and a still shaky economy could unleash another devastating cycle of infections, lockdowns and deaths. Biden and the Democrats backing him warn that now is not the time to let up on aid โ better to risk doing too much, than too little. GOP Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana said by the time they're done they hope to turn public opinion around.
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GOP takes aim at Biden's health care pick on abortion rights
President Joe Bidens pick for health secretary is taking heat for his defense of abortion rights from a tag team of Republicans looking to define him and the new administration as out of the mainstream. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ President Joe Bidenโs pick for health secretary is taking heat from Republicans for his actions in support of abortion rights. By a show of force, they're trying to deny a president who supports abortion rights his choice to run the Department of Health and Human Services with the coronavirus pandemic still untamed. Becerra, 63, was a reliable Democratic vote for abortion rights during more than 20 years representing a Los Angeles-area district in the U.S. House. She disagrees with his support for abortion rights but finds common ground elsewhere.
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GOP's Thune says Trump allies engaging in 'cancel culture'
FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2021, file photo, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. In an interview with The Associated Press, Sen. Thune, the chamber's No. Thune also talked about his vote to acquit Trump of inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead. โ U.S. Sen. John Thune on Thursday criticized Republican activists and party leaders for engaging in โcancel cultureโ by rushing to censure GOP senators who found former President Donald Trump guilty of inciting an insurrection. Trump called Thune a โRINO,โ meaning Republican In Name Only, and โMitchโs boy,โ in reference to McConnell.
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Trump rips McConnell as GOP divide deepens post-Capitol riot
The Republican Party still belongs to Donald Trump. The GOP privately flirted with purging the norm-shattering former president after he incited a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol last month. AdโThereโs no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,โ McConnell said Saturday, after Trump, the only president to be impeached twice, was acquitted on a 57-43 vote. McConnell had remained loyal to Trump during nearly all of his four years in office, when the pair were the two most powerful members of the Republican Party. In his statement, Trump criticized McConnell for failing to do more to back his unfounded claims of election fraud.
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Support grows for Capitol riot inquiry after Trump acquittal
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., walks on Capitol Hill after the Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Trump was accused of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the acquittal gives him a historic second victory in the court of impeachment. Investigations into the riot were already planned, with Senate hearings scheduled later this month in the Senate Rules Committee. We needed more senators with spines.โAdMcConnell told Republican senators shortly before the vote that he would vote to acquit Trump. Beutler's statement late Friday that Trump rebuffed a plea from House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy to call off the rioters was ultimately entered into the trial record.
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Which GOP senators are seen as possible votes against Trump?
But that hope dimmed when word came Saturday before the trial resumed that Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell would vote to acquit Trump. If Trump were convicted, the Senate could take a second vote to ban him from running for office again. AdA look at the Republicans whom Democrats are eyeing as they make final arguments in the case:THE FREQUENT TRUMP CRITICSRepublican Sens. AdThree other GOP senators have said they will not run again in two years, potentially freeing them up to vote against Trump and anger base voters in the party. The Republican leaderโs views are closely watched and carry sway among GOP senators, and his decision on Trump is likely to influence others weighing their votes.
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As impeachment trial ends, GOP senators face big decision
If Trump were convicted, the Senate could take a second vote to ban him from running for office again. While none of them are locks to vote for conviction, they have joined with Democrats twice to vote against GOP efforts to dismiss the trial. AdHEADED OUTPennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, who is retiring from the Senate in 2022, has also voted twice with Democrats to move forward with the trial. All three voted to dismiss the trial, but Portman says he still has an open mind about conviction. EYES ON McCONNELLSenate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has twice voted to dismiss the trial, indicating he will ultimately vote to acquit.
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Rep. Greene says 'morons' voted to boot her from committees
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., goes back to her office after speaking on the floor of the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON โ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene lashed out Friday at โmoronsโ in both parties who voted to kick her off her committees, a day after the House meted out the unprecedented punishment that Democrats said sheโd earned by spreading hateful and violent conspiracy theories. Underscoring the political vise her inflammatory commentary has clamped her party into, all but 11 Republicans voted against the Democratic move on Thursday but none rose to defend her lengthy history of outrageous social media posts. Even social media stars like Greene could find it harder to define themselves without the spotlights that committees provide. That chamberโs minority leader, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., this week called Greeneโs words a โcancerโ on the GOP and country.
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GOP eyes path to power by making peace with the far right
The votes also suggest that Washington Republicans are unable, or unwilling, to purge far-right radicals from their party, despite some GOP leaders' best wishes. And whether Washington Republicans like it or not, those who think like Greene make up a significant portion of the party's base. AdGiddy Democrats celebrated the obvious perils of their rivals' political dilemma, particularly after all but 11 House Republicans voted to defend Greene's committee assignments on Thursday. AdBut it was the House Republicans' refusal to distance themselves from Greene that threatened to haunt the party for the foreseeable future. Republican strategist and former White House aide Ari Fleischer was among the optimists.
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McCarthy meets with Rep. Greene; GOP faces Cheney decision
House Republicans are effectively deciding whether to prioritize the former presidentโs norm-shattering behavior and conspiracy theories and retain the loyalty of his voters over more establishment conservative values. AdThe House GOP Steering Committee, a leadership-dominated body that makes committee assignments for the party, also met late Tuesday but no decision was announced. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and others have boosted pressure this week on McCarthy and the House GOP to act. McConnell praised Cheney, R-Wyo., as โa leader with deep convictions and courage,โ but House GOP lawmakers planned to meet privately Wednesday to decide her political fate. AdThe looming decisions over Cheney and Greene represent a moment of reckoning for a party struggling with its future.
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Trump loyalists in South Dakota turn on home state senator
Trump flags still fly over homes across South Dakota, showing enduring support for the former president. When Thune disputed the baseless allegations of election fraud, Trump declared the senator's โpolitical career overโ and suggested GOP Gov. One of them, Bruce W. Whalen, said Thuneโs refusal to support Trump's claims of fraud has fueled interest. Volk has observed a steady rightward lurch in Republican politics over the years that has culminated in widespread support for Trump. โBut thereโs no way theyโre going to get him to go away.โOthers, like Tom Barnett, a former director of the stateโs bar association, have given up on the Republican Party.
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GOP largely sides against holding Trump impeachment trial
Late Tuesday, the presiding officer at the trial, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., was taken to the hospital for observation after not feeling well at his office, spokesman David Carle said in a statement. The vote means the trial on Trump's impeachment will begin as scheduled the week of Feb. 8. The vote shows that โthey've got a long ways to go to prove it,โ Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst said of House Democrats' charge. โYouโre asking me to vote in a trial that by itself on its own is not constitutionally allowed?โ he asked. Instead, Leahy, who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.
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GOP senators in spotlight as second impeachment trial looms
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON โ For a second time, Republican senators face the choice of whether to convict President Donald Trump in an impeachment trial. Others to watch include GOP senators up for reelection in 2022 and several Republicans who have publicly backed impeachment. โMake no mistake: There will be an impeachment trial in the United States Senate,'' Schumer said. MURKOWSKI, TOOMEY DENOUNCE TRUMPAt least two GOP senators โ Alaskaโs Lisa Murkowski and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania โ have joined Romney in denouncing Trump. Portman pledged to do his duty as a juror in a Senate impeachment trial, but said he is โconcerned about the polarization in our country'' and hopes to bring people together.
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GOP senators in spotlight as second impeachment trial looms
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON โ For a second time, Republican senators face the choice of whether to convict President Donald Trump in an impeachment trial. Others to watch include GOP senators up for reelection in 2022 and several Republicans who have publicly backed impeachment. โMake no mistake: There will be an impeachment trial in the United States Senate,'' Schumer said. MURKOWSKI, TOOMEY DENOUNCE TRUMPAt least two GOP senators โ Alaskaโs Lisa Murkowski and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania โ have joined Romney in denouncing Trump. Portman pledged to do his duty as a juror in a Senate impeachment trial, but said he is โconcerned about the polarization in our country'' and hopes to bring people together.
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EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
(Samuel Corum/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ Wednesday's congressional joint session to count electoral votes could drag late into the night as some Republicans plan to challenge Democrat Joe Biden's victory in at least six states. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.
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Senate GOP leader: Challenging Biden win threatens republic
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., leaves the House chamber for the Senate to consider objections to certify Electoral College votes, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. All 50 states have certified the electoral votes. Freshman Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has said he will challenge Pennsylvania's electoral votes. Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia were all pivotal states that Biden carried on his way to his 306-232 Electoral College win. McConnell, 78, has been the Republican leader since 2007 and is the longest-serving Senate GOP leader in history.

Republican Party faces defining moment under Trump's shadow
NEW YORK โ The Republican Party is facing a defining moment. But what comes next for the Republican Party is anything but clear. Trumpโs hold over his adopted party has been all but absolute in his time in office. If he does, the Republican Party could continue to shape itself in his image. โI believe he will have as much hold over the party as he wants to,โ said Alice Stewart, a Republican strategist who advised Cruz's 2016 campaign.
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EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The appointed "tellers" from the House and Senate, members of both parties, then read each certificate out loud and record and count the votes. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.
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EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. At the end, the presiding officer announces who has won the majority votes for both president and vice president. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.
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More GOP lawmakers enlist in Trump effort to undo Biden win
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas on Saturday announced a coalition of 11 senators and senators-elect who have been enlisted for Trump's effort to subvert the will of American voters. But their challenges, and those from House Republicans, represent the most sweeping effort to undo a presidential election outcome since the Civil War. said the Republican effort to create a federal commission โto supersede state certifications" is wrong. On the other side of the Republican divide, several senators spoke out Saturday against Cruz and Hawley's effort. McConnell had previously warned GOP senators not to participate in raising objections, saying it would be a terrible vote for colleagues.
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GOP rebuffs Trump on $2K aid, defense as Congress wraps up
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., walks back to his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. The New York senator said โthe only thing standing in the way" is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republican senators. McConnell has shown little interest in Trump's push to bolster the $600 relief checks just approved in a sweeping year-end package, declaring Congress has provided enough pandemic aid, for now. Nancy Pelosi regained the speaker's gavel after Democrats swept to the House majority in the midterm election. The Republican-led Senate acquitted Trump in 2020 of the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
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GOP senator rebukes 'dangerous ploy' to fight Biden victory
โI will not be participating in a project to overturn the election,โ Sasse wrote. When Congress convenes to certify the Electoral College results, any lawmaker can object to a stateโs votes on any grounds. If they disagree, the original electoral votes are counted. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all has been dismissed or dropped. The group of House Republicans has said it plans to challenge the election results from Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada.
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EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)WASHINGTON โ The congressional joint session to count electoral votes is generally a routine, ceremonious affair. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The tellers record and count the votes, The presiding officer announces who has won the majority votes for both president and vice president.
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EXPLAINER: How Congress will count Electoral College votes
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)WASHINGTON โ The congressional joint session to count electoral votes is generally a routine, ceremonious affair. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The tellers record and count the votes, The presiding officer announces who has won the majority votes for both president and vice president.
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With a video filmed in secret, Trump keeps sowing chaos
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON โ The video message that plunged Washington into chaos was filmed in secret. On Wednesday, few Republicans or even White House staffers knew what Trump plans next, in a return to the around-the-clock chaos of his first months in office. โThere are mixed signals from the White House leaving more confusion than calm,โ Biden noted on Wednesday. Trump personally played little role in the negotiations, though the White House had initially sent signals that he would sign the bill.
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Trump threatens COVID relief bill, testing loyalty of GOP
House Republicans are expected to block the vote, but Democrats may try again Monday. Their political DNA tells them to oppose a costlier relief package. To top it off, because lawmakers linked the pandemic relief bill to an overarching funding measure, the government would shut down on Dec. 29. That's when a stopgap funding bill Congress approved to keep the government funded while the paperwork was being compiled expires, risking a federal shutdown. The Senate cleared the huge relief package by a 92-6 vote after the House approved it by 359-53.
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Trump, House lawmakers plot futile effort to block Biden win
But members can use the event to object to a stateโs votes. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., said he organized Monday's session with about a dozen House Republicans who are willing to challenge the results. โPresident Trump is very supportive of our effort,โ Brooks said in an interview late Monday. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all have been dismissed or dropped. McConnell has told Senate Republicans that a dispute over the results in January would yield a โterrible voteโ for Republicans.
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Congress averts shutdown; fight continues over pandemic aid
The virus aid talks remained on track, both sides said, but closing out final disagreements was proving difficult. The Democrats said the GOP proposal would deprive President-elect Joe Biden of crucial tools to manage the economy. โUndermining that authority could mean less lending to Main Street businesses, higher unemployment and greater economic pain across the nation." The COVID-19 package would be added to a $1.4 trillion governmentwide appropriations bill that would fund federal agencies through next September. Standard & Poorโs said in a report Tuesday that the economy would be 1.5 percentage points smaller in 2021 without more aid.
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Snags on COVID-19 relief may force weekend sessions
The holdups mean a weekend session now appears virtually certain, and a top lawmaker warned that a government shutdown this weekend can't be ruled out. Now, Republicans are motivated chiefly to extend business subsidies and some jobless benefits, and provide money for schools and vaccines. The urgency was underscored Thursday by the weekly unemployment numbers, which revealed that 885,000 people applied for jobless benefits last week, the highest weekly total since September. Some Democrats also mourned the exclusion of a $500 million aid package to help states run their elections. The emerging package would combine the $900 billion in COVID-19 relief with a $1.4 trillion government-wide funding bill.
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McConnell warns GOP off Electoral College brawl in Congress
Then he pivoted, privately warning Republican senators away from disputing the Electoral College tally when Congress convenes in a joint session Jan. 6 to confirm the results. โI want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden,โ McConnell said as he opened the Senate. One House Republican, Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, is planning to challenge the Electoral College results when Congress convenes for the joint session. John Thune of South Dakota and Roy Blunt of Missouri, warned the senators off any Electoral College challenge, according to one of the people familiar with Tuesday's call. The GOP leaders further warned senators that forcing their colleagues into a vote on Electoral College challenges would prove difficult, especially for those facing their own reelections in 2022.
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McConnell warns GOP off Electoral College brawl in Congress
Then he pivoted, privately warning Republican senators away from disputing the Electoral College tally when Congress convenes in a joint session Jan. 6 to confirm the results. โI want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden,โ McConnell said as he opened the Senate. Some GOP lawmakers have vowed to carry the fight to Jan. 6 when Congress votes to accept or reject the Electoral College results. One House Republican, Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, is planning to challenge the Electoral College results when Congress convenes for the joint session. The GOP leaders further warned senators that forcing their colleagues into a vote on Electoral College challenges would prove difficult, especially for those facing their own reelections in 2022.
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In a first, leading Republicans call Biden president-elect
He said Mondayโs Electoral College vote โwas significant.โTexas GOP Sen. John Cornyn said barring further legal challenges it appears Biden will be president. Others have said Trump's legal battles should continue toward resolution by inauguration day, Jan. 20. "Once the Electoral College has voted, most people are going to recognize Joe Biden as the president-elect." "Although I supported President Trump, the Electoral College vote today makes clear that Joe Biden is now President-Elect,โ said Sen. Many Republicans are unwilling to declare Biden the winner for the same reasons they avoided standing up to Trump during his presidency.
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Trump raises China concerns as reason to veto defense bill
WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trump offered a new rationale Sunday for threatening to veto the annual defense policy bill that covers the military's budget for equipment and pay raises for service members: China. โThe biggest winner of our new defense bill is China! I will veto!โ Trump said in a new tweet. โPresident Trump clearly hasnโt read the bill, nor does he understand whatโs in it," Reed said. McConnell said it was important for Congress to continue its nearly six-decade long streak of passing the defense policy bill.
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Senate sends Trump defense bill he has vowed to veto
Trump has vowed to veto the bill unless lawmakers impose limits on social media companies he claims were biased against him during the election. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, in a rare break with Trump, urged passage of the measure despite Trump's threat to veto it. The Democratic-controlled House overwhelmingly approved the defense bill on Tuesday, defying Trumpโs veto threat and setting up a possible showdown with the Republican president in the waning days of his administration. It follows Trumpโs bid over the summer to sabotage the package with a veto threat over Confederate base names. If he does veto the defense bill, Congress could cut short its Christmas recess to hold override votes.
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Sen. Rand Paul delays defense bill vote over troop drawdowns
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, speaks during a news conference following a weekly meeting with the Senate Republican caucus, Tuesday, Dec. 8. Paul said he would drop his objection if GOP leaders allowed a final vote on the National Defense Authorization Act on Monday. 2 Senate Republican, said he thought Paul โ who has provoked government shutdowns before โ was using the time-crunch for maximum leverage to remove the provision on troop withdrawals. A procedural vote on the defense bill was expected Friday, setting the stage for final votes on the defense bill and the stopgap spending measure later in the day. If he does veto the defense bill, Congress could cut short its Christmas recess to hold override votes, senior House members said.
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Congress stuck, McConnell resists state aid in COVID-19 deal
The GOP leader criticized โcontroversial state bailoutsโ during a speech in the Senate, as he insists on a more targeted aid package. McConnellโs staff conveyed to other negotiators itโs โunlikelyโ the trade-off proposed by the bipartisan group would be acceptable, as COVID aid talks continue, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the talks. The bipartisan lawmakers held another virtual โdinner groupโ meeting late Thursday to try to prop up the deal. Democratic leaders had wanted far more in state and local aid, but were accepting of the lower $160 billion. It would send a $600 direct payment to most Americans but eliminate a $300-per-week employment benefit favored by the bipartisan group of Senate negotiators.
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COVID-19 relief: What's on the table as Congress seeks deal
The duo were the architects of the $1.8 trillion CARES Act, the landmark relief bill passed in March. Here are the top issues for the end-stage COVID-19 relief talks. ___JOBLESS BENEFITSThe CARES Act created a $600 per-week bonus COVID-19 unemployment benefit that sustained household incomes and consumer demand during the springtime shutdowns. House Democrats support the idea, but it is unpopular with many Senate Republicans and was left out of a scaled-back Senate GOP plan. ___LIABILITY SHIELDBusinesses reopening during the pandemic have for months been seeking a shield against lawsuits claiming negligence for COVID-19 outbreaks.
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Optimism growing for COVID relief bill as pressure builds
I think weโre both interested in getting an outcome, both on the omnibus and on a coronavirus package,โ McConnell said. Some conservatives, including Republicans from COVID hotspots like North Dakota and Iowa, said they were comfortable with an aid package carrying the almost $1 trillion price tag. Added Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.: โThereโs a bipartisan package for $908 billion that will really help people." Biden is supporting an additional aid package that's as large as possible now. Any relief package would be attached to a $1.4 trillion year-end spending bill required to avert a government shutdown next weekend.
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McConnell, Schumer to lead, but Senate majority uncertain
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., won another term as Republican leader, his office said, cementing his role as the longest-serving GOP leader in U.S. history. But itโs still to be determined whether McConnell will retain his role as majority leader or cede it to Schumer as the final races for the U.S. Senate play out. Republicans brushed back Democratic challengers in several states, but failed to lock down the seats needed to retain their majority. The math has become more challenging for McConnell because the vice president of the party holding the White House casts the tie-breaking vote in the Senate. A Democratic majority in the Senate, the party that also controls the House would give the party a firm grasp on power in Washington.
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Pandemic relief talks inch ahead but McConnell is resistant
The architect of the Senate measure, McConnell, isnt claiming the vote will advance the ball. said Senate GOP Whip John Thune of South Dakota. The Pelosi-Mnuchin talks also involve pandemic jobless aid, the second round of $1,200 direct payments, and money for schools, testing and vaccines. Senate Republicans are recoiling at both the size of the measure and Pelosi's demands, even as Trump is beating the drums for an agreement. But the Senate GOP bill has failed once before, and Trump himself says it's too puny.
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McConnell warns White House against COVID relief deal
Congress is past the point at which it can deliver more coronavirus aid soon, with differences between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Republicans and President Donald Trump proving insurmountable. McConnell on Tuesday told fellow Republicans that he has warned the White House not to divide Republicans by sealing a lopsided $2 trillion relief deal with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi before the election โ even as he publicly said he'd slate any such agreement for a vote. said Senate GOP Whip John Thune of South Dakota. Senate Republicans are recoiling at both the size of the measure and Pelosi's demands, even as Trump is beating the drums for an agreement. But the Senate GOP bill has failed once before, and Trump himself says it's too puny.
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Politics mixes with law as Trump closes in on court pick
Even before Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgโs death last week, the president had tried to use likelihood of more Supreme Court vacancies to his political advantage. Supreme Court nominations are never entirely devoid of political considerations, but Trumpโs decision has been particularly wrapped up in a charged political moment. Even before Ginsburgโs death, Trump had done the same in 2020, releasing an additional 20 names he would consider for the court, and encouraging Democrat Joe Biden to do the same. โSo they donโt want to show the judges because the only ones that he can put in are far-left radicals,โ Trump said this week. โIf Joe Biden and the Democrats take power, they will pack the Supreme Court with far-left radicals who will unilaterally transform American society far beyond recognition,โ Trump said at a rally outside Toledo on Monday.
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GOP senators see political, principle gain in court fight
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., arrives to meet with reporters following a Republican strategy session, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trump marveled at a rally this week about how important Supreme Court nominations are to voters. But Senate Republicans are with the voters on that. No Supreme Court nominee in U.S. history has been confirmed by the Senate so close to balloting. At a rally late Tuesday in Pittsburgh, Trump told supporters how surprised he was in 2016 over voter reaction to the Supreme Court.
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Frenemies: Romney, GOP reunite on plan for Ginsburg seat
The Utah Republican and 2012 GOP presidential nominee incensed President Donald Trump and Republicans with his impeachment vote. No court nominee in U.S. history has been considered so close to a presidential election. Without speaking to anyone at the White House, Romney then made his decision official, clearing the way for the Senate to move ahead. Romney would not, for example, voice an opinion on any specific potential Trump nominee. Supporting the GOP effort to replace Ginsburg, Romney said, represented his โintentionโ โ for now.
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Trump pledges woman for court, pushes Senate to move on pick
Three more defections from the GOP ranks would be needed to stop Trumpโs nominee from joining the court. โVoters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice to consider,โ he said. Hundreds of mourners gathered for a second night outside the Supreme Court building, holding candles in honor of Ginsburg and listening to a succession of testimonies and rallying speeches. โToday Mitch McConnell and his henchmen think they can ram through a Supreme Court justice only 45 days before the election,โ Warren said. Typically, it takes several months to vet and hold hearings on a Supreme Court nominee, and time is short before November.
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GOP shrugs off Trump's call for 'higher' offer on virus aid
But his top GOP allies โ who worked for weeks with the White House to construct the very aid package Trump criticized โ shrugged off the presidentโs mid-morning tweet. They also weighed in against a $1.5 trillion aid package backed by moderates in both parties that earned praise from the White House. โGo for the much higher numbers, Republicans,โ Trump tweeted. An earlier $1 trillion Senate GOP plan never gained momentum. 2 Senate Republican, John Thune of South Dakota, asked about Trumpโs โhigher numbersโ tweet, told reporters that a good number of Senate Republicans might support a $1 trillion measure.