Tag Archives: US Senate

Expect death threats from the red hats after this: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who joined a challenge to Pennsylvania’s Electoral College results when Congress was certifying presidential election votes, conceded Sunday that President Biden “absolutely” won the 2020 election fairly. Asked by “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace, “Did Joe Biden win this election fair and square?” Scott responded “Absolutely.” …

The New York Post reports: Sen. Ted Cruz joked about his trip to Cancun amid a crisis-level storm in Texas last week, which brought frigid temperatures, widespread power outages and burst pipes that flooded homes. Speaking Friday morning at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, Cruz (R-Texas) made the remarks while kicking off his speech. “God bless CPAC,” the Texas …

NBC News reports: A ruling in the Senate late on Thursday dealt a severe blow to Democrats’ hopes of raising the minimum wage in the Covid-19 relief package, probably dooming the proposal in the legislation that is headed for a vote in Congress. The parliamentarian, the in-house referee, ruled that the provision was not compliant with rules governing the budget …

Politico reports: Florida Rep. Stephanie Murphy is seriously considering a bid to unseat Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2022 reelection, announcing Wednesday that she’s launching a statewide listening tour and has hired a top Democratic operative to manage the effort. Murphy, 42, has been elected three times to one of Florida’s most competitive congressional districts in Orlando, and first won the seat …

The Washington Post reports: Democrats are expected to grill Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Postal Service board of governors chair Ron Bloom over the agency’s handling of mail over the holidays and delivery issues that have persisted for months, delaying prescription medications, paychecks, bills and more. More than 90 House Democrats have already called for DeJoy’s ouster and many are …

From Senate Republican Committee Chair Rick Scott: At the very same time these far-left radicals are trying to remake America in their image, and lead us into a disastrous, dystopian, socialist future, we have a parade of pundits and even Republican voices suggesting we should have a GOP civil war. NO. This does not need to be true, should not …

David Corn reports at Mother Jones: On Tuesday morning—shortly before he appeared at a congressional hearing and thanked Capitol Police officers for facing the “violent criminals” of January 6—Hawley sent out a fundraising email that featured a lovely photo of him, his wife, and their three young children. He told the recipients that “Biden and his woke mob are coming …

Axios reports: The Senate on Tuesday voted 92-7 to confirm former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack as secretary of the Department of Agriculture. The big picture: Vilsack, a longtime supporter of President Biden, is returning to the department he led for eight years under the Obama administration. He served as governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007. Between the lines: Sen. …

Mediaite reports: Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) asked some simple yes or no questions designed to removed some opacity over what happened on that historic day and what really was going on during the deadly attacks led by Trump supporters. “Based on what we know now, including the recent department of justice indictments, do you agree that there is now clear …

The Hill reports: Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on Tuesday rolled out proposal to increase the minimum wage to $10 an hour over four years and tighten enforcement on hiring undocumented workers. “For millions of Americans, the rising cost of living has made it harder to make ends meet, but the federal minimum wage has not been …

The Wall Street Journal reports: California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is expected to face a tough confirmation hearing Tuesday as Republicans are set to argue that President Biden’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary is overly liberal and lacks public-health experience. Mr. Becerra’s hearing Tuesday with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will be followed by a …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Former U.S. Sen. David Perdue will not launch a comeback bid next year, clearing the way for other Republicans to enter what could be a crowded 2022 race against Democrat Raphael Warnock. Perdue announced the decision Tuesday just days after filing campaign paperwork exploring a challenge against Warnock, who won a Jan. 5 runoff against former …

Politico reports: Conservatives know they likely don’t have the votes to block President Joe Biden’s pick to run HHS, Xavier Becerra. But they’re launching new ad blitzes and pressure campaigns targeting Senate Democrats up for reelection and others they believe can be swayed, aiming to make a vote to confirm him a political liability. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who has …

The Associated Press reports: For Native Americans, Deb Haaland is more than an elected official on track to become the first Indigenous secretary of the Interior Department. She is a sister, an auntie and a fierce pueblo woman whose political stances have been molded by her upbringing. On Tuesday, Haaland’s confirmation hearing will be closely watched in tribal communities across …

The Washington Post reports: The public inquest into the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol begins a new phase Tuesday when four law enforcement officials — three of whom resigned their posts and some of whom have never before spoken publicly about the attack — face lawmakers aiming to uncover what led to the violence and prevent future unrest. …

ABC News reports: Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland will face another day of questioning Tuesday on how he’ll oversee probes ranging from the Jan. 6 Capitol breach to Hunter Biden’s business dealings — along with his stance on left-wing rioters in Portland and Seattle. Garland pledged during Monday’s hearing that handling the investigation into last month’s deadly siege on the …

The Hill reports: The senators, led by Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), urged Biden in a letter to withdraw the nomination of Xavier Becerra, California’s attorney general, arguing he is unqualified to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The senators wrote that Becerra has “no meaningful experience in health care, public health, large-scale logistics, or any other areas critical …

The Hill reports: Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) will oppose Neera Tanden’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), underscoring the dwindling number of potential GOP supporters for her confirmation. “Senator Romney has been critical of extreme rhetoric from prior nominees, and this is consistent with that position. He believes it’s hard to return to comity and respect …

CNN reports: At last, Merrick Garland gets his Senate confirmation hearing. Five years ago, Garland became the poster child for the Republican blockade of an open Supreme Court seat in the final year of President Barack Obama’s term when Senate Republicans denied even a hearing to the Supreme Court nominee. Now Garland gets another chance to go before the Senate …

Via press release from Sen. Susan Collins: The Director of OMB is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of the federal budget and plays a significant role in any Administration’s fiscal and regulatory agenda. Congress has to be able to trust the OMB director to make countless decisions in an impartial manner, carrying out the letter of the law …