Policy

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Thursday he will try to get President Donald Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence confirmed “as quickly as possible.” “I don’t know what realistic is, but we’re gonna probe the limits of it,” the South Dakota Republican said. Trump on Thursday afternoon said he’d be nominating Jay […]

A federal judge in Virginia on Friday extended a block on the Trump administration proceeding with an $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, finding the administration’s claims of its demise insufficient. Ruling from the bench, Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said the administration cannot move forward with the […]

A bill that would stop large online platforms from discriminating against outside services has been revived in the Senate after versions in recent years died amid strong opposition from the technology industry. Judiciary Chair Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., introduced the legislation on Wednesday in what they say is an effort […]

The House did not pass a short-term extension of a powerful surveillance tool Thursday morning as members headed out of town for a recess, all but ensuring the spy power’s statutory authority would lapse going into the weekend. The vote to reject a reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act now sends […]

A Biden-era push to remove certain social media posts about COVID-19 and the 2020 election and more recent pressure by the Trump administration against TV broadcasters have brought together a bipartisan Senate duo to try and prevent indirect government censorship. Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. unveiled legislation Thursday that […]

ANALYSIS — When it comes to congressional earmarks, the big dogs usually eat first. So it’s no surprise that House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., leads the pack on “community project funding” included in his panel’s fiscal 2027 spending bills, with $188.4 million. The No. 2 House Republican, Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, comes […]

As advanced safety technologies reach new stages of development across the transportation sector, Congress has been grappling with how to legislate such innovations, trying to balance industry needs against calls to prevent tragic accidents. A subcommittee hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee took up the issue of transportation safety technology Tuesday as […]

Legislation aimed at reducing delays when Medicare Advantage plans require preapproval for care could hit the House floor under fast-track rules for bills that have broad support. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., targets use of prior authorization in Medicare Advantage — in which insurers approve or deny services before they can be delivered. […]

Challengers to the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” asked a judge on Tuesday to let them seek evidence the Justice Department truly is abandoning the program. The filing came in response to arguments the Trump administration made in filings last week that the lawsuit is unnecessary because the fund “is now not going forward.” […]

The financial health of Social Security and Medicare has worsened over the past year, with the programs’ trust funds expected to run dry three months sooner than anticipated, according to reports issued Tuesday by the programs’ trustees. Without any changes, the main Social Security trust fund would be depleted in the fourth quarter of 2032, […]