May 2026
Paxton defeat of Cornyn highlights Texas runoff night
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a combative, scandal-dogged disruptor who had the backing of President Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, delivered a thrashing to four-term Sen. John Cornyn in Tuesday’s Republican Senate primary runoff in the Lone Star State. Cornyn, an even-keeled establishment Republican who took pride in his mastery of the legislative process, […]
Alabama asks Supreme Court to allow use of new congressional map
Alabama officials asked the Supreme Court on Wednesday to halt a lower-court ruling that blocked the use of a new congressional map in this fall’s elections. In the pair of applications filed Wednesday, officials urged the justices to either pause the lower-court ruling pending a full appeal or set aside that ruling entirely. Officials asked […]
NDAA mark unveiled by House Armed Services Committee chairman
The House Armed Services Committee chairman released on Tuesday a proposed $1.15 trillion fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act that emphasizes bolstering America’s defense industry. The so-called “chairman’s mark” from Rep. Mike D. Rogers, R-Ala., would authorize almost $1.15 trillion for the base-budget part of President Donald Trump’s record $1.5 trillion defense proposal for fiscal […]
Immigration funding bill derailed
The surprise creation of a Justice Department “anti-weaponization” fund outraged Senate Republicans and disrupted plans to pass their reconciliation bill for immigration enforcement before the Memorial Day recess. CQ Roll Call’s Aris Folley and Jacob Fulton join host David Lerman in assessing the blowup and the challenge ahead for getting the reconciliation bill back on […]
Federal court blocks new Alabama congressional map
A federal court blocked Alabama from using its new congressional map in this fall’s elections, ruling Tuesday that it is still “intentionally discriminatory” against Black voters. The unanimous decision from a three-judge panel to grant a preliminary injunction adds to the legal drama around the state’s redistricting efforts, part of a flurry of fast-moving court […]
South Carolina lawmakers turn aside redistricting push
A push to redraw South Carolina’s congressional map for this year’s midterm elections fell short Tuesday, as several Republicans joined Democrats on a procedural vote that essentially halted a redistricting measure. The vote in the state Senate happened on the same day as the start of early voting for the June 9 primaries, which prompted […]
Trump tests midterm coattails with visit to Lawler’s ‘Harris district’
President Donald Trump put his midterm coattails to the test Friday by trekking into a New York House district won by Kamala Harris in the last presidential election. “It’s this radical turnaround, and we better do it fast, because we’re not going to have a New York left, and we got to have New York […]
Hantavirus, Ebola highlight political division over disease
The Trump administration’s shake-up of the United States’ public health apparatus in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has public health experts concerned about the country’s ability to respond to emerging disease outbreaks like hantavirus and Ebola. Whether that’s a concern for Congress, however, often depends on the member’s party — a reaction that should […]
At the Races: Choosin’ Texas
Welcome to a special edition of At the Races! Throughout the 2026 primary season, watch for these updates from the CQ Roll Call campaign team on what you need to know for election day. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. By Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire Texas Sen. […]
Funds to combat child exploitation added to reconciliation bill
The Homeland Security Department would get a new influx of funding to investigate child exploitation cases, including to identify victims of sexual abuse material online, under the GOP budget reconciliation bill. The $108.5 million added in a substitute amendment Tuesday would support hiring additional investigators and forensic analysts within the department. The roughly $72 billion immigration […]