Congress

A key player in crafting and pushing bipartisan legislation aimed at building guardrails around college sports through the Senate said last week outreach to House members had begun. But it is unclear whether President Donald Trump will help reconcile differences as he focuses on the midterms and other priorities. The Senate on Sept. 28 passed […]

With members largely in their districts to campaign in the final stretch before midterms, the House and Senate have transitioned to “pro forma” mode. But the rhythm of chambers gaveling in briefly every few days can mask the political undercurrents in the constant push and pull of power between Congress and the executive branch. That […]

The Trump administration is now facing a bevy of federal lawsuits over its effort to claw back about $810 million in federal funding without Congress’ approval. The administration announced the cancellation last week, through a maneuver known as a “pocket rescission,” days before the funding expired at the end of the fiscal year Wednesday. Now […]

On the surface, it wouldn’t seem like an early-aughts teen comedy has much in common with the drawing of congressional maps.  Don’t tell that to Rory Riley Topping and Josh Rultenberg, who spend a good chunk of their new book referencing “Mean Girls.” The authors of “Draw the Line in Ohio” are on a mission […]

As senators looked for the exits this week, Republican leaders forced votes on two hot-topic campaign issues: data center electricity costs and lawmakers’ ability to buy and sell stocks. Democrats tried to label both as “toothless” last-ditch messaging bids, saying Republicans are merely trying to boost their sagging polls as they fight to retain their […]

In a stance that puts him at odds with much of his party and the White House, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., used a Senate hearing on Wednesday to call for new artificial intelligence regulations, including through his own upcoming legislation that would clarify liability for “rogue” AI hacking incidents. At the hearing on national security […]

​Senate appropriators from both parties are workshopping language that could be added to a spending bill to prevent the White House from exerting political influence on medical research grants. The provision would go into the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill that lawmakers hope to pass before stopgap funding expires Dec. 11. The senators, led by Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, and ranking […]

The Supreme Court agreed Thursday to hear a dispute about the legality of the Trump administration’s mandatory detention policy for many immigrants facing deportation. The brief order sets up another high-profile fight during the coming term, when the justices will also hear issues ranging from gun rights to civil rights. The administration has argued that […]

Legislation reversing a decade of Medicare payment policy that made it too expensive for many seniors to buy ultra-lightweight manual wheelchairs is on its way to President Donald Trump’s desk after the Senate quietly cleared it late Wednesday night. As one of the chamber’s last acts before adjourning for the midterm recess, the Senate by […]

The Supreme Court begins its new term Monday facing cases on Americans’ civil rights, federalist struggles between states and the federal government, and the looming specter of more last-second litigation over the coming midterm elections. The court, currently controlled by six conservative appointees, has stocked its docket with fights over climate change, voting rights, gun […]