Democrat Vindman, known as a Trump whistleblower, wins competitive Virginia House race
Eugene Vindman, a former Army officer, focused his campaign on abortion rights and the threat of MAGA extremism on democracy.
Congress
Articles
Republicans take Senate majority and eye unified power with Trump
Republicans have taken control of the U.S. Senate and are fighting to keep their majority in the U.S. House, which would produce a full sweep of GOP power in Congress alongside President-elect Donald Trump in the White House.
Control of Congress at stake on Election Day
In the Senate, where Democrats now have a slim 51-49 majority, an early boost for Republicans is expected in West Virginia. Independent Sen. Joe Manchin’s retirement creates an opening that Republican Jim Justice, now the state’s governor, is favored to win.
Supreme Court will weigh in on new mostly Black Louisiana congressional district, after election
The Supreme Court said Monday it will take up a new redistricting case involving Louisiana’s congressional map with two mostly Black districts.
Intelligence officials say US adversaries are targeting congressional races with disinformation
It’s not just the presidential election: Foreign governments are targeting House and Senate races around the country in their effort to meddle with American democracy this election year, intelligence officials warned Monday.
Sweeping bill to overhaul Supreme Court would add six justices
The legislation by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, is one of the most ambitious proposals to remake a high court that has suffered a sharp decline in its public approval after a string of contentious decisions and ethics scandals in recent years.
Congress passes temporary bill to avoid shutdown as lawmakers punt spending decisions to December
Lawmakers in both chambers are anxious to return to their home states and districts to campaign, smoothing the path for passage of the temporary funding fix. But more arduous fiscal negotiations await them at the end of the year.
Former Indiana congressional candidate’s arrest connected to online intimidation, per new documents
Newly-unsealed court documents reveal a former Hoosier congressional candidate’s arrest and ongoing criminal case are connected to allegations of online threats and harassment he made against Indianapolis-based political commentator Abdul-Hakim Shabazz
House rejects temporary funding bill to avoid government shutdown
The next steps on government funding are uncertain. Lawmakers are not close to completing work on the dozen annual appropriations bills that will fund federal agencies during the next fiscal year.
Hotel rooms, apartments, second homes: Where do Indiana’s members of Congress live when in D.C.?
Hoosier representatives and senators all maintain homes in Indiana, and some additionally rent or own separate houses or apartments in D.C. Several of those with dual residences told the Indiana Capital Chronicle they chose to do so for their family’s sake, as well as to cut down on travel time and costs that mount up quickly from circling back and forth between cities.
House Republicans push to link government funding to a citizenship check for new voters
House Speaker Mike Johnson is heeding the demands of the more conservative wing of his Republican conference and has teed up a vote this week on a bill that would keep the federal government funded for six more months and require states to obtain proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, when registering a person to vote.
Senators urge better access to disability payments for long COVID patients
Several U.S. senators have called on the Social Security Administration to take steps to make it easier for people with long COVID to access disability benefits, actions that disability rights advocates and patients say are desperately needed.
Congress limps toward the end of a disappointing session, with just 78 laws to show
The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions, regardless of whether one party held control or voters elected a divided government.
Bill to create more federal judgeships passes U.S. Senate
A bipartisan bill co-authored by Indiana Republican Senator Todd Young has passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate and is now heading to the House of Representatives, as Congress looks to address judicial shortages in federal courts.
Legislation passed to address rape kit backlog in U.S.
President Joe Biden signed a bill Tuesday that will address the backlog of rape kits in the U.S. by opening funding for public crime laboratories to process DNA evidence from rapes and other violent crimes.
Congressional bill amendment would restrict use of DOJ funds for marijuana rescheduling
In Indiana, there will be no market unless the state’s legislature and a new governor finally pass a bill in 2025 that legalizes marijuana for either medical or recreational use.
American flags should be born in the USA now, too, Congress says
Congress has passed a proposal to require the federal government to purchase only American flags that have been completely manufactured in the U.S. The U.S. imports millions of American flags from overseas, mostly from China, and the sponsors of the proposal said it’s time for American flags to originate in the country they represent.
House votes to form task force to investigate shooting at Trump rally, recommend legislative fixes
The House voted Wednesday to form a task force to investigate the security failures surrounding the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump on July 13.
U.S. House passes bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal races
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would require individuals registering to vote to provide proof of citizenship to participate in federal elections.
House backs bills to roll back energy efficiency standards for refrigerators, dishwashers
House Republicans on Tuesday approved two bills rolling back Energy Department efficiency standards on refrigerators and dishwashers.