Government shutdown could become longest ever as Trump says he ‘won’t be extorted’ by Democrats
The government shutdown is poised to become the longest ever this week as the impasse between Democrats and Republicans has dragged into a new month.
U.S. Senate
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Vacancy looms as federal judge heads toward senior status
It’s taken a little longer than expected for the Biden Administration to announce a nominee for the Indiana Southern District Court’s impending vacancy.
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Filling the robes: Nominations still pending for Indiana district, appellate vacancies
Of all the current Indiana judicial nominees, Magistrate Judge Joshua Kolar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana is the farthest along on his route to fill a vacancy.
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From magistrate to district judge: After smooth confirmation, Brookman primed for new role on Indiana Southern District bench
Calm, works well with lawyers and litigants, and without a hint of personal or political agendas on the bench. That’s how colleagues, attorneys and judges describe Matthew Brookman.
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Web Exclusive: Supreme Court commission goes beyond ‘court packing’
President Joe Biden has created the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States, a group tasked with studying court reforms ranging from the number of justices to their tenure to their jurisdiction. But will the work of the commission lead to sweeping reforms?
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Senate Republicans vote down legislation to check Trump’s use of war powers against cartels
Senate Republicans voted down legislation Wednesday that would have put a check on President Donald Trump’s ability to use deadly military force against drug cartels.
Trump and Republican senators fight over a century-old tradition for judicial nominees
President Donald Trump says the Senate’s century-old tradition of allowing home state senators to sign off on some federal judge and U.S. attorney nominees is “old and outdated.” Republican senators disagree.
A Senate vote this week will test the popularity of DOGE spending cuts
Senate Republicans will test the popularity of Department of Government Efficiency spending cuts this week by aiming to pass President Donald Trump’s request to claw back $9.4 billion in public media and foreign aid spending.
Senate Republicans haul Trump’s big bill to passage after turbulent all-night session
Senate Republicans hauled President Donald Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts bill to passage Tuesday on the narrowest of votes, pushing past opposition from Democrats and their own GOP ranks after a turbulent overnight session.
Some of Trump’s loyalty-first picks for prosecutors draw opposition from senators who can block them
In the Senate, which must approve a president’s nominees for U.S. attorney, at least two Democrats are prepared to invoke a decades-old custom that affords home-state senators veto power.
Rokita, 22 other AGs supporting Trump’s embattled nominee for US attorney in DC
Their support comes as one key Republican senator has indicated he will oppose nominee Ed Martin, imperiling Martin’s bid.
US senators grill officials from 5 airlines over fees for seats and checked bags
Members of a U.S. Senate subcommittee took aim at airline executives Wednesday for using an expanding menu of fees to charge customers for early boarding, better seats and other comforts that used to be part of the ticket price.
Democrats strike deal to get more Biden judges confirmed before Congress adjourns
The Senate won’t hold votes on four of President Joe Biden’s appellate court nominees as part of a deal with Republicans to allow for speedier consideration of other judicial nominations and bring Biden within striking distance of the 234 total judicial confirmations that occurred during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term.
Matt Gaetz meets privately with senators to shore up support as House Ethics decision looms
President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, has launched an effort to personally secure his embattled nomination, meeting behind closed doors Wednesday with Republican senators who have questions about the sexual misconduct and other allegations against him.
A look at the candidates vying to be the next Senate majority leader
South Dakota Sen. John Thune, Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Florida Sen. Rick Scott have been furiously campaigning to win their colleagues’ support in the secret-ballot election Wednesday
Rep. Jim Banks easily wins Indiana’s open U.S. Senate race
Banks will replace Sen. Mike Braun, who won his race for Indiana governor, and will join fellow Republican Sen. Todd Young in representing Indiana in the U.S. Senate.
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.
Congress OKs bill overhauling oversight of troubled federal Bureau of Prisons
The Senate passed legislation Wednesday to overhaul oversight and bring greater transparency to the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons following reporting from The Associated Press that exposed systemic corruption in the federal prison system and increased congressional scrutiny.
‘Frustrating’ partisan stalemate: the new normal for farm bills?
The stalemate over the current farm bill may be solidifying a new era in farm politics as it joins the last three farm bills in a trend of delays and partisan division — a contrast from the legislation’s history of bipartisanship.
Gold bars and Sen. Bob Menendez’s curiosity about their price takes central role at bribery trial
The evidence is considered crucial in the government’s effort to prove that Menendez and his wife received gold bars, cash and a luxury car from 2018 to 2022 from three New Jersey businessmen who benefited from favors Menendez allegedly delivered in return.
John Rust files to terminate U.S. Senate committee, closing door on his campaign ‘for now’
Rust’s termination report, received by the Federal Election Commission on May 29, shows that the Seymour egg farmer’s campaign has zero cash on hand after tallying up his expenses and returning roughly $6,000 in contributions to himself and his brother.
Senate confirms 200th federal judge under Biden as Democrats surpass Trump’s pace
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed the 200th federal judge of President Joe Biden’s tenure, about a month earlier than when Donald Trump hit that mark in his term, though Trump still holds the edge when it comes to the most impactful confirmations — those to the Supreme Court and the country’s 13 appellate courts.
Senators urge $32 billion in emergency spending on AI after finishing yearlong review
A bipartisan group of four senators led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is recommending that Congress spend at least $32 billion over the next three years to develop artificial intelligence and place safeguards around it, writing in a new report released Wednesday that the U.S. needs to “harness the opportunities and address the risks” of the quickly developing technology.
Senate will convene the Mayorkas impeachment trial as Democrats plot a quick dismissal
Senate Democrats could end the impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday before arguments even begin.