US Senate

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In Maine, She Hopes to Become Oldest Freshman Senator Ever

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, 77, announces run to oust Republican Susan Collins, 72

(Newser) - She's in: Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, will try to unseat GOP Sen. Susan Collins in 2026, reports the New York Times . Mills, a two-term governor who cannot run for reelection, announced the move on Tuesday. She is expected to face a crowded Democratic primary, however. If she...

Democrats Get Good News in 2026 Quest for Senate

Sherrod Brown will try to reclaim his seat, is thought to have a strong chance

(Newser) - Sherrod Brown, the Ohio Democrat who lost his Senate seat last year, will try to get his job back, reports Cleveland.com and Axios . Brown hasn't made an official announcement about a 2026 run against GOP incumbent Sen. Jon Husted, but it's expected to come within the...

Survived a Fire or Flood? There May Be Mortgage Help Arriving

Senate bill offers pause on mortgage payments for federally backed loans for natural-disaster victims

(Newser) - New Senate legislation aims to give natural disaster survivors a bit more breathing room when it comes to paying their mortgages. The Mortgage Relief for Disaster Survivors Act, introduced Thursday by Sens. Adam Schiff of California and Michael Bennet of Colorado, would allow homeowners with federally backed loans in...

New Counterterror Chief Has Ties to Right-Wing Extremists

Joe Kent is confirmed to run National Counterterrorism Center in 52-44 vote

(Newser) - The Senate on Wednesday evening confirmed Joe Kent, President Trump's pick to lead the National Counterterrorism Center, with Republicans looking past his connections to right-wing extremists and support for conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol. Kent won confirmation on a 52-44 vote tally,...

Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' Is 'Evolving'

Senate GOP will be hustling over the weekend to work on passing legislation by July Fourth deadline

(Newser) - The Senate is expected to grind through a rare weekend session as Republicans race to pass President Trump's package of tax breaks and spending cuts, aka his "big beautiful bill," by his July Fourth deadline. Republicans are using their congressional majorities to push aside Democratic opposition, but...

Senate Passes Bill to Throw Out Tax on Tips

Legislation for a tax deduction worth up to $25K is due to move on to the House next

(Newser) - President Trump's campaign promise to nix federal taxes on tips has just moved a step closer to becoming reality. On Tuesday, the US Senate gave the thumbs-up to legislation that would do just that, meaning the No Tax on Tips Act introduced by GOP Sen. Ted Cruz in January...

Dick Durbin Won't Seek Reelection
Dick Durbin Won't
Seek Reelection
Apr 23, 2025 11:04 AM CDT

Dick Durbin Won't Seek Reelection

The Senate's No. 2 Democrat says he's out after more than 4 decades in Congress

(Newser) - Dick Durbin, the 80-year-old Democratic Illinois senator who's served in Congress for more than four decades, has announced he won't seek reelection in 2026, reports the New York Times . It's another blow for Senate Democrats, who have thus far seen Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Gary Peters...

Senate OKs Plan for Spending Cuts, Tax Breaks After All-Nighter

The 51-48 vote in GOP's favor saw 2 prominent Republican defections: Susan Collins, Rand Paul

(Newser) - Senate Republicans plugged away overnight and into early Saturday morning to approve their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks and spending cuts framework, hurtling past Democratic opposition toward what President Trump calls the "big, beautiful bill" that's central to his agenda. The vote, 51-48, fell along mostly party lines, but with...

Senate Votes Down Basis for Trump's Tariffs on Canada

Republicans join resolution against emergency declaration on fentanyl

(Newser) - The Senate passed a resolution Wednesday night that would thwart President Trump's ability to impose tariffs on Canada, delivering a rare rebuke just hours after the president unveiled sweeping plans to clamp down on international trade. The Senate resolution, passed on a 51-48 vote, would end Trump's emergency...

Before His 25-Hour Speech, Booker Fasted and Dehydrated

It's not something doctors advise, though one calls it 'an amazing physical feat'

(Newser) - A lot of work went into Sen. Cory Booker's 25-hour speech that ended Tuesday night on the Senate floor: He brought with him 1,164 pages of prepared material to draw from. The physical preparation was simple: "I think I stopped eating on Friday, and then to stop...

Buttigieg's Political Plans Just Clarified

He won't run for Senate in Michigan, setting him up for a presidential bid in 2028

(Newser) - It looks like Pete Buttigieg will be running for president again in 2028. The former transportation secretary has decided not to run for Michigan's open Senate seat in 2026 after determining that it would be near impossible to run for president, too, reports Politico and the New York Times ...

Budget Framework Passes After All-Night 'Vote-a-Rama'

Rand Paul was the only Republican to vote against measure supporting Trump's agenda

(Newser) - Republican senators pushed a $340 billion budget framework to passage early Friday, chugging through an all-night session and Democratic opposition in a step toward unleashing money the Trump administration says it needs for mass deportations and border security. The hours-long "vote-a-rama" rambled along in a dreaded but crucial part...

Report: Tim Walz's Next Move Might Be Senate Run

Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith has decided not to run again next year

(Newser) - The Harris-Walz ticket wasn't a winning one, but Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz might be returning to Washington, DC, via a different route. Democratic Sen. Tina Smith announced Thursday that she will retire when her term is up next year, and sources tell Politico that Walz is considering a run...

DeSantis Names Marco Rubio's Successor in the Senate
DeSantis Names
Florida's Next Senator
Jan 16, 2025 10:10 AM CST

DeSantis Names Florida's Next Senator

She's state Attorney General Ashley Moody

(Newser) - Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody will take Marco Rubio's seat in the US Senate, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday, making Moody only the second woman to represent Florida in the chamber. Elected as the state's top law-enforcement officer in 2018, Moody campaigned on a pledge to voters that...

As He Heads Out, Biden Beats a Trump Record

President secures his 235th judicial confirmation, the most in single term since Jimmy Carter

(Newser) - President Biden secured the 235th judicial confirmation of his presidency on Friday, an accomplishment that exceeds his predecessor's total by one after Democrats put extra emphasis on the federal courts following Donald Trump's far-reaching first term, when he filled three seats on the Supreme Court. Senate Majority Leader...

GOP Flips Another Senate Seat
Another Senate Seat Flips
Nov 8, 2024 5:00 AM CST

Another Senate Seat Flips

Republican David McCormick defeats Bob Casey in Pennsylvania; Casey has yet to concede

(Newser) - Republican David McCormick has won Pennsylvania's pivotal US Senate seat. The former CEO of the world's largest hedge fund beat three-term Democratic Sen. Bob Casey in Tuesday's election after accusing the incumbent of supporting policies that led to inflation, domestic turmoil, and war. The victory pads Republicans'...

Senate Race Has a Whole Bunch of Nail-Biters
Dems on Defense in Senate
Race, With Possible Upsets
THE RUNDOWN
Nov 5, 2024 7:31 AM CST

Dems on Defense in Senate Race, With Possible Upsets

Among them: Ted Cruz vs. Colin Allred in Texas, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell vs. Rick Scott in Florida

(Newser) - Democrats currently claim the slimmest majority in the US Senate, 51-49, but they're playing defense heading into Election Day, almost certainly losing Joe Manchin's seat in West Virginia to a Republican and defending seven seats in conservative or swing states, reports NPR . There are 34 seats in total...

Senate Report Doesn't Spare Boeing—or the FAA

Following the January door plug incident, 'schedule pressure is still significant'

(Newser) - The results of a Senate Permanent Subcommittee special investigation of Boeing's safety culture and practices are out, and they aren't going to be a source of relief for the beleaguered company. KOMO reports the report , in which it was revealed that Boeing factory workers felt pressured to focus...

Bad News for Ted Cruz in Latest Poll
Bad News for
Ted Cruz in
Latest Poll
Sep 21, 2024 11:00 AM CDT

Bad News for Ted Cruz in Latest Poll

For first time, Dem challenger Colin Allred pulls ahead of GOPer in race for Cruz's US Senate seat

(Newser) - Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and his Democratic challenger in November, Rep. Colin Allred, have agreed to debate each other next month, and a new poll suggests Cruz had better bring his A game for that matchup. Per Newsweek , in the latest survey by Morning Consult , conducted among more...

US Senate OKs Spying Bill, Despite Privacy Worries

Bipartisan vote gives thumbs-up to reauthorization of FISA surveillance program

(Newser) - Barely missing its midnight deadline, the Senate voted early Saturday to reauthorize a key US surveillance law after divisions over whether the FBI should be restricted from using the program to search for Americans' data nearly forced the statute to lapse. The legislation approved 60-34 with bipartisan support would extend...

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