The Senate broke a monthlong impasse on its annual defense policy bill and secured a deal that could see the legislation pass as soon as Thursday. Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) locked in an agreement on the floor to vote on 17 amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, a substantial package of […]
Category: Politics
Senate Majority Leader John Thune shot down speculation that Republicans would deploy the so-called nuclear option to break the funding stalemate. The idea has gained traction on social media, particularly among Democrats who already support getting rid of the 60-vote threshold needed for legislation. But it found a new footing when a sliver of GOP […]
Speaker Mike Johnson heard a plea from a military family to move legislation paying active-duty forces amid the government shutdown in a remarkable televised exchange Thursday. Johnson was already under pressure from a growing number of fellow House Republicans to pass legislation to prevent a potential missed paycheck due Oct. 15. But on C-SPAN, he […]
Rep. Ken Calvert, the House Republican in charge of defense funding, is throwing his weight behind a bipartisan bill that would allow members of the military to get paid during the government shutdown. It’s something of an act of defiance against GOP leaders who are now intimating they won’t allow a vote on such a […]
Chuck Schumer is winning over critics who bashed him for surrendering during this spring’s shutdown standoff. That could change fast. A POLITICO survey of Democratic lawmakers and activists finds that Schumer has exceeded their low expectations in the latest funding standoff. But they’re watching his actions closely, wary that Senate Democrats will cave if pressure […]
Chuck Schumer ended the last shutdown standoff as a villain to Democrats outraged at his decision to surrender to Republicans. This time, the Senate minority leader has heeded the party base, sparking a showdown that has kept government agencies closed for eight days and counting. So far, his former critics are impressed. But that doesn’t […]
Senate Democrats are warming up to an upstart oyster farmer in the crucial Maine Senate race. Now they’ll have to decide if they are willing to snub their party’s dream recruit to support him. So far, Graham Platner only has one public endorsement from a sitting senator, Vermont independent Bernie Sanders. But more than a […]
President Donald Trump’s administration is considering options to pay members of the military if the government shutdown drags on, according to two White House officials granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Those options include Trump shifting available funds or pressing Republican leaders on Capitol Hill to put a standalone troop pay bill on the floor, […]
The IRS said it was furloughing nearly half of its workforce and shuttering most operations Wednesday, but will continue work to implement President Donald Trump’s signature tax cuts. Work on preparing for next year’s tax-filing season will also continue, but numerous operations will be halted, including taxpayer services like call site operations. The agency will […]
Longtime Washington congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton raised just $3,200 for her reelection campaign last quarter, according to a campaign finance report filed Wednesday, as she faces serious primary challengers and questions about her ability to serve in Congress. Norton, 88, has repeatedly said she will seek reelection next year. But the capital city’s delegate […]