House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Thursday he opposes the new Trump administration “zero-tolerance” policy of forcibly separating immigrant children from their parents at the border. Ryan said Congress should address the issue with legislation, and a draft of a compromise immigration bill that circulated on Capitol Hill late Thursday would end the practice of…
Blake Farenthold, disgraced former Texas GOP congressman, says he won’t pay for the special election to replace him nor the $84,000 sexual harassment claim paid for with taxpayer dollars. Gov. Greg Abbott called for the special election even though the regular election to fill Farenthold’s seat will occur this November. Gov. Abbott is not going…
After months of bending over backwards far enough to kiss his own butt, deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein broke bad at a question and answer session after his speech on “The Rule of Law” at the Newseum on Tuesday. Rosenstein defended the Justice Department and laughed at ultra Conservative Republicans who have drafted articles of…
The expensive tastes of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson are under renewed scrutiny after leaked emails appeared to show he was personally involved in choosing a wildly expensive furniture set for his office’s dining room—a claim that he previously denied. An email from August seen by CNN, sent by department staffer to Carson’s…
Mitt Romney said in a video announcement Friday that he will run for the US Senate from Utah, setting out on a glide path to Washington where he will likely play a central role driving the direction of the fractious Republican Party. “I have decided to run for United States Senate because I believe I…
Watch MSNBC LIVE CLICK HERE FOR POLITICS STREAM President Trump on Friday approved the complete declassification of a controversial memo compiled by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee. The four-page memo, compiled by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), was subsequently released by the House. It purports to contain proof of “a troubling breakdown of legal processes…
With no deal made Sunday night, the Senate adjourned and will vote at noon Monday on a bill to reopen the government for at least three weeks. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) wanted to hold a vote at 10 p.m. Sunday, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) objected, saying there still wasn’t a…
U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore’s wife dismissed allegations of anti-Semitism on Monday night by claiming that she and her husband have Jewish friends, including their lawyer. “Fake news will tell you that we don’t care for Jews,” Kayla Moore told rally-goers on the eve of the election, according to reporters on the scene. “One of…
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) could complicate things for the Republicans as they try to pass their tax overhaul, having told reporters on Thursday he won’t support the legislation unless it increases the refundable portion of the child tax credit. Senate and House Republicans say they have reached an agreement on a tax bill, which lowers…
The polls are mixed and pollsters flummoxed heading into Alabama’s Dec. 12 special election for a Senate seat, with many Republicans leery of both Republican Roy Moore, credibly accused of sexual improprieties with teenage girls as young as 14, and Democrat Doug Jones, because he’s a Democrat. On Monday morning, President Trump moved from criticizing…
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Thursday announced that he is voting in favor of the Senate GOP’s tax overhaul bill, a major win for Republican leadership. “I believe this legislation, though far from perfect, would enhance American competitiveness, boost the economy, and provide long overdue tax relief for middle class families,” McCain said in a…
Four women have come forward to The Washington Post alleging that Roy Moore—the former Alabama judge who was twice removed from the state’s supreme court and is currently the GOP nominee for Senate—pursued them for sexual relationships when they were young teens. More than one of the women reportedly said he pursued her when she…
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) announced on Thursday that he would not seek re-election to the House in 2018. Goodlatte, 65, has represented Virginia’s 6th Congressional District since 1993, and has served as the chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee since 2013. “With my time as chairman of the Judiciary Committee ending in December 2018,…
On Saturday afternoon a Kentucky man was arrested after he assaulted Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) at Paul’s residence. It is being reported that the Kentucky lawmaker suffered minor injuries from the altercation. According to police, 59-year-old Rene A. Boucher “intentionally assaulted Paul causing minor injury.” The police responded to a call at the senator’s home…
Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) is worried that President Trump’s threats against leaders of other countries could put the United States “on the path to World War III,” he told The New York Times Sunday. Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Trump treats the presidency like a “reality show” and acts “like he’s…
Senate Republicans decided Tuesday that they will not vote on their health-care bill after efforts to garner support for the legislation fell short. The bill, named for co-sponsors Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), appeared doomed on Monday when moderate Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) joined Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)…
Former Massachusetts Gov. and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is planning to run for Senate in 2018 if Sen. Orrin Hatch decides to retire, the Utah Policy website reported Monday. Hatch previously said he would run if his and his wife’s health is good, but has not yet committed to running for an eighth term.…
The White House is reportedly urging Republican lawmakers to defend President Trump as “entirely correct” in his assertion that Saturday’s violence in Charlottesville was partly caused by counter-protesters demonstrating against racism. In its daily “evening communications briefing” sent out to Republican members of Congress late Tuesday, the White House encourages members of the party to…
According to a WaPo poll more than half of Republicans think the 2020 election should be postponed “until the country can make sure that only eligible American citizens can vote”. Those fears likely stem from President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions, in attempts to explain away the fact that he lost the popular vote by close…
John McCain will return to Congress on Tuesday for a vote on the Senate’s yet-to-be-announced health-care policy, the Arizona Republican’s office said in a statement Monday night. McCain was recently announced to have brain cancer, and is on medical leave recovering from a tumor removal this month. His vote is critical for GOP senators hoping…
On Monday, the Republican hopes to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act essentially died, but by Tuesday morning the GOP was already moving on to the next big battle, a tax overhaul. On Tuesday morning, the House Budget Committee released its 2018 budget blueprint, which calls for significant increases in defense spending matched by…
Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) surgery to remove a blood clot above his left eye has put the Senate GOP’s health-care bill in limbo, with neurosurgery experts saying his recovery could take at least a week or two. McCain’s office has suggested he could be back to work within days. Without McCain’s vote, Senate Republican leaders…
The Senate GOP’s latest attempt to rewrite the Affordable Care Act showed few signs of gaining traction Thursday, further imperiling the party’s quest to overhaul Barack Obama’s 2010 health-care law. At least three Republican senators said Thursday they remained opposed to bringing up the revised bill, while two rank-and-file Republicans announced plans to offer their…
A Republican congressman is in hot water with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum for filming a video inside a former gas chamber at the Nazi death camp. U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana can be seen in a video posted to YouTube narrating a five-minute clip shot at Auschwitz, where he comments on the Holocaust…
Senators left Washington on Thursday night for a 10-day break without voting on the Senate Republican health-care bill, and after a day of negotiations Senate GOP leaders still did not have the pieces in place for a plan that could get 50 of their 52 votes. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and the White…
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) tweeted Monday evening that she will vote no on a motion to proceed on the Senate health-care bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act. Collins made the announcement a few hours after the Congressional Budget Office released its preliminary analysis of the Republicans’ proposal, estimating that in 10 years, 22 million more…
Senate Republicans unveiled their version of a health-care overhaul Thursday that eliminates many provisions included in the Affordable Care Act. The bill would cut Medicaid, end the ACA’s mandate that Americans must have health insurance or pay a fine, and allow states to drop previously required benefits. The Senate bill maintains the structure of the…
Senate leaders on Wednesday began circulating a discussion draft of their proposal to replace ObamaCare a day before its scheduled formal release. The working document seeks to roll back taxes and penalties in the Affordable Care Act, cut back its Medicaid expansion, change the Obama-era health law’s subsidies, and give states more flexibility to opt…
A gunman opened fire Wednesday morning in Alexandria, Virginia, targeting Republican lawmakers practicing for the annual Congressional Baseball Game. The FBI said five individuals were shot: a Capitol Police officer, who remains hospitalized; Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.); congressional aide Zachary Barth; lobbyist Matt Mika; and the assailant, by armed officers. Scalise was shot in…
President Trump’s son Eric went on a tirade against Democrats on Fox News on Tuesday night, declaring members of the opposing political party “not even human.” In an interview with Sean Hannity, Eric Trump lashed out at Democrats for what he described as obstructing his father’s agenda. “I’ve never seen hatred like this. To me,…
