Trump Endorses Wyoming Senator for Next Senate GOP Whip

John Barrasso

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming to be the next Senate GOP whip Thursday.

Barrasso, who currently serves as the Senate Republican Conference chair, threw his hat in the race after current Minority Whip John Thune announced he’d vie to succeed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Trump threw his support behind Barrasso for the position in a Truth Social post after the chairman endorsed the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in early January for 2024.

Read the full story

John Barrasso Passes on Senate Leadership Run, Goes for Number Two Slot Instead

John Barrasso

Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, will not run for leadership of the conference following the retirement of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell from the position, according to a press release emailed to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Barrasso has served in the Senate since June 2007 and was elected chairman of the conference in 2018, where he is among a trio of senior senators alongside McConnell and Senate Minority Whip John Thune who lead Senate Republicans. After McConnell announced his retirement from his post on Feb. 28, Barrasso was speculated to be considering a candidacy for the leadership, but on Tuesday announced he was running for the role of Assistant Republican Leader, who nominally holds the role of the party whip.

Read the full story

Wisconsin Senator Johnson and Colleagues Urge White House to Reverse Major Climate Policies

Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson wrote jointly with several colleagues to President Joe Biden this week urging him to reverse major elements of his anti-fossil-fuel agenda. 

The letter from the senators takes issue with several actions the White House has taken to hinder investment in and use of oil, natural gas and coal in an effort the administration insists is important to lessening global warming. 

Read the full story

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson Running for Third Term in Wisconsin

Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson announced Sunday that he would run for a third term in 2022, setting up a race that could potentially determine control of the chamber.

Though Johnson said during his 2016 campaign that his next term would be his last, he remained noncommittal throughout 2021 as other Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, urged him to run.

Johnson wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal saying that the decision to run was not “made lightly,” discussing how the fact America is in “peril” influenced his choice. “Much as I’d like to ease into a quiet retirement, I don’t feel I should,” he wrote.

Read the full story

Senators Rally Support for Small Business Saturday

by Molly Prince   Senators from both sides of the aisle urged constituents on Saturday to shop at small businesses in support of their local communities in what has become the annual shopping holiday known as Small Business Saturday. “Happy Small Business Saturday! Take some time today to shop small in your community,” tweeted Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi. “Whether it be the mom and pop store in town or the local grocery store, we should support our small businesses that depend on us for their livelihood.” Republican Sens. Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and David Perdue of Georgia noted that small businesses are making communities stronger. Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Kansas Republican Sens. Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts referred to small businesses as the “backbone” of their states’ economies, and West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin called them the “heart of our economy.” Some Senators even provided fun facts to express the importance of buying local. Democratic Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Cory Booker of New Jersey noted that small businesses create two out of every three net new jobs, and Republican Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota added that 10 percent of all U.S. businesses are owned by veterans. Republican Sen.…

Read the full story

South Dakota Senator John Thune Disputes Claims Donald Trump Isn’t Involved in Health Care Talks

Sen. John Thune said Wednesday that President Trump is involved in the health care talks, despite reports that he’s actually removed from the negotiations. “The president has been very involved. He’s engaged with individual members that have specific concerns they want addressed. He’s engaged in our entire conference as you saw yesterday. He had all Republicans…

Read the full story