President Joe Biden signed legislation Saturday to keep open a number of federal departments following a Senate vote Friday night to pass the bill by a vote of 75-22.
Read the full storyTag: Senate
Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson Doesn’t Rule Out Senate Minority Leadership
Wisconsin’s Republican U.S. Senator says he’s not looking to become the next Republican leader, but he’s not ruling it out either.
Sen. Ron Johnson told News Talk 1130 WISN’s Jay Weber he is focused right now on organizing the search for someone to replace Mitch McConnell when McConnell leaves Senate leadership in November.
Read the full storySenate Approves Short-Term Funding Bill to Avert Shutdown
The Senate on Thursday approved a stopgap funding bill to delay the deadline to avert a government shutdown.
Read the full storyRepublican Businessman Challenges Vulnerable Democrat Senator in Wisconsin
Republican businessman Eric Hovde launched his highly anticipated campaign against Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin on Tuesday.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) recruited Hovde, who had been weighing a campaign for months, after other prominent Republicans like Reps. Mike Gallagher and Tom Tiffany declined to jump into the race. Hovde announced his campaign in a social media video posted on X, and called for the country to unite to “find common sense solutions to restore America.”
Read the full storyCommentary: Congress Must Fight Modern Day Slavery
On February 13, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act with a vote of 414-11. The bipartisan legislation, authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), will reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 – which expired in 2021 – and provide approximately $1 billion in funding over five years for programs that combat the scourge of human trafficking.
Among the measures included in the comprehensive legislation are educational grants to provide situational awareness training and prevention for elementary and secondary students; funding reauthorization for the International Megan’s Law and Angel Watch programs; and authorization for programs that support survivors’ employment, housing, and education.
Read the full storyCommentary: This Has to Be the End of the Road for Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell has to be finished as the caucus leader for the Republicans in the Senate. Now. He has to resign, and if he won’t, then that caucus needs to get together and force him out.
Now. Not next week, not next month, not after this election cycle. Now.
Read the full storyBorder Deal Tied to $118 Billion Foreign Aid Package Fails to Advance in Senate
The border deal that was negotiated in the Senate by a group of Democrats and Republicans and incorporated into a $118 billion foreign aid package failed to advance in the Senate on Wednesday.
Read the full storyTennessee Rep. Andy Ogles Previews Upcoming Vote on Mayorkas Impeachment, Senate Border Deal Discussions
U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) joined Monday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss the Senate’s so-called “border deal” and the House of Representatives’ upcoming vote on two articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
On the upcoming impeachment vote against Mayorkas, Ogles said the votes in the House “should be there” to impeach the secretary, adding, “We have an obligation to move forward and hold him accountable and put on the record that you can’t just ignore our laws in this country.”
Read the full storyFormer Trump Campaign Spokesman Steve Cortes Calls Senate Border Deal a ‘Monstrosity’
Steve Cortes, former senior spokesman and strategist for the 2016 and 2020 Trump campaigns and current head of the League of American Workers, joined Monday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss the Senate’s recently unveiled border deal.
On Sunday, the Senate Appropriations Committee announced the details of the $118.3 billion emergency spending package that would fund U.S. national security efforts in Ukraine, Israel, and at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Read the full storySteve Bannon, Former GOP Candidate Call on Republicans to ‘Stay in DC and Get Things Done’
Former Ohio gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Representative Jim Renacci has echoed WarRoom host Steve Bannon’s call on Republican lawmakers in Congress to “stop going home” and instead pass a budget instead of another continuing resolution.
Read the full storySenators Launch Bipartisan Effort to End Unemployment Payments for ‘Jobless Millionaires’
A bipartisan effort is underway in the Senate to end what lawmakers are calling unemployment payments for “jobless millionaires.”
“Nearly 15,000 people who made $1 million or more last year were paid over $200 million in jobless assistance,” according to statement released Thursday on the effort by bill co-sponsor Iowa GOP Sen. Joni Ernst.
Read the full storyTennessee Could be Next State to Call for Convention of States on Congressional Term Limits
After sailing through the Tennessee House of Representatives in March, a resolution proposing congressional term limits via constitutional amendment stands a solid chance of passing in the Senate, according to resolution proponents.
“I think it will go okay,” State Senator Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville), who recently announced that he will serve as Senate sponsor of House Joint Resolution 5, told The Tennessee Star.
Read the full storyTennessee Poll: Trump Leads Biden by 23 Points, Blackburn Up 20 Points over Johnson
The research firm Fabrizio, Lee & Associates recently published results of its poll revealing how likely voters in Tennessee would vote in the 2024 presidential and senate race.
Read the full storyArizona Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Kari Lake Calls on Rivals Gallego and Sinema to Condemn Campaign Donor, Council on American-Islamic Relations
GOP U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake is calling on her rivals in the critical race to condemn the anti-Israel Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and their Israel-hating keynote speaker, U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib (R-MI-12).
Tlaib, a Palestinian American member of the House’s radical “Squad” and ardent supporter of the leftist Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, is scheduled to speak at the Arizona chapter of CAIR’s annual banquet, slated for Nov. 18 in Mesa.
Read the full storyVance’s Amendment to Stop Mask Mandates Clears Senate
Part of U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance’s plan to stop federal mask mandates passed the Senate on Wednesday afternoon.
Vance, R-Ohio, attached an amendment that would ban federal mask mandates on public transit to the Senate minibus bill. The amendment cleared the Senate by a 59-38 vote.
Read the full story‘It’s Time to Cowboy Up’: Rick Scott Announces Largest Ad Buy of Any 2024 GOP Senate Candidate So Far
Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida announced a $3 million ad buy on Thursday, the largest of any 2024 Republican Senate candidate to date.
Scott, who defeated then-Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida in 2018 following a contentious recount battle, previously served two terms as governor of Florida, and he faces a challenge from former Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who is the current frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. “The game is now rigged against hardworking Americans who still believe in this country, believe in God and the American values of hard work, patriotism and self-reliance,” Scott says in the ad.
Read the full storyTennessee State Rep and Far Left U.S. Senate Candidate Gloria Johnson Calls for Cease-Fire Following Brutal Hamas Terrorist Attack on Israel
Tennessee State Representative and liberal U.S. Senate candidate Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) has been relatively quiet on terrorist group Hamas’ horrifying attack on innocent Israeli civilians, but the Tennessee leftist’s first response was to call for a cease-fire.
Johnson (pictured above), who gained national attention as a member of the so-called “Tennessee Three” disorderly Democrat state lawmakers, fired off a message on her X account as Hamas members were systematically raping and murdering Jews.
Read the full story‘Constitutional Crisis’: Wisconsin Senate President Chris Kapenga Calls on the Assembly to Impeach Rogue Elections Administrator
Senate President Chris Kapenga is urging the Assembly to take up the impeachment of rogue Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe, who was ousted by the Republican-controlled Senate nearly a month ago but refuses to step down.
In a letter to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), Kapenga wrote that it is unprecedented for a state appointee to refuse to obey the Senate through its advice and consent powers, as Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) Administrator Meagan Wolfe has done.
Read the full storyPotential Candidates California Gov. Gavin Newsom May Consider for Dianne Feinstein’s Vacant Seat
After Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California passed away on Friday, the Daily Caller News Foundation compiled a list of politicians who may be appointed to her seat by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, in keeping with his pledge to name a black woman to the position.
Newsom pledged to nominate a black woman to temporarily fill a potential vacancy in Feinstein’s seat in March of 2021, when health complications had raised questions about whether she would complete her term. After Newsom updated his pledge on Sept. 10, saying that he would only appoint someone who isn’t currently a candidate for the seat, the DCNF compiled a list of Democratic black women politicians from California who may be appointed based on his requirements.
Read the full storyHouse Passes Bill to Keep Government Open for 45 Days, Headed to Senate
The House passed a 45-day stopgap measure Saturday afternoon, according to multiple reports. The House has adjourned until Monday.
Read the full storyReport: Kari Lake to Wage Senate Bid Against Sinema, Gallego
Republican Kari Lake is reportedly going to announce her run for United States Senate in Arizona on Oct. 10, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
Shortly after the report, a media advisory was sent out from Lake’s team saying the former gubernatorial nominee is “expected to make an announcement about her future alongside thousands of Arizonans” with a rally in the Phoenix area.
Read the full storySenate Unanimously Approves Suit-and-Tie Dress Code
The Senate unanimously approved a suit-and-tie dress code in a resolution that came a week and a half after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that the decades-old unofficial policy would be relaxed.
Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney and West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin proposed the resolution with the new enforceable standards, which the Senate agreed to Wednesday by unanimous consent.
Read the full storyTennessee Senators Sign Letter Demanding Reversal of New Senate Dress Code Rules
Tennessee U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) joined 44 Republican colleagues in sending a letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) regarding his recent change to Senate rules, including loosening the dress code to no longer require business attire for members on the Senate floor.
Read the full storyWisconsin Republican Lawmakers Propose Resolution Seeking to Impeach Fired State Elections Administrator
Five Republican state representatives are seeking co-sponsorship on resolution to impeach embattled Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe, who was recently fired by the GOP-controlled state Senate but refuses to leave the post.
“Administrator Meagan Wolfe’s impeachment is warranted due to her maladministration during her tenure as the Administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, as evidenced by the 15 issues outlined in the attached resolution,” states the co-sponsorship memo sent to Assembly members on Thursday.
Read the full storyWisconsin State Senate Votes to Sack Controversial Elections Regulator, Overrides Evers’ Tax Cut Veto
Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled state Senate on Thursday rejected Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe’s nomination to serve another four-year term, a move that normally would end the controversial regulator’s tenure in office.
But liberals are already challenging the Senate’s overwhelming vote to fire Wolfe, and the bureaucrat has defiantly said she’s not going anywhere.
Read the full storyRomney Says Won’t Seek 2024 Senate Re-Election: ‘Time for a New Generation of Leaders’
Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney on Wednesday said he does not plan on running for reelection, ending decades in public office as he cites his age and says, “It’s time for a new generation of leaders.”
Read the full storyAs Wisconsin Senate Moves to Remove Controversial Elections Administrator, Legal Challenges Expected
Meagan Wolfe’s days as administrator of the troubled Wisconsin Elections Commission may be numbered.
The Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection voted 3-1 on Monday to reject the appointment of Wolfe, the controversial election regulator protected by the left and lambasted by conservatives.
Read the full storyTennessee Republicans Rally Behind Marsha Blackburn after State Rep. Gloria Johnson Announces Senate Bid
Republican state lawmakers and members of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation are rallying behind U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) after State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) officially announced her bid for Senate on Tuesday.
Read the full storyBlackburn Campaign Responds to State Rep. Gloria Johnson’s Bid for Senate
Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN) re-election campaign released a statement Tuesday following reports that State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) would announce her Democratic bid for Senate later in the day.
Read the full storyNovember Virginia General Assembly Results Difficult to Predict
Elections don’t get much juicier than those for Virginia’s 2023 General Assembly this November.
The big question in this election season: Will Republicans maintain control of the House of Delegates and flip the Senate, leading to a Republican trifecta for the commonwealth?
Read the full storyTop Montana State Republican Lawmakers Break from National GOP, Reveal Their Senate Pick
Republican leaders in both chambers of Montana’s state legislature along with 37 other lawmakers are backing U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale for Senate in 2024, who has yet to launch a bid and is not the favorite of the GOP in Washington, D.C.
Former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy was recruited to run by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Steve Daines of Montana and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and has received endorsements from GOP Gov. Greg Gianforte along with numerous other national Republicans. Montana’s Senate President Jason Ellsworth, Speaker of the House Matt Regier and other legislators argued Rosendale is the best candidate to beat Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and challenge the “establishment” in Washington, D.C., according to the letter.
Read the full storyU.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani Secures Pinal County Safety Provision in Bipartisan Aviation Package
U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) successfully secured a provision in Congress’ aviation re-authorization package to provide the Pinal County Airpark with an air traffic control tower to improve growth and safety in the state.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) re-authorization package refers to a periodic process through which Congress develops legislation to renew authorizing statutes as well as revise and update relevant laws governing civil aviation programs and functions primarily carried out by the FAA. In addition to funding and operations of the FAA, the context of FAA re-authorization also considers some aviation programs administered by other components of the Department of Transportation (DOT). The package is reconsidered every five years.
Read the full storyRoad to ’24 Roundup: Kari Lake Comes Back to the Hawkeye State, Burgum Buying Donations
Conservative firebrand Kari Lake is coming back to her home state to stump for Trump, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is paying cash for campaign contributions, and Chris Christie says he’s got the meat.
Here’s a look at the latest news from the presidential campaign trail in our Road to ’24 Roundup.
Read the full storyWisconsin Congressman Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Prevent Court Packing
U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08) re-introduced a constitutional amendment that would prevent court packing by locking in the size of the U.S. Supreme Court at the long-standing nine justices.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) originally proposed the amendment in 2019, and it was re-introduced in 2021 after President Joe Biden announced the creation of a commission to explore expanding the nine-member court and other “reforms.”
Read the full storyWisconsin Senator Drops F-Bomb During Senate Floor Speech, but There Probably Won’t Be Any Consequences for Decorum Breach
So much for Senate decorum.
Wisconsin state Senator LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee) dropped the f-bomb — and another bad word to boot — during Wednesday’s budget debate.
Read the full storyRepublican-Led Wisconsin Senate Turns Tables on Democrats in Resolution That Could Lead to Elections Commission Chief’s Ouster
In a move that turned the tables on Democrats who had played political games with the appointment of controversial Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe, the Republican-controlled state Senate late Wednesday evening dropped a surprise resolution that sets up a confirmation vote sources say Wolfe can’t win.
Democrats stormed out of the Senate Chamber, refusing to vote on the resolution.
Read the full storyFormer Assembly Elections Committee Chair Urges ‘No’ Vote on Controversial Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator
State Representative Janel Brandtjen (R-Menomonee Falls) is urging the Wisconsin Elections Commission to fire Meagan Wolfe, WEC’s controversial administrator.
The commission meets at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to take up Wolfe’s re-appointment to a four-year term. Her current term ends Friday.
Read the full storyControversial Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Sends Defiant Letter to Local Clerks as Her Future Remains Uncertain
Meagan Wolfe, the controversial administrator of the controversial Wisconsin Elections Commission, sent out a defiant letter on Wednesday to local elections officials as she looks to save her job.
Wolfe’s current term is set to expire in a couple of weeks, and, as she notes, her future is uncertain.
Read the full storyWisconsin Congressman Mike Gallagher to Run For House Again, Ending Speculation About a Senate Campaign
U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08) will seek re-election to his House seat in 2024, ending speculation that he would make a Senate run against two-term Democrat Senator Tammy Baldwin.
The four-term congressman is a rising star in Republican politics, playing a high profile role as chairman of the new Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
Read the full storyWisconsin Elections Commission Chief’s Controversial Tenure May Soon Be Coming to an End
The writing appears to be on the wall for controversial Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe, who is running out of time and friends in the Wisconsin State Senate.
Several legislative sources told The Wisconsin Daily Star that Wolfe doesn’t have enough votes to survive confirmation in the Wisconsin Senate, a reality that would bring her tenure as the administrative head of state elections regulation to an unceremonious end.
Read the full storyWisconsin Republicans Secure Supermajority in Senate, Gain Super Power
It wasn’t all bad news for conservatives in Tuesday’s election. While the right lost control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Republicans gained two-thirds — or supermajority power— in the state Senate.
State Representative Dan Knodl (R-Germantown) narrowly defeated environmental lawyer Jodi Habush Sinykin in the race for Wisconsin’s 8th Senate District Seat.
Read the full storyCommentary: Time for House to Join Senate, Reclaim Congress’ War Powers
The Senate voted overwhelmingly, and on a bipartisan basis, last week to repeal the obsolete 1991 and 2002 Iraq Authorized Use of Military Force resolutions by a vote of 66-30.
That is sound policy, as I previously wrote here. It’s time for the House of Representatives to debate the Senate-passed repeal, and while doing so, keep in mind the many reasons why it should repeal these vestigial AUMFs, given the current threat environment.
Read the full storyState Senator Chris Kapenga Commentary: We Need Voters to Weigh in on Bail Reform Amendment
I first ran for office because I saw problems in our state and wanted to be part of the solution for positive change. One such issue is the growing epidemic of crime in our communities.
My biggest frustration lately is seeing issues in our community, but having a Governor with whom the Legislature fundamentally disagrees on the solutions. It often feels like the wheels are spinning but we are going nowhere.
Read the full storyWisconsin Legislature Passes Key Crime Bills, Stops Evers Administration Rule on ‘Conversion Therapy’
In a busy and divisive day, the Republican-led Legislature on Wednesday passed several crime bills, a measure blocking what some say is the Evers administration’s assault on the First Amendment, and a resolution demanding the governor call an election for Secretary of State.
Many of the measures passed mostly along party lines, including a bill that defines “serious harm” and “violent crime” in state law. The proposal is tied to a bail reform constitutional amendment on next month’s spring election ballot. Under the amendment, judges would be allowed to consider expanded factors when issuing bail to violent offenders, beyond whether the defendant would show up for his court date.
Read the full storyGovernor Tony Evers Quickly Names Liberal Political Climber Godlewski Wisconsin Secretary of State after Long-Serving La Follette Retires
In a surprise move Friday, Governor Tony Evers hastily appointed former Democrat State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski Secretary of State after Doug La Follette suddenly resigned the post he’s held for nearly half a century.
Consider it a gift to the far left Godlewski, who ceded last year’s Democratic Party nomination for U.S. Senate to former Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes in his losing campaign against Wisconsin’s Republican senior U.S. Senator Ron Johnson.
Read the full storyBill Would Bring Back the Death Penalty in Iowa for One Heinous Crime
State. Senator Brad Zaun’s bill that would reinstate the death penalty in Iowa for those who sexually assault and then murder children survived the Legislature’s famous Funnel Week.
Zaun, R-Urbandale, joined The Iowa Star Monday on NewsTalk 1040 WHO to talk about the legislation and other bills moving forward in the Legislature.
Read the full storyCommentary: A Tactic House Republicans Can Use to De-Weaponize Government
The House “weaponization of government” hearings kicked off an excellent start for public awareness. But without a legislative agenda, the short-staffed subcommittee will show little enduring accomplishment.
House reformers don’t believe they can force some of the necessary changes because the Senate and Joe Biden oppose them. So they haven’t prepared a strategic legislative agenda.
Yet, there is reason for hope and change.
Read the full storyConservative Senators Demand Spending Cuts, Fiscal Reform in Debt Ceiling Deal
Fiscal hawks in the Senate reiterated their demands for fiscal reforms and spending cuts Tuesday as they voiced their support for House Republicans to lead the heavy-lifting on addressing the nation’s debt ceiling crisis.
“We have an opportunity to stop the madness, and it’s incumbent on the Republican majority in the House and Republicans in the Senate to use every lever point we have,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) at a press conference on the debt ceiling and runaway spending.
Read the full storyIndiana GOP Rep. Banks Launches Senate Campaign for GOP-Held Seat of Outgoing Braun
Indiana Republican Rep. Jim Banks on Tuesday announced his 2024 bid for the Senate seat of outgoing Sen. Mike Braun.
Banks in his announcement touted his conservative views.
Read the full storySenate Passes $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Spending Bill
The Senate on Thursday passed a massive $1.7 billion omnibus spending bill, sending the bill to the House for a hasty vote before midnight Friday to avert a partial government shutdown.
The bill includes at least $44 billion in additional money to help Ukraine thwart Russia’s invasion and was thrown into peril overnight by a GOP effort to force a vote on an amendment to the measure to extend a Trump-era effort to limit illegal immigration amid the pandemic by using a decades-old legal authority known as Title 42.
Read the full story