All articles tagged with #senate
The Kansas Senate race has unexpectedly become a critical battleground in the 2026 midterms, with polls showing Democrat Adam Hamilton nearly tied with incumbent Republican Roger Marshall. This contest threatens a 94-year Republican dominance of Kansas Senate seats, prompting major financial commitments from both national parties.
President Trump is making a third trip to Texas in one month to defend razor-thin Republican leads in the 2026 midterms. While he aims to energize the base, polls show his popularity is low, and key allies like Gov. Greg Abbott are skipping his San Antonio rally. Democrats argue the state is less conservative than it appears, while Republicans fear losing the Senate majority.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune stated there is no clear path forward for a bill to end the biannual clock change, highlighting legislative gridlock as midterm elections approach.
Senate Democrats blocked a bill combining a congressional stock trading ban with federal voter ID requirements, a move Republicans are leveraging to frame Democrats as opposing a widely popular measure. The vote failed 53-47, falling short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster, just weeks before the midterm elections. While 36 states already have voter ID laws, Democrats argue the federal proposal would disenfranchise minority voters, a stance Republicans claim is politically motivated to protect their base.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) is considering a presidential run in 2028 but has not made a decision, prioritizing his Senate re-election campaign. He expressed willingness to enter the race if he believes he can outperform other candidates, while declining to comment on Vice President JD Vance. The 2028 cycle features a crowded field with no formal announcements yet, including potential runs by Vance, Ted Cruz, and others.
President Trump posted what he claimed was Senator Tom Cotton's personal cell number on Truth Social to pressure the Arkansas Republican into supporting legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent. The move follows the House's July passage of the Sunshine Protection Act, which now faces a Senate block by Cotton, who argues permanent daylight saving time creates unsafe, dark winter mornings.
President Trump posted what he claimed was Senator Tom Cotton's personal cell number on Truth Social to pressure the Arkansas Republican into supporting the Sunshine Protection Act. The bill, which would make daylight saving time permanent, passed the House in July but faces Senate resistance. Cotton opposes the measure, citing dark winter mornings, while Trump argues the current system is costly and disruptive.
President Trump posted what appears to be Senator Tom Cotton's personal cell number on Truth Social to pressure the Arkansas Republican into supporting the Sunshine Protection Act. The bill, which passed the House in July, would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. Cotton opposes the measure, arguing it causes dark winter mornings, while Trump claims the current system is costly and disruptive.
President Trump posted what he claimed was Senator Tom Cotton’s phone number on Truth Social to pressure the Arkansas Republican into supporting the Sunshine Protection Act. The bill, which would make daylight saving time permanent, passed the House in July but faces resistance in the Senate. Trump argued that permanent daylight benefits golfers and farmers, while Cotton maintains that permanent daylight would leave children in the dark during winter mornings.
A bipartisan Senate permitting reform bill, co-sponsored by Sheldon Whitehouse and Martin Heinrich, aims to streamline energy project approvals and expand federal transmission authority. While the White House and Republicans support the measure, House Democrats led by Jared Huffman are stalling passage until after the midterm elections to leverage a potential Democratic majority. The legislation also targets utility monopolies, a shift from previous failed deals, though environmental groups remain divided on its provisions.
The U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan bill that would regulate college athlete compensation, limit transfers, and grant the NCAA an antitrust exemption. The legislation now moves to the House, where its future is uncertain, while critics argue it suppresses wages and benefits white administrators over Black athletes.
The U.S. Senate failed to advance the Stop Insider Trading Act on September 30, 2026, with the measure falling 53-47, seven votes short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster. The bill, which passed the House in July, would have prohibited members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing individual stocks. However, it included a provision requiring photo identification for all voters, including those casting mail ballots. Every Democratic and independent senator voted against the measure. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of attaching the voter ID requirement as a 'poison pill' to ensure the bill’s failure, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune defended the package as a common-sense reform. The vote occurred five weeks before the November midterm elections, as the Senate prepared to recess for the campaign season. Democrats argued the stock trading restrictions were insufficient because they allowed lawmakers to retain existing holdings and did not apply to the president or vice president. Republicans countered that Democrats prioritized political messaging over accountability, noting that the House had passed the measure with bipartisan support. The failure marks the latest in a series of unsuccessful attempts to pass federal voting restrictions and stock trading bans during the current congressional session.
Senate Democrats blocked the Ratepayer Protection Act, a bill passed by the House to address data center energy costs, arguing it lacked mandatory enforcement. The 57-43 vote failed to overcome a filibuster, denying vulnerable Ohio Senator Jon Husted a key campaign victory ahead of the midterms. While Republicans framed the bill as a bipartisan solution to rising utility bills, Democrats called it a 'toothless' messaging stunt. The defeat leaves the issue unresolved as the Senate recesses, with both parties scrambling to address voter concerns over affordability and AI infrastructure.
The U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act 77-22, advancing a bipartisan bill championed by Sen. Ted Cruz. The legislation caps agent commissions at 5%, mandates medical and academic protections for athletes, and restricts transfer eligibility. However, critics argue it grants the NCAA antitrust exemptions, fails to address collective bargaining, and weakens conference realignment restrictions, potentially undermining athlete rights and market fairness.
The US Senate blocked a resolution requiring the State Department to report on the deaths of nine American citizens in the West Bank and human rights violations in the territory. The measure failed 51-47 along party lines, with nearly all Democrats supporting it and all Republicans opposing it, except for Sen. Rand Paul. The vote highlights a hardening Democratic stance on Israel and ongoing disputes over US accountability for Israeli actions.