Page 3 - Us Senate

Senate vote fails to end shutdown as Democrats push for healthcare funding

A vote to end the government shutdown hours after it began failed on Wednesday, as Democrats in the Senate held firm to the party's demands to fund health care subsidies that President Donald Trump and Republicans refuse to provide. The tally showed cracks in the Democrats' resolve but offered no breakthrough. Blame was being cast on all sides on the first day of the shutdown. The White House and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep programs and services open, throwing the country into a new cycle of uncertainty. Roughly 750,000 federal workers were expected to be furloughed, with some potentially fired by Trump's Republican administration. Many offices will be shuttered, perhaps permanently, as the president vows to "do things that are irreversible" to punish Democrats. Trump's deportation agenda is expected to run full speed ahead, while education, environmental and other services sputter. The economic fallout is expected to ripple nationwide. I certainly pray they will

US govt shutdown draws closer as congressional leaders head to White House

Democratic and Republican congressional leaders are heading to the White House for a meeting with President Donald Trump on Monday in a late effort to avoid a government shutdown, but both sides have shown hardly any willingness to budge from their entrenched positions. If government funding legislation is not passed by Congress and signed by Trump on Tuesday night, many government offices across the nation will be temporarily shuttered and non-exempt federal employees will be furloughed, adding to the strain on workers and the nation's economy. Republicans are daring Democrats to vote against legislation that would keep government funding mostly at current levels, but Democrats so far have held firm. They are using one of their few points of leverage to demand that Congress take up legislation to extend health care benefits. The meeting is a first step, but only a first step. We need a serious negotiation, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in an interview Sunday on NBC's

US Senate confirms Mike Waltz as Trump's ambassador to UN after delays

The Senate on Friday confirmed Mike Waltz to be the next US ambassador to the United Nations, filling the last vacancy in President Donald Trump's Cabinet after eight months of delays and the withdrawal of a previous nominee. The bipartisan vote for Waltz came after a recent procedural hurdle sent his nomination back to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where it had to be voted on again on Wednesday. The Senate did not vote on a separate matter that would formally designate Waltz as a representative at the General Assembly, due to objections from Democrats, according to a person familiar with the Senate deliberations. It is unclear how or whether Waltz would be able to participate at the annual gathering in New York next week. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.

Trump predicts US govt could shut down on Oct 1 amid funding stalemate

Democrats are demanding a boost to health care spending while Republicans refuse to go along and instead back a simple bill to keep the lights on through Nov 21

Judge rules Trump admin illegally fired thousands of probationary workers

The Trump administration's central human resources office acted illegally when it directed the mass firings of probationary workers as part of President Donald Trump's efforts to downsize the federal workforce, a judge has ruled. US District Judge William Alsup of San Francisco said Friday in awarding judgment to a coalition of labour unions and nonprofits that the US Office of Personnel Management "unlawfully exceeded its own powers and usurped and exercised powers reserved by Congress to each individual" federal agency to hire and fire its own workers. He said the government "disagrees but does not persuade" in its defence that the office did not direct employment decisions, but merely offered guidance to other agencies. "Judge Alsup's decision makes clear that thousands of probationary workers were wrongfully fired, exposes the sham record the government relied upon, and requires the government to tell the wrongly terminated employees that OPM's reasoning for firing them was ...

Trump downplays his letter to Epstein released by Dems; calls it 'nonsense'

The document, shared on House Democrats' X account, reignited an uproar against the Trump administration for its handling of the Epstein case

Kennedy Jr grilled in Senate on vaccine policies; Trump says he means well

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, facing pointed bipartisan questioning at a rancorous three-hour Senate committee hearing on Thursday, tried to defend his efforts to pull back Covid-19 vaccine recommendations and explain the turmoil he has created at federal health agencies. Kennedy said the fired CDC director was untrustworthy, stood by his past anti-vaccine rhetoric, and disputed reports of people saying they have had difficulty getting Covid-19 shots. A longtime leader in the anti-vaccine movement, Kennedy has made sweeping changes to agencies tasked with public health policy and scientific research by laying off thousands of workers, firing science advisers and remaking vaccine guidelines. The moves -- some of which contradict assurances he made during his confirmation hearings -- have rattled medical groups and officials in several Democratic-led states, which have responded with their own vaccine advice. Medical groups and several Democrats in Congress have called for

Trump removes Billy Long as IRS commissioner in less than 2 months

President Donald Trump has removed former US Rep Billy Long as IRS commissioner less than two months after his confirmation, a White House official said Friday. The official, who was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not give a reason for the dismissal. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will serve as acting commissioner, the official said. The Senate confirmed Long on a 53-44 vote despite Democrats' concerns about the Republican's past work for a firm that pitched a fraud-ridden coronavirus pandemic-era tax break and about campaign contributions he received after Trump nominated him. While in Congress, where he served from 2011 to 2023, Long sponsored legislation to get rid of the IRS. A former auctioneer, Long has no background in tax administration.

US Senate approves Trump's $9 bn cut on foreign aid, public broadcasting

US Senate narrowly passes $9 billion Trump budget cut targeting public broadcasting and foreign aid; measure heads to House amid mounting criticism

Trump's push to reclaim $9 bn in foreign aid, media funds gets Senate nod

President Donald Trump's request to cancel about USD 9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting spending is nearing passage in the Senate, an action that would have a tiny impact on the nation's rising debt but could have major ramifications for future spending fights in Congress. Spending bills generally need bipartisan support to advance in the Senate. But the legislation before the Senate gives Republicans the opportunity to undo some of the previously approved spending without Democratic support. The measure contains Trump's efforts to target the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and roll back some of the humanitarian and economic assistance the US provides internationally. The Trump administration is promising more rescission packages to come if the first effort is successful. Democrats say doing so upends a legislative process that typically requires lawmakers from both parties to work together to fund the nation's priorities. The move to claw back a sliver of federal

Senate votes to move ahead with Trump's request for $9 bn in spending cuts

Senate Republicans on Tuesday advanced President Donald Trump's request to cancel some USD 9 billion in previously approved spending, overcoming concerns from some lawmakers about what the rescissions could mean for impoverished people around the globe and for public radio and television stations in their home states. The Senate vote was 50-50, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie. A final vote in the Senate could occur as early as Wednesday. The bill would then return to the House for another vote before it would go to Trump's desk for his signature before a Friday deadline. Republicans winnowed down the president's request by taking out his proposed USD 400 million cut to a programme known as PEPFAR. That change increased the prospects for the bill's passage. The politically popular programme is credited with saving millions of lives since its creation under then-President George W. Bush to combat HIV/AIDS. The president is also looking to claw back money for foreign aid

Trump signs his 'big, beautiful' tax bill at White House ceremony

The legislative milestone reinforces Trump's grip on the Republican Party, whose Capitol Hill leaders muscled the bill through the House and Senate this week

State AI law ban dropped from Trump's tax bill after GOP rift over rules

A controversial bid to deter states from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade seemed on its way to passing as the Republican tax cut and spending bill championed by President Donald Trump worked its way through the US Senate. But as the bill neared a final vote, a relentless campaign against it by a constellation of conservatives including Republican governors, lawmakers, think tanks and social groups had been eroding support. One, conservative activist Mike Davis, appeared on the show of right-wing podcaster Steve Bannon, urging viewers to call their senators to reject this AI amnesty for trillion-dollar Big Tech monopolists. He said he also texted with Trump directly, advising the president to stay neutral on the issue despite what Davis characterised as significant pressure from White House AI czar David Sacks, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and others. Conservatives passionate about getting rid of the provision had spent weeks fighting others

House resumes as GOP leaders try to win over holdouts on Trump's tax bill

The House sprang back to action late Wednesday after a prolonged stalemate as Republican leaders spent the afternoon and evening working furiously to convince sceptics to support President Donald Trump's tax and spending cuts package and send it to his desk by the Fourth of July deadline. The day evolved into one of fast starts and hard stops, as Speaker Mike Johnson recalled lawmakers to Washington. GOP leadership vowed immediate consideration of the 887-bill, eager to seize on the momentum of its passage the day before in the Senate. But after a quick procedural vote in the morning, the chamber stood idle for more than seven hours as GOP lawmakers met with Trump at the White House and others shuttled in and out of the speaker's office for private meetings. The American people gave us a clear mandate, and after four years of Democrat failure, we intend to deliver without delay, the top four House GOP leaders said after the Senate passed the bill Tuesday, thanks to Vice President JD

Explained: Breaking down the 900-page Big Beautiful Bill | Donald Trump | US News

US President Donald Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ cleared the Senate yesterday after an 18-hour voting marathon. The bill had sparked political fireworks for weeks.

Trump calls 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' a win for Americans after Senate nod

After the US Senate passed the bill with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie, Trump urged lawmakers to present it to his desk before Independence Day

Senate passes Trump's 'Big and Beautiful' Bill as Vance breaks tie

Senate Republicans hauled President Donald Trump's big tax breaks and spending cuts bill to passage Tuesday on the narrowest of votes, pushing past opposition from Democrats and their own GOP ranks after a turbulent overnight session. Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie to push it over the top. The three Republicans opposing the bill were Sens Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Sen Rand Paul of Kentucky. The outcome capped an unusually tense weekend of work at the Capitol, the president's signature legislative priority teetering on the edge of approval, or collapse. The difficulty it took for Republicans, who have the majority hold in Congress, to wrestle the bill to this point is not expected to let up. The package now goes back to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson had warned senators not to deviate too far from what his chamber had already approved. But the Senate did make changes, particularly to Medicaid, risking more problems as they race to ...

Long day in Senate as GOP tries to gather support on Trump's big bill

The Senate's long day of voting churned toward evening Monday, with Republican leaders grasping for ways to shore up support for President Donald Trump's big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts while fending off proposed amendments from Democrats who oppose the package and are trying to defeat it. The outcome was not yet in sight. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota acknowledged the Republicans are figuring out how to get to the end game". And House Speaker Mike Johnson signalled the potential problems the Senate package could face when it is eventually sent back to his chamber for a final round of voting, which was expected later this week, ahead of Trump's July 4 deadline. I have prevailed upon my Senate colleagues to please, please, please keep it as close to the House product as possible, Johnson, the Louisiana Republican, said as he left the Capitol around dinnertime. It's a pivotal moment for the Republicans, who have control of Congress and are racing to wrap

Debate underway in Senate on Trump's big bill, but overnight voting delayed

Debate is underway in the Senate for an all-night session Sunday, with Republicans wrestling President Donald Trump's big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts over mounting Democratic opposition and even some brake-pumping over the budget slashing by the president himself. The outcome from the weekend of work in the Senate remains uncertain and highly volatile, and overnight voting has been pushed off until Monday. GOP leaders are rushing to meet Trump's Fourth of July deadline to pass the package, but they barely secured enough support to muscle it past a procedural Saturday night hurdle in a tense scene. A handful of Republican holdouts revolted, and it took phone calls from Trump and a visit from Vice President JD Vance to keep it on track. GOP Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced Sunday he would not seek reelection after Trump badgered him for saying he could not vote for the bill with its steep Medicaid cuts. A new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budge

Trump's tax, spending cuts bill clears key Senate vote before July 4

Senate Republicans voting in a dramatic late Saturday session narrowly cleared a key procedural step as they race to advance President Donald Trump's package of tax breaks, spending cuts and bolstered deportation funds by his July Fourth deadline. The tally, 51-49, came after a tumultuous session with Vice President JD Vance on hand if needed to break the tie. Tense scenes played out in the chamber as voting came to a standstill, dragging for hours as holdout senators huddled for negotiations. In the end, two Republicans opposed the motion to proceed to debate, joining all Democrats. It's still a long weekend of work to come.