Page 6 - Us Senate

US Senate approves Indian-origin Kash Patel's nomination as FBI Director

This came despite opposition from the Democrats, who warned that Patel, a staunch Republican, could use the agency to target the president's perceived political enemies

US regulators 'need to be tougher on Boeing', says Trump's nominee

Last month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Congress that Boeing needed "tough love" and he would keep in place a cap on production of Boeing 737 MAX planes

Meta CEO Zuckerberg lobbies US senators on AI, seeks to muster influence

Zuckerberg met with senators one day after his personal charity announced it was ending diversity, equity and inclusion programmes

US Senate votes 48-45, advances Kash Patel's nomination for FBI director

Kash Patel, who has celebrated rank-and-file FBI agents for being "courageous, apolitical warriors of justice," will serve a 10-year term if confirmed

Senate panel approves Trump's pick Kash Patel's nomination as FBI director

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines on Thursday to advance the nomination of Kash Patel, Donald Trump's pick for FBI director, pushing past Democratic concerns that he would operate as a loyalist for the president and target perceived adversaries of the White House. The committee voted 12-10 to send the nomination to the Republican-controlled Senate for full consideration. It was not immediately clear when the final confirmation vote will occur, but so far even nominees once seen as having uncertain prospects including new Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence have been able to marshal sufficient support from Republicans eager to fall in line with Trump's agenda. Patel has raised alarm for his lack of management experience compared to other FBI directors and because of a vast catalog of incendiary past statements, which include calling investigators who scrutinized Trump government gangsters and describing at lea

US Senators push to reverse auto-renewal of work permits back to 180 days

Two influential Republican Senators have introduced a resolution to reverse a Biden-era rule that increased the period for renewing work permits from 180 to 540 days. The automatic extension of the Employment Authorisation Document (EAD) from 180 days to 540 days was of great help to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a significant number of whom were from India. The rule finalised by the Department of Homeland Security on January 13 applies broadly to immigrants, refugees, green card holders, spouses of H-1B visa holders and more. Introduced on Thursday jointly by Senators John Kennedy and Rick Scott, the resolution seeks disapproval under Congressional Review Act (CRA) procedures for the Biden administration's rule that automatically extended the renewal period for an immigrant EAD to almost a year-and-a-half before officials could review those permits. The Biden administration's dangerous rule automatically extended work permits for immigrants to 540 days. Giving immigrants more

Kash Patel to face sceptical Democrats at FBI director confirmation hearing

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the FBI, will encounter deeply skeptical questioning from Democratic senators Thursday about his loyalty to the president and stated desire to overhaul the bureau as he faces a high-stakes hearing that will help determine his path toward confirmation. Patel, a Trump loyalist who has railed against the FBI over its investigations into the president and claimed that Jan 6 rioters were mistreated by the Justice Department, was picked in November to replace Christopher Wray, who led the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency for more than seven years. A former aide to the House Intelligence Committee and an ex-federal prosecutor who served in Trump's first administration, Patel has alarmed critics with rhetoric in dozens of podcasts and books he has authored in which he has demonstrated fealty to Trump, lambasted the decision-making of the agency he's now been asked to lead and identified by name officials he believes should be

US Senate bill seeks to limit birthright citizenship for some immigrants

A group of Republican Senators has introduced a bill in the US Senate to restrict birthright citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants and non-immigrants on temporary visas. According to Senators Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz and Katie Britt, who introduced the bill, the exploitation of birthright citizenship is a major pull factor for illegal immigration and a weakness for national security. The US is one of only 33 countries in the world with no restrictions on birthright citizenship, they said. The legislative move comes after an executive order on the matter, signed by President Donald Trump on the first day of his presidency, has been blocked by a federal judge in Washington state. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that in 2023, there were 2,25,000 to 2,50,000 births to illegal immigrants, amounting to close to seven per cent of births in the US. It is long overdue for the United States to change its policy on birthright citizenship because it is being abused in

US Senate confirms Lee Zeldin to lead Environmental Protection Agency

The Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday confirmed Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a key role to help President Donald Trump fulfil his pledge to roll back major environmental regulations, including those aimed at slowing climate change and encouraging use of electric vehicles. The vote was 56-42 in Zeldin's favour. Zeldin, a former Republican congressman from New York, is a longtime Trump ally and served on Trump's defense team during his first impeachment. He voted against certifying Trump's 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. Zeldin, 44, said during his confirmation hearing that he has a moral responsibility to be a good steward of the environment and pledged to support career staff who have dedicated themselves to the agency's mission to protect human health and the environment. Zeldin repeatedly declined to commit to specific policies, however, promising instead not to prejudge outcomes before arriving at EPA. When asked by Republican Sen.

Trump's second week tests his hold over Congress for agenda, cabinet picks

Facing him this week are talks to shape his tax and immigration bills and getting more cabinet nominees confirmed in the Senate

Trump's Cabinet picks: Where do they stand in confirmation process

It's been slow going in the procedure-heavy Senate since Monday's inauguration, with only two of Trump's top picks- Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe- confirmed

Senate passes immigrant detention bill, likely to be Trump's 1st signed law

Fresh off President Donald Trump's inauguration, the Senate on Monday passed a bill that would require federal authorities to detain migrants accused of theft and violent crimes, the first measure he likely will sign into law and giving more weight to his plans to deport millions of migrants. Trump has made a broad crackdown on illegal immigration his top priority, and Congress, with Republicans in control and some Democrats willing to go along, is showing it is ready to follow suit. Passage of the Laken Riley Act named after a Georgia nursing student whose murder by a Venezuelan man last year became a rallying cry for Trump's White House campaign was a sign of how Congress has shifted sharply right on border security and immigration. We don't want criminals coming into our country, Trump told supporters at the Capitol, adding he looked forward to holding a bill signing within a week or so. Trump is already ending many of former President Joe Biden's border and immigration progra

Trump meets with GOP senators as supporters cheer his Oval Office return

President-elect Donald Trump consulted privately with Republican senators Sunday before heading off to a series of events designed to celebrate his return to power and the Make America Great Again movement despite deep national political divisions on the eve of his inauguration. The private meeting featured a breakfast at Blair House, the president's official guest residence, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, and gave top GOP leaders a chance to lay last-minute plans barely 24 hours before Trump moves back into the White House. Meanwhile, Trump supporters, many arriving from around the country and decked out in their fanciest clothes, including fur coats, filled parties both formal and informal at hotels and restaurants close to the White House. As they moved between the festivities, some could be heard chanting MAGA or simply stating it as a greeting to fellow revelers. Sunday is Trump's first full day back in Washington since his election victory and gives him a

TikTok's fight against shut down gains support from key US lawmakers

Trump's incoming national security adviser said the new Republican administration will keep the social media app used by 170 million Americans alive in the US if there is a viable deal

Trump's pick to oversee US public lands and waters faces Senate hearing

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is due before a Senate committee Thursday as lawmakers consider the Republican's nomination to be chief steward of US public lands and waters. President-elect Donald Trump in November tapped Burgum to be interior secretary and to lead the new National Energy Council, which is charged with promoting oil, gas and other energy development. The Interior Department oversees a half-billion acres of federal land and vast areas offshore. Combined those areas produce about one-quarter of US oil, or more than 1 billion barrels of crude annually, making them a flashpoint in the debate over how to address climate change. President Joe Biden's administration scaled back new oil and gas sales from public reserves as part of its efforts to curb climate change. Nevertheless, oil production hit record levels under the Democrat as high prices spurred drilling on lands that were previously leased. Burgum is an ultra-wealthy software industry entrepreneur who grew

US Senate panel to hold hearings on Donald Trump energy picks next week

The committee will hold a hearing to consider Doug Burgum, Trump's nominee to be secretary of the interior, on Tuesday, Jan. 14

Trump's intel pick Tulsi Gabbard faces a tricky climb for Senate backing

Gabbard's priorities as director of national intelligence, she has told senators, would include China's cyber threat and fentanyl trafficking at the border

Senate approves 235th judge of Biden's term, beating Trump's tally

President Joe Biden secured the 235th judicial confirmation of his presidency Friday, an accomplishment that exceeds his predecessor's total by one after Democrats put extra emphasis on the federal courts following Donald Trump's far-reaching first term, when he filled three seats on the Supreme Court. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, teed up votes Friday on two California district judges, and they were the last judicial confirmations this year before Congress adjourns and makes way for a new, Republican-led Senate. The confirmation of Serena Raquel Murillo to be a district judge for the Central District of California broke Trump's mark. The tally also marks the largest number of confirmations in a single term since the Jimmy Carter administration. Come next year, Republicans will look to boost Trump's already considerable influence on the makeup of the federal judiciary in his second term. Biden and Senate Democrats placed particular focus on adding women, minorities and

US Congress approves funding bill hours before govt shutdown deadline

Hours to go before a midnight government shutdown, the House approved a new plan late Friday from Speaker Mike Johnson that would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, but drops President-elect Donald Trump's demands for a debt limit increase into the new year. Johnson insisted Congress would "meet our obligations" and not allow federal operations to shutter ahead of the Christmas holiday season. But the day's outcome was uncertain after Trump doubled down on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal -- if not, he said in an early morning post, let the closures "start now". The bill was approved 366-34, and now goes to the Senate, for expected quick passage. "We are excited about this outcome," Johnson said afterward, adding he had spoken with Trump and the president-elect "was certainly happy about this outcome, as well". It was the third attempt from Johnson, the beleaguered House speaker, to achieve one of the basic requirements of the .

Donald Trump, Elon Musk threaten govt shutdown; here's what that costs

Trump also rejected the interim spending package House Speaker Mike Johnson negotiated to keep the government operating beyond a Friday lapse