Senate votes to end COVID-19 emergency
The United States Senate on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to end the COVID-19 emergency declaration which has been in place since the start of the pandemic.
Senate
House bill rescinding $71B for 87k IRS agents stalled in Senate after nearly 4 weeks without vote
A House-passed bill rescinding $71.5 billion for the hiring of up to 87,000 IRS agents has languished in the Democrat-led Senate for nearly four weeks without a vote.
Senators want to block Turkey F-16 sale until NATO expansion succeeds
More than a quarter of the Senate sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Thursday threatening to tank a $20 billion arms sale that includes 40 Lockheed Martin Block 70 F-16 fighter jets and upgrades to Turkey’s current fleet so long as Ankara continues to block Sweden and Finland from joining NATO.
Biden Admin Announces $50 Million in New UNRWA Funding
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday announced $50 million in new funding for a UN agency that is dedicated solely to the descendants of Palestinian refugees and which has been widely denounced for propagating antisemitism, eliciting rebuke from a top Senate Republican.
Senate Republicans vow to oppose debt limit increase unless Congress commits to spending cuts
A group of two dozen Senate Republicans have signed a letter vowing to oppose any increase in the nation’s debt limit unless Congress agrees to spending cuts to help pay down the national debt.
US Senate Passes $1.7 Trillion Spending Bill To Avoid Shutdown With the Support of 18 GOP Senators
On Dec. 22, the U.S. Senate voted to pass a $1.7-trillion omnibus bill to fund the government for fiscal year 2023 by a vote of 68 to 29, with three senators not voting. The fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, 2023.
Senate Passes Defense Bill Rescinding COVID Vaccine Mandate
A bill to rescind the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the U.S. military and provide nearly $858 billion for national defense passed the Senate on Thursday and now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.
US Senate approves legislation to ban Tik Tok on federal government devices
The US Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday that would ban federal employees from using Tik Tok, the popular Chinese-owned video-sharing app, on government devices, the Washington Post reports. The bill will now pass to the House for approval, which would need to be given before the end of the congressional year.
$857.9 Billion Defense Bill Includes $800 Million for Ukraine
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2023 includes $800 million in assistance to Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). The bill is 4,312 pages.
Schumer: Senate Headed for Short-Term Funding Bill to Prevent Shutdown
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said that the Senate would likely vote on a short-term funding bill to prevent a government shutdown, according to The Hill.
Az. Senator Sinema Leaves Dems Declares Herself as Independent
Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s decision to switch her party affiliation from Democrat to independent is creating a post-midterm shake-up in the Senate, threatening to complicate what seemed like Democrats’ chances of having an outright majority after Sen. Raphael Warnock’s runoff win in Georgia gave Democrats their 51st seat in the next session of Congress.
Warnock’s win in Georgia State Runoff over Walker hands Dems 51 seats
Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock defeated Republican challenger Herschel Walker in Georgia’s high-stakes Senate runoff election.
Senate passes bill to avoid railroad strike
The Democratic-led Senate passed a bill on Thursday to avoid a national rail workers union strike.
Senate Prays Before Legalizing Gay Marriage: ‘Lord, Give Us the Grace to Stay on the Road of Virtuous and Godly Living’
Dr. Barry Black, the chaplain of the U.S. Senate, was called to the podium at the front of the chamber on Nov. 28 to say a prayer, as is the customary practice before the Senate begins its daily sessions.
House, Senate negotiators agree to add $45B to Biden’s defense budget
An emerging compromise on annual defense policy legislation will endorse a $45 billion increase to President Joe Biden’s defense spending plans, according to four people familiar with the negotiations.
Same-sex marriage bill passes Senate; lawmakers reject GOP religious liberty amendments
Bipartisan legislation to codify same-sex marriage under federal law passed the Senate on Tuesday with the help of a dozen Republicans, capping off months of negotiations between both parties over how to address religious liberty concerns.
Senate Moves Same-Sex Marriage Bill a Step Closer to Passage
The Senate voted Monday night to advance a bipartisan agreement to the House-passed Respect for Marriage Act.
Respect for Marriage Act pending in Senate is raising constitutional concerns
Several groups argue the Respect for Marriage Act (ROMA) currently before the U.S. Senate is unconstitutional, and if enacted, will eventually be struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Republicans Take Control Of US House
Republicans have secured the 218 seats needed for a majority in the lower chamber of the U.S Congress a week after the midterm elections, CBS News network projects.
12 Republicans Join Democrats to Rush Marriage Bill: ‘Devastating Blow to Religious Freedom’
The Senate is fast-tracking a bill that could deny religious freedom for individuals and faith-based organizations.
