Lindsey McPherson

McConnell won’t seek reelection, plans to retire after finishing term

Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former Senate GOP leader, announced Thursday that he won't seek reelection in 2026 and will retire after finishing his term.

February 20, 2025

Senate plows ahead with its budget even though Trump wants the House version

Senate Republicans are moving forward with a vote this week on their budget plan despite President Trump asking both chambers to approve the House budget that accommodates the "FULL America First Agenda."

February 19, 2025

Republicans confront difficult Medicaid choices in search of savings to help pay for tax cuts

Congressional Republicans are targeting Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income Americans, for hundreds of billions of dollars in savings to help pay for sweeping tax cuts, but the extent of reform is creating intraparty divisions.

February 15, 2025

Mitch McConnell goes maverick, bucks Senate GOP and Trump with votes against Cabinet nominees

Sen. Mitch McConnell's days of fierce party loyalty are gone as the former top Republican, free of his longtime leadership duties, forges a new reputation as a rebel in the Senate.

February 13, 2025

Rep. Luttrell proposes legislation to evaluate terrorist threats from post-Assad Syrian regime

A Texas Republican lawmaker is pressing the Department of Homeland Security to evaluate potential terrorist threats to the United States from Syria given the evolving political dynamics in the country after the fall of the regime of longtime leader Bashar Assad in late 2024.

February 13, 2025

Trump’s agenda finally moving in Congress, but House and Senate not on the same page

House Republicans unveiled a long-awaited budget blueprint on Wednesday to tee up President Trump's entire legislative agenda, while a Senate GOP committee advanced an alternative plan that begins with a smaller bite at the apple.

February 12, 2025

Senate Budget panel Republicans defend plan to move on border, defense funding ahead of tax cuts

Senate Republicans on Wednesday began consideration of their budget blueprint that sets instructions for forthcoming legislation featuring up to $345 billion in funding for border security, immigration enforcement and defense needs.

February 12, 2025

Tulsi Gabbard earns Senate confirmation as DNI

Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard appears to have cemented her new political home in the GOP, winning Senate confirmation as President Trump's director of national intelligence with all but one Republican supporting her.

February 12, 2025

Trump administration officials tell senators they need $175B for border, immigration enforcement

President Trump's budget director Russell Vought and his border czar Tom Homan told Senate Republicans on Tuesday that the administration is running out of money to carry out the president's border security and immigration enforcement executive orders.

February 11, 2025

House Republicans say budget compromise is close for advancing Trump agenda

House Republican leaders are so confident they are close to clinching an elusive agreement on a budget blueprint needed to advance President Trump's legislative agenda that they scheduled a committee vote for Thursday.

February 11, 2025

Tulsi Gabbard clears Senate test vote on path for confirmation as director of national intelligence

Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard cleared a key Senate test vote on Monday, all but assuring she'll be officially confirmed to the role in the coming days.

February 10, 2025

House Freedom Caucus offers budget plan that sides with Senate approach but has more spending cuts

The House Freedom Caucus released its own budget blueprint Monday, including a proposed $4 trillion increase in the debt limit, as the broader House Republican Conference struggles to coalesce around a plan.

February 10, 2025

‘We may start from scratch’: Lawmakers consider policy options for protecting kids from social media

Lawmakers looking to protect kids from the harms of social media are considering new proposals and approaches this Congress after a bipartisan bill stalled in the House last session.

February 10, 2025

Democrats launch portal for whistleblowers to report wrongdoing amid DOGE onslaught

Senate Democrats on Monday launched a portal for whistleblowers to report "wrongdoing, abuses of power, and threats to public safety" amid the Department of Government Efficiency onslaught against the federal workforce.

February 10, 2025

Speaker Johnson says tax cuts will be offset with spending cuts

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that Republicans will find spending cuts to offset President Trump's push for tax cuts, which a nonpartisan budget analysis estimates will cost at least $5 trillion over 10 years.

February 9, 2025

Graham unveils Senate budget blueprint, setting parameters for border, defense bill

Senate Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham on Friday released a budget blueprint that sets spending limits for a border, defense and energy bill to follow.

February 7, 2025

Trump calls for ‘balanced budget’ after proposing tax cuts costing at least $5 trillion

President Trump laid down a demand Friday for a "balanced budget" while a nonpartisan budget group estimated his tax priorities will cost at least $5 trillion over 10 years and perhaps double that.

February 7, 2025

Senate confirms Russell Vought to lead White House budget office over Democratic protests

The Senate on Thursday evening confirmed Russell Vought to return as President Trump's budget chief, despite a drumbeat of Democrats warning the nominee will abuse his authority and try to circumvent Congress' constitutional authority over spending.

February 6, 2025

House Republicans leave marathon White House meeting with ‘no final agreement’ on budget blueprint

House Speaker Mike Johnson and a team of House Republicans spent hours in a closed-door meeting with President Trump on Thursday, but left without a finished plan on how to advance his agenda.

February 6, 2025

Senate to move on Trump agenda as House GOP splinters over spending cuts

Senate and House Republicans, after weeks of sparring over which chamber holds the key to enacting President Trump's legislative agenda, are moving forward with separate budget plans.

February 5, 2025