Lindsey McPherson

Schumer slams Trump for spewing ‘conspiracy theories’ over D.C. plane crash

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said his stomach turned while watching President Trump "spew up conspiracy theories" over the deadly collision of a military helicopter and commercial plane near Washington's Reagan National Airport.

January 30, 2025

White House budget director nominee Vought advances despite Democratic protest

The Senate Budget Committee on Thursday advanced Russell Vought's nomination as Office of Management and Budget director, despite the panel's 10 Democrats skipping the vote in protest.

January 30, 2025

Senate panel advances Stefanik’s nomination as U.N. ambassador

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday advanced Rep. Elise Stefanik's nomination to serve as ambassador of the United Nations with bipartisan support, with some Democrats objecting to her policies and protesting a foreign aid freeze.

January 30, 2025

Senate confirms Lee Zeldin to lead EPA

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed former Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.

January 29, 2025

RFK Jr. vows to protect vaccine access, says U.S. faces ruin if it doesn’t get healthier

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified Wednesday he is not a conspiracy theorist and that vaccines are a critical component of health care, using a high-stakes Senate confirmation hearing to defend his "Make America Healthy Again" agenda and accuse Democrats of misconstruing his views or turning on him for partisan reasons.

January 29, 2025

Kennedy says he won’t commit to not suing drug companies as Warren presses him on financial conflict

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday prodded Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to promise not to enrich himself from lawsuits against drug companies if he is confirmed as health secretary, but he declined.

January 29, 2025

RFK Jr. admits he disagrees with Trump on climate change

Health Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said under questioning during his confirmation hearing Wednesday that he and President Trump have different opinions on climate change.

January 29, 2025

Sen. Sanders uses ‘unvaxed, unafraid’ and ‘no vax, no problem’ onesies to press RFK Jr. on vaccines

Sen. Bernard Sanders signaled he does not believe Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s about-face on vaccines as he pressed the health secretary nominee on anti-vaccine onesies the nonprofit he founded is selling.

January 29, 2025

RFK Jr. fumbles under questioning from swing vote Sen. Bill Cassidy

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. didn't have clear answers to questions that Sen. Bill Cassidy, a potential swing vote, posed during the Health and Human Services secretary nominee's confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

January 29, 2025

Trump, fellow Americans will be able to continue eating McDonald’s, health nominee RFK Jr. promises

President Trump will not have to give up his favorite McDonald's meal, nor will the American people, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.

January 29, 2025

RFK Jr. says his vaccine statements were misconstrued, vows not to block polio or measles shots

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. worked strenuously Wednesday to clarify his views on vaccines after a top Democrat challenged him on past statements and actions that seemed to suggest he was a blanket opponent of shots.

January 29, 2025

Protester removed from RFK Jr. confirmation hearing after shouting ‘he lies’

A protester was removed from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation hearing on Wednesday after disrupting his opening statement by shouting, "He lies!"

January 29, 2025

RFK says he is not ‘anti-vaccine,’ warns America faces debt and ruin if health worsens

President Trump's health secretary nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on Wednesday said vaccines are a critical component of health care, hoping to push back on the main objection to his nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

January 29, 2025

Judge temporarily halts Trump’s federal grant pause as confusion reigns

A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration's freeze on federal grants that set off a firestorm of alarm and confusion around Washington as lawmakers and aid organizations demanded more time to figure out what is affected by the White House's order.

January 28, 2025

Republicans defend Trump’s authority to freeze federal funding but have questions on implementation

Senate Republicans on Tuesday largely defended President Trump's authority to temporarily freeze disbursements of federal funding for a variety of grants and other assistance programs, but said they still had some questions.

January 28, 2025

Senate Democrats block sanctions on ICC for trying to arrest top Israeli officials

Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a bill to sanction International Criminal Court officials for issuing arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister.

January 28, 2025

Senate confirms Sean Duffy as transportation secretary

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Sean Duffy as secretary of the Department of Transportation.

January 28, 2025

Dems urge GOP to hold OMB nominee until ‘illegal’ freeze resolved

Senate Democrats want to pause Russell Vought's nomination for Office of Management and Budget director until the Trump administration resumes distribution of federal financial assistance, but Republicans don't plan to oblige.

January 28, 2025

Senate confirms billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as Treasury secretary

The Senate on Monday confirmed Scott Bessent to serve as Treasury secretary in the Trump administration, making him the highest-ranking openly gay government official in U.S. history.

January 27, 2025

Greenland is ‘an ally, not an asset,’ say Sen. Murkowski and Danish legislator in Arctic group

Sen. Lisa Murkowski and her Danish counterpart in an Arctic region group of legislators issued a joint statement Monday rejecting President Trump's plan to purchase Greenland and urging the U.S. to treat the country as "an ally, not an asset."

January 27, 2025