Articles about Democrats

California governor contender not accused of wrongdoing in decade-old inquiry into suspected Chinese agentThe Trump administration has reportedly been pushing to release records from an FBI investigation related to Eric Swalwell and alleged links to a Chinese agent as the Democratic congressman makes gains in the California governor’s race.The Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing “three people familiar with the effort”, that the FBI director, Kash Patel, is pushing to release the files, even though there is no public evidence of wrongdoing on Swalwell’s part. The records stem from a decade-old investigation into a suspected spy who had developed relationships with US politicians and assisted Swalwell with fundraising. Continue reading...

Senator’s comments come amid growing divisions within the party, which he says has ‘too small of a coalition’Cory Booker, the Democratic senator from New Jersey, renewed his calls for new leadership of the Democratic party, saying the party has “failed this moment”.“As a whole, our party has failed this moment,” Booker said on Sunday. “I’ve called for a generational renewal, because this left-right divide is killing our country and our adversaries know it.” He also said that “purity tests” within the party have led to more division in the US. Continue reading...

• Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren opened a congressional hearing emphasizing deep-sea exploration's role in US national security, resource management, economic health, and cultural identity. • Advances in deep ocean knowledge support critical national interests amid growing global competition. • Hearing addresses regulatory and scientific challenges in ocean research funding and policy.

Aipac-backed lawmakers denounce ‘extremist’ violence in West Bank as support for Israel becomes a political liabilityAs Israeli settlers ramp up violent attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, often as Israeli forces stand by, denunciations are mounting in the US, even from Democratic legislators and public figures who are typically staunch defenders of Israel.In recent days, dozens of settlers have torched homes and vehicles and attacked Palestinians in apparently coordinated attacks. Since the start of the month, Israeli settlers and police have killed at least 10 Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, including two young brothers and their parents as they returned from a Ramadan shopping trip. Continue reading...

Emily Gregory defeats Republican Jon Maples in district that is home to US president’s Palm Beach estateDemocrats managed to flip a seat in the Florida state house in the district that is home to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.Emily Gregory, a Democrat, defeated Republican Jon Maples, who had an endorsement from the US president. The Associated Press called the race on Tuesday evening. Continue reading...

• President Trump declared that Republicans should not agree to any legislative deal until Democrats pass the "SAVE America Act," a sweeping voting measure. • The bill would require a birth certificate to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot, representing stricter voter identification requirements. • Trump made the demand in remarks delivered in Memphis, Tennessee, as negotiations continue on various legislative fronts.

Calls for Pennsylvania senator – Trump’s ‘favorite Democrat’ – to resign after casting decisive committee voteDemocrats reacted with outrage to their party colleague John Fetterman’s decision to advance the nomination of Republican US senator Markwayne Mullin as homeland security secretary.Fetterman, the senior US senator from Pennsylvania, has in recent months broken with the party several times to support Republican proposals, and has routinely expressed staunch support for Israel. He cast the decisive committee vote on Thursday to advance Mullin’s nomination to succeed Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary. Continue reading...

• Online prediction markets like Kalshi now slightly favor Democrats to gain control of the Senate in November 2026 midterms amid favorable political trends. • Key races include Texas with Democrat James Talarico challenging scandal-plagued Ken Paxton or John Cornyn, and openings in Montana after Sen. Steve Daines' retirement. • Senate control will impact judicial confirmations, potentially allowing Trump to fill a fourth Supreme Court vacancy if one arises in 2027-2028.

• Democrats laying groundwork for major U.S. health care reforms amid political shifts in Washington. • NIH's Bhattacharya commits to full budget spending; top FDA official announces exit. • Moves signal potential policy battles over research funding and regulatory changes.

Anger grows after a closed-door briefing from attorney general where she refused to commit to testify under oath despite subpoenaDemocrats walk out in protest at Epstein briefing from BondiSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Furious Democratic lawmakers have moved to impeach attorney general Pam Bondi after walking out of a closed-door briefing about the Jeffrey Epstein files on Wednesday.We asked her multiple times, are you going to come and speak with us under oath? She would not say yes. Filibuster, filibuster, filibuster, would not say yes.Democrats on the Senate intelligence committee pressed Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, to explain why her deputy, Joe Kent, said in his resignation letter on Tuesday that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation”, which contradicts weeks of statements to the contrary by Donald Trump.Senator Markwayne Mullin fielded questions from his colleagues in a confirmation hearing to take over as Donald Trump’s new homeland security secretary.The Federal Bureau of Investigation has started buying location data on Americans, the FBI director, Kash Patel, said under oath at the Senate intelligence committee worldwide threats hearing on Wednesday.Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, argued that the changes to election law Republicans call the Save America Act will make it more difficult for US citizens to voteBy a vote of 53-47, Senate Republicans blocked a war-powers resolution that would have limited Donald Trump’s ability to prosecute the war on Iran he started last month. Continue reading...

Lawmakers leave closed-door meeting after AG refuses to commit to honoring subpoena to testify under oathDemocrats on the House oversight committee walked out of a closed-door briefing from attorney general Pam Bondi about the Jeffrey Epstein files on Wednesday, leaving what California congressman Robert Garcia called “an outrageous fake hearing” after Bondi refused to commit to honoring a subpoena to testify under oath.The committee voted to subpoena Bondi earlier this month, with five Republicans joining Democrats to demand that the attorney general answer questions about the justice department’s failure to properly release files from the federal investigations into Epstein. Continue reading...

Progressive and green groups join call for tax on major fossil-fuel companies to help offset rising living costsWith big oil companies poised to reap billions of dollars in profits from the war in Iran, Democratic lawmakers and progressive groups are calling for a windfall tax on major fossil fuel companies.The US-Israeli strikes on Iran have triggered the largest ever disruption to fuel supply, according to the International Energy Agency, sending crude costs surging over $100 per barrel in recent days. Those high prices have hit US pocketbooks, with average domestic gas prices topping $3.70 a gallon, and Americans spending more than an additional $2bn to fill their tanks in the past fortnight according to one estimate. Continue reading...

Donald Trump has vowed not to sign any other legislation until the passage of Save America act, which would create more barriers for votingSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump has vowed that he will not sign any other legislation until Republicans’ massive voting bill, the Save America act, is passed. The bill would upend voting for all Americans in the middle of a federal midterm election year and create costly, chaotic changes for elections workers.The Senate is set to consider the legislation next week, though Senate leaders say they don’t have the votes to get over the filibuster hurdle, essentially dooming the bill for failure.Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, denied that he is in talks with Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s real-estate pal turned chief diplomat, and accused the US of leaking false claims that the two are in direct contact to calm panicked markets.After Trump claimed that he had spoken to a former US president who told him that he approved of his attack on Iran, all four living former presidents denied having spoken with Trump about Iran.Trump publicly revealed details about a Republican congressman’s “terminal” diagnosis that could have left him “dead by June”, prompting Mike Johnson, speaker of the House, to say: “That wasn’t public.”The appointment of a controversial slate of vaccine advisers by Robert F Kennedy Jr likely violated federal law, a federal judge ruled, and all votes taken by the committee over the past year have been stayed.Gregory Bovino, the US border patrol chief and frequent Fox News guest who was the face of the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts until the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal agents, said he will retire within weeks.Trump, who once mocked the gestures of a New York Times reporter with a congenital condition that limits his ability to move his joints, claimed that the governor of California’s dyslexia means that he is “dumb”. Continue reading...

• President Donald Trump is experiencing political fallout two weeks after U.S. and Israel strikes on Iran, with rising U.S. soldier deaths and questions over securing the Strait of Hormuz. • Trump attended a closed-door fundraiser for his MAGA Inc. super PAC at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday after golfing, amid criticism for lacking long-term planning on the conflict. • Democrats like Kelly Dietrich of the National Democratic Training Committee predict strong midterm positioning, citing Trump's unfulfilled promises on prices amid rising gasoline costs.

Democratic leaders project that President Trump's proposed tariffs on imports will increase costs for the typical American family by more than $2,500 per year, exacerbating affordability challenges amid midterm election debates. The estimate factors in higher prices for consumer goods, with critics linking it to broader economic policies including energy waivers. GOP supporters counter that tariffs protect domestic industries and jobs, though polls show voter concerns over inflation. This fiscal warning intensifies partisan divides as Congress considers related legislation.

A Friday report from congressional Democrats highlights that President Trump's tariffs, enacted after Supreme Court invalidation of prior measures, could impose over $2,500 in annual costs on average U.S. households amid efforts to replace lost federal revenue. The analysis critiques the policy as regressive, exacerbating affordability pressures from recent economic strains like energy prices. Trump administration officials defend the tariffs as essential for domestic industry protection and national security. The report fuels midterm election debates on fiscal policy as Democrats push alternative revenue strategies.

A Friday report from congressional Democrats reveals President Trump's expanded tariffs, following Supreme Court invalidation of prior measures, could impose over $2,500 in annual costs on average U.S. households amid efforts to replace lost federal revenue. The analysis highlights economic burdens as Trump pushes replacements for struck-down tariffs, exacerbating affordability concerns. This development matters as it fuels partisan clashes ahead of midterms, with Democrats using the figures to critique GOP economic policies. Upcoming congressional hearings may scrutinize the report's projections and potential legislative offsets.