Republicans

Senators Warren and Van Hollen attack Republican ‘rubber stamps’ in Congress for surrendering authority to Trump. Plus, could AI take your job? Some workers in China already know the answerGood morning.Senior Democrats accused Republicans in the US Congress of becoming “gelatinous blobs” who will not stand up to Donald Trump and “rubber stamps” for his war on Iran.What else is happening in Washington? Trump has said a deal has been reached for Hamas to disarm and for Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza. However, briefings from both sides exposed disputes over its implementation that could prove difficult to overcome.What has Blanche said? Blanche has already said publicly that the payout fund to compensate victims of so-called government weaponization is not moving forward amid bipartisan backlash. But Cornyn and Tillis had sought assurances in writing, something Blanche has refused to do. Cornyn also sought to clarify the terms of the tax immunity portion of the agreement. Continue reading...

Senators Warren and Van Hollen attack Republican ‘rubber stamps’ in Congress for surrendering authority to TrumpSenior Democrats accused Republicans in the US Congress of becoming “gelatinous blobs” who won’t stand up to Donald Trump and “rubber stamps” for his war on Iran.Elizabeth Warren, a US senator for Massachusetts, and Chris Van Hollen, a US senator for Maryland, argued that the Republican-controlled Congress had surrendered its constitutional authority to the president. Continue reading...

• A Senate motion to prevent the Trump administration from continuing hostilities against Iran failed in a narrow 49-50 vote. • Republican senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul broke party lines to vote in favor of the motion. • The political landscape is shifting as Senators Cornyn and Tillis are set to leave office next year, with Cornyn having lost his primary in May.

Hearing is part of a longtime Republican investigation into pandemic’s origins, led by Senator Rand PaulAnthony Fauci, the former veteran director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Niaid) who served as a key adviser to Donald Trump and Joe Biden on the Covid-19 pandemic, is due to testify on Wednesday at a high-profile US Senate hearing.Senators are expected to question Fauci about whether the Covid-19 virus began as a “lab leak”, a claim virologists have argued is unlikely. The testimony is part of a longtime Republican investigation into the origins of the pandemic, led by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. Continue reading...

• A recent Gallup poll indicates a significant shift in the Supreme Court's approval rating among Republicans. • The Court issued several rulings against former President Trump, including blocking an executive order and ruling that he lacked the authority to impose sweeping tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. • In a further blow to Trump's legal standing, the Court blocked the firing of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

• The U.S. Supreme Court's approval rating has fallen to a record low, with a notable decline in support among Republicans. • This drop follows several major 2026 legal defeats for the Trump administration regarding birthright citizenship, tariffs, and the Federal Reserve. • The trend highlights a growing disconnect between the judiciary and its traditional conservative base following these specific rulings.

Top House Democrat says US president ‘failed to deliver’ on campaign promises to lower costs and avoid overseas warsDonald Trump’s Republican party has “nothing to run on” for the congressional midterm elections after the president broke promises to lower costs and avoid starting war overseas, Hakeem Jeffries has said.The House minority leader, a New York congressman, made those comments on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, exactly 100 days from the 3 November midterms, when Jeffries and his fellow Democrats are aiming to take control of the US House and Senate from their Republican opponents. Continue reading...

• Republican lawmakers are considering new legislation to establish term limits or rules regarding prolonged incapacity for congressional leaders following health concerns over Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. • The proposed "Three strokes and you’re out" concept suggests a mechanism to remove leaders who are medically unable to perform their duties. • This movement highlights growing party anxiety over leadership stability and the lack of a formal succession process for incapacitated officials.

• The House of Representatives approved a nonbinding proposal directing President Donald Trump to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities in the war with Iran. • While the House passed the measure, Senate Republicans voted against it, effectively allowing the President to continue waging the conflict. • Democrats forced these votes to strategically tie Republican lawmakers to an unpopular war in an effort to gain political leverage ahead of the November elections.

• House Republicans have linked their entire legislative agenda, including the defense policy bill, to the SAVE Act, a voting restriction measure demanded by Donald Trump. • The strategy involves using a panel that handles federal elections legislation to fund changes to laws under its jurisdiction. • The move faces significant hurdles as many Senate Republicans remain skeptical of the effort, and it is unclear if the reconciliation process can be legally used for elections legislation.

• House Republicans are drafting a $95 billion reconciliation bill designed to fund the war in Iran and provide financial aid to farmers. • The GOP-controlled chamber is attempting to allocate $10 billion toward the "Save America Act," a measure championed by Donald Trump to ban mail-in ballots and tighten voter ID requirements. • This move is considered a "long-shot" because budget reconciliation rules limit legislation to spending, revenue, and the debt limit, excluding general policy changes.

GOP-controlled chamber paves way for reconciliation bill, while making long-shot attempt at new voting restrictionsHouse Republicans on Wednesday agreed to begin the process of writing a $95bn bill to fund the war with Iran as well as provide new aid to farmers, while making a long-shot attempt to impose new restrictions on voting nationwide.In a virtually party-line 216-214, the Republican-controlled chamber passed a budget resolution that paves the way for the creation of a reconciliation bill, which can advance through the Senate under special rules that circumvent the Democratic filibuster and requires only a simple majority to pass. Two Republicans – Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, as well as Kevin Kiley, an independent of California – joined all Democrats in opposing the measure. Continue reading...

• The U.S. and Iran have resumed daily bombing campaigns in an effort to establish control over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. • Separately, Biden spokesperson T.J. Ducklo criticized a court ruling that threatens to make private conversations regarding the president's late son public. • The Biden administration argues that the decision to release these documents is an example of the Justice Department being weaponized for political retribution.

• Republican lawmakers are attempting to distance themselves from Donald Trump's recent claims regarding election fraud. • Party members express concern that Trump's rhetoric could negatively impact their performance and viability in the upcoming midterm elections. • The situation highlights a growing tension between Trump's influence over the GOP base and the candidates' need to appeal to a broader electorate.

• A new poll indicates that Republicans have narrowed the gap with Democrats among registered voters, with the GOP now trailing 45% to 48%. • This shift represents a significant gain for Republicans, as they have reduced the Democrats' previous 5-point lead. • Democrats are relying on a more enthusiastic voter base to flip the House, a trend supported by strong turnout in recent special elections and primaries.

Fires are also blazing across the US and the Trump administration has repealed several climate protectionsUS Republicans are threatening to sanction Canada and Canadian government officials after smoke from devastating wildfires has drifted across huge swathes of the US, creating hazy conditions and dangerous air quality for tens of millions of Americans.Donald Trump on ⁠Friday blamed ⁠his country’s northern neighbor for ​the smoke spreading from ⁠wildfires and said he planned to call ​Mark Carney, the Canadian prime ‌minister, ‌ to ‌ask about Ottawa’s plans for dealing with the blazes. Continue reading...

• Vice President JD Vance has urged Republicans to attach White House-backed voter identification legislation to a partisan funding bill for the Iran war. • The move aims to advance the administration's election priorities and appease President Donald Trump, who is expected to further challenge the 2020 election results. • This strategy creates a potential conflict with Senate Republicans, who have resisted Trump's efforts to eliminate the 60-vote filibuster threshold.

Effort is latest attempt to pass bill that seeks to ban mail-in ballots and imposes voter identification requirementsHouse Republicans on Wednesday made another attempt to answer Donald Trump’s demand for new restrictions on voting nationwide by linking the measure to an unrelated spending bill and passing both largely along party lines.The effort was the latest attempt by congressional Republicans to pass the Save America Act, which would ban mail-in ballots and impose new identification requirements on voters when they register and cast ballots. While the Trump administration has cast the bill as necessary to prevent non-citizens from voting and combat election fraud, voting rights advocates say there’s no evidence of widespread election tampering and warn the bill could disenfranchise swaths of eligible voters ahead of November’s midterm elections. Continue reading...

• Republicans have returned to Capitol Hill to begin their legislative agenda, though they face immediate complications including demands from Donald Trump and the absence of Mitch McConnell. • The sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has created further uncertainty for the GOP's leadership and scheduling. • Despite these setbacks, the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled two days of confirmation hearings for Todd Blanche, Trump's nominee for acting attorney general.

Lawmakers face obstacles, including demands from Trump, Mitch McConnell’s absence and Graham’s sudden deathRepublican lawmakers return to the Capitol this week facing a lengthy to-do list and Donald Trump’s demands for new voting restrictions, as Democrats jockey for an advantage ahead of the November midterm elections.Lawmakers from both parties are eager to highlight before voters legislative victories ahead of the midterms, where control of Congress is at stake. But for Senate Republicans, who are already navigating an array of demands from Trump, their agenda grew further complicated over the weekend with the death of Lindsey Graham, the budget committee chair who is a key player in negotiating a party line bill to fund additional defense spending and other priorities outlined by the president. Continue reading...

Clark has been on the end of hard fouls during careerBlack players routinely receive racist abuse in WNBAEleven Republican politicians have written to the WNBA asking the league to protect Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark from “multiple attacks” on court.Clark has been on the receiving end of hard fouls since she entered the league in 2024 after a stellar college career with Iowa. Recently, the Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas hit Clark in the throat during a game. Thomas was not called for a foul at the time but the WNBA later suspended her for one game. Thomas and her family received racist abuse and death threats after the incident. Continue reading...

• House Republicans are facing a severely constrained legislative calendar after an internal party revolt forced Speaker Mike Johnson to implement an early recess for the second consecutive week. • The disruption has significantly reduced the available time for the GOP majority to advance its ambitious policy agenda during a critical election year. • This legislative gridlock highlights ongoing instability and division within the House Republican conference, hindering their ability to pass key priorities.

• The Supreme Court ruled against Republicans in Watson v. RNC, upholding the legality of grace periods for the receipt of mail-in ballots. • During hearings, Mississippi lawyers noted that the federal government failed to provide a single example of fraud resulting from post-Election Day ballot receipts in this century. • This decision arrives as a critical election-related ruling ahead of the November midterm elections, impacting how states manage ballot deadlines.

Muslims say anti-Islamic rhetoric making everyday life difficult – and threats and harassment not uncommon Following a brutal Republican primary runoff in which Islamophobia took center stage, anti-Muslim hatred continues spilling into public life in Texas.Texans say that the hate speech shared by elected officials is increasingly echoed by people in their everyday interactions, including discussions about education or interactions at a store, in a park, at university and at elementary school. In one case, students at the University of Houston were praying when a man approached them and burned a Qur’an. In other cases, people have been verbally attacked for wearing traditional garments. Continue reading...

• House Committee Chairmen Jim Jordan, Bryan Steil, and James Comer sent a formal letter to former Biden White House Counsel Dana Remus demanding documents and communications. • The request focuses on ActBlue's fraud prevention policies following New York Times reporting that Remus possesses direct, firsthand information regarding the matter. • This action is part of a broader oversight effort by House Republicans to investigate potential fraud and misleading statements made to Congress.

• Senate Republicans held a late-night vote on Wednesday to reject a war powers resolution, moving to appease President Donald Trump after he berated them for opposing his war in Iran. • The move follows a face-to-face confrontation where Trump harangued GOP senators for allowing a vote to block his military actions on Tuesday, specifically targeting Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy. • This internal conflict has stalled general Senate business and diverted the GOP's focus away from key election-year issues regarding affordability.

Late-night vote came hours after US president berated GOP senators over opposition to the conflictSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailSenate Republicans rejected a war powers resolution in a late-night vote, hours after they were berated by Donald Trump over opposition to his controversial war on Iran.The US president was said to have harangued GOP senators during a lunch on Capitol Hill earlier on Wednesday. The previous day, they had angered the White House by allowing a vote to block Trump’s war in Iran. Continue reading...

• U.S. District Judge Denise Casper in Boston has issued a ruling that converts a preliminary injunction into a permanent ban on several of Donald Trump's election overhaul efforts. • The decision follows a lawsuit brought by Democratic state attorneys general, rejecting the Republican administration's claim that the legal challenge was premature. • This ruling effectively blocks the implementation of proposed election rule changes that the administration sought to put in place.