Senate

Opposition figures fear changes will further tighten 83-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s hold on powerZimbabwe is on the brink of amending its constitution to give the president more time in office, a change the government said will bring stability – but which opponents have labelled a “constitutional coup”.The upper house of Zimbabwe’s parliament voted on Wednesday 75-4 in favour of the constitutional amendments, which would allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to stay in office until 2030 by extending presidential terms from five to seven years. Continue reading...

• 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.

• On the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is highlighting the anti-choice records of Republican Senate candidates. • The DSCC specifically targets Senator Susan Collins, noting her refusal to regret confirming Brett Kavanaugh and her 95 percent voting record in favor of President Trump’s judicial nominees. • The critique emphasizes Collins' opposition to the Women’s Health Protection Act, which aims to codify Roe v. Wade's protections into federal law.

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...

• The U.S. Senate approved the 1795 Jay Treaty with Great Britain, establishing critical precedents for the nation's treaty-making process. • The agreement acknowledged the American economy's heavy reliance on English trade and utilized the British fleet as a strategic security shield. • The treaty caused a significant and irreparable political rift between President George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

Four Republicans joined Democrats to back a measure seeking to limit the US president’s military authorityUS politics live – latest updatesThe US Senate on Tuesday approved a war powers resolution preventing Donald Trump from continuing the conflict with Iran, delivering the president a significant but symbolic rebuke over a conflict that has proven unpopular with the US public.The resolution passed by a 50-48 vote, with four Republicans – Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Rand Paul of Kentucky – breaking with their party to vote in favor. John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania, was the sole Democrat to vote against it. Continue reading...

21st Century Road to Housing Act, which aims to boost supply and stop investors buying up homes, heads to HouseSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Senate on Monday passed a bipartisan measure aimed at lowering housing costs by streamlining construction and permitting, ending months of fraught negotiations on a priority for both parties ahead of November’s midterm elections.The 21st Century Road to Housing Act would limit investors’ ability to buy homes, waives some federal permitting rules in a bid to ease new construction, and authorizes pilot programs to facilitate grants for home improvements and planning affordable housing. It passed the Senate overwhelmingly, with a vote of 85-5, and now heads to the House of Representatives. Continue reading...