Democrats

De Republikeinse congreslid stelt dat zij het taalgebruik van de radiohost niet goedkeurde

De brief volgt een onderzoek van The Guardian naar onregelmatige manieren waarop de regering-Trump gedetineerden transporteerde. Daarnaast worden toptickets voor het WK voor bijna $33.000 verkocht.

Nieuwe kieskaarten veranderden vier door Republikeinen gecontroleerde zetels om Democraten een voorsprong te geven in de redistricting-strijd aangewakkerd door Trump

• Exclusief: In een brief eisen 40 wetgevers dat de FAA reageert op beschuldigingen van mishandeling van migranten en de 'dringende noodzaak tot transparantie' • Een groep van 40 Democraten uit het Huis van Afgevaardigden heeft "ernstige zorgen" geuit over het geheime programma van deportatievluchten van de regering-Trump en heeft geëist dat de Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reageert op beschuldigingen van mishandeling en onmenselijke omstandigheden aan boord van ICE-charterjets. • In een brief die met de Guardian is gedeeld en gericht aan FAA-administrateur Bryan Bedford, beschrijven de wetgevers de "dringende noodzaak tot transparantie" over het uitgebreide gebruik van commerciële vliegtuigen door ICE om vastgehouden migranten te transporteren en de "ongepaste en gevaarlijke" pogingen om deze vluchten uit het zicht van het publiek te houden.

• Chuck Schumer beschuldigt de GOP in een brief ervan 'werkende gezinnen te vragen de prijs te betalen terwijl Trump de voordelen in zijn zak steekt'. • US politics live – laatste updates • Chuck Schumer, de belangrijkste Democraat in de Amerikaanse Senaat, heeft beloofd zich te verzetten tegen een Republikeins plan om $1 miljard uit te geven aan beveiligingsverbeteringen voor de balzaal die Donald Trump wil bouwen op de voormalige East Wing van het Witte Huis.

• Richard Neal, Democraat uit Massachusetts, plant een brede belastingagenda indien hij de voorzittershamer van de Ways and Means Committee terugkrijgt na een machtswisseling in het Huis. • Neal zal waarschijnlijk de strijd over de belastingaangiften van president Trump niet nieuw leven inroepen, maar zich in plaats daarvan richten op dringendere prioriteiten zoals vennootschapsbelastingen en belastingkredieten. • Dit stelt de Democraten in staat om de belastingmaatregelen van de GOP tegen te gaan, wat invloed heeft op discussies over inkomsten en economische ongelijkheid.

• Republikeinen streven agressief naar extra zetels in het Huis van Afgevaardigden via herindelingsinspanningen, maar de strategie zou flink kunnen averechts werken. • De push riskeert Democraten te mobiliseren en belangrijke nieuwe kiezers te vervreemden, wat potentieel kan leiden tot nettoverliezen in plaats van winst. • Dit is van belang te midden van de tussentijdse verkiezingen, aangezien het de controle van de GOP over het Huis kan ondermijnen, ondanks gunstige kaarten in sommige staten.

Senator Chris Van Hollen en andere Democratische wetgevers omarmen een beleid dat nauwelijks ten goede komt aan de middenklasse.

• Democraten in het Congres zijn een formeel onderzoek gestart naar de vraag of de gratiemaatregelen van president Trump werden gedreven door zogenaamde "pay-to-play" regelingen waarbij financiële bijdragen of andere tegenprestaties een rol speelden. • De Democratische afgevaardigde Dave Min uit Californië is een van de drie wetgevers die het onderzoek leiden naar de verdachte omstandigheden rondom selecte presidentiële gratieverleningen. • Het onderzoek weerspiegelt de zorgen van de Democraten over mogelijke corruptie of quid pro quo-afspraken die de inzet van de presidentiële bevoegdheden tot gratieverlening door de regering-Trump zouden hebben beïnvloed.

A group of prominent Senate Democrats sent a letter to FCC chair, Brendan Carr, to protest the commission’s order last week challenging ABC’s licensesA group of prominent Senate Democrats sent a letter on Thursday to Brendan Carr, the Trump-aligned Federal Communications Commission chair, asking him to rescind the US media regulator’s order last week requiring ABC to apply early to renew its television licenses.The eight ABC-owned station licenses were not originally up for renewal until 2028 at the earliest and 2031 at the latest; now, the renewal requests must be filed by the end of May. Continue reading...

Chedrick Greene will have to defend his new perch in midterms, as Republican challenger vows to run againUS politics live – latest updatesChedrick Greene, a Democratic firefighter and marine veteran, won a special election in Michigan on Tuesday, allowing Democrats to retain control of state senate for the remainder of the year.In the race for Michigan’s 35th senate district, a constituency that former vice-president Kamala Harris won by only a single percentage point in 2024, Greene beat Republican Jason Tunney – clinching more than 58% of the vote, compared with Tunney’s 39%, according to local results. The district includes parts of Bay and Saginaw counties, purple areas of the state. Continue reading...

Letter from House Democrats to secretary of state calls for end to ambiguity over Israel’s nuclear weapons programsHouse Democrats have asked secretary of state Marco Rubio to publicly announce that Israel possesses nuclear weapons, arguing that Washington must end decades of ambiguity over the issue amid the conflict with Iran.In a letter sent on Monday, 30 Democrats wrote that it was unsustainable for Donald Trump to collaborate with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a military campaign against Iran – with the stated goal of preventing the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon – without publicly acknowledging the US ally’s possession of the bomb. Continue reading...

Candidates will get funding for midterm races in battleground states, amid Republican push to revise voting mapsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDemocratic officials added eight new candidates to their slate of top contenders vying to reclaim a Democratic House majority during midterm elections this fall.The candidates will receive a boost in fundraising and campaign support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) as part of a “Red to Blue” program that seeks to help competitive candidates win elections in battleground states. Continue reading...

• A newly formed super PAC aligned with Republicans has amassed a $140 million war chest aimed at defeating an incumbent Ohio Democrat seeking to return to the Senate in 2026, according to campaign‑finance disclosures. • The Democrat, who previously served multiple terms in the Senate and is viewed as a key target in the GOP’s strategy to expand its majority, faces a crowded primary and is under pressure on several policy fronts. • Democrats warn that the spending could overwhelm small‑donor‑based campaigns and reshape the state’s media landscape, while Republicans argue the money will keep the candidate’s record under scrutiny.

Lee Zeldin claims before Senate that Trump administration plan will make Environmental Protection Agency ‘more efficient’Senate Democrats accused the Trump administration of abandoning the Environmental Protection Agency’s mission to protect human health and the environment at a congressional hearing Wednesday, slamming agency leadership over a proposal to cut its budget in half.Lee Zeldin’s appearance before the Senate environment committee was the EPA administrator’s last of three budget hearings this week where he argued for sharply reduced funding for the agency, which already has seen its staffing reduced to its lowest level in decades under his leadership. During much of the week, the former Republican congressman from New York took an aggressive approach, responding to Democrats in the House and Senate with his own questions and at times accusing them of being unprepared or failing to care about the EPA’s record. Continue reading...

• House Democrats skeptically questioned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for the first time since the Iran war began, pressing on strategy and costs during an April 29 hearing. • One Democrat accused Hegseth of partisanship, quoting his prior statements back at him in a heated exchange. • The confrontation highlights partisan divides over the war's economic toll and Trump's foreign policy amid plunging approval ratings.

The case is part of a national redistricting fight with high stakes for the November midterm electionsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxVirginia supreme court justices on Monday questioned whether the state’s Democratic-led legislature complied with constitutional requirements when it sent a congressional redistricting plan to voters, in a case that carries high stakes for the balance of power in the US House.The new districts, which could net Democrats four additional seats, won narrow voter approval last week. But a Republican legal challenge contends the general assembly violated procedural rules by placing the constitutional amendment before voters to authorize the mid-decade redistricting. If the court agrees that lawmakers broke the rules, it could invalidate the amendment and render last week’s statewide vote meaningless. Continue reading...

• Support for Israel has dramatically shrunk among Democrats in Congress, marking a political shift. • Last week saw a seismic change with key figures like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez highlighting the reversal. • This internal party divide impacts U.S. foreign policy and bipartisan legislation on Middle East aid.

Republicans deploy measure known as budget reconciliation to push through plan without backing from Democrats during lengthy late-night voteHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The Senate voted to adopt a $70bn budget plan to fund ICE and Border Patrol as part of a new effort to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).We have a multistep process ahead of us, but at the end Republicans will have helped ensure that America’s borders are secure and prevented Democrats from defunding these important agencies.Instead of pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into ICE and Border Patrol, Republicans should be working with Democrats to lower out-of-pocket costs.The Pentagon announced, without explanation, that “Secretary of the Navy John C Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately”. The head of the US navy, which is now enforcing a wartime blockade of Iranian ports, was replaced by a former Maga political candidate, Hung Cao, now acting secretary of the navy.The surprise announcement brought renewed attention to Cao’s 2023 comments that that “witchcraft” had “taken over” Monterey, California.Virginia’s attorney general, Jay Jones, promised to appeal an injunction issued by a circuit court judge that temporarily blocks the state from certifying the results of the Tuesday’s redistricting referendum.As jet fuel prices spike amid the ongoing energy crisis sparked by Donald Trump’s war on Iran, two Republican senators, Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton, denounced a proposed US government bailout of budget carrier Spirit Airlines.Representative David Scott, a Democrat from Georgia, has died at the age of 80. He is the fifth member of Congress to die in office within the last year. Continue reading...

Report from Elizabeth Warren calls Trump administration cuts to Social Security Administration ‘catastrophic’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxCuts to the Social Security Administration have caused “customer service chaos” for millions of older Americans and those with disabilities who rely on the agency’s services, according to a new report from a group of Democratic senators.An investigation found that phone wait times were more than 10 times higher than what the agency claimed on its website, if the calls were even answered at all. Continue reading...

Democrats within reach of House majority after voters rebel against Republican gerrymanderingSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxMonths into his second term, Donald Trump wagered that he could beat the historic trend of the party in power losing seats in midterm elections if Republican-led states redrew congressional maps to sweep Democrats out of office.The gamble is looking to be a bust, or at best a draw, for the president, after Democrats fought back with their own redistricting efforts, the latest of which came to fruition in Virginia on Tuesday, when voters approved a plan that could remove all but one of the five Republicans in its current House of Representatives delegation. Continue reading...

Amid growing congressional scrutiny of his conduct, Patel has claimed he has ‘never been intoxicated on the job’US politics live – latest updatesHouse judiciary Democrats have launched a formal inquiry into FBI director, Kash Patel’s alleged drinking habits, demanding he complete a standardized alcohol abuse assessment and submit the results to Congress.In a letter sent on Tuesday, led by Jamie Raskin, a Maryland representative, Democrats on the committee called on Patel to take the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Audit) – a 10-question World Health Organization screening tool used to identify harmful patterns of drinking – along with a sworn statement attesting to his answers. Lawmakers also requested all security clearance questionnaires Patel has completed since taking the role. Continue reading...

• California Democrats are urging swift action to fill the U.S. House seat vacated by former Rep. Eric Swalwell following his resignation. • Party leaders emphasize the need for a special election to maintain Democratic representation in the competitive district. • The vacancy heightens midterm stakes, with Republicans eyeing gains in the state amid shifting voter dynamics.

Climate leaders say Democrats need to extol clean energy as a way to cut costs for Americans as war roils oil marketsDemocrats should get louder in championing clean energy’s affordability and resilience from global shocks, according to some of the party’s leading voices on the climate.As the Iran war roils economies by raising the cost of oil and gas, countries are aiming to accelerate their shift to cleaner energy. But in the US, Donald Trump has sought to kill off any alternative to fossil fuels while opposing Democrats have been reluctant to tie the conflict to any action on the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Democratic lawmakers urged Republican leaders to postpone the confirmation hearing of Kevin WarshSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDemocrats have moved to stall Donald Trump’s effort to exert greater control over the US Federal Reserve, condemning the president’s “absurd” bid to install a new leader of the central bank while it is targeted with criminal investigations.Democratic lawmakers on the Senate banking committee urged its Republican leadership on Thursday to postpone the planned confirmation hearing for Kevin Warsh, the financial executive and former Fed governor Trump has nominated to replace Jerome Powell as Fed chair. Continue reading...

Accusations refer to attack on Iran without congressional authorization and strikes on alleged drug smuggling boatsHouse Democrats filed six articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, accusing the defense security of “high crimes and misdemeanors”, in reference to the attack on Iran without congressional authorization and deadly strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats, among other official acts.The move comes as the Trump administration faces mounting scrutiny over recent foreign action, particularly the war with Iran. Continue reading...

Measure by Jamie Raskin follows statements by Trump about annihilating Iran and post depicting himself as JesusSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHouse Democrats on Tuesday proposed creating a commission that would work with JD Vance to remove Donald Trump from office under the 25th amendment, should they determine he is no longer fit to serve.The measure, introduced by Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House judiciary committee, follows a series of statements from Trump, including his recent warning that Iran’s “whole civilization will die” if it did not capitulate to his demands, and a social media post that depicted him as Jesus Christ. Continue reading...

War spurs debate on US power and role in the world – and progressives eye chance to reorient American foreign policyWell over a year into Donald Trump’s disruptive second term, few believed the US president could still genuinely shock. But at 8.06am on Tuesday he did just that, with an apocalyptic threat on Truth Social, to destroy a “whole civilization” in Iran – a country of more than 90 million people. Democrats abandoned their forced restraint and immediately began to call for Trump’s removal from office.Yet beneath Democrats’ near-universal opposition to what they call the president’s “war of choice” are simmering tensions about the way America should engage with the world, especially when it comes to the Middle East. Since losing to Trump and his America First agenda in 2024, which promised not to start new wars, leading progressives have urged Democrats to reclaim the “anti-war” mantle. Continue reading...