Senate Committee Approves Climate Treaty
The pact will phase down the use of HFC coolants.
Senate
J.D. Vance Takes Victory in Ohio GOP Senate Primary
The former venture capitalist will face Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic nominee, in November's general election.
Trump's Endorsement of 'J.D. Mandel' Sums Up Ohio's GOP Senate Primary
If even Donald Trump can't tell the candidates apart, what hope do Ohioans have?
Congress Won't Legalize Pot Anytime Soon, but It Could Protect Marijuana Businesses by Passing Banking Reform
Chuck Schumer seems less interested in achieving cannabis reform than in making political hay from his inevitable failure.
Democrats Might Soon Rediscover the Value of the Filibuster
Some liberal political analysts are warning that Republicans will gain a big Senate majority over the next two elections.
My NBC Article on the Confirmation of Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson
It explains why many of the reasons GOP senators gave for opposing Jackson were ridiculous, but also that there is nothing inherently wrong in opposing a qualified "mainstream" nominee based on differences over judicial philosophy.
From Pat Toomey to Dr. Oz: The Pennsylvania Senate Race Reflects the GOP's Descent Into Madness
Donald Trump's staying power and the decline of fusionism are on full display in this primary race.
When Will Democrats Get Serious About Repealing Pot Prohibition?
Instead of building on Republican support for federalism, they seem determined to alienate potential allies.
Did Ketanji Brown Jackson Flout the Law When She Reduced a Drug Dealer's Sentence?
The Supreme Court nominee's critics say she clearly did, but several federal appeals courts disagree.
Deadly Pot Shop Robberies Underline the Need for Marijuana Banking Reform While the Senate Dithers
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer worries that approving the SAFE Banking Act would make broader changes less likely.
Earmarks Are Back, and They're Just as Sleazy and Secretive as Ever
Lawmakers packed $8 billion of pork into the omnibus bill that passed Congress last night.
New Report Highlights an Old Problem—the CIA Is Still Snooping on Americans
In a program separate from the ones disclosed by Edward Snowden, we see more mass secret domestic data collection.
Donald Trump Just Showed Why Reforming the Electoral Count Act Is Essential
By saying the quiet part loud, the former president should spur Congress into action.
The Democrats' Voting Bill Is Dead, but Electoral Reform Isn't
The defeat of Democrats' voting rights legislation could lead to meaningful progress on election integrity.
Anti-Tech Antitrust Bill Draws Criticism From All Sides
Plus: CBD could prevent COVID-19, gun owner privacy is at risk in California, and more...
Sen. Sinema Savages Democrats' Shortsighted Filibuster Sabotage
Both parties want to kill the filibuster when they are in the majority, and that's exactly why it needs to stick around.
Democrats Can Beat a GOP Filibuster Without Wrecking Senate Rules
Senate Democrats should avoid taking the easy, undemocratic way out.
Joe Biden Says He's Willing To Kill the Filibuster
If Democrats' voting rights bills are blocked, Biden says, "we have no choice but to change the Senate rules, including getting rid of the filibuster."
Democrats May Pressure the GOP Into Making the Filibuster Meaningless
An old strategy that’s worked for Democrats before may work again.
January 6 Doesn't Justify Wrecking the Filibuster
Plus: Yelling "fire" (literally and metaphorically), fundraising with non-fungible tokens, and more...
As U.S. Establishment Fails Financially, Leaders Try to Make Cryptocurrencies the Scapegoat
Politicians attack dollar-backed cryptocurrencies called “stablecoins” and the decentralized finance it enables
Joe Manchin Drives Final Nail Into Doomed 'Build Back Better' Plan. For Now.
Plus: The pragmatic approach to omicron is emerging, lumber prices are skyrocketing again, and more...
What Will 'Build Back Better' Buy? Inflation.
Deficit spending and debt are out of control, and dragging down the purchasing power of the dollar.
Without Budget Gimmicks, Biden's 'Build Back Better' Will Add $3 Trillion to the Deficit, CBO Says
Enough with the budget gimmicks. It's time for Democrats to admit that Biden's proposal is a long, long way from being fully paid for.
Another Defeat for Biden's Vaccine Mandate, Even as America Passes Another Vaccination Milestone
Plus: Getting hitched in the metaverse, unemployment claims fall to their lowest level in decades, and more...
Is Dr. Oz Fit To Join the U.S. Senate?
The TV personality's extensive history of promoting dubious nostrums suggests that he isn't.
A Federal Vaping Tax Is Bad Policy and Bad Politics
The proposed vaping tax has caused a third Democrat to join Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema in opposing the bill.
Manchin: Biden's New Spending Plan Relies on 'Shell Games' and 'Budget Gimmicks'
"I'm open to supporting a final bill that helps move our country forward, but I'm equally open to voting against a bill that hurts our country," Manchin says.
Josh Hawley Wants to Make the Supply Chain Crisis Permanent
If the power to his house went out during a storm, one assumes Hawley would declare electricity to be a mistake and demand that homes be lit with candles.
Manchin on Biden's Plan To Let IRS Snoop on Bank Transactions: 'It's Screwed Up'
Plus: RIP to political humorist Mort Sahl, a look at which households pay the largest share of sin taxes, and more....
Bernie Sanders Thinks 48 Senators Make a Majority
The Senate's leading progressive seems to misunderstand the basic math of American democracy.
Our Looming Trillion Dollar Doom
Plus: the unintended consequences of mandating COVID vaccines for students
Joe Manchin Is Forcing Congress To Think About the Deficit. Good.
Among Americans who aren't liberal pundits, the debt and deficit rank as major concerns. It's about time Congress noticed.
The Senate's Infrastructure Bill Redefines 'Broadband' To Manufacture a Connectivity Crisis
It is the equivalent of mandating that all new homes come with at least five bathrooms.
How a Sneaky Crypto Crackdown Plot Blew Up the Infrastructure Bill
Cryptocurrency advocates fight back against major government overreach.
Cryptocurrency Fight Holds Up Infrastructure Bill
For now, the side that wants less cryptocurrency regulation and taxation lost.
Is Anthony Fauci Lying About NIH Funding of Wuhan Lab Research? Or Is Rand Paul?
Inside the dispute over gain-of-function research.
Senate Considers Requiring Women To Register for the Draft
A proposal obtained by Politico would get rid of male-only language in an upcoming military service bill.
Senators Aim To Curtail Presidential Power Over War, Arms Sales, Emergency Declarations
Plus: The FBI had at least a dozen informants helping put together the plot to kidnap Michigan's governor, price controls fail again, and more.
Senate Could Pass a $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill This Week, Even Though There's No Agreement on How To Pay for It
Plus: Strip clubs help reduce crime rates, tariffs fail to achieve their primary political purposes, Jeff Bezos goes to space, and more.
Dean Erwin Chemerinsky's Views on the Filibuster, Past and Present
Dean Chemerinsky has argued for and against the filibuster on both constitutional and policy grounds.
There Is Nothing "Unconstitutional" about the Filibuster
Some academics are urging VP Harris to declare the filibuster unconstitutional
Catherine Lhamon, Once and Future Title IX Czar, Says Campus Rules Don't Require 'Presumption of Innocence'
Her response to questions from the Senate HELP committee were disqualifying.
Chuck Schumer Says He Wants To Legalize Marijuana. His Bill Suggests Otherwise.
The Senate majority leader's racial rhetoric and overly prescriptive approach make an already iffy effort even more quixotic.
RIP Mike Gravel, Unapologetic Opponent of War and Star of Absurdist Presidential Campaign Ads
A heterodox hero and committed antiwar activist, Gravel put the Pentagon Papers in the public record.
The Budget Reconciliation Battle Is a Procedural Power Grab
By effectively casting aside the filibuster while technically leaving it in place, Democrats can maintain the pretense that they played by the rules.
Federalizing Elections Doesn't Make Much Sense and Won't Save Democracy
The "For The People Act" was a flawed package that would have solved some problems while creating new headaches.
