Lindsey Graham
Campaign Notebook: Senate nominees bring big names to central Ohio
Ohio’s U.S. Senate candidates kicked off the week by campaigning with two high profile surrogates. It would be hard to imagine two backers more dissimilar. Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan shared the stage with Dave Matthews in Columbus, while Republican J.D. Vance took U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham along for a Central Ohio campaign swing. People […]
U.S. Senate Republicans shy away from proposed 15-week national abortion ban
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans are skeptical about a 15-week nationwide abortion ban that GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced Tuesday, with some saying they want to leave the issue to state lawmakers instead of taking it up in Congress. “I think most of the members of my conference prefer that this be dealt with at […]
Bernie Sanders at U.S. Senate hearing rips Amazon over union opposition
WASHINGTON — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders took Amazon to task Thursday at a congressional hearing, bashing the online giant’s leadership for fighting union drives and questioning whether the federal government should continue contracting with the multibillion-dollar company. Amazon executives didn’t attend the hearing but U.S. senators did hear from labor unions and the U.S. Government […]
GOP senators attack and interrupt in final day of questioning U.S. Supreme Court nominee
WASHINGTON — In the third day of hearings Wednesday on the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, several Republicans on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee interrogated her about sentences she handed down for child pornography offenses, disagreeing vehemently with her judicial decisions. Republicans grilled her with questions she had already answered about […]
For years, Portman navigated the shifting political climate. Now he wants out.
Rob Portman of Ohio will not be seeking reelection to the U.S. Senate, with the Cincinnati Republican citing increased polarization in American politics as a reason to not campaign for a third term The surprise announcement on Monday morning set off an early-week scramble for politicians of both parties to consider a run at the […]
Barrett nomination advances to the U.S. Senate floor with a GOP-only vote
WASHINGTON — Republicans on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, as Democrats boycotted the markup in a show of protest. The 12 Republicans on the panel speedily voted on Barrett’s nomination and sent it to the Senate floor. The full Senate will […]
Supreme Court confirmation hearings to plow ahead amid COVID-19 infections
Federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett will face the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee beginning Monday for what’s expected to be an unusual and contentious four days of hearings on her nomination for the Supreme Court. Democrats sought unsuccessfully to block those hearings, raising concerns about the short time frame before Election Day, the urgent need to […]
Could COVID-19 delay the Supreme Court confirmation hearings?
One of the few obstacles that could prevent Amy Coney Barrett from being confirmed as a Supreme Court justice this year is the coronavirus. That potential threat was on display Friday, when news of President Donald Trump’s positive COVID-19 test was followed by a similar announcement from U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican who […]
Pandemic spurs U.S. Senate to pass historic aid package
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate late Wednesday night approved a $2 trillion spending bill that aims to provide economic relief for workers and businesses and to aid hospitals and states reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. The chamber voted 96-0 to pass the bill in an unusual display of bipartisanship. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who tested […]
U.S. Senate rejects two anti-abortion bills
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell doesn’t allow many bills to get floor votes these days, but he made an exception Tuesday for two bills intended to curb abortion access. Two GOP-led anti-abortion bills failed on procedural votes Tuesday as expected. The politically charged bills have both failed during previous Senate floor votes and […]
Sen. Portman: ‘Inappropriate is different from removal from office’
WASHINGTON — Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman has indicated that he’s likely to vote against removing President Donald Trump from office after a Senate trial. “I don’t see from what we’ve seen in the hearings and the depositions and the transcript from the calls and so on … I didn’t see evidence that rose […]