Rob Portman
Bipartisan senators and Biden strike a deal on $550B in new infrastructure spending
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators say they have worked through the sticking points on a major infrastructure package, paving the way for a vote to begin debate on that proposal as soon as Wednesday evening. That announcement came a week after Republicans blocked a test vote on the deal, with GOP senators opposed to […]
U.S. Senate Republicans block advance of bipartisan infrastructure plan, but talks continue
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats’ attempt to start debate on a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan was blocked by Republicans on a party-line vote Wednesday, as lawmakers hustle to wrap up negotiations over drafting that legislation. In the 49-51 test vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, (D-N.Y.), switched his vote to “no,” a procedural move that allows […]
Senate Democrats’ voting rights push stalls in the face of GOP opposition
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans shut down efforts to open debate on a sweeping elections reform and voting rights bill brought to the Senate floor by Democrats Tuesday night. In a party-line 50-50 vote, the Democratic measure, S.1, titled the For the People Act, did not reach the 60-vote threshold required to end a filibuster and […]
Colonial Pipeline CEO: ‘One of the toughest decisions I have had to make’ to pay a $4.4M ransom
WASHINGTON — The CEO of Colonial Pipeline, which underwent a ransomware attack in early May that led to massive shutdowns of gas stations across the Southeast, said during a U.S. Senate hearing on Tuesday that it was his decision to pay a ransom to restore the company’s operations. “It was one of the toughest decisions I […]
Dr. Acton, former state health director, will not run for U.S. Senate
Dr. Amy Acton, the former state health director who led Ohio’s pandemic response in its early months, announced Tuesday she will not enter the race to fill Republican Rob Portman’s seat in the U.S. Senate. Acton was considered to be a potential leading candidate for the Democratic Party primary. In a provided statement, Acton called […]
Senate panel splits over Xavier Becerra, Biden’s pick to lead Health and Human Services
WASHINGTON — A Senate panel divided evenly along party lines Wednesday over the nomination of Xavier Becerra, President Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The 14-14 vote came in the Senate Finance Committee, with Democrats in support of advancing Becerra’s nomination and Republicans opposed to sending it to the full […]
Senate acquits Trump in his second impeachment trial; 7 GOPs vote to convict
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate voted on Saturday to acquit former President Donald Trump on a charge of inciting the deadly Jan. 6 insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol, concluding his second impeachment trial with the same verdict as his first impeachment. In the 57-43 vote, seven Republicans joined every Senate Democrat and independent in […]
What Senate Republicans are saying about Trump’s impeachment trial
WASHINGTON — The second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is set to begin Tuesday, when the Senate will start hearing arguments over whether Trump should be convicted of inciting the violent mob that lay siege to the Capitol. So far, no Senate Republican has outright backed a vote to convict Trump, and many […]
Biden ends Trump policy to separate migrant children from their parents
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed three executive orders on Tuesday evening that reverse controversial policies from the previous administration, including one that resulted in the separation of migrant children from their parents. Biden made it clear during the signing that he was not creating new immigration policies with the executive orders, but reversing those […]
GOP senators score meeting with Biden to discuss more modest relief plan
WASHINGTON — Ten Republican senators on Monday took up President Joe Biden on his calls for working across the aisle on economic relief, though those senators are far from embracing the scale of the $1.9 trillion package that Biden is seeking. The group of GOP lawmakers — which includes Rob Portman of Ohio — sketched […]
Portman’s Trump apologetics tarnished his legacy. Will he do the right thing now on impeachment?
Any respect that scores of Ohioans had for U.S. Sen. Rob Portman is long gone. It disappeared the day the Cincinnati Republican hopped aboard the Trump train and never looked back. He may have held his nose, but he was all in. We thought Portman would be different. We thought a Midwest sense of honor […]
Missouri Republican to delay Senate confirmation of Biden’s pick for Homeland Security
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley will object to the rapid confirmation vote planned for President-elect Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, part of the national security team that was expected to be confirmed Wednesday. Hawley, a Missouri Republican, announced his opposition to Alejandro Mayorkas following Tuesday’s hearing on the DHS […]