While most of Washington is focused on the “fiscal cliff,” the Senate has been engaged in a debate this week over the function of the most notable procedural trick in the chamber’s rulebooks: the filibuster. The filibuster allows minority party senators to block consideration of legislation unless supporters are able...
Soon to be retired Sens. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) unveiled their version of the Dream Act Tuesday, which has been in the works for over a year and also in Hutchison’s wheelhouse for at least five years.
Senate Republicans issued a surprise defeat to a “sportsmen’s bill” on Monday evening, defeating the bipartisan measure that would expand conservation and hunters access to public lands on a budget point of order. With several senators absent for a Monday evening vote, Republicans sided with Senate Budget Committee ranking member...
Debate on the massive defense bill that authorizes Pentagon programs is expected to continue through the end of the week after the Senate finally moved to consider the bill on Wednesday. So far, with the help of 11 Republicans, the Democratic-controlled chamber has passed a key measure restoring the Pentagon’s...
The White House is threatening a veto of the defense bill currently on the Senate floor if the measure is not changed, an official statement said Thursday. The statement on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) lists a number of objections to the legislation, including language which prohibits the use...
The Pentagon is soaking up most of the attention around the looming budget cuts that would take place at the start of the New Year, but there are a host of other national security programs caught up in the fiscal cliff debate, too. Sequestration would also mean fewer FBI agents,...