US Senate

McConnell poised for starring role in voting bill fight

May 11, 2021 Lisa Mascaro, Brian Slodysko and Christina A. Cassidy, Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is so determined to stop a sweeping elections overhaul pushed by congressional Democrats that he will personally argue against it, armed with a stack of amendments at […]

JOHNSTON: Have Democrats found a way to bypass the filibuster? Yes and no

April 15, 2021 Kelly D. Johnston

Clever minds have been at work in the U.S. Senate to find a way to circumvent the filibuster — that pesky rule that requires a three-fifths super-majority to end debate and bring a matter to […]

JOHNSTON: Fix, but don’t break, the Senate’s filibuster

April 7, 2021 Kelly Johnston

The word “filibuster” reminds many of the late Jimmy Stewart’s legendary performance in the 1939 Frank Capra classic, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Capra’s movie was fiction, but Stewart’s climactic filibuster was inspired by a […]

STRAND: The Senate filibuster and the ‘nuclear option’

January 12, 2021 Mark Strand

Now that Democrats have unified control of our federal government in Washington for the first time in a decade, some on the left would like to eliminate the legislative filibuster to let loose a flurry […]

Article

BARONE: The perils of political trifectas

November 3, 2020 Michael Barone, Washington Examiner

Why is undivided government so uncommon? Why doesn’t it last very long? If the final election returns, when they finally come in, match the current polls, Joe Biden’s Democrats will win a trifecta — the […]

News

Sen. Burr criticizes lack of hires for CDC program

May 18, 2020 North State Journal Staff

WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing last week, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) questioned public health officials on the federal government’s continued efforts to respond to COVID-19. During […]

House, Senate send COVID-19 bill to Cooper

May 2, 2020 North State Journal Staff

RALEIGH – The North Carolina House and Senate passed the COVID-19 relief bill on a sunny Saturday at the legislative building. Negotiators agreed on a package that spends approximately $1.5 billion in the areas of […]

McConnell plan: $1,200 payments; $1T rescue takes shape

March 19, 2020 Andrew Taylor and Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed direct payments of $1,200 per person and $2,400 for couples as part of a sweeping Republican response to the coronavirus outbreak, according to a copy of […]

LANGER: Senate drug plan helps government, hurts patients

December 11, 2019 Andrew Langer

Nancy Pelosi has a plan to lower drug prices. The Speaker of the House just released a new bill that would impose a slew of new taxes and allow the government to meddle with private […]

Meck GOP taps former state Rep. Bryan for Bishop’s vacated state Senate seat

September 26, 2019 North State Journal Staff

RALEIGH — The Mecklenburg County GOP Executive Committee, on Thursday, voted to fill the state Senate seat vacated by now-Congressman Dan Bishop with former state House Representative Rob Bryan. “Congratulations to Rob Bryan,” stated North […]