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☆ Nikki Haley picks up first Senate endorsements from Collins, Murkowski while most GOP senators line up behind Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewSince former President Donald Trump entered the 2024 presidential race in late 2022, his candidacy has dominated the GOP primary process, with most Senate Republicans slowly but surely falling into his camp. With Trump largely cruising toward the GOP presidential nomination ahead of Super Tuesday, he has won the endorsements of a majority of the Senate Republican Conference. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine — announced that they were backing former UN ambassador Nikki Haley over Trump. AdvertisementIn a response to The Bangor Daily News, Collins said that she voted for Haley over Trump in the GOP primary, adding that Haley has "the energy, intellect, and temperament" to serve in the White House. The support from Murkowski and Collins is noteworthy, as the two lawmakers are the first GOP members from the chamber to back Haley as she continues her uphill primary campaign against Trump.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, — Sens, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Maine, Nikki Haley, Trump, Murkowski, Haley, Nikki, Collins, Ketanji Brown, Sen, Mitt Romney, Joe Biden's, Ralph Norman Organizations: Service, GOP, Republicans, Trump, Senate Republican Conference, Business, —, Maine —, Republican Party, Bangor Daily, Supreme, Republican Locations: Alaska, UN, Bangor, Murkowski, Utah, South Carolina

☆ Sen. Chris Murphy, who helped broker the failed border security package, says it's 'worrying' that Mitch McConnell couldn't deliver more votes: 'No one is in charge over there'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview that "no one" is leading Senate Republicans. "You can't make policy if no one is in charge," Murphy told Politico Magazine. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . "I just think it's really worrying that the leader of the Republican Party can't deliver more than four votes." But despite the setback, Murphy told the magazine he remained a "hopeless optimist" regarding the upper chamber.

Persons: Sen, Chris Murphy, Murphy, —, Chris Murphy of, GOP Sen, James Lankford of, Independent Sen, Kyrsten, Mitch McConnell's, That's, — Sens, Susan Collins of, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Lankford —, McConnell, Donald Trump's, … Organizations: Republicans, Politico Magazine, Democratic, Service, Republican, GOP, Independent, Senate, Democrats, — Locations: Chris Murphy of Connecticut, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine, Alaska, Utah

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Supreme Court said Thursday that 10 Republican state senators who staged a record-long walkout last year to stall bills on abortion, transgender health care and gun rights cannot run for reelection. The decision upholds the secretary of state’s decision to disqualify the senators from the ballot under a voter-approved measure aimed at stopping such boycotts. Measure 113, passed by voters in 2022, amended the state constitution to bar lawmakers from reelection if they have more than 10 unexcused absences. The senators’ lawsuit was filed against Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, who last August said the boycotting senators were disqualified from seeking reelection. Oregon voters approved Measure 113 by a wide margin following Republican walkouts in the Legislature in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Persons: — Sens, Tim Knopp, Daniel Bonham, Suzanne Weber, Dennis Linthicum, Lynn Findley, ”, Knopp, they’ve, LaVonne Griffin, Valade, walkouts Organizations: Oregon Supreme, Republican, — Locations: SALEM, Ore, Oregon

ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan said Wednesday he will not run for an eighth term in his solidly Republican South Carolina district. Duncan said he ran for office after the September 2001 terrorist attacks because he wanted to serve his country. He made energy policy one of his chief concerns, pushing for more nuclear power. The last time the seat was open in 2010, it attracted several candidates who remain at the South Carolina Statehouse — Sens. Duncan represents South Carolina's Third District, a mostly rural area in the northern and western part of the state that includes Greenwood, Anderson, Edgefield and Easley.

Persons: ANDERSON, Jeff Duncan, Duncan, ” Duncan, Anderson, Duncan hasn't, Rex Rice, Richard Cash, Neal Collins, Shane Massey, Democrat hasn't, Republican Lindsey Graham Organizations: — Republican U.S . Rep, Republican South, U.S . House, “, Republicans, South Carolina Statehouse —, South, Democrat, Republican, . Locations: S.C, Republican South Carolina, U.S, South Carolina Statehouse — Sens, Greenwood, Anderson, Edgefield, Easley

☆ US lawmakers question tax prep companies on sharing of taxpayer data with Big Tech platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“Americans should be able to file their taxes without fear that their sensitive data will be shared with Big Tech companies,” said the letters, copies of which were obtained by CNN. The letters — led by Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren — focus on the use of tracking technology developed by tech platforms and embedded within the tax prep companies’ websites that quietly transferred users’ personal information to Meta and Google, allegedly without their consent. Of the five tax prep companies, Intuit was not a major focus of the initial congressional probe because it did not use tracking pixels to the same extent as the others, the investigation found. They also asked the same question of each of the four other tax prep companies, as well as requesting a commitment to abide by the FTC’s warning not to use customer data in ways consumers did not expressly approve. The lawmakers requested that the tax prep firms respond by Nov. 8.

Persons: ”, Massachusetts Democratic Sen, Elizabeth Warren —, Warren, Meta, — Sens, Ron Wyden, Richard Blumenthal, Tammy Duckworth, Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders, Sheldon Whitehouse, Katie Porter Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Big Tech, Massachusetts Democratic, Meta, Google, FTC, Intuit, Ramsey Solutions, Oregon Democrat, Connecticut Democrat, Vermont Independent, Rhode, Rhode Island Democrat, House Democratic Locations: Oregon, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, California

☆ Covid stimulus checks caused some Social Security, SSI beneficiaries to lose benefits. Lawmakers are pressing for answers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Douglas Sacha | Moment | Getty ImagesWhen Covid-19 stimulus checks were deployed to millions of Americans, the government reassured Social Security and Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries they were eligible for payments. Social Security beneficiaries have also reportedly received overpayment notices. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.; Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; and Bob Casey, D-Pa. — to send a letter to the Social Security Administration last week stating they are "deeply concerned." One reason for that is it can be a challenge for the Social Security Administration to communicate guidance all the way down to the local level, she said. "If you receive an overpayment notice from the Social Security Administration, and believe that it was due to a Covid stimulus payment or another error that was made by the Social Security Administration, you should file an appeal," Milburn said.

Persons: Douglas Sacha, —, — Sens, Ron Wyden, Sherrod Brown, Bob Casey, Kilolo Kijakazi, Brown, Darcy Milburn, It's, Milburn Organizations: Social Security, Social, Democratic, —, Social Security Administration, SSI Locations: Ohio

☆ Elizabeth Warren says student-loan companies can't use lack of funding as an excuse for bad customer service — and she's 'deeply worried' they're not ready for repayment starting next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Sen. Elizabeth Warren led some Democratic colleagues in sending letters to four student-loan companies requesting information on the repayment restart. They also said a lack of funding is not a valid excuse for borrowers to be facing bad customer service. AdvertisementAdvertisementSenator Elizabeth Warren is worried that four federal student-loan companies aren't up to the task of transitioning millions of borrowers back into repayment in a few days. These letters come just days before pandemic relief for federal borrowers comes to an end. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a Monday press briefing that it would further strain Federal Student Aid's ability to assist borrowers over the next month.

Persons: Sen, Elizabeth Warren, —, Warren, — Sens, Chris Van Hollen, Ed Markey, Richard Blumenthal —, servicers, Joe Biden's, Virginia Foxx, Bill Cassidy, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean, Pierre said Organizations: Democratic, Service, Federal Services, servicer, Central Research Inc, Education Department, — House Republicans, Federal Student Aid, Consumer Financial, Republican, Office, Department, House Press, Education

☆ Joe Manchin has the straightest and whitest staff of any Democratic senator, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sen. Joe Manchin appears to have the least diverse staff of any Democratic senator. A Senate diversity survey found that 0% of his staff identify as LGBTQ, and just 12% are non-white. According to an annual survey of diversity among Senate Democratic staffers released this week, just 12% of the conservative West Virginia Democrat's staffers identify as non-white — the lowest of any Senate Democratic office. And in a stark contrast from the rest of the Democratic caucus, 0% of his staffers identify as LGBTQ, according to the survey. When it comes to gender diversity, Manchin also ranks low among the rest of his colleagues: 46% of his staff are women.

Persons: Sen, Joe Manchin, Manchin, — Sens, Maria Cantwell, Chris Coons, Raphael Warnock, Georgia Organizations: Democratic, Service, West Virginia Democrat's, Maria Cantwell of Washington, Democrats, Republicans Locations: Wall, Silicon, West Virginia, West, Maria Cantwell of, Chris Coons of Delaware

☆ A new bipartisan bill would make sure government and nonprofit workers can get student-loan forgiveness — even if they leave public service after 10 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The bill would eliminate the requirement to be employed in public service at the time of debt relief. It would ensure that borrowers that complete the required 120 qualifying payments will get loan forgiveness. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program was created in 2007 to give government and nonprofit workers student-loan forgiveness after ten years, or 120 qualifying payments. "Since its creation, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program has had persistent issues that have made it difficult for public service employees to access student debt relief in exchange for their dedicated service to our nation," Menendez said in a statement. "Our public servants, like police officers and teachers, rightfully have access to student loan forgiveness after ten years of public service," Houlahan said in a statement.

☆ Iowa Republicans voted just before 5 a.m. to roll back child labor laws, letting teens work on packaging lines and serve alcohol
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Iowa Senate voted just before 5 a.m. to pass a bill that would roll back child labor laws. The bill, if passed by the House, would allow teens to work longer hours and serve alcohol. A state labor leader told Insider he thought the bill's early-morning passage was a "disgrace." The bill passed 32-17 before 5 a.m. local time on Tuesday with two Republicans — Sens. In addition to rolling back child labor laws, Republicans in the state have voted to restrict SNAP food benefits.

☆ Top Democrats demand that Chief Justice John Roberts open investigation into Clarence Thomas after report claims he accepted free vacations worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from a GOP mega donor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Democrats are urging the Supreme Court to address ethics concerns around Justice Clarence Thomas. ProPublica reported this week that Thomas has accepted free vacations worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. They close by urging Chief Justice Roberts to ensure that the highest court's ethics code is treated are more than just a suggestion. "The highest court in the land should have the highest ethical standards," Kyle Herrig, president of the advocacy group Accountable.US, said in a statement. A spokesperson for the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Top Democrats demand that Chief Justice John Roberts open investigation into Justice Clarence Thomas after report claims he accepted free vacations worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from a GOP me
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

☆ Sens. Booker, Warnock press big bank CEOs to pause overdraft fees after SVB failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Cory Booker and Raphael Warnock have urged the CEOs of 10 major banks to waive overdraft and nonsufficient fund fees that could cost some Americans more than $100 a day in the wake of the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The letters went to the CEOs of Wells Fargo , U.S. Bank , Truist Financial Corp ., TD Bank , Regions Financial Corp ., PNC Bank , JPMorgan Chase , Huntington National Bank , Citizens Bank and Bank of America . Regulators shuttered New York-based Signature Bank days later in an effort to stall a potential banking crisis. Booker and Warnock said banking customers whose paydays fell between March 10 and March 13 were unable to receive or deposit checks from payroll providers banking with SVB and Signature Bank. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday said the department is prepared to guarantee all deposits for financial institutions beyond SVB and Signature Bank if the crisis worsens.

☆ The Justice Department investigated Jeffrey Epstein's death. Then it went silent.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

Jeffrey Epstein's death in a federal jail was seen as a shocking Justice Department failure. But more than three years later, the office still hasn't released its report into the circumstances of Epstein's death. "We all took it by surprise," Mark Epstein told Insider. Barr tasked the Justice Department's inspector general, Michael Horowitz, and the FBI with investigating "the circumstances of Mr. Epstein's death." Mark Epstein told Insider that he spoke to his brother about once a month in the years before his death.

Congress' failure to pass any meaningful immigration reform stretched to more than two decades in the last session, which ended last month. Here's a timeline of Congress' failure on immigration since President Bill Clinton left office. The bill passed the House, and the Senate passed the Comprehensive Reform Act of 2006, which was backed by the Bush White House. 2013 — With President Barack Obama in the White House, a bipartisan group of senators, nicknamed the Gang of 8, negotiated an immigration reform bill that was approved in the Senate. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaks about immigration reform legislation on Capitol Hill on April 18, 2013.

☆ Joe Biden's biggest successes and failures in his second year in office
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

His second year in office was marked by historic legislative achievements despite Democrats' razor-thin majority in Congress. Here are some of the highs and lows from Biden's second year:Success: UkrainePresident Joe Biden talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outside the White House. Conservative New York Times columnist Bret Stephens in September called the "staggering gains" by Ukrainian forces "a victory for Joe Biden, too." Universal pre-K was included in a sweeping spending plan passed by House Democrats until their Senate colleagues cut that out too. Failure: InflationPresident Joe Biden arrives for an event focused on inflation and the supply chain at the Port of Los Angeles in June.

The answer is simple, according to more than a dozen Washington insiders, FTX employees, and crypto industry observers who spoke with Insider. I don't think anyone believed that he was going to fund candidates who were, quote unquote, committed to ending pandemics who were also hostile to the crypto industry." Alex Wong/Getty ImagesRebuffed by the SEC, Bankman-Fried turned his attention to Congress. "It's not that he was welcoming regulation," says the senior figure in the crypto industry who attended meetings with Bankman-Fried. But while Bankman-Fried was busy wooing Washington, FTX was about to become Exhibit A in the case for more effective oversight of the crypto industry.

☆ A razor-thin Senate buffer and 2024 chances are at stake in Georgia's runoff next week between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Early voting has started for the Georgia Senate runoff between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker. A Warnock victory would usher in a 51-49 Democratic majority, while the GOP hopes for a 50-50 split. Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker speaks with supporters during a campaign rally in Milton, Ga., on November 21, 2022. Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont — who caucus with the Democratic Party, creating an equal split in the upper chamber. However, some Republicans would prefer that Trump remain at Mar-a-Lago, worried that he could cost them another Senate win.

☆ Live Results: The Senate midterm elections are here, and control of the deadlocked chamber of congress is up for grabs.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

In 2020, Democrats gained control of the Senate for the first time since early 2015. 2022 General EmbedsDespite holding the majority, two Senate Democrats — Sens. There are 35 seats up for grabs on Election Day — 21 held by Republicans and 14 by Democrats. Six incumbents — five Republicans and one Democrat — announced they would not be running for an additional term, leading to close races in Nevada, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Other battleground states this election season include close races in Wisconsin and Georgia.

☆ Tech leaders dish on how asinine it is to try to describe their companies, products, and worth to Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Hanna Kang | Kayla Gallagher | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +24 min

Tech companies are worried an aging Congress can't meet or even understand their demands. Younger members of Congress are beginning to take the lead in conversations on tech issues. Hawley said younger members are generally more critical of big tech. However, he added, new technologies are more widely used by younger people, and users tend to understand technology better. Meanwhile, major tech companies continue to ramp up their federal lobbying spending, together spending more in 2021 than in any other year in history.

☆ Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman nominated to the Supreme Court, in a bipartisan vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-04-07 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Jackson makes history as the first Black woman to become a Supreme Court justice. The 51-year-old jurist currently serves on the second-most powerful court in the country, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, often considered a launchpad to the Supreme Court. Biden appointed her to that seat a year ago, which, at the time, sparked rumors that she would make the shortlist if a Supreme Court vacancy arose. In her opening statement, she pledged to "support and defend the Constitution" if confirmed to the Supreme Court.

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