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☆ Sen. Tommy Tuberville's hold on military nominees in protest of the Pentagon's abortion policy is disrupting the succession of top military leadership as the US confronts multiple threats abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sen. Tommy Tuberville's hold on military nominees is rippling throughout the Pentagon. But Tuberville continues to stand by his position, a protest against the Pentagon's new abortion policy. If the senator's hold on nominees stands in the coming weeks, though, the leaders of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps — along with the chairman — won't have respective successors installed. The hold on nominees also comes as the US continues to navigate its diplomatic relationship with China. Arnold Punaro, a retired Marine Corps major general and former staffer on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Politico that Tuberville is "taking the military nominees as political hostages."

Persons: Sen, Tommy Tuberville's, Staff Mark Milley, Tuberville, —, GOP Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Roe, Wade, Biden, Arnold Punaro Organizations: Pentagon, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Service, GOP, of Defense, Chiefs, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Senate Armed Services Committee, Politico Locations: Alabama, Ukraine, Russian, China

☆ Republican Sen. Rick Scott is reportedly considering a presidential bid as fellow Floridian Ron DeSantis struggles
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Republican Sen. Rick Scott is reportedly considering a presidential run. According to The New York Times, Scott is eyeing a late entry into the field. The Times reports that Scott, who was also governor of Florida, is considering a late entry into the growing 2024 Republican field. If Scott were to enter, there would then be four Floridians in a field that already has Trump, DeSantis, and Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez. Scott and DeSantis have a frosty relationship, though Scott often demurs when asked about his successor.

Persons: Sen, Rick Scott, Scott, Ron DeSantis, —, Republican Sen, Donald Trump, Miami Mayor Francis X, Suarez, DeSantis, Trump, he's, Chris Hartline, Joe Biden trolled Scott, Biden Organizations: The New York Times, Service, Republican, Times, Miami Mayor, Floridian, Senate Republicans, Senate, Social Security, Republican National Committee Locations: Florida

Senator Tommy Tuberville for holding up some 200 Pentagon nominees over a Defense Department abortion policy. I don't remember it happening before, and I've been around," Biden said of the actions of Tuberville at a fundraiser for wealthy donors in California's Silicon Valley. The Alabama senator has called the policy a violation of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits using federal taxpayer funds for abortion services. Jean-Pierre said the senator's blockade on the nominees was hurting military families and risking "our military readiness by depriving our armed forces of leadership." The Alabama senator is blocking what is usually a speedy process to confirm Pentagon nominees.

Persons: Joe Biden, Lucy Evans, Kevin Lamarque, Tommy Tuberville, I've, Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean, Lloyd Austin, May, Trevor Hunnicutt, Nandita Bose, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Interpretive, Preserve, REUTERS, Republican U.S, Defense Department, Pentagon, Alabama, House, U.S, Senate, Defense, Thomson Locations: Palo Alto , California, U.S, Silicon, Tuberville, Alabama, Los Gatos , California, Washington

☆ Australian senator quits Liberal Party after allegations of misconduct
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, June 18 (Reuters) - A senator from Australia's main opposition Liberal Party facing accusations of sexual misconduct by several female politicians has resigned from the party but will stay in parliament, the senator's office said on Sunday. The claims against Liberal Party Senator David Van follow a 2021 inquiry into Australia's parliament house culture that found one in three people working there had experienced sexual harassment. Van, who denies the accusations, said in a message to the president of the Victorian division of the Liberal Party that he would resign his membership immediately. Following Thorpe's comments, former Liberal senator Amanda Stoker said in a statement that Van inappropriately touched her at a party in 2020 by squeezing her bottom twice. A third claim has also emerged against senator Van, Dutton told the media on Friday, without giving details.

Persons: David Van, Van, Peter Dutton, Lidia Thorpe, Amanda Stoker, Dutton, Scott Morrison, Sam McKeith, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Liberal Party, Liberal, Victorian, Reuters, Thomson

☆ Trump said he's 'just going to say nice things' about fellow presidential candidate Tim Scott: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Trump had kind words for Tim Scott in the lead-up to the senator's WH campaign launch, per The Times. We're just going to say nice things about Tim," Trump reportedly told the newspaper. Ron DeSantis of Florida over his now-declared presidential campaign, calling his onetime ally "disloyal" and dismissing the ex-congressman's readiness for national office. And according to a recent New York Times report, Trump still had positive feelings regarding Scott in the lead-up to the conservative lawmaker launching his presidential campaign last week. We're just going to say nice things about Tim," Trump said, according to an unnamed individual who spoke with The Times.

☆ Dianne Feinstein once became confused after seeing Vice President Kamala Harris preside over the Senate, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Feinstein was confused by VP Harris presiding over the Senate last year, per a New York Times report. Feinstein said, according to an unnamed individual who was present at the time. Feinstein, 89, asked of Harris, according to an unnamed individual who was present at the time. Upon her return, a New York Times report then disclosed that she also suffered from Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, a neurological disorder that in the senator's case was brought on by her bout with shingles. Rep. Ro Khanna, a fellow Bay Area lawmaker, in April called on Feinstein to resign from office, and reiterated his position this month.

☆ Tim Scott's campaign kicks off with more cash than his rivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Bridget Bowman | Bridget Bowman Is A Deputy Editor For Nbc'S Political Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., may not have the highest poll numbers, but he kicks off his presidential campaign flush with another precious campaign resource: money. Scott is likely entering the 2024 race with more cash than his GOP rivals. The senator's federal campaign committee had $21.9 million in its account as of March 31, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election. Former President Donald Trump's campaign had $13.9 million in its account, while biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who has largely self-funded his campaign, had $9.4 million on hand. Those senators had between $2.2 million (Graham) and $4.1 million (Rubio) in their presidential or Senate campaign accounts before launching their runs for the White House.

☆ Tim Scott's biggest financial backer is Larry Ellison, a tech billionaire who owns the sixth-largest island in Hawaii and has poured $35 million into the senator's super PAC
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ellison has pumped $35 million into Scott's super PAC, and could legally give him millions more. On Monday, Ellison attended Scott's campaign launch in North Charleston, where Scott described him as one of his mentors. Trump's political operation includes the "MAGA, Inc" super PAC, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has enjoyed the support of the "Never Back Down" super PAC. Scott's campaign isn't the first time a Republican presidential candidate has heavily relied on a single megadonor.

☆ Sen. Tim Scott kicks off 2024 presidential bid, entering GOP primary field led by Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Trump has easily led the pack since launching his campaign last year, with Florida Gov. "Tim Scott is the real deal, and he will make a great president of the united states," Thune told the crowd in North Charleston before Scott took the stage. "This can't be another presidential campaign. The long-expected campaign kickoff came three days after Scott filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission designating a principal committee for a presidential bid. "Tim is a big step up from Ron DeSanctimonious, who is totally unelectable," Trump wrote in a social media post earlier Monday.

☆ Oracle's Larry Ellison gears up to spend millions to back Tim Scott's 2024 run
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Oracle co-founder and Republican megadonor Larry Ellison is preparing to spend millions of dollars backing Sen. Tim Scott's run for president. The Opportunity Matters Fund PAC has been rebranded for Scott's White House run with a new name: Trust In The Mission PAC, or TIM PAC. Another veteran Republican fundraiser told CNBC that Ellison is already planning to donate up to $10 million to the TIM PAC in the early going of Scott's run. Ellison has signaled to allies that he could give at least between $20 million and $30 million more this cycle, this person said. Ellison admires Scott a great deal for the senator's strong support for Israel, according to a lobbyist who's worked with Oracle and has known Ellison for years.

☆ California Rep. Ro Khanna again calls on Dianne Feinstein to resign over health concerns: 'It's painful to watch.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Ro Khanna said it was "painfully obvious" that Sen. Feinstein should no longer serve in office. "I think they should have a loving conversation about it being time," Khanna said of Feinstein's confidantes. "First, let me say, I admire her career," Khanna told Wagner. Upon her return to the Senate, Feinstein appeared disoriented as an aide whisked her through the Capitol, according to The Times. "While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties.

☆ GOP Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina files paperwork to run for president
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Likely Republican presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina filed paperwork Friday to run for president in 2024, officially throwing his hat into a growing Republican primary lineup that former President Donald Trump has so far led. Scott is expected to announce his presidential campaign on Monday morning in North Charleston. Scott's brand of politics, marked by optimism and gestures toward stitching a divided nation back together, has been mostly absent from the Republican presidential conversation. "There's no question that special interests are celebrating as Tim Scott throws his hat into the 2024 race for the MAGA base."

May 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate is expected to vote Thursday on whether to confirm President Joe Biden's nominee to a federal appeals court a day after Senator Joe Manchin became the first one of Biden's fellow Democrats to vote against one of his judicial picks. Her confirmation faced a new obstacle on Wednesday night when Manchin, a moderate Democrat, broke ranks to oppose advancing her nomination. Her nomination advanced Wednesday on a 50-48 vote after two Republican senators did not participate, teeing it up for final consideration by the full Senate. If Manchin again opposes Abudu during the final vote on her confirmation, Vice President Kamala Harris could be called in to break a tie. That court flipped to a majority of Republican-appointed judges under then-President Donald Trump, who picked six of the 11 active judges.

☆ Dianne Feinstein suffered more complications from illness than publicly disclosed, New York Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Senator Dianne Feinstein, who returned to Washington in May after a months-long absence due to shingles, suffered more complications from the illness than were publicly disclosed, the New York Times reported on Thursday. The shingles caused a rare complication known as encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, the New York Times said, citing two people familiar with the senator's diagnosis. Feinstein on Thursday said she did not have encephalitis, saying it "really has never been diagnosed", according to CNN. I continue to work and get results for California." Reporting by Costas Pitas in Los Angeles; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pelosi's daughter is Dianne Feinstein's primary caregiver at the Capitol, but the former speaker denies using the relationship to help her protégé replace the aging senator
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Since Dianne Feinstein returned to office in May, Nancy Pelosi's daughter has been alongside her. A recent report from Politico suggested Pelosi could be using her daughter to keep Feinstein from retiring, possibly helping Rep. Adam Schiff's chances of replacing her. Pelosi's office denied any political motives for aiding Feinstein. Feinstein, 89, missed several months of votes in the Senate due to her diagnosis in February before returning in May. And earlier this week, Feinstein denied ever missing time away from the Senate due to shingles.

☆ Ron Johnson insists he won't pocket $8.4 million from donors. But thanks to Ted Cruz, he could legally do exactly that.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

That's due to a Supreme Court case won last year by Ted Cruz, who defended Johnson repaying himself. In October quarterly filings, Johnson's campaign declared that it was reinstating $8.4 million in loans, citing Ted Cruz vs. FEC. Furthermore, the door is now open for other self-funding candidates to demand payback of campaign loans that they had previously forgiven. And prior to Johnson telling Insider that he wouldn't seek a loan repayment, Cruz vociferously defended the hypothetical repayment. "It is perfectly reasonable that Ron Johnson, after 10 years of making an interest-free loan to the American people, can pay back his own money," Cruz added.

☆ Dianne Feinstein's staff makes sure the senator never walks around the Capitol by herself out of concern for what she might say to reporters amid her declining health and old age, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

As her health declined, her staff began to follow her wherever she goes in the Capitol, per Rolling Stone. Feinstein returned to the Senate on Wednesday after spending nearly three months away from Washington due to a shingles infection. For the past few years, Feinstein's staff felt it necessary to ensure the senator is never alone when she walks around the Capitol, sources told Rolling Stone. Jamarcus Purley, a former staff member fired last February for work performance issues, told the magazine that Feinstein's office developed the system without her knowing. Feinstein's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Dianne Feinstein once mistook GOP Sen. Tim Scott for Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, book says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dianne Feinstein once mistook two different Black senators, according to a story relayed in a new book. She confused GOP Sen. Tim Scott for Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, saying she'd been rooting for him. Scott reportedly played along, telling Feinstein that her "support means a lot." Scott, a Republican who's served in the Senate since 2013, is said to have played along with Feinstein's apparent confusion. Dean Phillips 🇺🇸 🟧 (@RepDeanPhillips) April 12, 2023But on Wednesday, Feinstein finally returned to the Capitol, continuing to suffer balance and vision impairments.

WASHINGTON, May 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democrats released a letter from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday saying a Republican's decision to hold military nominations harms national security, intensifying a dispute over the military's abortion policy. "Delays in confirming our general and flag officers pose a clear risk to U.S. military readiness, especially at this critical time." "This indefinite hold harms America's national security and hinders the Pentagon's normal operations," Austin wrote. Senior military nominations are approved by the committee and eventually the Senate. He said he would continue to hold the nominees until the Pentagon changes its policy or Congress changes the law.

☆ Republicans want to push Manchin out of a reelection bid because they think he's the last Democrat who can win in deep red West Virginia: 'You can't say that it's impossible for him to win'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Republicans are looking to nudge Joe Manchin out of a Senate reelection bid in 2024. Still, Republican leaders aren't dismissing Manchin, as he has withstood the GOP lean of the state. And the state Senate and state House of Delegates, which had robust Democratic majorities just over a decade ago, now have GOP supermajorities. But if Manchin does run, Republicans should expect a tenacious campaigner who has shown that he won't be outworked. "He has that Clinton-esque ability to make everybody feel like he's your friend and he's listening to you and he's concerned about you," Hickey told Politico.

☆ New York Times editorial board says Chuck Schumer should pressure Dianne Feinstein to 'return or resign'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The New York Times editorial board said that Chuck Schumer should pressure Dianne Feinstein to "return or resign." "If she cannot fulfill her obligations to the Senate and to her constituents, she should resign and turn over her responsibilities to an appointed successor," the board wrote. According to its website, the New York Times editorial board comprises opinion journalists "who rely on research, debate and individual expertise to reach a shared view of important issues." A group of women Democratic senators, however, told Insider that the calls for Feinstein to resign were sexist and "unprecedented." Noting this point, the New York Times editorial board agreed that in its history, the historically predominately male Senate has had several instances of its male members missing years of legislative session time due to illness.

☆ These are the top Senate races to watch in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

They have reason to be hopeful: Democrats face a daunting 2024 Senate map that puts them on defense in 23 of the cycle's 34 races, including multiple seats considered ripe for GOP challenges. The grim outlook has some Senate Democrats considering retirement, even after the caucus expanded to a 51-49 majority following a better-than-expected showing in the midterms. Jim Justice, reportedly the state's richest man and one of its favored contenders for the Senate race. But the 2024 Senate race in Ohio is currently considered a toss-up, as Republicans have made significant gains in the state in the last two election cycles. Sabato's Crystal Ball and the Cook Political Report both say the Michigan Senate race leans Democratic.

☆ Limit access to most secret US documents, Senate intel panel head says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) - Too many people have access to the U.S. government's closest secrets and a central entity should oversee the classification process, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said on Sunday, addressing leaks of documents in an online chat group. The United States has numerous intelligence gathering entities and Warner said the situation needed to be dealt with. "We need somebody fully in charge of the whole classification process and I think for those classified documents there ought to be a smaller universe," he said. As an example, Warner said the National Security Agency has suffered leaks in the past and internal controls limit the copying of documents. Warner also said that not everyone handling a document needs to see the whole document and that just seeing the header could be enough.

☆ John Edwards and Donald Trump were both accused of paying money to women who said they had affairs with them. But the cases are quite different.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Like Donald Trump, John Edwards was accused of paying off a mistress during a campaign. Edwards was charged with campaign finance violations over the payments but wasn't convicted. For one, Trump has not been charged with violating federal campaign finance laws. It may well be true that the Edwards precedent is why the Justice Department didn't charge Trump with a campaign finance violation. Bragg does not need to prove that Trump broke federal campaign finance laws; he needs to prove that he falsified business records, which is a crime no matter the reason.

☆ Ted Cruz is fundraising off his bill limiting senators to two terms in office while running for his third term
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ted Cruz is fundraising off two-term limits for senators while he's running for his third. The contributions benefit Ted Cruz for Senate and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "I want to know what YOU think about my Constitutional Amendment to impose TERM LIMITS on Senators and House Members." "Term limits will bring ACCOUNTABILITY that is LONG overdue in Washington, and I'm fighting for the American people to get this done," he wrote. "I've long said that I don't support unilateral term limits – just one person or one side unilaterally restricting themselves when the rules don't apply across the board," he said.

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