Senate

It's easy to be pessimistic about the future these days. Tea Party extremists threatened to push our federal government into default. In a host of states, anti-worker governors are hell-bent on gutting workers' rights while giving more power to corporate special interests. But in California, a decidedly different story is playing out. The end of the legislative session here brought huge gains to workers and their families that boost our state's economy and bolster the middle class.

Senate Democrats are drafting legislation to raise the nation's debt limit without the type of unrelated conditions that Republicans have said they intend to demand, officials said Monday, as the White House signaled it would accept even a brief extension in borrowing authority to prevent an unprecedented default. Republicans have said they will seek long-term deficit cuts or reforms to benefit programs and perhaps a wholesale rollback in environmental rules as the price for raising the current $16.7 trillion debt limit.

Ahead of this afternoon's address from the Rose Garden, President Obama delivered a YouTube message to the American military assuring them that they would still be paid in light of the government shutdown. Naturally, he wasn't too keen on Congress when speaking to the troops.

If Texas wants to pass laws with discriminatory intent, redistricting schemes that are unconstitutional, or photo voter ID laws that will have a retrogressive effect on minority voters, John Cornyn is A-OK with that, and the senator wants to make sure you know it.

Congress passed legislation stabilizing the interest rates of college loans, tying them to financial markets but capping the rates should they rise. Interest rates were set to rise before the two Houses could agree on terms, due to partisan wrangling.

The Senate reached a compromise on student loan interest rates that would lower rates in the near term. Possible hikes loom in the coming years, however. This follows a rate hike for Stafford loans that doubled the previous percentage on interest.

Exclusive interview with Sarah, an activist who was pulled by state troopers from the TX Senate after condemning new restrictions on abortions and access to women's health facilities. Sarah began calling out the senators individually before being cut off and forcibly removed. This follows arrests of protesters gathering to stop the regressive legislation.

We’re about to learn whether the third branch of government — the judiciary — can summon the will to confront the U.S. Senate and order that body to change its rules to comport with the Constitution. A brief that argues that the Constitution’s authors intended for most legislation rise or fall on the vote of a simple majority of senators was filed in D.C.'s U.S. Court of Appeals.

It seems like a simple proposition: give employees who work more than 40 hours a week the option of taking paid time off instead of overtime pay. The choice already exists in the public sector. Federal and state workers can save earned time off and use it weeks or even months later to attend a parent-teacher conference, care for an elderly parent or deal with home repairs.
Republicans in Congress are pushing legislation that would extend that option to the private sector. They say that would bring more flexibility to the workplace and help workers better balance family and career.

Federal spending on border security is at an all-time high—and it would get even higher under the Gang of Eight’s new plan. The Senate immigration proposal, released last week, would allocate $4.5 billion in the next five years to tighten control of U.S. borders.