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Georgia voters could decide control of U.S. Senate with two runoffs likely
By: Ariana Figueroa - November 6, 2020
This story has been updated WASHINGTON—Control of the U.S. Senate will depend on two runoff races in Georgia, where the outcome won’t be known until early January—opening the door to a fresh round of massive campaign spending in the Peach State. One runoff will be between GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock, and […]
Democrats reel after losses, McBath exception to setbacks in Congress
By: Ariana Figueroa - November 5, 2020
WASHINGTON—Tuesday’s election was a disaster for congressional Democrats, who were expected to pick up nearly a dozen GOP seats in the House but instead lost races while also failing to flip Senate seats held by vulnerable Republicans. The outlook for Democratic control of the Senate did not improve the day after the election either as […]
Loeffler, Warnock in runoff as Democrats struggle for U.S. Senate
By: Laura Olson and Ariana Figueroa - November 4, 2020
WASHINGTON — Democrats gained at least one seat against Republicans in the U.S. Senate, but also lost one of their own and were unable to defeat several GOP incumbents in the elections, ending up early Wednesday with an increasingly challenging path to wresting control of the chamber away from Republicans. In Georgia, Republican U.S. Sen. […]
Struggle for control of the U.S. Senate enters its final tense hours
By: Laura Olson and Ariana Figueroa - October 30, 2020
WASHINGTON — Democrats have a shot at winning the White House, capturing the Senate majority and keeping their hold on the House—an election result that could dramatically shift the policy agenda away from the gridlock that’s gripped the nation’s capital for years. In the Senate, the clearest route to that outcome is through flipping GOP-held […]
Biden vows an immigration overhaul in his first 100 days as president
By: Ariana Figueroa - October 23, 2020
WASHINGTON—Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Thursday night distanced himself from the Obama administration’s handling of undocumented people that led to the highest rate of deportations of any presidency and said he would act swiftly on immigration as president. During the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Biden admitted that the Obama administration […]
Barrett nomination advances to the U.S. Senate floor with a GOP-only vote
By: Ariana Figueroa and Laura Olson - October 22, 2020
WASHINGTON—Republicans on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, as Democrats boycotted the markup in a show of protest. The 12 Republicans on the panel speedily voted on Barrett’s nomination and sent it to the Senate floor. The full Senate will vote Monday, […]
House passes new pandemic relief bill, but talks lag on a bipartisan deal
By: Ariana Figueroa - October 1, 2020
WASHINGTON—The U.S. House on Thursday night narrowly passed a slimmed-down $2.2 trillion Democratic coronavirus relief bill that retains hundreds of billions in aid for states and local governments, boosts unemployment benefits and extends another round of $1,200 checks for each taxpayer. But the package, passed on a 214-207 vote, with 18 Democrats splitting from their party, is […]
Trump tells far-right group to ‘stand back and stand by’ in debate
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 30, 2020
President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Tuesday night’s chaotic and messy presidential debate were each asked how they would deal with the nation’s institutional racism. Trump directly addressed a far-right group, the Proud Boys, telling them to “stand back and stand by,” and failed to answer a question about why Americans should […]
Trump picks Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court; D.C. girds for a fight
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 27, 2020
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump at the White House on Saturday introduced federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee, setting off a confirmation battle that could secure a conservative court for generations. “She is a woman of unparalleled achievement, towering intellect and sterling credentials and unyielding loyalty to the Constitution,” Trump said […]
Reports: Trump ready to tap Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 25, 2020
President Donald Trump plans to nominate federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, according to several media reports. Barrett, 48, is a judge for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago, Ill. She was appointed to the position by Trump […]
House passes deal on stopgap funding, avoids government shutdown
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 22, 2020
House and Senate leaders reached a bipartisan agreement Tuesday night to pass a three-month funding stopgap, averting a government shutdown in the midst of a pandemic and a short time before the November elections. In a 359-57 vote, the House passed H.R. 8337, which extends federal government funding until Dec. 11, when lawmakers would have to renew it again. The […]
Congress launches inquiry into south Georgia immigrant detention facility
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 22, 2020
Top U.S. House Democrats are investigating a whistleblower’s allegations that immigrant women in a Georgia detention center endured gynecological procedures without their consent or full understanding of the treatment that was being performed. Dawn Wooten, a nurse who worked at the Irwin County Detention Center, said women at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility “were […]