BILL CASSIDY

— (AP) — After much anticipation, Louisiana's U.S. Sen. John Kennedy told supporters he will not run for governor in October. Kennedy, a Republican, had long indicated an interest in running for governor, but he made it official Wednesday afternoon, in an email to supporters, that he will not seek the position. “I have looked hard into my heart and decided to remain in the Senate and not to run for Governor,” Kennedy said in the email to supporters. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, is term-limited, making him unable to run this year. Louisiana State Treasurer John Schroder, Republican, said in December that should Kennedy not choose to run, he would plan “to announce and pursue the title of Governor in 2023.”Lt. Gov.

Louisiana's Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy told supporters on Wednesday that he will not run for governor in October.

Dana Douglas has been confirmed to be 5th Circuit's first Black woman judge. Douglas was nominated to the appeals court to replace Judge James Dennis, who is retiring.

GOP senators are alleging that the Education Department may be breaking the law with an advisory panel it commissioned that is stacked with liberal activists.

Former President Trump’s announcement last week that he’ll run for the White House a third time has divided the Republican paty. While some of his staunchest supporters in Congress celebrated the announcements, other key GOP figures are distancing themselves from the campaign and others are saying outright that they won’t vote for Trump again. Here…

— (AP) — With Louisiana's highly anticipated gubernatorial race less than a year away, both of the state's U.S. senators say they have considered running for governor and plan on announcing their decisions soon, possibly in the coming days. Cassidy's comment comes a day after Louisiana's other senator and fellow Republican, John Kennedy, made a similar statement. Last week, Kennedy clinched a second six-year Senate term while fending off 12 challengers and avoiding a runoff. The 2023 gubernatorial race is expected attract several strong GOP candidates because term limits prevent current Gov. Although the election is less than a year away, so far only Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has officially announced his bid.

Both of Louisiana's U.S. senators say they have considered running for governor in 2023 and will announce their decisions soon.

Sen. Bill Cassidy said Sunday that the Republican Party was "not a cult" in response to a question from NBC's Chuck Todd, who said Donald Trump was the party leader.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) joins “Meet the Press” to discuss plans for Republican leadership ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Chuck Todd asks Cassidy if the party should rally behind Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), Cassidy suggests “offering an alternative.”

Haiti's humanitarian crisis could lead to worsening border problems for the United States as migrants flee the island nation, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R, La., said.

Tackling the mental health crisis from a political standpoint often comes down to one thing —funding. So where is the money going?

The expansive $739 billion package dubbed the “Inflation Reduction Act,” includes $369 billion in spending to begin tackling climate change.

The House has passed a wide-ranging gun control bill in response to recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas.

The links between increased abortion restrictions, reduced public health spending and higher rates of maternal mortality are established beyond question.

"If you talk to the people that own it, killing feral pigs in ... Louisiana. They'll wonder: 'Why would you take it away from me?'" said Cassidy.

The statistics discussed at the inaugural Global Citizen NOW conference were bleak.

Home-district projects for members of Congress are back, sprinkled across the government-wide $1.5 trillion bill that President Joe Biden signed recently.

A group of bipartisan lawmakers is pressing the IRS for answers regarding "numerous" concerns amid a challenging tax season.

If the U.S. Senate confirms Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson she will be the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

At a time when calls to the IRS have reached record levels, a private company lets those who are willing to pay jump to the front of the line to get their phone calls answered.

The Shklyar's are some of the last residents of Nevelske, a village in east Ukraine where years of fighting have left them without running water, electricity or neighbors.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is questioning why the Republican National Committee (RNC) is moving to censure Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), prominent critics of former President Trump who are both serving on the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol."The RNC is censuring Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger because they are trying to find out what happened on January 6th," Cassidy wrote in a tweet. "HUH...

"No one really had an opportunity to vet this individual prior to his appointment," the Jefferson teachers' union president told the Daily Beast.

President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration deftly parried questions on crises ranging from the COVID pandemic to the opioid epidemic.

As mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu oversaw billions of dollars in infrastructure repairs and improvements when he took over a lagging recovery from Hurricane Katrina in 2010.

"Elections are about winning," Cassidy told "Axios on HBO." adding that if Trump does run, he won't be voting for him.

A Republican senator described former President Donald Trump as an election loser who is not guaranteed to win the GOP's presidential nomination in 2024 if he decides to run.

Schumer and other lawmakers said the catastrophe is the latest example of why the nation needs the nearly trillion-dollar infrastructure bill passed by the Senate last month. Democrats hope to pass both bills by the end of this month, but action on the bipartisan bill may be difficult until the larger package is ready. Progressives have said they won’t support a bipartisan bill without strong companion legislation to advance their priorities. Biden made a pitch Friday for the bipartisan bill, saying it "is going to change things on our streets across the country." Cassidy, a lead negotiator on the bipartisan bill, has touted the infrastructure legislation as a boon to hurricane-prone states such as his.

Lawmakers from both parties say haunting images of surging rivers, flooded roads and tornado damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida show the need to upgrade the nation’s aging infrastructure network.

Schumer and other lawmakers said the catastrophe is the latest example of why the nation needs the nearly trillion-dollar infrastructure bill passed by the Senate last month. Democrats hope to pass both bills by the end of this month, but action on the bipartisan bill may be difficult until the larger package is ready. Progressives have said they won’t support a bipartisan bill without strong companion legislation to advance their priorities. Biden made a pitch Friday for the bipartisan bill, saying it "is going to change things on our streets across the country." Cassidy, a lead negotiator on the bipartisan bill, has touted the infrastructure legislation as a boon to hurricane-prone states such as his.

Schumer and other lawmakers said the catastrophe is the latest example of why the nation needs the nearly trillion-dollar infrastructure bill passed by the Senate last month. Democrats hope to pass both bills by the end of this month, but action on the bipartisan bill may be difficult until the larger package is ready. Progressives have said they won’t support a bipartisan bill without strong companion legislation to advance their priorities. Biden made a pitch Friday for the bipartisan bill, saying it "is going to change things on our streets across the country." Cassidy, a lead negotiator on the bipartisan bill, has touted the infrastructure legislation as a boon to hurricane-prone states such as his.

FBI crime statistics show there are just over 55 rapes per 100,000 people.

Schumer and other lawmakers said the catastrophe is the latest example of why the nation needs the nearly trillion-dollar infrastructure bill passed by the Senate last month. Democrats hope to pass both bills by the end of this month, but action on the bipartisan bill may be difficult until the larger package is ready. Progressives have said they won’t support a bipartisan bill without strong companion legislation to advance their priorities. Biden made a pitch Friday for the bipartisan bill, saying it "is going to change things on our streets across the country." Cassidy, a lead negotiator on the bipartisan bill, has touted the infrastructure legislation as a boon to hurricane-prone states such as his.

Lawmakers from both parties say haunting images of surging rivers, flooded roads and tornado damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida show the need to upgrade the nation’s aging infrastructure network.

"People are using it to gin up their base to distract from disastrous policies in Afghanistan, maybe for fundraising appeals," Sen. Bill Cassidy said.

Less than a week after Hurricane Ida battered the Gulf Coast, President Joe Biden walked the streets of a hardhit Louisiana neighborhood on Friday and told residents “I know you’re hurting."

Biden President Joe Biden talks with Louisiana Gov. “I promise we're going to have your back,” Biden said at the outset of the briefing. In shirtsleeves and boots, Biden was welcomed at the airport by Louisiana Gov. The storm has killed at least 48 people in the Northeastern U.S. and at least 13 in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. ___This story was corrected to reflect that Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana in 2005.

Biden President Joe Biden talks with Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., left, as he arrives at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, La., Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, to tour damage caused by Hurricane Ida. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (Evan Vucci)NEW ORLEANS — (AP) — President Joe Biden could get his first glimpse at the destruction wrought by Hurricane Ida even before he landed in Louisiana on Friday, with blue tarps covering shredded roofs of houses and uprooted trees visible as Air Force One approached New Orleans. Biden, in rolled up shirtsleeves and boots, was welcomed at the airport by Louisiana Gov. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Biden is grappling with the persistent threat posed by climate change and the prospect that disaster zone visits may become a more regular feature of the presidency.

"We need to invest now for the future. That's the lesson we've learned from the investment in the levees," said Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy.

Levees, surge barriers, gates, flood walls, canal closures and pumps surrounding New Orleans kept much of the storm surge water out.

Hurricane Ida knocked out all eight transmission lines that deliver power to New Orleans, leaving the entire city without electricity as the powerful storm pushed through on Sunday and early Monday with winds that reached 150 miles per hour.

Top Republicans are battling school districts in their own states’ urban, heavily Democratic areas over whether students should be required to mask up as they head back to school.

(AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne)NEW ORLEANS — With new COVID-19 cases surging in Louisiana, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival won’t be returning this year after all, organizers said Sunday. The festival, traditionally held in the spring, had been scheduled to run Oct. 8-10 and Oct. 15-17 after being canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. On Saturday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 23,903 new COVID-19 cases for Friday. ___PHOENIX — Arizona health officials reported more than 2,000 additional COVID-19 cases for the fifth consecutive day Sunday as virus-related hospitalizations continued to rise. Saudi Arabia, which has a population of 30 million, has administered nearly 30 million vaccine doses.

On Saturday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 23,903 new COVID-19 cases for Friday. ___PHOENIX — Arizona health officials reported more than 2,000 additional COVID-19 cases for the fifth consecutive day Sunday as virus-related hospitalizations continued to rise. — The U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert hopes the Food and Drug Administration will begin giving full approval to the coronavirus vaccine by month’s end. ___WASHINGTON -- Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy says he disagrees with GOP governors in Florida and Texas who are blocking mask mandates even as COVID-19 cases spike higher. Saudi Arabia, which has a population of 30 million, has administered nearly 30 million vaccine doses.

The latest casualty: James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad,” a critically acclaimed, carnage-ridden would-be smash that disappointed with $26.5 million in estimated ticket sales. ___PHOENIX — Arizona health officials reported more than 2,000 additional COVID-19 cases for the fifth consecutive day Sunday as virus-related hospitalizations continued to rise. The state’s coronavirus dashboard reported 2,639 additional cases and 12 deaths, increasing the pandemic totals to 946,054 cases and 18,388 known deaths. — The U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert hopes the Food and Drug Administration will begin giving full approval to the coronavirus vaccine by month’s end. Saudi Arabia, which has a population of 30 million, has administered nearly 30 million vaccine doses.

Congress Infrastructure The entrance to the Senate chamber is empty after lawmakers voted to advance the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, at the Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. That opposition was delaying what supporters had hoped would be swift passage, and set up late night and early morning sessions in a dayslong slog. Biden, who was spending the weekend in Delaware, said the bipartisan package offers an investment on par with the building of the transcontinental railroad or interstate highway system. Additional analysis released Saturday by the budget office suggested infrastructure spending overall could boost productivity and lower the ultimate costs. The House is in recess and is expected to consider both Biden infrastructure packages when it returns in September.

Cassidy said local officials should make the call on mask mandates if their "hospitals are full, vaccination rate is low and infection rate is going crazy."

(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) (Damian Dovarganes)TUNIS, Tunisia — Tunisia has launched its largest COVID-19 vaccination campaign as the country faces a surge of cases. Tunisia, with a population of 12 million, has reported more deaths per capita in the pandemic than any African country. ___WASHINGTON -- Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy says he disagrees with GOP governors in Florida and Texas who are blocking mask mandates even as COVID-19 cases spike higher. The Health Ministry has not said publicly how many of the kingdom’s 8,320 pandemic deaths involved health workers. Saudi Arabia, which has a population of 30 million, has administered nearly 30 million vaccine doses.

Virus Outbreak California FILE - In this June 11, 2021, file photo, signs with social distancing guidelines and face mask requirements are posted at an outdoor mall amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) (Damian Dovarganes)WASHINGTON -- Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy says he disagrees with GOP governors in Florida and Texas who are blocking mask mandates even as COVID-19 cases spike higher. The Health Ministry has not said publicly how many of the kingdom’s 8,320 pandemic deaths involved health workers. The new all-time highs push Iran’s total number of infections over 4.1 million and pandemic deaths to over 94,000, the most in the Middle East. “The Smoke That Thunders” - the English translation of what the waterfall is called in the Sotho language - is still mighty, but the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced visitors to a trickle.

Senator Bill Cassidy (R., La.) said Sunday that he disagrees with Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s recent order that bans mask mandates in local schools.

Senators are struggling to wrap up work on the bipartisan infrastructure plan.

The bill dedicates about $55 billion in new funding for water and wastewater systems. The Senate is plowing through efforts to amend the narrower infrastructure bill, which will require 60 votes to advance for passage. Formally called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the proposal has clocked in at some 2,700 pages. In addition to the $110 billion in new spending for roads and bridges and $55 billion for water and wastewater infrastructure, the bipartisan package is expected to provide, $39 billion for public transit and $66 billion for rail. Paying for the package has been a challenge after senators rejected ideas to raise revenue from a new gas tax or other streams.

“The pandemic that we have endured for more than a year laid bare the disparities in access to high-speed internet,” Collins said. The bill dedicates about $55 billion in new funding for water and wastewater systems. The Senate is plowing through efforts to amend the narrower infrastructure bill, which will require 60 votes to advance for passage. Formally called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the proposal has clocked in at some 2,700 pages. Paying for the package has been a challenge after senators rejected ideas to raise revenue from a new gas tax or other streams.

The senators who spent months stitching together a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure package are now trying to sell it to the American people.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell had vowed to be “100% focused” on stopping President Joe Biden’s agenda.

“The pandemic that we have endured for more than a year laid bare the disparities in access to high-speed internet,” Collins said. The bill dedicates about $55 billion in new funding for water and wastewater systems. The Senate is plowing through efforts to amend the bill, which will require 60 votes to advance for passage. In addition to the $110 billion for roads and bridges and $55 billion for water and wastewater infrastructure, the bipartisan package is expected to provide, $39 billion for public transit and $66 billion for rail. Paying for the package has been a challenge after senators rejected ideas to raise revenue from a new gas tax or other streams.

The legislation would pour federal money into physical infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, passenger rails, drinking water and waste water systems.

The deal will drop a proposed public-private partnership to fund new projects and reduce the amount of funding for public transit.

Congress Infrastructure Sen. Scott Applewhite) (J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Senate Republicans reached a deal with Democrats on Wednesday over major outstanding issues in a $1 trillion infrastructure bill and said they are ready to vote to take up the bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer opened the Senate on Wednesday announcing a possible test vote on the bipartisan package later in the evening. The bipartisan package includes about $600 billion in new spending on highways, bridges, transit, broadband, water systems and other public works projects. Others spoke in favor of the bipartisan package.

After weeks of long nights and endless Zoom calls, a bipartisan group of senators finally reached a deal on "the major issues" in their $1.2 trillion "hard" infrastructure package, GOP senators involved in the talks announced Wednesday.Why it matters: It could be days before the group finishes writing the bill, but the Senate can begin debating the legislation in earnest now that they have resolved the outstanding issues. The bill needs 60 votes to advance in the Senate.Get market news worthy of

Senators aim to finalize a bipartisan infrastructure proposal, and could vote to advance it as soon as this week.

Republicans accuse Pelosi of holding bipartisan infrastructure package 'hostage'

Organizations representing long-term care facilities are urging lawmakers working on a bipartisan infrastructure plan to avoid dipping into COVID-relief funds to help pay for the roughly $600 billion in new spending sought for the public works buildout.

Senate Republicans have rejected an effort to begin debate on a bipartisan infrastructure deal that senators brokered with President Joe Biden.

Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and other bipartisan group of senators, Thursday June 24, 2021, outside the White House in Washington. Biden invited members of the group of 21 Republican and Democratic senators to discuss the infrastructure plan. From left are Portman, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Biden, Sen, Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., rear, and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) (Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON — (AP) — A proposal to strengthen IRS enforcement to crack down on tax scofflaws and help fund a nearly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure spending is officially off the table, Republican Sen. Schumer, D-N.Y., said last week that he is scheduling a procedural vote for Wednesday to begin debate on the still-evolving bipartisan infrastructure bill.

A Republican senator who helped negotiate a nearly trillion-dollar bipartisan infrastructure bill says a proposal to strengthen IRS enforcement to raise money to help pay for the bill's spending is officially off the table.

Environmental groups hailed a sweeping $3.5 trillion domestic spending plan announced by Democrats, saying it would make “transformational investments” in clean energy and put the nation on a path to cut greenhouse emissions by at least 50% by 2030.

APTPOIX Biden President Joe Biden speaks with Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and other bipartisan group of senators, Thursday June 24, 2021, outside the White House in Washington. Biden invited members of the group of 21 Republican and Democratic senators to discuss the infrastructure plan. From left are Portman, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Biden, Sen, Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., rear, and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. The eight-page White House memo comes from Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, and senior adviser Anita Dunn.

Sen. Bill Cassidy says his wife would support the new bipartisan infrastructure proposal because roads and bridges are a "woman's problem."

GOP senators say bipartisan infrastructure deal is back on track after Biden's clarification. Manchin backs 2nd bill.

A bipartisan deal to invest nearly $1 trillion in the nation’s infrastructure appears to be back on track after a stark walk-back by President Joe Biden to his earlier insistence that the bill be coupled with an even larger Democrat-backed measure in order to earn his signature.

President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure deal has been thrown in doubt, barely 24 hours after it was announced.

President Joe Biden is seeking to clarify his position on the bipartisan infrastructure package proposed by lawmakers.

The debate over bipartisanship is coming to a head as a summer legislative flurry intensifies in Congress.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will confer with White House officials on next steps for President Joe Biden’s $4 trillion infrastructure plans.

The Supreme Court’s latest rejection of a Republican effort to dismantle “Obamacare” is another sign that the GOP must look beyond repealing that law if it wants to hone the nation’s health care problems into a winning political issue.

Congressional Democrats are eyeing a $6 trillion infrastructure package that goes far beyond roads and bridges.

A bipartisan senators’ group working on a $1 trillion infrastructure compromise has now doubled in size, expanding to 21 members.

President Joe Biden’s hope of pouring billions of dollars into green infrastructure investments is running into the political obstacle of winning over Republican votes.

A bipartisan group of senators is eyeing an infrastructure deal with $579 billion in new spending as part of a $1 trillion total package.

President Joe Biden is pursuing “multiple paths forward” as he looks to muscle his big infrastructure package through Congress.

President Joe Biden’s nominee to oversee vast expanses of public land in the U.S. West is being criticized by Republicans because of her involvement in partisan politics as a longtime Democratic aide and environmentalist.

Senators are laboring to find a path forward for legislation creating a commission on the Jan. 6 insurrection.

An independent commission to study the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection would be modeled after a similar panel that studied the 9/11 terrorist attacks and has long been hailed as a bipartisan success.

The two players in the most important relationship in Washington finally are ready for a face-to-face meeting.

Republican leaders are signaling no willingness to embrace President Joe Biden’s ideas for a massive infrastructure investment.

For years Amazon has been under pressure from shoppers, brands and lawmakers to crack down on counterfeits on its site.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., talks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, on the fourth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. – Trashed on social media and censured by Louisiana Republicans, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy described himself Wednesday as “at peace” with his vote to convict former President Donald Trump at his impeachment trial and dismissed the scorching GOP backlash he's received. Ad“I’ve received comments from folks who are Republican who object to the vote,” Cassidy said. They've called for Republicans to ban Cassidy from their events, and several local Republican groups have joined the executive committee of the state GOP in condemning Cassidy's vote to convict Trump. Asked whether his vote to convict Trump could damage his chances of reelection in 2026, Cassidy replied: “It is six years off, but that's immaterial.

But to ensure Republican support, Pelosi said Democrats sent the proposal to GOP leaders “to see what suggestions they may have because, for this to work, it really has to be strongly bipartisan." It is an open question whether the commission will be authorized to investigate Trump's actions. Still, some Republicans have said they think such a commission is necessary alongside other congressional efforts to investigate the attack. “There’s still more evidence that the American people need and deserve to hear and a 9/11 commission is a way to make sure that we secure the Capitol going forward,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. “Our country has been wounded,” the former 9/11 commission chairmen said.

Two Senate committees have summoned top security officials to testify, the beginning of a comprehensive look at what went wrong. In her letter to Democratic colleagues, Pelosi said the House will also put forth supplemental spending to boost security at the Capitol. The hearing will begin a broad examination of the security failures that led to the breach. The security breakdown on Jan. 6, as the House and Senate met for a joint session to count electoral votes, was severe. With the diminished security presence, the rioters not only breached the Capitol but entered the Senate chamber minutes after senators had fled.

Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski speaks to reporters during a visit to the state Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in Juneau, Alaska. Murkowski said she knows there could be political consequences for her vote to convict former President Donald Trump during his recent impeachment trial but says she can't be afraid of that. She also said that if the state Republican Party decides to censure her for her vote, “they can make that statement. Other Republicans who voted to convict Trump, including Sens. She said the Republican Party “was a pretty good party before Donald Trump, and I believe we can be a good party after Donald Trump.

Two Senate committees have summoned top security officials to testify, the beginning of a comprehensive look at what went wrong. In her letter to Democratic colleagues, Pelosi said the House will also put forth supplemental spending to boost security at the Capitol. The hearing will begin a broad examination of the security failures that led to the breach. The security breakdown on Jan. 6, as the House and Senate met for a joint session to count electoral votes, was severe. With the diminished security presence, the rioters not only breached the Capitol but entered the Senate chamber minutes after senators had fled.

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that Congress will establish an independent, Sept. 11-style commission to look into the deadly insurrection that took place at the U.S. Capitol. In a letter to Democratic colleagues, Pelosi said the House will also put forth supplemental spending to boost security at the Capitol. After former President Donald Trump’s acquittal at his second Senate impeachment trial, bipartisan support appeared to be growing for an independent commission to examine the deadly insurrection. AdInvestigations into the riot were already planned, with Senate hearings scheduled later this month in the Senate Rules Committee. An independent commission along the lines of the one that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks would probably require legislation to create.

One joked, "We’re going to Disney World!”Now acquitted in his second Senate impeachment trial, Trump is preparing for the next phase of his post-presidency life. And he's confronting a Republican Party deeply divided over the legacy of his jarring final days in office, culminating in the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol. Searing video images of the day played on loop during his impeachment trial, which ended Saturday. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who spoke with Trump on Saturday night, acknowledged that Trump is “mad at some folks,” but also “ready to move on and rebuild the Republican Party” and “excited about 2022." That sharp rebuke from his once-loyal defender underscores how dramatically Trump's stock has fallen in Washington since his first impeachment trial just over a year ago.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., walks on Capitol Hill after the Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Trump was accused of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the acquittal gives him a historic second victory in the court of impeachment. Investigations into the riot were already planned, with Senate hearings scheduled later this month in the Senate Rules Committee. We needed more senators with spines.”AdMcConnell told Republican senators shortly before the vote that he would vote to acquit Trump. Beutler's statement late Friday that Trump rebuffed a plea from House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy to call off the rioters was ultimately entered into the trial record.

But in the end, only seven of 50 Senate Republicans voted to convict Trump in his historic second impeachment trial on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)NEW YORK – The Republican Party still belongs to Donald Trump. But in the end, only seven of 50 Senate Republicans voted to convict Trump in his historic second impeachment trial on Saturday. Indeed, in Trump's Republican Party, there are very few willing to cross him if they harbor future political ambitions. “The authoritarian side of the Republican Party is the dominant side,” he said.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, arrives at the start of the fifth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Trump, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021 at the Capitol in Washington. (Stefani Reynolds/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – Seven Republicans voted Saturday to convict former President Donald Trump in his Senate trial, easily the largest number of lawmakers to ever vote to find a president of their own party guilty at impeachment proceedings. AdAlso striking was the “guilty” vote by Cassidy, who was reelected in November from a deep-red state where GOP support is widespread. I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty,” Cassidy said in a one-sentence statement issued after his vote to convict. He said he wouldn't vote against his own conscience “simply because it is politically convenient.”Romney’s “guilty” vote at Trump’s initial impeachment trial last February made him the first senator to ever vote to convict a president of the same party.

In this image from video, House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., speaks about the motion to call witnesses during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Coming amid the searing COVID-19 crisis, the Biden White House is trying to rush pandemic relief through Congress. Most of them ultimately voted to acquit, doubting whether Trump was fully responsible or if impeachment is the appropriate response. Within a week Biden was inaugurated, Trump was gone and Pelosi sent the article of impeachment to the Senate days later, launching the proceedings. At the same time, this year's trial carried similar warnings from the prosecutors that Trump must be held accountable because he has shown repeatedly he has no bounds.

But that hope dimmed when word came Saturday before the trial resumed that Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell would vote to acquit Trump. If Trump were convicted, the Senate could take a second vote to ban him from running for office again. AdA look at the Republicans whom Democrats are eyeing as they make final arguments in the case:THE FREQUENT TRUMP CRITICSRepublican Sens. AdThree other GOP senators have said they will not run again in two years, potentially freeing them up to vote against Trump and anger base voters in the party. The Republican leader’s views are closely watched and carry sway among GOP senators, and his decision on Trump is likely to influence others weighing their votes.

If Trump were convicted, the Senate could take a second vote to ban him from running for office again. While none of them are locks to vote for conviction, they have joined with Democrats twice to vote against GOP efforts to dismiss the trial. AdHEADED OUTPennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, who is retiring from the Senate in 2022, has also voted twice with Democrats to move forward with the trial. All three voted to dismiss the trial, but Portman says he still has an open mind about conviction. EYES ON McCONNELLSenate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has twice voted to dismiss the trial, indicating he will ultimately vote to acquit.