THOM TILLIS

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has picked Thom Tillis to serve as a counselor to Senate Republican leadership after his banner year as a bipartisan negotiator.

Tillis’s willingness to find compromise despite political blowback is desperately needed, his colleagues say, as a wave of bipartisan-minded lawmakers retire.

A compromise to protect Dreamers and secure the border would be a win for both parties.

The immigration framework being discussed as a potential last-minute deal in the lame duck session would hike Border Patrol pay by 14% and recapture employment visas.

Passing legislation to protect same-sex marriages in the Senate was a monthslong effort, building on a decadeslong push.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson weighs in on the government's handling of America's southern border crisis on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight.'

How five senators convinced a bitterly divided Senate to protect same-sex marriages.

The bill, which would ensure that same-sex and interracial marriages are enshrined in federal law, was approved 61-36 on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Senate is set to vote Tuesday on legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriages, putting Congress one step closer to passing the landmark bill and ensuring that such unions are enshrined in federal law. The bill has gained steady momentum since the Supreme Court's June decision that overturned the federal right to an abortion, and comments from Justice Clarence Thomas at the time that suggested same-sex marriage could also come under threat. Bipartisan Senate negotiations kick-started this summer after 47 Republicans unexpectedly voted for a House bill and gave supporters new optimism. But it would require states to recognize all marriages that were legal where they were performed, and protect current same-sex unions. Yet it said it would support rights for same-sex couples as long as they didn’t infringe upon religious groups’ right to believe as they choose.

The Senate has passed landmark bipartisan legislation to protect same-sex marriages.

Sen. Thom Tillis deflected blame from the former president, who hosted a notorious white supremacist for dinner at Mar-a-Lago.

The Senate is set to vote Tuesday on legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriages, putting Congress one step closer to passing the landmark bill and ensuring that such unions are enshrined in federal law.

Legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriages has crossed a major Senate hurdle, putting Congress on track to take the historic step of ensuring that such unions are enshrined in federal law.

The updated figures paint a picture of what is currently plaguing military recruiters in many of the service branches, with a shrinking pool of potential service members available to them.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is warning of economic calamity if climate change is not addressed with immediate government intervention.

Six Republican senators want to know the destinations migrants are putting on their documents amid concerns about the role sanctuary cities play in the crisis.

Democrats are punting a vote to protect same-sex and interracial marriages until after the November midterm elections, a blow for the legislation that comes days after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to put the Senate on the record on the issue “in the coming weeks.”.

A group of five senators, led by Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), is scrambling to get 10 Republicans to support the measure.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says the Senate will vote on legislation to protect same-sex marriage “in the coming weeks” as a bipartisan group backing the bill is tweaking it to gain Republican support.

They insist that voters will care more about the state of the economy in November.

Scott Applewhite) (J. Scott Applewhite)The U.S. Justice Department has charged five people for making threats of violence against election workers amid a rising wave of harassment and intimidation tied to the 2020 presidential election, a top official told U.S. senators Wednesday. Overall, the department has investigated more than 1,000 harassing and threatening messages directed at election workers. “We have thousands and thousands of election workers all throughout our country, and yes there has been a rise in all kinds of threats,” Hirono said. The intimidation efforts have especially targeted election officials in the battleground states where Donald Trump contested his loss to President Joe Biden. A bipartisan bill in the Senate would double the federal penalties to up to two years in prison for those who threaten election workers, poll watchers, voters or candidates.

A top official says the Justice Department has charged five people for making threats of violence against election workers amid a rising wave of harassment and intimidation tied to the 2020 presidential election.

As the Senate contemplates legislation to protect same-sex marriages, there has been a sharp shift in Republican support for the issue.

In an unexpected fallout of the Supreme Court's reversal of abortion rights, codifying same-sex marriage nationwide has a shot in the divided Senate.

The Senate has unexpectedly launched a new push to protect same-sex marriage in federal law.

The Biden administration and Democrats are warning of dire consequences if Congress fails to act on computer chips legislation.

Republicans repeatedly said that Roe v. Wade wasn't endangered — even as they were taking steps to overturn it. And that's worth remembering in the future.

The House has sent President Joe Biden the most wide-ranging gun violence bill Congress has passed in decades.

The Senate has approved a bipartisan gun violence bill.

Last month's mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, have produced a groundswell for change in Congress.

Democratic and Republican senators are at odds over how to keep firearms from dangerous people.

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

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said he's hoping for a framework by the end of the week.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said he's hoping for a framework by the end of the week.

The Senate majority leader castigated Republicans for their repeated inaction after mass shootings but said Democrats had no choice but to try again.

North Carolina's GOP establishment exacted its revenge on the freshman congressman, who was backed by Donald Trump.

Former President Donald Trump’s influence was enough to elevate his Senate candidate to victory in North Carolina on Tuesday.

CBS News projects Chuck Edwards will win the Republican primary in the 11th Congressional District.

Controversial Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, is hoping to to win his party's nomination for a second term.

Crypto executives and lobbyists are moving to gain a foothold in Washington as lawmakers scramble to find a way to regulate the industry.

First-term U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn has lost to North Carolina state Sen. Chuck Edwards in the Republican congressional primary.

There are closely-watched primaries in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Oregon.

Former President Donald Trump’s winning streak in U.S. Senate primaries is on the line Tuesday as voters in five states cast their ballots in midterm elections.

A series of unforced political and personal errors by GOP congressman Madison Cawthorn has brought the forces of big-name Republicans and traditional enemies to bear on his reelection bid in North Carolina.

Republican candidates and strategists are increasingly confident that such a decision would not seriously harm the GOP’s chances of regaining House and Senate majorities come November, as Democrats have suggested it might.

Cawthorn showed up at an event last month with a $200,000 check of federal funding from the law. He conceded he didn't vote for it.

The allegations stem from Cawthorn's involvement with Let's Go Brandon coin, a cryptocurrency based on the conservative meme mocking President Joe Biden.

Officials say a loaded gun was found in North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s carry-on bag at an airport security checkpoint.

Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who has been under fire for recent comments about Ukraine and life in D.C., joins former President Donald Trump at a North Carolina rally on Saturday.

The final Senate confirmation vote of 53–47 sparked joy and relief that the ugly part was over, at least for Jackson. The rest of the country may not be so lucky.

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

(Saul Loeb, Pool via AP) (Saul Loeb)RALEIGH, N.C. — (AP) — North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis endorsed a state legislator Thursday over U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn in their upcoming Republican primary, saying the first-term congressman has “fallen well short” of expectations. “The 11th Congressional District deserves a congressman who is fully dedicated to serving their constituents,” Tillis said in a news release. Cawthorn spoke at a rally in Washington on Jan 6, 2021, that questioned the outcome of the White House election won by Democrat Joe Biden. "I'm just kind of without the words to describe what Congressman Cawthorn is doing and saying. That district ultimately was thrown out by judges, and Cawthorn returned to a run in the reconfigured 11th District, which leans Republican.

(Saul Loeb, Pool via AP) (Saul Loeb)RALEIGH, N.C. — (AP) — North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis endorsed a state legislator Thursday over U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn in their upcoming Republican primary, saying the first-term congressman has “fallen well short” of expectations. “The 11th Congressional District deserves a congressman who is fully dedicated to serving their constituents,” Tillis said in a news release. Cawthorn spoke at a rally in Washington on Jan 6, 2021, that questioned the outcome of the White House election won by Democrat Joe Biden. "I'm just kind of without the words to describe what Congressman Cawthorn is doing and saying. That district ultimately was thrown out, and Cawthorn returned to a run in the reconfigured 11th District, which leans Republican.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis has endorsed a state legislator over U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn in the upcoming Republican primary.

Empathy is not a quality many Republican senators want to see in the next Supreme Court justice.

After more than 30 hours of hearings, the Senate is on track to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.

What about a federal gas tax holiday? As of Thursday, there are no Republican co-sponsors of the federal gas tax holiday bill currently before Congress. Today, governors @GovMLG, @GovEvers, @GovofCO, @GovernorTomWolf, @GovTimWalz and I are announcing our support for a federal gas tax holiday. In Georgia, the state gas tax has been waived through May 31. Maryland acted first, pausing its gas tax for 30 days through April 16, Gov.

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are shooting down the idea of boycotting the panel's vote on Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. "There's not going to be any boycott. There's zero, not one iota chance that we would boycott," said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a member of the committee.The idea of a committee boycott, which has floated around Capitol Hill for weeks, was spun up after 10 Republicans sent Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill...

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson is again facing questions from the 22 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson is again facing questions from the 22 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Tillis was respectful while questioning Jackson Wednesday morning, but it’s easy to look level-headed compared to Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley. | Opinion

It’s not just Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson who is being watched as she makes history as the first Black woman to be considered for the job.

He also acknowledged that Jackson probably would be confirmed to the Supreme Court. Several GOP senators grilled Jackson on her child pornography sentences, arguing they were lighter than federal guidelines recommend. President Joe Biden chose Jackson in February, fulfilling a campaign pledge to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court for the first time in American history. “Roe and Casey are the settled law of the Supreme Court concerning the right to terminate a woman’s pregnancy. Near the end of the day, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., asked Jackson when life begins.

Senators will resume questioning Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in the third day of her confirmation hearing. Jackson defended her judicial philosophy and record on crime in yesterday’s proceedings. CBS News legal contributor Rebecca Roiphe joins “CBS News Mornings” with analysis.

Jackson, President Joe Biden's first Supreme Court nominee, already spent more than 13 hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee defending her judicial career.

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson may not get any Republican votes.

The legislation addresses key gripes app developers including Spotify, Epic Games, Basecamp and others have raised about Apple and Google.

Congress has taken a new step toward reining in the market dominance of Big Tech. Bipartisan legislation advanced by a Senate panel would bar the dominant online platforms from favoring their own goods and services over those of rivals on the platforms.

Democrats are picking up the pieces after the collapse of their sweeping voting rights legislation.

Democrats are mounting an impassioned bid to overhaul Senate rules that stand in the way of their sweeping voting legislation.

A federal lawsuit accuses the National Rifle Association of violating campaign finance laws by using shell companies to illegally funnel up to $35 million to Republican candidates, including former President Donald Trump, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and others.

The federal lawsuit accuses the NRA of using a network of shell companies to skirt campaign finance laws and give as much as $35 million to President Donald Trump and GOP candidates.

A prominent backer of Republican causes and candidates is notably absent from the conservative political groups backing efforts to ban in schools what they call critical race theory.

Tens of thousands of Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban are arriving in the U.S., and a handful of former Trump administration officials are working to turn Republicans against them.

As the U.S. rushes to evacuate Americans and allies from Afghanistan, a growing number of Republicans are questioning why the U.S. should take in Afghan citizens who worked side by side with Americans.

The stories have poured in by the thousands with heartbreaking pleas not to be left behind. In the race against time, the lawmakers are stepping up where the other branches of the U.S. government have maxed out. But from coast to coast, and across the heartland, lawmakers around the country are also seeing huge spikes in requests for help. Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said many lawmakers are forwarding cases his way. He said his office has received more than 6,000 evacuation cases in just more than a week.

Across the county, the offices of members of Congress have become makeshift crisis centers.

The stories have poured in by the thousands with heartbreaking pleas not to be left behind. In the race against time, the lawmakers are stepping up where the other branches of the U.S. government have maxed out. But from coast to coast, and across the heartland, lawmakers around the country are also seeing huge spikes in requests for help. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas and the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that many lawmakers are forwarding cases his way. He said his office has received more than 6,000 evacuation cases in just more than a week.

Across the county, the offices of members of Congress have become makeshift crisis centers.

Tropical Weather Atlantic NCDOT workers assess damage to a bridge spanning the Pigeon River, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, in Bethel, N.C., after remnants from Tropical Storm Fred caused flooding in parts of Western North Carolina Tuesday. Search and rescue teams continue to search the area as 20 people are missing and 2 people were found dead. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP) (Travis Long)RALEIGH, N.C. — (AP) — Authorities combing areas of North Carolina flooded by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred said Thursday that two people have been found dead and about 20 were unaccounted for. In western North Carolina, Haywood County Emergency Services announced Thursday that two people were confirmed dead after the flooding that prompted dozens of water rescues. Officials from the Cayuga County sheriff’s office in the Finger Lakes tourist region said they were barricading roads as they warned on social media that flooded roads may be washed out or have heavy currents.

Authorities in North Carolina have found two people dead and about 20 remain missing in Haywood County in floods caused by Tropical Storm Fred.

Lead negotiating Sens. Rob Portman and Kyrsten Sinema said they are still working on finalized bill text.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is urging his fellow Republicans to buck up Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona — a Democrat, sources familiar with the conversations tell Axios.Why it matters: Republicans view Sinema and her moderate Democratic colleague Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia as their last line of defense against sweeping progressive laws — ranging from a $3.5 trillion social welfare bill to potentially irreversible structural changes like eliminating the filibuster and add

“This is a 1.2 million-gallon gasoline leak near his house,” protester says of NC senator.

A phone call helped derail Cal Cunningham’s campaign

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.

The proposed ban comes as North Carolina is fighting over new social studies standards and the decision by UNC not to offer tenure to Nikole Hannah-Jones, the creator of The 1619 Project.

Was the 2020 election fair and legitimate? Here’s what each NC representative and senator said — and didn’t say

Senate Republicans are poised to block the creation of a special commission to study the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

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

Republicans are poised to block legislation that would create a commission on the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The former president's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is eyeing the North Carolina Senate seat being vacated by Republican Richard Burr. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)RALEIGH, N.C. – A Trump may be on the ballot next year — but not Donald Trump. The former president's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is eyeing the North Carolina Senate seat being vacated by Republican Richard Burr. The answer to that question has implications that extend far beyond Lara Trump's political future. The 38-year-old Lara Trump is married to the former president's son, Eric.

But the North Carolina Republican’s vote to convict former President Donald Trump should not have come as a shock. AdWith Burr retiring at the end of his term in 2022, it’s a vote that could end up defining his career. Exactly a year later, as the Russia investigation was wrapping up, Burr’s time leading the committee came to an abrupt end. He sided with most Republicans in a vote to dismiss the trial, creating an expectation he’d also vote to acquit. AdSo when Burr stood up to vote for Trump's conviction, many in the chamber wondered if there would be other surprises.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)WASHINGTON – Donald Trump's acquittal at his second impeachment trial may not be the final word on whether he’s to blame for the deadly Capitol riot. “President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office, as an ordinary citizen, unless the statute of limitations has run,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said after that vote. Federal prosecutors have said they are looking at all angles of the assault on the Capitol and whether the violence had been incited. A phone call between Trump and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy emerged during the impeachment trial in which McCarthy, as rioters stormed the Capitol, begged Trump to call off the mob. AdIt's possible federal prosecutors will decide not to bring charges, and if Trump were indicted in one of the many other separate investigations, federal prosecutors could decide justice would be done elsewhere.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)WASHINGTON – Donald Trump's acquittal at his second impeachment trial may not be the final word on whether he’s to blame for the deadly Capitol riot. “President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office, as an ordinary citizen, unless the statute of limitations has run,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said after that vote. Federal prosecutors have said they are looking at all angles of the assault on the Capitol and whether the violence had been incited. A phone call between Trump and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy emerged during the impeachment trial in which McCarthy, as rioters stormed the Capitol, begged Trump to call off the mob. AdIt's possible federal prosecutors will decide not to bring charges, and if Trump were indicted in one of the many other separate investigations, federal prosecutors could decide justice would be done elsewhere.

From left, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen joined the Democratic senators for a private virtual meeting, both declaring the Republicans' $618 billion offer was too small. “President Biden spoke about the need for Congress to respond boldly and quickly,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said after the lunch meeting. The president made it clear that he won’t delay aid in hopes of winning GOP support. Biden proposes $170 billion for schools, compared to $20 billion in the Republican plan.

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden told Republican senators during a two-hour meeting Monday night he's unwilling to settle on an insufficient coronavirus aid package after they pitched their slimmed down $618 billion proposal that's a fraction of the $1.9 trillion he is seeking. AdRepublicans are tapping into bipartisan urgency to improve the nation's vaccine distribution and vastly expand virus testing with $160 billion in aid. Psaki said earlier Monday there is “obviously a big gap” between the $1.9 trillion package Biden has proposed and the $618 billion counteroffer. It also includes $20 billion to reopen schools compared to $170 billion in Biden's plan. The Republicans offer $40 billion for Paycheck Protection Program business aid.

President Joe Biden delivers his inaugural address on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. We saw many recognizable faces Wednesday at the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, but there were many people -- some quite notable -- who were not in attendance. President Donald Trump: He announced on Twitter ahead of the inauguration that he would not be attending, and he stuck to his word. He’s the first outgoing president who chose not to attend the ceremony since President Andrew Johnson’s refusal in 1869. Sen. Marco Rubio: Rubio conveyed he would be hard at work instead.

WASHINGTON – Control of the Senate won’t be decided until the new year after Republicans won a seat in Alaska on Wednesday. Incumbent Alaska GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan defeated Al Gross, an independent running as a Democrat. They have a 49-48 hold on the Senate with the Alaska win, but two races in Georgia are heading to a Jan. 5 runoff. With Biden, the path to keeping Senate control is more difficult for Republicans. That means if Republicans only have 50 seats, Democrats control the Senate.