The one black Senator
The Senate finally has an African-American member. He is a conservative Republican. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) announced she will appoint Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) to the Senate, taking the...
View ArticleNuking the Senate
Senate Democrats employed the so-called “nuclear option,” changing Senate rules so as to eliminate the possibility of a filibuster for presidential appointments (not including Supreme Court...
View ArticleMove the nation’s capital to Nebraska
We talk about politics here at the Cranach blog, being careful to keep the two kingdoms distinguished, but we don’t do politicking, in the sense of agitating for one candidate or another. But I...
View ArticleFriend in the Senate
My friend Ben Sasse whom I’ve blogged about, won the Republican primary race for Senate in Nebraska. Observers are saying he will be a shoo-in for election. Pundits are calling this a “Tea Party”...
View ArticleSenate bill would reverse Hobby Lobby ruling
Democrats in the Senate are fast-tracking a bill to reverse the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision. The measure would say that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act would not apply to contraceptive...
View ArticleSenate fails to nullify Hobby Lobby ruling
As we blogged about, Democrats in the Senate, which they control, fast-tracked a bill that would nullify the Supreme Court’s ruling that Hobby Lobby and other privately-held companies could opt out of...
View ArticleFixing the Senate
In a column on Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell, who–IF he gets re-elected to the Senate and IF Republicans win a majority on that body–could be the next Senate Majority Leader, George Will offers an...
View ArticleRepublicans gain another senator
Incumbent Senate Democrat Mary Landrieu lost her run-off election in Louisiana to Republican Bill Cassidy. Part of the reason is that she was abandoned by fellow Democrats, who are now doing to their...
View ArticleSenate thwarts both left & right to fund government
The Senate passed the $1.1 trillion spending bill, ensuring that the government will not shut down. Both tea party conservatives AND populist liberals led by Elizabeth Warren opposed the measure. So...
View ArticleRand Paul’s filibuster
Senator and presidential candidate Rand Paul has been staging an old-fashioned filibuster, staging a marathon speech and holding the Senate floor in opposition to the renewal of the Patriot Act, which...
View ArticleObama wins with Iran deal
Senate Democrats rallied behind President Obama’s plan to lift sanctions on Iran in return for its promises to slow down its nuclear program. Enough senators supported the agreement to sustain a...
View ArticleTrump’s Supreme Court nominee
President Donald Trump has nominated Colorado appeals court Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Antonin Scalia. Reportedly, Judge Gorsuch is from that same mold:...
View ArticleThe anti-Trump “resistance”
Democrats have gone into full resistance mode, with Democratic Senators boycotting confirmation hearings to prevent a vote on President Trump’s candidates. (Republicans suspended the rules and...
View ArticleShutting down the government over the Wall & Planned Parenthood
Senate Democrats say they will shut down the government by filibustering any spending bills that include building a wall along the Mexican border or that defund Planned Parenthood. The government runs...
View ArticleDemocrats will filibuster Gorsuch
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says that Democrats will filibuster the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. Republicans have said that if this happens, they will launch “the...
View ArticleDems force “nuclear option” and Gorsuch is confirmed
The Democrats invoked their filibuster privilege to block the vote to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. So the Republicans used the so-called “nuclear option.” They changed the rules to...
View ArticleThe Senate’s health care bill
Senate Republicans released their proposed health care bill, which, if it passes, must be reconciled to the bill passed by the House of Representatives. Go here for a helpful comparison of the Senate...
View ArticleUsing the legislative process for a Health Care Bill
Though the Republican Health Care Bill, as formulated by the Senate leadership, lacks the vote to pass, a new and possibly more productive strategy is underway. Instead of withdrawing the bill, with...
View ArticleShould We Bring Back Earmarks to Make Congress Effective?
Our nation’s legislative branch is stalemated on issue after issue, from the complexities of immigration reform to the housekeeping details of keeping the government from shutting down. Lawmakers have...
View ArticleElection Day
Today is the midterm election. All members of the House of Representatives, whose term is only two years, are up for election. Also one-third of the Senate. An untold number of state and local...
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