Senate Dems brace to vote for a bill they hate — to block Elon Musk

Democrats appear on the cusp of voting to avoid a shutdown because they fear the consequences of standing up to the Trump administration could be worse.

Politico - Mar. 13

Schumer backs down, Democrats seethe

In today's issue: Trump praises Schumer ... Progressives fume ... Senators’ game plan ... Tim Walz tours GOP districts {beacon} 12:30 REPORT It’s Friday. Happy Pi Day, my friends! 🥧🍕 Several ...

The Hill - Mar. 14

Senate Dems demand Kennedy disclose details of Mar-a-Lago meetings with drug execs

Three Democratic senators want answers from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his private meetings with drugmakers alongside President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in ...

The Hill - Mar. 10

House's short-term spending bill heads to Senate, passage needed by Friday to avoid shutdown

The GOP stopgap funding bill passed Monday night in the House will now go to the Senate where Republicans will need Democratic support to pass it into law and avert a government shutdown. CBS News ...

CBS News - Mar. 12

Sherrod Brown, Weighing a 2026 Senate Bid, Starts a Workers’ Group

Mr. Brown, the Ohio Democrat who lost his race for re-election last year, is forming the Dignity of Work Institute, which will highlight workers’ struggles.

The New York Times - 5d

Chuck Schumer says he won't block Republican funding bill amid Democratic divisions over shutdown strategy

WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N

NBC News - Mar. 13

Jeanne Shaheen won't run for re-election, opening another Democratic Senate seat in 2026

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., on Wednesday announced that she will not seek re-election in 2026, kicking off a competitive race to fill her seat.

NBC News - Mar. 12

Dr. Mehmet Oz may have underpaid Medicare and Social Security taxes, Senate Democratic memo finds

Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s nominee to oversee the Center for Medicare and Medicare Services, may have “significantly” underpaid Medicare and Social Security taxes.

NBC News - Mar. 13

The Democratic Divide: Would a Shutdown Have Helped or Hurt Trump?

The party’s split over supporting a spending extension to avert a lapse in government funding boiled down to a practical question of how much power the president has in a shutdown.

The New York Times - Mar. 15

12:30 Report — Democrats play few cards in shutdown fight

{beacon} 12:30 REPORT Happy Thursday! Today's forecast in DC: ☁️ 48° (Find your weather here) In this edition: White House abruptly yanks CDC nominee Senate Dems look for cover in funding battle ...

The Hill - Mar. 13

‘The Interview’: Chuck Schumer on Democrats, Antisemitism and His Shutdown Retreat

The Senate minority leader discusses the backlash to his vote on the Republican spending bill, how he sees his role within the party and his new book.

The New York Times - Mar. 16

Dr. Mehmet Oz testifies about his past health advocacy at Senate confirmation hearing

He is expected to face questions about potential cuts to Medicaid amid GOP efforts to slash the size of the federal government and his advocacy for privatizing Medicare.

NBC News - Mar. 14

Fallout continues from Schumer's support for GOP bill

Some House and Senate Democrats appear divided over Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's decision to help Republicans avoid a government shutdown. Nine other Democrats joined Sen. Schumer in ...

CBS News - Mar. 17

Congress averts a shutdown — but Democratic divisions ensue: 5 takeaways

The Senate approved a House GOP-crafted spending bill hours before the shutdown deadline Friday evening, capping off the first funding fight of President Trump’s second term — a saga that ripped ...

The Hill - Mar. 14

‘Absolutely Ridiculous’: Democrats Seethe at Schumer for Backing G.O.P. Spending Bill

Senator Chuck Schumer, the minority leader, continued to face criticism from members of his own party after he reversed course and allowed the stopgap spending bill to come to a vote.

The New York Times - Mar. 16

‘The Democratic party has no grassroots’: Bernie Sanders on how to fight the Trump blitzkrieg

In an interview on his cross-country tour, the senator said Americans are ‘very disturbed’ by the chaos in Washington. Bernie Sanders said Donald Trump has “absolutely” created a constitutional ...

The Guardian - 3d

Trump's civil rights cuts undermine his push to fight campus antisemitism, Democrats say

Senators at a hearing on campus antisemitism said the Trump administration will be hamstrung by recent firings in its efforts to fight discrimination.

NBC News - 1d

Trump's second win has some questioning women's electability. Mikie Sherrill says 'Watch me.'

Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss in the presidential race has given rise, again, to whispered worries in the Democratic Party about female candidates and electability — resurrecting a ...

NBC News - Mar. 21

FirstFT: Tesla warns Trump administration it is ‘exposed’ in trade war

Also in today’s newsletter, top Senate Democrat backs Republican funding bill, and China criticises Panama ports deal

Financial Times - Mar. 14

Schumer announces he will vote to keep government open, likely avoiding shutdown

Senate Democrats remained tight-lipped on Thursday after meeting on the fast-approaching government funding deadline.

ABC News - Mar. 14

Walz knocks Schumer over government funding blowup

Walz piled on the Senate minority leader during Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s most recent podcast episode.

Politico - Mar. 18

Chuck Schumer Isn’t Jewish Like the Pope Isn’t Catholic

Derided by the MAGA right and yelled at by the far left, the Senate Democratic leader is inhabiting a very Jewish place right now.

The New York Times - Mar. 18

J. Bennett Johnston, Who Helped Shape U.S. Energy Policy, Dies at 92

A four-term Democratic senator from Louisiana, he pushed for nuclear power and ending the nation’s reliance on foreign oil.

The New York Times - 3d

Schumer ‘missed the moment’ to stand up to GOP, says House Democrat

Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) says Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) “miss the moment” to use the leverage he had to stand up to the Trump administration. Rep. Ivey also wouldn’t rule out the ...

NBC News - Mar. 21

Schumer clashes with liberal colleagues over House GOP funding bill

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) surprised Washington Thursday by announcing on the Senate floor that he would vote to advance a House Republican-drafted six-month government funding ...

The Hill - Mar. 14

Senate Republican: Taylor Swift could write song about 'terrible breakup' between Musk, liberals

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) joked Thursday about the “terrible breakup” between Elon Musk and liberals, as Democrats denounce the tech billionaire’s prominent role in the Trump administration. ...

The Hill - 1d

Senate Republican: Taylor Swift could write song about 'terrible breakup' between Musk, liberals

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) joked Thursday about the “terrible breakup” between Elon Musk and liberals, as Democrats denounce the tech billionaire’s prominent role in the Trump administration. ...

The Hill - 1d