Congress
Sen. Dick Durbin, a top Senate Democrat, says he will not seek reelection
The Illinois Democrat has announced he will retire at the end of his term next year after nearly three decades in the Senate. His departure creates a key opening in Democratic leadership.
The next AOC? Young Democrats are aiming to topple incumbents inside their own party
Frustrated with their party's response to President Trump, a wave of young Democrats are challenging incumbents in safe blue districts, hoping to mirror Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's upset win in 2018.
Sen. Jack Reed calls for investigation into Pete Hegseth’s Signal chat
NPR asks Sen. Jack Reed, top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, why he wants an investigation into whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared classified intelligence in a Signal chat.
Top House Democrat says DOGE data access at NLRB may be ‘technological malfeasance’
A top House Democrat is asking independent agency watchdogs to investigate after NPR reporting revealed DOGE may have taken sensitive data from the National Labor Relations Board.
Senate GOP passes budget plan, setting up a critical next phase for Trump agenda
The vote brings Republicans a step closer to finalizing a sweeping plan to address defense, energy, immigration and tax policy. But a number of potential wildcards must still be sorted out.
Word of the Week: The swashbuckling origins and evolution of ‘filibuster’
Sen. Cory Booker's record-breaking Senate speech wasn't technically a filibuster, but it still put the word in focus. Here's what to know about its history, from the swashbuckling to the stonewalling.
Sen. Cory Booker on his marathon, 25-hour speech on the Senate floor
Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, told NPR's Juana Summers he stopped eating and drinking before his record-breaking speech.
Senate Republicans move forward with their budget plan to promote Trump’s agenda
If passed, the package could become a hallmark of President Trump's second term. But a number of obstacles remain ahead.
2 mothers bring the House to a halt over push to allow proxy voting for new parents
GOP leaders tried to block a bipartisan measure to allow proxy voting, but nine Republicans joined with Democrats to overcome it.
Cory Booker’s anti-Trump speech on the Senate floor has lasted 15 hours and counting
The New Jersey Democrat has been criticizing the Trump administration's policies on immigration, education, the economy and more since 7 p.m. Monday. Here's what to know about his marathon speech.
GOP leaders accused of making threats to block bill to let new moms vote remotely
Lawmakers from both parties teamed up to force a House vote on a measure allowing new parents to vote by proxy for 12 weeks, but House Speaker Mike Johnson opposes it on Constitutional grounds.
‘Mad House’ exposes Congressional disfunction, from petty feuds to physical threats
The MAGA-controlled 118th House passed only 27 bills that became law — the lowest number since the Great Depression. Journalists Annie Karni and Luke Broadwater examine the chaos in a new book.
Intelligence leaders will testify before Congress, fresh off the group chat fiasco
Some of the nation's top intelligence officials are due to appear before Congress in a pair of hearings this week. Two were participants in a widely-criticized war plans group chat on Signal.
Senate passes spending bill to avoid a government shutdown
The Senate voted 54 to 46 to approve a spending bill to fund the government through the end of September.
Senate Democrats face major dilemma: help GOP pass funding bill or trigger shutdown
The government runs out of funding Friday at midnight, leaving Democrats to decide whether to help Republicans pass a bill to avoid a shutdown or block the bill and be blamed for triggering one.
A second federal judge has ruled to block the Trump administration’s spending freeze
U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. said the attempt to pause trillions in federal spending "fundamentally undermines the distinct constitutional roles of each branch of our government."
Spanish-language rebuttal to Trump’s joint address focuses on immigration
New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat delivered the Democrats' Spanish-language rebuttal to President Trump's joint address, focusing on the president's immigration policy.
Follow NPR’s annotated fact check of President Trump’s address to Congress
As President Trump addresses a joint session of Congress tonight, reporters from across NPR's newsroom will fact check and offer context as the speech unfolds.
Trump will address a joint session of Congress tonight. Here’s what to expect
The president's address to a joint session of Congress is expected to touch on everything from DOGE and immigration to tariffs and the future of U.S. support for Ukraine.
Fired federal workers are among the guests invited to Trump’s speech to Congress
The Trumps and lawmakers from across the aisle have invited guests to Tuesday's joint address, representing some of the administration's top priorities. Here's a look at some of the names on the list.
What you need to know about Trump’s address to joint session of Congress
President Trump will lay out his second term agenda in an address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. From talk on tariffs to the U.S. role in the world, here's what to expect.
What will Trump say in his Tuesday address? We look to the past for some clues
Delivered the day before he was acquitted in his first impeachment case, and as COVID began to spread, President Trump's 2020 address was part reality TV, part gameshow and part WWE smackdown.
House budget vote marks a key test for Trump’s agenda, with GOP support still unclear
With a final vote fast approaching, GOP leaders were still working to wrangle support from inside the party for a sweeping multitrillion plan to address defense, energy, immigration and tax policy.
Senate adopts budget resolution after marathon vote-a-rama. Now what?
The Senate's budget framework is at odds with the House's approach, and both chambers ultimately have to be on the same page to get the legislation across the finish line.
Senate confirms Kash Patel, fierce critic of FBI, to head the bureau
Republicans welcomed Kash Patel's confirmation, seeing him as someone who can fix the FBI's alleged targeting of conservatives in recent years.
Senator Mitch McConnell says he will not seek reelection in 2026
The Kentucky Republican has served more than 40 years in the chamber, and became one of the most consequential and divisive legislators in recent history.
GOP senators fact check Trump’s Ukraine rhetoric, while still backing his strategy
Lawmakers sought to dispel Kremlin talking points echoed by the president that Ukraine was responsible for the war with Russia. But they said Trump should be given room to negotiate.
Trump backs House’s approach to budget plans to implement his agenda
The chambers are at odds about the best way to approach President Trump's legislative priorities, which could set them up for a showdown.
Trump’s pick for secretary of education is Linda McMahon. Here’s what to know
McMahon's confirmation proceedings are likely to focus on how she would handle Donald Trump's plans to dissolve the U.S. Education Department.
Judge says Trump administration is not in full compliance with order on spending
The judge had issued a temporary restraining order against an administration plan to freeze payments for grants and other federal programs, but says the administration has not been fully complying.
U.S. education policy is at a crossroads. This congressional hearing shows why
The House education committee is charged with forging consensus on the nation's education policy. But at a recent meeting, partisan differences were on full display.
What would a government shutdown mean for me?
If a shutdown arrives, millions of federal employees will be furloughed and many others — including those working in the military and the Transportation Security Administration — will be forced to work without pay until it ends.
