Senate Democrats news stories on Newser

Dems Lick Chops Over Arizona Immigration Law

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:55:20 CDT

Even if the Supreme Court upholds Arizona's immigration law this summer, Senate Democrats are just going to go ahead and stick Republicans between a rock and a hard place on the controversial law. Chuck Schumer is set to announce Plan B today: legislation that would require the approval of the...

Expect Senate Gridlock to Remain in 2013

Matt Cantor — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:00:00 CST

The 2012 election may generate plenty of headlines, but it's not going to get a gridlocked Washington moving again—in large part thanks to the outlook for the Senate. Neither party is poised to win the kind of majority that could exert any real authority, the Washington Post notes. Republicans...

Senators to Komen: Restore Planned Parenthood Cuts

Matt Cantor — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:02:25 CST

The outcry over the Susan G. Komen foundation's decision to cut Planned Parenthood funding has made its way to Capitol Hill. Some 22 Democratic senators—a large number for such an undertaking, notes the Plum Line blog at the Washington Post —have signed a letter calling on Komen to "reconsider...

Bad News for Dems? Ben Nelson Retiring

Matt Cantor — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:47:55 CST

Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson won't seek reelection next year, potentially harming Democratic hopes to hold onto the Senate majority, Politico reports. Though Nelson's approval ratings had struggled, they were on the rise this year, thanks in part to $1 million in national Democratic Party advertising. Meanwhile, Republicans spent hundreds of...

GOP Pulls 'Reverse Braveheart ' on Payroll Tax

Mark Russell — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:09:05 CST

Last night, as the House was on the verge of scuttling the payroll tax cut extension , House Republicans gathered in a Capitol basement to talk— Braveheart ? “You, Mr. Speaker, are our William Wallace," one rep has said. "Let’s rush to the fight." Besides being a horrible abdication of responsibility,...

Congress' Productivity Plunges

Kevin Spak — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 07:01:50 CST

Non-election years are typically productive times for Congress, but not this year. As of last week, the House had passed 326 bills, its fewest in the last 10 non-election years, while the Senate had green-lit 368, its lowest total since 1995, the Washington Post observes. (For comparison, the House passed...

Obama 2012? Some Dems in Congress Won't Say

Matt Cantor — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:37:05 CST

It may not come as a surprise that Joe Lieberman isn’t sure where he stands on President Obama’s reelection bid—but a number of Obama’s fellow Democrats aren’t rushing to support him, either. Instead, they’re refusing to comment or choosing their words carefully, Politico finds. Just a few Blue Dog...

Senate Rejects $35B Jobs Bill

Evann Gastaldo — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:14:38 CDT

President Obama’s first attempt to split his American Jobs Act into smaller bites did not go well: His $35 billion package, intended to protect the jobs of teachers and first responders, was blocked in the Senate last night. Democrats couldn’t get the 60 votes needed to move the bill forward;...

Obama Backs Senate's Millionaires Tax

Kevin Spak — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 12:58:17 CDT

President Obama delivered another plea for his jobs bill today, and said he approved of the 5% surtax on millionaires the Senate came up with to pay for it. “I’m fine with the approach they have taken,” Obama said at the press conference, though the New York Times notes he...