YOU WONT BELIEVE: 14 - What They Never Told You

Negotiations on Senate stopgap spending bill drag

The timeline is slipping for senators to strike a bipartisan deal on a short-term funding patch before their August recess as leadership struggles to work out the finer details. Senior appropriators had been hopeful of unveiling text before the weekend for a stopgap measure expected to keep the government funded…

Roll Call · Jul 31

Photos of the week | July 24-30, 2026

While the House was away on summer vacation, the Senate was busy. The late Sen. Lindsey Graham was remembered with a congressional tribute in the Rotunda. Maine Democrats found a new Senate candidate. Dr. Anthony Fauci pleaded the Fifth. And acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination to be attorney general…

Roll Call · Jul 31

Trump defends ‘weaponization’ fund amid Blanche confirmation drama

As his nominee for attorney general hangs in the balance, President Donald Trump dug in on Friday, defending a controversial settlement that has angered some Republicans in the Senate. It further upended Todd Blanche’s bid to permanently lead the Justice Department, as senators look for a path forward after canceling…

Roll Call · Jul 31

IRS modernization bill approved by Senate panel

The Senate Finance Committee advanced a bipartisan tax administration package Thursday aimed at modernizing the IRS, improving customer service and strengthening taxpayer rights. The committee voted, 26-1, to approve the sprawling tax modernization bill, which encompasses a laundry list of tax provisions including some proposals that have already gotten backing…

Roll Call · Jul 30

At the Races: Republicans on the ropes

Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. By Mary Ellen McIntire and Daniela Altimari A handful of House Democrats and two House Republicans have lost their bids…

Roll Call · Jul 30

Cornyn won’t ‘cave’ on Blanche, he says

The odds of the Senate confirming Todd Blanche to head the Justice Department before its summer break appear to be dwindling, as the Trump administration struggles to appease GOP holdouts. And if senators can’t get him through, President Donald Trump threatened to merely wait out the objectors, leaving Blanche in…

Roll Call · Jul 30

Proposals to lower health costs get broad support in battlegrounds

Voters in battleground states and congressional districts tend to voice support for proposals in Congress that would expand access to health care or lower drug costs — often irrespective of their party affiliation — according to new polling from the University of Maryland. The poll, first shared with CQ Roll Call, surveyed people in 11…

Roll Call · Jul 30

Senate weighs next steps on Russia-Iran sanctions

The Senate on Wednesday evening took another step closer to advancing a bill that would impose long-stalled sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine and extend for five more years sanctions on Iran. The Senate voted 84-12 in favor of a motion to proceed to consideration of the legislative…

Roll Call · Jul 29

Lawmakers want better data on AI’s workforce impacts

A bipartisan pair of senators is pushing for more and better data to understand the impact of artificial intelligence on the workforce. That data could help back up what experts told a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday — that the biggest AI-fueled change may be different tasks at work rather than…

Roll Call · Jul 29

Idaho Democrat is latest Senate nominee to drop out in boost to independent rival

The Democratic Senate nominee in Idaho has dropped out of the race, clearing a path for an independent candidate to take on the Republican incumbent and following a playbook used by Democrats in other ruby-red states. “After much consideration and many conversations with my family and my supporters, I have…

Roll Call · Jul 29