Don’t Blame Rand Paul for Last Night’s Shutdown Alexandra DeSanctis 24 minutes ago

Congress had weeks to pass another budget deal to keep the federal government open. Last night, Kentucky's junior senator, Republican Rand Paul, prolonged that process another few hours, filibustering the last-minute compromise over his complaints about increasing the federal deficit.

Cornyn Statement on Passage of Disaster Relief, Budget Agreement

U.S. Senator John Cornyn released this statement after Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act , including nearly $90 billion in funding available for relief efforts following natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey: "While long-overdue, this bill is a big step forward for Texans impacted by Hurricane Harvey up and down our coast. We know the recovery process is far from over, but these resources will go a long way for Texas families, small businesses and communities who are still rebuilding.

Trump signs budget deal, government to reopen

President Donald Trump on Friday signed a $400 billion budget deal that sharply boosts spending and swells the federal deficit, ending a brief federal government shutdown that happened while most Americans were home in bed and most government offices were closed, anyway. The House and Senate approved a bill to keep the government funded through March 23, overcoming opposition from liberal Democrats as well as tea party conservatives to endorse enormous spending increases despite looming trillion-dollar deficits.

Early morning budget votes end brief federal shutdown

Here's an account of early morning votes in Congress to pass budget legislation that ended a brief government shutdown. Worth noting: * BLITHERING HYPOCRISY : Sen. Rand Paul held up the Senate vote, noting the hypocrisy of voting to add to the deficit after years of Republican complaints about the deficit.

Inside the three congressional districts Texas Democrats hope to turn blue in 2018

In the 2016 election cycle, Democrats pinned their hopes of flipping a red Congressional seat in Texas on just one district. With Trump's low approval rating and a surge of energy among voters on the left, Democrats say they have their best shot in years of taking back a few critical seats in Texas.

Barletta’s hard line on immigration, weak fund-raising are undermining Senate bid, analysts say | Friday Morning Coffee

Good Friday Morning, Fellow Seekers. We'll close out the working week this week by turning our attention to the campaign for U.S. Senate, where Republicans are looking to retain their majority in the closely divided chamber.

US government shuts down for second time

Washington, Feb 9 - The US federal government officially shut down on Friday for the second time in three weeks after a single senator, Rand Paul of Kentucky, held up a vote on a far-reaching budget deal that would have staved it off. Senators are still expected to vote in favour of the deal in a series of votes that will most likely begin around 1 a.m., reports The New York Times.

Used to scuffles, Rand Paul takes on Senate, risks shutdown

The last time Sen. Rand Paul was in the news for a scuffle, it involved a neighbor who allegedly tackled him in his yard over a lawn dispute. Thursday night, the Kentucky Republican took on the entire U.S. Senate - and rather than fisticuffs, his weapons of choice were obstinacy and the chamber's weird rules.

DC News Junkie | Second Shutdown in Three Weeks

Congressman John Larson, D-1st District, released a statement shortly after midnight, placing the blame for last night's federal government shutdown on Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, and suggesting it was motivated by a "personal, ideological agenda." "This shutdown falls squarely on the shoulders of egotists like Senator Rand Paul.

Congress stumbles into gov’t shutdown, budget deal stalled

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., is shown on television as she speaks from the House floor on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, as a news conference that she was supposed to attend goes on in the ... . Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., leaves the chamber after announcing an agreement in the Senate on a two-year, almost $400 billion budget deal that would provide Pentagon and domestic programs with huge spe... .

People walk by the U.S. Capitol building in Washington on Thursday.

The government staggered into another shutdown on Thursday night after an outspoken fiscal conservative in the Senate singlehandedly delayed action by Congress on a stopgap funding bill wrapped up in... Beau Hossler and Kevin Streelman shot 7-under-par rounds of 65 on Thursday to share the first round lead of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in ... (more)