Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., left,

After debating seven hours through the night, the Senate voted early Thursday to take the first real step toward repealing Obamacare - a top goal of congressional Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump. Obamacare takes first real step closer to repeal after Senate vote After debating seven hours through the night, the Senate voted early Thursday to take the first real step toward repealing Obamacare - a top goal of congressional Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump.

Sen. Franken Accuses Sen. Sessions of Misrepresenting His Record on Civil Rights

During the Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. attorney general, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota, accused Sen. Sessions, R-Alabama, of misrepresenting the number of desegregation cases he filed as United States attorney in Alabama. "Our country needs an attorney general who doesn't misrepresent or inflate their level of involvement on any given issue," Franken said Tuesday.

Obama calls on supporters to renew fight f…

In his farewell address to the nation Tuesday night, a tearful President Obama called on Americans to keep working on income equality, racial healing and bipartisan cooperation - the same goals he was unable to achieve over the past eight years. With 10 days remaining in his presidency, Mr. Obama traveled to Chicago to deliver his valedictory speech to about 20,000 supporters and urge them to renew the fight for liberal values in the upcoming administration of Republican Donald Trump.

Mass. Fiscal Alliance chair, Pepperell resident, weighing run for US Senate

Republican Rick Green, the wealthy owner of a Pepperell-based auto parts company and founder of the conservative non-profit Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, may challenge U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren for re-election in 2018, according to two sources with knowledge of his thinking. Green, who once came up two votes shy of becoming chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party, is "thinking about it," according to a close associate, but feels no rush make a decision despite Warren sounding the starting gun last week when she formally declared her intention to seek a second term.

Sessions: Fact That Complainants in 1985 Voting Fraud Case Were Also…

Sen. Jeff Sessions said Tuesday he has been unfairly criticized for indicting three African-Americans for voting fraud in 1985 in Mobile, Ala., while he was U.S. attorney there, because the complainants in the case were also African-American - a fact that is often overlooked although "it's been out there a long time." "It's been out there for a long time," said Sessions.

Highlights From Jeff Sessions’ Confirmation Hearing — So Far

Senator Jeff Sessions, President-elect Trump's nominee for attorney general, went before his colleagues today in a marathon confirmation hearing -- now on its fifth hour and still ongoing. If confirmed, and so far it looks like Sessions will be confirmed, the Republican Senator from Alabama will become the head of the Department of Justice and the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer in the federal government.

A-G choice opposed law banning waterboarding

US President-elect Donald Trump's candidate for attorney general said on Tuesday he was against banning Muslims from entering the country and would enforce a 2015 law that outlawed waterboarding terrorism suspects, even though he had opposed the law. During the 2016 election campaign Trump said waterboarding, which simulates drowning and is widely regarded as torture, was an effective technique and vowed to bring it back and make it "a hell of a lot worse."

Nets Hype Dems Testifying Against Sessions Over Racism Allegations

On Tuesday, the network morning shows were thrilled by the prospect of Democratic lawmakers testifying against Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions during the confirmation hearing for the Donald Trump cabinet pick. However, none of the broadcasts bothered to recall that those same Democrats once eagerly worked with the Alabama senator on civil rights issues.

MTV Writer Makes Racial ‘Joke’ About Asian Grandkid of Sessions

On Tuesday, Ira Madison III, culture writer for MTV News, launched a multi-post rant on Twitter attacking Senator Jeff Sessions during his attorney general confirmation hearing with a racially-charged Tweet about the Alabama Republican's multi-racial granddaughter: " Sessions, sir, kindly return this Asian baby to the Toys 'R' Us you stole her from ." Madison added in a later post that the child was a "prop," because supposedly, " There is no reason for that child to be in his lap in a hearing other than to send an 'I'm not racist message' ."

Senators Test Limits on Donald Trump at Jeff Sessions Confirmation Hearing

Senators used the first day of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions' hearings to test the boundaries of Donald Trump's executive power and highlight areas where Sessions would need to limit him as Attorney General. While several questions at looked back at Sessions' civil rights record, the backdrop to questions about Sessions' future relationship with Trump was set early Tuesday, when Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley asked Sessions whether he would be comfortable saying "no" to the President-elect, given their close relationship on the campaign.

Sessions: I Will Be Able to Say No to Trump

Sen. Chuck Grassley told Sen. Jeff Sessions that the attorney general of the United States is not the president's "wingman" or lawyer, but has an independent obligation to the Constitution as the nation's chief law enforcement officer. "Will you be able to stand up and say no to the president of the United States if, in your judgement, the law and your duty demands it?" Grassley asked Trump's nominee for attorney general at the confirmation hearing on Tuesday.

As Republicans float further Clinton probes, Sessions said he’d recuse himself

Sen. Jeff Sessions speaks before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington on Jan. 10. The Select Committee on Benghazi has closed up shop. The FBI has found no new emails to change its conclusion that there was not a winnable case against Hillary Clinton over her use of a private server.

Sessions would recuse himself from Clinton probe

Attorney General-designate, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday to testify at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. WASHINGTON >> The Latest on the Senate confirmation hearing for President-elect Donald Trump's selection for attorney general : Sen. Jeff Sessions said that if he is confirmed as attorney general, he would recuse himself from investigations of Hillary Clinton's email server after making comments during the presidential election about the matter.

Sessions defends himself against allegations of racism

JANUARY 10: Sen. Jeff Sessions testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing to be the U.S. Attorney General January 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. Sessions was one of the first members of Congress to endorse and support President-elect Donald Trump, who nominated him for Attorney General.