Top Republican disputes Trump’s – spy’ claim

"The FBI did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do, said Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C. "The FBI did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do, said Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C. WASHINGTON - There is no evidence that the FBI planted a "spy" on President Trump's 2016 campaign, a senior House Republican said Wednesday, directly contradicting Trump's repeated insistence that the agency inserted a "spy for political reasons and to help Crooked Hillary win." Rep. Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Oversight Committee and a longtime Trump supporter, was briefed last week by the Justice Department and FBI following reports that investigators relied on a U.S. government informant in its investigation into Russian election meddling.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Peter O'Rourke, the chief of staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs, will step in and lead the agency while President Donald Trump's pick for a new VA head is confirmed by the Senate. Robert Wilkie, whose nomination to lead VA was unexpectedly announced by Trump in an offhand manner at a White House on May 18, has been temporary head of the veterans' agency since former chief David Shulkin was fired in March.

Florida is ‘ground zero’ to win House, Democratic chair Tom Perez says

Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez, second from right, holds a roundtable with Democratic officials including U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, right, and Florida Democratic Chair Terrie Rizzo, third from right, at the Carpenters' union building in Orlando, May 30, 2018 Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez, second from right, holds a roundtable with Democratic officials including U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, right, and Florida Democratic Chair Terrie Rizzo, third from right, at the Carpenters' union building in Orlando, May 30, 2018 Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez heard impassioned pleas from party officials about issues ranging from housing to health care at a roundtable in Orlando on Wednesday.

How Trump’s Election Shook Obama: ‘What if We Were Wrong?’

Riding in a motorcade in Lima, Peru, shortly after the 2016 election, President Barack Obama was struggling to understand Donald J. Trump's victory. He had read a column asserting that liberals had forgotten how important identity was to people and had promoted an empty cosmopolitan globalism that made many feel left behind.

DNC gives Florida Democrats grant to mobilize Puerto Ricans

The Democratic National Committee is giving Florida Democrats a $100,000 grant for mobilizing Puerto Rican voters across the state during what is expected to be a fiercely-fought U.S. Senate race. Perez held a round-table discussion about the tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans who have moved to Florida since last fall's devastating Hurricane Maria.

Senators Urge Trump to Take Tougher Action Against China in S. China Sea

The Trump administration should take tougher action to counter Chinese militarization in the South China Sea, a bipartisan trio of senators has urged in a letter sent to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The letter, sent by Democratic Sen. Ed Markey along with his Republican colleagues Sens. Marco Rubio and Cory Gardner, expressed "grave concerns" over Beijing's actions and stated that "we believe there is strong bipartisan congressional support for taking significant actions in response to the Chinese government's continuing militarization of the South China Sea."

#WhereAreTheChildren: Here are the facts about the a losta minors who attempted to cross the border

The Trump administration is pushing back against reports that a government agency "lost" nearly 1,500 unaccompanied minors who attempted to cross the border into the United States. An official at the Department of Health and Human Services who oversees programs that place unaccompanied minors with families told a Senate committee last month that a department office "was unable to determine with certainty the whereabouts of 1,475 unaccompanied alien children."

Is Roseanne Barr what America has Become?

The cancellation of Roseanne Barr's situation comedy reboot at ABC/Disney is not, as some of my more serious acquaintances on social media are saying, unimportant. Barr's attack via Twitter on former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett , is an important moment in American cultural history.

More women than ever run for Senate, but hurdles remain

Women running for office are due to hit another threshold with a record number of candidates for the U.S. Senate, but actually winning those seats and changing the face of the chamber are a different matter. Many of the women jumping into Senate races face uphill campaigns.

Fitzgerald: HBO’s John McCain documentary is TV done right

FOR COURAGE AND CONVICTION: U.S. Sen. John McCain, left, receives the National Constitution Center's Liberty Medal from former Vice President Joe Biden last year. This is not a TV review column, thankfully, because "bleak" would not begin to capture the assessment here of what passes for entertainment these days.

How has the Senate Intelligence Committee stayed united on the Russia probe that split the House?

Congress's last chance to tell Americans - in a bipartisan way - how Russia interfered in the 2016 election rests with 15 senators who meet twice a week behind closed doors. The Senate Intelligence Committee has become a rare symbol of unity on the divisive issue of Russia's role in the presidential race - quite a feat for a panel with members ranging from conservative Trump ally Tom Cotton, R-Ark., to liberal Trump critic Kamala Harris, D-Calif.

Romney defends against attacks from opponent in Senate debate

Romney parried the criticism from his opponent, state Rep. Mike Kennedy, and praised the president's handling of several issues including China on trade. Mr. Trump has endorsed Romney, which the former governor of Massachusetts said shows the president "respects people who call them like they see them."

Boosting GOP, Trump accuses Pelosi of being an ‘MS-13 lover’

President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of being an "MS-13 lover" and dismissed a Democratic Senate candidate as a "tool" of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a line of attack likely to become familiar as he boosts Republican congressional candidates ahead of midterm elections. Trump's visit to Nashville, Tennessee, promoted the Senate candidacy of Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who was expected to face former Gov. Phil Bredesen in the race to replace retiring Republican Sen. Bob Corker.

GOP Likely to Keep Control of Senate in 2018 Midterms

Last December, Democrat Doug Jones won a Senate race in Alabama by defeating a horribly flawed Republican candidate Roy Moore. For the first time, it appeared that the Democrats had a plausible path to winning control of the U.S. Senate in 2018.

News The Latest: Trump insists Mexico will pay for border wall

President Donald Trump is resurrecting his rallying cry that Mexico will pay for his proposed border wall, despite sensitive ongoing negotiations over the future of a key North American trade deal. Acknowledging the sensitivity of the subject but abandoning caution, Trump says, "I don't want to cause a problem, but in the end, Mexico's gonna pay for the wall."