Lindsey McPherson

RFK Jr. fumbles under questioning from swing vote Sen. Bill Cassidy

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. didn't have clear answers to questions that Sen. Bill Cassidy, a potential swing vote, posed during the Health and Human Services secretary nominee's confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

January 29, 2025

Trump, fellow Americans will be able to continue eating McDonald’s, health nominee RFK Jr. promises

President Trump will not have to give up his favorite McDonald's meal, nor will the American people, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.

January 29, 2025

RFK Jr. says his vaccine statements were misconstrued, vows not to block polio or measles shots

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. worked strenuously Wednesday to clarify his views on vaccines after a top Democrat challenged him on past statements and actions that seemed to suggest he was a blanket opponent of shots.

January 29, 2025

Protester removed from RFK Jr. confirmation hearing after shouting ‘he lies’

A protester was removed from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation hearing on Wednesday after disrupting his opening statement by shouting, "He lies!"

January 29, 2025

RFK says he is not ‘anti-vaccine,’ warns America faces debt and ruin if health worsens

President Trump's health secretary nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on Wednesday said vaccines are a critical component of health care, hoping to push back on the main objection to his nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

January 29, 2025

Judge temporarily halts Trump’s federal grant pause as confusion reigns

A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration's freeze on federal grants that set off a firestorm of alarm and confusion around Washington as lawmakers and aid organizations demanded more time to figure out what is affected by the White House's order.

January 28, 2025

Republicans defend Trump’s authority to freeze federal funding but have questions on implementation

Senate Republicans on Tuesday largely defended President Trump's authority to temporarily freeze disbursements of federal funding for a variety of grants and other assistance programs, but said they still had some questions.

January 28, 2025

Senate Democrats block sanctions on ICC for trying to arrest top Israeli officials

Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a bill to sanction International Criminal Court officials for issuing arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister.

January 28, 2025

Senate confirms Sean Duffy as transportation secretary

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Sean Duffy as secretary of the Department of Transportation.

January 28, 2025

Dems urge GOP to hold OMB nominee until ‘illegal’ freeze resolved

Senate Democrats want to pause Russell Vought's nomination for Office of Management and Budget director until the Trump administration resumes distribution of federal financial assistance, but Republicans don't plan to oblige.

January 28, 2025

Senate confirms billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as Treasury secretary

The Senate on Monday confirmed Scott Bessent to serve as Treasury secretary in the Trump administration, making him the highest-ranking openly gay government official in U.S. history.

January 27, 2025

Greenland is ‘an ally, not an asset,’ say Sen. Murkowski and Danish legislator in Arctic group

Sen. Lisa Murkowski and her Danish counterpart in an Arctic region group of legislators issued a joint statement Monday rejecting President Trump's plan to purchase Greenland and urging the U.S. to treat the country as "an ally, not an asset."

January 27, 2025

Speaker Johnson backs Trump’s early moves from firing IGs to tariff threats to scrutinizing FEMA

House Speaker Mike Johnson is backing a variety of play calls President Trump made in his first week in office, including a decision to fire government watchdogs across most Cabinet-level departments.

January 27, 2025

Out of leadership, Mitch McConnell bucks Trump’s GOP on national defense

Sen. Mitch McConnell, freshly removed from an 18-year stint as GOP leader where his primary objective was to protect his party's interests, cast a vote Friday night showing he is willing to go against the grain as a rank-and-file senator.

January 25, 2025

Pete Hegseth overcomes attacks to narrowly win Senate confirmation as defense secretary

Vice President J.D. Vance cast his first tiebreaking vote on Friday night to help the Senate confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, as the nominee convinced just enough Republicans that attacks on his character and qualifications were unfounded.

January 24, 2025

Lawmakers wanted an outsider to lead Secret Service but accept Trump’s inside pick

Key lawmakers who previously told The Washington Times that President Trump should pick an outsider to lead the embattled Secret Service after two attempts on his life are accepting his decision to tap a 23-year insider as the agency's next director.

January 24, 2025

Trump says he’s open to recess appointments but defers to Thune

President Trump said he is open to using recess appointments to get his Cabinet appointees confirmed if delays keep emerging in the Senate.

January 23, 2025

Pete Hegseth narrowly clears Senate test vote, poised for final confirmation on Friday

Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth narrowly earned enough Republican support to clear a key Senate hurdle and is now all but assured confirmation.

January 23, 2025

Lisa Murkowski is first Republican to announce opposition to Hegseth ahead of key vote

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Republican, on Thursday announced plans to vote against Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth ahead of a key Senate test vote on his nomination.

January 23, 2025

John Ratcliffe confirmed as CIA director; second Trump nominee to earn Senate approval

The Senate on Thursday confirmed John Ratcliffe as director of the CIA, the second of President Trump's nominees to earn the chamber's approval.

January 23, 2025