Senate Majority Leader John Thune defends blue slips as a well-established tradition that helps Republicans. “I don’t sense any rush to change it,” Thune tells reporters. He says there’s more interest in “looking at options” to speed up consideration of noms on floor.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) asks President Trump to “please” “back off” calls for Judiciary Chair Grassley to get rid of blue slips for district court judges and US attorneys.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley stays silent when three different reporters successively ask about Trump’s call for Grassley to do away with blue slips on district court and US attorney nominees.

RT @thehill: NEW: Josh Hawley introduces bill to provide $600 tariff rebates to adults and children

The effort to attach the Commerce, Justice, Science approps bill to Military Construction-VA appropriations has cleared objections on the Republican side. It still needs to clear hotline on the Democratic side. Agriculture appropriations bill would also be part of the package.

The start of August recess is in doubt as Senate Democrats, furious over Trump's agenda, have turned routine nominees into procedural battles. One GOP senator confronted colleagues last week over the obstruction, noting his votes for many Biden noms.

Here’s what happened on the floor earlier today:. Sen. Gallego asked for consent on resolution to demand DOJ release Epstein files. Sen. Mullin objected and proposed instead a UC request to ask judges to release all Epstein-related grand jury documents. Gallego then suggested.

Sen. Mike Lee says he deleted his tweet “out of an abundance of caution” because he didn’t see “news” of Powell’s supposed resignation reported elsewhere and wasn’t sure if letter was legitimate.

Republican colleagues are trying to decipher Mitch McConnell who has transitioned from longest-serving GOP leader to Senate wildcard. McConnell is throwing curveballs at his leadership and the Trump administration and some GOP senators "love it." .

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) says that Senate Republicans will be voting on nominations "all day" Friday and then head to the White House for dinner Friday evening to celebrate passage of Big, Beautiful Bill.

Sen. Mitch McConnell voted YES on final passage of the $9B recissions package. He caught the clerk’s attention and pointed upward with his index finger.

Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitch McConnell vote for the Thune substitute amendment to the rescissions package but Sen. Rand Paul, an outspoken budget hawk, votes NO.

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) urges colleagues to vote against Lisa Murkowski amendment to restore funding to Corporation for Public Broadcasting, telling them it would restore 93 percent of funding. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said he expects amendment to fail.

If Democrats drag out the vote-a-rama past Friday, Republicans would miss deadline for getting rescissions package to Trump's desk and OMB would have to release its hold on funds. Probably not going to happen. Senate's presiding chair would rule amendments dilatory.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has decided not to offer an amendment to the rescissions package to address public broadcasting & global health cuts after "a lot of discussion" made it clear the amendment would "go nowhere in the House.".

RT @igorbobic: 3 GOP appropriators voted against discharging recissions bill to Senate floor: Collins, Murkowski, & McConnell. Rest of the….

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) says Senate is on track to vote on motion to discharge and motion to proceed to rescissions package "this evening.".

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) reports fundraising haul for the second quarter of 2025. Her campaign reported raising $2.4 million in the 2nd quarter, which ended on June 30, and $5.25 million in cash on hand. Collins says her contributions came from all 16 counties in Maine.

Leader John Thune says the vote on the motion to discharge the rescissions package will happen tomorrow (Tuesday). He says colleague want “modest changes.”.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune tells reporters now that he’s hopeful the Graham bill placing sanctions on Russia passes before the August recess.