The Democraticchairman of a powerful Senate committee on Wednesday called on President Biden to fire the lead watchdog for the Social Security Administration, pointing to stalled investigations and plunging staff morale. In a lettersent Wednesday to the White House, Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.), chairman of theSenate Finance Committee, said promises by Inspector General Gail Ennis […]Read More

Moments before pandemonium broke out on the House floor on Tuesday evening, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer approached Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), who had assumed a leisurely slouch in a rickety wooden chair in the back of the House chamber, for what appeared to be a quick chat. Unbeknownst to reporters whose eyes were trained […]Read More

Marianne Williamson, the self-help author who argued that the United States needed “a season of repair” to bring fundamental change, has suspended her long-shot presidential campaign, she announced Wednesday night. Williamson, 71, said her campaign “did what we could to shed some light in some very darkened times.” “I read a quote the other day […]Read More

Special counsel Robert K. Hur has submitted his investigative report into classified documents found at President Biden’s private home and office — and the findings remain under review by White House lawyers, according to a letter sent to lawmakers Wednesday night. The letter from Attorney General Merrick Garland said Hur had submitted his report to […]Read More

For years, it has been assumed that the Democratic Party had a distinct demographic advantage over the Republicans: Younger and non-White voters — two groups that have some significant overlap — preferred Democratic candidates by wide margins. Over time, and as America grew more diverse, that might lead to a dominant, left-leaning coalition. The election […]Read More

Once the self-proclaimed grown-ups of their party, Senate Republicans are at risk of descending into a rudderless caucus incapable of following through on basic pledges. The vast majority of them have spent two years voicing support for Ukraine President Voldomyr Zelensky’s fight against the Russian invasion. They have been almost unanimous in their support for […]Read More

It was Donald Trump who, in December 2016, tapped Ronna Romney McDaniel to run the Republican National Committee. Trump and the party were ascendant, holding majorities in both chambers of Congress and nearly two-thirds of state governorships. McDaniel (who, The Washington Post reported, dropped the “Romney” at Trump’s behest) would be the party’s shepherd. Her […]Read More

The irony of Donald Trump’s assertion that he would seek to have dictatorial powers for the first day of his presidency is that he was supposed to be saying he had no authoritarian inclinations at all. Trump’s original formulation of the idea came during a conversation with Fox News host Sean Hannity in December. Hannity […]Read More

This article first appeared in The Early 202 newsletter. Not a subscriber? Sign up here. Last year was the least productive year in Congress in at least 50 years. This year is on track to be worse. It’s an election year, which often makes Congress skittish about doing things, like passing bills. And Republican implosions […]Read More