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Former Sen. Bob Dole tours the World War II Memorial on the National Mall before it opened to the public.

Bob Dole, the last of the Senate legends from World War II, has died

By David Hawkings
Posted December 5, 2021 at 12:08pm
Sen. John McCain, the iconoclastic lawmaker, veteran and former presidential nominee, has died. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

John McCain, Senate Hell-Raiser Whose Independence Cut Both Ways, Dies at 81

By David Hawkings
Posted August 25, 2018 at 8:25pm
Explaining what ails Capitol Hill can be distilled to five elements: money, maps, media, mingling and masochism, Hawkings writes. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

The 5 M’s for Describing Why Congress Is Broken

By David Hawkings
Posted July 26, 2018 at 5:05am
White House Counsel Don McGahn, right, and former Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., arrive at the Capitol on Tuesday as they escort Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Vice President Mike Pence to meetings with senators. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Why Former Sen. Jon Kyl Got Tapped to Guide Brett Kavanaugh

By David Hawkings
Posted July 11, 2018 at 5:05am
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., left, and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh meet in McConnell's office in the Capitol on Tuesday, July 10, 2018, the day after President Donald Trump nominated Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/POOL)

Podcast: A Supreme Campaign Issue

By David Hawkings and Nathan L. Gonzales
Posted July 10, 2018 at 4:09pm
From left, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joseph Crowley, Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn, Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi all saw their political fortunes change with Crowley’s primary loss on Tuesday, Hawkings writes. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

So Many Facets in the Downfall of a Single Democrat

By David Hawkings
Posted June 28, 2018 at 5:02am
Farmland is watered by a large irrigation sprinkler in the desert near Palmdale, California, in May. President Donald Trump wants changes to make it easier for seasonal migrant farm workers to enter the country. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Podcast: A Growing Controversy

By David Hawkings and Ellyn Ferguson
Posted June 26, 2018 at 2:16pm
A member of the security detail for Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer prepares to let him out of an SUV at the Exxon gas station at Massachusetts Avenue and Second Street Northeast last month. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Another Big Boost for Hill Security Spending

By David Hawkings
Posted June 26, 2018 at 5:04am
Gerrymandering activists gather on the steps of the Supreme Court on March 28 as the court prepares to hear the a Maryland partisan gerrymandering case. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Court’s Gerrymandering Punt Looks to Land in North Carolina

By David Hawkings
Posted June 20, 2018 at 5:04am
Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., spent heavily but lost narrowly Tuesday in the Republican primary in South Carolina’s coastal low country to a state legislator who aligned closely with President Donald Trump. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

How Mark Sanford Proudly Failed His Loyalty Test

By David Hawkings
Posted June 13, 2018 at 11:18am
Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., left, and Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., talk before a Senate Appropriations Committee markup June 7, 2018. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Podcast: Will a Minibus Rescue Hill’s GOP?

By David Hawkings and Kellie Mejdrich
Posted June 12, 2018 at 2:22pm
Delegates appear on the floor of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in 2016. There’s growing momentum among Democrats to eliminate the formalized role of superdelegates in deciding the national ticket. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

For 2020, Hill’s Democrats Won’t Be So Super

By David Hawkings
Posted June 12, 2018 at 5:04am
A discharge petition filed by GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo has put pressure on his own party’s leaders to strike a deal on immigration — but they may not hold it against him, Hawkings writes. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Sometimes, the Dissidents Do Leadership a Solid

By David Hawkings
Posted June 6, 2018 at 5:05am
Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have decided that the use of a “blue slip” when considering judicial nominees is a practice that needs to fade away, Hawkings writes. (Scott J. Ferrell/CQ Roll Call file photo)

GOP Slips Past Another Senate Custom, and Democrats Turn Blue

By David Hawkings
Posted May 30, 2018 at 5:04am
Greg Pence, Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, is seeking the Congressional seat once held by his younger brother, Vice President Mike Pence. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

A Steady Flow of Political Royal Blood to Congress

By David Hawkings
Posted May 17, 2018 at 5:04am
Vice President Mike Pence and his brother Greg Pence, who is the GOP candidate for Indiana's 6th Congressional District. (Left photo by Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call, right photo courtesy Greg Pence for Congress)

Podcast: There’s (Political) Royalty in Congress, Too

By David Hawkings and Jason Dick
Posted May 15, 2018 at 4:41pm
Some folks in San Antonio weren’t too happy when the Mexican army invaded in 1836. Now city officials have decided Republicans need to find some other city to occupy during their national convention in 2020. (Jill Torrance/Getty Images file photo)

San Antonio Not Looking for a Republican Invasion

By David Hawkings
Posted May 15, 2018 at 5:04am
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Speaker Paul D. Ryan are of one mind when it comes to post-speaker perks. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

How Ryan and Pelosi Are Kicking Themselves to the Curb (Sort Of)

By David Hawkings
Posted May 9, 2018 at 5:04am
House Chaplain Patrick J. Conroy blesses a walnut tree during a tree-planting ceremony in memory of Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., on April 18. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Podcast: Of Politicians and Pastors

By David Hawkings and Lindsey McPherson
Posted May 1, 2018 at 5:49pm
(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Voters Reward a Do-Something Congress. Wrong, Recent Results Show

By David Hawkings
Posted May 1, 2018 at 5:05am
Speaker Paul D. Ryan has had a few stumbles along the way. Bargaining for his job may have been the first. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Analysis: Missteps, Paul Ryan’s Had a Few

By David Hawkings
Posted May 1, 2018 at 5:01am
Steve Komarow, CQ Roll Call’s senior vice president and executive editor. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

An Intense Reporter Turned Patient Editor: Steve Komarow Remembered

By David Hawkings
Posted April 30, 2018 at 4:46pm
Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., is leaving the House to get a head start on his new career as a cable TV news analyst. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Why the Hill’s Quitters Caucus Keeps Growing

By David Hawkings
Posted April 24, 2018 at 5:05am
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., talks with reporters in the basement of the Capitol on March 20, 2018. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Podcast: Use of Force vs. Use of Power

By David Hawkings and John T. Bennett
Posted April 17, 2018 at 5:08pm
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., regained the chairmanship of the Rules and Administration Committee last week.  (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Roy Blunt: Playing the Inside Game and Scoring

By David Hawkings
Posted April 17, 2018 at 5:04am
Speaker of the House Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., announces his retirement at a press conference on Wednesday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Ryan: Liberated Deficit Hawk or Lame Duck Whose Quack Won’t Be Heard?

By David Hawkings
Posted April 12, 2018 at 5:04am
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference in 2017. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Joseph Crowley, 56 Years Young and Ready to Succeed the Old Guard

By David Hawkings
Posted April 11, 2018 at 5:03am
Members of Congress exit the Capitol down the House steps after the final vote of the week on Thursday. Lawmakers headed home for the two-week spring recess after passing the omnibus spending bill. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Republicans Need Another Legislative Success to Avoid Midterm Woes

By David Hawkings
Posted March 28, 2018 at 5:05am
Protesters rally on March 13 outside the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown hotel where President Donald Trump was staying. California has more undocumented immigrants than any other state, and even a small undercount of its population could cost it a House seat. (David McNew/Getty Images file photo)

Blue and Purple States Set to Lose Clout Under Trump Census Move

By David Hawkings
Posted March 28, 2018 at 5:02am
Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., says he’s received assurances that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s firing is “not even under consideration.” (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Republican Lawmakers Missed Opportunity to Save Trump From Trump

By David Hawkings
Posted March 21, 2018 at 5:05am
California Rep. Darrell Issa is the wealthiest member of Congress according to Roll Call's Wealth of Congress study. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Podcast: How We Determine the Wealth of Congress

By David Hawkings and George LeVines
Posted March 6, 2018 at 5:19pm
Joe Manchin III voted with the president 71 president of the time last year when his wishes were clear in advance. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

How Vulnerable Senate Democrats Have Pushed to the Center

By David Hawkings
Posted March 5, 2018 at 5:05am
Lawmakers are richer than ever — and their wealth has outpaced most voters and the markets. (Illustration by Cristina Byvik)

Wealth of Congress: Richer Than Ever, but Mostly at the Very Top

By David Hawkings
Posted February 27, 2018 at 5:05am
Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa., runs past Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pa., on the House steps as members of Congress leave for the 4th of July recess following the final votes of the week in the Capitol on Thursday, June, 29, 2017. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Podcast: A Map Puts Pennsylvania on Political Center Stage

By David Hawkings and Bridget Bowman
Posted February 21, 2018 at 4:27pm
Boxes containing President Donald Trump’’s fiscal 2019 budget are unpacked by staff in the House Budget Committee hearing room on Monday morning. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

When the Deal Precedes the Bid, Time to Change the Rules?

By David Hawkings
Posted February 14, 2018 at 5:05am
Shirley Connuck, right, of Falls Church, Va., holds up a sign representing Texas’ 18th District, as the Supreme Court hears a case on possible partisan gerrymandering by state legislatures on October 3, 2017. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Podcast: ​In Search of the Ideal Political Map

By David Hawkings and Nathan L. Gonzales
Posted February 6, 2018 at 3:39pm
President Donald Trump speaks during the joint session of Congress to deliver his State of the Union Address in the Capitol on Tuesday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Trump Faces the Audience That Matters More: Hill Republicans

By David Hawkings
Posted February 1, 2018 at 5:05am
Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner is among a small group of Republican lawmakers who have opposed President Donald Trump’s policies and criticized his rhetoric. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Gardner as Trump Scold? Why It Makes Sense — and Why It Doesn’t

By David Hawkings
Posted January 29, 2018 at 5:05am
President Donald Trump arrives for Congressional Gold Medal ceremony in the Capitol rotunda to honor former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., on January 17, 2018. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Podcast: How Trump is So Quickly Remaking the Federal Bench

By David Hawkings and Todd Ruger
Posted January 23, 2018 at 5:03pm
Signs outside of the Library of Congress in Washington on Jan. 21, 2018, notifying visitors that all Library of Congress buildings were to the public during the recent government shutdown. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

When a Shutdown Amounts to a Mulligan

By David Hawkings
Posted January 23, 2018 at 5:04am
President Donald Trump isn’t likely to face an attempt to remove him, using the 25th amendment. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Why Congress Won’t Touch the 25th Amendment

By David Hawkings
Posted January 16, 2018 at 5:03am
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce isn’t seeking re-election. He’s part of a record wave of departures by House chairmen. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Inside the House Republican Brain Drain

By David Hawkings
Posted January 11, 2018 at 5:05am
Tourists file past the statue of George Washington in the Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 8. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Podcast: Unpacking This Year’s Version of the Budget Mess

By David Hawkings and Kellie Mejdrich
Posted January 9, 2018 at 1:36pm
Robert S. Mueller III and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could shape the year ahead. (Illustration Chris Hale/Photos Getty Images)

Crimes and Bombs, Not Bills, Likely to Dominate Hill Attention

By David Hawkings
Posted January 8, 2018 at 5:05am
In the GOP’s successful push for its tax overhaul, floor debates appeared to have no influence on changing members’ positions. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Topic for Debate: Time to End Congressional Debates?

By David Hawkings
Posted January 4, 2018 at 5:05am
President Donald Trump arrives with Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., left, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for the Republican Senate Policy luncheon in the Capitol to discuss the tax reform bill on November 28, 2017. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Podcast: A Big Finish for Trump’s First Year; Can He Sell Conservative Accomplishments?

By David Hawkings and John T. Bennett
Posted December 20, 2017 at 4:06pm
The Senate will be a very different place after the arrival of two new Democratic senators: Doug Jones, the winner of Tuesday’s stunning upset in Alabama, and Tina Smith, who was tapped on Wednesday to fill the pending vacancy in Minnesota. (CQ Roll Call file photos)

No-Alias: Smith & Jones Will Alter the Senate in ’18

By David Hawkings
Posted December 14, 2017 at 5:04am
Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore and his wife Kayla leave Moore's "Drain the Swamp" rally in Midland City, Ala., on Monday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

How Moore Would Change the Senate From Day One

By David Hawkings
Posted December 12, 2017 at 5:04am
 Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas,  is still favored for reelection next year, but may have to work harder than past Republicans as the state trends more Democratic. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

A Gun Rights Vote Only the GOP Base Can Appreciate

By David Hawkings
Posted December 7, 2017 at 5:04am
Roy Moore is facing allegations of sexual misconduct. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Podcast: A Mystery PAC and the Rest of the Strange Alabama Senate Finale

By David Hawkings and Nathan L. Gonzales
Posted December 5, 2017 at 3:58pm
President Donald Trump, flanked by Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell faces the prospect of the first government shutdown when one party controlled all levers of government. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

GOP Gets Ready to Own a One-Sided Shutdown Argument

By David Hawkings
Posted December 4, 2017 at 5:04am
From left, Reps.  Jerrold Nadler of New York, Zoe Lofgren of California and John Conyers Jr. of Michigan at a House Judiciary Committee news conference in 2012. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Conyers Scandal Creates Opening for House Democrats

By David Hawkings
Posted November 28, 2017 at 5:04am
Office of Management and Budget director Mick Mulvaney has said “a lot of this is a gimmick,” referring to the tax bill’s expiration dates for some of the lower rates. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

An Old Saw’s New Twist: Death (of the Deficit Hawks) and Taxes

By David Hawkings
Posted November 27, 2017 at 5:05am
California Rep. Jackie Speier introduced legislation last week to address and prevent sexual harassment on Capitol Hill. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Podcast: Sexual Harassment in Congress — More to Come

By David Hawkings and Simone Pathé
Posted November 22, 2017 at 1:45pm
Those who hope to block Moore from the Senate might look to the paths pursued by, clockwise from top left, Robert G. Torricelli, John Ensign, Roland W. Burris and Lisa Murkowski. (Douglas Graham, Scott J. Farrell and Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photos)

Four Senate Stories That Might Shape Moore’s Fate

By David Hawkings
Posted November 15, 2017 at 5:05am
Virginia Gov.-elect Ralph Northam greets supporters at an election night rally November 7, 2017 in Fairfax, Virginia. Northam defeated Republican candidate Ed Gillespie. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Podcast: What Tuesday’s Elections Signal for the 2018 Congressional Map

By Bridget Bowman, David Hawkings and Simone Pathé
Posted November 8, 2017 at 1:43pm
Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, places books of the current tax code on the dais, during a House Ways and Means Committee markup of the Republicans’ tax reform plan titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, in Longworth Building on Monday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Kevin Brady: A Low-Profile Tax Writer for the Highest-Stress Time

By David Hawkings
Posted November 8, 2017 at 5:04am
The four appellate nominees moving through the Senate this week include, from left, Amy Coney Barrett, Joan Larsen, Allison H. Eid and Stephanos Bibas. Barrett and Larsen have already been confirmed. (Courtesy Screenshot/C-SPAN, Joan Larsen/Facebook, University of Pennsylvania Law School)

Trump’s Stamp on Judiciary Starting: It Could Be Much Faster

By David Hawkings
Posted November 2, 2017 at 5:04am
If President Donald Trump is able to pul off a significant tax cut, it may well happen without any support from Democrats. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Ahead, the First Pure Party-Line Modern Tax Cut?

By David Hawkings
Posted October 31, 2017 at 5:04am
Marilyn Gates-Davis, CQ Magazine

Podcast: Women’s Political Power in the Age of Trump

By David Hawkings, Kate Ackley and Simone Pathé
Posted October 25, 2017 at 12:48pm
Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker is the first senator to announce his retirement this Congress. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

What Happens When Corker Lays Down His Foreign Relations Gavel?

By David Hawkings
Posted October 10, 2017 at 5:05am
Cameras still won’t be allowed in the U.S. Supreme Court and arguments will continue to be on a tape-delay. (CQ Roll Call File Photo)

New High Court Term, Same No-TV and Tape-Delay Rules

By David Hawkings
Posted September 27, 2017 at 5:03am
Judge Roy Moore campaign worker Maggie Ford collects campaign signs after the U.S. Senate candidate forum held by the Shelby County Republican Party in Pelham, Ala., on Friday, Aug. 4, 2017. Moore is running in the special election to fill the seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Podcast: What’s Moore Strange Than Alabama’s Senate Race?

By David Hawkings and Bridget Bowman
Posted September 20, 2017 at 6:48pm
Republican Sens. Bob Corker (center), Marco Rubio (seated right) and Jim Risch (standing right) all declined to comment on GOP President Donald Trump's threat to "totally destroy" North Korea if it attacks the United States. Also pictured are GOP Sens. Cory Gardner (standing left) and Ron Johnson (seated left). (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Republican Senators Mostly Silent After Trump’s North Korea Threat

By David Hawkings and John T. Bennett
Posted September 20, 2017 at 5:04am
Two U.S. army Blackhawk helicopters approach for landing at an airfield in Australia during a joint U.S. and Australian training exercise in July. (Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images File Photo)

Which of These Bills Is Not Like the Others? The Defense Budget

By David Hawkings
Posted September 18, 2017 at 5:04am
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer has transformed this fall’s congressional dynamic and has become the breakout senatorial star of the season. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Schumer’s Big Gamble on the Virtue of ‘Yes’

By David Hawkings
Posted September 12, 2017 at 5:05am
Demonstrators outside the Trump International Hotel on Tuesday. President Donald Trump’s decision to rescind the DACA program could imperil GOP majorities in the House and Senate, Murphy writes. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Podcast: How the GOP Congress Could Help ‘Dreamers’ Now

By David Hawkings and Emily Wilkins
Posted September 6, 2017 at 6:28pm
President Donald Trump targeted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in multiple Twitter attacks over the August recess. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Trump and GOP Lawmakers — Even More on the Rocks

By David Hawkings
Posted September 5, 2017 at 5:05am
Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies during the Senate Select Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday, June 13, 2017. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Podcast: After Charlottesville, Civil Rights Under Trump at the Fore

By David Hawkings and Todd Ruger
Posted August 16, 2017 at 2:29pm

Podcast: Inside the Senate’s Struggle With Civility

By David Hawkings and Ed Pesce
Posted August 2, 2017 at 3:33pm
Arizona Sen. John McCain speaks at a news conference Thursday on the Senate Republicans’ “skinny” repeal bill. His later vote against the measure helped defeat the legislation. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

McCain’s Many Parts in Getting to ‘No’ on Health Care

By David Hawkings
Posted July 28, 2017 at 5:21pm
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, right, says firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions could jeopardize President Donald Trump’s ability to “get anything else done.” (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Rare Warning to Trump From Hill GOP Leader

By David Hawkings
Posted July 26, 2017 at 7:44pm
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been the target of almost daily taunting from President Donald Trump. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Sessions on the Cusp of Martyrdom or Oblivion

By David Hawkings
Posted July 25, 2017 at 12:24pm
Republicans in Congress may be emulating President Donald Trump’s political manners. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

How Bad Political Manners Fomented the Health Care Mess

By David Hawkings
Posted July 24, 2017 at 5:05am
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is under fire from President Donald Trump, but his former colleagues in the Senate have nothing but nice things to say about him. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

GOP Senators Take Sessions’ Side in Spat With Trump

By David Hawkings
Posted July 21, 2017 at 5:05am

Podcast: Why Republicans Haven’t (Yet) Said Nyet to Trump on Russia

By David Hawkings and Walter Shapiro
Posted July 19, 2017 at 4:31pm
Soldiers with the New York Army National Guard patrol in New York City’s Penn Station in June following a terrorist attack in London. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Tiptoes on the Hill Back Into War Debate

By David Hawkings
Posted July 18, 2017 at 5:03am
Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz has become the latest lawmaker to be candid about the high cost of being a member of Congress. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Congressional Pay and Benefits at a Standstill, With a Cost

By David Hawkings
Posted July 10, 2017 at 5:05am
Protesters march around the Capitol to voice their opposition to the GOP health care legislation on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Podcast: GOP’s Health Care Puzzle Not Solved by Protests, Parades

By Bridget Bowman, David Hawkings and Niels Lesniewski
Posted July 5, 2017 at 2:45pm
From left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., after announcing there would be no vote on the health care bill this week. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Podcast: McConnell’s Health Care Seesaw

By David Hawkings and Niels Lesniewski
Posted June 28, 2017 at 4:06pm
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says she’s “very confident” she retains the support of most members of her Democratic Caucus. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Six Who Could Succeed Pelosi — Someday

By David Hawkings
Posted June 28, 2017 at 5:05am
Megan Bel Miller, chief of staff for the personal office of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., takes a selfie with Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, R-N.C., during a blood drive in the foyer of Rayburn Building on June 20, 2017. The drive was held to honor those injured in last week's shooting at the Republican team practice in Alexandria. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

McHenry, Scalise’s Deputy, Steps Up to Run GOP Whip Operation

By David Hawkings
Posted June 21, 2017 at 5:02am
Reps. Steve King of Iowa and Val B. Demings of Florida leave a congressional meeting about Wednesday’s shooting at the Republicans’ baseball practice in Alexandria, Va. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Analysis: No Signs Baseball Shooting Will Change Hill’s Ways

By David Hawkings
Posted June 15, 2017 at 5:03am
Democrat John Ossoff, left, faces off June 20 against Republican competitor Karen Handel, right, for Georgia’s 6th District congressional seat.

Podcast: Democrats’ Big Test in Georgia

By David Hawkings and Simone Pathé
Posted June 14, 2017 at 3:58pm
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin arrives for a Senate Banking Committee hearing in Dirksen Building titled “Domestic and International Policy Update,” on May 18, 2017. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Will GOP Settle for a Clean Debt Limit Win?

By David Hawkings
Posted June 13, 2017 at 5:05am
Former FBI Director James B. Comey will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Here Are the 8 Republicans and 7 Democrats Questioning Comey

By David Hawkings
Posted June 8, 2017 at 5:04am
President Donald Trump speaks while flanked by House Republicans in May after they passed legislation aimed at repealing and replacing the 2010 health care law. A Senate measure that Trump had lobbied for behind the scenes died Monday night due to lack of GOP support. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images file photo)

No Summer Job? Hill Turns to Make-Work Budgeting

By David Hawkings
Posted June 6, 2017 at 5:04am

Podcast: In Congress, GOP at a Legislative Standstill

By David Hawkings, Lindsey McPherson and Niels Lesniewski
Posted May 31, 2017 at 3:23pm
The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in a North Carolina racial gerrymandering case and may take on a Wisconsin case this fall that involves partisan gerrymanders. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Political Gerrymandering: Is There a Math Test for That?

By David Hawkings
Posted May 25, 2017 at 5:05am
Former FBI Director Robert Mueller’s appointment as special counsel for the Russia investigation was greeted positively by lawmakers, but they disagreed on the effect his probe will have on their own investigations. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Hill and Mueller Don’t Have to Clash, but It Will Not Be Easy

By David Hawkings
Posted May 22, 2017 at 5:05am
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal is pushing back against what he called “slurs” from President Donald Trump. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

A Senator Out of His Shell, and Under Trump’s Skin

By David Hawkings
Posted May 16, 2017 at 5:05am
Reporters question Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard M. Burr in the Senate subway as he makes his way to the Russell Senate Office Building on Wednesday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Trump-Russia Probe — Congress Can Boost Stature or Squander Opportunity

By David Hawkings
Posted May 11, 2017 at 9:05am
TBS-Ep.53

House GOP at Home Defending Health Vote, Not Always Truthfully

By Bridget Bowman, David Hawkings and Rebecca Adams
Posted May 9, 2017 at 6:00pm
Former Sen. Scott Brown was nominated by President Donald Trump to be U.S. ambassador to New Zealand. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Defeated Lawmakers Trek From the Hill to Middle Earth — And Beyond

By David Hawkings
Posted May 9, 2017 at 5:05am
This year’s special elections could be a more reliable bellwether of President Donald Trump’s effect on the political landscape, Hawkings writes. (Al Drago/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Halftime for Special Election Bragging Rights

By David Hawkings
Posted May 2, 2017 at 5:04am
TBS-Ep.51-FINAL-FINAL

Podcast: Trump’s About-Face in His First 100 Days

By David Hawkings and John T. Bennett
Posted April 25, 2017 at 11:14am
earthday-soundcloud.jpg

Podcast: Troubled Climate for Trump’s First Earth Day

By David Hawkings, Jeremy Dillon and Mike Magner
Posted April 19, 2017 at 3:23pm
President Donald Trump and congressional Republican leaders may have to move relatively quickly to secure some serious help from the Democrats to avoid budgetary gridlock, Hawkings writes. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

How Trump and Hill GOP Could Fill the Looming Legislative Void

By David Hawkings
Posted April 19, 2017 at 5:05am
President Donald Trump (C) walks along the West Wing colonnade with his daughter Ivanka Trump (L) and his son-in-law and Senior Advisor to the President for Strategic Planning Jared Kushner. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Ep. 49: Trump’s Ethics Give Democrats a Midterm Weapon

By David Hawkings and Kate Ackley
Posted April 12, 2017 at 11:21am
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has accrued and sustained power in Washington for longer than three decades in part by being a man of his word, Hawkings writes. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Why McConnell Vowed to Preserve Minority’s Big Remaining Power

By David Hawkings
Posted April 6, 2017 at 5:04am