Skip to content
RollCall logo

Staff

Joe Williams

The Latest From Joe Williams
Bruce Evans, staff director for the Senate Appropriations Committee, speaks with Roll Call on April 12. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Appropriators’ Right-Hand Man Sounds Off on the Current Senate

By Joe Williams
Posted April 18, 2018 at 5:04am
Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., holds a sample of a postcard-style tax filing during a news conference in the House studio after a meeting of the GOP Conference on Tuesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Tax Day Fight Previews Larger Political Battle Over New Law

By Joe Williams
Posted April 17, 2018 at 2:41pm
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., participates Monday in a mock swearing-in ceremony in the Capitol’s Old Senate Chamber with Vice President Mike Pence and her husband Michael Smith. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Cindy Hyde-Smith Sworn In as Mississippi’s Newest Senator

By Joe Williams
Posted April 9, 2018 at 4:09pm
Shane Warren is the chief international trade counsel for the Senate Finance Committee. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Meet the Staffer on the Front Lines of a Brewing Trade War

By Joe Williams
Posted April 4, 2018 at 5:00am
President Donald Trump and Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, second from right, hold a listening sessions with veterans organizations in March 2017. Shulkin is the latest senior official to fall from favor with the president. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images file photo)

Survivor: Inside the Beltway

By Joe Williams
Posted April 2, 2018 at 5:05am
All 22 women members of the Senate want Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer to bring legislation on sexual harassment passed in the House to a vote in the Senate. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

All 22 Female Senators Demand Leadership Acts on Sexual Harassment Legislation

By Joe Williams
Posted March 28, 2018 at 9:47am
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., pressed President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Central Intelligence Agency for her role in the agency's torture programs. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file)

McCain Presses Trump’s CIA Pick on Her Involvement With Torture Program

By Joe Williams
Posted March 23, 2018 at 9:49am
Members of the House exit the Capitol down the House steps after passing the omnibus spending package. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Analysis: Omnibus Bill Signals Policy Areas Congress Will Punt On

By Joe Williams
Posted March 23, 2018 at 5:05am
NASA for years has been planning long-range space exploration to the moon and Mars. Back in 2006, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, Associate Administrator Scott Horowitz, and Constellation Program Manager Jeffrey Hanley discussed the Constellation Program, the space agency’s plan for robotic and human exploration of the moon and Mars. (CQ Roll Call file photo)

To the Moon and Beyond! — Mission to Mars Funding in Omnibus

By Joe Williams
Posted March 22, 2018 at 2:37pm
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., left, and Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa., conduct a news conference in the Capitol on legislation to lower health insurance premiums for citizens who pay out of pocket on March 21, 2018. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Bipartisan Health Care Compromise Falls Apart, Obamacare Battle Continues

By Joe Williams and Mary Ellen McIntire
Posted March 21, 2018 at 5:17pm
Marc Short, White House legislative affairs director, says Democrats rejected the latest White House offer. Democrats counter the White House already missed its chance on a DACA fix. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Spending Bill Unlikely to Include DACA Fix

By Joe Williams
Posted March 20, 2018 at 12:59pm
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, left, said that the U.S. is currently in “one of the most challenging trade environments” that he has seen in his four decades in the Senate. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Hatch Blasts White House Trade Policy, Seeks Action On Trade Imbalances

By Joe Williams
Posted March 20, 2018 at 10:01am
Montana Sen. Jon Tester, is one of several moderate Democrats in the chamber who have notched key legislative victories under President Donald Trump. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Democrats Notching Key Legislative Victories Ahead of Elections

By Joe Williams
Posted March 19, 2018 at 2:49pm
Students protested in front of the Capitol last week as part of a national walkout and called on Congress to act on gun violence prevention. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Perceived Ban on Federal Research for Gun Violence to Remain

By Joe Williams
Posted March 19, 2018 at 12:15pm
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., was among the members who thought the ball was in the administration's court adding a DACA fix to the omnibus. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Members Caught Off Guard on News of DACA Fix On Omnibus

By Joe Williams and Camila DeChalus
Posted March 14, 2018 at 1:39pm
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says nullifying tariffs on imported steel and aluminum imposed by the president isn't in the cards for his chamber. Also pictured, from right, South Dakota Sen. John Thune and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Despite Rancor On Tariffs, Senate GOP Rejects Legislative Response

By Joe Williams
Posted March 13, 2018 at 4:16pm
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., arrives in the Capitol for the Senate Republicans lunch with President Donald Trump on Nov. 28. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Flake Files Bill to Stop the Trump Tariffs

By Joe Williams
Posted March 12, 2018 at 5:54pm
Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Frank Larkin escorts President Donald Trump into the House chamber for the State of the Union address in January. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Sergeant-At-Arms Prepares for New Role as Advocate for Veterans

By Joe Williams
Posted March 12, 2018 at 5:04am
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

One Gun Control Bill Has 60 Votes in the Senate — Now What?

By Joe Williams
Posted March 9, 2018 at 11:45am
Top White House economic adviser Gary Cohn and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster brief reporters on Jan. 23. Cohn announced this week he is leaving that position. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Former Ways and Means Aide Considered as Cohn Replacement

By John T. Bennett and Joe Williams
Posted March 8, 2018 at 3:09pm
Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., right, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., conduct a news conference in the Capitol to introduce legislation that would prevent individuals who pose a threat from accessing guns on March 08, 2018. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Senate Floor Time Stymies Gun Control Efforts

By Joe Williams
Posted March 8, 2018 at 12:45pm
Alabama Sen. Richard C. Shelby is likely slotting into the Appropriations chairmanship at a good time, with budget figures already agreed upon. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Shelby Expected to Assume Appropriations Panel at Prime Time

By Joe Williams
Posted March 7, 2018 at 5:05am
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, among the president’s strongest allies in the Senate, warned that imposing tariffs was akin to a tax hike. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

GOP Reaction to Trump Tariffs is Fast, Furious and Negative

By Joe Williams and Niels Lesniewski
Posted March 1, 2018 at 2:59pm
Demonstrators with United We Dream and others rally in the atrium of the Hart Building in January to call on Congress to pass the so-called DREAM Act to protect young immigrants from deportation. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

When Allies Attack: Friction Between Democrats, Immigration Advocates

By Joe Williams
Posted March 1, 2018 at 5:04am
Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley had scheduled a hearing Monday to hear from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Top Republican Seeks Answer On White House Security Clearance Process

By Joe Williams
Posted February 27, 2018 at 1:31pm
 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., right, and Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, conclude a news conference after the Republican Senate Policy luncheon in the Capitol on February 13, 2018. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

As Omnibus Looms, Lobbying Commences

By Joe Williams
Posted February 26, 2018 at 5:05am
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, right, and Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer make their way to the Senate floor. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Democratic Leaders Request FBI Funding to Stop Russian Influence in Midterms

By Joe Williams
Posted February 21, 2018 at 12:10pm
Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran has bipartisan support and respect, but also faces questions about how much longer he will be in office, even as he begins the task of moving an omnibus spending bill wrapping up the current fiscal year. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Bipartisan Praise, and Questions, About Thad Cochran

By Joe Williams
Posted February 14, 2018 at 5:04am
Demonstrators supporting the so-called DREAM Act will likely be back on the Capitol grounds this week, like this group from Jan. 16 in the Hart Building. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Senators Prepare for Messaging and Uncertainty From Immigration Debate

By Joe Williams
Posted February 12, 2018 at 5:04am
The Senate’s leaders have reached an agreement on a longer-term budget agreement. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Senate Leaders Strike Budget Deal

By Joe Williams and Niels Lesniewski
Posted February 7, 2018 at 1:02pm
Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and South Dakota Sen. John Thune conduct a news conference at the media center during the House and Senate Republican retreat at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., on Thursday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Republican Retreat Heavy on Boasting, Short on Strategy

By Joe Williams
Posted February 2, 2018 at 5:05am
House Budget Chairman Steve Womack, left, seen here with Georgia Sen. David Perdue at the GOP retreat in West Virginia on Thursday, says the budget process is broken. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

House Budget Chairman Mulls Skipping Budget Resolution

By Lindsey McPherson and Joe Williams
Posted February 1, 2018 at 5:03pm
Elevator doors close on House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., as he leaves the House Republican Conference meeting in the basement of the Capitol in 2015. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Shuster Hopes to Move FAA Funding Before Infrastructure Bill

By Joe Williams
Posted February 1, 2018 at 12:22pm
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., talks with reporters at the media center during the House and Senate Republican retreat on Thursday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

GOP Leaders Confident There Won’t Be a Second Shutdown

By Joe Williams and Lindsey McPherson
Posted February 1, 2018 at 10:27am
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., talks with reporters after he and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., conducted a news conference at the media center during the House and Senate Republican retreat on Thursday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Republicans Remain Hopeful on Infrastructure, but Funding Still an Open Question

By Joe Williams
Posted February 1, 2018 at 9:24am
President Donald Trump talks with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Majority Whip John Cornyn after his State of the Union address Tuesday night. McConnell has said he would like to have an open debate on immigration legislation on the floor. But it would still bypass the committee process. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

DACA Debate the Latest to Bypass Senate Committee Process

By Joe Williams
Posted February 1, 2018 at 5:04am
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Karen Pence, Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Paul D. Ryan to members during the GOP retreat in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., on Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Pence: Republicans Will Maintain Majorities in House, Senate After 2018

By Joe Williams
Posted January 31, 2018 at 9:05pm
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and his Republican colleagues will have plenty to discuss at this year’s retreat in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

No Shortage of Agenda Items for GOP Retreat

By Lindsey McPherson and Joe Williams
Posted January 31, 2018 at 5:04am
President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony last Wednesday for former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Republicans Weigh Ways to Block Trump on Trade Actions

By John T. Bennett and Joe Williams
Posted January 23, 2018 at 3:28pm
Dreamers protest outside of the Capitol calling for passage of the Dream Act as Congress works to find a way to end the government shutdown on Sunday evening, Jan. 21, 2018. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Republican Senators Look to Get Out Front on Immigration

By Joe Williams
Posted January 22, 2018 at 3:01pm
Hill staffers and others wait in a long line to enter the Dirksen Building on Monday. Only certain doors to office buildings were open while Congress worked to end the government shutdown. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Senate Breaks Shutdown Logjam and Advances Three-Week CR

By Joe Williams
Posted January 22, 2018 at 12:56pm
From left, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., leave a meeting in Sen. Susan Collins’s office with other Senate moderates as they try to find a way to end the government shutdown on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Bipartisan Group of Senators Hoping for Breakthrough on Shutdown

By Joe Williams and Kellie Mejdrich
Posted January 21, 2018 at 4:02pm
President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell talk to reporters in the Rose Garden on Oct. 16.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

White House Swivels Back to GOP Leaders Amid Shutdown

By John T. Bennett, Joe Williams and Lindsey McPherson
Posted January 20, 2018 at 11:31am
UNITED STATES - JANUARY 17: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks to reporters in the Ohio Clock Corridor after the Senate Republicans' policy lunch on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Government Shuts Down as Senate Fails to Advance Spending Measure

By Joe Williams and Jennifer Shutt
Posted January 20, 2018 at 12:18am
From left, Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., are staring at a government shutdown threat. ( Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Senate Schedules 10 p.m. Vote on CR; House Asked to be Flexible

By Joe Williams and Paul M. Krawzak
Posted January 19, 2018 at 7:26pm
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, leaves a meeting on the continuing resolution in House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s office in the Capitol on Thursday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Senate Democrats, a Few Republicans, Have Votes to Block Spending Bill

By Joe Williams
Posted January 18, 2018 at 4:30pm
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is one of two Senate Republicans who have announced they will not vote for the next continuing resolution in its current form. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

McConnell Appears Short of Votes Needed to Pass CR

By Joe Williams
Posted January 18, 2018 at 9:12am
Demonstrators with United We Dream and others rally in the atrium of Hart Building on January 16, 2018, to call on congress to pass the Dream Act, that protects young immigrants from deportation. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Bipartisan Immigration Bill Greeted by Big GOP Meh

By Joe Williams
Posted January 17, 2018 at 4:28pm
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, right, and former Massachusetts Sen. Scott P. Brown, now the U.S. ambassador to New Zealand, talk after running into each other by chance in the Russell Building on Jan. 11. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Graham’s DACA, Military Plan at Odds With Leadership

By Joe Williams
Posted January 17, 2018 at 10:29am
Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin is shown on a television monitor questioning Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen during the Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Top DHS Official Says She ‘Did Not Hear’ Trump’s ‘Shithole Countries’ Comment

By Joe Williams
Posted January 16, 2018 at 11:39am
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Majority Whip John Cornyn arrive for a news conference following the Republicans’ policy lunch on Tuesday. McConnell has been pessimistic about the chances for a health care overhaul this year. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Health Care Overhaul Appears Unlikely Before Midterm Elections

By Joe Williams
Posted January 10, 2018 at 5:05am
Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., speaks with reporters in the Senate subway after the Senate Republicans' policy lunch in the Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Immigration Deal Tangled Up in Spending Talks

By Joe Williams
Posted January 5, 2018 at 5:03am
The marginalization of former White House adviser Steve Bannon is a plus for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, seen here with President Donald Trump. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Analysis: McConnell Wins In Trump-Bannon Feud

By Joe Williams
Posted January 3, 2018 at 4:46pm
Alabama Democrat Doug Jones, center, will be sworn in Wednesday along with Minnesota’s Tina Smith. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

New Senators Jones and Smith to Be Sworn In Wednesday

By Joe Williams
Posted January 3, 2018 at 5:00am
Sen. Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas. (Bill Clark/Roll Call file photo)

Senate GOP Leans Away From Obamacare Repeal, Toward Stabilization

By Joe Williams
Posted December 21, 2017 at 2:44pm
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is looking ahead to 2018. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

McConnell Puts Infrastructure Ahead of Entitlements in 2018

By Joe Williams and Niels Lesniewski
Posted December 21, 2017 at 10:11am
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., arrives in the Capitol to deliver his resignation speech on the floor of the Senate on Thursday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Al Franken’s Departure Date: Jan. 2

By Joe Williams
Posted December 20, 2017 at 4:09pm
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, made her vote on the tax package contingent on passing the health insurance stabilization measures. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

GOP Will Wait Till Next Year on Health Insurance Stabilization

By Joe Williams
Posted December 20, 2017 at 1:30pm
From left, Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., John Cornyn, R-Texas, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, are basking in their win on taxes. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Tax Overhaul Caps What Congressional Republicans Say Is Successful Year

By Joe Williams
Posted December 20, 2017 at 11:42am
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, is among the Republicans who think the tax bill will help the GOP in next year's midterm elections. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

GOP Hoping Tax Plan Could Be Difference in 2018

By Joe Williams
Posted December 20, 2017 at 5:03am
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

House Will Need to Revote on Tax Overhaul

By Joe Williams
Posted December 19, 2017 at 5:02pm
The Senate Banking Committee has rejected former Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J., as President Donald Trump's nominee to be president of the Export-Import Bank. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Republican Senate Starting to Block Trump Nominees

By Joe Williams
Posted December 19, 2017 at 10:57am
The House-Senate Conference Committee on tax overhaul is looking for the right combination of agreements to ensure passage. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Marco Rubio, Mike Lee Support for Tax Bill in Jeopardy

By Joe Williams
Posted December 14, 2017 at 3:27pm
House Ways and Means chairman Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, left, and ranking member Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., prepare for the Senate-House Conference Committee meeting on tax bill. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Tax Bill Set to Move at Warp Speed to Trump’s Desk

By Joe Williams
Posted December 14, 2017 at 5:03am
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders answers a question during the daily briefing at the White House December 11, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

White House Takes Aim at Polling, Media in Tax Talking Points

By Joe Williams
Posted December 13, 2017 at 12:44pm
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, speaks with reporters as he arrives for lunch with Senate Republicans in the Capitol on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Senate, House Reach Tax Overhaul Agreement

By Niels Lesniewski and Joe Williams
Posted December 13, 2017 at 12:15pm
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has questions about the scope of the GSA inspector general’s review of the FBI headquarters project. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Pass-Through Tax Agreement Reached Between House and Senate GOP

By Joe Williams
Posted December 13, 2017 at 10:26am
House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady makes his way to a meeting in the speaker’s office in the Capitol on Dec. 6. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

A Tax Conference Committee Meeting Mostly For Show

By Niels Lesniewski and Joe Williams
Posted December 13, 2017 at 5:04am
Texas Sen. John Cornyn says negotiations with the House on the tax overhaul are sensitive. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Senate Republicans Prepare Tax Counteroffer

By Joe Williams
Posted December 12, 2017 at 4:42pm
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made many deals to get the Senate GOP tax bill through the chamber, and that might limit his options in the homestretch. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Analysis: McConnell Enters Year-End Sprint With Options Limited

By Joe Williams
Posted December 12, 2017 at 5:01am
Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady is among the top negotiators in the House-Senate conference committee on the GOP’s tax overhaul. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

The Unkindest Cut: How to Pay for Tax Overhaul Sweeteners

By Joe Williams
Posted December 7, 2017 at 5:05am
Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

House GOP Plans to Lobby Leaders on Key Tax Provisions

By Joe Williams
Posted December 6, 2017 at 6:16pm
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Partial Repeal of Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax an Option, Thune Says

By Joe Williams
Posted December 6, 2017 at 4:18pm
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Corker Still Trying to Find ‘Yes’ on Tax Overhaul

By Joe Williams
Posted December 5, 2017 at 3:47pm
Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill. (Al Drago/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Durbin: Cornyn and Grassley Undermining DACA Deal

By Joe Williams
Posted December 5, 2017 at 1:12pm
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., would need to be consulted to secure needed Democratic votes for a continuing resolution. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Senators Unclear on Plan to Fund Government Days Before Funding Expires

By Joe Williams and Jennifer Shutt
Posted December 4, 2017 at 6:53pm
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. (CQ Roll Call file photo)

Democratic Senators Pressure House Counterparts on Tax Overhaul

By Joe Williams
Posted December 4, 2017 at 4:00pm
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., provided the Senate GOP with the necessary vote to advance the tax overhaul. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Senate Republicans Secure Votes for Tax Overhaul

By Joe Williams
Posted December 1, 2017 at 12:19pm
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., speaks during a news conference in the Capitol on Nov. 7 on the Tepublican tax overhaul bill. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Senate GOP Keeps Working for Tax Overhaul Votes

By Joe Williams
Posted December 1, 2017 at 8:51am
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., speaks with reporters Thursday evening, Nov. 30, 2017. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

GOP Searching for New Tax Tweak After Senate Parliamentarian Guidance

By Ryan McCrimmon and Joe Williams
Posted November 30, 2017 at 6:10pm
Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken. (Al Drago/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Ethics Committee Opens Investigation Into Franken Allegations

By Joe Williams
Posted November 30, 2017 at 5:20pm
Senate Republicans are getting closer on their tax overhaul. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Senate GOP Gets Signoff on Still Emerging Tax Overhaul

By Joe Williams
Posted November 30, 2017 at 11:34am
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is assembling the votes for the GOP tax overhaul. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Wheelin’ and Dealin’ McConnell in Full Force on GOP Tax Bill

By Joe Williams
Posted November 30, 2017 at 5:05am
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., left, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, have led a child tax credit push. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Republicans Float Trimming Corporate Tax Cuts to Help Working Parents

By Joe Williams and Niels Lesniewski
Posted November 29, 2017 at 2:54pm
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., could not point to a GOP plan to replace the 2010 health care law when asked about President Trump’s pledge their party would have one ready if an administration effort to take down the Obama-era law succeeds. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

CBO: Insurance Market Stabilization Impact Null If Mandate Repealed

By Joe Williams
Posted November 29, 2017 at 12:42pm
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he has some concerns over possible changes in the Republican tax overhaul bill, “but we’ll work through them.” (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

GOP Senators Have Concerns Over Colleagues’ ‘Triggers’ in Tax Bill

By Joe Williams
Posted November 29, 2017 at 12:19pm
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski faces a conundrum with a clash between two of her key policy goals — drilling in ANWR and protecting access to health care back home. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

For Murkowski, Tax Overhaul Isn’t Just Business. It’s Personal

By Joe Williams and Jeremy Dillon
Posted November 20, 2017 at 5:05am
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted against the GOP health care bill in July. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Murkowski Suggests Tax Vote Depends on Stabilizing Individual Health Insurance Market

By Joe Williams
Posted November 17, 2017 at 10:42am
Then-Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., at a hearing in 2017 before he stepped down later that month amid sexual misconduct allegations. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Senate Ethics Committee Could Get Real Busy, Real Soon

By Joe Williams
Posted November 16, 2017 at 2:31pm
The Senate Finance Committee is debating a revised GOP tax plan that would raise taxes on lower-income households, according to the JCT. Pictured here, ranking member Ron Wyden, left, and Chairman Orrin G. Hatch at a Wednesday markup. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

JCT: Low-Income Households Worse Off Under New Senate Tax Plan

By Joe Williams
Posted November 16, 2017 at 12:25pm
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen is reaching out to the Freedom Caucus on automatic spending cuts. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Van Hollen Urges Freedom Caucus to Protect Medicare

By Joe Williams
Posted November 15, 2017 at 4:12pm
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., walks back to his office from the Senate floor in the Capitol on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Senate Considers Staying in Session After Dec. 18

By Joe Williams and Niels Lesniewski
Posted November 15, 2017 at 4:01pm
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Ky. (Al Drago/CQ Roll Call)

Another GOP Senator Unhappy With Tax Bill Individual Mandate Repeal

By Joe Williams
Posted November 15, 2017 at 12:38pm
If there were any doubts that Republicans were bent on advancing the tax bill with only GOP support, those were squashed on Tuesday by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, seen here with Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Cornyn. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Analysis: New Senate Tax Bill Solves Some Issues, Raises Others

By Joe Williams
Posted November 15, 2017 at 8:53am
Senate Finance Chairman Orrin G. Hatch is presiding over a tension-filled committee markup of the GOP’s tax bill. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Senate GOP Throws Health Care Curveball Into Tax Debate

By Joe Williams
Posted November 15, 2017 at 5:04am
Attorney General Jeff Sessions. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Sessions Fits Alabama Senate Write-In Mold, McConnell Says

By Joe Williams
Posted November 14, 2017 at 3:47pm
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Senate GOP Looks to Kill Individual Mandate to Pay for More Tax Cuts

By Joe Williams
Posted November 14, 2017 at 2:52pm
From left, ranking member Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., makes his opening statement as chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, listens during the Senate Finance Committee markup of the GOP's tax overhaul legislation. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Scheduling Note for Senate Finance Panel’s Tax Markup

By Joe Williams
Posted November 14, 2017 at 10:13am
Senate Finance ranking member Ron Wyden, left, and Chairman Orrin G. Hatch prepare to make opening statements during committee markup of the Republican tax bill Monday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Senate Tax Markup Will Be Spirited, but Don’t Expect Fireworks

By Joe Williams
Posted November 14, 2017 at 5:04am
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Judge’s White House Connection Should’ve Come Up in Committee, Grassley Says

By Joe Williams
Posted November 13, 2017 at 5:52pm