EXCLUSIVE — Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) expressed interest in running the Senate health committee chaired by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) next year, adding to the number of Republicans vying for the post. Cassidy’s loss in his Louisiana primary last month means that Republicans will need to choose another person to serve in his place, and […]
Trump administration orders insurance companies to investigate fraud in federal employee health programs costing taxpayers about $70 billion annually.
A Democratic senator pressed a Trump-nominated judge who refused to answer questions during his confirmation hearing for an appeals court vacancy on Wednesday.Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) had a sharp response to North Dakota U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Mack Traynor."When it comes to asking you basic questions about January 6, you won't answer those questions," Schiff said."The difference, senator, is that there are cases or controversies that I have before me as a district judge relating to individuals that have been charged for conduct that occurred on that date in this Capitol," Traynor said.Schiff mentioned how Traynor and 12 other conservative judges signed a letter urging a boycott on hiring law clerks from Columbia University amid the institution's handling of pro-Palestinian student demonstrations on the school's campus in response to Israel's war in Gaza, according to Reuters. In 2024, Traynor refused to recuse himself from a case involving university law school faculty regarding protests over the Dakota Access oil pipeline.Schiff asked if Traynor would recuse himself from other litigation involving Columbia.Traynor argued he held no particular bias against the university. Schiff pushed back."Your letter demonstrates a very clear bias, I'm not saying it's an unreasonable bias, but it is a bias," Schiff said. Traynor then again refused — for the second time in the hearing — to say who won the 2020 presidential election."I'm asking you the question," Schiff said."This is completely inconsistent with your involvement in the whole Columbia controversy," Schiff said. "Because you involved yourself in that controversy. You went out of your way. Nobody asked you to write that letter. You took this upon yourself to do, to insert yourself into that. But you're saying here you can't answer a simple question about who won the 2020 election because it would somehow implicate you in controversy. I'm sorry, there's no way to square those two things." SCHIFF: Who won the 2020 election?TRAYNOR: It is not appropriate for a judicial nominee to engage in discussion involving a matter of political controversySCHIFF: See, this is completely inconsistent with your involvement in the whole Colombia controversy. You went out of… pic.twitter.com/mzwggJo2XO— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 10, 2026
A longtime Democratic senator slammed a judge nominated by President Donald Trump for an appeals court vacancy after he refused to answer a direct question about who won the 2020 presidential election.Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) asked North Dakota U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Mack Traynor, who was testifying before the Senate during a confirmation hearing for the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals."Who won the 2020 election?" Blumenthal asked."This issue has become a question of political controversy. I'm a sitting federal district judge, I'm a nominee to be 8th Circuit court of appeals. Justice Jackson, who previously was confirmed by the Senate for a position...," Traynor said, as Blumenthal interjected. "It's 'political controversy' only because the president refuses to accept the results of the 2020 election. I'm asking you as a matter of fact. Who won the 2020 election?" Blumenthal again asked. But Traynor tried to dodge the question again."As Justice Jackson stated, in her responses to questions on the record, it is not appropriate to engage in discussion regarding that as a judge, or sitting judge," Traynor said.But Blumenthal wasn't satisfied with the judge's response. "So you're going to use the same script that other nominees have used before this panel to avoid the question?" Blumenthal asked. "I think the precedent established by Justice Jackson and other nominees is something that I need to follow," Traynor responded."As a matter of fact, who got more votes in 2020? Which of the presidential candidates?" Blumenthal asked. "As I stated before, this is an issue that Justice Jackson and other nominees have been asked, they've not provided a response," Traynor said.Blumenthal cut off Traynor and called him out for avoiding the question — and repeating the same excuses that other Trump-allied nominees have used in previous congressional hearings."You understand why I'm asking you to state, as a simple matter of fact who got more votes? The reason is because the president seeks to perpetuate a lie. You are in effect, protecting the lie if you fail to take an independent position as a matter of simple fact. Everybody in this room knows the answer. You're unwilling to state it. Instead, adopting a script that has been dictated to you by the White House. You prepared this answer with the White House, did you not?" Blumenthal said.BLUMENTHAL: Who won the 2020 election?JUDGE TRAYNOR: This issue has become a question of political controversy. Justice Jackson--BLUMENTHAL: It's 'political controversy' only because the president refuses to accept the results. I'm asking you as a matter of fact. Who won?… pic.twitter.com/Wzs3XqcgMn— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 10, 2026
Progressive Democrat Graham Platner won the party’s Senate primary in Maine after a bruising campaign which became as much about accusations of his past misbehavior as it was voters’ top concerns. Tyler Kendall has more (Source: Bloomberg)
President Trump signed into law on Wednesday a congressional budget package to fully fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol through the end of his second term. Republican lawmakers passed the nearly $70 billion reconciliation funding legislation in the House on Tuesday, following weeks of tense debate in the Senate. All House Democrats…
Retired Lt. Col. David Flippo overcame carpetbagging accusations in Nevada’s lone Republican House district.
President Trump signed a bill funding immigration enforcement agencies through the end of his term, bringing an end to a monthslong feud that exposed deep divisions on Capitol Hill.
Graham Platner, a Marine veteran, oyster farmer and progressive activist, has won the Democratic nomination for the US Senate in Maine. Platner won 72% of the vote, defeating the state governor, Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign in April but remained on the ballot. Platner received scrutiny during the campaign for old incendiary Reddit posts, a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, sexually explicit messages sent to other women early in his marriage and accusations from a former girlfriend, denied by Platner, that he was physically intimidating. Platner will face the senator Susan Collins, a Republican running for a sixth six-year term, in November. The race is seen as a must-win for Democrats to take control of the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.Graham Platner shrugs off scandals to win Maine Democratic Senate primaryDemocrats rally round Platner in Maine as Trump reaffirms grip on GOP after primaries Continue reading...