Category: Senate republicans
‘It’s a death sentence’: Former Republican senator reveals tragic cancer diagnosis
Former Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska announced his terminal diagnosis on Tuesday.
The tragic news was shared in a post on X, where Sasse conceded that he is “gonna die.” Sasse revealed his diagnosis is metastasized stage-four pancreatic cancer, but in the same breath proclaimed his deep faith and hope in Christ.
‘The process of dying is still something to be lived.’
“This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die,” Sasse wrote. “Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too — we all do.”
“I’m blessed with amazing siblings and half-a-dozen buddies that are genuinely brothers,” Sasse added. “As one of them put it, ‘Sure, you’re on the clock, but we’re all on the clock.’ Death is a wicked thief, and the bastard pursues us all.
RELATED: Republican senator announces retirement, citing exhaustion: ‘I feel like a sprinter in a marathon’
Erin Schaff-Pool/Getty Images
In the message, Sasse reflected on his many personal and professional accomplishments throughout his 53 years of life, expressing deep gratitude and admiration for his family. Sasse also wrote about the difficulty of navigating tragedy during Christmas, which he described as “a time to orient our hearts toward the hope of what’s to come.”
“Not an abstract hope in fanciful human goodness; not hope in vague hallmark-sappy spirituality; not a bootstrapped hope in our own strength (what foolishness is the evaporating-muscle I once prided myself in),” Sasse said.
“Nope — often we lazily say ‘hope’ when what we mean is ‘optimism.’ To be clear, optimism is great, and it’s absolutely necessary, but it’s insufficient. It’s not the kinda thing that holds up when you tell your daughters you’re not going to walk them down the aisle. Nor telling your mom and pops they’re gonna bury their son.”
RELATED: ‘Unnecessary and protracted’: Elise Stefanik drops out of New York governor’s race
Photo by HANNAH MCKAY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
In addition to leaning on God and his family, Sasse said he will pursue medical intervention.
“Death and dying aren’t the same — the process of dying is still something to be lived,” Sasse said. “We’re zealously embracing a lot of gallows humor in our house, and I’ve pledged to do my part to run through the irreverent tape.”
“But for now, as our family faces the reality of treatments, but more importantly as we celebrate Christmas, we wish you peace: ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. … For to us a son is given (Isaiah 9).”
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Republican senator announces retirement, citing exhaustion: ‘I feel like a sprinter in a marathon’
Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming becomes the latest GOP lawmaker to take a step away from politics.
The freshman senator announced her retirement Friday after several “exhausting session weeks” this Congress. Lummis was first elected to the Senate in 2020 but previously represented Wyoming in the House from 2009 to 2017 as well as in state government prior to her career in Washington, D.C.
‘I feel like a sprinter in a marathon.’
“What a blessing to serve with Senators John Barrasso and Mike Enzi when I was in the U.S. House, and with John and Rep. Harriet Hageman while I’ve been in the Senate,” Lummis said in a statement Friday.
“We all put Wyoming first, which has cemented our cohesive working relationship.”
RELATED: ‘Unnecessary and protracted’: Elise Stefanik drops out of New York governor’s race
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Lummis reiterated her commitment to the state and her constituents but noted that she no longer has the “energy required” for the job.
“Deciding not to run for reelection does represent a change of heart for me, but in the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall I’ve come to accept that I do not have six more years in me,” Lummis said. “I am a devout legislator, but I feel like a sprinter in a marathon. The energy required doesn’t match up.”
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
“I am honored to have earned the support of President Trump and to have the opportunity to work side by side with him to fight for the people of Wyoming. I look forward to continuing this partnership and throwing all my energy into bringing important legislation to his desk in 2026 and into retaining commonsense Republican control of the U.S. Senate. Thank you, Wyoming!”
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Senate confirms more Trump nominees, surpassing Biden-era confirmation pace after deploying nuclear option
The Republican-held Senate approved a third batch of nominees Thursday night, surpassing the confirmation pace from previous presidencies.
Under the leadership of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), the Senate confirmed 97 more nominees in a 53-43 vote. In 2025 alone, the Senate confirmed 417 of President Donald Trump’s nominees, leaving just 15 nominees on the docket.
‘It’s a pettiness that leaves desks sitting empty.’
This confirmation rate greatly outpaced former President Joe Biden, who had 365 nominees greenlit through the Senate in 2021.
This unprecedented confirmation pace came after Thune deployed the nuclear option in September to address the ballooning number of nominees awaiting their confirmations over the summer.
RELATED: John Thune to use Democrats’ own ‘nuclear option’ to defeat Senate confirmation blockade
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Thune changed the vote threshold in September for sub-Cabinet level positions, allowing nominees to be confirmed in large groups as opposed to individual, tedious votes Democrats consistently tried to obstruct.
“It’s delay for delay’s sake, and it’s a pettiness that leaves desks sitting empty in agencies across the federal government and robs our duly elected president of a team to enact the agenda that the American people voted for in November,” Thune said in an op-ed for Breitbart.
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“Republicans aren’t going to tolerate this obstruction any longer,” Thune added. “We have tried to work with Democrats in good faith to batch bipartisan, noncontroversial nominees and clear them expeditiously, according to past precedent. Democrats have stood in the way at every turn.”
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The ‘blue-slip block’ is GOP cowardice masquerading as tradition
President Trump and Vice President Vance have every right — and every reason — to call out Republican senators who hide behind the so-called blue-slip tradition to block nominees for key executive positions, especially U.S. attorneys.
The effect is simple and damaging: Trump is denied the full exercise of his constitutional authority over the executive branch. Without aligned U.S. attorneys across the country’s 94 districts, the administration’s de-weaponization agenda stalls. In some cases, it collapses outright. So far, the Senate has advanced just 18 of the 50 U.S. attorneys nominated by the administration.
That is the real function of the blue slip. It is not institutionalism. It is careerism. It lets senators hide.
The blue slip is a Senate custom requiring the consent of both home-state senators before certain nominees — U.S. attorneys, judges, U.S. marshals — can advance to committee. In practice, it operates as a hack of the Constitution. The Senate’s role is advice and consent by the full body. The blue slip transfers that power to two senators, and often to just one, who can halt the process without explanation or accountability.
Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has insisted that the Republican Senate will not reconsider the practice despite the abysmal pace of confirmations. “There are many Republican senators — way more Republican senators who are interested in preserving that than those who aren’t,” he said. What he has not explained is why.
The answer is avoidance. The blue slip spares Republican senators from taking difficult votes. The fewer Trump-aligned U.S. attorneys brought to the floor, the fewer public positions senators must take. The blue slip allows them to kill nominations quietly rather than oppose them openly.
Despite years of rhetoric about party realignment, the Senate remains dominated by politicians hostile to Trump’s agenda. Some were forced out. Many more learned to mimic an America First accent without embracing America First policy. They do just enough to deter primary challengers while staying safely aligned with donors, lobbyists, and institutional power.
Forcing senators to vote up or down on Trump-aligned prosecutors like Alina Habba in New Jersey or Julianne Murray in Delaware — both of whom were serving as acting U.S. attorneys until the Senate ran out the clock — would expose those evasions. So the Senate stalled them instead.
I watched this play out firsthand during the failed confirmation of Ed Martin, Trump’s nominee for U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C. Because D.C. is not a state, the blue slip did not apply. Senate leadership attempted a different maneuver: delay until time expired.
When the base demanded a vote, Senator Thom Tillis (RINO-N.C.) stepped in and tanked Martin’s nomination outright. As a judiciary committee member, Tillis effectively wielded a one-man veto by shifting the committee balance back toward Democrats.
That decision carried consequences. Shortly afterward, Tillis opposed advancing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in its existing form. Trump threatened a primary. Tillis burned through his remaining political capital and soon announced that he would not seek re-election.
Had Tillis been able to blue-slip Martin, he might have avoided that outcome.
RELATED: Accountability or bust: Trump’s second term test
Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
That is the real function of the blue slip. It is not institutionalism. It is careerism. Cloaked in collegial language, it operates as a mutual defense pact among Republican senators to shield one another from accountability. It lets senators hide. A six-year Senate term has become a financial asset in a hyper-funded political system. Assets avoid risk. Votes create risk. Fewer votes mean greater protection.
Defenders of the blue slip claim it preserves the Senate’s unique institutional character. That argument belongs to another century. Today’s Senate is neither deliberative nor restrained. It lurches between performative hearings and massive spending bills, punctuated by social media sound bites. Any appeal to Jeffersonian dignity at this point borders on parody.
Notably, the blue slip never restrains Democrats. When Democrats want nominees confirmed, process does not stand in the way. For Republicans, the blue slip amounts to unilateral disarmament dressed up as principle.
Trump and Vance should keep attacking this practice publicly. The only antidote to procedural cowardice is exposure. Voters who support a mandate deserve to see whether their senators will carry it out — or hide behind tradition while returning to business as usual in Washington.
Even if Republican senators ultimately vote against these nominees, at least the votes would happen in the open. Accountability begins there.
‘Blind allegiance’: Thune lays into blue states passing up Trump tax relief
With major tax breaks just around the corner, Senate Majority Leader John Thune reveals the real reason Democrats are skipping out on major tax breaks.
Several blue states across the country are opting out of the major tax breaks promised in President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including provisions like deductions for seniors and no tax on tips. These tax breaks are set to go into effect on January 1, 2026.
‘They are doing it because of Trump derangement syndrome or a blind allegiance to high-tax policies.’
These policies are popular across the political spectrum, yet Democrats are depriving their constituents of the opportunity to reap the benefits. Some of these states include Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Maine, as well as Washington, D.C.
The Treasury Department called this a deliberate act of “partisan stonewalling,” suggesting Democrats are denying their constituents crucial financial relief.
RELATED: Blue-state ‘Grinches’ are stealing your tax relief, says Treasury Secretary Bessent
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“This partisan stonewalling is a direct assault on the very families and workers liberal politicians claim to champion,” the department stated. “By denying their residents access to these important tax cuts, these governors and legislators are forcing hardworking Americans to shoulder higher state tax burdens, robbing them of the relief they deserve and exacerbating the financial squeeze on low- and middle-income households.”
Thune echoed the department’s concerns, saying Democrats are getting in the way of overdue tax relief for millions of hardworking Americans.
“Affordability starts with more money in your pocket,” Thune told Blaze News. “Republicans passed the Working Families Tax Cuts so that every working family, regardless of where they live, can have more money and new opportunities to get ahead.”
“It is outrageous that Democrat politicians would try to stop seniors, tipped workers, and people who work overtime from receiving this historic tax relief,” Thune added.
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Thune speculated that the Democrats’ refusal to embrace even Trump’s most popular policies is rooted in an inexplicable “blind allegiance” to high taxes, or just plain old Trump derangement syndrome.
“Whether they are doing it because of Trump derangement syndrome or a blind allegiance to high-tax policies, Democrat leaders like Governor Mills, Hochul, and Pritzker are making explicitly clear that Democrats prioritize high taxes and regulatory burdens over the financial well-being of the people they represent,” Thune added, referring to Governors Janet Mills of Maine, Kathy Hochul of New York, and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois.
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‘Canary in a coal mine’: Ousted speaker warns against the rising risk of GOP House resignations
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) warned that political breakups might become more commonplace in the Republican Party.
McCarthy’s prediction comes after Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia announced that she will retire from the House in January before finishing her congressional term. This announcement followed a public falling-out with longtime ally President Donald Trump.
‘I’ve found Marjorie to be very effective.’
Despite being one of Trump’s most loyal supporters on Capitol Hill, Greene said their falling-out was over her commitment to releasing the Epstein files, which the White House later supported. Other reports suggested that the split came after the White House squashed Greene’s political aspirations beyond the House of Representatives.
“She’s leaving Congress, but I don’t think that’s the end that you’ll see about her,” McCarthy said.
RELATED: Marjorie Taylor Greene calls it quits after ‘traitor’ branding by Trump
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“I’ve always believed that any time you have an elected official that’s known by three initials, they’re effective on what they do,” McCarthy added. “And I’ve found Marjorie to be very effective.”
McCarthy, who is all too familiar with having one’s political career cut short by MAGA world, said Greene’s resignation may be the first of many unless Congress changes course.
“She’s almost like a canary in a coal mine,” McCarthy said. “And this is something inside Congress. They better wake up, because they’re going to get a lot of people retiring, and they gotta focus.”
RELATED: Marjorie Taylor Greene says she has received violent threats — and blames Trump
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McCarthy also noted that the infighting ultimately takes away from a very small window of time in which Republicans hold the ultimate political advantage: a trifecta majority.
“I think keeping members out of Congress, you only get two years to be in the majority,” McCarthy said. “And if the Democrats get you not to work every day for two months, that’s losing two months of the majority.”
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Here’s everything Senate Republicans accomplished while Democrats forced record-breaking shutdown
While Democrats forced the longest government shutdown in American history, Senate Republicans continued to implement President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Democrats initially shut down the government for a record-breaking 43 days in an attempt to force Republicans to negotiate on Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year. Over 40 days into the shutdown, eight Senate Democrats eventually caved and voted with Republicans to pass the funding bill Monday night.
‘Democrats stood on the sidelines.’
Senate Democrats walked away from the shutdown with nothing to show for it except for a commitment from Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to hold a vote on ACA subsidies. Notably, this offer was available to Democrats on day one of the shutdown.
As Democrats feigned outrage over the shutdown they started, Thune and his Republican colleagues were hard at work confirming Trump’s nominees and passing legislation with conservative wins.
RELATED: ‘Temporary crumbs’: Out-of-touch Democrat gives stunning rebuke of Trump’s ‘No Tax on Tips’ policy
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In the early days of the shutdown, Senate Republicans confirmed a batch of 107 of Trump’s nominees in a 51-47 party-line vote. Throughout the shutdown, the Senate also confirmed 11 nominees to serve as federal judges.
Since Trump took office in January, the Senate has confirmed 310 civilian nominations, including high-profile Cabinet members, federal judges, and ambassadors.
The Senate also passed several key pieces of legislation to advance Trump’s agenda during the shutdown while Democrats stood on the sidelines.
Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
Senate Republicans unanimously passed four Congressional Review Act resolutions aimed at addressing and even repealing former President Joe Biden’s energy policies. One resolution even secured the support of Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who consistently voted with Republicans throughout the shutdown to reopen the government.
The National Defense Authorization Act also got the Senate’s stamp of approval, providing an additional $6 billion in addition to the $25 billion allocated in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to boost the production for crucial munitions like F-35s and shipbuilding.
In addition to bolstering American military dominance, the NDAA “repeals or amends more than 100 provisions of statute to streamline the defense acquisition process, reduce administrative complexity, and remove outdated requirements, limitations, and other matters.”
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‘Pathetic’ Senate Democrats cave, advancing key shutdown vote and prompting intraparty uproar: ‘It’s a surrender’
Over a month into the record-breaking shutdown, enough Senate Democrats finally caved to advance a key vote, sparking outrage within the party.
Eight Senate Democrats broke from their party late Sunday night to break the filibuster in a 60-40 vote, advancing key legislation and putting the government back on track to reopen after a record 41-day stalemate. The Senate is expected to formally pass the legislation Monday, when the continuing resolution will be punted back to the House.
‘America deserves better.’
Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire joined Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Angus King (I) of Maine, and Catherine Cortez Masto, who have consistently voted to reopen the government for the last six weeks. Notably, only Shaheen and Durbin are up for re-election in 2026, and both are retiring.
Although these other rogue Democrats are electorally safe for the next several years, many of their colleagues have ridiculed them for bucking the party and cutting a deal with Republicans.
RELATED: Democrat senator makes stunning admission about Obamacare failures
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After 15 failed votes to reopen the government, Democrats folded and finally came to the negotiating table. Party negotiators walked away with a continuing resolution to fund the government through January 30 featuring a reversal on reduction-in-force notices issued after October 1 and also barring future RIFs from being issued through the duration of the CR.
While Republicans made concessions on RIFs, Democrats ultimately were unable to push through any meaningful policy goals and fell short on their call to extend Obamacare subsidies. In response, high-profile Democrats tore into their Senate colleagues for caving, calling it a “surrender.”
“Pathetic,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office said in a post on X. “This isn’t a deal. It’s a surrender. Don’t bend the knee!”
“America deserves better,” Newsom added in another post on X.
RELATED: Senate Republicans betray Trump, help Democrats try to block tariffs
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It’s not just rumored presidential hopefuls who took a stand against their Democrat Senate allies. Many of the eight defectors’ colleagues came out against their vote, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
“There’s no way to sugarcoat what happened tonight,” Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said in a post on X. “And my fear is that Trump gets stronger, not weaker, because of this acquiescence. I’m angry — like you. But I choose to keep fighting.”
“To my mind, this was a very, very bad vote,” independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said in a post on X.
“Just on Tuesday, we had an election, all over this country. And what the election showed is that the American people want us to stand up to Trumpism. … That is what the American people wanted. But tonight, that is not what happened.”
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Exclusive: Sen. Blackburn introduces bill that would bar military ‘leftists’ from disrespecting Trump in key way
Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee introduced key legislation on Friday to ensure that military bases respect their commander in chief.
Blackburn introduced the Respect the Chief Act in response to reports of military bases failing to display portraits of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. In response to the bases and military officials who may be motivated by ideology rather than tradition, Blackburn’s legislation would formally require the portraits to be displayed, according to bill text obtained exclusively by Blaze News.
Rather than allowing this tradition to be carried out at the discretion of commanders, who sometimes may be ‘leftists,’ Blackburn decided to take matters into her own hands.
“The president of the United States is the Commander in Chief, and chain-of-command boards at America’s military bases should reflect current leadership,” Blackburn told Blaze News.
“The Respect the Chief Act would ensure military bases continue this long-standing tradition and prevent leftists from disrespecting the chain of command.”
RELATED: Exclusive: Republican senator introduces bill slashing funds to anti-American governments
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Blackburn’s legislation came in response to the suspension of Colonel Sheyla Baez Ramirez, a commander at Fort McCoy who failed to install photos of Trump, Vance, and Hegseth at the base back in April.
Following the scandal, Blackburn recognized the lack of formal federal statutes and regulations that require these customs to be upheld. Rather than allowing this tradition to be carried out at the discretion of commanders, who sometimes may be “leftists,” Blackburn decided to take matters into her own hands.
RELATED: Democrat senator makes stunning admission about Obamacare failures
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In addition to mandating the display of the portraits of the president, vice president, and secretary of war, Blackburn’s bill would require the separate military branches within the Department of War to submit reports to the executive branch confirming that all displays of leadership reflect the current chain of command.
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