Sahil Kapur

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a $95 billion package to provide critical aid to Ukraine and enact a provision that could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok. The vote of 79-18 sends the package to the White House. Fifteen Republicans and three Democrats voted against the legislation. The House passed the package on Saturday. Biden said Tuesday night that he will swiftly enact the measure. “I will sign this bill into law and address the American people as soon as it reach…

WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday celebrated the impending passage of $60 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine ahead of a final vote, while lamenting the fact that it took months to secure enough Republican support to land it. At a press conference, the Kentucky Republican pinpointed two men responsible for that delay: former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson and former President Donald Trump. “The demonization of Ukraine began by Tucker Carlson, who in my opinion ended up wh…

WASHINGTON — Thousands of fans lined up along Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday for the thrill of watching a Formula 1 race-winner blast down the iconic street in a championship-winning car. The event was hosted on a breezy spring afternoon by reigning F1 champions Oracle Red Bull Racing as part of a series of events in American cities designed to bring the world’s fastest race cars closer to the sport’s fastest growing fanbase. The main event featured F1 race-winner and former Red Bull driver Dav…

WASHINGTON — The House on Saturday passed a $95 billion package that includes two long-awaited bills with $60.8 billion of Ukraine aid and $26 billion in aid to Israel. The Ukraine bill, which passed with 311 votes in favor, 112 votes against, and one present, will now head to the Senate alongside the Israel aid bill and two others — one with aid for Taiwan and another that forces TikTok’s parent company to sell the platform. Lawmakers were seen waving Ukrainian flags and cheering upon the Ukra…

WASHINGTON — The House voted 316-94 to tee up votes on four separate bills that include aid to Ukraine and Israel, a good sign for the prospects of Congress approving U.S. funding for the two countries after months of delay and partisan fighting. Speaker Mike Johnson, facing intense opposition from right-wing members, received crucial help from Democrats to move forward with the votes. More Democrats (165) than Republicans (151) voted to pass the “rule,” a procedural step to set up the votes. Th…

WASHINGTON — Top House progressives will unveil a sweeping agenda Thursday to lay down a marker for the policies they’ll push next year if Democrats win the 2024 election, from a higher minimum wage and strengthening antitrust laws to new federal benefits for seniors on Social Security and parents raising kids. The Congressional Progressive Caucus agenda, first shared with NBC News, doubles as a blueprint of political advice for how it believes President Joe Biden can win over progressives and y…

WASHINGTON — The policy contrasts between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are sharpening as the general election campaign gets fully underway. But what does the choice represent for ordinary voters and the economic and cultural issues they care about? A rematch between the Democratic incumbent and his Republican predecessor may feel uninspiring to many voters, but the policy stakes are enormous for tens of millions of Americans — and the world. Here are seven big issues at…

WASHINGTON — Facing a divided party and pressure to act, House Speaker Mike Johnson rolled out three bills Wednesday to provide assistance to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, with the hope of holding final votes on Saturday. The bills represent a major test of Johnson’s ability to navigate a thicket of political and global challenges with a wafer-thin majority. And it comes as Johnson, R-La., faces a serious threat to his gavel from Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Johnso…

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans are inching closer to burying a bipartisan bill to expand the child tax credit and provide breaks for businesses, issuing a series of demands that would most likely disrupt the coalition that enabled it to pass the House. The $78 billion bill, negotiated by House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., passed the Republican-led House by a vote of 357-70 in January, a rare feat in a divided Congress t…

WASHINGTON — Sen. Lindsey Graham sparred with Donald Trump on Monday after the former president attacked Graham, R-S.C., for pushing his bill to outlaw abortion across the U.S. after 15 weeks of pregnancy. While Trump said the issue should be left to states, Graham vowed to keep pressing for federal limits. “I think we should draw a line,” Graham told reporters. “We know that the Dobbs decision did not say that there’s no federal role. There are three laws on the books at the federal level. So t…