Outside the Beltway

Open mouth, insert foot. Chuck Grassley didn’t exactly help his party when he was asked to explain the lack of Republican women on the Judiciary Committee.

After a long and contentious battle, Brett Kavanaugh has been confirmed to become the 114th Supreme Court Justice.

The F.B.I.’s updated background check is complete and will be reviewed by Senators beginning today. As a result, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is moving forward toward a final vote on the Kavanaugh nomination later this week.

Regardless of who wins control of the Senate in November, the person who will stand third in the line of succession will either be over, or very close to, eighty years old. That doesn’t make sense.

Prominent supporters of the embattled Supreme Court nominee, including the President, are doing him no favors.

Attorneys for Christine Blasey Ford want the F.B.I. to investigate the charges she has made against Judge Kavanaugh before she testifies, but it’s entirely unclear what such an investigation would accomplish.

Mitch McConnell has a plan that could pose problems for Democrats fighting for re-election.

As expected, Rick Scott easily won the GOP nomination for Senate in Florida, setting up one of the most highly anticipated Senate races of the year.

The Republican Party’s nominee for Senator in Virginia really is as bad as you’ve heard, probably worse.

Senate Democrats appear to be recognizing that there’s basically nothing they can do to stop the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Democrats are making largely meaningless appeals to the so-called ‘Merrick Garland Precedent” to argue for a delay in confirming the President’s next Supreme Court nominee. The American people feel differently.

There is a frustration and a growing sense that the American political system is illegitimate.

Retiring Arizona Senator Jeff Flake says that he will not seek to block President Trump’s nominee to replace Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court.

It isn’t a primary and it is an illustration of how electoral rules affect behavior.

Senators hoping for a long summer recess have had their hopes dashed.

Republicans are at least a bit more confident that they’ll hold on to the Senate this year.

With the start of her confirmation hearings just days away, Gina Haspel’s nomination to be C.I.A. Director is by no means secure.

National Republicans are increasingly concerned that an upstart, racist candidate who has unleashed personal attacks on Mitch McConnell’s family will sneak through and win tomorrow’s primary to decide who will face Joe Manchin in November.

Republicans are worried about 2018, and they’re even more worried that they have a President who is refusing to acknowledge political reality.

Republicans joined with Democrats to advance a bill to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller, but it’s unlikely to go anywhere beyond that.

The GOP’s most vulnerable incumbent is still looking very vulnerable.

Republicans are planning on pushing judicial nominees through the Senate in case they lose control in November. Meanwhile, the possibility of a Supreme Court vacancy raises the stakes.

The highest ranking Democrat in the Senate has introduced a bill that would effectively decriminalize marijuana nationwide and leave it up to each state to decide how far they wish to go with regard to cannabis regulation. It’s a huge step in the right direction.

Kyrsten Sinema, the likely Democratic nominee for the Senate in Arizona, is leading all three of her potential Republican challengers. This could spell trouble for the GOP.

Tammy Duckworth recently became the first sitting Senator to give birth. Thanks to a rule change, she’ll be allowed to bring her baby on the floor of the Senate if she needs to.

The first real poll of the Senate race in Texas shows Ted Cruz with a much thinner lead than might be expected in a state like Texas. That doesn’t mean we should expect a Democratic upset there, though.

Congress passed a funding bill to avert a shutdown with time to spare early this morning, but now the President is threatening a veto.

Things continue to look good for Democrats as we get closer to the midterm elections.

Congress is no closer to a resolution of the DACA fix than it was earlier this year.

By all accounts, Gina Haspel is exceedingly well qualified to be the next C.I.A. Director, but she has a troubling past that the Senate will need to at least force her to answer questions about.

The octogenarian failed to get her party’s endorsement for a sixth term.

The prospect for a fix to help DACA beneficiaries is looking gloomier than ever.

With time seemingly running out, the Senate debate over extending DACA is moving slowly.

While most of America slept, the government was shutdown thanks to some faux theatrics by a single Senator.

Getting to a DACA deal isn’t going to be easy.

President Trump called on Senate Republicans to eliminate the legislative filibuster to resolve the government shutdown. That’s not going to happen.

Let’s not forget how unique the Moore-Jones contest was.

As expected, Minnesota’s Governor has named his Lt. Governor to replace Al Franken in the Senate.

Al Franken’s Senate career reaches its inevitable end.

President Trump has formally endorsed an accused child molester for the United States Senate.

A new poll shows Democratic nominee Doug Jones tied with twice-removed former Chief Justice Roy Moore in Alabama’s Senate race, but it’s still too early to be optimistic.

Former Trump aide Steve Bannon is declaring war on Republicans in the Senate.

Senate Republicans are considering one more last-ditch effort to ‘repeal and replace’ the Affordable Care Act.

A recent uptick in retirements from Congressional Republicans is leading some Republicans to become concerned about the party’s prospects in 2018.

President Trump remains obsessed with the Russian investigation and continues to try to shut it down.

They may both be Republicans, but the relationship between the President and the Senate Majority Leader is bad and seems to be getting worse.

The twice-removed Chief Justice is likely getting a promotion.

The Senate is back from its recess, but no closer to a health care bill that has any realistic chance of passing.

Senate Republicans are back home and hearing from their constituents on health care reform. It’s not going well for them.