Senate Republicans vying to replace longtime leader Mitch McConnell have been crossing the country to campaign and fundraise for colleagues, making their final arguments before an important upcoming Senate vote.

Sen. John Thune of South Dakota is competing intensely to become the next Republican leader in the Senate.

Republicans have blocked for a second time this year legislation to establish a nationwide right to in vitro fertilization, arguing that the vote is an election-year stunt after Democrats forced a vote on the issue.

Senate Republicans have blocked legislation designed to protect women’s access to contraception.

South Dakota Republicans’ tug-of-war over their party identity continues in Tuesday’s election, with district-level primaries the main event.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott says he will run for Senate Republican leader when Mitch McConnell steps down from the post, becoming the third Republican in the race.

House impeachment managers have walked two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas across the Capitol to the Senate, forcing senators to convene a trial.

Speaker Mike Johnson will not send the House’s articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate this week as previously planned.

Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso says he'll run for the No. 2 spot in the Senate Republican conference after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell leaves at the end of the year.

South Dakota Sen. John Thune is entering the race to be the next Republican leader of the U.S. Senate after Sen. Mitch McConnell steps away from the post in November.

The flow of millions of small parcels into the U.S. from China thanks to the explosive growth of online shopping has caught the attention of Congress.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn has informed his colleagues that he intends to run for Senate Republican leader.

Congress has ended the threat of a government shutdown until after the holidays.

Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces a political standoff when the House resumes this week.

The U.S. Capitol physician says 81-year-old Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s health episodes show no evidence of a stroke or seizure disorder.

Congress responded to the fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio earlier this year with bipartisan alarm at railroad crashes causing potential disasters.

Congress is trying to figure out how best to respond to the abrupt failure of two U.S. banks.

The office of Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman says he has checked himself into the hospital for clinical depression.

Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman is in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to seek treatment for clinical depression.

After disappointing results in this year's elections, Republicans are reevaluating their antipathy to mail voting.

Donald Trump is betting he can win his way back to the White House by reviving the outsider appeal that fueled his success in 2016.

Republicans are engaged in a round of finger-pointing as both parties sift through the results of Democrats’ stronger-than-expected showing in the midterm elections.

Former President Donald Trump has launched another run for the presidency, promising supporters he will “make America great and glorious again.”.

Former President Donald Trump is moving forward with his planned Tuesday announcement, pressing on with a third presidential run.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem described the U.S. border with Mexico as a “war zone” last year when she sent dozens of state National Guard troops there.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell says he believes his party now has a 50-50 shot of getting the chamber back less than six weeks away from the midterm elections.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has introduced a bill calling for a nationwide abortion ban.

Republicans see inflation, taxes and immigration as Democratic weak spots worth attacking in the upcoming battle over an economic package the Democrats want to push through the Senate.

After 13 years, at least three crashes, dozens of scams and Ponzi schemes and hundreds of billions of dollars made and evaporated, cryptocurrencies finally have the full attention of Congress.

One month into his presidency, Joe Biden made clear his distaste for even naming the man he'd ousted from the Oval Office.

The Senate has unexpectedly launched a new push to protect same-sex marriage in federal law.

President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday meant to make shipping goods across oceans cheaper.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has won the Republican primary for another term, defeating a former legislative leader who accused her of using the office to mount a 2024 White House bid.

Primary elections in seven states Tuesday will set the stage for U.S. House and Senate battles this fall that will play into control of Congress.

The gunman who killed 19 elementary school children and two teachers in Texas added to the state's grim recent history of mass shootings.

Final congressional approval of a $40 billion Ukraine aid bill seems certain within days.

Lawmakers are working toward a compromise on President Joe Biden’s $33 billion Ukraine aid request that they hope to have ready as soon as next week.

A Senate hearing on Wednesday is likely to produce fireworks as Republicans and Democrats square off over the role that foundations and nonprofits are playing in elections.

A compromise $10 billion measure buttressing the government’s COVID-19 defenses has stalled in the Senate.

Legislation punishing Russia for the war in Ukraine is finally getting a vote in the U.S. Senate.

Republicans have blocked a Democratic attempt to begin Senate debate on a $10 billion COVID-19 compromise that is just a day old.

Congressional leaders have reached a bipartisan deal to provide $13.6 billion to help Ukraine fend off its invasion by Russia and assist European allies coping with the continent's worst refugee crisis since World War II.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says proposed U.S. aid for Ukraine and its European allies has grown beyond $12 billion.

Senate Democrats and Republicans each want to flash election-year signals that they’re helping families struggling with rising costs and the two-year-old pandemic.

In a story published Feb. 10, 2022, The Associated Press reported that U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker’s therapist, Jerry Mungadze, holds a doctorate in philosophy.

Voting legislation that Democrats and civil rights groups argue is vital for protecting democracy has collapsed.

U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota has repeatedly made it clear that former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election in a fair process.

Democrats are mounting an impassioned bid to overhaul Senate rules that stand in the way of their sweeping voting legislation.

U.S. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota is seeking reelection to a fourth term in 2022.

South Dakota political candidates are revving into full campaign mode this week, with one big exception — Republican Sen. John Thune.

As President Joe Biden announces two more ambassador nominees, the White House and Democrats are warning that maneuvering by some Senate Republicans to block all but a small fraction of Biden’s diplomatic and other national security appointees is doing serious harm to U.S. diplomatic efforts around the globe.

It’s one of the most far-reaching of all the federal aid programs launched during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says he will not again help Democrats extend the government’s borrowing authority.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is looking to speed up consideration of a nearly $1 trillion bipartisan national infrastructure package.

The Senate has further advanced a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan with a bipartisan group of senators helping it clear one more hurdle Friday.

President Joe Biden has leapt back into the Senate’s up-and-down efforts to clinch a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure deal.

Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is known for doing the unthinkable in Washington — spending time with Republicans.

Congressional bargainers say they’ve agreed to a bipartisan framework for overhauling policing procedures.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will confer with White House officials on next steps for President Joe Biden’s $4 trillion infrastructure plans.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is providing assurances to Congress the recent jump in inflation is being watched very closely by the Biden administration, but said again that such increases appear temporary.

Some lawmakers are trying to stop 144 American cities from losing their designations as “metropolitan areas.”.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says congressional Democrats’ efforts to make it easier to sue police officers are causing law enforcement agencies to have problems recruiting and retaining personnel.

The horror of Jan. 6 has been reduced from a stunning assault on American democracy to another political fight.

Tim Scott of South Carolina is the only Black Republican senator.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has pushed for the commission, which would be modeled after the panel that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. “The problem is the scope,” Pelosi said Wednesday. But Republicans swiftly decried the broad latitude that the commission would have to investigate the causes of the insurrection. Senate Republicans cast doubt that there was enough support for the commission. 2 Republican, said he doesn’t think the commission will happen if the legislation isn’t changed.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators and congressmen is urging the federal government not to approve recommendations to remove 144 cities from the designation of metropolitan statistical areas. Reclassifying them as “micropolitan” would put key federal funding at risk, they said. Doing so would reclassify more than a third of the current 392 metro areas as micropolitan statistical areas. In a separate letter to the Office of Management and Budget, Hoeven said the proposal also would hurt micropolitan areas that were on the cusp of becoming metro areas. “If a metropolitan statistical area is redefined as a micropolitan area, it may fall out of the conversation.

President Joe Bidens pick for health secretary is taking heat for his defense of abortion rights from a tag team of Republicans looking to define him and the new administration as out of the mainstream. Becerra now serves as California’s attorney general and previously represented the Los Angeles area for more than 20 years in the U.S. House. Republicans voiced concern about Becerra’s record in support of abortion rights. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Becerra as attorney general “aggressively crusaded in favor of abortion” and repeatedly inserted California into abortion litigation involving other states. Perceptions changed after Becerra was appointed California attorney general in 2017.

Americans are experiencing flickers of optimism at the one-year anniversary of the deadly outbreak as more people are vaccinated. But new strains of the virus and a still shaky economy could unleash another devastating cycle of infections, lockdowns and deaths. Biden and Democrats warn that now is not the time to let up on aid, and that it's better to risk doing too much than too little. McConnell expressed similar optimism last spring when he hit “pause” on new spending after approval of the initial round of aid. GOP Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana said by the time they're done they hope to turn public opinion around.

AdIt’s a tested strategy but comes at an uncertain, volatile time for the nation. Americans are experiencing flickers of optimism at the one-year anniversary of the deadly outbreak as more people are vaccinated. But new strains of the virus and a still shaky economy could unleash another devastating cycle of infections, lockdowns and deaths. Biden and the Democrats backing him warn that now is not the time to let up on aid — better to risk doing too much, than too little. GOP Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana said by the time they're done they hope to turn public opinion around.

President Joe Bidens pick for health secretary is taking heat for his defense of abortion rights from a tag team of Republicans looking to define him and the new administration as out of the mainstream. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden’s pick for health secretary is taking heat from Republicans for his actions in support of abortion rights. By a show of force, they're trying to deny a president who supports abortion rights his choice to run the Department of Health and Human Services with the coronavirus pandemic still untamed. Becerra, 63, was a reliable Democratic vote for abortion rights during more than 20 years representing a Los Angeles-area district in the U.S. House. She disagrees with his support for abortion rights but finds common ground elsewhere.

FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2021, file photo, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. In an interview with The Associated Press, Sen. Thune, the chamber's No. Thune also talked about his vote to acquit Trump of inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead. – U.S. Sen. John Thune on Thursday criticized Republican activists and party leaders for engaging in “cancel culture” by rushing to censure GOP senators who found former President Donald Trump guilty of inciting an insurrection. Trump called Thune a “RINO,” meaning Republican In Name Only, and “Mitch’s boy,” in reference to McConnell.

The Republican Party still belongs to Donald Trump. The GOP privately flirted with purging the norm-shattering former president after he incited a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol last month. Ad“There’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” McConnell said Saturday, after Trump, the only president to be impeached twice, was acquitted on a 57-43 vote. McConnell had remained loyal to Trump during nearly all of his four years in office, when the pair were the two most powerful members of the Republican Party. In his statement, Trump criticized McConnell for failing to do more to back his unfounded claims of election fraud.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., walks on Capitol Hill after the Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Trump was accused of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the acquittal gives him a historic second victory in the court of impeachment. Investigations into the riot were already planned, with Senate hearings scheduled later this month in the Senate Rules Committee. We needed more senators with spines.”AdMcConnell told Republican senators shortly before the vote that he would vote to acquit Trump. Beutler's statement late Friday that Trump rebuffed a plea from House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy to call off the rioters was ultimately entered into the trial record.

But that hope dimmed when word came Saturday before the trial resumed that Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell would vote to acquit Trump. If Trump were convicted, the Senate could take a second vote to ban him from running for office again. AdA look at the Republicans whom Democrats are eyeing as they make final arguments in the case:THE FREQUENT TRUMP CRITICSRepublican Sens. AdThree other GOP senators have said they will not run again in two years, potentially freeing them up to vote against Trump and anger base voters in the party. The Republican leader’s views are closely watched and carry sway among GOP senators, and his decision on Trump is likely to influence others weighing their votes.

If Trump were convicted, the Senate could take a second vote to ban him from running for office again. While none of them are locks to vote for conviction, they have joined with Democrats twice to vote against GOP efforts to dismiss the trial. AdHEADED OUTPennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, who is retiring from the Senate in 2022, has also voted twice with Democrats to move forward with the trial. All three voted to dismiss the trial, but Portman says he still has an open mind about conviction. EYES ON McCONNELLSenate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has twice voted to dismiss the trial, indicating he will ultimately vote to acquit.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., goes back to her office after speaking on the floor of the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON – Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene lashed out Friday at “morons” in both parties who voted to kick her off her committees, a day after the House meted out the unprecedented punishment that Democrats said she’d earned by spreading hateful and violent conspiracy theories. Underscoring the political vise her inflammatory commentary has clamped her party into, all but 11 Republicans voted against the Democratic move on Thursday but none rose to defend her lengthy history of outrageous social media posts. Even social media stars like Greene could find it harder to define themselves without the spotlights that committees provide. That chamber’s minority leader, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., this week called Greene’s words a “cancer” on the GOP and country.

The votes also suggest that Washington Republicans are unable, or unwilling, to purge far-right radicals from their party, despite some GOP leaders' best wishes. And whether Washington Republicans like it or not, those who think like Greene make up a significant portion of the party's base. AdGiddy Democrats celebrated the obvious perils of their rivals' political dilemma, particularly after all but 11 House Republicans voted to defend Greene's committee assignments on Thursday. AdBut it was the House Republicans' refusal to distance themselves from Greene that threatened to haunt the party for the foreseeable future. Republican strategist and former White House aide Ari Fleischer was among the optimists.

House Republicans are effectively deciding whether to prioritize the former president’s norm-shattering behavior and conspiracy theories and retain the loyalty of his voters over more establishment conservative values. AdThe House GOP Steering Committee, a leadership-dominated body that makes committee assignments for the party, also met late Tuesday but no decision was announced. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and others have boosted pressure this week on McCarthy and the House GOP to act. McConnell praised Cheney, R-Wyo., as “a leader with deep convictions and courage,” but House GOP lawmakers planned to meet privately Wednesday to decide her political fate. AdThe looming decisions over Cheney and Greene represent a moment of reckoning for a party struggling with its future.

Trump flags still fly over homes across South Dakota, showing enduring support for the former president. When Thune disputed the baseless allegations of election fraud, Trump declared the senator's “political career over” and suggested GOP Gov. One of them, Bruce W. Whalen, said Thune’s refusal to support Trump's claims of fraud has fueled interest. Volk has observed a steady rightward lurch in Republican politics over the years that has culminated in widespread support for Trump. “But there’s no way they’re going to get him to go away.”Others, like Tom Barnett, a former director of the state’s bar association, have given up on the Republican Party.

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON – For a second time, Republican senators face the choice of whether to convict President Donald Trump in an impeachment trial. Others to watch include GOP senators up for reelection in 2022 and several Republicans who have publicly backed impeachment. “Make no mistake: There will be an impeachment trial in the United States Senate,'' Schumer said. MURKOWSKI, TOOMEY DENOUNCE TRUMPAt least two GOP senators — Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania — have joined Romney in denouncing Trump. Portman pledged to do his duty as a juror in a Senate impeachment trial, but said he is “concerned about the polarization in our country'' and hopes to bring people together.

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)WASHINGTON – For a second time, Republican senators face the choice of whether to convict President Donald Trump in an impeachment trial. Others to watch include GOP senators up for reelection in 2022 and several Republicans who have publicly backed impeachment. “Make no mistake: There will be an impeachment trial in the United States Senate,'' Schumer said. MURKOWSKI, TOOMEY DENOUNCE TRUMPAt least two GOP senators — Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania — have joined Romney in denouncing Trump. Portman pledged to do his duty as a juror in a Senate impeachment trial, but said he is “concerned about the polarization in our country'' and hopes to bring people together.

(Samuel Corum/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON – Wednesday's congressional joint session to count electoral votes could drag late into the night as some Republicans plan to challenge Democrat Joe Biden's victory in at least six states. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., leaves the House chamber for the Senate to consider objections to certify Electoral College votes, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. All 50 states have certified the electoral votes. Freshman Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has said he will challenge Pennsylvania's electoral votes. Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia were all pivotal states that Biden carried on his way to his 306-232 Electoral College win. McConnell, 78, has been the Republican leader since 2007 and is the longest-serving Senate GOP leader in history.

NEW YORK – The Republican Party is facing a defining moment. But what comes next for the Republican Party is anything but clear. Trump’s hold over his adopted party has been all but absolute in his time in office. If he does, the Republican Party could continue to shape itself in his image. “I believe he will have as much hold over the party as he wants to,” said Alice Stewart, a Republican strategist who advised Cruz's 2016 campaign.

Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The appointed "tellers" from the House and Senate, members of both parties, then read each certificate out loud and record and count the votes. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.

Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. At the end, the presiding officer announces who has won the majority votes for both president and vice president. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas on Saturday announced a coalition of 11 senators and senators-elect who have been enlisted for Trump's effort to subvert the will of American voters. But their challenges, and those from House Republicans, represent the most sweeping effort to undo a presidential election outcome since the Civil War. said the Republican effort to create a federal commission “to supersede state certifications" is wrong. On the other side of the Republican divide, several senators spoke out Saturday against Cruz and Hawley's effort. McConnell had previously warned GOP senators not to participate in raising objections, saying it would be a terrible vote for colleagues.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., walks back to his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. The New York senator said “the only thing standing in the way" is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republican senators. McConnell has shown little interest in Trump's push to bolster the $600 relief checks just approved in a sweeping year-end package, declaring Congress has provided enough pandemic aid, for now. Nancy Pelosi regained the speaker's gavel after Democrats swept to the House majority in the midterm election. The Republican-led Senate acquitted Trump in 2020 of the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

“I will not be participating in a project to overturn the election,” Sasse wrote. When Congress convenes to certify the Electoral College results, any lawmaker can object to a state’s votes on any grounds. If they disagree, the original electoral votes are counted. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all has been dismissed or dropped. The group of House Republicans has said it plans to challenge the election results from Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada.

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)WASHINGTON – The congressional joint session to count electoral votes is generally a routine, ceremonious affair. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The tellers record and count the votes, The presiding officer announces who has won the majority votes for both president and vice president.

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)WASHINGTON – The congressional joint session to count electoral votes is generally a routine, ceremonious affair. Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The tellers record and count the votes, The presiding officer announces who has won the majority votes for both president and vice president.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – The video message that plunged Washington into chaos was filmed in secret. On Wednesday, few Republicans or even White House staffers knew what Trump plans next, in a return to the around-the-clock chaos of his first months in office. “There are mixed signals from the White House leaving more confusion than calm,” Biden noted on Wednesday. Trump personally played little role in the negotiations, though the White House had initially sent signals that he would sign the bill.

House Republicans are expected to block the vote, but Democrats may try again Monday. Their political DNA tells them to oppose a costlier relief package. To top it off, because lawmakers linked the pandemic relief bill to an overarching funding measure, the government would shut down on Dec. 29. That's when a stopgap funding bill Congress approved to keep the government funded while the paperwork was being compiled expires, risking a federal shutdown. The Senate cleared the huge relief package by a 92-6 vote after the House approved it by 359-53.

But members can use the event to object to a state’s votes. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., said he organized Monday's session with about a dozen House Republicans who are willing to challenge the results. “President Trump is very supportive of our effort,” Brooks said in an interview late Monday. Trump and his allies have filed roughly 50 lawsuits challenging election results, and nearly all have been dismissed or dropped. McConnell has told Senate Republicans that a dispute over the results in January would yield a “terrible vote” for Republicans.

The virus aid talks remained on track, both sides said, but closing out final disagreements was proving difficult. The Democrats said the GOP proposal would deprive President-elect Joe Biden of crucial tools to manage the economy. “Undermining that authority could mean less lending to Main Street businesses, higher unemployment and greater economic pain across the nation." The COVID-19 package would be added to a $1.4 trillion governmentwide appropriations bill that would fund federal agencies through next September. Standard & Poor’s said in a report Tuesday that the economy would be 1.5 percentage points smaller in 2021 without more aid.

The holdups mean a weekend session now appears virtually certain, and a top lawmaker warned that a government shutdown this weekend can't be ruled out. Now, Republicans are motivated chiefly to extend business subsidies and some jobless benefits, and provide money for schools and vaccines. The urgency was underscored Thursday by the weekly unemployment numbers, which revealed that 885,000 people applied for jobless benefits last week, the highest weekly total since September. Some Democrats also mourned the exclusion of a $500 million aid package to help states run their elections. The emerging package would combine the $900 billion in COVID-19 relief with a $1.4 trillion government-wide funding bill.

Then he pivoted, privately warning Republican senators away from disputing the Electoral College tally when Congress convenes in a joint session Jan. 6 to confirm the results. “I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden,” McConnell said as he opened the Senate. One House Republican, Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, is planning to challenge the Electoral College results when Congress convenes for the joint session. John Thune of South Dakota and Roy Blunt of Missouri, warned the senators off any Electoral College challenge, according to one of the people familiar with Tuesday's call. The GOP leaders further warned senators that forcing their colleagues into a vote on Electoral College challenges would prove difficult, especially for those facing their own reelections in 2022.

Then he pivoted, privately warning Republican senators away from disputing the Electoral College tally when Congress convenes in a joint session Jan. 6 to confirm the results. “I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden,” McConnell said as he opened the Senate. Some GOP lawmakers have vowed to carry the fight to Jan. 6 when Congress votes to accept or reject the Electoral College results. One House Republican, Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, is planning to challenge the Electoral College results when Congress convenes for the joint session. The GOP leaders further warned senators that forcing their colleagues into a vote on Electoral College challenges would prove difficult, especially for those facing their own reelections in 2022.

He said Monday’s Electoral College vote “was significant.”Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn said barring further legal challenges it appears Biden will be president. Others have said Trump's legal battles should continue toward resolution by inauguration day, Jan. 20. "Once the Electoral College has voted, most people are going to recognize Joe Biden as the president-elect." "Although I supported President Trump, the Electoral College vote today makes clear that Joe Biden is now President-Elect,” said Sen. Many Republicans are unwilling to declare Biden the winner for the same reasons they avoided standing up to Trump during his presidency.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump offered a new rationale Sunday for threatening to veto the annual defense policy bill that covers the military's budget for equipment and pay raises for service members: China. “The biggest winner of our new defense bill is China! I will veto!” Trump said in a new tweet. “President Trump clearly hasn’t read the bill, nor does he understand what’s in it," Reed said. McConnell said it was important for Congress to continue its nearly six-decade long streak of passing the defense policy bill.