The U.S. Senate voted 52-47 on Thursday to advance S.J. Res. 98, sponsored by Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, requiring Congress to approve any further military action against Venezuela. Every Democrat voted for the bill, as did five Republicans &#8212; Senators Rand Paul, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young.
The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/98/text">resolution</a> states:
<blockquote>
To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress. Congress makes the following findings: (1) Congress has the sole power to declare war under article I, section 8, clause 11 of the United States Constitution. (2) Congress has not declared war upon Venezuela or any person or organization within or operating from Venezuela, nor enacted a specific statutory authorization for use of military force within or against Venezuela. (3) The use of military force by the United States Armed Forces within or against Venezuela constitutes the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities within the meaning of section 4(a) of the War Powers Resolution.
</blockquote>
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer celebrated, “The Senate advanced @SenTimKaine and my bipartisan war powers resolution, which would block the Trump administration’s use of the U.S. armed forces to engage in hostilities within or against Venezuela unless authorized by Congress. Today we send a powerful message to the Trump administration: no more endless wars.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
JUST NOW: The Senate advanced <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTimKaine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenTimKaine</a> and my bipartisan war powers resolution, which would block the Trump administration’s use of the U.S. armed forces to engage in hostilities within or against Venezuela unless authorized by Congress.
Today we send a powerful message to…
&mdash; Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/2009311838278738182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Oklahoma GOP senator Markwayne Mullin responded, “Wrong move. @POTUS drove a successful law enforcement operation to capture a U.S.-indicted drug trafficker who targets and kills American citizens. He was 100% within his Article II authority. Joe Biden put a $25 million bounty on Nicolas Maduro&#8211;Trump put him in jail.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Wrong move. <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> drove a successful law enforcement operation to capture a U.S.-indicted drug trafficker who targets and kills American citizens.
He was 100% within his Article II authority.
Joe Biden put a $25 million bounty on Nicolas Maduro&#8211;Trump put him in jail. <a href="https://t.co/oPoW1fYMJD">https://t.co/oPoW1fYMJD</a>
&mdash; Markwayne Mullin (@SenMullin) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMullin/status/2009312932883255305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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If the House of Representatives approves the bill, which is possible, President Trump will veto it. Once that happens, overriding the bill would require a 2/3 majority in both the House and the Senate, which is unlikely to happen.
Last June, Kaine introduced a similar resolution that instructed Trump to end the use of U.S. armed forces in any hostilities with Iran. The motion to “discharge” the resolution from the Foreign Relations Committee (to bring it to a full floor vote) was rejected by a vote of 47–53. The vote fell largely along party lines. All 52 Republicans (except for Sen. Rand Paul) and one Democrat (Sen. John Fetterman) voted against it.

UK Hosts President Trump And First Lady Melania Trump For State Visit – Day Three

Senate Advances War Powers Resolution To Limit Trump’s Military Action Against Venezuela

Congress

Donald Trump

Politics

Senate

U.S. Senate

Venezuela

War Powers Resolution

The Senate is set to hold a hearing next week on the dangers of the abortion pill, as pro-life groups urge the Trump administration to roll back Biden-era rules allowing the drug to be shipped through the mail, The Daily Wire has learned. 
The hearing will be led by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Cassidy has pushed for the Trump administration to end the mail-order abortion policies and release a safety study on the effects of mifepristone, the active drug used in medication abortions. 
“As a doctor and a strong pro-life conservative, I am committed to protecting mothers and the unborn. The medical evidence is clear: chemical abortion drugs not only kill innocent babies, but also put women in serious danger,” Cassidy told The Daily Wire. “As Chairman of the HELP Committee, I look forward to discussing how to uphold a culture of life and prioritize women‘s safety over political ideology.”
The hearing, titled “Protecting Women: Exposing the Dangers of Chemical Abortion Drugs,” will take place at 10:00 am in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. 
Medication abortions, now the most common abortion method, involve the use of two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol. After a pregnant woman takes mifepristone, the unborn child is cut off from the vital nutrients it needs to survive and is effectively starved to death. Misoprostol is then used to induce labor and expel the deceased baby from the mother.
The hearing comes as Cassidy has pushed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for answers after it <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-lifers-demand-answers-from-trump-admin-after-shocking-abortion-pill-approval">approved</a> another generic form of mifepristone in September, much to the surprise of pro-life advocates, and left in place rules allowing abortion pills to be mailed. In response, more than 51 senators <a href="https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/db3c8d4f-f16b-4393-9005-13461dcde9c2/letter-from-senator-graham-et-al-to-hhs-and-fda-re-mifepristone.pdf">asked</a> for the FDA to reverse course and reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement. 
Earlier this year, Cassidy and 16 other GOP senators wrote a <a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/rep/newsroom/press/chair-cassidy-leads-pro-life-republicans-seeking-answers-on-fda-approving-dangerous-chemical-abortion-drug">letter</a> to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary in October asking if the agency was conducting a study into the dangers of the abortion pill and whether it was aware of cases in which women had been coerced into taking the drugs or given them without their knowledge. 
In one recent incident, an Ohio surgeon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-surgeon-accused-of-forcing-abortion-pill-on-sleeping-girlfriend?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ohio+Surgeon+Accused+Of+Forcing+Abortion+Pill+On+Sleeping+Girlfriend">was charged</a> after allegedly forcing his girlfriend to take an illegally obtained abortion pill, resulting in the death of her unborn child.
&#8220;The in-person dispensing requirement also helped guard women from being coerced into having chemical abortions against their will,&#8221; the senators wrote.
During his confirmation hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he would conduct a study into the abortion pill. That study has yet to be released, and some pro-life groups have accused the FDA of slow-walking it for political reasons. 
Data has shown that allowing abortion pills to be shipped by mail has resulted in tens of thousands of abortions in states like Texas and Tennessee, where medication abortions are technically illegal. This largely happens under &#8220;shield laws&#8221; in states like New York, which bar prosecution of those who ship abortion pills into states with abortion bans.

Senate Health Committee Hears Testimony From Fired CDC Director Susan Monarez

EXCLUSIVE: Senate To Zero In On ‘Exposing The Dangers’ Of The Abortion Pill

Abortion

Abortion Drug

bill Cassidy

Department of Health and Human Services

Pro-Life Movement

Trump Administration

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is expected to decide whether or not she will run for governor in light of current Gov. Tim Walz’s decision not to seek a third term amid numerous fraud scandals in the state, according to The New York Times.
Klobuchar reportedly met with Walz on Sunday and defended him in an X post on Monday after his announcement.
“Governor Walz made the difficult decision to focus on his job and the challenges facing our state rather than campaigning and running for reelection. He has always dedicated his career to delivering for Minnesota — from providing school breakfast and lunches to our kids to passing gun safety legislation to maintaining our state’s AAA bond rating. He is a true public servant,” the senator wrote.
The high-ranking Democrat could create another open seat if she were to be elected governor, and she would then get to appoint her own successor.
This unfolds against the backdrop of an open Senate battle for retiring Sen. Tina Smith’s seat, including a hotly competitive Democratic primary between Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
Flanagan said in an X post on Monday that she is “focused on [her] race for U.S. Senate to ensure people can afford the lives they want to live.” Craig expressed thanks to Walz for his “service” to Minnesota and said that the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party “must nominate the strongest possible candidate in every race on the ballot in November” to counteract the Trump administration.
Republicans are feeling optimistic that Walz’s announcement and the ongoing fraud scandals could present an opening for them in the upper Midwestern state. President Donald Trump lost Minnesota in 2024 by just over 4%, but Klobuchar won in the same cycle by nearly 16% against Republican Royce White.
“After presiding over one of the biggest fraud scandals in history, it’s no wonder that Tim Walz is being forced to drop his re-election bid. Walz’s failed leadership is emblematic of Minnesota Democrats’ agenda and whoever Democrats choose to replace Walz with at the top of the ticket will need to defend years of mismanagement and misplaced priorities,” Republican Governors Association Communications Director Courtney Alexander said in a statement on Monday, pointing out that it was not long ago that Walz was close to becoming the next vice president.
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Even in the open Senate race, there is a degree of hopefulness from the Republicans, as reports swirled that former sportscaster Michelle Tafoya could jump into that race.
&#8220;The seriously retired Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota Democrats like Peggy Flanagan and Angie Craig oversaw massive fraud that has hurt Minnesotans, and their failed leadership puts Minnesota in play for Republicans in 2026,&#8221; National Republican Senatorial Committee Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia stated on Monday.
When The Daily Wire reached out to Flanagan’s campaign prior to Walz’s announcement, a spokesperson said that “what’s hard to take seriously is Republicans talking about accountability while Donald Trump has pardoned 27 corporate fraudsters and fired the Inspectors General whose job it is to police fraud” and added that “the Lt. Governor has made clear that the amount of fraud that is acceptable is zero.”
Cook Political Report ranks both the Senate and gubernatorial races as “Likely Democrat.” The last Republican to hold the governor’s office was Tim Pawlenty, who left office in 2011, and Norm Coleman was the last Republican senator for the state, whose term ended in 2009.

Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate In Charleston Ahead Of SC Primary

Klobuchar Could Enter Minnesota Governor’s Race As GOP Seeks Power Play

2026 election

Amy Klobuchar

Fraud

Minnesota

Tim Walz

It was a busy 2025 for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who took the reins from Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell in November 2024.
The Daily Wire’s Washington Bureau Chief Tim Rice spoke with the Republican leader for Thursday&#8217;s episode of “Morning Wire” and reflected on what the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term has looked like in the upper congressional chamber. Thune also looked ahead to the big debate on Capitol Hill around health insurance, as some Affordable Care Act subsidies are set to expire on Wednesday.
As the Obamacare issue looms, Thune gave some insight into what he would be looking for in a health care plan.
“What we do believe makes sense is a model that a creates for an expansion of health savings accounts and putting the money back in the pockets of people in this country, incentivizing them to buy the insurance that makes sense for them, rather than buying the insurance the government tells &#8217;em they have to buy,” Thune said.
“And so they get a better rate, lower premium and better access to coverage. And I think those are things, those are elements of healthcare policy that we think makes sense, and none of which were included in what the Democrats voted on last week or what the Democrats in the House are trying to get done over there now,” he continued.
The health care debate focuses on whether the Obamacare subsidies should continue to keep premiums down. The lengthy federal government shutdown in the fall centered around the Obamacare debate, and it could strike Washington once <a href="https://www.livenowfox.com/news/government-could-shut-down-again-january-what-we-know">again</a> if lawmakers do not pass a bill to continue funding the government after January 30. Many conservatives argue that the program was unsustainable to begin with.
Thune said that 2025 was a &#8220;very productive&#8221; year thanks to President Donald Trump&#8217;s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,&#8221; which was passed by Congress and signed into law in July.
“In fact, the president&#8217;s agenda, for the most part, was all accomplished in that &#8216;One Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8217; Whether it&#8217;s national security or the border, energy, tax policy, school choice have been a priority for the movement for a long time, newborn accounts, childcare,” Thune said, also noting the farm bill and “the biggest spending reduction literally in history.”
However, he noted that being able to get the bill passed and to the president’s desk in July “was a Herculean task.”
“If you&#8217;d spread that out, you know, these things over a long period of time, like we would normally do, then it would look like a lot of stuff,&#8221; Thune continued. He also highlighted different Trump administration nominees making their way through the chamber, as well as cutting red tape, especially on energy.
“So it&#8217;s been busy, just in terms of volume of votes and time, and then in session and all that too. But I think also, I would argue very productive. But doing it all in one big, a lot of that one big package, then it gets the peanut gallery going, like, &#8216;Why aren&#8217;t you guys doing anything this week?&#8217;” the Republican said.
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The majority leader also addressed national security concerns, as well as threats abroad, like the recent antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi Beach, Australia.
“His investment in securing the border, working with us, his investment in America&#8217;s national security and projecting a policy of peace through strength around the world are all things that contribute to keeping people in this country safe,” the Republican said regarding Trump’s agenda on public safety.
“But when you see things like what happened in Australia, or even things that some of these horrible incidents here in the United States, they&#8217;re really tragic,” he said.
“I think that the best thing we can do is try to put in place the things that our law enforcement needs, that our military needs to deter bad behavior. And then, of course, obviously, when it happens make sure that people are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. And I think the president&#8217;s focus on law enforcement and on security is in a clear-eyed way, focused on that,” the majority leader later continued.

Senators Hold Their Policy Luncheons At The Capitol

Thune Previews Major Hurdle To Start 2026 After Momentous First Year As Majority Leader

Health Care

John Thune

Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) is running to succeed outgoing Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis in the United States Senate.
“We must keep up this fight, and that’s why today, I’m announcing my campaign for United States Senate,” the Republican said in a campaign video on Tuesday, which featured her 102-year-old mother, Marion Hageman.
“This fight is about making sure the next century sees the advancements of the last, while protecting our culture and our way of life,” she added.
Hageman gained nationwide attention in 2022 for defeating former Rep. Liz Cheney in the Republican primary after an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Hageman blew past Cheney with 66% of the vote to Cheney’s 29%. Cheney, formerly the chair of the House Republican Conference, became a staunch opponent of Trump and campaigned with Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
Wyoming has a singular at-large House district, and Trump campaigned for Hageman in May 2022 in Casper.
“I spoke with Harriet yesterday— She will be one of the best US Senators in the country. No question. We need her in there!” Tyler Bowyer, COO of Turning Point Action, posted to X on Tuesday. It’s unclear if any other major candidates will enter the Republican field at this point.
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The seat is considered to be solidly Republican, according to the Cook Political Report. Lummis won in 2020 with nearly 73% of the vote, and Trump won the state in 2024 with nearly 72% of the vote. Wyoming has a population of under 600,000 people.
As for Lummis, she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-republican-senator-announces-retirement-ahead-of-2026-midterms">announced</a> that she would not be seeking a second term in the upper chamber on Friday. The senator was known as a leader on cryptocurrency policy as well as energy.
“Deciding not to run for reelection does represent a change of heart for me, but in the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall I&#8217;ve come to accept that I do not have six more years in me. I am a devout legislator, but I feel like a sprinter in a marathon. The energy required doesn&#8217;t match up,” Lummis, 71, stated.
“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!” she continued.
If elected, Hageman would be serving alongside Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, who was re-elected in 2024.

Harriet Hageman

Congresswoman Who Defeated Liz Cheney Launches Senate Bid

Wyoming

For years, the pediatric cancer community fought to pass a single bill designed to help children with cancer access better drug treatments.
The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act empowered the FDA to push drug companies to study combination therapies that could save young lives. After countless setbacks, the bill finally appeared headed for success — unanimous passage in the Senate, a signature from the president, and long-overdue relief for families who had already waited too long.
Then one senator <a href="https://www.thebulwark.com/p/pediatric-cancer-bill-bernie-sanders-mikaela-naylon">stopped it:</a> Bernie Sanders.
On the night the bill reached the Senate floor, advocates, reporters, grieving siblings, and a cancer survivor filled the gallery expecting a rare moment of bipartisan decency. Instead, Sanders objected to unanimous consent, killing the bill’s momentum in a dramatic floor exchange that most Americans never saw coming. His objection was not to the bill’s purpose — he supports it, in theory — but to unrelated provisions attached to it and to his insistence that other health-care priorities be passed at the same time.
“He is literally killing kids in front of us because of his political movement,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), who forcefully supported the Give Kids a Chance Act, said. “It is ridiculous.”
“A unanimous vote in the chamber would have allowed the bill to bypass several steps, which typically involve the committee process and rules for debate, to move it straight along,” the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/21/us-news/bernie-sanders-blasted-for-tanking-bill-to-help-pediatric-cancer-patients-for-leverage/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">noted</a>. “Given that the bill had already unanimously cleared the House, it only needed to get through the Senate before going straight to President Trump’s desk for his signature.”
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The context makes Sanders’ move look even worse. The bill gained renewed momentum only because of Mikaela Naylon, a 16-year-old dying of osteosarcoma who had suffered below-knee amputation, multiple lung surgeries, radiation, and radioactive treatments. She spent her final weeks — after her doctors told her she had only weeks to live — lobbying Congress instead of resting. Even after she returned home to Colorado, she was meeting with legislators over Zoom. She became so weak that her parents ultimately had to speak for her while she listened. She spoke to Sen. John Hickenlooper on October 29, dying three hours later.
After Mikaela’s death, the House passed the renamed bill unanimously. Every senator but one was ready to do the same.
Sanders justified his blockade by arguing that savings in the bill should fund community health centers and that other bipartisan health provisions killed months earlier should be revived alongside it. By demanding everything or nothing, Sanders ensured that vulnerable children got nothing.
In the end, the Senate left town for the holidays, and the bill died with the clock. Sanders may claim he was fighting for bigger goals, but history will record that when given the chance to deliver immediate help to sick children, he chose procedural purity and political leverage instead. Incremental progress was available. He alone decided it wasn’t good enough — and kids paid the price.

Bernie Sanders 12/9/25

Bernie Sanders Singlehandedly Kills Pediatric Cancer Bill

When Politics Trump Compassion: Bernie Sanders Singlehandedly Kills Pediatric Cancer Bill

Bernie Sanders

Children

Pediatric cancer

When twice-deported Honduran illegal immigrant Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia allegedly fatally stabbed a passenger on a North Carolina train, the incident immediately drew national attention.
&#8220;Another stabbing by an Illegal Migrant in Charlotte, North Carolina,&#8221; President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social. &#8220;What&#8217;s going on in Charlotte? Democrats are destroying it, like everything else, piece by piece!!!&#8221;
But North Carolina had become a flashpoint in the national immigration debate well before Trump&#8217;s post. The Department of Homeland Security has been conducting “Operation Charlotte’s Web” in the region, which has yielded over 400 arrests so far, according to <a href="https://www.wbtv.com/2025/12/03/425-arrested-operation-charlottes-web-federal-officials-say/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WBTV</a>.
Michael Whatley, a Republican Senate candidate in the state and the former Republican National Committee chairman, told The Daily Wire that immigration-related woes are no surprise, as the Biden-era crisis turned “every state, including North Carolina, into border states.”
The Republican is poised to face off against Democrat Roy Cooper, North Carolina’s former governor, in one of 2026&#8217;s most hotly competitive races If elected, the Republican said that “we need to make sure that ICE is going to be funded,” along with Border Patrol.
He also took a jab at Cooper, who left office at the start of this year, for his immigration stances. The Democrat vetoed House Bill 10 last November, which would have required sheriffs to work with ICE. His veto was <a href="https://dailytarheel.com/article/city-ncga-ice-regulations-sheriff-deportation-20241126">overturned</a> by the North Carolina General Assembly.
“He has set up a revolving door for criminals in North Carolina,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He is fighting harder for criminals and illegal aliens than for his own constituents as governor.&#8221;
“When we talk about going into the Senate, ultimately it&#8217;s a vote, and it&#8217;s going to be a vote for the president and his agenda, or it&#8217;s gonna be a vote for Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer and the rest of the card-carrying woke mob that Roy Cooper belongs to,” Whatley continued.
“Roy Cooper is the only candidate who spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars as attorney general, and signing tough-on-crime laws and stricter bail and pretrial release rules as governor,&#8221; a Cooper campaign spokesman told The Daily Wire.
Whatley also pushed back on the notion that some Trump voters were surprised at how immigration enforcement was going to be conducted. On the campaign trail, signs even said “Mass Deportation Now.”
“The fact is, the American people voted for security. They voted for safe communities and safe kids, right? They voted to shut down the border. They voted to deport violent, criminal, illegal aliens,” Whatley said.
“President Trump made it very clear that that was his plan. So any voter who was voting on those issues knew that the president was going to be moving very forcefully to get this done. And that we&#8217;re seeing those protests and in a lot of different places is a little bit surprising to me,” he continued. “But you also have paid organizations that are out there, you know, fomenting these protests as a very real point.”
Whatley said that immigration is likely to be a top issue once again in 2026, along with the economy.
“We need the economy to be clicking. I think ultimately the economy is the most important factor when people vote, right? We need to create jobs, we need to raise wages, we need to lower costs,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And the American people need to feel like we have a very strong economy. All signs right now are pointing towards us having a very strong, robust economy.&#8221;

Lara Trump, Michael Whatley

Illegal Immigrant Crime Could Tip The Scales In North Carolina’s Crucial Senate Race

Immigration

Michael Whatley

North Carolina

Roy Cooper

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) is entering the heated race to represent the Lone Star State in the United States Senate after much deliberation.
Crockett filed last-minute paperwork to run in the Texas Democratic Primary in March and is expected to announce her bid later on Monday, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/jasmine-crockett-texas-senate-democratic-primary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a> reported.
“It is hilarious to me that me saying that I will announce what I plan to do on 12/8, like I’ve been saying is scaring the heck out of so many people. The attacks are hilarious… note to those that don’t know how politics works… only the threat gets attacked,” the Democrat <a href="https://x.com/JasmineForUS/status/1996580581778370949">posted on X</a> last week.
“Again, my decision to go one way or another will be based upon facts &amp; not feelings… historical data, trends, etc,” she added. The 44-year-old congresswoman, who represents parts of the Dallas area, is considered a firebrand for her party as a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and a key surrogate on the 2024 campaign trail. Her entrance could potentially rally the Democratic base in the state and push her through the primary.
Earlier on Monday, former Rep. Colin Allred, who lost to Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024, dropped out of the race amid the speculation that Crockett would likely jump in.
“I am deeply moved by the personal stories and trust that so many Texans have placed in me. I’m forever grateful and believe it comes with heavy responsibility,” Allred <a href="https://x.com/ColinAllredTX/status/1998015894878830941">wrote</a> in an X post.
However, state Rep. James Talarico is standing firm in his bid for the Democratic nomination.
“We&#8217;re building a movement in Texas fueled by record-breaking grassroots fundraising and 10,000 volunteers who are putting in the work to defeat the billionaire mega-donors and puppet politicians who have taken over our state,” Talarico wrote in a Monday afternoon statement.
“Our movement is rooted in unity over division &#8211; so we welcome Congresswoman Crockett into this race,” he added.
The Republicans are duking it out for the nomination, as Sen. John Cornyn is facing off against Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. None of the men has received Trump’s endorsement yet, as the race has largely centered on who would be best positioned to help the president execute his agenda during his last two years in office.
Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the Senate, and the battle for Congress will be critical in determining the political direction for the Trump administration and a key indicator headed into the 2028 presidential race. In Texas, Trump won the state handily in 2024, and the Cook Political Report considered the 2026 Senate race as “Likely Republican.”

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX)

Jasmine Crockett Files Paperwork To Run For U.S. Senate In Texas

It's Official: Jasmine Crockett Files Paperwork To Run For Senate in Texas

Democrats

Jasmine Crockett

Texas

Former Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) is dropping out of the Texas Senate race and instead running for the House again, which is paving the way for Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) to possibly enter the Democratic primary.
“I am deeply moved by the personal stories and trust that so many Texans have placed in me. I&#8217;m forever grateful and believe it comes with heavy responsibility,” Allred, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in 2024, wrote in an X post, setting up a primary challenge to incumbent Rep. Julie Johnson (D-TX).
“That’s why I’ve made the difficult decision to end my campaign for Senate and run to represent the newly drawn CD-33,” he added.
The often bombastic Crockett is inching toward a bid, but she has yet to formally announce her decision. Allred’s exit could be an indicator that she is jumping into the race, as state Rep. James Talarico (D-TX) also has his hat in the ring.
“It is hilarious to me that me saying that I will announce what I plan to do on 12/8, like I’ve been saying is scaring the heck out of so many people. The attacks are hilarious … note to those that don’t know how politics works … only the threat gets attacked,” Crockett posted to X on last week. She told CNN last month that she would “make a final decision by Thanksgiving on whether or not we’re gonna ultimately move forward.”
“Again, my decision to go one way or another will be based upon facts &amp; not feelings… historical data, trends, etc,” she continued.
On the Republican side, there’s a heated primary underway between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Rep. Wesley Hunt. Paxton and Hunt are arguing that Cornyn is not doing enough to support President Donald Trump’s agenda, whereas Cornyn and the National Republican Senatorial Committee have said that the incumbent has the best shot at winning the general election.
In recent days, Cornyn’s social media has taken numerous shots at Crockett, including saying, “she insults the people she is supposed to serve.”
Trump has yet to endorse in the Republican primary. The Cook Political Report ranks the race as “Likely Republican.”
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has already sounded the alarm on a potential bid from the Democrat congresswoman, who drew national attention in 2024 after referring to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) as a &#8220;bleach-blonde, bad-built, butch body&#8221; during a heated congressional hearing.
“Jasmine Crockett about to learn the hard way that most Texans are very different from her district, her base &amp; her values,” Abbott posted to X. “She’ll be pummeled for her progressive socialist agenda &amp; get crushed by the Republican nominee for Senate.”
“The Texas political cemetery is filled with blow hards like her who have no idea what it’s like to run statewide. Looking forward to watching the circus&#8211; and KEEPING the US Senate seat red,” he added, saying maybe there’s a spot on “The View” for her.
Republicans currently hold 53 of the 100 Senate seats, with Democrats holding 45 – along with two independents who caucus with Democrats. As for Texas, Trump won the state&#8217;s 40 electoral votes, taking more than 56% of the vote compared with former Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217; 42.5%. In the Senate race, Cruz defeated Allred with 53%, and the Democrat won around 44.6%.

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Texas’ 30th District: An Intimate Brunch

Major Texas Senate Race Exit Could Signal Jasmine Crockett’s Entrance

2026 elections

colin allred

WASHINGTON—Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak will testify before the United States Senate Wednesday afternoon on a federal DEI program riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse.
Rosiak will address lawmakers during a Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee hearing titled &#8220;Running Government Like a Small Business: Cut Waste, Crush Fraud.&#8221; He will speak on the 8(a) program, one of the largest and oldest DEI initiatives in the country, which affects contracts at almost all federal agencies. Rosiak has led the charge in exposing problems with 8(a), which sets aside government contracts for firms run by members of certain &#8220;disadvantaged&#8221; classes, largely racial and ethnic minorities.
The hearing will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET. and will be streamed live on The Daily Wire.
Rosiak, who last month won the<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daily-wires-luke-rosiak-wins-investigative-journalism-award-for-best-doge-reporting" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 2025 Dao Prize</a> for his work covering extraordinary government waste, has exposed countless<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/core-part-of-minority-contracting-program-is-illegal-judge-said?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Core+Part+Of+This+Federal+Race-Based+Contracting+Program+Is+Illegal%2C+Judge+Says" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 8(a) program abuses.</a> The Department of Justice found that the 8(a) program had been exploited to carry out a<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/usaid-official-and-three-corporate-executives-plead-guilty-decade-long-bribery-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> $550 million bribery scheme</a> over several decades. The program became vulnerable to abuse through &#8220;pass-through&#8221; fraud, in which minority-owned businesses would win a federal contract through a no-bid process, collect a cut of the funds, and then subcontract another company to do the actual work needed for the contract.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler are investigating the misuse, which independent journalist James O&#8217;Keefe describes as a potential <a href="https://x.com/JamesOKeefeIII/status/1980344367014429114" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$100 billion scandal</a>.
The upcoming hearing aims to highlight the full extent of the waste, fraud, and abuse that investigators say took place. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), who chairs the small business committee, recently introduced the<a href="https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-introduces-bill-to-halt-fraud-filled-sba-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Stop 8(a) Contracting Fraud Act</a> to place a hold on all new no-bid federal contracts until the 8(a) program, dramatically expanded under President Joe Biden as part of a DEI initiative, undergoes a full audit.
While Rosiak will focus on fraud within the 8(a) program, two other witnesses will address additional areas of waste, including misuse of COVID funds and USAID grants: Open the Books CEO John Hart, and Courtney LaFountain, Acting Director of the Government Accountability Office.
“If a small business treated their finances like the government treats tax dollars, they would go out of business,” Ernst said. “This has always been an issue in Washington, but under Joe Biden it became an all-you-can-eat buffet of waste, fraud, and abuse with criminals and con artists cashing in while hardworking Americans were left out in the cold. I look forward to hearing from our expert witnesses on where Congress should focus our continued efforts to downsize the bloated bureaucracy, increase government efficiency, and best serve small businesses.”

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Daily Wire’s Luke Rosiak Will Testify Before The Senate On Massive Federal DEI Scheme

Daily Wire

Joni Ernst

Luke Rosiak

The consequences of the botched Afghanistan withdrawal during the Biden administration have made their way to the American homeland after the deadly National Guard shooting in Washington, D.C., according to many Republicans, including Senator Jim Banks (R-IN), who was deployed to Afghanistan while serving in the Navy.
Shortly following the suspect’s identification as an Afghan national, Banks immediately called for proper vetting of individuals who came into the country as refugees following the withdrawal from Afghanistan. In a Thursday interview with The Daily Wire on Capitol Hill, Banks elaborated on why he “predicted that this would happen.&#8221;
“If you flood the country with unvetted Afghan nationals, we knew that there would be a large population within that group who were aligned with terrorists, and now this is playing out and proving to be true,” Banks said.
“Go back and vet all of them,” the senator said, further adding that the role of Congress should be to support the president and “fund the effort to do that.&#8221; The &#8220;One Big Beautiful Bill Act,&#8221; which passed in July, paved the way for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to hire thousands of agents, along with providing funding for immigration and border security measures.
“And all of them who weren&#8217;t properly vetted — every single one of them — should be vetted. And if they shouldn&#8217;t be in the United States, then they should be sent back to where they came from,&#8221; the Republican said.
“I served in Afghanistan, I served with translators and Afghan troops and others, and I can just tell you, not every single one of them should be allowed to come to the United States,” Banks continued.
“They should be vetted. Just because they did something in Afghanistan during the war that &#8230; aligned with America, doesn&#8217;t mean that they support American values, and no one should &#8230; be allowed to come to America that doesn&#8217;t love America,” he added.
Banks noted that the country&#8217;s immigration woes are arguably what won President Donald Trump a second term in 2024, adding that “he has a mandate to do what he’s doing.”
Millions of people were let into the U.S. through asylum and parole programs, as well as by illegally crossing the southern border, during the Biden administration. Roughly 14 million immigrants &#8220;unauthorized&#8221; to be in the U.S. were in the country as of 2023, according to the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2025/08/21/u-s-unauthorized-immigrant-population-reached-a-record-14-million-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pew Research Center</a>. As for Afghans who entered after the withdrawal, they came in through Operation Allies Welcome and other programs.
The suspect in the deadly National Guard shooting last month in Washington, D.C., Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, reportedly worked alongside the CIA as a member of &#8220;Zero Unit&#8221; in Afghanistan. Rahmanullah has also dealt with mental health issues since coming to the United States.
The deadly shooting killed Sarah Beckstrom and seriously injured another National Guard member, Andrew Wolfe, who remains in serious condition, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/02/us/national-guard-andrew-wolfe">reported</a>.
Following the National Guard tragedy, Trump ordered the immigration processes for individuals from 19 “high-risk” nations halted to allow for “a thorough re-review process,” according to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services policy memorandum from Dec. 2.
&#8220;In light of identified concerns and the threat to the American people, USCIS has determined that a comprehensive re-review, potential interview, and re-interview of all aliens from high-risk countries of concern who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021 is necessary,&#8221; the memo stated. &#8220;Lastly, USCIS may, when appropriate, extend this review and re-interview process to aliens who entered the United States outside of this timeframe.&#8221;
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“We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country,” Trump said in the immediate aftermath of the Nov. 26 shooting.
As for the suspect in the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; &#8220;We believe he was radicalized since he has been here in this country. We do believe that it was through connections in his home community and state.&#8221;
The Indiana senator pointed out that even though the withdrawal from Afghanistan was in 2021, “there hasn’t been a successful effort for accountability in its aftermath.”
During the exit of American troops, 13 American soldiers died in an ISIS-K attack, and the Taliban regained control of the country.

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Veteran Serving In Congress Demands Vetting Of Afghan Nationals After Deadly National Guard Shooting

Afghan War Vet In Senate Stresses Importance Of Vetting After National Guard Shooting

Afghanistan

Jim Banks

National Guard

Washington DC

Squad member Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) will not primary challenge Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) in the 2026 election. She is instead opting to run for re-election to her current seat.
“Hearing from so many people from throughout our Commonwealth encouraging me to run for the United States Senate was deeply humbling and a testament to the strength of our movement,” Pressley <a href="https://x.com/AyannaPressley/status/1995949427249610967">posted to X</a> in a statement on Tuesday.
“It would be an honor to serve the whole Commonwealth-but with our daughter in her last year at home before college and a district that has been in the crosshairs of this White House, I am certain that the Massachusetts 7th is where I belong in this moment,” she continued.
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The only major primary challenger to Markey next year for the seat is now Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA).
The move comes as the Democratic Party is at a political crossroads in terms of both the age and ideology of candidates it runs. The congresswoman is 51 years old, and Markey is 79. Moulton is even younger at 47, and he’s been an advocate for having different Democratic leadership in the Senate besides Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
&#8220;Tonight is another example of why we need new leadership. If [Schumer] were an effective leader, he would have united his caucus to vote ‘No’ tonight and hold the line on healthcare. Maybe now [Markey] will finally join me in pledging not to vote for Schumer?&#8221; Moulton posted to X on November 9 when a handful of Senate Democrats voted with Republicans to take steps toward reopening the federal government.
As for Pressley, she is one of the original four members of the far-left “Squad,” which started with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Pressley, who all took office in 2019.
The debate has manifested most notably when President Joe Biden was swapped out for Vice President Kamala Harris as the 2024 presidential nominee. However, it is also showing up in other places, including the Maine Senate primary between 41-year-old veteran Graham Platner and 77-year-old Gov. Janet Mills.
“Congresswoman Pressley is a powerful fighter for working families and a national leader for her work in Congress,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) posted in response to Pressley’s announcement.
“No one fights harder than [Ayanna Pressley], and she will continue to be a strong, effective voice for Massachusetts,” she added. If Warren opts for re-election, it would not be until 2030, which is the year she turns 81.
Markey’s seat is rated as “Solid Democrat” by the Cook Political Report.

Ayanna Pressley

Squad Member Will Not Challenge Fellow Dem Senator As Party Frets Over Trump

Ayanna Pressley Will Not Primary Sen. Ed Markey As Democrats Navigate Trump-Era Direction

Democrat

Ed Markey

Massachusetts

seth moulton

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