Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Democratic senators have sparred over a wide range of the Trump administration’s foreign policies: Ukraine and Russia, the Middle East, Latin America, the slashing of the U.S. foreign assistance budget, refugee admissions and more.

The Senate has confirmed real estate developer Charles Kushner, the father of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France.

President Donald Trump on Friday floated cutting tariffs on China to 80% ahead of a weekend meeting as he looks to de-escalate the trade war.

A retired U.S. brigadier general who failed to get through the confirmation process in the first Trump administration is getting renewed scrutiny for his political and anti-Islamic social media posts.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has boasted that he's dismantling a program supporting women on security teams.

A supercharged U.S. Senate GOP primary in Texas between Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton is off to a fast start of personal attacks and expectations of a high-spending race.

President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to the Vatican has defended many of the administration’s foreign-aid cuts at a Senate hearing, even while saying Catholic charitable groups are well-equipped to deliver such aid efficiently.

Senate Democrats were grim Friday as they left Washington after a brutal 10-week stretch that consistently showed the limits of their new minority and culminated with a deeply personal rupture over how to best counter President Donald Trump.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will not seek Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat in 2026.

Democrats in Washington are trying to sound optimistic following Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's announcement she won't seek reelection in New Hampshire in 2026.

In a rare bipartisan move, two senators have introduced legislation in the latest attempt to fight the flow of fentanyl and its precursors into the U.S. from China, Mexico and through other borders.

President Donald Trump’s firing of Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is drawing mixed reactions on Capitol Hill.

Thai and Chinese officials have confirmed that a group of 40 Uyghur men detained in Thailand for more than a decade have been deported to China.

The budget resolution from Republicans was on the agenda in the Senate, but the nearly all-night debate encompassed so much more.

Democratic senators have grilled three of President Donald Trump’s cabinet picks during their confirmation hearings.

New Hampshire will elect a female governor for the third time in November after former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte and former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig won their respective primaries.

Iran’s attack against Israel over the weekend has spurred bipartisan legislative action in Congress and sanctions from the Biden administration.

Senators from both major political parties are urging congressional leaders to ensure that more visas are made available to Afghans who worked alongside U.S. troops in America’s longest war.

A bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators has made an official visit to Hungary’s capital to call on the nationalist government to immediately approve Sweden’s request to join NATO.

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers are urging Hungary to immediately ratify Sweden’s application to join NATO.

NATO members have reached a tentative agreement to ask Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to remain head of the 31-member transatlantic alliance for another year.

One of President Joe Biden’s nominees to a federal appeals court has generated rare concern from some Democrats and outside groups.

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is becoming an Independent and leaving the Democratic Party.

U.S. sanctions going forward must focus on depriving President Vladimir Putin of the oil revenue and arms supplies he needs to press his war in Ukraine.

The recent passage of legislation that would limit the cost of insulin for Medicare patients has renewed hope for those pushing for Congress to do more.

In a story published July 30, 2022, The Associated Press reported that the Congressional Budget Office estimated that an insulin bill would increase the price of the drug.

President Joe Biden’s point man for global energy problems knows, he says, that transitioning away from the climate-wrecking pollution of fossil fuels is the only way to go.

Sixteen states and Puerto Rico are jockeying for early slots on a new Democratic presidential primary calendar, offering presentations for party bosses on why they deserve to go first — or at least close to it.

The House has passed a bill capping the monthly cost of insulin at $35 for insured patients.

At first, the White House resisted calls from Congress to ban Russian oil imports to the U.S. And then, it did just that.

The Senate has given final congressional approval to a $13.6 billion emergency package of military and humanitarian aid for besieged Ukraine and its European allies.

Legislation to limit insulin costs for people with diabetes is getting a new push in the Senate.

The U.S. Senate is sending a show of support for an independent Ukraine.

The U.S. Senate is considering a resolution in support of Ukraine’s independence while stopping short of legislation to impose sanctions on Russia.

U.S. Senate leaders from both parties have issued a joint statement signaling solidarity with an independent Ukraine.

Word of Justice Stephen Breyer's pending retirement may be lifting Democratic hopes ahead of midterm elections.

Short of an all-out invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin could take less dramatic action in Ukraine that would vastly complicate a U.S. and allied response.

Democrats are picking up the pieces after the collapse of their sweeping voting rights legislation.

President Joe Biden says he thinks Russia will invade Ukraine and is warning President Vladimir Putin that his country would pay a “dear price” in lives lost and a possible cutoff from the global banking system if it does.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with his Russian counterpart in Switzerland this week as tensions between the U.S. and Russia escalate over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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

The State Department has named a new coordinator for its investigation into cases of so-called Havana Syndrome.

The Senate has voted to start work on a nearly $1 trillion national infrastructure package.

Looming over the Senate Democrats this year is a decision that could fundamentally change Congress as it has operated for decades.

President Joe Biden is seeking to clarify his position on the bipartisan infrastructure package proposed by lawmakers.

Congressional Democrats are eyeing a $6 trillion infrastructure package that goes far beyond roads and bridges.

A bipartisan senators’ group working on a $1 trillion infrastructure compromise has now doubled in size, expanding to 21 members.

Ukraine’s president is claiming that Russia has maintained a massive military presence near his country’s borders.

The woman poised to be the first female secretary of the Army told Congress Thursday that combating sexual assault and harassment is a top priority, and said greater prevention is needed, including more training to encourage soldiers to step in when they see bad behavior by others.

A new U.S. intelligence assessment says any gains in women’s rights in Afghanistan made in the last two decades will be at risk after the U.S. withdraws later this year.

The top U.S. general in the Middle East tells Congress that Afghanistan’s military “will certainly collapse” without some type of continued American support once all U.S. troops are withdrawn.

President Joe Biden says he will withdraw the remaining U.S. troops from Afghanistan and end America's longest war.

But the move was immediately criticized as inadequate by senior Republican lawmakers who noted the administration had not penalized any additional companies or individuals for work on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. U.S. officials have long said they fear Russia will use the pipeline as a political tool against its neighbors. However, congressional Republicans were unimpressed and denounced the administration for failing to impose any sanctions on additional targets, notably people and firms in Germany, which is a strong Nord Stream 2 proponent. “I am deeply troubled and disappointed by the State Department’s report on Nord Stream 2 activities and their decision to forgo additional sanctions on other entities involved in its construction," Risch said. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire has co-sponsored legislation opposing the pipeline with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and has been outspoken in her criticism of Nord Stream 2.

Democrats in Nevada are making a play to bump Iowa and New Hampshire from their early spots on presidential primary calendar. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)LAS VEGAS – Democrats in Nevada are making a play to bump Iowa and New Hampshire from their early spots on the presidential primary calendar. Nevada Democrats also plan to make their case in the coming months to the DNC, which sets the party's nominating process. Some of the state party's governing committee acknowledge there's internal debate over whether the leadoff caucus is worth fighting over. But others say Iowa Democrats should instead be focused on winning elections — after years of watching the state trend Republican.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on health care, in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Thursday rescinded a regulation that barred U.S. foreign aid from being used to perform or promote abortions. His decision, while expected, was cheered by abortion-choice advocates and some humanitarian groups and denounced by anti-abortion groups. Critics of Trump's policies say they had hurt women’s reproductive health care and contributed to poverty worldwide. Abortion-rights groups and Democratic lawmakers hailed it as key to improving women's lives, while anti-abortion groups denounced it as immoral and unnecessary.

At least a dozen senators met for an hour and 15 minutes in a virtual call with White House National Economic Council director Brian Deese and other senior White House officials Sunday. Many hope to approve a relief package before former President Donald Trump's trial, which is set to begin in two weeks, overtakes Washington’s attention. Senators also wanted more data on how the White House reached the $1.9 trillion figure. “It was about how can we work together to help the people of this country.”White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients and White House legislative affairs director Louisa Terrell also joined the call. “We’re going to continue to push because we can’t wait,” said White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

At least a dozen senators met for an hour and 15 minutes in a virtual call with White House National Economic Council director Brian Deese and other senior White House officials. Many hope to approve a relief package before former President Donald Trump's trial, which is set to begin in two weeks, overtakes Washington’s attention. Senators also wanted more data on how the White House reached the $1.9 trillion figure. “It was about how can we work together to help the people of this country.”White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients and White House legislative affairs director Louisa Terrell also joined the call. “We’re going to continue to push because we can’t wait,” said White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Those numbers likely aren't going to be ready until early March as the Census Bureau works to fix data irregularities, Department of Justice attorneys said earlier this week. As part of the agreement, the Trump administration attorneys said the Census Bureau would not be releasing figures related to two directives from Trump before the change in administrations. The Trump administration would not be releasing the numbers used for apportioning congressional seats among the states before the change in administrations, as part of the agreement. Several Democratic lawmakers in Congress have followed suit in the past two days, saying Dillingham has allowed the Trump administration to politicize the 2020 census. The Census Bureau did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jill Biden, left, wife of Democratic presidential candidate former vice president Joe Biden, and Doug Emhoff, center, husband of Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., greet supporters in passing cars during a campaign stop, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Jill Biden and Doug Emhoff are both from New Jersey. And now they're building a team as the better halves of the Joe Biden campaign. “Don’t you think the American people love seeing people in government who respect one another and are friends with one another?” Jill Biden said as she campaigned in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday. Jill Biden has become one of the campaign’s main surrogates for Latino outreach and, as a teacher herself, often holds events focused on teachers and education. Jill Biden has made sure to call and check in on him after a busy week.

FILE - In this Friday, May, 3, 2019, file photo, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, speaks at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. Shaheen is the incumbent Democrat candidate for Senate in the Sept. 8, 2020, New Hampshire primary election. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)CONCORD, N.H. The Republican U.S. Senate primary in New Hampshire could hinge on bank accounts, backgrounds and the backing of President Donald Trump. And he accused both Messner and Shaheen of equating politics with power and money instead of public service. Shaheen faced former state Rep. Tom Alciere and retired dentist Paul Krautmann in the Democratic primary.

At least 10 lawmakers and three congressional caucuses have ties to organizations that received federal coronavirus aid, according to government data released this week. Four car dealerships owned by Kelly received $600,000 to $1.4 million. Mike Kelly Automotive Group, Mike Kelly Automotive LP and Mike Kelly Hyundai and Kelly Chevrolet-Cadillac, all near Pittsburgh, received the money. Buchanan, whose net worth is estimated at $74 million, received three loans for car dealerships totaling $2.7 million to $7 million. Two wineries tied to Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., and an Iowa farm run by his family received loans worth at least $2 million.

At least 10 lawmakers and three congressional caucuses have ties to organizations that received federal coronavirus aid, according to government data released this week. We think it certainly should be illegal" for members of Congress to benefit from a program they created, he said. Car dealerships owned by Kelly received from $450,000 to just over $1 million. At least five car dealerships owned by the husband of Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., also received loans, each ranging from $350,000 to $1 million, the data show. Herns Tulsa-based KTAK Corp., a management company for several McDonalds restaurants, received $1 million to $2 million.

(AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio)RIO RANCHO, N.M. New Mexico has moved closer to possibly sending a historic delegation of all women of color to the U.S. House. Former state lawmaker Yvette Herrell, a member of the Cherokee Nation, won a heated Republican primary race to challenge Torres Small November in a swing district representing southern New Mexico. Hawaii had a two-member all women of color U.S. House delegation with GOP U.S. Rep. Patricia Saiki and Democratic U.S. Rep. Delewares lone member of the House is Democratic Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a black woman. But New Mexico could wind up with the largest U.S. House delegation of women or women of color in history.