Latest news with #votearama
Free Malaysia Today
19 hours ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Senate vote-a-rama to pass Trump's US$3.3 trillion bill extends into second day
Beginning on Monday and ongoing for over 16 hours, it was still unclear how long the voting would last. (EPA Images pic) WASHINGTON : US Senate Republicans in the early hours of Tuesday morning were still trying to pass President Donald Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill, despite divisions within the party about its expected US$3.3 trillion hit to the nation's debt pile. Senators were voting in a marathon session known as a 'vote-a-rama,' featuring a series of amendments by Republicans and the minority Democrats, part of the arcane process Republicans are using to bypass Senate rules that normally require 60 of the chamber's 100 members to agree on legislation. Beginning on Monday and ongoing for over 16 hours, it was still unclear how long the voting would last. Lawmakers said the process had been held up partly by the need to determine whether amendments complied with special budgetary rules. Shortly after midnight, Senate majority leader John Thune told reporters the vote-a-rama was 'hopefully on the home stretch and then we'll see where the votes are.' Republicans can afford to lose no more than three votes in either chamber to pass a bill the Democrats are united in opposition to. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released its assessment on Sunday of the bill's hit to the US$36.2 trillion U.S. debt pile. The Senate version is estimated to cost US$3.3 trillion, US$800 billion more than the version passed last month in the House of Representatives. Many Republicans dispute that claim, contending that extending existing policy will not add to the debt. Nonetheless, international bond investors see incentives to diversify out of the US treasury market. Democrats, meanwhile, hope the latest, eye-widening figure could stoke enough anxiety among fiscally minded conservatives to get them to buck their party, which controls both chambers of Congress. 'This bill, as we have said for months, steals people's healthcare, jacks up their electricity bill to pay for tax breaks for billionaires,' Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said in a speech to the Senate. Thune countered that the tax cuts will help families and small businesses as he defended spending reductions to social safety net programmes. He said Medicaid was growing at an unsustainable rate and there were some improvements and reforms to make it more efficient. The Senate narrowly advanced the tax cut, immigration, border and military spending bill in a procedural vote late on Saturday, voting 51-49 to open debate on the 940-page megabill. Trump wants the bill passed before the July 4 Independence Day holiday. Bill politics Amendments proposed by Democratic senators such as the proposed limiting cuts to Medicaid were rejected by the Republican majority. Embedded in the Senate Republicans' bill are several hot-button political issues, like a prohibition of Medicaid funding for a list of almost 30 medical procedures related to gender transition, as well as an increase of immigration-related funding for criminal and gang checks for unaccompanied migrant children, including examinations of 'gang-related tattoos' for children as young as 12 years old. Early on Tuesday, Democrats and Republicans voted down an attempt by Republican Senator Susan Collins to cushion the impact of Medicaid cuts on rural health facilities by doubling federal support to US$50 billion over five years and paying for the increase by raising the top federal tax rate. The measure still drew support from 18 Republicans. Elon Musk, formerly appointed by Trump to spearhead his government cost-cutting plan before the pair had a public falling-out in June over the budget bill, threatened on Monday to target Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm election. 'Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!' Musk posted on X. He also reiterated his interest in a new political party and accused lawmakers in both parties of belonging to the 'porky pig party', a dig at government spending levels. The US chamber of commerce, which says the majority of its members are small businesses, backs the bill. However, John Arensmeyer, who represents more than 85,000 small enterprises at the Small Business Majority, cautioned that the business tax relief is currently skewed to the wealthiest top 5% of small businesses. Debt ceiling deadline The Republican measure contains a US$5 trillion debt ceiling increase – US$1 trillion more than the House's bill – but failure to pass some version would present lawmakers with a serious deadline later this summer, when the treasury department could come close to exhausting its borrowing authority and thus risk a devastating default. The debt limit increase has caused Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky to come out in opposition to the bill, joining fellow Republican Tillis, who decried its cuts to Medicaid and clean energy initiatives. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Senate bill would result in about 11.8 million additional uninsured people, surpassing estimates for the House's version. If the Senate succeeds in passing the bill, it will then go to the House, where members are also divided, with some angry about its cost and others worried about cuts to the Medicaid program. The megabill would extend the 2017 tax cuts that were Trump's main legislative achievement during his first term as president, cut other taxes and boost spending on the military and border security. Senate Republicans, who reject the budget office's estimates on the cost of the legislation, are set on using an alternative calculation method that does not factor in costs from extending the 2017 tax cuts. Outside tax experts, like Andrew Lautz from the nonpartisan think tank Bipartisan Policy Center, call it a 'magic trick'. Using this calculation method, the Senate Republicans' budget bill appears to cost substantially less and seems to save US$500 billion, according to the BPC analysis.
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Sleepless in the Senate well: Late-night ball game, cornered holdout, partisan tacos and Trump's fave breakfast
John Fetterman was pissed off. Then again he started out that way, far before there was a hint that watching Republicans get to 51 votes on President Donald Trump's 'big beautiful' spending bill would take an over-24-hour marathon session in the Senate chamber. The Democratic Pennsylvania senator, who had lamented on camera a day earlier about not being able to join his family at the beach, had just heard his aide tell him eight more amendments remained. 'Eight f***in' more?' he exclaimed. 'You're kidding.' Because Fetterman wore his trademark Carhartt shirt and shorts rather than a suit and tie, he could not be on the Senate floor at that moment, very late Monday, er, make that early Tuesday. Time of day/night had become a blur by that point. That's a shame, I thought, because typically watching the floor activity is the one joy of the so-called vote-a-rama session where senators haggle over various provisions of a budget bill being passed under reconciliation. For someone who likes C-SPAN as much as I unashamedly admit I do, viewing such a wonky spectacle from the gallery is like a live concert. And that makes a vote-a-rama the legislative equivalent of the Eras Tour. That is if Taylor Swift played for nearly 27 hours. For those who have never covered a vote-a-rama, they are near equal parts consequential debate and kabuki theater. Republicans planned to pass the bill via budget reconciliation, which allows legislation to pass with a simple majority as long as it relates to spending. This leads to rapid fire introduction of amendments by either side. Republicans can push for amendments that otherwise could not pass in committee, while Democrats can try to introduce poison pill legislation to kill the bill. As senators filed in Monday morning, I caught Sen. Lisa Murkowski — hours before she would become the center of the rebellion against the bill's passage — to ask her about renewable energy efforts that are targeted for destruction in this bill. But the Alaska Republican was already in no mood to chat. 'I haven't decided whether to share comments with reporters this morning or not,' she said. 'You're the first one to ask me a question this morning, so you win the bonu round.' Anyone who has covered Murkowski recently can tell that the senior senator is fed up with having to answer for every little thing Trump says or does. If she had her druthers, she would focus on Native-Alaskan affairs, working on the budget and on energy policy. Just last week, Murkowski released her memoir in which she touted her independent streak. Oftentimes, she will try to avoid reporters or joke with them to avoid them asking hard questions. But after some thought, Murkowski gave a semi-substantive answer. 'I don't want to see us backslide on clean energy,' she told The Independent. Then the vote-a-rama kicked off. Early in the evening, Democrats felt that they might have a shot to sink the bill. Early-morning or late-night votes can often be dramatic. Look no further than the thumbs-down the late John McCain delivered that saved the Affordable Care Act during the first Trump administration. Democrats kept saying Republicans didn't have the votes or that the GOP was too divided. They also hoped to exploit some of those fissures as they offered amendment after amendment — all of which naturally failed — until they seemed to run out of steam. Then, Democrats switched to offering motions to recommit, a motion which would cause the legislation to be referred back the Senate committee of its jurisdiction. Eventually, Sen. John Kennedy, who despite being a graduate of Oxford often puts on a heavily affected Louisiana Cajun accent, complained about his Republican colleagues allowing Democrats to offer these motions, which were a futile effort because no number of Republicans would even think of sending these bills back to committee. 'We might as well have been standing around, sucking on our teeth.' he said. Kennedy wasn't wrong. But Republicans faced a bind. For one, they had to find a way to appease Murkowski and her fellow moderate Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. In 2017, both joined McCain in his opposition to repeal the Affordable Care Act and they have considerable leverage. Collins had particular issue with the fact the bill put a cap on the amount that states could levy on provider taxes to raise money to receive matching Medicaid dollars. Rural hospitals could go under as a result since many of them rely on Medicaid recipients. To try and make up for that deficit to the hospitals, the bill created a $25 billion rural hospital fund. But Collins had an amendment to raise that amount to $50 billion. It didn't go well. Only 22 senators voted for it, and a majority of her Republican colleagues opposed it. One of the only Republicans who joined her was Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, who had spent the past month wringing his hands about Medicaid cuts but ultimately decided to vote for the bill. When that failed, it looked like Collins would certainly join Tillis and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky in opposing the bill. She later lamented that the Senate should have done two reconciliation bills instead of 'One Big, Beautiful Bill,' which Trump requested it be called. 'I think that would have been a better approach,' Collins told me as pulled a roll-around suitcase back to the Senate floor. That meant that everything hinged on Murkowski. Republicans had loaded up the bill with pork for her, including a way to shield Alaska from a provision that would require that the state shoulder the cost of SNAP and another that would prevent it from being hit by cuts to Medicaid. This led to Senate leadership frequently — and literally — cornering and badgering Murkowski. At one point, Thune, former majority leader McConnell, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo and fellow Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan had her cornered on the Senate floor. This led to a series of back-and-forths where Thune and reporters would zip back to his office. They lifted up their phones to get audio of the lanky beanpole Thune's soft-spoken tone as kept saying Republicans were close. Of course, doing a long-haul vote-a-rama calls for sustenance. At one point, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent socialist who caucuses with the Democrats, was seen munching a bag of snacks, while Democrat Ruben Gallego of Arizona went to go see if the tacos his party ordered for catering were any good. (Note: As a Mexican-American who lives in D.C., I can tell you they will not be as good as anything found in Arizona). Gallego also was not buying that Republicans had a deal. 'If you have to stall this long, it means you have a shit bill,' he told me. Unsurprisingly, the longer senators went on, the more exhausted they got and the more caffeine was required. Shortly after my third or fourth caffeinated beverage, I ran into Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican former Auburn University head football coach, who told me, 'I'm braindead brother' as he sipped on some coffee. When Sen. Mike Lee of Utah proposed a rollback of renewable energy credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota had her arms folded in her fleece — not just because she helped craft those parts of the bill to combat climate change, but because Lee had spread disgusting conspiracy theories about the killing of her fellow Minnesotan, former statehouse speaker Melissa Hortman. Meanwhile, Thom Tillis, the North Carolina Republican who had clashed with Trump about the bill and then said he would not run for re-election, walked around like a man who had given his two weeks' notice and even spent time with progressive Democrats like Elizabeth Warren. The night into day also saw Warren and her former presidential rival Amy Klobuchar occasionally chatting. At one point, Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff of California, Mark Kelly of Arizona, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Mark Warner of Virginia made their way to hang out with Republican Sens. Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Kennedy. But, alas, all good things must come to an end. Well, things anyway. Around the time some senators and reporters went to watch the sunrise, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas ordered his Republican colleagues breakfast from McDonald's, one of Trump's favorite fast food choices, according to HuffPost's Igor Bobic. No word if Trump made the fries himself. At that point, around 7 am, I was simultaneously crabby, too excited to go to sleep if I'd gone home anyway, tired, but also jittery from all the caffeine I ingested, so my editor sent me home. In the end, Collins, Tillis and Paul voted alone against the bill — but what I'd taken to calling the Denali Deal for Murkowski had galvanized the agreement for a 50-50 vote with Vance giving the 51st vote. Some may remark on why Murkowski joined leadership this time but it is fairly clear that she did not want to be remembered as another McCain, let alone another Mitt Romney and certainly not another Liz Cheney. Like the latter two, she is the child of a prominent Republican leader. But at her core, Murkowski wants to be remembered for looking out for Alaska's interests. And in her mind, that likely meant shielding her state from the bill's worst excesses. But her actions reveal the hollowness of the One Big Beautiful Bill, which now must be passed with the new amendments, by the House once again. Very few people on the Republican side can defend the cuts to safety-net programs, since it still balloons the deficit. Rather, they tout the items they pay for, even when it is still unpopular. For now, Republicans are speed-running through breaking all of the typical decorum rules of the world's supposedly greatest deliberative body in service of Trump. And it will take longer than a so-called Byrd Bath to wash out the stains from their parliamentary sins. Then again, maybe I'm just tired.
New York Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Senate Breaks Vote-a-Rama Record Before Passing Trump's Domestic Bill
Just after sunrise on Tuesday, the Senate began its 45th consecutive vote to continue seeking changes to President Trump's massive domestic policy package, setting a record for the biggest so-called vote-a-rama in Senate history. In all, senators voted 49 times, surpassing a record set in March 2008 during a budget debate. The voting lasted roughly 27 hours, from shortly after 9 a.m. Monday to minutes after noon on Tuesday. It's not clear if that, too, was a record; the Senate does not track that figure. Mr. Trump has directed lawmakers to deliver the bill to his desk by the Fourth of July, a deadline which all but required the marathon session of amendment votes, a process unique to the Senate that lets any member offer unlimited changes. With three Republicans joining Democrats to oppose the final version, Vice President JD Vance cast the deciding vote to pass it. But Republicans substantially changed the bill from the version delivered to them by the House, so it will now move back there to be considered for final passage. There is no vote-a-rama in the House. Instead, the prep work happens in the Rules Committee before the bill makes its way to the floor for final passage. That process is also known to drag on for hours: In late May, Representative Virginia Foxx, the North Carolina Republican who chairs the committee, oversaw a meeting that lasted nearly 22 hours. The previous record for amendment votes was set on March 13, 2008, during a budget fight over fiscal year 2009 as lawmakers argued over tax cuts, spending and procedural rules under the Congressional Budget Act. That session had 44 votes.
CBS News
a day ago
- Automotive
- CBS News
Tesla stock price sinks as Musk and Trump feud over spending bill
Everything we know about the Senate "vote-a-rama" on Trump's "big, beautiful bill" Tesla shares dipped Tuesday following a renewed spat between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Trump over the massive spending bill currently up for a final vote in the Senate. The electric vehicle company's stock price tumbled 23 points in early trading, or 7.1%. Tesla's stock was down roughly 13 points, or 4%, at $305 per share as of 10:25 a.m., EST, on Tuesday. Musk reignited a squabble with the president on Saturday by again criticizing the "big, beautiful bill," which President Trump is urging Congress to pass by July 4. The billionaire wrote on X that the bill would "destroy millions of jobs in America." He also suggested on Monday that should the bill pass he would form a new political party and support primary challenges against any Republicans who voted in favor of the legislation. President Trump clapped back early Tuesday, calling out the amount of subsidies Musk's various companies receive from the government and suggesting that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — which Musk led before stepping down late May — look into any spending flowing into Musk's tech empire. Wedbush tech analyst Dan Ives expects trading to start off weak on Tuesday, and that the situation between Musk and Mr. Trump will "settle at the end of the day," he said in a report. Investors fretting over whether the Trump Administration will "be more hawkish" and "show scrutiny around Musk related US government spending," he added. Musk first blasted the spending bill earlier this month calling it "pork-filled" and a "disgusting abomination." His criticisms escalated into a public battle between the world's richest man and the U.S. President, which eventually died down with the two wishing each other well. Tesla stock prices have fallen roughly 21% since the start of the year with Musk's involvement with the Trump administration, a major point of contention for investors. The company is expected to release its quarterly earnings tomorrow.
.jpg%3Ftrim%3D0%2C0%2C0%2C0%26width%3D1200%26height%3D800%26crop%3D1200%3A800&w=3840&q=100)
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Trump bill latest: Musk threatens to form new party if megabill passes as Senate vote continues
The Senate has been working into the night on the 'vote-a-rama' surrounding President Donald Trump 's 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' which is being subjected to a series of amendment proposals before the chamber casts a final vote. The 940-page policy package, which maps out Trump's domestic agenda and seeks to slash welfare funding, narrowly passed the House of Representatives in May and scraped through the Senate 51-49 on Saturday after Majority Leader John Thune and Vice President JD Vance persuaded most Republican dissenters to fall in line. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has warned the bill will add an estimated $3.3 trillion to the $36.2 trillion national debt over the next decade, which Democrats hope will give conservatives cause for concern. Trump has urged his party to push through the bill regardless as a self-imposed July 4 deadline looms. Former Trump ally Elon Musk has expressed outrage at the 'utterly insane' bill, saying passing it amounts to inviting a future of 'DEBT SLAVERY.' Senators began the process at 9am ET on Monday, following a marathon weekend in which the megabill was read aloud in its entirety over 16 hours. Should it finally pass the Senate, the bill will be returned to the House for approval. Trump and Musk's feud: From Jeffrey Epstein allegations to clashes over the Big, Beautiful Bill Since the world's richest man and the president are back at each other's throats, here's a reminder of exactly how their friendship fell apart in spectacular fashion last month. Trump and Musk's feud: From Epstein allegations to clash over the Big, Beautiful Bill From a golden key to the White House to a bitter public split – how Elon Musk and Donald Trump came to blows on their competing social media platforms Joe Sommerlad1 July 2025 09:55 Trump threatens to use DOGE to investigate Musk as feud reignites over the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Donald Trump has threatened to use Elon Musk's own Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to investigate federal subsidies received by the tech billionaire's companies. Nearly a month after their explosive and very public breakup, Trump reignited his rift with Musk late Monday in response to the Tesla CEO escalating his anti-Republican rhetoric and his scathing criticism of the president's showpiece tax bill. The president also suggested that Musk may need to 'close up shop and go back to South Africa' without his support. Here's James Liddell 's report. Trump threatens to use DOGE to investigate Musk as feud reignites over megabill 'No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE,' Trump taunts in his late night tirade Joe Sommerlad1 July 2025 09:35 No end in sight as voting continues Good morning! The Senate has been working through the night on the 'vote-a-rama' drama surrounding President Donald Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' which is being subjected to a series of amendment proposals before the chamber casts a final vote. Trump's signature bill, which seeks to lower federal taxes and boost spending for defense and border security by trimming away funding for key welfare programs like Medicaid and food stamps, only narrowly passed the House of Representatives in May and the Senate on Saturday as even Republicans express unease over its potential consequences for Americans living in their districts. There's no end in sight, as Senate Majority Leader John Thune concedes that 'progressive is a very elusive term,' the expression of a very tired man. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said this morning that Democrats will keep on bringing 'amendment after amendment after amendment to the floor, so Republicans can defend their billionaire tax cuts.' He said the amendments will enable the public to 'see once and for all if Republicans really meant all those nice things they've been saying about 'strengthening Medicaid' and 'protecting middle-class families', or if they were just lying'. Joe Sommerlad1 July 2025 09:10 Another failed Murkowski defection, as GOP rejects SNAP carveout for vets Senate Republicans have once again rejected an attempt featuring the GOP's Lisa Murkowski to ally with Democrats to preserve a policy priority. Late on Monday, the GOP shut down the Alaska senator's vote, along with fellow Republican Dan Sullivan, to exempt veterans, homeless people, and foster youth from proposed work requirements to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the food program often called food stamps. Text chains and sneaky cigars: How Congress endures an all-night vote-a-rama How do a group of mostly silver-haired lawmakers endure an all-night, make-or-break voting session? Turns out, a bit like university students. As deliberations wore on after sunset on Monday in the Senate, members of Congress and their staff were reportedly spotted chowing down on pizza, guzzling energy drinks, and even smoking cigars in various corners of the Capitol complex. Behind the scenes, there was also reportedly some dismay that the all-night amendment session had actually weakened Donald Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill spending package. 'On the text chains, on the phone calls, everyone is complaining,' an anonymous House Republican told The Hill. 'There's a few little provisions people will say something positive about, but no one is happy with the Senate version.' 'It's amazing to a lot of us — how did it get so much f***ing worse?' the lawmaker added. Josh Marcus1 July 2025 07:59 Why Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill is a major win-loss for the GOP On Sunday, Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, announced that he would not seek re-election. This came after numerous threats from President Donald Trump because of Tillis' opposition to the so-called 'One Big, Beautiful' bill. Trump had even floated the idea of endorsing a primary challenger against Tillis. But when The Independent caught up with Tillis, he seemed sanguine about the whole affair. 'I respect President Trump, I support the majority of his agenda, but I don't bow to anybody when the people of North Carolina are at risk and this bill puts them at risk,' he told The Independent. Trump's decision to bash a senator from a state he won and Republicans need to keep could be seen as reckless. But it also jeopardized Republicans' chances of holding onto a Senate seat Tillis consistently won by narrow margins. Trump and his 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' just put the Senate in play for Democrats The president may get his major domestic policy agenda over the finish line, but it will come at a major cost, Eric Garcia writes from the US Senate Josh Marcus1 July 2025 07:00 Why Elon Musk is going nuclear (again) at Trump Elon Musk promised to bankroll primary challenges against Republican lawmakers who vote to pass legislation representing a sizable portion of Donald Trump's political agenda on Monday as the Senate debated its final passage. The Tesla CEO and former DOGE overlord blew up at Trump and the Republican Congress over the bill earlier this year. Musk, along with Republicans like Rand Paul in the Senate, believe that the bill's spending cuts are insufficient to fund its other provisions and point to projections of trillions added to the national debt over the next decade as reason it should be opposed. But despite failing to meet the goals of deficit hawks to be deficit-neutral or even cut the national debt, Donald Trump and Republican leadership are pressing forward with the legislation. The bill is set to extend the 2017 GOP tax cuts as well as fund a massive surge of mass deportation measures for the federal government, including the hiring of 10,000 new ICE agents. To fund the plan, the GOP plans to impose work requirements and other cuts on Medicaid and food stamp (SNAP) programs. On Monday, Musk vowed to fund Republican primary challengers against any senator or House member who voted for the legislation. John Bowden reports. Elon Musk vows campaigns against every Republican who votes for Trump's agenda Musk, who walked back 'Jeffrey Epstein' allegations against Trump after blow-up, reignites feud with call to oppose 'big, beautiful bill' Josh Marcus1 July 2025 06:00 Next up for Trump: a Netanyahu visit, a Florida visit, and (hopefully) a Big, Beautiful Bill Never one to have a dull moment, Donald Trump's schedule is packed with major news happenings in the coming days. First, the Senate may pass his Big, Beautiful Bill spending and tax package sometime late tonight or early tomorrow. Then, the president will head to Florida on Tuesday proper for a visit to a new migrant detention center dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' where Trump may celebrate BBB's massive infusion of billions of dollars in new immigration enforcement funds to federal law enforcement. Finally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Washington early next week, the Times of Israel reports. Florida building 'Alligator Alcatraz' for undocumented migrants in Everglades Facility under construction on former airfield and will cost $450m per year to run Josh Marcus1 July 2025 05:00 The Girl Squad blocks Ted Cruz on AI A compromise deal among Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee to fix the 10-year moratorium on AI ultimately fell through. Shortly thereafter, Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington State and Cruz's counterpart on the commerce committee, announced a deal with a cosponsorship from Sen. Susan Collins, a crucial swing vote. The initial 10-year moratorium on states regulating AI caused Republicans, including some House members who voted for the bill, tons of heartburn. Eric Garcia1 July 2025 03:54 Democratic ex-governor Roy Cooper may jump into race to replace Tillis in North Carolina Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, is reportedly considering jumping into the ring to seek the Senate seat of outgoing Republican Thom Thillis, who announced his decision not to seek reelection over the weekend. "Governor Cooper continues to strongly consider a run for the Senate and will decide in the coming weeks," Morgan Jackson, Cooper's top political adviser, told Axios. He could face off against Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, who is also reportedly considering a run. Lara Trump 'taking a strong look' at running for now-open North Carolina Senate seat A source close to the Trump family said that the current Fox News host is 'strongly considering jumping in the race,' adding that the odds of her throwing her name in the ring are 'as high as one could be considering it.' Josh Marcus1 July 2025 03:00
