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Congress

Your guide to what's happening on Capitol Hil

The latest in Congress

Congress’s $95 billion Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan aid package, explained
Congress’s $95 billion Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan aid package, explained
Politics

The bill provides billions in foreign aid and could force ByteDance to sell TikTok.

By Li Zhou
Is the new TikTok ban for real?
Is the new TikTok ban for real?
Politics

Biden has signed a bill to ban TikTok. But it’s not over yet.

By Nicole Narea
Could Republican resignations flip the House to Democrats?
Could Republican resignations flip the House to Democrats?
Politics

The GOP majority is quite small, but a Democratic takeover pre-election still seems extremely unlikely.

By Andrew Prokop
Chicago’s inhumane migrant evictions are a symptom of a bigger problem
Chicago’s inhumane migrant evictions are a symptom of a bigger problem
Politics

They point to much deeper holes in US immigration policy.

By Li Zhou
The House GOP just gave Biden’s campaign a huge gift
The House GOP just gave Biden’s campaign a huge gift
Politics

Roughly 80 percent of House Republicans just lined up behind a plan to cut Social Security and ban all abortions.

By Eric Levitz
How the threat of a government shutdown became normalized
How the threat of a government shutdown became normalized
Politics

Why we find ourselves on the precipice again and again … and again.

By Li Zhou
TikTok could avoid a ban with a sale. Finding a buyer won’t be easy.
TikTok could avoid a ban with a sale. Finding a buyer won’t be easy.
Technology

Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is among those lining up to buy TikTok if Congress enacts a law that forces its Chinese owner to sell.

By Nicole Narea
Why so many members of Congress are calling it quits
Why so many members of Congress are calling it quits
Congress

Republican Rep. Ken Buck, a critic of GOP impeachment efforts, is the latest to leave early.

By Li Zhou
Biden to nation: Republicans like rich people more than they like you
Biden to nation: Republicans like rich people more than they like you
Politics

The president is getting walloped on the economy. Here’s how he tried to change that.

By Eric Levitz
How Mitch McConnell broke Congress
How Mitch McConnell broke Congress
Today, Explained newsletter

Say goodbye to the GOP leader, but not the all-powerful Supreme Court that is his legacy.

By Ian Millhiser
How Mitch McConnell lost by winning
How Mitch McConnell lost by winning
Politics

He delivered for the old GOP — but the party had changed underneath him.

By Andrew Prokop
Republicans’ baseless Mayorkas impeachment sets a disturbing precedent
Republicans’ baseless Mayorkas impeachment sets a disturbing precedent
Politics

It weaponizes the practice in a new way.

By Li Zhou
Republicans’ humiliating failed impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas, explained
Republicans’ humiliating failed impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas, explained
Politics

The GOP tried to use impeachment as a political distraction — and only embarrassed themselves.

By Li Zhou
Democrats are trying to pass a right-wing border bill, but the GOP won’t let them
Democrats are trying to pass a right-wing border bill, but the GOP won’t let them
Politics

Senate negotiations revealed what some Democrats are willing to give up on immigration in 2024.

By Nicole Narea
Why Trump fears a Biden-GOP immigration deal
Why Trump fears a Biden-GOP immigration deal
Politics

“He doesn’t want us to solve the border problem because he wants to blame Biden for it.”

By Andrew Prokop
The GOP is moderating — and coming unhinged
The GOP is moderating — and coming unhinged
Politics

While far-right Republicans make it hard to keep the government running, others in their party have been reaching constructive legislative compromises.

By Eric Levitz
How political gridlock could kill the best global health program the US ever passed
How political gridlock could kill the best global health program the US ever passed
Future Perfect

PEPFAR saved millions of people from AIDS. Don’t let it die.

By Saloni Dattani
House Republicans’ humiliating year, explained
House Republicans’ humiliating year, explained
Politics

Even by House GOP standards, 2023 was absurd.

By Li Zhou
The urgent to-do list awaiting Congress in January
The urgent to-do list awaiting Congress in January
Politics

Everything Congress has procrastinated on and needs to do in the new year, explained.

By Cameron Peters
What happens in Ukraine if US aid disappears?
What happens in Ukraine if US aid disappears?
World Politics

Should Congress fail to extend aid to Ukraine, it would “change the character of the war.”

By Joshua Keating
Biden weighs a “shocking” revival of Trump’s immigration agenda
Biden weighs a “shocking” revival of Trump’s immigration agenda
Politics

The White House is reportedly open to making concessions to Republicans in its negotiations over aid to Ukraine and Israel that go far beyond border security.

By Nicole Narea
What elite universities — and their critics — get wrong about campus antisemitism
What elite universities — and their critics — get wrong about campus antisemitism
Politics

A simple question about genocide at a congressional hearing obscured a complicated debate about antisemitism and free speech.

By Nicole Narea
Why Republicans are pursuing an unfounded impeachment inquiry into Biden
Why Republicans are pursuing an unfounded impeachment inquiry into Biden
Politics

House Republicans voted to launch an inquiry despite no evidence of Biden’s wrongdoing.

By Li Zhou
Can Democrats overcome their deep divisions over Gaza?
Can Democrats overcome their deep divisions over Gaza?
World Politics

The party is fractured over President Joe Biden’s unequivocal support for Israel as the war in Gaza continues ahead of 2024.

By Nicole Narea
George Santos’s messy expulsion vote, briefly explained
George Santos’s messy expulsion vote, briefly explained
Politics

The scandal-plagued Congress member has finally reached the end of the line.

By Li Zhou
We’ve been fighting poverty all wrong
We’ve been fighting poverty all wrong
Future Perfect

The success of the expanded child tax credit shows why anti-poverty programs should be unconditional.

By Oshan Jarow
Congress is procrastinating on the real government shutdown fight
Congress is procrastinating on the real government shutdown fight
Politics

Lawmakers have approved a spending bill that keeps the government open — and sets up a fight in 2024.

By Li Zhou
The House censure of Rashida Tlaib, explained
The House censure of Rashida Tlaib, explained
Politics

The move follows bipartisan backlash over rhetoric Tlaib has used in response to the Israel-Hamas war.

By Li Zhou
Joe Manchin retires, making Democrats’ brutal 2024 Senate map even more brutal
Joe Manchin retires, making Democrats’ brutal 2024 Senate map even more brutal
Politics

Republicans have lots of good pickup opportunities. Democrats, not so much.

By Andrew Prokop
The House Israel aid bill is a reminder that Trump-aligned Republicans are now in charge
The House Israel aid bill is a reminder that Trump-aligned Republicans are now in charge
Politics

MAGA Republicans took down the last GOP speaker. Now they’ve passed an aid package tailored to their goals.

By Li Zhou
“Lord of the Flies”: New House Speaker Mike Johnson faces a chaotic opening era
“Lord of the Flies”: New House Speaker Mike Johnson faces a chaotic opening era
Politics

New House Speaker Mike Johnson faces a long to-do list and a caucus with short patience for compromise.

By Ben Jacobs
The “uniparty”: The far-right obsession driving GOP chaos, explained
The “uniparty”: The far-right obsession driving GOP chaos, explained
Politics

Are GOP leaders more aligned with Democrats than with the MAGA right? Mostly no — but sometimes yes.

By Andrew Prokop
Jim Jordan’s radical speakership bid falls short on the House floor — again
Jim Jordan’s radical speakership bid falls short on the House floor — again
Politics

But he’s going to keep trying to flip GOP holdouts.

By Andrew Prokop
Steve Scalise quits speaker race after humiliating 24 hours
Steve Scalise quits speaker race after humiliating 24 hours
Politics

And Jim Jordan is waiting in the wings.

By Andrew Prokop
How Congress stumbled on the worst combination of representative government
How Congress stumbled on the worst combination of representative government
Politics

The US House is acting like a parliament. That’s not great for America — or for you.

By Ben Jacobs
Republicans have nominated Steve Scalise for speaker. Now comes the hard part.
Republicans have nominated Steve Scalise for speaker. Now comes the hard part.
Politics

Scalise still has to win on the House floor, which will require near-unanimity among Republicans.

By Andrew Prokop
9 questions about Kevin McCarthy’s downfall and House GOP chaos, answered
9 questions about Kevin McCarthy’s downfall and House GOP chaos, answered
Politics

How McCarthy got into this mess, who’ll be speaker next, and more.

By Nicole Narea and Andrew Prokop
Kevin McCarthy is out. Who might replace him as speaker?
Kevin McCarthy is out. Who might replace him as speaker?
Politics

The House voted to remove McCarthy as speaker. The search for a successor is on — and could drag on for days.

By Nicole Narea
What to know as Congress avoids government shutdown
What to know as Congress avoids government shutdown
LIVE

Is a government shutdown going to happen? What is it and who would be affected? Here’s what you need to know.

By Vox Staff
The West’s united pro-Ukraine front is showing cracks
The West’s united pro-Ukraine front is showing cracks
Russia-Ukraine war

In the US and across Europe, politics are complicating support for Ukraine.

By Jen Kirby