Free Republic

In the run-up to the vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., knew her party had a problem — and its name was John Fetterman. Fetterman, the Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, was open to confirming President Donald Trump’s embattled pick, according to two people familiar with his thinking. Murray wanted to speak with her colleague one-on-one. So she reached out to set up a time. But Fetterman refused, as the two people familiar with the episode told NBC News. “He figured that she wanted to yell at him about it,” one person familiar with the...

WASHINGTON — The Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on a resolution to ratify Finland's and Sweden's applications to join NATO as the Western military alliance seeks to strengthen its resolve against the threat posed by Russia. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday evening that the chamber would vote Wednesday afternoon the resolution and a pair of GOP amendments. "Our NATO alliance is the bedrock that has guaranteed democracy in the Western world since the end of World War II," Schumer said on the Senate floor. "This strengthens NATO even further and is particularly needed in light of...

Lev Parnas, who has been federally indicted for fraud, is being held up as a legitimate witness this week by Democrats on Capitol Hill desperately trying to impeach President Trump. Why? Because Parnas, who President Trump called a "groupie" and has been accused of buying his way into Trump world as a grifter, has suddenly changed his opinion. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has taken note and invited Parnas to be his guest in the Senate today. Electronics of any kind are banned from the chamber, which has created an issue. Ted Cruz ✔@tedcruz Scenes from the impeachment trial: Schumer...