Free Republic

The Senate and House are on a collision course over whether to repeal comprehensive sanctions on Syria, a rare area where there are bipartisan coalitions on both sides of the debate. Discussion centers on whether to completely repeal the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, a severe sanctions mechanism that blocked nearly all U.S. and international cooperation or engagement with the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. Legislation to repeal Caesar is included in the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2026. But an amendment to the House version of the NDAA to repeal Caesar...

Republicans argue that a deadly stabbing in North Carolina that gained national attention is a perfect illustration of why the Trump administration’s tough-on-crime agenda is necessary. But Sen. Thom Tillis doesn’t want Charlotte to be next on the list for a federalized crackdown. “We do have challenges, but there are far more major metropolitan areas that we could focus our attention before you go to Charlotte,” Tillis, the outgoing Republican senator, told reporters Tuesday in response to a question from NOTUS. “I hope that people don’t amplify this into something.” “I haven’t seen any evidence that they’re going to focus...

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) renewed her call for a “national divorce” to divide the country along partisan lines on Monday — this time citing the fractured response to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and federal funding disputes in Congress. “There is nothing left to talk about with the left. They hate us,” Greene wrote on the social platform X. “To be honest, I want a peaceful national divorce.” “Our country is too far gone and too far divided, and it’s no longer safe for any of us,” she added.

Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar has died at the age of 79. Edgar, who served two terms as Illinois’ governor in the 1990s, announced that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year. Multiple sources told NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern that Edgar had passed away Sunday, and his family confirmed the news.

Texas Republican Congressman Michael McCaul announced Sunday that he will not seek re-election in 2026. McCaul, a former chairman of the Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees, joins two other House Republicans who announced their retirement from public office this year: McCaul's fellow Texan Rep. Morgan Luttrell and Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska. McCaul, who was first elected to Congress in 2004 and is serving his 11th term, told “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz that he was “looking for a new challenge.”

GOP Rep. Thomas Massie says Trump should tone down his rhetoric in response to the Charlie Kirk assassination:

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky strongly objected after Vice President JD Vance asserted in a Saturday post on X that "Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military." "JD ‘I don’t give a s[---]’ Vance says killing people he accuses of a crime is the ‘highest and best use of the military.’ Did he ever read To Kill a Mockingbird? Did he ever wonder what might happen if the accused were immediately executed without trial or representation??" Senator Paul wrote.

See video. Sen. John Kennedy who states: "We need to restore confidence and so far I don't see where Secretary Kennedy has done that. All I see over there is at the moment is a multiple vehicle pileup.” See comments. Sen. Kennedy just took a swim in the swamp sewer. Why would he do this to himself? I had a lot of respect for his common sense and he just destroyed is Rep in my book. It will be a long long time before I stop listening askance to anything this swamp rat says. He clearly lacks common sense. It's...

On this week’s episode of “Come and Take It,” Sara examines the record of Texas Senator John Cornyn, who claims to be a close ally of President Donald Trump. Does he actually align with the Make America Great Again agenda, or is he a fraud trying to win in the primary against Texas AG Ken Paxton? (video)

Longtime Republican operative Karl Rove said on Tuesday that crime is a “big problem” for the Democratic Party and warned that some within the party, including New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, don’t understand how their posture on the issue hurts the party’s “label.” “This is a big problem for the Democrats. The Democrats don’t seem to understand — certain Democrats, like the socialist running for mayor of New York — do not seem to understand the problems that this represents for their party, and their party’s label. They only need to look to recent history to see how...

The debate comes days after Gov. Greg Abbott added “legislation to impose penalties or punishments for legislators who willfully absent themselves during a session” to the special session agenda.

“Don’t mess with Texas” is a homespun aphorism that expresses a genuine sentiment. Texans, and to a slightly lesser degree, Wyomingites, are independent cusses. They’re proud of their states and their beliefs, and pushed too far don’t whine about why government isn’t making things right. They handle it themselves and vote the useless weasels out at the next electoral opportunity. One such weasel is long-serving Texas Senator John Cornyn. Once thought a reliable Republican, he forgot which state he represents and stepped on a known Texas land mine: gun control. In Texas, weakness on the Second Amendment and cruelty to...

Critics...have pointed to his record as evidence of failed leadership. Attorney General Ken Paxton blasted Phelan’s legacy as “one of betrayal,” citing his reliance on Democrat votes and his role in the impeachment. Phelan’s opponents have also noted the repeated special sessions called by Gov. Greg Abbott during his time as speaker due to a failure to pass conservative priorities.

Former Vice President and failed presidential candidate Mike Pence on Sunday went on the attack against his former boss, accusing President Trump of being too soft on Russia in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine and calling on him to bring the “hammer” down. “I know his style in dealing with these dictators. It’s the velvet glove,” Pence said in a rebuke of the President’s cool and collected dealmaking style. “I think the hammer needs to come, and it needs to come immediately.” Pence made the comments on CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper. This comes the day before...

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are locked in a close battle in the state’s bitterly contested Senate primary, according to an Emerson College Polling survey released Friday. The poll showed Cornyn essentially tied with Paxton. He led by 1 point, 30 percent to 29 percent, with 5 percent saying they prefer another candidate and 37 percent undecided. The margin is much closer than numerous other past polls that have shown Paxton with a lead over the longtime incumbent. “Seven months ahead of the Republican Primary, the contest between the four-term incumbent and the Attorney General...

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is leaning into the Texas redistricting battle as he seeks to fend off a conservative primary challenge from state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). On Tuesday, Cornyn publicly called for FBI Director Kash Patel to assist in tracking down Democrats who fled the state in protest. Two days later, the senator and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) separately confirmed that the FBI was assisting in the effort. The move to get out in front of the redistricting battle allows Cornyn to ingratiate himself with the state’s deeply conservative base, who have distanced themselves from the incumbent...

Three out-of-state neocon billionaires are funding the PAC created to oust Kentucky’s Republican Congressman, Thomas Massie. The legislator claims they’re coming after him because of his opposition to foreign aid for Israel.The backers behind MAGA KY are John Paulson, Paul Singer, and the Preserve America PAC, whose primary financier is Miriam Adelson, according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).Massie brought attention to the PAC’s financial backing on Friday in an X social media post. Massie’s 12-year run in Congress will end next year if President Donald Trump has his way. The independent Republican congressman has bucked the president’s wishes one...

President Donald Trump is going after Republican Sen. Susan Collins despite hopes among some in the party that she will run again next year and help the GOP hold the Senate. Trump, who has privately discussed finding someone to run for her seat should she not seek reelection, attacked the Maine senator’s voting record in a post on Truth Social. The senator has voted against two of Trump’s signature legislative achievements this year — the domestic policy megabill and the measure to claw back $9 billion in foreign aid and public media funding. “Republicans, when in doubt, vote the exact...

Republican Nate Morris had deftly warmed up a crowd of party faithful, gushing about President Donald Trump and recounting his own life’s journey — from hardscrabble childhood to wealthy entrepreneur — when he turned his attention to the man he wants to replace, Sen. Mitch McConnell. That’s when things got feisty. While bashing Kentucky’s longest-serving senator at a GOP dinner on the eve of Saturday’s Fancy Farm picnic, a tradition-laden stop on the state’s political circuit, Morris was cut off in midsentence by a party activist in the crowd, who noted that McConnell isn’t seeking reelection and pointedly asked Morris:...

@NuryVittachi "The American empire is over," Richard D. Wolff, U.S. professor of international affairs, tells Al Jazeera. Already the biggest economic power on the planet is not the US and its allies, but China and the BRICS. But no U.S. politician dares to tell the people: "It's over."