Jeff Merkley

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday that he will delay votes on several of President Obama’s nominees for key posts until July, a decision raising the prospect that he’ll seek further changes to Senate rules...

WASHINGTON — President Obama's nominee to lead the Energy Department won unanimous confirmation by the Senate on Thursday while two other Cabinet choices narrowly advanced out of committee, amid complaints from Democrats over Republican delaying...

A growing number of Indian tribes are getting into the payday loan business, saying they just want to raise revenue for their reservations while helping cash-strapped consumers nationwide. But federal officials suspect that, at least in some cases,...

The following guest commentary was written by Carl Levin, the senior U.S. senator from Michigan. In April 2012, Americans were confronted with a story of Wall Street excess and derivatives disaster now known as the JPMorgan Chase whale trades. Those...

The best chance to get the U.S. Senate to do its job is not to withhold pay (although withholding campaign contributions might have done the trick) but to reform the Senate rules so that filibusters aren't used so routinely to gum up the works. Majority...

WASHINGTON – The Senate approved rules changes Thursday that will limit the use of the filibuster as a weapon in the partisan obstruction that has ground action in the chamber to a near standstill. The deal, between Senate Majority Leader Harry...

WASHINGTON -- Senate leaders reached a tentative agreement Thursday for rules changes that would limit the use of the filibuster as a weapon in the partisan obstruction that has ground action in the chamber to a near standstill.   The deal, between Senate...

On Jan. 3, there's a chance that the U.S. Senate will return to some semblance of a functioning legislative body. That day a majority of senators could vote to eliminate Rule XXII, which authorizes the notorious filibuster. Article 1, Section 6 of the...

The six senators representing the West Coast states of California, Oregon and Washington are sending a letter to U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. today, calling for an investigation into possible manipulation of the gasoline market by refineries that...

— The world's leading manufacturers of flame retardants faced scathing criticism Tuesday from U.S. senators angered by what they called the industry's misuse of science, misleading testimony and creation of a phony consumer group that stoked the...

The first signs of bipartisan support for overhauling the nation's chemical safety law emerged Monday, as three Republicans joined 23 other senators calling for tough restrictions on toxic flame retardants. Citing the Tribune's "Playing With Fire"...

Sens. Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski urged President Barack Obama on Wednesday to speed the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan. The Maryland Democrats joined a group of 24 senators in declaring the mission in Afghanistan...