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Congress

The United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C., where the Senate parliamentarian rules on Byrd Rule challenges during budget reconciliation.

The Byrd Rule, Explained: How the Senate Strips 'Extraneous' Bills

One procedural rule, named for a West Virginia senator, decides which provisions survive a reconciliation bill — and it shaped how the 2025 tax law was written.

Politics  · 16 Jul 2026, 09:20  · Marcus Hale
The chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives, where motions to recommit are offered before final passage votes.

Motion to Recommit, Explained: Why It Almost Never Works

The House minority's last-ditch procedural motion used to force real amendment votes. A 2021 rules change quietly stripped that power.

Politics  · 15 Jul 2026, 05:22  · Marcus Hale
The American flag in front of a screen displaying stock market prices.

Congress's Insider Trading Fine Is Still Just $200

No member of Congress has ever been prosecuted for insider trading under the STOCK Act. A bill to close the gap has 93 co-sponsors and no floor vote.

Politics  · 14 Jul 2026, 09:23  · Marcus Hale
The U.S. House of Representatives chamber in the Capitol, where discharge petitions are filed and voted on.

What Is a Discharge Petition? How 218 Signatures Force a House Vote

A discharge petition lets a House majority bypass its own leadership and force a floor vote, but it takes 218 signatures to even try. The tool sat mostly unused for two decades until 2025.

Politics  · 12 Jul 2026, 10:58  · Marcus Hale
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters at the US Capitol on June 23, 2026.

Senate Votes 50-48 to Rein In Trump's Iran War, a First for Congress

For the first time, both chambers of Congress have passed a war powers resolution, telling President Trump to halt the Iran war he launched unless lawmakers authorise it.

World  · 24 Jun 2026, 09:23  · Elena Marsh