Republican Thom Tillis reveals he won't seek re-election amid public falling out with Trump over spending bill
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) announced on Sunday that he would not run for re-election next year amid a public clash with President Donald Trump about ' One Big, Beautiful Bill ' that Republicans plan to pass this week.
The announcement is a political earthquake for Republicans as Tillis represents a seat in a perpetual swing state that Trump has only narrowly won in his three presidential elections.
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The Herald Scotland
22 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
What to know about a vote-a-rama, the Senate's voting marathon
Few if any of the amendments are expected to win enough support to add or remove provisions from the bill. But it is still a rare occasion when senators can get votes on nearly any subject before the final vote to approve the entire legislative package. Here's what you need to know about a vote-a-rama. What is a vote-a-rama? A vote-a-rama is a legislative event that was born out of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, according to the Senate's website. Following a debate on a budget resolution or reconciliation bill, senators can introduce an unlimited number of amendments with each receiving a vote. Republicans on June 28 offered up different interpretations on the importance of the amendment process, with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, signaling she too had things she'd seek to revise that will go a long way toward helping her support the package. "There's some very good changes that have been made in the latest version, but I want to see further changes," Collins said. Collins' GOP colleague, Sen. Brian Moreno of Ohio, painted a different and more partisan picture on the amendment slog ahead. "I want everybody watching this to remember this as you listen to probably what's going to be 30-plus hours of complete nonsense from the other side," the freshman Republican said on the floor. The Senate previously defined a vote-a-rama as a piece of legislation voted on 15 times or more in a day. Daniel S. Holt, Associate Historian for the U.S. Senate Historical Office, told USA TODAY in an email that the change was made to align the chamber's definition with its connections to budget bills. "While the term is completely colloquial and has no firm definition in any official manner, we thought this was more in-line with the historical use of the term," Holt said. When was the first vote-a-rama? The Senate credits the first vote-a-rama to votes on a budget resolution taken on May 12, 1980. The chamber's website states that staff had been using the term as early as 1992. When Republican Whip Trent Lott of Mississippi was quoted by United Press International in 1996 using the phrase to refer to the event, it stuck. How many vote-a-ramas have there been? The Senate counts 45 vote-a-ramas. Which vote-a-rama had the most votes? The vote-a-rama held on March 13, 2008, holds the current record for most amendments voted on: 44. How does a vote-a-rama work? Votes in a vote-a-rama work differently than during regular Senate order. Senate rules preclude debate on an amendment during the marathon of votes, though they can be waived to allow an opponent and a supporter of an amendment to speak for 30 seconds - according to former Senate aide Keith Hennessey. Votes are taken consecutively, and senators agree to shorten the window for votes from 15 minutes to 10 minutes, according to Hennessey. Can senators eat or drink during a vote-a-rama? Senate rules prohibit food on the floor. But the good news is they do not have to remain on the floor for the entirety of the proceedings. One quirk in precedent allows for members to drink milk while in the chamber. On January 24, 1966, then Sen. Everett Dirksen, R-Illinois, asked the presiding officer if a page could go to a restaurant and return with a glass of milk while debating a bill to repeal a portion of the Taft-Hartly Act. The Congressional record from the day shows the presiding officer saying that there was nothing in the rules prohibiting it. Senators also do have access to candy throughout the proceedings through "the candy desk" currently held by Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma. The tradition of keeping candy in the desk nearest to the busiest entrance in the chamber began in 1965 when then Sen. George Murphy, R-California, kept lozenges to help soothe his throat following surgery and shared them with members across the aisle, according to the Senate.
The Herald Scotland
22 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Mamdani knocks Trump criticism, hits back at communism accusation
When asked to respond to Trump's repeated assertions that he is a communist, Mamdani told "Meet the Press" on June 29 that he isn't, explaining that "I've already had to start to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I'm from, who I am." "He wants to distract from what I'm fighting for," Mamdani said. "I'm fighting for the the very working people he ran a campaign to empower that he has since then betrayed." Several leading Republicans have also called for Mamdani, who immigrated to the United States as a child, to be deported. Earlier in the day, Trump called Mamdani a communist and a "radical left lunatic" on Maria Bartiromo's "Sunday Morning Futures" on Fox News. "He's a communist. I think it is very bad for New York. I don't know that he's going to get in. It is inconceivable that he is," Trump said. Mamdani is not a communist. He is a democratic socialist. A communist believes in collective ownership of all property and the end of capitalism. A democratic socialist doesn't believe in ending capitalism, but aims to reform it through democracy Mamdani also said that he is committed to keeping New York a sanctuary city. "Ultimately, we've seen that this is a policy that has kept New Yorkers safe for decades. It's a policy that had previously been defended by Democrats and Republicans alike, until the fear mongering of this current mayor," he said. Adams called for changes to sanctuary city laws that advocates say protect migrants in New York. He has also pushed for more cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a move that requires a vote from the city council. The changes came shortly after the Department of Justice dropped federal corruption charges against Adams. Democrats accuse him of cozying up to Trump to avoid the legal challenges. Trump said Mamdani would be "very unsuccessful" if he tries to keep New York a sanctuary city. "If he does get in, I'm going to be president and he's going to have to do the right thing or they're not getting any money. He's got to do the right thing," Trump said. Trump said he would not publicly back a candidate in the race, which along with Mamdani, Cuomo and Adams includes a third independent candidate and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. "Whoever is the mayor of New York is going to have to behave themselves or the federal government is coming down very tough on them financially," Trump said.
The Herald Scotland
22 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Trump plays golf ahead push for Senate megabill vote
Live updates: It's go time for Senate on Trump's megabill. Do they have the votes? Graham posted a photo of himself and Trump on social media as gave the camera a thumbs up. Graham said in a post that he partnered with Trump and Paul to beat Schmitt and Ratcliffe. "Proud to announce no casualties," Graham wrote. "A lot of fun! Big Beautiful Bill on the way." Schmitt posted a similar photo of himself and the president, writing "Big week for President Trump and he crushed it on the golf course this morning as well." Looking forward to beginning the One Big Beautiful Bill soon. Started the day with @POTUS and thanked him for his leadership. Let's Go! — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 28, 2025 White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters around 2 p.m. that the president was wrapping up lunch and would soon depart the course, located about 25 miles from the White House. Senate Republican leaders launched the debate June 28 that is expected to culminate with a vote June 29 or 30 on the 990-page bill. While Democrats are all expected to vote no on the massive legislative package, the open question going into the debate is whether enough Republicans will end up supporting the Senate's version, which would send it back to the House. Trump has asked Congress to send him the completed bill to sign by July 4. The megabill is stuffed with tax cuts, Medicaid reforms and border security funding, containing several signature campaign promises from Trump and the Republican party. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.
