Cory Booker

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) says he has vetoed a state-approved bill to create a commission to study and recommend reparations for slavery and racial discrimination.

The TAKE IT DOWN Act, an online safety legislation, is gaining steam in Washington, D.C., as first lady Melania Trump expressed her support Monday.The big picture: The bipartisan bill aims to bolster protections against the non-consensual dissemination of sexual images, including those generated through artificial intelligence and targets deepfake and revenge pornography.Driving the news: The first lady and House Speaker Mike Johnson joined a roundtable on Capitol Hill on Monday with congressional leaders and victims of child sexual abuse material.At the meeting, Melania Trump spoke of the risks of an "AI-driven" world, saying, "Every young person deserves a safe online space to express themselves free without the looming threat of exploitation."What is the TAKE IT DOWN Act?The TAKE IT DOWN Act would require tech and social media platforms to remove CSAM and non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours of being notified by a victim, and it criminalizes posting such content, per Axios' Maria Curi.Under the bill, people who post such content would face penalties and prison time. The FTC could sue tech companies for not complying as an unfair or deceptive act or practice, Curi writes.Who is supporting the bill?The bill is sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and has bipartisan support including from cosponsors like Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).The Senate passed the legislation unanimously last month.Where it standsHouse leaders said Monday they're ready to pass the bill.House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie said an educational hearing on the bill will be held "very, very soon."He vowed it would be a top priority for the committee "over the next few weeks."Go deeper: House leaders ready to pass deepfakes bill backed by Melania Trump

One of the more remarkable aspects of the MAGA ideology is how often it fulfills the left-wing policy wish list. The latest example is a proposal for so-called MAGA accounts, which House Republicans are considering as part of their $4...

One of the more remarkable aspects of the MAGA ideology is how often it fulfills the left-wing policy wish list. The latest example is a proposal for so-called MAGA accounts, which House Republicans are currently considering as part of their...

Democratic lawmakers have battled with nominees more fervently than ever before, experts and analysts said

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, envisions a future where every American newborn starts life with an investment account seeded with $1,000 from Uncle Sam.

House progressives are reviving their push for reparations payments to descendants of slavery, saying, "Reparations are a necessary step towards true equity in our country."

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, envisions a future where every American newborn starts life with an investment account seeded with $1,000 from Uncle Sam.

In Bucks County, attendees of the town hall and Sen. Ruben Gallego criticized the party's strategy for communicating with non-traditional voters.

Democrats will pick their next presidential nominee in 2028, but before that happens, the party will have to decide which state gets to go first on the nominating calendar

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is under fire, as Sens. Andy Kim, Jerry Moran and Shelley Moore Capito responded to issues at Newark Liberty International Airport on Tuesday.

The battle is marching forward. Attorney General Phil Weiser announced his candidacy to be Colorado’s governor at the start of the year. After weeks of speculation and trial balloons, Senator Michael Bennet entered the governor’s race in early April.

Democratic United States senators Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker and Chuck Schumer slammed President Donald Trump on his 100th day in office.

'It’s a mistake'

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., appeared with fellow Democrats to stump for the Equality Act in a press conference on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

Monday was the start of the 14th week of the odious Trump regime. Wednesday will mark its first 100 days.

House Republicans returned to Washington after a two-week recess ready to begin piecing together the "big, beautiful bill" that will carry the bulk of President Trump's legislative agenda.

Sen. Cory Booker and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries livestreamed a sit-in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Sunday, taking a "moral moment" to reject President Donald Trump's agenda.

Sen. Cory Booker’s recent record-breaking speech calling out the president’s negative actions was a direct result of his constituents demanding action.

Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen has emerged, for now, as a leading figure in the resistance to President Donald Trump.

At least two Republican House members and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have toured the same Salvadoran prison that turned away a Senate Democrat seeking to speak with a mistakenly deported constituent.Why it matters: CECOT in Tecoluca, El Salvador, has become the symbol of President Trump's immigration crackdown after he sent hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants there with little or no due process.Trump has repeatedly raised the prospect of sending American citizens to prisons in El Salvador, recently telling President Nayib Bukele to "build about five more places" during an Oval Office visit.What we're watching: Democrats in both chambers of Congress are working to organize delegations to El Salvador, including Reps. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) and Sen Cory Booker (D-N.J.)."Given that the Administration's use of CECOT for illegal and unconstitutional deportations is rife with 'administrative errors' ... I urgently request a CODEL to conduct oversight," Ramirez wrote on Wednesday. Yes, but: House Republican committee chairs have refused to authorize Democrats' requests to lead official congressional delegations to El Salvador. House Homeland Security Committee chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) said he wouldn't grant Ramirez's request. Van Hollen tries to contact Ábrego GarcíaSen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said on Wednesday and Thursday his requests to see or speak to Kilmar Ábrego García, his mistakenly deported constituent, were denied.Ábrego García was deported to El Salvador in what the Trump administration later said was an "administrative error."The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Trump must "facilitate" Ábrego García's return, but Bukele said he wouldn't return or release him. Context: Bukele in 2022 ordered the prison be built as part of a response to surging gang violence in El Salvador, per NPR. Each cell can fit 65 to 70 prisoners, and the prison has a capacity of 40,000 inmates. The deported Venezuelan migrants are living in the same conditions as convicted gangsters, prison director Belarmino García told CNN. Visitation, recreation and education are not typically allowed the terrorism confinement center.Republican politicians at CECOTHomeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the prison in March. "If you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you could face," Noem said in a video standing in front of a packed cell of prisoners. Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) on Tuesday shared photos of himself at the prison.In a statement, he praised President Trump for the deportations and detentions. Rep. Riley Moore (R-W. Va.) similarly shared photos on Tuesday, including one of him standing in front of a cell posing with thumbs up. "I leave now even more determined to support President Trump's efforts to secure our homeland" he wrote on X. Five other GOP members visited El Salvador, per a photo shared by the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador. However, it doesn't say whether they visited the prison.Those lawmakers are Reps. Claudia Tenney (NY), Mike Kennedy (Utah), Carol Miller (W. Va.), Ron Estes (Kansas) and Kevin Hern (Okla.), per journalist Marisa Kabas.A spokesperson for Miller did not respond to direct questions about the trip. The other representatives' offices did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.The embassy's post, written in Spanish, said the delegation was "visiting the country to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss initiatives that promote economic development and mutual cooperation."Go deeper: Inside Democrats' scramble to travel to El SalvadorTimeline: The case of a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador

House Republican committee chairs are refusing to authorize Democrats' requests to lead official congressional delegations to El Salvador, Axios has learned.Why it matters: Democrats want to go to the Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo to visit Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an erroneously deported Maryland man who the Supreme Court has ordered returned to the U.S.Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who was able to go on an official CODEL to the country, said he was denied access to CECOT by El Salvadorian officials.Driving the news: House Homeland Security Committee chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) said in a statement he will not grant Rep. Delia Ramirez's (D-Ill.) request to lead an official CODEL."If Democrats care so much about defending this individual, they can use their own personal credit cards—not taxpayers' money—to virtue-signal to their radical base," he said in a statement.Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), who made the same request of Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R-Ky.), have not received a response, a source familiar with the matter told Axios.A spokesperson for Comer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The intrigue: Reps. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) both posted photos on social media of themselves at CECOT this week.They were there as part of a CODEL led by Smith, the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, a source familiar with the matter told Axios.Both Republicans expressed support for President Trump's deportation policies, with Moore saying he left the prison "even more determined to support President Trump's efforts to secure our homeland."Smith's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.What to watch: Garcia previously signaled to Axios that he and Frost may go ahead with an informal trip without Comer's sign-off, though a CODEL would afford more investigative resources and security.Another House Democrat hoping to travel to El Salvador told Axios that he may try to join the trip Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is planning."If Cory Booker's going and he's official — going with someone who's official would be the best way to go," the lawmaker said.

SAN SALVADOR (AP) — Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador on Wednesday and met with the country’s vice president to push for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was sent there by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation.

Democrats are at odds over whether to make opposition to the Trump administration's deportation policies — and trips to the El Salvadorian prison where deportees are being held — a centerpiece of their anti-Trump message.Why it matters: Some Democratic lawmakers and aides told Axios that Trump's deportation policies have even started to eclipse top issues like DOGE and tariffs in some constituent phone calls and emails."We got 247 calls on it this week, more than any other topic," Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.) told Axios.A chief of staff to another House Democrat told Axios that, of the 16 calls they personally handled in the last two days, all have been about deportations.Yes, but: Other lawmakers insisted the issue hasn't broken through in their districts. While some of them said they support their colleagues who are trying to travel to El Salvador, others pushed back on the idea.A House Democrat who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Axios: "With all due respect to some of those folks, I know it's an important issue, but should it be the big issue for Democrats? Probably not.""I think we ought to focus on the basic things that affect people on a day-to-day basis — I'm sure in Maryland it's a big issue," the lawmaker said, citing DOGE cuts, tariffs and Social Security as issues to home in on.Another House Democrat previously told Axios the issue is a "soup du jour" and a "trap" for their party, saying their colleagues should not "take the bait for one hairdresser."State of play: Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) on Wednesday became the first Democrat to travel to El Salvador to try to meet with Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, an erroneously deported Maryland resident whose return the Supreme Court has ordered.Van Hollen said El Salvadorian officials denied him access to the country's notorious Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo.President Trump and El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele have refused to facilitate Abrego Garcia's release from CECOT and return to the U.S. despite the court order.Zoom out: Multiple other Democratic lawmakers are attempting to organize official congressional delegations, or CODELs, to the country. The most recent was Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), as Axios first reported.Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) have requested GOP authorization to lead a CODEL, with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) planning one himself.But the second House Democrat who spoke to Axios anonymously said politically vulnerable members are less likely to go on these trips, citing Republican attacks on Democrats who are traveling to El Salvador."Trump is setting a trap for us. ... Maybe that doesn't matter in a [Democrat]-plus-30 district, but you're not going see any front-liners down in El Salvador," the lawmaker said. Zoom in: The divisions have even trickled down to lawmakers' staffs, multiple Democratic aides told Axios.Communications staffers have debated in meetings whether to remain solely focused on economic issues or include deportations in the party's messaging, the aides said.Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), who represents the district where Garcia lived, told Axios there is even division among his constituents: "I'll be candid, I've got people in my district who ... would be okay with sending these guys out."The intrigue: Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.), a battleground-district lawmaker, said in a statement to Axios that she is "hearing from constituents every day who are alarmed by what they're seeing" on deportations."When a president openly defies a unanimous Supreme Court ruling, it is no longer an immigration issue but a constitutional crisis that threatens our democratic institutions," she said.​Said Ivey: "It's an issue of constitutional magnitude that we, as a nation, can't afford to ignore."

Some of the most outspoken Democratic critics of President Donald Trump’s reckless and dangerous agenda were also this quarter’s biggest fundraising winners.Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, one of the country’s most prominent progressives, pulled in a staggering $9.6 million in the first three months of 2025, more than doubling her previous high of $4.4 million, set during summer 2020. xDatawrapper ContentThe surge reflects Ocasio-Cortez’s rising influence as the Democratic Party grapples with how to confront Trumpism while also navigating calls for generational change. She’s been crisscrossing the country with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, drawing large crowds—even in deep-red states. According to her campaign manager, 64% of her first-quarter donors were first-time contributors.“The people are sending Democrats a message about the direction they would like to see,” Faiz Shakir, a Sanders’ adviser and a former candidate to lead the Democratic National Committee, wrote on X in response to the news.Meanwhile, Sanders, who isn’t up for reelection until 2030 and hasn’t said whether he’ll run again, raised an eye-popping $11.5 million this quarter.Other prominent Trump critics posted similarly strong numbers. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, also not up again until 2030, brought in $8.0 million.xDatawrapper ContentTexas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who’s gained national attention for grilling Republicans like Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Elon Musk, raised over $1.6 million—more than doubling her previous record of $863,000. It’s also the first time she’s hit a seven-figure quarterly haul.Fellow Texas Democrat Al Green, who was censured after protesting Trump’s lie-filled speech to Congress in March, raised $359,000, more than doubling his previous record of $167,000.And in preparing for a bruising fight next year, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia pulled in over $11.1 million this past quarter—a sum his campaign is touting as a first-quarter record for an incumbent in a nonelection year. The race in the Peach State is still taking shape, with Republicans increasingly desperate to find a candidate capable of challenging the popular Democrat.The message from Democratic donors is simple: Stand up to Trump, and they’ll have your back. A new Civiqs poll for Daily Kos finds that just 46% of registered voters approve of Trump’s job performance, while 53% disapprove. According to the survey, voters are particularly concerned about his reckless tariffs driving up prices and his administration’s recent high-profile blunders. So it’s no surprise that some of the most vocal anti-Trump Democrats are among the biggest first-quarter fundraisers.Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey speaks on the Senate floor on April 1.That momentum could carry into the next quarter, especially for those who’ve made waves recently, like Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, whose fiery floor speech came after the first-quarter deadline.That said, many Republicans posted big numbers too. While Democrats outpaced GOP House candidates overall, Republican Senate candidates outraised their Democratic counterparts. The National Republican Congressional Committee reported a record $36.7 million raised in the first quarter of 2025, with $23.9 million cash on hand as it fights to protect the House majority.Vulnerable House Republicans also performed well in fundraising. Four of the seven GOP incumbents—Reps. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona, Jen Kiggans of Virginia, Mike Lawler of New York, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa—each raised over $1 million this part quarter. These lawmakers are all running in toss-up districts, as defined by the nonpartisan election prognosticator Inside Elections.Other top GOP fundraisers included House Speaker Mike Johnson, who brought in $3.2 million, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who raised $1.2 million in a district Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris narrowly carried in 2024.In the Senate, some Republicans posted strong numbers, too. Sen. Thom Tillis, expected to face a tough race in 2026, raised $2.2 million and has over $4 million in the bank. Sen. Susan Collins, a frequent Trump critic who still largely votes with her party, brought in about $842,000. But of course, Republicans have the world’s richest person in their corner. Megabillionaire Elon Musk has personally donated to nearly two dozen GOP congressional candidates, according to CNN, including Greene and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley.But even without a tech mogul bankrolling their campaigns, progressive Democrats are holding their own—raising big money and showing the base is ready to rally behind those willing to fight.Campaign Action

'We need to spring into action'

WASHINGTON — Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen arrived in El Salvador Wednesday to push for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was sent there by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation.

President Trump reverses course tariffs — pausing most hikes but raising them on China, while exempting key tech imports. Trump’s top trade adviser Peter Navarro, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and billionaire investor Ray Dalio join Kristen Welker with exclusive reactions. Kelly O’Donnell, Jonathan Martin, Kimberly Atkins Stohr and Matt Gorman join the Meet the Press roundtable.

In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) says President Trump’s tariff plans should receive “full-throated, unequivocal condemnation” despite some Democrats defending the targeted use of tariffs.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Meet the Press reacts to the Trump administration’s handling of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) tells Meet the Press that Congress should look into whether insider trading took place after President Trump told supporters to buy stock before announcing a change of course on tariffs.

WASHINGTON — Democrats are getting their groove back. Or, at the very least, desperately trying to. After some party members faced heckling during recent town halls and even outright protests — including outside Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s Brooklyn home and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ district office — Democratic Party leaders are going on offense now that Congress gaveled out for lawmakers’ two-week-long Easter recess. While an increasing number of veteran Democratic lawmakers are facing progressive primary challenges — even as calls to replace Schumer continue growing louder — party leaders are showing a new, more unified front against the president. “I do not feel a Democratic civil war. If anything, I feel more unity in our party than I've ever felt,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) — who just broke the record for delivering the longest speech in Senate history — told Raw Story. “The threats of what Donald Trump is doing are so real, so urgent, that I see people working in ways and coalitions that are inspiring to me.” The midterm elections are more than a year and a half away, but Democrats say their new strategy is about more than the next election. With House Speaker Mike Johnson controlling a mere seven-seat majority, Democrats say pressuring vulnerable Republicans now is their best chance to derail Trump’s aggressive agenda. “If we can win over three or four people in the House, we win” After a handful of Republicans faced vitriol at recent town halls, GOP leaders have been coaching rank-and-file members to avoid the public gatherings when back in their districts these next two weeks.“Town halls have become a tool of the left to shout everybody down,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) — who says he still plans to meet with constituents over recess — told Raw Story. “It's a hate Trump rally.” Democrats say that’s because the American people hate Trump’s policies, especially the dismantling of the federal government by billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency — or DOGE. And they sense an opening. “If you're not doing town halls, you're not really doing a big part of your job,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) told Raw Story. “They can run, but they can't hide.” The seven-term congressman is chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. While he knows how to rally progressives, he says the anger on display at town halls nationwide has been coming from voters of all stripes. So he gets why Republicans are hiding from their voters. “They're p—ed, they're nervous, they're scared,” Pocan said. “And so they express that.” Instead of deflecting that anger and angst, Democratic leaders are now trying to harness that energy. That’s why over the next two weeks Booker, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), and other younger, popular House Democrats are fanning out across the nation and rallying the party’s base at town halls in battleground districts. The funny thing is that this isn’t an election year. “Normally in election cycles, I'm all over the country trying to help people, but I'm working even harder now trying to help local parties, trying to help congressional candidates,” Booker said. “This is all hands on deck.” “Is this a little too early to rev up the base for the midterms?” Raw Story pressed. “Or they're already revved up?” “What the effort is right now, it's not the ‘26 midterms; simply, it's getting a few Republicans to switch their votes,” Booker said. “If we can win over three or four people in the House, we win.” And Democrats haven’t been winning lately, at least not in Trump’s Washington. At the Capitol, even though the GOP’s been divided on some big ticket times — like over whether extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts needs to be paid for or not — Republicans on Capitol Hill have pushed their differences aside to advance Trump’s controversial nominees and agenda, from dismantling federal agencies to speeding up mass deportations.Being locked in the minority on both sides of the Capitol leaves Democrats few legislative options to combat Trump, so Democrats are taking their show on the road and supporting grassroots pressure campaigns on more moderate Republicans’ home turf. “This is why me and others are looking towards swing districts, where clearly the stuff that's being proposed is not popular amongst some of these Republicans. And we know their base in their districts, Republican and Democrat, are against what's happening,” Booker said. “So we just want to do everything we can to lead in this moment, and the elections will take care of themselves.”Elections may take care of themselves, but party leaders in Washington are helping with these efforts a great deal. The Democratic National Committee (DNC), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC) sponsor the town hall tour. In just the last three weeks, they report hosting 71 town halls across 35 states. They say the momentum’s only just beginning to build, even as they feel emboldened for one of the first times since getting shellacked in November. "People are engaged and paying attention" Even as they’re locked out of power in Trump’s Washington, Democrats are feeling new wind in their sails after the party overperformed in two recent Florida special elections, while also besting Musk and Trump in the record-shattering $100+ million battle for control of Wisconsin’s Supreme Court. “These are all positive things. Like, do they mean any one result? Like, no, but it's all going in the right direction,” Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) — the number three most powerful Democrat in the House of Representatives — told Raw Story. “People are engaged and paying attention.” While Democrats’ ultimate aim is winning back majorities in Congress and recapturing the White House in 2028, party leaders are hoping energized and vocal voters can help them do what they’re otherwise powerless to do: derail Trump’s agenda. “Politics takes care of itself if we focus on people, and I think standing up for people right now and leaders — leaders, whether they have title or not — leaders need to be standing up for others,” Booker said. “That's going to create momentum to stop Donald Trump.”NOW READ: Trump is drinking his own Kool-Aid as evidence of his dementia grows

LOS ANGELES — Channeling the rage and frustration of progressive Californians, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders told tens of thousands of people in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday that the country is in a moment of “extraordinary danger.” Clad in a blue button-down shirt and a Dodgers baseball cap, Sanders, 83, said President Donald Trump is moving the country “rapidly toward an authoritarian form ...

Perhaps if Democrats had done less talking and more strategizing, the 2024 presidential election might have turned out differently.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) appeared on 'The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert' on Monday to speak about his record-breaking, 25-hour speech on the Senate floor. Booker said it was an opportunity for Democrats to recognize they have not done enough to stand up to President Donald Trump.

Since President Donald Trump’s return to office, Democrats have made xenophobic comments about DOGE chief Elon Musk and first lady Melania Trump.

President Trump's announcement of sweeping tariffs on nearly every country sent the stock market plunging this week and ignited anxiety about the future of the economy.

President Donald Trump's new tariffs mark an all-in bet that his economic vision will pay off for Americans. It's the realization of his decades of advocacy for a protectionist foreign policy and the belief that free trade was forcing the...

These billionaires cannot help themselves in spewing their contempt for the rest of us.

After breaking the Senate record for longest floor speech, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., gave an innocuous answer about whether he sees himself as the Democratic Party’s next leader.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) broke Strom Thurmond's 24-hour civil rights filibuster record with a day-long speech, but Democrats' reliance on outdated tactics in a hyperactive media environment is a missed opportunity for strategic advantage.