Thom Tillis

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the controversial environmental lawyer turned public health critic, cleared his first hurdle on Tuesday to become the nation’s top health official when the Senate finance committee voted to advance his nomination for a floor vote.

'With the serious commitments I’ve received ... I will vote yes'

After the 14-13 committee vote, the nomination now goes before a full Senate vote.

The Republican senator from North Carolina announced Monday on X he would vote in favor of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination.

Republicans appear to be rallying behind President Donald Trump’s health secretary nominee

Former North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson dropped his libel lawsuit against CNN on Friday and said he is leaving public life, marking the final chapter for the disgraced Republican politician who was caught posting racist and sexually explicit musings on a porn website.Robinson was suing CNN over its bombshell report during his 2024 bid for governor which revealed that in a series of posts on a pornographic website forum, Robinson described himself as a “black Nazi,” made racist slurs against Martin Luther King Jr., and said the only reason he wasn’t in the Ku Klux Klan is because he is black and they wouldn’t let him in. Robinson made the vile comments on a website called Nude Africa, where he also admitted to watching “tr-nny on girl porn,” “peeping” on women in public showers, and cheating on his wife with his sister-in-law.In a series of posts on X, Robinson continued to claim that CNN lied in the report that broke the story of his disturbing internet postings, although he never provided any evidence that the report was false.But Robinson said that continuing his lawsuit would be too costly and that a "continued political persecution of my family and loved ones is a cost I am unwilling to continue to bear.""The words of our Savior, along with the earthly reality that costly litigation and political gamesmanship by my detractors makes clear that continuing to pursue retribution from CNN is a futile effort," Robinson wrote. "That is why I have asked Jesse Binnall and his legal team to terminate any continued attempt to litigate with CNN on my or my family’s behalf."Robinson added that he has no plans to primary North Carolina GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, who is up for reelection in 2026. "I will not run next year, nor do I have plans to seek elected office in the future. Until we change the hearts and souls of those inside the political arena, it is unlikely the political process itself will undergo any meaningful change," Robinson said.Robinson handily lost his bid for North Carolina governor in November to Democrat Josh Stein, even as Donald Trump won the state. CNN’s report caused Robinson’s support among Republicans to collapse and his campaign staff to flee en masse. Trump, who had praised Robinson as “Martin Luther King on steroids,” distanced himself from the tainted candidate after the CNN report on the Nude Africa posts. Of course, Trump had embraced Robinson despite knowing about the other horrifying comments he had already made, including when Robinson denied that Adolf Hitler killed millions of Jews in the Holocaust, said 9/11 was an “inside job,” that the music industry leads people to Satan, and that LGBTQ+ people are “filth.”Nevertheless, we may all be officially done dealing with Robinson. Good riddance. Thank you to the Daily Kos community who continues to fight so hard with Daily Kos. Your reader support means everything. We will continue to have you covered and keep you informed, so please donate just $3 to help support the work we do.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said vaccines are not safe. His support for abortion access has made conservatives uncomfortable. And farmers across the Midwest are nervous over his talk of banning corn syrup and pesticides from America’s food supply.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said vaccines are not safe. His support for abortion access has made conservatives uncomfortable. And farmers across the Midwest are nervous about his talk of removing corn syrup and pesticides from America’s food supply. The...

Patel has long raged against the so-called Deep State and prioritized his loyalty to Trump.

Trump couches the pardons as the righting of a wrong — “a grave national injustice.” The price of this delusion: more than 150 injured police officers.

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

A moderate GOP senator has broken her silence to say she won't be voting to confirm Pete Hegseth.

The Senate on Thursday voted to advance Pete Hegseth’s nomination to be President Donald Trump’s defense secretary, putting him on a path to final confirmation at the end of the week.The vote was 51 to 49, with just two Republicans — moderate Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine — voting with all 47 Democrats to try to block Hegseth. He needed a simple majority to advance to a final vote.Shortly before the vote, Murkowski became the first Republican to publicly oppose Hegseth’s nomination, saying that some of the past behavior he has admitted to demonstrates a “lack of judgment” and is “unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces.”After the vote, Collins said she had raised concerns directly to Hegseth about his past comments that women should not serve in combat roles.In his confirmation hearing, Hegseth walked those comments back, telling senators he supports women serving in combat as long as standards remain high. But Collins said in her statement she is “not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed.”Still, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who has guided Hegseth through the process, declared after the vote that Hegseth will be confirmed on Friday. Asked about Murkowski and Collins opposing him, Wicker said, “I was not surprised, and I do understand.”Thursday’s vote marked a significant step forward for Hegseth, whose nomination just last month appeared to be on the verge of collapse after multiple news reports detailed allegations of alcohol abuse, a sexual assault, and the financial mismanagement of organizations that he led.Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor and Army combat veteran, has denied all of those allegations.The GOP-led Senate voted to end debate on his nomination after 11th-hour revelations that a former sister-in-law to Hegseth had said in a sworn affidavit that was shared with senators that the he had demonstrated “erratic and aggressive behavior over many years” and had made his ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, “fear for her safety” while they were married. The former sister-in-law, Daniella Hegseth, also wrote in the affidavit that “Samantha once told me that Hegseth grabbed her groin without consent at their home.”Trump administrationJan 145 takeaways from Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearingpolitics18 hours agoUnredacted affidavit contains previously unreported allegation about Pete Hegseth's behavior toward second wifeTrump administrationJan 21Senators receive affidavit containing new allegations against Pete Hegseth, who denies the claimsThe affidavit was submitted in response to a request for information from Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee. The existence of the affidavit was first reported by NBC News.Daniella Hegseth said that she “did not personally witness physical or sexual abuse by Hegseth.” Samantha Hegseth said in a statement that there was no physical abuse during her marriage to Hegseth. A lawyer for his ex-wife did not respond to the previously unreported allegation.Tim Parlatore, a lawyer for Pete Hegseth, wrote in an email: “As NBC is well aware, the actual participant, Samantha has denied these false allegations, yet NBC continues to irresponsibly report false allegations by an uninvolved third party as if they were fact.”Despite Thursday’s vote, Hegseth is still not in the clear. Four GOP senators joining all 47 Democrats on the final vote would result in Hegseth falling short of the majority he needs to be confirmed.While Sens. Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., confirmed they would vote in favor of Hegseth and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, reiterated her support for him Thursday, several others remained on the fence.Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he would vote to advance Hegseth’s nomination and appeared to be leaning in favor of final passage as he investigated the myriad allegations against Hegseth.“I’m still examining the record ... I go through extensive due diligence,” Tillis said Thursday. “I have talked to numerous people. I have spent hours on the phone. I have yet to find one instance of a first-hand account with corroboration to support the allegations. If I find that, then it would influence my vote.“But I’ve completed due diligence, and I’ve looked for it, and I haven’t found it,” Tillis said.Wicker, the Armed Services chairman, foreshadowed just how close a final vote on Hegseth might be, suggesting that Vice President JD Vance may be needed to break a 50-50 tie.“If I were JD Vance, I’d stick around,” Wicker said.Trump appointments and nomineesHere are some of the people that President-elect Donald Trump has named for high-profile positions in his administration. Nominations and picks are not official until Trump is officially in office. ■ Requires Senate confimation ■ Confirmed by Senate ■ Failed Senate confirmationvar pymParent = new pym.Parent('trump-admin', 'https://media.nbcnewyork.com/assets/editorial/national/2024/trump-admin-noms/index.html', {title: '', parenturlparam: '', parenturlvalue: ''});Source: NBC NewsSpeaking in opposition of Hegseth’s nomination, Reed, the top Democrat on Armed Services, said on the Senate floor that he believed the FBI’s initial background check into Hegseth was rushed and incomplete. He added that the FBI has had to give him two additional briefings on Hegseth since then, including Wednesday night.“Before Mr. Hegseth’s hearing, I was alarmed that investigators had neglected to contact critical witnesses and whistle blowers, and I urged them to reopen the investigation,” Reed said in his floor speech. “During my experience on the Armed Services Committee, it is unprecedented that the FBI has returned to my office two more times, as recently as last night, to provide additional information on the nominee.“Frankly, I still do not believe the background investigation is complete,” he said.This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:Senate confirms John Ratcliffe to be CIA directorFederal district court judge temporarily blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship orderTrump’s threat to Moscow on Ukraine seen as an insulting false start by some in Russia

The Senate on Thursday voted to advance Pete Hegseth’s nomination to be President Donald Trump’s defense secretary, putting him on a path to final confirmation at the end of the week.The vote was 51 to 49, with just two Republicans — moderate Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine — voting with all 47 Democrats to try to block Hegseth. He needed a simple majority to advance to a final vote.Shortly before the vote, Murkowski became the first Republican to publicly oppose Hegseth’s nomination, saying that some of the past behavior he has admitted to demonstrates a “lack of judgment” and is “unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces.”After the vote, Collins said she had raised concerns directly to Hegseth about his past comments that women should not serve in combat roles.In his confirmation hearing, Hegseth walked those comments back, telling senators he supports women serving in combat as long as standards remain high. But Collins said in her statement she is “not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed.”Still, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who has guided Hegseth through the process, declared after the vote that Hegseth will be confirmed on Friday. Asked about Murkowski and Collins opposing him, Wicker said, “I was not surprised, and I do understand.”Thursday’s vote marked a significant step forward for Hegseth, whose nomination just last month appeared to be on the verge of collapse after multiple news reports detailed allegations of alcohol abuse, a sexual assault, and the financial mismanagement of organizations that he led.Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor and Army combat veteran, has denied all of those allegations.The GOP-led Senate voted to end debate on his nomination after 11th-hour revelations that a former sister-in-law to Hegseth had said in a sworn affidavit that was shared with senators that the he had demonstrated “erratic and aggressive behavior over many years” and had made his ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, “fear for her safety” while they were married. The former sister-in-law, Daniella Hegseth, also wrote in the affidavit that “Samantha once told me that Hegseth grabbed her groin without consent at their home.”Trump administrationJan 145 takeaways from Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearingpolitics18 hours agoUnredacted affidavit contains previously unreported allegation about Pete Hegseth's behavior toward second wifeTrump administrationJan 21Senators receive affidavit containing new allegations against Pete Hegseth, who denies the claimsThe affidavit was submitted in response to a request for information from Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee. The existence of the affidavit was first reported by NBC News.Daniella Hegseth said that she “did not personally witness physical or sexual abuse by Hegseth.” Samantha Hegseth said in a statement that there was no physical abuse during her marriage to Hegseth. A lawyer for his ex-wife did not respond to the previously unreported allegation.Tim Parlatore, a lawyer for Pete Hegseth, wrote in an email: “As NBC is well aware, the actual participant, Samantha has denied these false allegations, yet NBC continues to irresponsibly report false allegations by an uninvolved third party as if they were fact.”Despite Thursday’s vote, Hegseth is still not in the clear. Four GOP senators joining all 47 Democrats on the final vote would result in Hegseth falling short of the majority he needs to be confirmed.While Sens. Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., confirmed they would vote in favor of Hegseth and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, reiterated her support for him Thursday, several others remained on the fence.Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he would vote to advance Hegseth’s nomination and appeared to be leaning in favor of final passage as he investigated the myriad allegations against Hegseth.“I’m still examining the record ... I go through extensive due diligence,” Tillis said Thursday. “I have talked to numerous people. I have spent hours on the phone. I have yet to find one instance of a first-hand account with corroboration to support the allegations. If I find that, then it would influence my vote.“But I’ve completed due diligence, and I’ve looked for it, and I haven’t found it,” Tillis said.Wicker, the Armed Services chairman, foreshadowed just how close a final vote on Hegseth might be, suggesting that Vice President JD Vance may be needed to break a 50-50 tie.“If I were JD Vance, I’d stick around,” Wicker said.Trump appointments and nomineesHere are some of the people that President-elect Donald Trump has named for high-profile positions in his administration. Nominations and picks are not official until Trump is officially in office. ■ Requires Senate confimation ■ Confirmed by Senate ■ Failed Senate confirmationvar pymParent = new pym.Parent('trump-admin', 'https://media.nbcnewyork.com/assets/editorial/national/2024/trump-admin-noms/index.html', {title: '', parenturlparam: '', parenturlvalue: ''});Source: NBC NewsSpeaking in opposition of Hegseth’s nomination, Reed, the top Democrat on Armed Services, said on the Senate floor that he believed the FBI’s initial background check into Hegseth was rushed and incomplete. He added that the FBI has had to give him two additional briefings on Hegseth since then, including Wednesday night.“Before Mr. Hegseth’s hearing, I was alarmed that investigators had neglected to contact critical witnesses and whistle blowers, and I urged them to reopen the investigation,” Reed said in his floor speech. “During my experience on the Armed Services Committee, it is unprecedented that the FBI has returned to my office two more times, as recently as last night, to provide additional information on the nominee.“Frankly, I still do not believe the background investigation is complete,” he said.This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:Senate confirms John Ratcliffe to be CIA directorFederal district court judge temporarily blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship orderTrump’s threat to Moscow on Ukraine seen as an insulting false start by some in Russia

Pamela Hemphill, 71, who served 60 days in prison after pleading guilty to her role in the 2021 attack, believes there should be no pardons.

Patel has long raged against the so-called Deep State and prioritized his loyalty to Trump.

Senator Tillis expressed support for President Trump's executive actions to reinforce southern border security and criticized the Biden Administration's border management.

The Combating Cartels on Social Media Act was introduced to stop drug cartels from recruiting American teens online.

Republicans are on the verge of giving President-elect Trump a big win on immigration to kick off his second term — and doing it with the help of Democrats while dividing the minority party on the hot-button issue. The GOP spent years pillorying the Biden administration for being weak on the border and immigration, with [...]

Senator Thom Tillis honored the late Greensboro Police Officer Michael Horan for his commitment to service and impact on the community.

Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Justice, echoed attacks on the agency she would lead if confirmed, but demurred on how she might handle tests of its independence. Bondi is a more traditional pick to lead the department than Trump’s initial choice, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). She’s a longtime prosecutor [...]

She is President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. attorney general.

Trump's attorney general pick, Pam Bondi, to face questioning from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is laying down a highly ambitious timeline to approve President-elect Donald Trump’s big-ticket legislative agenda.

Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, here at a Senate Judiciary hearing in September, is among five vulnerable senators for 2026, according to Inside Elections' initial battleground map.

Senate Republicans fear that President-elect Trump’s tax agenda could be derailed in the House by several potential landmines, including calls by some GOP lawmakers to raise corporate taxes and to lift the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions. Senators worry that if one or two House Republicans insist on raising corporate taxes to [...]

Senate Republicans are huddling with President-elect Trump on Wednesday to discuss how to approach budget reconciliation to pass his agenda.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville is leading the reintroduction of his bill on transgender athletes now that Republicans are in control of the Senate.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has been chosen as the DSCC Chair for the 2026 cycle to lead Senate Democrats' election efforts.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, here in the Senate subway in the U.S. Capitol in December, faces a competitive reelection next year. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, like Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand a New Yorker, on Monday appointed Gillibrand to chair the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Sunday signed into law a measure that boosts Social Security payments for current and former public employees, affecting nearly 3 million people who receive pensions from their time as teachers, firefighters, police officers and in other public service jobs.

North Carolina Rep.-elect Tim Moore is among several newcomers to Capitol Hill with notable political experience.

Donald Trump arrives onstage to accept the Republican nomination for president at the national party convention in Milwaukee in July. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Letter writers discuss the national debt, Norfolk State's hiring of Michael Vick and presidential pardons.

The fate of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet is still unclear after Republican senators spent much of December carefully dodging questions

The fate of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet is still unclear after Republican senators spent much of December carefully dodging questions about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ’s views on vaccines, accusations of sexual misconduct against Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard’s 2017 meeting with then-President Bashar Assad of Syria. While [...]

WASHINGTON — The feud between Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell could soon spark anew in the next Congress with the Kentucky Republican poised to hold ample sway over the president-elect’s agenda and nominees.

Senators advance bill that would expand Social Security benefits to millions of Americans, including teachers, firefighters and others with public pensions.

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, here at a news conference at the Capitol last week, is up for reelection in 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

A Republican brouhaha is emerging after President-elect Trump called to eliminate daylight saving time, setting up battle lines between prominent GOP lawmakers in their hopes to lock the clock. Trump waded into the longtime sore subject Friday, surprising — and perplexing — some lawmakers. Each side — those in favor of permanent standard time, which [...]

Robert Kennedy, Jr., nominee to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, arrives for his meeting with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., in the Hart Senate Office Building on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.

Are Sens. Budd and Tillis willing to put our children at risk of sickness and death to avoid possibly losing their positions of power?

DES MOINES, Iowa — A week after President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, Elon Musk said his political action committee would “play a significant role in primaries.”

Patty Morin holds a picture of her daughter, Rachel, who was allegedly killed by undocumented immigrant in Maryland in 2023, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday.