Outside the Beltway

Mandatory vaccination laws raise personal liberty issues that ought to be taken seriously, but in the end, public health concerns weigh heavily in favor of laws mandating vaccination.

There appear to be enough votes in the Senate to pass the resolution disapproving President Trump’s border wall “emergency,” but there’s not enough Republican support to override an expected veto.

Republicans face a choice in the coming days. Do they support the Constitution, or do they support Donald Trump? You can count on them making the wrong choice.

Gun laws requiring guns to be taken away from convicted felons are either being ignored or have too many loopholes. We need to fix that.

While I’m sympathetic to his plight, he has no case.

Supreme Court watcher Jeffrey Toobin speculates that Clarence Thomas could be the next Supreme Court Justice to step aside.

The President will sign the bill to fund the government and avert another government shutdown, but in doing so he’ll also lay the groundwork for another showdown with Congress.

In his business career Donald Trump relied largely on fear and intimidation to get his way on business deals. As President, he’s finding that nobody is afraid of him.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is the latest entrant into the race for the 2020 Democratic Nomination.

In a deal that can only be described as a cave by the President, the government shutdown is on course to be ended by the end of the day today.

There’s a way that Congress and the President could make future government shutdowns impossible, but they probably won’t do it.

The Senate has the ball this week in terms of action on the government shutdown, but its work is going to end up being utterly pointless.

Not surprisingly, the President’s proposed shutdown deal is not being received well by Democrats on Capitol Hill.

The longer video and deeper investigation of the incident reveals a very different story.

With Democrats making a new proposal and the President set to speak later today, there could be movement on ending the government shutdown. I wouldn’t be too optimistic, though.

As the government shutdown continues, Washington is coming to resemble a fight between toddlers. Except the toddlers have the excuse of not knowing any better.

Tomorrow the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in a case that could make it easier to order and ship wine from out-of-state retailers.

If you’re looking for the biggest obstacle to a resolution to the government shutdown, look no further than President Donald J. Trump.

As the shutdown drags on, Republicans are beginning to fear that members in the House and Senate may begin to fall away from supporting the President.

Washington has become the latest state to ban the sale of semiautomatic assault rifles to persons under 21.

As the shutdown drags on, Mitch McConnell finds himself facing pressure from the White House and from members of his own caucus.

With Democrats set to take control of Congress today, a resolution to the shutdown doesn’t appear to be any closer.

The government entered its third shutdown of the year with little sign of an immediate resolution.

With just hours to go, a partial government shutdown is becoming more and more likely.

The Senate passed a bill that keeps the government funded through the beginning of February, but fails to provide any funding for the President’s border wall.

The Senate overwhelmingly passed major reforms in Federal sentencing and related laws. As the name of the bill implies, it’s a first step, but a good first step.

With three days to go before a government shutdown, there are at least some signs that the President may be backing away from his threats to shut down the government over funding for his border wall.

As expected, the Justice Department has issued a new rule banning bump stocks. However, it is likely to face legal challenges.

Cory Booker’s interest in running for President has been an open secret for some time, now he’s being far less coy about it.

The Trump Administration is preparing to ban bump stocks in the coming weeks.

Kim Davis, who became infamous for defying Court orders to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, was defeated in her re-election bid.

Whether as candidates or as voters, Democrats can thank women for many of their victories on Tuesday.

Florida voters approved an amendment to the state’s Constitution that will restore the voting rights of as many as 1.2 million ex-felons and make it easier for future released felons to get their civil rights back.

The 2018 midterms were mostly about Donald Trump. The results were idiosyncratic.

It’s all over but the vote counting.

The vise is tightening on the Catholic Church.

Another landmark decision from the Washington State Supreme Court.

President Trump is choosing money and moral cowardice over human life in his response to the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.

The Senate voted to proceed to an expected floor vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court tomorrow, but the final outcome is still uncertain.

As the Senate prepares for a key procedural vote on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh this morning, the Judge’s fate remains up in the air. However, signs are pointing to reasons for Republican optimism.

After placing limits on the scope of the F.B.I.’s reopened background investigation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, the White House has relented and is allowing a more open-ended investigation.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the floor, but a last minute maneuver could delay a final vote pending an F.B.I. investigation.

Some details still need to be worked out, but it looks as though Dr. Christine Blasey Ford will be testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

Voter turnout in primary elections in 2018 was significantly above normal levels. especially in Democratic races.

After a day of political pressure, Senate Republicans have agreed to hold a hearing regarding the sexual assault allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh next week.

Mitch McConnell has a plan that could pose problems for Democrats fighting for re-election.

The nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh is, effectively, assured. Democrats should be careful about how much further they push their opposition.

California is taking a major step in Criminal Justice reform by eliminating cash bail.

Throughout the War On Terror, John McCain stood out as a strong moral voice against the use of torture against prisoners. For that he deserves the thanks of a grateful nation.

Senator John McCain has died at the age of 81,