Susan Davis

A narrowly divided Senate is putting two Republican women who support abortion rights and three red-state Democrats in the spotlight as the critical votes in the Supreme Court confirmation process.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that a vote to fill a Supreme Court vacancy would be a "top priority." Now a confirmation vote to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy will come just months before the midterms.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's decision not to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court during the 2016 election helped the GOP reshape the court. Justice Neil Gorsuch's role in high profile 5-4 rulings this week demonstrates the consequences of that decision, and the pay off for conservatives.

The California Democrat called on people to confront Trump administration officials whenever they are out in public. Her call comes as several Trump aides were recently denied service in restaurants.

Trump said Friday that he would not sign a House GOP immigration bill crafted to meet his policy demands, triggering confusion. Later, a White House spokesman said the president backed the measure.

Former FBI Director James Comey has been found insubordinate in his handling of the Clinton email investigation, but not biased. Also, House Republicans plan to vote next week on immigration bills.

House Speaker Paul Ryan is calling for a legislative fix to the policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the border.

The bill is an attempt by Republican leaders to find a compromise with moderate GOP lawmakers. The House will vote on two immigration bills next week, including another supported by conservatives.

House Republican leaders have avoided the immigration debate because it exposes splits inside the party. Now, just five months ahead of the midterms, they agreed to vote on two proposals, with conservatives and centrists still struggling to get on same page.

The move by House GOP leaders late Tuesday night heads off a contentious "discharge petition" effort led by GOP moderates and House Democrats to force immigration votes if no deal is reached.

Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell reaches a career milestone on Tuesday, becoming the longest serving GOP leader in Senate history.

The Justice Department has announced it will not defend the Affordable Care Act in an ongoing lawsuit brought by 20 states that challenge the legality of core pillars of the law.

House Republicans are struggling to find consensus on an immigration bill that can unify the GOP's ideological divide over how to address the legal status of people brought to the U.S. as children.

Speaker Paul Ryan backed up House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy's interpretation of the use of an FBI informant that has come under fire from President Trump.

The majority leader blamed Democrats for slow-walking President Trump's nominees. He also said the Senate will use the extra time to pass annual spending bills.

Lawmakers thought the immigration debate was over, but a group of House Republicans is agitating for a floor showdown later this month. The House GOP Conference will meet Thursday to strategize.

Retiring freshman Rep. Tom Garrett, R-Va., sought information about communications from his own congressional staff after announcing he would not seek re-election. Who the targets were is unknown.

The Senate majority leader talked to NPR after he attended a classified briefing on probes over Russian election interference. McConnell also discussed midterm elections and President Trump's role.

The Senate majority leader says he is focusing the chamber's agenda for the rest of 2018 on confirming conservatives to lifetime judicial appointments.

The Senate GOP leader told NPR in an interview that nothing he heard in a secret briefing changed his mind about the integrity of the Russia and Justice Department probes. "I support both," he said.