Senate Republicans debate piecemeal funding bills during shutdown as Sen. Josh Hawley's food stamp extension faces resistance from party leadership and White House.

A federal judge in San Francisco has indefinitely blocked the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown.

Rand Paul tells TIME he is working with Democrats to force a vote on a resolution to block Trump's Venezuela strikes as early as next week

Two seats are up for grabs Tuesday, one in the Woodbury area, the other a more rural Wright County seat. If Democrats win both races, it would widen their advantage in the chamber. A sweep for Republicans would put them back in the majority.

Houston Congressman Wesley Hunt said he never would have jumped into the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate against John Cornyn and Ken Paxton if Trump already had a clear favorite in the race.

President Donald Trump is in Asia this week, while back in Washington the partial government shutdown shows no sign of ending. The Senate this week is expected to take up three joint resolutions that would terminate emergency declarations by the president that have been used to impose tariffs.

Senate Chaplain Barry Black on Monday offered a pointed prayer, saying he hopes lawmakers remember that “no gold medals given” for breaking shutdown records. “Eternal God, our king,