Latest U.S. Republican Party News

DeSantis pushes ban on diversity programs in state colleges
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday announced plans to block state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, and critical race theory in his latest step onto the front lines of the nation's culture wars. The Republican governor...
GOP declares victory in conservative state Senate district
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republicans are declaring victory in a special election for a vacant state Senate seat in a heavily Republican district in northern Pennsylvania. The Republican candidate, state Rep. Lynda Schlegel Culver, led Democrat Patricia Lawton by a more than...

GOP-led panel again defeats campaign finance reform
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Republican-led Virginia House panel voted down legislation early Wednesday that would prohibit lawmakers from using campaign funds for personal expenses such as a vacation, mortgage or country club membership. Virginia’s elected officials are currently...

Republican-led panel targets COVID relief dollars for review
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 1,000 people have pleaded guilty or have been convicted on federal charges of defrauding the myriad COVID-19 relief programs that Congress established in the early days of the pandemic. And more than 600 other people and entities face federal fraud charges. ...

Anti-abortion activists aim to sway GOP White House hopefuls
CHICAGO (AP) — Emboldened anti-abortion activists are looking to the 2024 presidential election as an opportunity to solidify their influence over the Republican Party. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, the most influential group in the anti-abortion movement, is telling each...

Republicans set to oust Rep. Omar from Foreign Affairs panel
WASHINGTON (AP) — Newly empowered House Republicans are preparing to oust an African-born Black lawmaker, Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, from the Foreign Affairs Committee over comments she has made critical of Israel — and as payback after Democrats booted far-right Republicans from panels for...

Michigan moves for early slot for 2024 presidential primary
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan House Democrats voted Tuesday to move the state's presidential primary to the fourth week of February and become a part of a new group of states slated to lead off the Democratic party's presidential primary starting next year. The move, which was...

Santos steps down from House panels amid ethics issues
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. George Santos of New York announced Tuesday he is temporarily stepping down from his two congressional committees, a move that comes amid a host of ethics issues and a day after he met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Santos has faced numerous...

Biden highlights grant for Hudson tunnel, takes aim at GOP
NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday showcased a $292 million mega grant that will be used to help build a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, part of a broader effort to draw a contrast between his economic vision and that of Republicans. ...

S. Dakota lawmakers push bill to bar transgender youth care
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — A state House committee voted Tuesday to advance a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth in South Dakota. Supporters argued a bill barring youth from accessing puberty blockers, hormones and surgery would protect adolescents from...
