Senate

Ties between NATO and Russia are at their most difficult phase since the Cold War, the alliance's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said, blaming Russia for its role in the Ukraine conflict.

The House of Representatives approved a USD 68 billion increase in military spending for the 2018 fiscal year, USD 1.6 billion of which will be used to pay for President Donald Trump's border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Reuters reports.

Russia took its first steps on Friday to retaliate against proposed American sanctions for Moscow’s suspected meddling in the 2016 election, seizing two American diplomatic properties and ordering the United States Embassy to reduce staff by September.

The latest attempt to repeal the Obama-era healthcare act has failed after a dramatic night in the US Senate, reported BBC.

At least three Republicans - John McCain, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski - voted against the bill, which needed a simple majority to pass.
President Donald Trump said the three had "let the American people down".

In a stinging blow to President Donald Trump, U.S. Senate Republicans failed on July 28 to dismantle Obamacare, falling short on a major campaign promise and perhaps ending a seven-year quest by their party to gut the healthcare law.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved a $68 billion increase in military spending next year with legislation that also provides money to start construction of President Donald Trump's Mexican border wall.

The Senate blocked the latest Republican attempt to repeal Obamacare in a dramatic floor vote early Friday morning, yet again stalling — for now — the key campaign goal that eludes the GOP six months into the Trump administration.

U.S. lawmakers reached an agreement on Wednesday that paves the way for the U.S. Senate to pass a bill as soon as this week to impose new sanctions on Russia, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said, despite the objections of President Donald Trump's administration, Reuters reports.

U.S. Senate Republicans narrowly agreed on July 25 to open debate on a bill to end Obamacare, but the party's seven-year effort to roll back Democratic President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law still faces significant hurdles.

The Senate deadlocked 50-50 on moving forward with the healthcare debate, forcing Vice President Mike Pence to cast the tie-breaking vote.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on July 25 to impose tough new sanctions on Iran, North Korea and Russia, a move harshly criticized by Kremlin. 

The measure notably constrains President Donald Trump's ability to waive the penalties.