Staff Reports
Get ready, because it was one roller coaster of a year in the U.S. Senate! From intense legislative battles to shocking viral moments and even a tragic death, the upper chamber had it all in 2023.
First up, we had Sen. Tommy Tuberville from Alabama making waves with his fight against the Pentagon’s abortion policy. Tuberville held up senior military promotions to protest the policy, which forced service members to travel out of state for abortions due to restrictive laws. He finally backed down in December, but not without a fight, standing up for the unborn and our military.
Another headline-grabbing moment came when Sen. Markwayne Mullin from Oklahoma almost came to blows with a witness during a Senate committee hearing. The tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife! Mullin stood his ground against the witness, showing that Republicans don’t take any nonsense from anyone, no matter the circumstances.
But the scandal that really rocked the Senate was the release of a sex tape filmed in a Senate hearing room. The explicit video created a firestorm of controversy, and one of Sen. Ben Cardin’s staffers found themselves in hot water. The whole mess prompted an investigation and sparked calls for criminal charges.
As if things couldn’t get any crazier, the Senate faced the death of its oldest member, Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Her advanced age and mental decline had been a cause for concern for some time, and her prolonged absence due to shingles raised questions about her ability to continue serving.
And let’s not forget the health scares faced by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who froze up not once, but twice, in front of the cameras.
Last but certainly not least, we had Sen. Joe Manchin’s bombshell announcement that he wouldn’t seek reelection. His decision to hit the road and try to “unify the divided political wings” had everyone wondering about his next move.
On the other side of the aisle, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made headlines with his push to regulate artificial intelligence. Schumer brought together experts for discussions and promised legislation to establish guardrails for AI.
