The House on Wednesday approved HR 1, a sweeping government, ethics and election bill that Democrats have made a signature legislative priority.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is facing a torrent of criticism over his surprise decision to roll back his state's mask mandate and business restrictions -- moves that strategists and activists in both parties said are aimed at appeasing an impatient Republican base ahead of his 2022 reelection bid and with an eye on the 2024 presidential race.

The Senate could move as soon as this week to pass their own version of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill.

Taking the stage for the first time since leaving office, former President Donald Trump on Sunday called for Republican Party unity in a speech at a conservative political conference, even as he exacerbated its divisions and made clear he intended to remain a dominant force in the party.

The White House and congressional Democrats on Sunday defended the House's passage of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package without any Republican support, arguing the Senate must now move quickly on the proposal to address the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.