Skip to content
Project 2025
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories
Donald Trump’s Epstein Mess Keeps Getting Worse

Donald Trump’s Epstein Mess Keeps Getting Worse

How the Trump Administration Abandoned Plans for a Major Cut in Disability Benefits for Older Workers

How the Trump Administration Abandoned Plans for a Major Cut in Disability Benefits for Older Workers

What Bad Bunny Can Teach Us About Leadership, Belonging, and the Power of Place

What Bad Bunny Can Teach Us About Leadership, Belonging, and the Power of Place

​Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Resigns: The Primary Problem Exposes America’s Broken Election System

Presidents can no longer be trusted with pardons

Presidents can no longer be trusted with pardons

The 35 Republicans who support the insurrection commission​

Capitol insurrection

Nearly three dozen Republicans joined with Democrats to approve an investigation into the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol.

Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Sara Swann
By Sara SwannMay 20, 2021
Sara Swann

As a staff writer, Sara covers a variety of democracy reform issues, including voting rights, money in politics, gerrymandering and civic education. Prior to joining The Fulcrum in May 2019, Sara reported on local government on Maryland's Eastern Shore for the USA Today network. She is a native West Virginian and a graduate of Syracuse University.

See More Writings by author

The House voted Wednesday to establish an independent commission investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Thirty-five Republicans broke from the GOP leadership to join the Democratic majority in supporting the bill.

Some of these Republicans had previously broken with the party on major votes that defined their stance on democratic institutions, including two votes on the impeachment of Donald Trump as well as certification of the 2020 election results.

Use the chart below to see how each GOP member voted on these critical issues.

The legislation's chances of passing in the evenly split Senate remain slim.



Latest news

Someone submitting a purple ballot.
Bipartisanship

Democrats and Republicans Should Each Support Some Independents

A Bend But Don’t Break Economy
Media & Technology

A Bend But Don’t Break Economy

Listen Up, Trump Supporters!
Ethics & Leadership

Listen Up, Trump Supporters!

As Cities Test Guaranteed Income, Congresswoman Pushes for a Federal Pilot
Governance & Legislation

As Cities Test Guaranteed Income, Congresswoman Pushes for a Federal Pilot

Read More

Adoption in America Is Declining—The Need Isn’t
man and woman holding hands
Photo by Austin Lowman on Unsplash

Adoption in America Is Declining—The Need Isn’t

Two weeks ago, more than 50 kids gathered at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, not for the roller coasters or the holiday decorations, but to be legally united with their “forever” families.

Events like this happened across the country in November in celebration of National Adoption Month. When President Bill Clinton established the observance in 1995 to celebrate and encourage adoption as “a means for building and strengthening families,” he noted that “much work remains to be done.” Thirty years later, that work has only grown.

Keep ReadingShow less
Adoption in America Is Declining—The Need Isn’t
man and woman holding hands
Photo by Austin Lowman on Unsplash

Adoption in America Is Declining—The Need Isn’t

Two weeks ago, more than 50 kids gathered at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, not for the roller coasters or the holiday decorations, but to be legally united with their “forever” families.

Events like this happened across the country in November in celebration of National Adoption Month. When President Bill Clinton established the observance in 1995 to celebrate and encourage adoption as “a means for building and strengthening families,” he noted that “much work remains to be done.” Thirty years later, that work has only grown.

Keep ReadingShow less
The baking isn’t done only by elected officials. It’s done by citizens​

a view of the capitol building

Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash

The baking isn’t done only by elected officials. It’s done by citizens​

In November, eight Senate Democrats voted with Republicans to end the longest government shutdown in history, with little to show for the 43-day closure.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), who was not one of the eight, told discouraged Democrats, “We need to remember the battle we’re in….[We need to continue the fight] to defend our country from Trump and MAGA. Two things coming up that are really important,” Whitehouse said, “1) In December, there will be a vote on extending the Affordable Care credits we fought for. That gives us…weeks to hammer the Republicans so hard that we actually get a good Affordable Care credits bill.

Keep ReadingShow less
Is Politico's Gerrymandering Poll and Analysis Misleading?
Image generated by IVN staff.

Is Politico's Gerrymandering Poll and Analysis Misleading?

Politico published a story last week under the headline “Poll: Americans don’t just tolerate gerrymandering — they back it.”

Still, a close review of the data shows the poll does not support that conclusion. The poll shows that Americans overwhelmingly prefer either an independent redistricting process or a voter-approved process — not partisan map-drawing without voter approval. This is the exact opposite of the narrative Politico’s headline and article promoted. The numbers Politico relied on to justify its headline came only from a subset of partisans.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025