ABOUT:
Defense policy analysis, commentary and discussion.Niels Lesniewski covers the Senate for Roll Call. He joined what is now CQ Roll Call in September 2007, hired by Roll Call for the GalleryWatch legislative tracking service that was integrated into CQ in 2009. He is known for his expertise on the peculiarities of Senate procedure.
Niels began covering the Senate for CQ in January 2010, taking the title of CQ SenateWatch editor in the summer of 2011. He has contributed to coverage of all the biggest policy stories on Capitol Hill in recent years, including the response to the 2008 financial collapse, the health care overhaul and several budget standoffs.
A Connecticut native, Niels graduated from Hamilton College in New York with a dual degree in theatre and government. Before joining CQ Roll Call, he worked for theater productions in D.C. and New England. While in college, he interned for ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." Outside of work, Niels is an avid sports fan. He started attending Nationals games back when the team was among the worst in the National League and still playing at RFK Stadium.
Two senior Senate Democrats paid a visit to Republican Rep. Steve King’s Iowa House district Friday to counter his inflammatory comments about young immigrants known as DREAMers.
A senior Senate Democrat is eyeing the “nuclear option” to eliminate filibusters of nominations — this time for circuit court judges.
Updated: 2:17 p.m. Aug. 2 | Just a day after President Barack Obama told Senate Democrats he had personally engaged in the issue of his signature health care law’s effect on lawmakers and their staff, it appears there’s a solution.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell quietly weighed in on one of his long-standing priorities Thursday — the country of Myanmar.
At least it wasn’t one of their colleagues on a spit.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., succeeded in mustering the votes to kill a spending bill Thursday, drawing sharp rebukes from Democrats.
When not meeting with President Barack Obama or waiting for one of the longest Senate votes ever to conclude, the Senate’s two top Democratic leaders found time Wednesday for a few issues that won’t make such big headlines.
Wednesday’s prolonged roll call vote to limit debate on B. Todd Jones to become the permanent ATF director fell about 15 minutes short of the longest example in recent years.
Updated 4:25 p.m. | The Senate will have one more fiscal standoff before leaving for the August recess in what will be an early test of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s ability to hold the line on spending this fall.
During a wide-ranging, closed-door meeting with Senate Democrats that focused on economic issues, President Barack Obama expressed openness to changing the way the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court operates.
Updated 6:43 p.m. | Sen. Ted Cruz downplayed the damage of a government shutdown he and 11 other Senate Republicans are threatening over Obamacare as the equivalent of an extended weekend.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., may not have replied to the letter seeking input on a tax code overhaul from the Finance Committee leaders, but one of his most trusted lieutenants certainly did.
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — Give them credit for this much: The top congressional tax writers are doing their level best to push for an overhaul of the nation’s outdated tax code.
Updated 4:59 p.m. | Today could bring a news dump full of wonky tax code overhaul suggestions — or not.
Updated 4:50 p.m. | The bipartisan effort to overhaul the nation’s tax code isn’t getting the warmest response from the Senate Democratic leadership.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he’s going to have to get back to meeting regularly with his Republican counterpart from Kentucky.
Sen. Chris Coons is following in the footsteps of two predecessors, including the current vice president, taking up the cause of Amtrak.
There may be no legislative brinksmanship threatening to delay the arrival of August recess this year, but Senate Democratic leaders are looking to use the run-up to the month-long break as a de facto deadline to clear a bevy of nominations.
National tea party leaders are not backing down from their endorsement of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, despite pushback from local tea party factions in Kentucky.
Visions of the Republican Party literally crossed paths in the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday evening.
As the student loan endgame neared, Democrats grumbled about the budget rules that make the bipartisan package work.
It’s an understatement to say President Barack Obama and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell aren’t exactly kindred spirits, but on Tuesday the two men were in sync on a compromise student loan proposal opposed by key Senate Democrats.
If the sequester continues, the United States might not be able to take action in Syria and Iran.
Another Senate Republican has conceded he doesn’t entirely trust House Budget Chairman Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis.
The search continues to find more spare change in the government’s couch cushions.
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