Mitch McConnell

NPR's Debbie Elliott speaks with NPR's Political Correspondent, Sue Davis, about Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell's current influence over his conference.

The senior senator from Texas has the ambition to become the Senate’s top Republican, but he remains loyal to McConnell, who has downplayed concerns about his well-being.

The freshman congresswoman is facing blowback from Democrats and within her own party for her extreme, baseless theories surrounding American politics.

The Senate voted Tuesday to advance a House-passed bill that would end the National Security Agency's bulk collection program. Edward Snowden also spoke via videolink to a conference in London.