Political donations come overwhelmingly from the hardest partisans — so politicians answer to the edges, not to the majority. The Middle covers the news, the people, and the reforms that give moderate voters what they've been missing: representation.
Political bravery, on the record.
Sen. Margaret Chase Smith The senator who stood up to her own party firstSee the full wall →Extreme partisanship, on the record.
Sen. Joseph McCarthy The demagogue his own colleagues finally condemnedSee the full wall →
The Senate passed H.R. 6500 by 90-6, pairing a fiscal 2027 stopgap with an AGOA extension and showing how quickly a broad coalition can form when the alternative is a government shutdown.
A Senate voter-ID bill fell short of cloture, showing how election rules become partisan tests instead of practical safeguards.
The Senate voted 91-6 to advance the AGOA Extension Act, a rare near-unanimous vote crossing party lines while this week's Russia sanctions bill drew sharper splits.
The Senate overwhelmingly backed tougher pressure on Russia and Iran. The bipartisan result matters, but so do the costs and implementation choices Congress must still confront.
Susan M. Collins — U.S. Senator
A Senate vote to overturn an EPA PFAS reporting rule split almost perfectly by party. Susan Collins was the only exception, and that tells you something.
The Senate transformed an early-childhood educator tax bill into a sweeping Russia-and-Iran sanctions package and passed it 86-11—an important update to the chamber’s earlier 84-12 procedural vote.
An 89-4 Senate cloture vote on AGOA trade extension drew dissent only from Paul, Sanders, Warren, and Kaine — a small case study in how the middle actually governs.
Most Americans hold mixed, moderate views. Almost none of the money in politics comes from them — and candidates notice.
Centrism has a reputation for splitting the difference. That's not what representing the majority means.
After Alaska adopted its top-four open primary with ranked-choice general elections, candidates had a reason to campaign beyond their base.
Problem Solvers Caucus — U.S. House of Representatives (bipartisan caucus)
Roughly sixty House members, split evenly between the parties, who agree to negotiate before they posture. It's harder than it sounds.