Faster Energy Permits Need Stronger Consumer Safeguards
The Senate’s permitting proposal pairs data-center cost protections with tighter court challenges. Households deserve scrutiny of both sides of that bargain.
Most of us are in the middle.
Almost none of the money is.
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.
Wall of Fame
Political bravery, on the record.
John Thune John Thune Held the Line Against Trump’s Filibuster DemandSen. Margaret Chase Smith The senator who stood up to her own party firstSee the full wall →Latest from The Middle
The FEC Filing Outage Is a Transparency Problem
The FEC says its electronic filing system is offline. Voters deserve clear updates and reliable access to campaign-finance disclosures.
A Caregiver Tax Credit Deserves More Than a Bipartisan Press Release
A new bipartisan endorsement puts caregiver relief back in view. The real test is who qualifies, how much help reaches families, and what it costs.
90-6: The Senate Finds a Governing Majority to Prevent a Shutdown
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.
52-46: Voter ID Stalls Where the Middle Could Have Started
A Senate voter-ID bill fell short of cloture, showing how election rules become partisan tests instead of practical safeguards.
91-6: The Senate Advances AGOA Renewal With Almost No One Watching
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.
86-11: A Bipartisan Russia Sanctions Vote With Real Tradeoffs
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.
48-50: The One Senator Who Broke Ranks on a PFAS Reporting Rule
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.
86-11: The Senate’s Quiet Russia-Sanctions Consensus
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 vote nobody is talking about
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.
Why the middle gets outspent
Most Americans hold mixed, moderate views. Almost none of the money in politics comes from them — and candidates notice.
What we mean by "the middle" (it isn't mush)
Centrism has a reputation for splitting the difference. That's not what representing the majority means.
Alaska showed what happens when candidates need everyone's vote
After Alaska adopted its top-four open primary with ranked-choice general elections, candidates had a reason to campaign beyond their base.
Spotlight: the Problem Solvers Caucus
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.