When it comes to Senate bloviating, Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse is among the worst of a bad company. A political party that has lost its hold on the White House and its Senate majority has been reduced to what amounts to catcalling from the sidelines as the second Trump administration forms,

Scott Bessent, Donald Trump's nominee for Treasury Secretary, said during a confirmation hearing Thursday that he is "perplexed" that the Biden administration did not impose more sanctions and tariffs on Russia's economy.

Trump's promised tax cuts, and their potential consequences for the U.S. economy, took center stage at Bessent's confirmation hearing.