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The eight senators meet in private several times a week, alternating between Sen. John McCain's and Sen. Charles Schumer's offices. They sit in arm chairs arranged in a circle and sip water or soft drinks as they debate temporary workers and border security. In a capital riven by partisanship and gridlock, they are determined to be the exception and actually get something done.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation Thursday making gun trafficking a federal crime as lawmakers cast the first vote in Congress to curb firearms since December's horrific shootings at a Connecticut elementary school.

The panel was also debating bills banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, requiring background checks for nearly all gun purchases, and

Sandwiched between two doctors offices at a roadside plaza here is the headquarters of a small team of veteran Republican investigators, operating almost as a private detective squad, who since late last year have had a determined goal: bringing down Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey.

The District of Columbia is preparing for the country’s biggest experiment yet with noncitizen voting, which has been on the books for nearly a year and will go live in its first election in 2024.

As of mid-December, the city said, three people registered — all showing up in person. Officials hope for more interest when online registration opens to noncitizens this year.