Congress

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House Scolds Obama on Libya

But it rejects more drastic measure demanding withdrawal

(Newser) - President Obama has two weeks to convince Congress that involvement in attacks against Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi are in the best interest of the US, according to a resolution approved on Capitol Hill today. The House criticized the president for moving ahead with the 76-day-old military campaign without seeking congressional...

Obama (and His Autopen) Sign Patriot Act Extension

Congress passed four-year extension just hours before deadline

(Newser) - With just hours to go before the Patriot Act expired at midnight, Congress passed a four-year extension last night—but with President Obama in France, how to get it signed? With something called an autopen machine, apparently. The machine holds a pen and signs the president’s real signature, and...

Lawmakers: Obama Breaking the Law in Libya

He's quietly blown by 60-day deadline for Congress' approval

(Newser) - Rumblings are growing in Congress about President Obama’s failure to get congressional approval for the military operation in Libya, the Washington Post observes. Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, Obama needs congressional approval for a military action within 60 days of launching it, but that deadline came and...

Gang of One: Coburn Writing His Own Budget

Oklahoma Republican says his will tackle Medicare, Medicaid

(Newser) - Tom Coburn may have left the Gang of Six over unsuccessful attempts to carve out a deficit deal, but he's still in the game. The Oklahoma Republican says he's writing his own budget plan, with a focus on cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. “I want everybody to...

Coburn Drops From Gang of Six Talks

Says he sees no point, citing differences with Democrats

(Newser) - A top Republican senator in the bipartisan "Gang of Six" seeking agreement on a plan to cut the deficit by $4 trillion over the next decade dropped out of the group today, saying that his colleagues weren't willing to cut enough from benefit programs like Medicare. Tom Coburn...

5 Common-Sense Bills We Need to Pass
 5 Common-Sense 
 Bills We Need to Pass 
ezra klein
May 15, 2011 5:13 AM CDT

5 Common-Sense Bills We Need to Pass

Here's two: Let's vote on weekends and stop making pennies

(Newser) - Ezra Klein uses his Washington Post column to give a push to what he sees as logical bills languishing for lack of "partisan passion." Among his first No-Brainer Awards:
  • Weekend voting: A bill from Rep. Steve Israel and outgoing Sen. Herb Kohl would end the outdated silliness of
...

Supreme Court Steps Into Thorny Case on Jerusalem

Case questions birth country of Jerusalem-born American

(Newser) - The Supreme Court is about to take on a case that tangles Israeli politics with questions of congressional and executive power. It will hear an appeal from the parents of an American born in Jerusalem—a city the US doesn’t recognize as belonging to Israel—who wants Israel listed...

Budget Deal Clears House, Senate

Any threat of a government shutdown is now gone

(Newser) - The shutdown showdown is over, at least until the fall. The House and Senate today passed a measure to fund the government through September, the end of the 2011 fiscal year. The bill passed 260-167 in the House on a bipartisan vote, required because 59 Republicans broke ranks and voted...

House Passes Stopgap; Obama Promises Veto

President calls it a 'distraction,' and it won't clear Senate anyway

(Newser) - The GOP-controlled House easily passed another stopgap measure today that would keep the government running for another week, but President Obama called it a "distraction" and promised to veto it if reached his desk. It probably won't, however, because Senate Democrats aren't expected to even consider it. Obama, meanwhile,...

27% of Senate Press Releases Taunt Other Side

Professor analyzes writings, finds lots of name calling

(Newser) - This could explain why Congress is having such a hard time agreeing on a budget: Its members are too busy taunting one another. A Harvard professor analyzed the writings of Congress members, and found that about 27% of the time, they're just insulting each other. “It’s jarring and...

Ex Jersey Rep. Adler Dead at 51
 Ex Jersey 
 Rep. Adler 
 Dead at 51 


OBITUARY
Apr 5, 2011 5:00 AM CDT

Ex Jersey Rep. Adler Dead at 51

Democrat hailed for lifetime of public service

(Newser) - John Adler, a New Jersey politician who worked his way up from town councilman to congressman, has died. He was 51. Adler, who was among the Democratic members of Congress that lost their jobs in last November's election, had been in a local hospital since last month, when he underwent...

No. of Reps Who Donated to National Debt in 2010: 3

But even if they gave full salaries, they'd barely make a den

(Newser) - For a bunch of people so concerned with the growing national debt, the House of Representatives doesn't have a lot of members putting their money where their mouths are. The House has program that allows representatives to return a portion of their salaries toward debt reduction (the Senate doesn't even...

Congress Must Stop Ignoring Article 1, Section 8

If Congress had debated recent wars, we'd have saved trillions: Walter Rodgers

(Newser) - Congressional Republicans have been hard at work cutting a few million in funding from NPR; but if they’d just played by the rules a decade ago, they could have saved at least $4 trillion, writes Walter Rodgers in the Christian Science Monitor . That's one estimate of how much the...

House NPR: Republicans Vote to Strip Federal Funding
House Votes to Cut Funding From NPR
Mar 17, 2011 2:58 PM CDT

House Votes to Cut Funding From NPR

But it looks unlikely to pass in the Senate

(Newser) - The House has voted to end federal funding to National Public Radio, though the chances of it getting through the Senate are slim. Republican supporters say it makes good fiscal sense, but Democratic opponents call it an ideological attack that would deprive local stations of access to programs such as...

House Passes Stopgap Bill Despite GOP Defections

More than 50 Republicans opposed it

(Newser) - The House today passed a measure blending $6 billion in budget cuts with enough money to keep the government running for an additional three weeks. The measure would buy additional time for talks between Capitol Hill Republicans and the Obama administration on a bill to fund the day-to-day operations of...

Fla. Congressman Accused of Sexual Harassment

Former aide files suit against Democrat Alcee Hastings

(Newser) - Florida congressman Alcee Hastings is being sued by a former aide who accuses the Democrat of sexually harassing her over a 2-year period. The lawsuit, filed by conservative group Judicial Watch on behalf of Winsome Packer, accuses Hastings of making unwelcome sexual advances, including asking about her underwear and subjecting...

Election 2012: Republicans in Good Shape to Take Senate Majority
 GOP in Good Shape 
 to Take Senate Majority 
election 2012
Mar 6, 2011 1:08 PM CST

GOP in Good Shape to Take Senate Majority

Republicans need a net gain of 3 seats, and 5 Dem-held seats are toss-ups

(Newser) - Thanks in part to a rash of Democrats retiring from the Senate , things are looking pretty good for the Republicans in 2012. In the first edition of its 2012 race ratings, The Hill places five seats currently held by Democrats in the “toss-up” column—and Republicans only need a...

Loughner Now Charged With Murders of Judge, Aide

Grand jury returns 49-count indictment

(Newser) - Jared Lee Loughner was charged on new counts that include the murders of US District Judge John Roll and Giffords aide Gabe Zimmerman, according to an indictment released today. A federal grand jury returned the 49-count indictment yesterday; Loughner also faces new charges of causing death to or injuring participants...

White House Offers Another $6.5B in Cuts

Officials: We're meeting GOP 'halfway' with budget proposal

(Newser) - The White House has proposed another $6.5 billion in spending cuts, its latest offer in an effort to avoid a government shutdown as another deadline looms. Vice President Biden brought the proposal to talks with congressional leaders yesterday. While it’s far less than the House’s proposed $61...

Government Shutdown? It's a Media Fantasy
 Government Shutdown? 
 It's a Media Fantasy 
Howard Kurtz
Mar 3, 2011 3:50 PM CST

Government Shutdown? It's a Media Fantasy

Howard Kurtz: It's not going to happen, but journalists love the fake drama

(Newser) - Phew, we just barely avoided a government shutdown with the latest stopgap spending measure, right? "Not a chance," writes Howard Kurtz in the Daily Beast . "There was never going to be a shutdown." What's more, when the drumbeat to potential doom begins again in two weeks,...

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