Senate

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US Looks to Grant Drones Airspace—Next to Your Plane

Civilian law enforcement and others increasingly want flying robots

(Newser) - Drones aren't just for Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, or Somalia anymore—they're coming to the good old US of A. The Senate sent a bill to President Obama yesterday that would require the Federal Aviation Administration to come up with rules to safely regulate domestic drones, USA Today reports....

Lawmakers Use Earmarks to Aid Own Properties
Lawmakers Use Earmarks to Aid Own Properties
INVESTIGATION
Feb 7, 2012 5:55 AM CST

Lawmakers Use Earmarks to Aid Own Properties

Just a coincidence that pork benefits own real estate, they say

(Newser) - Members of Congress are not only steering earmarks to their own districts, but also their own backyards, funding projects that boost the value of properties they own, a Washington Post investigation finds. Comparing disclosure forms against public records revealed that over the last few years, some 33 members of Congress...

Sen. Mark Kirk Has a Stroke
 Sen. Mark Kirk Has a Stroke 
Jan 23, 2012 11:36 AM CST

Sen. Mark Kirk Has a Stroke

Illinois Republican who won Barack Obama's seat hospitalized

(Newser) - The Republican who replaced Barack Obama in the US Senate underwent surgery today, after suffering a stroke this weekend, his office has revealed. Mark Kirk, 52, is currently recovering in Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, the Chicago Tribune reports. "Due to his young age, good health, and the nature...

Bad News for Dems? Ben Nelson Retiring

Nebraska seat could shift to Republicans in Senate

(Newser) - Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson won't seek reelection next year, potentially harming Democratic hopes to hold onto the Senate majority, Politico reports. Though Nelson's approval ratings had struggled, they were on the rise this year, thanks in part to $1 million in national Democratic Party advertising. Meanwhile, Republicans spent...

GOP Pulls 'Reverse Braveheart' on Payroll Tax

Scots got slaughtered, points out Dana Milbank

(Newser) - Last night, as the House was on the verge of scuttling the payroll tax cut extension , House Republicans gathered in a Capitol basement to talk—Braveheart? “You, Mr. Speaker, are our William Wallace," one rep has said. "Let’s rush to the fight." Besides being a...

Boehner Cancels Payroll Vote
 Boehner Cancels Payroll Vote 
Dec 20, 2011 7:56 AM CST

Boehner Cancels Payroll Vote

House Republicans revolt, call for conference committee

(Newser) - House Republicans didn’t hold their expected vote on the Senate’s two-month payroll tax cut extension last night, a hairpin turn so abrupt that Politico ’s story on it is headlined, “Has John Boehner Lost Control?” The House had planned to vote down the Senate bill and...

Senate Easily Approves Payroll Tax Cut

It also passes $1T budget bill

(Newser) - No last-minute surprises in the Senate: The chamber easily passed legislation this morning that will keep the payroll tax cut in place for another two months, reports Politico . The framework of the deal, which also extends jobless benefits, had been ironed out last night . It sailed through today on a...

Senate Agrees to Extend Payroll Tax Cut for 60 Days

Package requires Obama make decision on Keystone XL pipeline quickly

(Newser) - It looks like we're getting there. The Senate tonight agreed "in principle" to extend the payroll tax cut through February; they will vote tomorrow, which means the House will do the same next week. Mitch McConnell expressed optimism regarding the deal's fate in the House; if it...

Looks Like Congress Will Avoid That Shutdown

... at least based on the latest rhetoric

(Newser) - The gist of the articles coming out of Washington this evening suggests that lawmakers will manage to strike a spending deal before tomorrow's midnight deadline to avoid a shutdown. Also looking up are prospects for deals to extend the payroll tax cuts and jobless benefits, say the Washington Post...

Congress Passes Wrong Pipeline Bill

House sends along wrong version, Senate passes without noticing

(Newser) - It was a rare moment of bicameral, bipartisan compromise—and also a complete screw-up. The House and Senate hurriedly passed a pipeline safety bill on Tuesday, but not the one they thought they were passing, Politico reports. Thanks to a "clerical error," the House wound up passing an...

Senate Passes Controversial $662B Defense Bill

Would allow US citizens suspected of terrorism to be held without trial

(Newser) - The Senate last night overwhelmingly passed a massive $662 billion defense bill that calls for crippling sanctions against Iran, requires the military to hold suspected terrorists—even those busted on US soil—and would allow detention of American citizens suspected of terrorism indefinitely without trial. The White House has threatened...

Senate Blocks President's Infrastructure Jobs Strategy

$60M third part of Obama work plan shot down

(Newser) - Another piece of President Obama's jobs plan has been defeated in the Senate. A measure to spend $50 billion on infrastructure improvement and $10 billion in seed money for a new infrastructure bank fell short of the 60 votes needed for debate, reports the Washington Post . Every Senate Republican...

Obama's Jobs Bill Fails in Senate

Measure can't overcome filibuster

(Newser) - No Senate miracle for the president's $447 billion jobs bill. As expected , the measure failed to advance in the chamber this evening, reports the Hill . All Republicans and two Democrats (Ben Nelson and Jon Tester) joined together in a filibuster, leaving the measure well short of the necessary 60...

Senate Warns China of Sanctions Over Currency

But measure is likely to die on the House

(Newser) - The Senate voted today to threaten China with higher tariffs on Chinese products made cheap through an artificially undervalued currency, which lawmakers blame for destroying American jobs. The House of Representatives, though, is unlikely to take up the bill, which some American businesses warn could trigger a trade war. The...

Congress Isn't Ready for Massive Terrorist Hit: Critics

What would happen if majority of members killed, incapacitated?

(Newser) - The Washington Post points to an important question that failed to get asked after the FBI arrested Rezwan Ferdaus for allegedly planning an attack on the US Capitol: Is Congress prepared for a catastrophic terrorist strike? If more than half of the members of the House or the Senate were...

Obama Jobs Bill Heads to Senate to Die

Republicans will filibuster

(Newser) - The Senate will hold a vote to begin debate on President Obama's jobs bill today, but Republicans are likely to filibuster the measure, denying it the 60 votes it needs, the AP reports. Republicans have been signaling their opposition, likening the bill to 2009's stimulus, which Republicans regard...

Reid Uses 'Nuclear Option' to Change Senate Rules

Move limits amendments that can be proposed after filibusters

(Newser) - Harry Reid shocked Congress last night when, without warning, he deployed the so-called “nuclear option” to change the Senate’s rules. No, he didn’t get rid of the filibuster. He barred senators from (stay with us) making motions to suspend the rules, a move that allows them to...

Obama Backs Senate's Millionaires Tax

Says jobs bill will guard against Europe debt crisis fallout

(Newser) - President Obama delivered another plea for his jobs bill today, and said he approved of the 5% surtax on millionaires the Senate came up with to pay for it. “I’m fine with the approach they have taken,” Obama said at the press conference, though the New York ...

Senators Make Deal to Avoid Government Shutdown

Lawmakers freed up to act on gridlocked legislation

(Newser) - Ending weeks of political brinkmanship, Congress finessed a dispute over disaster aid tonight and advanced legislation to avoid a partial government shutdown this weekend. The breakthrough came hours after the Federal Emergency Management Agency indicated it had enough money for disaster relief efforts through Friday. That disclosure allowed lawmakers to...

Senate Rejects House Spending Bill

Lawmakers may have to skip recess to avoid shutdown

(Newser) - As expected, the Senate has blocked a House-passed bill that would provide disaster aid and pay to keep federal agencies open, escalating the latest partisan clash over spending. The near-party line vote of 59-36 set up a fresh round of brinksmanship between the Senate and the Republican-run House. A government...

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