House of Representatives

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Senate OKs Foreclosure Relief Bill
Senate OKs Foreclosure Relief Bill
Jul 11, 2008 8:35 PM CDT

Senate OKs Foreclosure Relief Bill

House outcome uncertain; Bush will veto unless changed

(Newser) - By a huge margin, the Senate today passed a $300 billion bill to help homeowners avoid foreclosure—but the White House vows to veto it unless the House makes changes, the AP reports. The bill will let struggling homeowners reinsure at cheaper rates backed by the government, but President President...

House Passes Compromise FISA Bill
House Passes Compromise FISA Bill
Jun 20, 2008 3:45 PM CDT

House Passes Compromise FISA Bill

Most Democrats oppose immunity for telecom companies

(Newser) - The House today approved a bill updating FISA law and granting qualified immunity to telecom companies that aided the Bush administration in warrantless wiretapping. A majority of Democrats opposed the bill, which passed 293-129. Nancy Pelosi supported the measure despite serious reservations because it refutes the administration's argument about "...

Clyburn Is the Perfect Ally for Obama

Dem whip brings consensus-building record to campaign

(Newser) - Jim Clyburn is exactly the kind of ally Obama needs. A pioneer in his own right, the first Southern-raised black majority whip has a strong record of building consensus among blacks, whites, Hispanics, and people of all faiths. He's the action to complement Obama's lofty words, reports Politico—and holds...

Ten House Races to Watch
 Ten House 
 Races to
 Watch 
analysis
Jun 18, 2008 2:36 PM CDT

Ten House Races to Watch

GOP, Dems getting ready to duke it out in several key races

(Newser) - Time profiles the top 10 House races to watch this fall:
  • Calif., 11th District: Dem Jerry McNerney bested an ethically questioned rep in 2006. He’ll get an incumbency boost this time, but opponent Dean Andal has plenty of money.
  • Conn., 4th District: Chris Shays is one of the most
...

After Decline, Congress' Earmarking is Back

Legislators pledged to shrink such spending last year

(Newser) - Though Congress vowed last year to reduce earmarking—the process of directing funds to projects at home with little scrutiny—recently there’s been a jump in such spending, the Washington Post reports. A House defense bill’s earmarked funds rose 29% last month, and the Senate bill looks as...

House Votes to Extend Jobless Benefits

But measure faces rough road in Senate, White House

(Newser) - The House today approved an extra three months of jobless benefits for all unemployed Americans, knowing the plan's chances are slight in the Senate. After failing to get a veto-proof two-thirds margin by three votes yesterday, Democrats got an exact two-thirds margin with a 274-137 vote—the amount needed to...

Detroit Mayor's Blunders Hurt Mom's Reelection Chances

Democratic foes using tough tactics to unseat US Rep. Cheeks Kilpatrick

(Newser) - She’s a popular 11-year incumbent with a $500,000 war chest facing two cash-strapped two opponents, but Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick still faces a challenge in defending her House seat, the Detroit Free Press reports. Why? Her son is Kwame Kilpatrick, the Detroit mayor recently charged with perjury in...

Clyburn Endorses Obama
 Clyburn Endorses Obama 
Jun 3, 2008 8:33 AM CDT

Clyburn Endorses Obama

More superdelegates likely to follow

(Newser) - House Majority whip James Clyburn, the top-ranking African American in Congress, endorsed Barack Obama this morning, CNN reports. “Senator Obama brings a new vision for our future and new voters to our cause,” Clyburn said. “He has created levels of energy and excitement that I have not...

Congressional Screwup May Force Farm Bill Do-Over

Pages missing from bill sent to Bush

(Newser) - A paper-shuffling error may force Congress to repeat its work on the $289-billion farm bill already passed—and vetoed by President Bush. The version of the bill sent to the president was missing a section, Reuters reports. That makes the president’s veto theoretically invalid. House Democrats tried to re-insert...

House Overrides Farm Bill Veto; Senate to Follow

Bush says $300B measure too wasteful

(Newser) - The House today overrode President Bush's veto of the $307 billion farm bill, and the Senate is expected to follow suit tomorrow morning, the Washington Post reports. Bush issued the 10th veto of his presidency this afternoon, complaining that the wide-ranging measure gives too much money to rich farmers and...

House Rejects $162.5B Bill to Fund Wars

Republicans abstain in protest, leading to surprise defeat

(Newser) - The House today shot down a $162.5 billion bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan into next year after a surprise tactic by angry Republicans, the Washington Post reports. The bill failed by a vote of 148-141 after 132 members of the GOP abstained. By doing so,...

As Dems Hog Spotlight, GOP Is Under Siege

Republicans are losing seats held for decades

(Newser) - While Democrats sparkle in the media glare, the Republican Party is quietly crumbling off-stage, Politico reports. President Bush’s numbers are lower than Richard Nixon’s before he resigned, and the GOP is losing House seats that it has held for 20 or 30 years. “The anti-Republican mood is...

House OKs Mortgage Rescue Plan, Despite Veto Threat

Plan would allow homeowners to get more stable government loans

(Newser) - The House today shrugged off a veto threat from President Bush and passed a wide-ranging rescue plan for US homeowners, Reuters reports. The centerpiece of the legislation would allow people to trade in risky, fast-rising mortgages for more stable government loans. The $300 billion measure would help an estimated 500,...

House Says No To Genetic Discrimination

Bush has pledged to sign bill; hoorays from docs and scientists

(Newser) - A long-suffering bill outlawing genetic discrimination by health insurers and in the workplace sailed through the House today, and President Bush has pledged to sign it into law, Reuters reports. The bill, forms of which have kicked around Washington for 13 years, forbids insurers from denying coverage based on genetic...

Senate Passes Bill Banning Genetic Bias

Law, approved 95-0, would protect people with hereditary risks

(Newser) - The Senate unanimously approved a bill today banning discrimination by employers and health insurers based on the results of genetic tests, the Los Angeles Times reports. Senators hope the measure will encourage testing for those who have abstained out of fear of professional or financial repercussions. The bill is expected...

CIA to Brief Congress on Syria-North Korea Nuke Pact

Washington moves close to N. Korea agreement

(Newser) - Details of a suspected secret pact between North Korea and Syria to supply Damascus with nuclear weapons technology will be revealed in closed-door CIA briefings of lawmakers, Reuters reports. The pact is apparently linked to an Israeli air raid on a suspected nuclear site in Syria last year. The briefing...

Indiana Pols Avoid Obama/ Clinton Decision

Host of factors makes five House Dems wary of May 6 endorsement

(Newser) - Indiana is poised to become a major battleground in the Democratic presidential race, but Indiana’s Democratic House representatives look like they’re ducking the firefight. Four of the five are in their first terms, seemingly unwilling to risk angering party brass or alienating voters. Indiana’s contest looks incredibly...

Senate Passes Housing Aid Bill
 Senate Passes Housing Aid Bill 
Apr 10, 2008 3:02 PM CDT

Senate Passes Housing Aid Bill

Wins approval by wide margin, but House, Bush opposition leave fate uncertain

(Newser) - The Senate approved a $15 billion measure to address the housing slump today, including $6 billion in total tax breaks to homebuilding firms and a $7,000 tax credit for buyers of foreclosed homes. Though it passed by an 84-12 margin, opposition from President Bush and the House could yet...

Supreme Court Stands Pat on FBI Raid of Rep's Office

Separation of powers violated, appeals ruled

(Newser) - The Supreme Court declined today to hear an appeal of a ruling that the FBI violated separation-of-powers law in a 2006 raid on the office of Rep. William Jefferson, the New York Times reports. Though the raid itself was not unconstitutional, an appeals court found, the FBI went too far...

Kevorkian Declares Bid for House Seat

Assisted suicide advocate vows to tout individual rights

(Newser) - Euthanasia advocate Jack Kevorkian declared a bid for Congress in Detroit today, the Detroit Free Press reports. In a free-wheeling press conference, he admitted to being apolitical but vowed to trumpet individual rights in his campaign. “You can’t take my innate rights away from me without a fight,...

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