House of Representatives

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Reynolds Joins Parade of Departing Republicans

'The last few years have not been fun for him'

(Newser) - New York Rep. Tom Reynolds became the 22nd House Republican to announce his retirement yesterday. Reynolds, a Dennis Hastert protégé once seen as a potential Speaker, was tainted by an embezzlement scandal on his watch as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. “The last few years have...

House in Rare Hush-Hush Huddle on Spy Bill

First secret session called in 25 years

(Newser) - The House held its first secret session in 25 years last night to debate a revamped spy bill, Reuters reports. Republicans said they needed the secrecy to give examples of how proposed changes to surveillance laws could endanger national security. The Democrats consented—but some skeptics suspected it was a...

House Sues Bush Aides Over Subpoenas

Lawsuit calls on Miers, Bolton to talk about fired prosecutors

(Newser) - Lawmakers sued two top Bush aides today to make them testify about the sacking of federal prosecutors in 2006. The House Judiciary Committee suit seeks to enforce subpoenas against White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and former Bush counsel Harriet Miers, who have refused to testify or supply subpoenaed...

Where's Paul? Still Running
Where's Paul? Still Running

Where's Paul? Still Running

And he's got no intention of dropping out of the race

(Newser) - John McCain has knocked out the last of his Republican opponents, right? Ron Paul begs to differ. "I'm still involved, nothing has changed," he told MSNBC after successfully defending his Texas congressional seat in the GOP primary. Paul has no plans to drop out and will resume traveling...

House Passes Mental Health 'Parity' Bill

Requires comparable insurance coverage for illnesses of body, mind

(Newser) - The House has passed a bill requiring most group health insurers to provide comparable coverage for treatment of mental illness and addiction as they do for physical illness, the New York Times reports. "Illness of the brain must be treated just like illness anywhere else in the body,"...

Mukasey Nixes Bush Aides Contempt Case

AG rejects House request, saying no crime was committed

(Newser) - A  showdown over executive privilege got more likely yesterday when Attorney General Michael Mukasey said he wouldn't pursue contempt charges against two Bush aides, Reuters reports. Mukasey rejected the request from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to refer the case to a grand jury, arguing that they had committed no crime...

Bush Predicts GOP Victory
Bush Predicts GOP Victory

Bush Predicts GOP Victory

Boasts Republicans will keep White House, regain House, Senate, governor majority

(Newser) - President Bush insisted yesterday to the Republican Governors Association that Americans will elect another Republican to fill his shoes in November, AP reports. "And I don't want the next Republican president to be lonely," Bush said. "And that's why we got to take the House, retake the...

Renzi Should Step Down, House GOP Leader Says

GOP doesn't want to weather another scandal

(Newser) - House Minority Leader John Boehner is pressuring Rep. Rick Renzi, indicted yesterday for extortion, money laundering, and fraud in connection with an Arizona land deal, to step down, urging his fellow Republican "to seriously consider whether he can continue to effectively represent his constituents under these circumstances.” Boehner...

Arizona Rep. Renzi Indicted Over Land Deal

Charged with 35 counts of conspiracy, extortion, money laundering

(Newser) - Rep. Rick Renzi has racked up a 35-count indictment, including federal charges of conspiracy, extortion, wire fraud, insurance fraud, and money laundering, CNN reports. The Arizona Republican and two ex-business partners worked to sell land that buyers could then trade for federally-owned property, the AP reports; the sale brought one...

House Holds 2 Bush Aides in Contempt

Dems vote against Bolten, Miers, while GOP walks out

(Newser) - The House voted today to hold two Bush insiders guilty of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate in last year's US attorneys scandal, the AP reports. Angry  Republicans boycotted the vote and walked out in protest. Democrats censured chief of staff Josh Bolten and former Bush counsel Harriet Miers...

GOP, Bush Hammer Dems on Terror Bill

Republicans walk out in protest; Pelosi won't back off on recess

(Newser) - House Democrats are sticking to plans to begin a one-week recess starting tomorrow without renewing a terrorist surveillance bill set to expire when their vacation begins—to the dismay of President Bush and House Republicans, the Washington Post reports. Bush, set to leave for Africa, said the decision imperils national...

Congress Sends Stimulus Plan to Bush
Congress
Sends Stimulus Plan to Bush
UPDATED

Congress Sends Stimulus Plan to Bush

Most Americans will get rebates between $600 and $1,200

(Newser) - Congress approved an economic stimulus plan today that will give rebates of between $600 and $1,200 to most Americans. It now awaits President Bush's expected signature before checks can go in the mail. The House quickly approved the measure hours after the Senate finalized its version of the $168...

Senate Stimulus 'Too Complex' for Treasury

Paulson prefers House's 'simple' $146 billion plan

(Newser) - The $157 billion stimulus bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee is "too complex," Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said today. "Complexity is our enemy," Paulson said of the bill, which is "in danger of looking like a Christmas tree" once it goes to the full...

House's $89K in Carbon Offsets Do Virtually Nothing

Environmentalists call payments 'waste of taxpayer money'

(Newser) - Whatever the good intentions were, the $89,000 the House of Representatives spent on carbon offsets doesn’t seem to have done much, the Washington Post reports. Most of the money went to fund programs that were going on anyway or had already ended. “It demonstrated why offsets are...

Congress Approves War Funds
Congress Approves War Funds

Congress Approves War Funds

House passes budget that includes money for Iraq

(Newser) - The House today approved a $556 billion spending bill that grants President Bush his wish for $70 billion in additional funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Reuters reports. The measure, which also funds most of the federal government through next September, marks another setback for Democrats looking to...

Brother of Candidate Kucinich Dies
Brother of Candidate Kucinich Dies

Brother of Candidate Kucinich Dies

No sign of foul play in Cleveland home of Perry Kucinich, 52

(Newser) - Perry Kucinich, the 52-year-old youngest brother of Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis, was found dead today in his Cleveland home, the Plain Dealer reports. His body was found face-down this morning by another brother, Larry, the AP and CNN report. Authorities found no evidence of foul play.

Mammoth Spending Bill Passes House
Mammoth Spending Bill Passes House

Mammoth Spending Bill Passes House

Bush pleased with spending levels, could veto over Iraq

(Newser) - After months of wrangling over details, the House has passed a huge $515.7 billion domestic spending bill, the Washington Post reports. Lawmakers finally managed to hammer out a compromise that makes just about nobody happy. Conservatives and interest groups of all sides blasted the bill, and even Democrats could...

CIA Chief Sheds Little Light on Tapes

Hayden grilled by Senate panel, says videos predate him

(Newser) - Senators grilled CIA chief Michael Hayden for 90 minutes today, but his appearance behind closed doors shed little light on the agency's destruction of interrogation videotapes, the AP reports. Hayden's session was "useful and not yet complete," said Sen. Jay Rockefeller of the intelligence panel. Afterward, Hayden said...

House Boosts Fuel Economy Standards

Measure in energy bill calls for 35 mpg average by 2020

(Newser) - The House today approved a wide-ranging energy bill that calls for better fuel economy in US vehicles, the first such measure in more than 30 years. The bill, which has the grudging support of automakers, mandates a 40% improvement for most vehicles to an average of 35 mpg by 2020....

FCC Chief Gets Grilled on Hill
FCC Chief Gets Grilled on Hill

FCC Chief Gets Grilled on Hill

House members want cross-ownership vote delayed; Dems plead for oversight

(Newser) - FCC Chairman Kevin Martin faced angry questioning from both sides of the aisle at a House oversight meeting yesterday, as many urged the commissioner to delay December 18's vote on a controversial change to media cross-ownership rules. Martin said the plan, which would allow companies to own both a newspaper...

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