House of Representatives – News Stories About House of Representatives - Page 52

Sep 8, 2007 8:30 PM CDT

How Lucky Can One Guy Be?

Third lottery win for US congressman, also heir to Kleenex, Scott fortune

(Newser) - Jim Sensenbrenner has won $1,000 in the Wisconsin lottery, marking his third win in the last 10 years. The GOP congressman had already won a $250,000 jackpot in a 1997 D.C. lottery and $1,000 in Wisconsin last spring. In the somewhat larger lottery, Sensenbrenner is an...

Bill Targets Reps' Gas Guzzlers

Sep 4, 2007 4:03 PM CDT

Bill Targets Reps' Gas Guzzlers

Bid to strip Congress of guzzlers by revoking leasing dollars

(Newser) - The environmental movement might just be trickling up: The House of Representatives has approved an energy bill amendment that would bar members from leasing gas guzzlers with taxpayer money. The proposal still faces some roadblocks, McClatchy reports, including its vague definition of emissions standards and the efforts of a top...

Renegade Rep Pummels Pork

Aug 27, 2007 10:38 AM CDT

Renegade Rep Pummels Pork

Arizona Republican is on a one-man crusade against pet spending

(Newser) - Congressman Jeff Flake is waging a one-man war against earmarks, slice the size of the federal budget and scare colleagues away from pet projects. When the Arizona Republican rises to speak, the Los Angeles Times reports, the whole House “grimaces”—bracing for an attack on the pork barrel....

Ex-Speaker Leaving Congress

Aug 15, 2007 12:55 AM CDT

Ex-Speaker Leaving Congress

Hastert was longest serving Republican speaker

(Newser) - Congressman J. Dennis Hastert, Republican House Speaker for eight years until he was ousted when Democrats won the majority in November, will not seek re-election in 2008, the New York Times reports. Hastert, who served longer as speaker than any other Republican, says it's too difficult to adjust to a...

House OKs Renewable Energy Bill

Aug 5, 2007 1:55 PM CDT

House OKs Renewable Energy Bill

Legislation faces likely presidential veto

(Newser) - The House passed a broad-based clean energy bill yesterday that redirects $16 billion in tax incentives from big oil and gas companies to renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. Democrats hailed the legislation as the first big step toward making the US a more environmentally friendly nation, but...

Mayhem Erupts
in the House

Aug 4, 2007 10:22 AM CDT

Mayhem Erupts in the House

Session unravels over partisan head-butting, House to reconvene today

(Newser) - Shouting, jeering, paralysis and a power outage marred what was to be the last session before summer recess for the House of Representatives yesterday, the LA Times reports. House Democrats had hoped to resolve several key pieces of legislation, but the floor descended into tumult as leaders struggled in vain...

Republicans Leave in a Huff

Aug 3, 2007 4:38 PM CDT

Republicans Leave in a Huff

House session ends with mass walkout, accusations of Democratic shenanigans

(Newser) - In a rare and rancorous flap in the House last night, Republicans stormed out en masse after accusing Democrats of cheating on protocol to reverse an unfavorable vote on illegal immigration, reports the Politico. Shortly before 11pm, a vote concluded before a definitive count could be taken; Republicans say they...

Ethics Reform Bill Sails Through Senate

Aug 2, 2007 6:38 PM CDT

Ethics Reform Bill Sails Through Senate

Some Republicans unsatisfied with scope; Bush may not sign

(Newser) - The ethics reform bill, which tightens restrictions on congressional pet projects and lobbyist dealings, easily cleared the Senate today. The final vote was 83-14, with all of those opposed Republicans. Critics say the bill won't go far enough to curb earmark spending, the AP reports, but Dianne Feinstein praised the...

House Passes Health Plan for 4M More Kids

Aug 2, 2007 4:37 AM CDT

House Passes Health Plan for 4M More Kids

Dems take step toward universal coverage over GOP objections

(Newser) - The House has passed a sweeping expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program that will extend covered to 4 million uninsured kids using revenue from cigarette taxes and cuts in subsidies to private Medicare plans. The bill, which was approved 225-204, is a step toward universal coverage over Republican...

Ethics Bill Clears House

Jul 31, 2007 4:10 PM CDT

Ethics Bill Clears House

Senate expected to pass reforms

(Newser) - The House passed a bill today that would impose sweeping new ethics rules and restrictions on lobbying, the Washington Post reports. The bill, which passed by an overwhelming 411-8 vote, takes particular aim at earmarks for legislators' personal projects. It also curbs campaign contributions and lobbyist wining and dining and...

General Faces Demotion in Tillman Probe

Jul 26, 2007 1:15 PM CDT

General Faces Demotion in Tillman Probe

Six other officers will draw career-ending punishments

(Newser) - A retired three-star general who allegedly misled investigators about the death of former NFL player Pat Tillman in Afghanistan could be stripped of his stars and part of his pension, Pentagon officials told CNN. Retired Lt. Gen. Phillip Kensinger told inspectors he didn't know the Green Beret was killed by...

House OKs Withdrawal Timetable

Jul 12, 2007 5:20 PM CDT

House OKs Withdrawal Timetable

Mandatory timetable giving Pentagon 120 days to start redeployment and setting April deadline passes 223-201

(Newser) - The House voted late today to require the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq to begin within 120 days as part of legislation that sets an April 1 deadline for complete redeployment. The 223-201 vote, a largely symbolic move given that Senate support isn't sufficient to override a filibuster, went...

Bush Directs Aides to Defy Subpoenas

Jul 10, 2007 4:12 AM CDT

Bush Directs Aides to Defy Subpoenas

Cites executive privilege in bid to stop Miers, Taylor testimony

(Newser) - In an aggressive use of executive privilege, President Bush instructed two of his former aides yesterday to disregard congressional subpoenas demanding they testify about the attorney firings scandal. In a letter to Congress, Bush's counsel rebuffed Democratic senators for encroaching on internal White House affairs, bringing the two branches closer...

Disabled Vet Nixes New Run for Congress

Jul 9, 2007 5:30 AM CDT

Disabled Vet Nixes New Run for Congress

Despite losing by just 3%, she'll stick with job helping veterans

(Newser) - A decorated disabled Iraq war vet announced she won't launch a second battle for an Illinois congressional seat, despite losing the last election to a Republican by less than 3%. Tammy Duckworth, who lost her legs in a grenade attack on a helicopter she was co-piloting, said she'll continue her...

Sheehan to Pelosi: Impeach or I'll Run

Jul 9, 2007 4:46 AM CDT

Sheehan to Pelosi: Impeach or I'll Run

Anti-war mom threatens to challenge Speaker's House seat

(Newser) - Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan declared her intention to challenge House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her congressional seat yesterday unless the top-ranking Democrat draws up articles of impeachment against President Bush. "Democrats and Americans feel betrayed by the Democratic leadership," said Sheehan. "We hired them to bring an...

White House Stonewalls
on Subpoenas

Jun 28, 2007 5:35 PM CDT

White House Stonewalls on Subpoenas

Bush invokes executive privilege in Senate probe of US attorney firings

(Newser) - The White House shot down attempts to subpoena internal documents concerning the US attorney firings today by invoking executive privilege. Though not a surprise, the refusal moved the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee to accuse the administration of "Nixonian stonewalling." If the committee doesn't back down, the...

Senate Passes Energy Bill

Jun 22, 2007 5:00 AM CDT

Senate Passes Energy Bill

Vehicles must hit a green 35mpg by 2020; Detroit seeing red

(Newser) - The Senate gave a green light to an energy plan that would pump total fuel-economy standards to 35 mpg by 2020, and require vehicles to run on 85% ethanol by 2015. Democrats say the bill will reduce America's reliance on foreign oil, help control gas prices and counteract the effects...

White House Aides Broke Rules on E-Mails

Jun 19, 2007 12:46 PM CDT

White House Aides Broke Rules on E-Mails

Staff used political channels for government business

(Newser) - Hundreds of thousands of White House e-mails sent on Republican National Committee accounts have been deleted or are missing, an apparent violation of the law governing presidential records. The Washington Post reports that Karl Rove personally sent or received 140,000 e-mails, more than half of which appear to be...

Alaskan Tribes Score No-Bid Bonanza

Jun 19, 2007 6:52 AM CDT

Alaskan Tribes Score No-Bid Bonanza

Sen. Ted Stevens under scrutiny for shady contracts

(Newser) - Alaskan tribes are so successful in securing no-bid government contracts, they're spurring a federal investigation into conduct by Alaskan senator Ted Stevens, reports Salon. In 1986, Stevens pushed through a law that gave Alaskan companies "small business" preferences—even if they belong to a multi-billion dollar parent corporation and...

Va. Tech Probe Points to Privacy Laws

Jun 14, 2007 12:15 PM CDT

Va. Tech Probe Points to Privacy Laws

Muddled regs impede information flow; House OKs gun-control bill

(Newser) - A tangle of privacy laws helps prevent officials from sharing vital info about mentally ill individuals who may be dangerous, making it possible for them to buy handguns—and setting the stage for incidents like the Virginia Tech massacre. Greater awareness of the leeway officials have when safety is a...