Congress

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Chair's Diss to Trans Lawmaker Brings House Meeting to Halt

GOP Rep. Keith Self misgenders Sarah McBride, prompting Dem pushback

(Newser) - A hearing held by a House Foreign Affairs panel came to a sudden and contentious close on Tuesday after a Republican congressman misgendered Sarah McBride of Delaware, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress. The Hill and New York Times report that Rep. Keith Self of Texas, who chairs...

A Lot of Democrats Are Skipping Trump Address

Trump speech to joint session of Congress expected to focus on immigration

(Newser) - Lawmakers have gathered at the Capitol for President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress, the first of his second term, but a lot of Democrats have decided to be elsewhere. Rep. Don Beyer, one of numerous House Democrats boycotting the address, said Tuesday that Trump is addressing...

Democrats May Bring Eggs to Trump Address

Props under discussion as well as color-coordinated outfits and a possible walkout

(Newser) - Democrats will look to turn the spotlight away from President Trump as he gives the first speech of his second term to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, but will it be with noisemakers, eggs, coordinated outfits, or a staged walkout? Democrats are reportedly divided on how they...

She Rushed to DC With Newborn for House Vote

Rep. Brittany Pettersen is leading push to allow remote voting for new mothers in Congress

(Newser) - A Democratic lawmaker who voted with a weeks-old baby in her arms this week is pushing to change the rules on proxy voting in the House. Rep. Brittany Pettersen flew from Colorado to Washington, DC, with her four-week-old son for Tuesday night's vote on a budget resolution . "Unfortunately,...

Budget Framework Passes After All-Night 'Vote-a-Rama'

Rand Paul was the only Republican to vote against measure supporting Trump's agenda

(Newser) - Republican senators pushed a $340 billion budget framework to passage early Friday, chugging through an all-night session and Democratic opposition in a step toward unleashing money the Trump administration says it needs for mass deportations and border security. The hours-long "vote-a-rama" rambled along in a dreaded but crucial part...

$7B Arms Sale to Israel Won't Wait for Congressional Review

Democratic lawmaker criticizes end run on oversight

(Newser) - The Trump administration has told Congress it's moving ahead with weapons sales to Israel totaling more than $7 billion, circumventing the review being conducted in a House committee. The State Department made the notification on Friday, the New York Times reports. Congress had put a hold on a $1...

Yellen: I'll Take Those 'Extraordinary Measures'

Treasury secretary tells Congress she plans measures to avoid hitting debt ceiling

(Newser) - In one of her last acts as Treasury secretary, Janet Yellen said her agency will start taking "extraordinary measures," the special accounting maneuvers intended to prevent the federal government from hitting the debt ceiling, on Tuesday. Yellen made the announcement in a letter sent to congressional leaders on...

Johnson On Track to Lose First Round of Speaker Vote
Mike Johnson Is
Re-Elected as House Speaker
UPDATED
Jan 3, 2025 1:46 PM CST

Mike Johnson Is Re-Elected as House Speaker

Two GOP dissenters changed their minds, enough to give him the win

(Newser) - Mike Johnson will keep his gavel. The new Congress convened on Friday with one big question hanging in the balance: Did Johnson have the votes to retain his position as House speaker? The answer turned out to be yes, on the first round of balloting no less, reports CNN . Johnson...

Congresswoman's Decline Puts Age Back in the Spotlight
Congresswoman's Decline
Puts Age Back in the Spotlight
the rundown
Dec 23, 2024 11:15 AM CST

Congresswoman's Decline Puts Age Back in the Spotlight

Kay Granger, 81, has been having 'dementia issues,' says her son in Texas

(Newser) - The weekend's surprise story about 81-year-old congresswoman Kay Granger of Texas has once again put the issue of lawmakers' ages front and center . New details have since emerged about Granger, who has not cast a vote in the House since July:
  • Dementia: Her son tells the Dallas Morning News
...

Shutdown Vote Suggests What's in Store for Trump
Shutdown Vote Suggests
What's in Store for Trump
the rundown
Dec 22, 2024 9:10 AM CST

Shutdown Vote Suggests What's in Store for Trump

Right flank of his party in Congress rebuffed him on the debt limit, previewing 2025 fights

(Newser) - Now that the dust has settled on the shutdown drama in Washington , one theme in coverage has emerged: President-elect Trump tested the limits of his political clout with the right flank of his party and was quickly rebuffed. It suggests he faces a tougher-than-expected slog in Congress next year. Coverage:...

AWOL Congresswoman Found in 'Memory Care' Home

Kay Granger, 81, was found wandering in her Texas neighborhood months ago

(Newser) - A newspaper in Texas that went looking for a congresswoman who seemed to have vanished from Capitol Hill months ago has discovered that she's been living in a "memory care" facility for seniors. GOP Rep. Kay Granger, 81, became a resident "after having been found wandering lost...

Matt Gaetz: No, I'm Not Returning to Congress

He says he will fight on behalf of Trump 'from a different perch'

(Newser) - What's next for Matt Gaetz now that he won't be attorney general ? The former Florida congressman on Friday appears to have ended speculation he will return to the House.
  • "I'm still going to be in the fight, but it's going to be from a
...

For Gaetz, a Return to Congress Is Possible
For Gaetz, a
Return to Congress
Is Possible
the rundown
Nov 22, 2024 12:30 AM CST

For Gaetz, a Return to Congress Is Possible

Though it's not clear that's what he wants

(Newser) - With Matt Gaetz taking himself out of the running for attorney general, could he return to Congress after abruptly resigning from his House seat ? Some takes on the situation:
  • ABC News reports that Gaetz resigned from the 118th Congress, and House rules bar him from returning to that same
...

Speaker Johnson Doesn't Rule Out Recess Appointments
Trump Could Invoke Obscure
Clause to Place Nominees
the rundown
Nov 18, 2024 8:16 AM CST

Trump Could Invoke Obscure Clause to Place Nominees

House Speaker Mike Johnson would play role under this scenario

(Newser) - House Speaker Mike Johnson made clear on Sunday that he is open to the controversial idea of using recess appointments to put President-elect Trump's Cabinet nominees in place—and Johnson could play a key role in making that happen.
  • "We'll evaluate all that at the appropriate time,
...

Where Things Stand in Fight for the House

GOP has the edge with 19 races left to call

(Newser) - The weekend passed without a call on which party will control the House—a crucial factor in determining how effectively President-elect Trump will be able to enact his agenda. However, the odds were favoring the GOP, reports Reuters .
  • Numbers: The GOP had 213 seats and Democrats 203 as of Monday
...

Will GOP Keep the House? Call May Take Awhile

It's still too early to project whether Republicans or Democrats will control the new chamber

(Newser) - Republicans controlled the House heading into Tuesday, but the question of whether they'll be able to hang on to it might not be answered for a day or two, if not longer. Still, Tuesday night should bring clues, with bellwether races in New York and California in particular. All...

Man Who Called Lawmakers 12K Times Heading to Prison

Former Maryland man sentenced to a year after a very dedicated effort to harass lawmakers

(Newser) - A former Maryland resident was sentenced on Tuesday to more than a year behind bars for making thousands of threatening and harassing telephone calls to dozens of congressional offices across the country, court records show. Ade Salim Lilly's telephone harassment campaign included approximately 12,000 telephone calls over the...

Democrats Bail on Netanyahu's Address
Democrats Bail on
Netanyahu's Address
the rundown
Jul 24, 2024 8:31 AM CDT

Democrats Bail on Netanyahu's Address

The Israeli prime minister will speak to Congress Wednesday afternoon

(Newser) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress at 2pm Wednesday and, in his words, "present the truth about our just war." The BBC reports he comes at the invitation of House Speaker Mike Johnson and will make the rounds after his congressional appearance....

It Appears That Boebert's Political Gamble Will Pay Off

Congresswoman is poised to win Tuesday's Colorado primary in new district

(Newser) - One of the higher-profile races in Tuesday's primary voting is in Colorado, where controversial GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert is about to find out whether her risky political gamble of switching districts will pay off. If the polls are right, she's going to cruise to victory in her crowded...

Congress Considers Expanding Draft to Women

Proposal is unlikely to become law amid pushback from Republicans

(Newser) - Congressional lawmakers are considering a proposal to update mandatory conscription to include women for the first time. With fewer than 1% of US adults serving in active duty combat roles and the Pentagon facing recruitment challenges, military experts in 2020 recommended Congress include women in the draft "in the...

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