Congress

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US Capitol Closing to Public
Outbreak Closes
US Capitol, White House
UPDATED
Mar 12, 2020 9:40 AM CDT

Outbreak Closes US Capitol, White House

They're closed to public until next month, thanks to coronavirus

(Newser) - Congress is shutting the Capitol and all House and Senate office buildings to the public until April in reaction to the spread of the coronavirus, the AP reports. The House and Senate sergeants-at-arms said in a statement that the closure will begin at 5pm ET Thursday. Lawmakers, aides, journalists, and...

House Votes to Limit Trump's Military Actions

A similar measure awaits in the Senate

(Newser) - Reigniting a debate over who has the power to declare war, the Democratic-controlled House on Thursday approved a resolution asserting that President Trump must seek approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran. The war powers resolution is not binding on the president and would not require...

Rep. John Lewis: I Have Advanced Cancer

The 79-year-old Democrat says he's 'clear-eyed about the prognosis'

(Newser) - Congressman John Lewis of Georgia announced Sunday that he has advanced pancreatic cancer, vowing he will keep serving and fight the disease with the tenacity with which he battled racial discrimination and other inequalities dating to the civil rights era, the AP reports. Lewis, the youngest and last survivor of...

White House Threatened Veto Over One Part of Spending Bill

Democrats added a 45-day limit on releasing future Ukraine aid

(Newser) - President Trump's aides told Congress this week that the president would veto the $1.4 trillion spending package passed Thursday if it came with a provision requiring him to release future aid to Ukraine quickly. Without a spending bill in place, the government could have shut down this weekend....

Robocall Crackdown Passes, Raising Fines to $10K Per Ring

Legislation to help consumers know they're getting a spam call

(Newser) - Americans have received 54 billion spam calls this year — total, though it may seem like we each got that many. That number could drop under legislation that cleared Congress on Thursday, raising potential fines for robocallers to $10,000 per call. Major carriers also will have to start using...

Parties Cut Spending Deal Adding $400B to Deficit

Trump will sign $1.4T package, aides say, averting shutdown

(Newser) - Congress gave final approval to a $1.4 trillion government spending package Thursday on its way out the door for the holidays, avoiding a potential government shutdown this weekend. Aides said President Trump will sign the two bills by the midnight Friday deadline, Politico reports. In funding the government through...

Medals of Honor From Wounded Knee Could Be Revoked

Elizabeth Warren introduces Senate measure

(Newser) - Twenty US soldiers were awarded Medals of Honor for "gallantry" and "bravery" following the slaughter of hundreds of mostly unarmed Native Americans at Wounded Knee in 1890. A pair of bills are now seeking to have all those medals revoked. It's "about more than just rescinding...

Trump Signs a Bill That Might Upset China

The president supports pro-democracy activists

(Newser) - President Trump on Wednesday signed two bills aimed at supporting human rights and pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, the AP reports. Trump signed the bills, which were approved by near unanimous consent in the House and Senate, even as he expressed some concerns about complicating the effort to work out...

Congress Buys More Time to Avoid Shutdown

One-month spending bill goes to president

(Newser) - Impeachment isn't the only topic on Capitol Hill. The Republican-held Senate passed a temporary government-wide spending bill that would keep federal agencies running through Dec. 20 and avert a government shutdown after midnight Thursday. The spending bill, passed 74-20, would keep the federal government open for another month in...

Katie Hill Resigns Amid Allegations, 'Revenge Porn'

Democrat says she's stepping down 'with a broken heart'

(Newser) - Rep. Katie Hill announced her resignation from Congress on Sunday—"with a broken heart." "This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do," the freshman Democrat said in a letter to her constituents in California. The resignation came after allegations that she had an...

Impeachment Probe Now Includes Bizarre Lawsuit

That's thanks to Charles Kupperman, who is testifying this week

(Newser) - For only the fourth time in US history, the House of Representatives has started a presidential impeachment inquiry. House committees are trying to determine if President Donald Trump violated his oath of office by asking Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden and his family, and to investigate the country'...

The Longest- Serving Black Congressman Has Died

John Conyers was known as the dean of the Congressional Black Caucus

(Newser) - Former US Rep. John Conyers, one of the longest-serving members of Congress whose resolutely liberal stance on civil rights made him a political institution in Washington and back home in Detroit despite several scandals, has died, the AP reports. He was 90. Conyers, among the high-profile politicians topped by sex...

Tulsi Gabbard: I'm Not Running for Congress Again

Some say this boosts rumor that Hawaii congresswoman will launch 3rd-party bid

(Newser) - Tulsi Gabbard is one of the lowest-polling Democratic candidates for president, but that's not stopping her from nixing her current career for a possible ascension to the Oval Office. Per the New York Times , the Hawaii congresswoman announced Friday she won't be seeking a fifth term in the...

House Passes Resolutions Supporting Hong Kong Protesters

HK leader's policy address was halted by shouts from pro-democracy lawmakers

(Newser) - Shouting furiously, pro-democracy lawmakers foiled an attempt by Hong Kong's leader to deliver her annual policy speech. In chaotic scenes in the Legislative Council, Chief Executive Carrie Lam walked out after lawmakers interrupted her the first time. After a delay of a few minutes, she then walked back in...

Congress to Examine 'Most Hated Fee in Travel'

Maybe you've encountered them: resort fees

(Newser) - The hotel industry may have to open up about its pricing if a new bill turns into law, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The Hotel Advertising Transparency Act of 2019—introduced by Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb, and Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas—would make it illegal for hotels and other accommodation...

Intel Chief Backs Whistleblower's Actions

Joseph Maguire testifies before Congress

(Newser) - President Trump has questioned the patriotism of the intelligence official who filed a whistleblower complaint against him, but the acting director of national intelligence feels otherwise. "I think the whistleblower did the right thing," Joseph Maguire said Thursday during testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, per Reuters . "...

Big-Name CEOs to Congress: You Need to Act Now

Heads of Twitter, Uber, others write letter asking for tougher gun laws

(Newser) - The CEOs of nearly 150 companies are stepping into the nation's gun debate, imploring Congress to expand background checks and enact a strong "red flag" law. In a letter sent to the Senate on Thursday, CEOs from businesses including Airbnb, Twitter, and Uber asked Congress to pass a...

Valerie Plame's Campaign Ad Is One 'People Will Pay Attention To'

Ex-CIA operative is running for a congressional seat in New Mexico

(Newser) - Business Insider says it looks like a "Fast & Furious outtake"; the AV Club notes it's more reminiscent of the Bourne Identity franchise. Whatever movie you might compare Valerie Plame's new campaign ad to, there's no denying the spot is memorable. Plame , the ex-CIA operative...

Cherokee Nation Wants US to Make Good on 1835 Promise

Tribe is seeking to seat a nonvoting member for the first time

(Newser) - The Cherokee people have lived on the land now known as the United States of America for millennia . And yet the Cherokee Nation has never sent a delegate to Congress, something the Nation is now seeking to change. When the Treaty of New Echota was signed in 1835, it booted...

Pelosi After AOC Meeting: There Was No 'Hatchet' to Bury

House speaker says she and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez had a 'positive' meeting Friday on 'range of issues'

(Newser) - The House of Representatives is about to take a six-week recess, but one notable meeting took place Friday that provoked some "palace intrigue," per Politico . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spent 30 minutes behind closed doors with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, after weeks of what seemed to be a tense...

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