Congress

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Fla. Congressman Accused of Sexual Harassment

Former aide files suit against Democrat Alcee Hastings

(Newser) - Florida congressman Alcee Hastings is being sued by a former aide who accuses the Democrat of sexually harassing her over a 2-year period. The lawsuit, filed by conservative group Judicial Watch on behalf of Winsome Packer, accuses Hastings of making unwelcome sexual advances, including asking about her underwear and subjecting...

Election 2012: Republicans in Good Shape to Take Senate Majority
 GOP in Good Shape 
 to Take Senate Majority 
election 2012
Mar 6, 2011 1:08 PM CST

GOP in Good Shape to Take Senate Majority

Republicans need a net gain of 3 seats, and 5 Dem-held seats are toss-ups

(Newser) - Thanks in part to a rash of Democrats retiring from the Senate , things are looking pretty good for the Republicans in 2012. In the first edition of its 2012 race ratings, The Hill places five seats currently held by Democrats in the “toss-up” column—and Republicans only need a...

Loughner Now Charged With Murders of Judge, Aide

Grand jury returns 49-count indictment

(Newser) - Jared Lee Loughner was charged on new counts that include the murders of US District Judge John Roll and Giffords aide Gabe Zimmerman, according to an indictment released today. A federal grand jury returned the 49-count indictment yesterday; Loughner also faces new charges of causing death to or injuring participants...

White House Offers Another $6.5B in Cuts

Officials: We're meeting GOP 'halfway' with budget proposal

(Newser) - The White House has proposed another $6.5 billion in spending cuts, its latest offer in an effort to avoid a government shutdown as another deadline looms. Vice President Biden brought the proposal to talks with congressional leaders yesterday. While it’s far less than the House’s proposed $61...

Government Shutdown? It's a Media Fantasy
 Government Shutdown? 
 It's a Media Fantasy 
Howard Kurtz
Mar 3, 2011 3:50 PM CST

Government Shutdown? It's a Media Fantasy

Howard Kurtz: It's not going to happen, but journalists love the fake drama

(Newser) - Phew, we just barely avoided a government shutdown with the latest stopgap spending measure, right? "Not a chance," writes Howard Kurtz in the Daily Beast . "There was never going to be a shutdown." What's more, when the drumbeat to potential doom begins again in two weeks,...

Congress Buys GOP's Foam Cups From Ex-Koch Exec

But the cafeteria managers, not GOP, chose his company

(Newser) - The GOP's decision to bring back Styrofoam cups to a Capitol cafeteria has been a real boon for an old pal of the seemingly ever-present Koch brothers. The owner of WinCup, the company supplying the Styrofoam cups, is a former Koch Industries exec, the Huffington Post reports. But everybody swears...

Spending Bill Averts Shutdown, for Now

Congress finds $4B in 'easy' cuts

(Newser) - The House has passed a bill to cut federal spending by $4 billion and avert a partial shutdown of the government—for two weeks. The measure passed by a bipartisan 335-91 vote that came shortly after Democrats in the Senate said they would go along. The White House had sought...

Going Green? Bah! GOP Brings Back Foam Cups

Republicans reverse Democrats' green initiatives in Congress cafeterias

(Newser) - The Republicans are back in control of the House, and they're bringing something with them: styrofoam cups. The cups, along with plastic forks and a number of other things seen as not eco-friendly, were done away with four years ago by Nancy Pelosi to reduce Congress's carbon footprint. Now, the...

Eric Cantor: Hey, Obama, the GOP Can't Enact Deficit Reform Alone


 Hey, Obama, 
 GOP 'Can't 
 Do It Alone' 
ERIC CANTOR
Feb 20, 2011 9:04 AM CST

Hey, Obama, GOP 'Can't Do It Alone'

This is the president's 'leadership moment'

(Newser) - President Obama's deficit commission co-chairs may think real fiscal responsibility is still possible, but Eric Cantor thinks the president's budget "shattered our best hopes" with its "conspicuous lack of candor." "This is a leadership moment," he writes in an opinion on Politico. "House Republicans...

House Passes $60B in Cuts
 House Passes $60B in Cuts 
Feb 19, 2011 5:33 AM CST

House Passes $60B in Cuts

Measure sets up deep divide between House, Senate

(Newser) - The Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed $61 billion in federal spending cuts this morning, burning the midnight oil to hack federal cash going to coal companies, oil refiners, farmers, health care reform, and environmental initiatives. "The American people have spoken. They demand that Washington stop its out-of-control spending now,...

Patriot Act Gets 3 More Months
 Patriot Act Gets 3 More Months 
Feb 17, 2011 12:50 PM CST

Patriot Act Gets 3 More Months

House agrees to Senate timeline, sends bill to White House

(Newser) - The House today voted 279-143 to approve a 90-day extension of three controversial Patriot Act provisions, sending the measure to President Obama for a surefire signature. The House had earlier approved a year-long extension , but today opted to instead mirror a shorter timeline passed by the Senate, Wired reports. The...

To Collect Full Benefits, War Widows Must Remarry

Confusing rules result in weird set of complications

(Newser) - Thanks to a confusing system of federal regulations, tens of thousands of war widows can’t fully collect on insurance bought by their late husbands—unless they marry someone else. There’s more: that remarriage must occur when the widows are 57 or older to count, the AP reports . The...

House Rejects Extension of Patriot Act Provisions

Twenty-six Republicans buck party line

(Newser) - The House today failed to extend the life of three surveillance tools that are key to the Patriot Act. Republicans brought up the bill under a special expedited procedure requiring a two-thirds majority, and they fell seven votes short. Twenty-six Republicans voted against the measure, along with 122 Democrats. Supporters...

Odd Pairings &amp; Aisle Hogs at State of the Union
 Odd Couples & Aisle Hogs
at State of the Union
STATE OF THE UNION
Jan 26, 2011 6:11 AM CST

Odd Couples & Aisle Hogs at State of the Union

Congress makes history with bipartisan display

(Newser) - The century-old tradition of partisan seating at the State of the Union address crumbled last night as Republicans and Democrats paired off. After days of matchmaking that resembled a pre-prom frenzy , Republican-Democrat pairings included Jim DeMint and Tom Udall, Charles Schumer and Tom Coburn, and John Thune and Kirsten Gillibrand,...

The Reason Guantanamo Still Isn't Closed

When it comes to resettling prisoners, others want US to go first

(Newser) - Two years ago yesterday, President Obama pledged to close the prison camps at Guantánamo Bay within one year. So why are they still open? Much of the blame falls on Congress, the Miami Herald reports. Because Congress won’t allow any of the captives—even those considered low-risk—to...

Lawmakers Pair Off for State of the Union
 Lawmakers Pair Off 
 for State of the Union 
It's Like Prom!
Jan 23, 2011 6:21 AM CST

Lawmakers Pair Off for State of the Union

No slow dancing or corsages, but plenty of drama

(Newser) - With Democrats and Republicans asking out each other and coupling up, Tuesday's State of the Union address is transforming from high partisanship to high school prom, reports Politico . Some are pairing up by region, with the senators from Pennsylvania and Illinois sitting together. Others are sitting by job function, like...

Five Votes to Watch in Today's Health Care Repeal
Five Votes to Watch in Today's Health Care Repeal
analysis
Jan 19, 2011 11:59 AM CST

Five Votes to Watch in Today's Health Care Repeal

It's going to pass, but there's still some political intrigue at play

(Newser) - After all the talk, the House will finally vote later today on whether to repeal health care. It's no great mystery how things will shake out, of course: It's going to pass in the House, fail in the Senate, "then die the death of the symbolic bill that it...

Don't Expect Any Gun Control Bills to Pass: Lawmakers

NRA not expecting a fight, say advocates

(Newser) - The Tucson shooting has prompted the drafting of a number of gun-control bills—but lawmakers don’t expect any major legislation to pass. In fact, insiders said, Congress is looking less likely than ever to step up regulation, reports New York Times , which notes that many members of Congress own...

Calif. Man Busted for Threat to Kill Congressman

Jim McDermott threatened over opposition to tax cuts

(Newser) - A California man has been arrested for making threatening phone calls to Democratic Rep. Jim McDermott over his stance on extending tax cuts. "Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, or George Washington—if any of them had ever met Jim McDermott, they would all blow his brains out. They’d shoot...

Obama's Approval Rating Jumps 6 Points

Congress, both parties, up as well

(Newser) - The public appears to feel a little less disgruntled these days. President Obama’s approval rating shot up 6 points to 53% in an AP-GfK poll released today. That’s his highest rating in nearly a year, Politico points out—and he’s not the only one feeling the love....

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