Congress

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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....

GOP Rep Wants to Enclose Congress in Plexiglass

Lawmakers seek to boost security after Giffords shooting

(Newser) - Lawmakers return to the Capitol today for the first time since Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in Tucson and some are seeking increased protection. Rep. Dan Burton, a Republican from Indiana, plans to reintroduce legislation calling for the House gallery to be encased in a "transparent and substantial material"...

Ex-Congress Aide Found Dead in Burning Car

Ashley Turton's death investigated for odd circumstances

(Newser) - A long-time Congressional aide was found dead in her garage after a low-speed car crash that appeared to have started a fire, Politico reports. Police think Ashley Turton, who had recently worked as a lobbyist, crashed through her garage door, starting a fire that consumed car, garage and driver. “...

Congress Delays Health Vote Amid Calls to 'Cool' Rhetoric

Time for 'great respect' on Hill: Sen. Alexander

(Newser) - The tragedy in Arizona won’t stop the health care debate, but it has pushed back a repeal vote and prompted calls to cool the rhetoric, Politico reports. The House majority leader postponed the week’s lawmaking agenda—including a vote on repeal set for Wednesday—following the attack. Meanwhile,...

Palin Offers Condolences After Arizona Shooting

McCain says Gabrielle Giffords' shooter is disgrace to the human race

(Newser) - Sarah Palin, who's been taking flak because of a SarahPac map that put Gabrielle Giffords' district in its crosshairs (literally), issued a quick Facebook statement today offering "sincere condolences" to Giffords' family after the Arizona shooting . "On behalf of Todd and my family, we all pray for the...

GOP Pushes to Outlaw Presidential 'Czars'

Republicans have slammed paid advisers' role in Washington

(Newser) - House Republicans hope a new bill will drive out President Obama’s “czars,” the 39 paid advisers he’s hired throughout his term. The GOP has pushed similar bills in the past, but with Republican control of the House, this one stands a better chance of advancing, the...

ObamaCare Repeal Would Tack $230B Onto Deficit: CBO

Boehner slams claim over 'double-counting'

(Newser) - Republicans have hit a potential roadblock in their quest to dump health care reform: the price. Repeal would add $230 billion to the deficit by 2021, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Reform itself, the CBO has said, would reduce the deficit by $143 billion over...

Congress' New Trend: A Pocket-Sized Constitution

Many lawmakers carry it around in these Tea Party times

(Newser) - In the 2011 Congress, there's one item more and more lawmakers know they can't leave home without: a small copy of the US Constitution. A 6.25-inch-tall edition of the country's founding document has become a must-have for lawmakers who know that in these Tea Party times, they may be...

Birther Interrupts House's Reading of Constitution

She objects during section on presidential citizenship

(Newser) - And you thought listening to members of Congress read the Constitution in its entirety today would be dull: Well, it is, mostly, but a birther in the gallery livened things up during the section about only a natural-born citizen being eligible to be president. "Except Obama, except Obama,"...

John Boehner Gave a Very Smart Speech
John Boehner Gave
a Very Smart Speech
ezra klein
Jan 5, 2011 6:18 PM CST

John Boehner Gave a Very Smart Speech

Ezra Klein: It's early, but his instincts have been great so far

(Newser) - Incoming House speakers have a long tradition of overreaching in their opening speeches, writes Ezra Klein at the Washington Post . John Boehner took the opposite approach today with his themes of "humility and comity," and that's why Klein loved it. Boehner didn't gloat on behalf of himself or...

Pelosi Jokes About Boehner's Gavel Size

It's larger than most, she tells the House

(Newser) - The strangest moment in today's power handoff in Washington had to be Nancy Pelosi's comment about John Boehner's gavel: "I now pass this gavel, which is larger than most gavels here, but the gavel of choice of Speaker Boehner." The comment set off laughter (eventually from Pelosi herself)...

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