Congress

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Congress OKs Budget Plan, Advances Health Reform

(Newser) - President Obama's plan to overhaul the nation's health care system got a big boost today as the Senate followed the lead of the House and approved a $3.4 trillion budget plan, the Washington Post reports. The approval sets the stage for lawmakers to hammer out legislation over the summer...

Specter: I'm Not 'Automatic 60th Vote' for Dems

GOP colleagues 'stunned,' angered by senator's party switch

(Newser) - Newly minted Democrat Arlen Specter said he will not blindly toe the party line, Politico reports. “I will not be an automatic 60th vote,” the veteran Pennsylvania senator said, pointing out recent opposition to a unionization bill. “If the Democratic Party asks too much, I will not...

We're All to Blame for Torture
 We're All to Blame for Torture 
OPINION
Apr 28, 2009 12:30 PM CDT

We're All to Blame for Torture

Tactics are no surprise; let's not dump our guilt on CIA

(Newser) - Suddenly, Democrats in Congress are calling for the prosecution of CIA agents for torture. But that torture was never a secret, and when it was politically prudent, Democrats had no problem backing it—and neither did many Americans, writes Naomi Wolf in the Guardian. We’ve all got “blood...

Shut Mexican Border: US Lawmaker

Massa says swine flu necessitates 'immediate' closure

(Newser) - A Democratic member of the House Homeland Security Committee has called for the US-Mexico border to be closed as the number of swine flu cases continues to mount, reports the Hill. Eric Massa of New York said that swine flu is "a serious threat to the health of the...

Dems Fast-Track Health Care Overhaul

Filibuster-proof tactic likely to enrage GOP

(Newser) - Democratic leaders in Congress have agreed to adopt a filibuster-proof tactic to get President Obama's health care bill passed before the year is out, reports the New York Times. The tactic—known as "budget reconciliation"—will let the bill pass the Senate with a simple majority instead of...

Republican Concedes in NY House Race

(Newser) - The fight for Kirsten Gillibrand’s House seat is over, the Albany Times Union reports. Republican candidate Jim Tedisco conceded the race to Democrat Scott Murphy this afternoon, more than 3 weeks after the election. “Ultimately, it became clear that the numbers were not going our way,” Tedisco...

Gingrich, Gore Clash on Climate
 Gingrich, Gore Clash on Climate 
Apr 24, 2009 2:29 PM CDT

Gingrich, Gore Clash on Climate

(Newser) - Al Gore and Newt Gingrich both appeared on Capitol Hill today, arguing for and against Democratic legislation that would shape US policy on energy and the environment, MSNBC reports. Gore said the legislation, which would mandate a sweeping changeover to a green economy in the next 50 years, “has...

Dem's Victory in NY House Race All But Official

GOP quiet on legal challenges; Tedisco may concede today

(Newser) - The special election in New York’s 20th congressional district looks like it won’t go the way of the Minnesota Senate vote, with recounts, lawsuits, and ballot challenges, Politico reports. Republican Jim Tedisco may concede as soon as today to Democrat Scott Murphy, who holds a 401-vote lead with...

Schumer Wants Faster Action on Credit Cards

Rules on deceptive practices don't take effect until 2010

(Newser) - Sen. Chuck Schumer is putting pressure on the Fed and the Office of Thrift Supervision to enact restrictions on the business practices of credit card firms more quickly, the New York Daily News reports. The agencies have drafted new rules banning deceptive practices like hidden fees and retroactive rate hikes,...

Market-Regulation Bill No Longer on Fast Track: Frank

Obama wants bill passed fast, but Congress chooses to take its time

(Newser) - Once on the fast track to President Obama’s desk, a bill that would grant the government powers to place large companies into receivership has been pushed to the slow lane, Rep. Barney Frank tells the Wall Street Journal. The bill’s complexity, and a slow-moving Senate, led the Financial...

Pelosi Stirs a Feud: 'Jon Stewart Had It Wrong'

(Newser) - Jon Stewart has a new feud going, this time with Nancy Pelosi, the Hill reports. Stewart thinks she's a hypocrite, accusing her of flip-flopping on an obscure legislative maneuver called budget reconciliation now that Democrats are in charge. He played clips showing her denouncing the move when the GOP ran...

Pelosi: I Knew Harman Was Wiretapped

(Newser) - Nancy Pelosi said today she knew fellow California Democrat Jane Harman was the subject of intelligence wiretaps, but she couldn’t spill because the information had come in a confidential briefing, CQ Politics reports. “Even if I wanted to share it with her I would not have had the...

Senators Rank Bipartisan Colleagues

Kennedy, Collins named most bipartisan

(Newser) - If you want to reach across the aisle in the Senate, chances are you're stretching toward Ted Kennedy or Susan Collins, according to a Hill survey of the upper chamber. “I’d love to co-sponsor every piece of legislation with Ted Kennedy,” says Sen. Richard Burr. The most...

Congress Will Likely Pass Up Climate Change for Health Care

Dems think health bill is easier to pass

(Newser) - Congress returns from recess today with both health care and climate change on its plate, and it’s looking increasingly likely that it will favor the former, the Wall Street Journal reports. “Health-care reform should be first among equals,” says one rep. Though he also expects to “...

Ron Paul's Pirate Solution: Bounty Hunters

Constitution says US can hire mercenaries to patrol high seas

(Newser) - Texas Congressman Ron Paul looked to the history books for a solution to America’s pirate woes—and he says the government should put bounty hunters on the job, the Los Angeles Times reports. The idea has momentum in Congress, unlike some other notions suggested by the former presidential candidate....

EPA's Carbon Ruling Puts Heat on Congress
 EPA's Carbon Ruling 
 Puts Heat on Congress 
Analysis
Apr 18, 2009 4:59 PM CDT

EPA's Carbon Ruling Puts Heat on Congress

(Newser) - By issuing its long-awaited “endangerment finding” on carbon yesterday, the EPA is essentially putting a gun to Congress’ head, writes Bryan Walsh in Time. Capitol Hill is loathe to regulate carbon emissions, with Republicans and coal-state Democrats worried about the economic fallout. But by ruling that carbon is dangerous,...

Today's Hot Investment: Guns
 Today's Hot Investment: Guns 
Apr 16, 2009 7:55 AM CDT

Today's Hot Investment: Guns

or: Fearing New Laws, Buyers Stock Up on Guns

(Newser) - Guns sales are booming as buyers, fearing an Obama administration crackdown on the sale of assault weapons, are looking to safeguard their homes—and their retirement, reports the Wall Street Journal. Some gun enthusiasts see semiautomatic weapons as a smart investment that’s sure to gain value if new restrictions...

Dems to Coleman: Concede Already

(Newser) - Democrats have widened their campaign against Norm Coleman to include a radio ad urging him to concede to Al Franken, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. “Minnesota deserves two senators and voters deserve to have their verdict stand,” says the ad, produced by the DNC. “Call Norm Coleman,...

2004 Foe Will Challenge Specter for Nomination

(Newser) - Riding a wave of dissatisfaction with Arlen Specter's vote on the federal stimulus, conservative Pat Toomey will again campaign to be the GOP's Senate nominee in Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Although Toomey didn't announce until today, the two have been arguing publicly in the last few weeks. Specter, who...

Dem Creeps Ahead in NY Congress Race

Murphy up by 56 in bid to replace Gillibrand; many yet uncounted

(Newser) - Democrat Scott Murphy has widened his lead to 56 in New York’s special race for what was Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s House seat, the Hill reports. Murphy’s lead over Republican Jim Tedisco stood at 25 before some 100 absentee votes were tallied today. But several counties have yet...

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