Congress

WASHINGTON - The House has passed a week-long stopgap bill to keep the government open through Dec. 18 so lawmakers can continue to negotiate both a longer-term spending package and coronavirus relief. The bill passed 343-67. If the stopgap measure... Read More

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of lawmakers from both the House and Senate circulated details of the $908 billion coronavirus relief proposal, though significant hurdles to its passage remain. Among them is the fate of proposed aid to state and... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Witnesses at a congressional hearing Tuesday clashed over whether to continue authorizing a law that blocks federal funds from being used to pay for abortions. Two doctors said withholding the funds was unfair to low income and minority... Read More

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers were finalizing a one-week stopgap funding measure Tuesday to avoid a partial government shutdown starting Friday at midnight, with the only add-ons expected to be a package of expiring health care program extensions, according to Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard C. Shelby.... Read More

WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden's first round of selections for his health team clarified how the incoming administration will approach the COVID-19 pandemic and other health care issues, which were major themes of his campaign. Biden introduced the team to the public at... Read More

WASHINGTON — The House voted 335-78 on Tuesday to adopt a final version of the $731.6 billion defense authorization measure, setting up a possible end-of-year showdown as President Donald Trump has vowed to veto the legislation. House leaders have said they would cut the upcoming... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., introduced the Youth Mental Health Services Act to improve mental health services for students in primary and secondary schools. “It’s a lot harder being a kid in 2020 than when I was... Read More

Luke Letlow bested a field of fellow Republicans in the runoff election Saturday to represent Louisiana's 5th Congressional District representing the central and northeastern parts of the state. Letlow, who was chief of staff for the retiring incumbent, Rep. Ralph... Read More

WASHINGTON - In what is probably one of her last acts as a member of Congress, retiring House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., introduced a continuing resolution to extend federal government funding through Dec. 18. Widely expected, the move... Read More

A New York State Supreme Court judge ordered election officials Tuesday to recount some of the approximately 60,000 absentee ballots cast in the still undecided House race between incumbent Rep. Anthony Brindisi and his Republican challenger, Claudia Tenney. The ruling... Read More

WASHINGTON — After making a big splash last week and injecting a sense of optimism into long-delayed coronavirus relief talks, a bipartisan $908 billion plan is hung up over the specifics of aid to states and localities and liability protections for... Read More

WASHINGTON — This week, the American Worker Holiday Relief Act was introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. “With the economy backsliding as COVID-19... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, Rep. Abby Finkenauer, D-Iowa, introduced the Rural Revitalization Now Act to provide up to $50,000 in student loan relief for people who commit to live and work in rural communities for at least eight years. The... Read More

WASHINGTON - A decade after Republicans, then in the majority in the House, banned them in their conference rules, the practice of Congressionally-directed spending -- otherwise known as the use of earmarks -- is poised for an almost certain comeback.... Read More

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will come "on board" with a $908 billion package to provide pandemic relief, according to a member of a bipartisan group that's seeking legislation before the end of the year. " President Trump has indicated that... Read More

WASHINGTON — Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., and Rep. David McKinley, R-W. Va., introduced bipartisan legislation to prevent cuts to hospital payments through the duration of the COVID public health emergency.  The Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act would delay the Medicare... Read More

WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi moved a $1.4 trillion relief package closer to approval Friday by joining pandemic assistance and economic stimulus measures into a single bill headed toward a vote in Congress. Negotiations dragged on for months between... Read More

WASHINGTON - The House passed legislation that would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level -- the first time either chamber of Congress has voted on such a measure. And significantly, the measure received bipartisan support. When the figurative smoke cleared,... Read More

WASHINGTON - House Democrats made history on Thursday when the caucus voted to make Reps. Gregory Meeks, of New York, and David Scott, of Georgia, the first African-Americans to chair, respectively, the chamber's Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Committees. Meeks, who... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Drug policy analysts told a congressional committee Thursday that the U.S. government has largely failed to stop illegal drug smuggling because of an unfocused strategy against the cartels. Instead, they recommended flexibility that seeks solutions based on local... Read More

WASHINGTON — Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a senior Republican and adviser to the majority leader, said flatly Thursday that President Donald Trump has no realistic path to overturning the election. After weeks of court defeats, he noted, Trump's legal team has yet to show evidence of... Read More

WASHINGTON — Pressure is building on Congress to pass another economic aid package before the end of the year, and Democratic and Republican leaders said Thursday they're hopeful a deal is possible. But with only a few days left on the legislative calendar,... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden is adjusting the scope of his agenda to meet the challenges of governing with a narrowly divided Congress and the complications of legislating during a raging pandemic. Rather than immediately pursue ambitious legislation to combat climate change,... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — National lawmakers introduced a joint resolution Wednesday aimed at striking language from the U.S. Constitution that enshrines a form of slavery in America’s foundational documents. The resolution, spearheaded and supported by Democratic members of the House... Read More

WASHINGTON - In the end, it wasn't even close. After a year of behind-the-scenes campaigning by a trio of candidates, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, of Connecticut, has been chosen to lead the House Appropriations Committee in the 117th Congress. Both Reps.... Read More

WASHINGTON - Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, of New York, won a close race to lead the House Democrats' campaign arm during the 117th Congress, narrowly defeating Rep. Tony Cárdenas, of California, 119-107 in a secret ballot. The outcome of the... Read More

WASHINGTON — The House Oversight Committee will subpoena Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross unless the Commerce Department hands over internal documents detailing delays and issues with data related to the 2020 census, the committee chairwoman warned in a letter Wednesday. In the letter, chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D- N.Y., accused... Read More

WASHINGTON — COVID-19 aid talks got a jolt of momentum Wednesday when the top Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill all but endorsed a $908 billion interim package a bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled the previous day. In a joint statement, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate... Read More

WASHINGTON - The first session of the 117th Congress will convene at noon on a Sunday in January and have an extra-long August recess, according to the House calendar released by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Wednesday. And of course,... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Reps. Stephanie Murphy, of Florida, and Jimmy Panetta, of California, have been named chief deputy whips for the 117th Congress, House Majority Whip James Clyburn announced Wednesday. In addition, Clyburn announced that Reps. G.K. Butterfield, of North Carolina,... Read More