Congress

WASHINGTON – In a virtual legislative hearing Tuesday, the House Natural Resources Committee considered legislation introduced by its chairman, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., that would establish an ocean-based carbon sequestration program among other climate change mitigation measures.  Grijalva’s bill, entitled... Read More

WASHINGTON - House Democrats nominated Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to lead the chamber for another two years on Wednesday in a virtual voice vote that reflected a triumphant rebound in her stature among members, two years after a rebellious faction... Read More

WASHINGTON - It's the election insiders were talking about while most of America was still wondering what would happen on Election Day. Every two years, the election of a new Congress is followed closely by caucus leadership elections. On Tuesday,... Read More

WASHINGTON — Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday she would press ahead early next year with a campaign finance and elections overhaul, even as the measure may face the same Senate fate it did this Congress: doom. House Democrats passed their signature overhaul measure in March 2019 and dubbed it... Read More

CHICAGO — Democratic U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois said Monday she had tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating at home with mild symptoms. Bustos, 59, who survived a closer-than-expected bid for reelection to a fifth term earlier this month, announced her diagnosis on Twitter, saying... Read More

WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden, faced with worsening economic and health crises, on Monday called for action from two political forces beyond his control: Congress, which is deadlocked over economic relief, and President Donald Trump, who refuses to concede the election and share information... Read More

WASHINGTON – Reps. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Anthony G. Brown, D-Md., Austin Scott, R-Ga., and Richard Hudson, R-N.C., have introduced the Africa Foreign Relations, International Cooperation, and Assistance Act, H.R. 8186, to enhance security and economic partnerships between the United States... Read More

WASHINGTON - They came from Texas and Colorado and New York and New Mexico. Some came in family SUVs, others in taxi cabs. But what they had in common as they arrived at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill on a... Read More

WASHINGTON — House members could securely vote remotely from outside the Capitol using technology that already exists, according to a report from Democrats on the House Administration Committee, but there remains stiff opposition to an expansion of remote voting. The House approved temporary rules changes in May... Read More

RICHMOND, Va. — Gov. Ralph Northam announced Virginia will allocate $25 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to fund monthly retainer payments for day support programs that provide services for Virginians with developmental disabilities.  These... Read More

WASHINGTON - Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., has been nominated to serve as co-chair of the Democratic caucus' Steering and Policy Committee, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Wednesday. Bustos will replace Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, who informed the speaker last... Read More

WASHINGTON — Unlike in 2018, this year's "green wave" of Democratic money didn't produce a "blue wave" of victories, thanks in part to a super PAC that helped Republicans close the spending gap. Congressional Leadership Fund, a group aligned with House GOP leadership, spent more... Read More

WASHINGTON – Reps. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., and Jason Smith, R-Mo., and Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Roy Blunt, R-Mo., are leading a bipartisan, bicameral call for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to include funding for Upper Mississippi water infrastructure... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash., recently helped the Nisqually and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in her district fulfill a long time dream. They are two of eight tribes in the state to receive first-of-their-kind licenses... Read More

WASHINGTON – Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., jointly introduced legislation Wednesday that would exclude Veterans Affairs Disability Compensation from the list of benefits that have to be reported in a student’s application for Federal Student Aid.  Under... Read More

WASHINGTON - The House New Democrat Coalition is out with its assessment of the 2020 election and they believe voters clearly endorsed pragmatic Democrats and their espoused approach to controlling the pandemic, making a full economic recovery and moving the... Read More

WASHINGTON — Georgia, the state on track to produce the closest finish of the 2020 presidential election, is about to endure an unprecedented political encore that will decide control of the U.S. Senate. The runoff campaigns for both the state's Senate seats are set... Read More

WASHINGTON -- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is once again running for the Democrat-controlled House's second most powerful position. In a letter to fellow Democrats made public Saturday, Hoyer said he's proud of the unity and success the party has... Read More

WASHINGTON - Employers added 638,000 jobs in the month of October, pushing the national unemployment rate down to 6.9%, the Labor Department reported Friday. But Congressional Democrats noted the pace of renewed hiring isn't nearly enough to quickly get the... Read More

WASHINGTON — Americans turned out to vote in this year's election as never before, and the result seemed only to deepen the trench dividing the two warring parties. From Atlanta to Milwaukee to Phoenix, Joe Biden gained ground in suburban areas, widening his party's advantage among college-educated voters... Read More

WASHINGTON — Democrats are projected to keep control of the U.S. House in Tuesday's elections, but with at least six incumbents losing their seats the party is falling far short of preelection expectations of an expanded majority. Among the Democrats defeated were several first elected in the... Read More

WASHINGTON — Democrats are projected to keep control of the U.S. House in Tuesday's elections, but with at least six incumbents losing their seats the party is falling far short of preelection expectations of an expanded majority. Among the Democrats defeated were several first elected in the... Read More

WASHINGTON — How much has the political environment moved away from Republicans? Look no further than the 10 most vulnerable House members. One year ago, this list included eight Democrats and two Republicans. On the eve of the 2020 elections, the list includes seven Republicans and just... Read More

WASHINGTON - It came as no surprise last week when the majority of questions posed to two members of Congress during a virtual town hall Friday focused on currently stalled negotiations over the next COVID-19 relief package. Despite being on... Read More

Earlier this week, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. and Dean Phillips, D-Minn., discussed the continuously growing need to renew the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program for a second round and urged both Congress and the administration to continue bipartisan negotiations... Read More

WASHINGTON -- The chief executive officers of the world’s largest social media companies assured a skeptical U.S. Senate committee Wednesday they try to remain neutral in deciding which Internet content they block. They also advocated against government regulation that could... Read More

WASHINGTON — Americans rely on public infrastructure like buildings, roads, bridges, and power supply lines every day. Some of the groundworks needed to operate society are handled by the federal government, some maintained by states, and a large portion owned... Read More

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the chamber could pass a pandemic relief plan this week, though a deal with the White House remains elusive and the Republican-led Senate might not act before the Nov. 3 U.S. election. Pelosi and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows accused each other of "moving the... Read More

Yesterday, Reps. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., and Michael Waltz, R-Fla., sent a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray, National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe and Attorney General Bill Barr requesting an official briefing on Russian and Iranian interference... Read More

This week, the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank based in Washington, D.C, hosted Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. and Dave Joyce, R-Ohio,  for a discussion of rural broadband access in connection with telehealth and education. The discussion was part of... Read More