Congress

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of 50 centrist lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled a $1.5 trillion proposal they hope will end the current stalemate over new relief to bolster the coronavirus battered economy. The Problem Solvers Caucus, led by co-chairs Reps.... Read More

WASHINGTON -- A congressional resolution that started Monday as a condemnation of hate crimes against Asians quickly turned into a dispute over who should be blamed for the devastation caused by coronavirus. Democrats blamed President Donald Trump for mishandling the... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Scientists updated a congressional committee Friday on how the U.S. Energy Department is helping to develop a cure and vaccine for COVID-19. They said Energy Department supercomputers are unlocking mysteries about the structure of the virus as they... Read More

WASHINGTON - It wasn't unexpected. Counterfeits and knockoffs are all around us, from sneakers to handbags and even cures for the common cold. But a surge in demand for personal protection equipment, not to mention tobacco, alcohol and cleaning products,... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Amtrak made a plea to Congress Wednesday for billions of dollars in supplemental funding to avoid financial collapse as the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate its ridership. The number of riders on the national passenger railroad dropped by... Read More

RHINEBECK, N.Y. – The United States Chamber of Commerce continues its recent trend of defying tradition by announcing its endorsement of Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-N.Y., in his first reelection campaign. The chamber is the largest business federation in the world... Read More

WASHINGTON - The American Bar Association urged Congress last week to extend a moratorium on the eviction of renters who've lost their jobs or been otherwise adversely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. A national moratorium on evictions was originally adopted... Read More

WASHINGTON — Representatives from federal financial agencies defended their record on hiring women and minorities Tuesday while members of a congressional subcommittee accused them of an uninspired effort. “I’m not sensing that we’re making a lot of progress here,” said... Read More

WASHINGTON - It was the kind of announcement that makes one stop and wonder if they'd heard it right. While unions have profitably invested in private equity firms as part of their portfolio for years, the general belief about the... Read More

Yesterday, Rep. Antonio Delgado and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand visited the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in an effort to push Congress to pass the bipartisan-supported RESTART Act, which will help live event venues, small and mid-sized businesses which have... Read More

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday the Senate would vote on a trimmed-down Republican coronavirus relief package, though it's unlikely to appeal to Democrats who have already passed a much more sweeping package in the House. The... Read More

WASHINGTON — Terrorism hasn’t disappeared just because a pandemic is happening. In fact, calamitous world conditions embolden those who want to do others harm, and police budget cuts, virus-related conspiracy theories, and other vulnerabilities are exacerbated during the COVID-19 crisis.... Read More

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed doubts about whether Congress can get a deal on another pandemic relief package when lawmakers return to Washington after a monthlong recess, despite the Trump administration’s push for a quick, targeted stimulus. “I don’t... Read More

WASHINGTON - Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., wants to reduce the barriers currently preventing many Rural Utility Service borrowers from refinancing their debt to take advantage of lower market rates. Unlike most private lenders, the Rural Utility Service, a division of... Read More

Senate Republicans hope to vote next week on a so-called “skinny” coronavirus stimulus package even as the gap between the White House and Democrats remains as wide as ever. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., a close ally of Majority Leader Mitch... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Members of Congress directed tough questions at the U.S. Treasury secretary Tuesday about fraud and abuse in the Trump administration’s coronavirus relief program. They said billions of dollars intended to protect jobs and family homes were being diverted... Read More

Rep. Tom O'Halleran, D-Ariz., made a little history on Monday by launching the Blue Dog Democrats' first-ever virtual rural opportunity roundtable series. The discussion with local and tribal leaders focused on the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on rural and... Read More

WASHINGTON — With just weeks left in the legislative year, Congress faces two big transportation deadlines on Sept. 30, a transportation to-do list and potentially dire consequences if it does not act. Without congressional involvement, airlines have signaled they will... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Congress and the courts are closing in on strategies to secure the nation’s vote in November without sacrificing the health of voters confronting risks of coronavirus. Much of the discussion focuses on benefits and perils of absentee voting... Read More

WASHINGTON – A change in Customs and Border Protection policy that allows the agency to award its own contracts for select U.S.-Mexico border wall construction projects is being questioned by congressional members. In a letter addressed to acting CBP Commissioner... Read More

WASHINGTON - A coalition of haunted house operators and others who offer "seasonal" and "location-based" entertainment are pressing Congress to change the Paycheck Protection Program so their industry can take advantage of it. They are also asking that their industry... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Congressional Democrats hammered the U.S. postmaster Monday with allegations that he is conspiring to sabotage on-time mail deliveries while he defiantly denied he is trying to influence the 2020 federal election. Instead, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he... Read More

WASHINGTON - As the House convenes for a rare Saturday session, over 100 Democrats are urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi to open the floor to consideration of a bill to extend an emergency bonus to unemployment benefits due to the coronavirus... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Blue Dog Coalition of House Democrats has begun circulating a letter they plan to send to leaders in the House and Senate, urging them to return to bargaining on a new coronavirus relief bill. Earlier this month,... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Postal Service faced more questions and a federal lawsuit Wednesday over mail disruptions, despite assurances by President Donald Trump's postmaster general of no more service changes until after the November election — a pledge made only after a... Read More

WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling the chamber back to the Capitol ahead of a vote on legislation to block recent cost-cutting measures at the U.S. Postal Service and ensure the agency can handle a surge in mail-in... Read More

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are calling for more oversight into the 2020 U.S. Census after officials in charge of the once-a-decade population count announced they would stop collecting survey responses earlier than planned. In a letter sent Monday, members of... Read More

WASHINGTON – A bipartisan group of lawmakers is urging funding for the Federal Communications Commission’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program to be included in any upcoming COVID-19 relief legislation. The FCC established the program in April 2020 to better provide health care... Read More

Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., announced Monday the acquisition of $1.2 million in federal grant funds for the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority’s recruitment efforts, continuing education and health care workforce development. The VHWDA grant will be issued to the organization’s... Read More

WASHINGTON - House Democrats, at a congressional hearing Thursday on reopening public schools, accused President Donald Trump of mishandling the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. They said schools might not have been forced to close early in the Spring... Read More