Congress

WASHINGTON - Seven House members have come together in a bipartisan effort to help state and local governments address cybersecurity weaknesses in their networks. The lawmakers engaged in the effort are Reps. Cedric Richmond, D-La., John Katko, R-N.Y., Derek Kilmer,... Read More

President Donald Trump will propose a $4.8 trillion budget on Monday, with sharp cuts to safety-net programs and international aid, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a senior administration official. The proposal would cut non-defense spending by 5% to $590... Read More

WASHINGTON - The New Democrat Coalition has endorsed a slate of seven bills aimed at improving health care coverage and reducing costs for millions of Americans. “The American people deserve solutions that move past partisan posturing and make real progress... Read More

WASHINGTON - Proving that acrimony wasn't the only emotion felt on Capitol Hill this week, Reps. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J. and Steve Stivers, R-Ohio delivered a unanimous House vote Wednesday in favor of granting access to treatment derived from working with... Read More

WASHINGTON — Any semblance of a working relationship between Washington’s two most powerful political leaders disintegrated perhaps beyond repair this week, leaving doubts about whether Congress and the White House will be able to accomplish anything in this election year.... Read More

WASHINGTON - Defense contractors urged Congress Wednesday to increase spending on new military technology as the Trump administration prepares to release its proposed defense budget for fiscal 2021 next week. They described current U.S. military efforts at developing innovative technologies... Read More

WASHINGTON — Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., believes veteran firefighters should receive fair retirement and health care benefits that better accord to their service to their country. Toward that end, she’s introduced H.R. 5637, the Michael Lecik Military Firefighters Protection Act.... Read More

WASHINGTON — Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard C. Shelby appeared to soften a little Tuesday on a potential return of earmarks in spending bills this year, after saying last week his Republican colleagues probably wouldn’t allow it. The Alabama Republican said... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Blue Dog Coalition of House Democrats Monday called for an end to federal budgeting by temporary, continuing resolution, throwing their support behind a measure requiring Congress to pass all appropriations bills on time. H.R. 5226, the Funding... Read More

WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republican lawmakers are bracing for a whole new level of partisan belligerence from President Donald Trump at the State of the Union on Tuesday, less than 24 hours before the Senate is expected to vote to... Read More

WASHINGTON — At some uncertain point in the future, printing cash may be a waste of money. As Americans increasingly rely on credit cards, online transfers, mobile apps and cryptocurrencies to complete transactions, a House panel debated Thursday the promise... Read More

WASHINGTON — With increasing prospects of a 50-50 tie on the Friday vote to subpoena witnesses in President Trump’s impeachment trial, Democrats are considering how they might be able to nudge Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to weigh in... Read More

WASHINGTON - Google’s former chief executive officer told Congress Wednesday the United States would lose its lead in artificial intelligence technology to China in less than a decade unless the federal government creates incentives for new research and development. “In... Read More

WASHINGTON - House Democratic Leaders unveiled a five-year, $760 billion framework for rebuilding the nation's infrastructure, vowing to try to reach bipartisan consensus as the details are hashed out in committee. The election-year package, billed as the "Moving Forward Framework,"... Read More

WASHINGTON — While Democrats in Washington are attacking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s management of the impeachment trial, it’s his role in blocking House-passed legislation that is getting the most campaign airtime so far this year. The latest example, and... Read More

WASHINGTON - The federal budget deficit will likely top $1 trillion this year, despite the continued strength of the U.S. economy, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday. The report follows an increase in new spending last year and the... Read More

WASHINGTON — House appropriators are considering lifting a nearly 10-year ban on congressionally directed spending, known as earmarks. While no decisions have been made, a House Democratic aide said lawmakers are in the “early stages” of considering allowing earmarks in... Read More

WASHINGTON — A House bill generally supported by congressional Republicans and manufacturers to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) nevertheless raised a few red flags when it came up before a House subcommittee last week. HFCs are a class of chemicals primarily... Read More

WASHINGTON — It would stand to reason that representatives and senators, dissuaded by the gridlock in Congress, would hesitate to introduce legislation. After all, only 105 laws were enacted during 2019, a poor showing by historical standards. But that’s not... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate plunged into President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial with Republicans abruptly abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two days but solidly rejecting Democratic demands for more witnesses to expose what they deem Trump’s “trifecta” of offenses.... Read More

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed Monday to significantly speed up President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, offering rules that would shoehorn opening arguments into a grueling four-day period of 12-hour days, meaning a major part of the nation’s... Read More

WASHINGTON — A few blocks from the Capitol, Andy Kim settled into a small, quiet campaign office, minutes after casting his vote last week to formally send articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate. It was a... Read More

WASHINGTON - It has been a tough, some would say strange, few weeks for the press in Washington, D.C. Symbolically, it began with the shuttering of the Newseum, a museum dedicated to journalism and freedom of speech, which closed December... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Senate handed President Donald Trump a policy victory on Thursday, backing USMCA, the new North American trade deal, the same day the chamber turned its attention to the president's impeachment trial. Once it's signed by Trump, USMCA... Read More

WASHINGTON - The White House violated federal law in withholding security assistance to Ukraine, one of the actions that set the stage for President Donald Trump's impending  impeachment trial in the Senate, a nonpartisan federal watchdog said Thursday. In a... Read More

WASHINGTON - Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., will lead a bipartisan congressional delegation to Puerto Rico on Sunday, January 19, to examine the damage and disruption caused by the recent earthquakes. The delegation, which also includes Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón, R-Puerto... Read More

WASHINGTON — With a solemn procession through the Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday, the House took the final, formal steps to pave the way for the third presidential impeachment trial in the nation’s history. But even before Thursday’s swearing-in ceremonies could... Read More

WASHINGTON - Advocates for the homeless described for a congressional committee Tuesday how urban gentrification is pushing up home prices and pushing out residents who are ready, willing and able to work. The worst of the hardship is falling on... Read More

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined to attend a hearing on Tuesday to examine the Administration’s policy on Iran, including its recent decision to assassinate Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. Pompeo had been invited to attend the House Foreign... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is preparing to vote Wednesday to send the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate to start the historic trial, several people told The Associated Press. Speaker Nancy Pelosi met privately Tuesday at the... Read More