Political News

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan coalition of business and other organizations, calling themselves The Alliance for New Immigration Consensus is urging Congress to advance immigration reform legislation before the 2022 midterms. In a letter to the leaders of both chambers of... Read More

WASHINGTON — A Texas oil rig worker on Tuesday became the first criminal defendant from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol to be convicted by a jury. Guy Reffitt, 49, was convicted in U.S. District Court in... Read More

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced the U.S. is banning Russian oil imports in the administration’s ongoing bid to increase the toll on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. “Today I am announcing the United States is targeting... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday evening turned back efforts by North Carolina and Pennsylvania Republicans to have the high court throw out new redistricting plans in their respective states. In separate orders, the justices declared the new districts... Read More

WASHINGTON — Hopes for the passage of a revamped version of the Build Back Better Act were renewed last week after Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., indicated he could support a scaled-down version. Manchin’s objections to the version of the bill... Read More

WASHINGTON — Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met again Monday but came away with no binding agreements as their war entered its 12th day. After their meeting ended, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee met to determine the next steps for U.S.... Read More

WASHINGTON — One of my late mother’s favorite stories of my childhood involved my first “vote” in a federal election. It was the fall of 1968 and I was in kindergarten and our teacher, Mrs. Blumberger, decided that in addition... Read More

WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, D-N.M., makes no effort to hide her enthusiasm for her current job, undersecretary for rural development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Six months after her confirmation, the Democrat from Las Cruces, New... Read More

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Supreme Court approved a new set of congressional and state legislative district maps on Thursday that had been proposed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. “Hell yes,” said Evers in a statement released by his office... Read More

WASHINGTON — Though much of what America reads, sees and hears about the federal government emanates from the nation’s Capitol, the reality is it’s members’ district offices that are at the front lines, day in and day out, of helping... Read More

BERKELEY, Calif. — Organizations including the Breakthrough Institute and Third Way joined open data advocates in calling for the International Energy Agency to share its data hidden behind paywalls. In a letter sent on Thursday, a group of 64 organizations... Read More

TYLER, Texas — Lawyers for Netflix asked a U.S. District Court for injunctive relief in a lawsuit brought by Tyler County District Attorney Lucas Babin on Thursday. Netflix was indicted by Babin in September 2020 for promoting and streaming the... Read More

BOISE, Idaho – A pair of emergency bills that have been referred to the Idaho Senate could lead to the enactment of stricter rules for voters ahead of the state’s May primary. Idahoans will head to the polls to cast... Read More

WASHINGTON —  Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., returned to work in the Senate chamber Thursday and was greeted with a bipartisan standing ovation as he took his place at a morning hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. ... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board provided an example this week of why Congress is considering reforms to its process for filling high-level federal job vacancies. The board protects federal employees by helping them to contest job actions... Read More

FRESNO, Calif. — The four Republicans running to serve out the unexpired term of former Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., have a number of things in common. They’re all for stricter voting laws, would likely try to defund schools that allegedly... Read More

LINCOLN, Neb. — Barring last minute adjustments by the Nebraska secretary of state, it appears the ballot is set for the state’s May 10 primary election. The deadline for filing to run in the primary passed on Tuesday. But Secretary... Read More

CHICAGO — Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was indicted on federal charges Wednesday alleging he was involved in a racketeering conspiracy. Madigan served as speaker from 1983 to 2021 and also held numerous other government positions, including representative of... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol said Wednesday for the first time that its evidence suggests crimes may have been committed by former President Donald Trump and his associates in the... Read More

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The state of Tennessee has banned the use of ranked-choice voting, a method of holding elections that Republicans in the state legislature argued is confusing to most and leads to a lack of confidence in elections. Gov.... Read More

WASHINGTON — The chair of the House Administration Committee has scheduled a public hearing on March 16 to examine proposed stock trading reforms for Congress. “Over the past several weeks, the Committee on House Administration has been conducting a review... Read More

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott entered Tuesday with Trump’s endorsement and recent polls that suggested he had the support of about 60% of likely primary voters and he easily secured his party’s nomination in the contest that included several challengers... Read More

WASHINGTON — During his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Biden touched on how the pandemic has increased the mental health challenges Americans face, as disruptions in routines and relationships have led to increases in social isolation.  “Let’s... Read More

WASHINGTON — Hours after President Joe Biden declared “it’s time for Americans to get back to work” in his State of the Union address, the White House on Wednesday unveiled its updated plan for dealing with the next phase of... Read More

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, facing the first competitive Republican primary in his political career, walked away with an easy victory last night in the Texas primary, the first contest of the 2022 campaign season. With 93% of precincts reporting Wednesday... Read More

WASHINGTON— President Joe Biden delivered a 62-minute State of the Union speech Tuesday night in which he vowed to defeat inflation, tamp out the remnants of the coronavirus, and stand firm against Russian aggression in Ukraine. Talk of bipartisanship and... Read More

WASHINGTON — Reps. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., chairman of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, and Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, are urging their colleagues to support legislation ending permanent normal trade relations between the U.S. and Russia. At the same time,... Read More

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Pennsylvania Republicans have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a state court-approved congressional map, arguing a Democrat-controlled state supreme court exceeded its authority by imposing its own choice of map without the legislature's approval. In an... Read More

WASHINGTON — If there was a single lesson from a congressional hearing Tuesday on plans for a U.S. return to the moon, it is that space exploration remains filled with dangers, technical difficulties and enormous costs. The difference between NASA’s... Read More

WASHINGTON — A memo being circulated on Capitol Hill by a group of swing state Democrats ahead of Tuesday night’s State of the Union address is calling for “a new agenda” that stresses bipartisanship over messaging bills and action over... Read More