Congress

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Birther Interrupts House's Reading of Constitution

She objects during section on presidential citizenship

(Newser) - And you thought listening to members of Congress read the Constitution in its entirety today would be dull: Well, it is, mostly, but a birther in the gallery livened things up during the section about only a natural-born citizen being eligible to be president. "Except Obama, except Obama,"...

John Boehner Gave a Very Smart Speech
John Boehner Gave
a Very Smart Speech
ezra klein
Jan 5, 2011 6:18 PM CST

John Boehner Gave a Very Smart Speech

Ezra Klein: It's early, but his instincts have been great so far

(Newser) - Incoming House speakers have a long tradition of overreaching in their opening speeches, writes Ezra Klein at the Washington Post . John Boehner took the opposite approach today with his themes of "humility and comity," and that's why Klein loved it. Boehner didn't gloat on behalf of himself or...

Pelosi Jokes About Boehner's Gavel Size

It's larger than most, she tells the House

(Newser) - The strangest moment in today's power handoff in Washington had to be Nancy Pelosi's comment about John Boehner's gavel: "I now pass this gavel, which is larger than most gavels here, but the gavel of choice of Speaker Boehner." The comment set off laughter (eventually from Pelosi herself)...

John Boehner, Republicans Take Over
John Boehner,
Republicans Take Over
breaking news
Jan 5, 2011 12:41 PM CST

John Boehner, Republicans Take Over

112th Congress is formally under way

(Newser) - Much pomp and circumstance and gavel-surrendering took place on Capitol Hill today as the 112th Congress got under way, reports the AP . The GOP-controlled House formally elected John Boehner as its new speaker, with Nancy Pelosi moving to her new gig as minority leader. "God bless you, Speaker Boehner,...

Tea Party's Blind Spot: Foreign Policy
Tea Party's Blind Spot:
Foreign Policy
OPINION
Jan 5, 2011 8:27 AM CST

Tea Party's Blind Spot: Foreign Policy

Movement can't go on ignoring military spending

(Newser) - The Tea Party will have a big say on GOP policy in the next Congress, but what it doesn't have is any coherent foreign policy, writes Peter Beinart at the Daily Beast. The movement might want to stay true to its ideal of reducing the deficit, scaling back the federal...

Freshmen Legislators to Keep an Eye On
10 Freshmen
to Keep an Eye On
112th congress
Jan 5, 2011 7:47 AM CST

10 Freshmen to Keep an Eye On

Class of 2010 is full of characters

(Newser) - There will be plenty of fresh faces in Washington today. But which ones matter most? The Washington Post selects 10 freshman legislators to keep an eye on:
  • Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH: One of Sarah Palin's "mama grizzlies," Ayotte defeated a Tea Partier to become the only woman elected
...

Boehner's First Order of Business: Decrease His Power

Rule package expected to be approved by GOP today

(Newser) - John Boehner may be the incoming speaker of the House, but he doesn’t want a whole lot of power. In fact, one of tomorrow’s first votes could be on a package of rule changes Boehner says will decentralize power—and even allow minority-party members to have more of...

'No Child Left Behind' Needs a Bipartisan Facelift
'No Child Left Behind'
Needs a Bipartisan Facelift
ARNE DUNCAN
Jan 3, 2011 3:33 PM CST

'No Child Left Behind' Needs a Bipartisan Facelift

There's a lot that both parties agree on in education reform

(Newser) - The new Congress is set to update No Child Left Behind, and it’s a chance to get both sides of the aisle behind real change, writes Arne Duncan in the Washington Post . Both parties share similar concerns about NCLB—its way of labeling schools “failures,” its bubble...

Snubbed By GOP, Tea Partiers Still Mad as Hell

Activists upset their candidates not given more power in Congress

(Newser) - The 112th Congress hasn't even been sworn in yet, but Tea Partiers are already mad: They say legislators passed over their candidates for leadership positions, then passed too much legislation during the Congress' lame duck session. “For them to legislate when they’ve collectively lost their mandate just shows...

Congress Has Only One Option in 2011: Deal
Congress Has Only
One Option in 2011: Deal
opinion
Dec 27, 2010 12:08 PM CST

Congress Has Only One Option in 2011: Deal

Tax cut agreement paves the way: Sununu

(Newser) - There are only two ways of getting anything done in Washington: You can "drive" legislation through or you can make a "deal," writes former New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu in the Boston Globe . To use the "drive" technique, the party leadership in both houses lend their...

It's Nice to Have a President Who Knows What He's Doing
It's Nice to Have a President
Who Knows What He's Doing
Gail Collins
Dec 23, 2010 11:41 AM CST

It's Nice to Have a President Who Knows What He's Doing

Gail Collins: Good thing Barack Obama replaced ... Barack Obama

(Newser) - Gail Collins is pretty happy with Congress' productive little outburst , and she thinks the reason it happened is obvious: "Thank heavens we got rid of our former president, Barack Obama, who couldn’t even get the trade agreement he went all the way to South Korea to sign,"...

Most Productive Congress Since 1960s Adjourns

111th passed vast legislation in 'dysfunctional' environment

(Newser) - The 111th Congress adjourned last night, after passing more key legislation that affected more Americans than any since Lyndon Johnson’s 1960s “Great Society,” Bloomberg reports. That included $1.67 trillion spent to save the economy, health insurance for 32 million people, and new regulations on Wall Street;...

GOP Sets New Rules for House
GOP Sets New Rules
for House
Dec 22, 2010 12:50 PM CST

GOP Sets New Rules for House

Attendance records, amendment texts, vote results to go online

(Newser) - Republicans are taking over the House, and they’re bringing a list of new rules with them. Some key changes, set for adoption Jan. 5, from Politico :
  • Raising the US debt ceiling will now require a direct vote, something House members had, in the past, been able to avoid.
  • Committees
...

Lawmaker: McCain Killed Soldier Counseling

Measure sought to provide Reserve soldiers with more help

(Newser) - Prompted by the suicide of a young soldier, a Democratic representative tried to pass legislation to get more counseling and resources to Reserve members—and he blames John McCain for quashing it. “I know for a fact, because he told me, that Sen. McCain doesn't support it,” New...

Another Temporary Budget Strains Federal Agencies

SEC can't hire; foreign aid money blocked; no end in sight

(Newser) - Because Democrats and Republicans are at loggerheads on spending, Congress had to approve yet another stopgap budget measure yesterday to keep the government running through March. While federal agencies avoided a shutdown, they've got to keep operating at last year's spending levels, a development that amounts to a budget cut...

States That Gained or Lost House Seats in Census

Texas is big winner (4), while New York and Ohio lose 2 each

(Newser) - Here's a look at the states that will either gain or lose seats in the House based on the new Census results , from the Wall Street Journal :
  • Gainers: Texas, 4; Florida, 2; and six states with 1: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington.
  • Losers: New York and Ohio
...

Census Results Could Be Really Good News for GOP

Red-leaning states to see congressional boost

(Newser) - The Census Bureau will announce its new population figures tomorrow, and Republicans will likely be fans of the numbers. Based on the figures, as many as 18 states could see their number of congressional districts and representatives change, a political consultant tells NPR . Texas is set to gain three Congressional...

No Kennedys in DC for First Time Since '47

Patrick's retirement marks the end of an era

(Newser) - When retiring Congressman Patrick Kennedy leaves DC in the next week or two, it marks the end of an American milestone, notes the Boston Globe . No Kennedy will be in the House, the Senate, or the White House for the first time since 1947—the year a not-yet-30 JFK became...

Lame Duck Congress Looks to Pass All or Nothing

If House doesn't approve tax deal, nothing will get done

(Newser) - Congress is about to pass lots of major legislation—or nothing at all. The House’s dilemma: If it tries to change the Senate’s $858 billion tax bill, the Senate won’t have time to vote on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the DREAM Act, START, or...

New Low: Congress' Approval Rating Hits 13%

Only 13% approve of the job it's doing

(Newser) - Virtually no one is pleased with the current Congress. In a new Gallup poll, just 13% said they approve of the job Congress is doing, compared to 83% who said they disapprove. That’s an all-time nadir, according to Politico ; previously, the lowest level was 14% in July 2008. Among...

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