Author
Split in U.S. House GOP raises potential for government shutdown this fall
WASHINGTON – Members of Congress jetted off for the August recess without a plan in place to avoid a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1 – and the lawmakers who write spending bills acknowledge that it’s a real possibility, given deep divisions. The stalemate stems from a split among House […]
‘Fueled by lies,’ Trump charged with seeking to overturn 2020 election
This story was updated on Aug. 1 at 8:27 p.m. WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., indicted Donald Trump on Tuesday, alleging that Trump and co-conspirators attempted to subvert the 2020 election to keep the former president in power through a series of illegal actions that culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, […]
Preparation for pandemics, natural disasters updated in bill passed by U.S. Senate panel
WASHINGTON – A U.S. Senate committee approved legislation Thursday that would update how the federal government prepares for and then responds to pandemics and natural disasters. The broadly bipartisan legislation moved through the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee following a 17-3 vote after members adopted two bipartisan amendments. Republican Sens. Rand Paul of […]
FEMA disaster relief fund faces August shortfall as feds scramble to find cash
WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund is on track to run out of money as soon as next month, though the agency’s administrator told Congress on Thursday that she’s working with the White House to find a solution. “Our current projections on the disaster relief fund is that we will go […]
Higher taxes on the wealthy would bolster Social Security, U.S. Senate Dems argue
WASHINGTON – U.S. senators debated Wednesday how best to resolve a funding cliff within Social Security that will lead to a quarter reduction in benefits in about a decade, absent action from Congress. Democrats on the Budget Committee, led by Chair Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, called for lawmakers to increase taxes on the country’s […]
Overuse of antibiotics leading to dangerous ‘superbugs’ examined by U.S. Senate panel
WASHINGTON – Experts on antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections on Tuesday urged Congress to pass legislation that would address the issues that lead to so-called superbugs. Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, the top Republican on the panel and an OB-GYN, said the issue is critically important for Congress because more than 3 million Americans will be diagnosed this […]
Biden administration to crack down on ‘junk’ health insurance plans, surprise billing
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration announced new initiatives Friday that could reduce health care costs, though none will take effect immediately. The changes include a proposed rule that would reduce the amount of time short-term health insurance plans can last and require companies that offer the plans to be more transparent about what is covered […]
Where the GOP presidential candidates stand on national abortion bans, restrictions
WASHINGTON – The 2024 Republican presidential primary marks the first time in half a century that candidates will debate whether abortion should be restricted or banned at the federal level without the Roe v. Wade ruling making most of their proposals moot. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last summer to overturn the nationwide, constitutional right […]
U.S. Senate spending panel sets funding levels for annual bills
WASHINGTON — A group of U.S. Senate Democrats on Thursday approved funding levels for dozens of federal departments for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 – setting up a likely clash with House Republicans as a deadline approaches later this year. The move to advance the spending plan was essential if Congress is going […]
A year after Dobbs: Congress takes a back seat on federal abortion policy
Editors’ Note: This report is part of a special States Newsroom series on abortion access one year after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion. WASHINGTON – One year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, the courts rather than a divided Congress are leading the […]
Iowa, New Hampshire Democratic presidential contests remain in flux after DNC panel meets
New Hampshire Democrats will have at least 90 more days to change when and how the state plans to hold its 2024 Democratic presidential primary after the national party approved an extension in a committee meeting Friday. Iowa, which proposed both a mail-in and an in-person caucus process, was found not compliant. But the state […]
D.C. spending standoff ahead as U.S. House Republicans demand $130 billion in cuts
WASHINGTON – U.S. House Republicans outlined Wednesday how they would cut $130 billion from the dozen annual government funding bills – producing a plan with significantly lower spending than the level both parties agreed to in the debt limit deal just two weeks ago. The spending levels likely set up a stalemate later this year […]