May 28 Indictment accuses former Speaker Hastert of paying $3.5 million in hush money By Michael Tarm, Associated Press CHICAGO — Federal prosecutors announced bank-related charges against former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert on Thursday, accusing the 73-year-old Illinois Republican of withdrawing $952,000 in cash in a way that evaded the requirement that banks report cash transactions over $10,000. Continue reading
May 22 Senate expected to act on NSA collection of phone records By Ken Dilanian, Associated Press WASHINGTON — The fate of the bulk collection of American phone records by the National Security Agency is now before the Senate, in what is increasingly looking like a game of legislative chicken. Continue reading
May 20 House panel approves $51B for NASA, Justice Dept. over Democratic protests By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A GOP-controlled House panel Wednesday approved a $51 billion measure providing the Justice Department and NASA with modest budget hikes, but the legislation falls well short of what's needed to win President Barack Obama's signature. Continue reading
May 14 VA wastes $5 billion a year in improper purchases By Matthew Daly, Associated Press WASHINGTON — A senior official at the Department of Veterans Affairs says the agency is improperly spending at least $5 billion a year for medical care and supplies that are being purchased outside of required practices for competitive bidding and… Continue reading
May 13 What the fast-track trade bill actually says By Lisa Desjardins Editor’s Note: As the trade debate rages in Congress, we wanted to understand the actual legislation now on the Senate floor. Political Director Lisa Desjardins read through the bill, which would give the president “fast-track” trade authority. This is the… Continue reading
Apr 23 House committee investigating Benghazi calls Hillary Clinton to testify about emails By Matthew Daly, Associated Press The chairman of a House committee investigating the 2012 attacks on Americans in Benghazi, Libya, has called former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to testify next month, setting up a high-profile showdown over Clinton's use of a private email… Continue reading
Feb 27 Congress approves bill to fund Homeland Security for a week By Erica Werner, Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Senate has approved a bill to ensure full funding of the Homeland Security Department for one week, sending the measure to the House just hours before the agency faces a partial shutdown. Continue reading
Feb 25 White House threatens veto of GOP bill to fix No Child Left Behind By Kimberly Hefling, Associated Press WASHINGTON — No Child Left Behind is a widely criticized law, but a GOP bill intended to fix it isn't winning popularity contests among House Democrats. Continue reading
Jan 14 House votes to block Obama immigration policies By Quinn Bowman WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives, led by the Republican majority, passed a bill Wednesday that would fund the Department of Homeland Security for the rest of the fiscal year while also blocking President Obama's immigration policies. Continue reading
Jan 09 House passes Keystone XL pipeline as state court clears way By Dina Cappiello, Associated Press The House overwhelmingly passed a bill Friday authorizing the Keystone XL oil pipeline, despite a renewed pledge by the White House to veto the legislation after a Nebraska court removed a major obstacle. Continue reading