Jun 23 Amid guns sit-in, House passes $1.1 billion Zika defense bill By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press The House has passed a $1.1 billion House-Senate measure to combat the Zika virus, but the GOP-drafted measure is a nonstarter with Senate Democrats and the Obama White House. Continue reading
Jun 21 Polls show voters want increased gun restrictions, so why the political disconnect? By Lisa Desjardins For more than two years, polling has shown a consistent trend: American voters overwhelmingly want increased, moderate, gun restrictions like expanded background checks. Yet Congress has gone the opposite direction. Continue reading
Jun 20 Gun control bills fail despite momentum after Orlando shooting By Alan Fram, Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press The proposals' gloomy fates underscored the pressure on each party to give little ground on the emotional gun issue going into November's presidential and congressional elections. It also highlighted the potency of the National Rifle Association, which was urging its… Continue reading
Jun 20 Gun control votes move forward, but with little chance of changing laws By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Polls show large numbers of Americans agree with the need for at least some limited gun measures such as background checks. But Democrats have been unable to translate that into legislation because the NRA is able to mobilize and energize… Continue reading
Jun 10 Senate presses ahead on defense bill despite divisions By Richard Lardner, Associated Press The Senate is heading toward passage of a defense policy bill that would authorize $602 billion in military spending, prohibit the closing of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and require young women to register for a potential draft. Continue reading
May 17 Senate easily advances $1.1 billion in Zika funding By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Senate voted decisively on Tuesday in favor of a bipartisan $1.1 billion measure to combat the Zika virus this year and next, cutting back President Barack Obama's request but offering significantly more money to fight Zika than… Continue reading
May 17 Senate approves Sept. 11 legislation despite Saudi threats By Richard Lardner, Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would allow families of Sept. 11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia, rejecting the fierce objections of a U.S. ally and setting Congress on a collision course with the Obama… Continue reading
May 16 Senate obligated to vote on Supreme Court nominee, Obama says By Kathleen Hennessey, Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Monday he believes the Senate has a constitutional obligation to vote on a president's nomination to the Supreme Court, staking out a position at odds with Republicans and some legal scholars. Continue reading
May 13 Coming soon: A military draft for women? By Richard Lardner, Associated Press A Senate bill wants women to register for draft in 2018. Continue reading
May 12 Brazil Senate’s vote suspends President Dilma Rousseff By News Desk Brazilian lawmakers must now conduct a trial and then again cast a vote that could permanently remove the country's first female president from office. Continue reading