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U.S. House passes coronavirus response bill; Wisconsin Republicans dissent
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House early Saturday morning approved an emergency stimulus package to combat the coronavirus pandemic after President Donald Trump signaled his support for the bill. The multi-billion dollar package aims to slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by a new coronavirus, and mitigate its economic effects as fears of recession […]
Latest Wisconsin shooting does little to move gun safety discourse in Washington
WASHINGTON — Members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation gathered on the floor of the U.S. House last week to mourn the victims of last week’s shooting at the Molson Coors brewery in Milwaukee. But Rep. Gwen Moore — a Democrat who represents the city in Congress and who lost a friend that day — is skeptical […]
Measuring effectiveness and ideology of Wisconsin’s members of Congress
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Ron Kind doesn’t hold any leadership positions in Congress or chair any powerful committees or subcommittees. But he is nonetheless among its most effective members — at least according to a new report card by GovTrack.us, a nonpartisan organization that tracks government data and analyzes the bills and votes of federal […]
U.S. Senate approves bipartisan measure to curb Trump’s military power
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate issued a rare bipartisan rebuke to President Donald Trump Thursday when it approved a resolution that would curtail his ability to take military action against Iran without first securing congressional approval. The resolution passed with support from 55 senators, including eight Republicans. “The resolution before the body today is about Congress reclaiming its […]
Landmark labor bill clears U.S. House
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed landmark pro-labor legislation Thursday that backers said could begin to reverse the country’s decades-long decline in union membership. The bill passed largely along party lines by a vote of 224-194. All Wisconsin representatives voted with the majority of their party. The measure, known as the Protecting the Right to […]
Wis. Dems advance pro-union reforms with an eye toward Nov. elections
UPDATE: The bill passed the House largely along party lines by a vote of 224-194 with all Wisconsin representatives joining with the majority of their party. More on the Thursday night vote can be found here. WASHINGTON — Buried under news about the Iowa caucuses, the president’s State of the Union address and the […]
Congress is talking about paid family leave. Will they do anything?
WASHINGTON/MADISON — Democrats and Republicans in Congress seem to agree on expanding access to paid family leave. But they disagree on how to do it. U.S. House lawmakers debated three bills on Capitol Hill this week that would take dramatically different approaches to expanding access to paid leave, with Democrats and Republicans deeply divided on […]
Wisconsin lawmakers aim to stamp out hair-based discrimination
WASHINGTON — About a year ago, a New Jersey teen was forced to cut his dreadlocks in order to participate in a high school wrestling match. The wrestler, Andrew Johnson, received a hurried haircut after he was told by a referee that his hair violated wrestling rules. He won the match and state officials opened […]
U.S. House votes to torpedo DeVos student loan rule
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed a resolution Thursday that would overturn a Trump administration rule that critics say guts protections for defrauded student loan borrowers. The resolution expresses congressional disapproval of the so-called borrower defense rule, which was revised by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Led by Nevada Democratic Rep. Susie Lee, the resolution was […]
U.S. House votes to crack down on toxic chemicals; Trump threatens veto
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House voted Friday to pass a comprehensive legislative package that would crack down on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a class of chemicals known as PFAS that are said to cause serious health problems. Used in tape, nonstick pans and other everyday substances, PFAS have been linked to cancer, decreased fertility, developmental […]
U.S. House to vote on upending DeVos student loan forgiveness policy
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House is expected to vote this week on a resolution that would overturn a federal rule that critics say guts protections for defrauded student loan borrowers. The resolution — led by Nevada Democratic Rep. Susie Lee and co-sponsored by Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Black Earth) — expresses congressional disapproval of the so-called […]
Trump has appointed judges at breakneck speed. More are coming
WASHINGTON — The GOP-controlled U.S. Senate heads into 2020 with few major legislative victories but a significant one on the judicial front: a dramatic reshaping of the federal bench. Over the past three years, the Senate has confirmed 185 of President Trump’s judicial nominees, more than any of the last five presidents at the same […]