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U.S. Senate votes to ax DeVos student loan policy
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate voted on Wednesday to overturn a controversial regulation from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos that her critics say hurts defrauded student loan borrowers. Senate Democrats forced the vote under the Congressional Review Act, a law that allows Congress to overturn federal rules within 60 days after they’re finalized. The U.S. House […]
Congress rebukes Trump’s bid to slash CDC funding amid outbreak
WASHINGTON — U.S. House lawmakers resoundingly rebuffed a Trump administration request to cut funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention amid the coronavirus crisis. The CDC director testified Tuesday before the House Appropriations Committee, where Republicans and Democrats alike said Congress won’t comply with the budget cuts requested in Trump’s fiscal year 2021 […]
Liberal Supreme Court justices challenge abortion restrictions in high-stakes case
WASHINGTON — The liberal wing of the U.S. Supreme Court appeared highly skeptical of a Louisiana law that restricts abortion access as the justices heard oral arguments Wednesday in a high-stakes case that could open the door for additional abortion limitations around the country. But the court’s conservative majority — which is likely to determine […]
U.S. House votes on landmark bill to make lynching a federal hate crime
WASHINGTON — Lynching is not considered a hate crime under federal law, but that’s expected to change soon. The U.S. House voted 410-4 on Wednesday to approve a bill called the Emmett Till Antilynching Act. The bill would specifically list lynching as a hate crime, which is identified as a crime that targets people based on their race […]
U.S. House votes to remove ERA obstacle
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House voted on Thursday to remove one barrier to adding the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but plenty of legal and political obstacles remain. The House voted 232-183 on Thursday — largely along partisan lines — to approve a resolution that would remove an expired congressional deadline for the […]
Trump acquitted, despite one GOP defector
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has survived impeachment, but he didn’t emerge unscathed. The U.S. Senate on Wednesday acquitted Trump on charges that he abused his power by pressuring a foreign government to interfere in a U.S. presidential election and then obstructed a congressional investigation into his actions. The vote was almost entirely partisan, except […]
Trump made his pitch for 4 more years. Pelosi ripped up the speech.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump delivered his third — and possibly final — State of the Union address Tuesday night on the floor of the U.S. House, where he was impeached in December. And the partisan animosity that has gripped Washington throughout the impeachment proceedings was on stark display throughout the annual speech by the […]
Dems’ final pitch for ousting Trump: ‘He will do it again’
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats on Monday made their closing arguments for removing President Donald Trump from office, insisting that leaving him in the White House guarantees he’ll cheat in the 2020 presidential election. “He has done it before. He will do it again. What are the odds if left in office, that he will […]
One Wisconsin Republican broke ranks as the U.S. House votes to limit Trump’s war authority (again)
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House voted Thursday to repeal the 2002 authorization for the use of military force that allowed the George W. Bush administration to wage war against Saddam Hussein’s government in Iraq. Most House Democrats joined 11 Republicans and one independent to approve a resolution to approve the repeal amid concerns about escalating […]
Trump impeachment trial gets personal
WASHINGTON — Even before opening arguments were made in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate, things got testy. U.S. House Democrats and Trump’s lawyers sparred for hours Tuesday over the parameters for the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history, offering a preview of their substantive arguments and setting the tone for […]
Pelosi picks impeachment squad; House votes to send articles to Senate
WASHINGTON — An Army veteran, a former cop and a congressional aide during the Nixon impeachment proceedings are among the U.S. House Democrats who will soon make the case for ousting President Donald Trump from office. The U.S. House on Wednesday approved a resolution that named seven impeachment managers to serve as prosecutors in the […]
U.S. House votes to check Trump on military action against Iran
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House voted Thursday on a resolution to curtail President Donald Trump’s ability to take military action against Iran without first securing congressional approval. The chamber voted 224-194, largely along party lines, to approve the resolution from Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), which would direct Trump to halt the use of U.S. armed […]