Double-Barreled Economic Threat Puts Congress on Edge

Republicans and Democrats disagree over how recent bank closures should impact the debt limit stalemate, and have taken divergent lessons from past economic crises.

#banking-and-financial-institutions, #biden-joseph-r-jr, #democratic-party, #emergency-economic-stabilization-act-2008, #federal-budget-us, #federal-reserve-system, #house-of-representatives, #inflation-economics, #interest-rates, #law-and-legislation, #mccarthy-kevin-1965, #national-debt-us, #republican-party, #schumer-charles-e, #senate, #shutdowns-institutional, #united-states-economy, #united-states-politics-and-government

McConnell, Released From Hospital, Will Undergo Inpatient Rehab

The Senate minority leader had been under observation since suffering a concussion during a fall on Wednesday. He also has a “minor rib fracture,” his office said.

#concussions, #falls, #mcconnell-mitch, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

Tucker Carlson Is No Less Dangerous as a Hypocrite

They say that hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue, but in this case it’s the tribute that cynicism pays to cowardice.

#democratic-party, #dominion-voting-systems-corp, #elections, #federal-budget-us, #news-and-news-media, #oil-petroleum-and-gasoline, #presidential-election-of-2020, #republican-party, #senate, #television

Nikki Haley Has the Perfect Presidential Résumé. It Might Not Matter.

What lane is left for women running for national office?

#haley-nikki-r, #harris-kamala-d, #internal-sub-only-nl, #lake-kari-a, #republican-party, #sanders-bernard, #senate, #trump-donald-j

D.C. and Congress Health Data Breach Affected More Than 56,000

The Social Security numbers and personal information of thousands of people, including some lawmakers, were stolen in a hack of a D.C. health marketplace disclosed this week.

#computers-and-the-internet, #cyberattacks-and-hackers, #dc-health-benefit-exchange-authority, #health-insurance-and-managed-care, #house-of-representatives, #identity-theft, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government, #washington-dc

Norfolk Southern CEO Apologizes for East Palestine Train Derailment

In prepared remarks released before a Senate hearing, the railroad chief executive says he is “determined to make it right” for the people of East Palestine.

#east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment-feb-3-2023, #environment-and-public-works-committee, #norfolk-southern-corporation, #railroad-accidents-and-safety, #railroads, #senate, #shaw-alan-h, #united-states-politics-and-government

Cloistered at Walter Reed, Fetterman Runs His Senate Operation From Afar

A dozen miles from the Capitol, the first-term Democrat from Pennsylvania is keeping up with his work while being treated for severe clinical depression.

#depression-mental, #fetterman-john-1969, #pennsylvania, #railroad-accidents-and-safety, #reed-walter-national-military-medical-center, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

Senate Clears Bill to Block D.C. Crime Law, Sending It to Biden After Reversal

Thirty-one Democrats joined Republicans in voting to rescind a local law, in a demonstration of the political power of crime as an issue. The president, who had opposed the measure, now says he will sign it.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #crime-and-criminals, #democratic-party, #house-of-representatives, #law-and-legislation, #mandatory-sentencing, #republican-party, #senate, #sentences-criminal, #united-states-politics-and-government, #washington-dc

Republican Lawmakers Split Over Carlson’s False Jan. 6 Claims

House Republicans promoted Tucker Carlson’s report falsely portraying the attack on the Capitol as a largely peaceful event, while Senate Republicans condemned it.

#carlson-tucker, #fox-news-channel, #house-of-representatives, #manger-j-thomas, #news-and-news-media, #republican-party, #senate, #storming-of-the-us-capitol-jan-2021, #united-states-capitol-police, #united-states-politics-and-government

Senator Whitehouse Puts Climate Change on Budget Committee’s Agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.

#carbon-dioxide, #federal-budget-us, #global-warming, #greenhouse-gas-emissions, #pollution, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government, #whitehouse-sheldon

Republicans Use Arcane Political Tactic to Thwart Democrats

The party has used resolutions of disapproval to confound President Biden and Democrats, forcing them to make tough decisions and debate issues they would prefer to avoid.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #democratic-party, #house-of-representatives, #law-and-legislation, #republican-party, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

Biden Won’t Veto Republican-Led Measure Blocking D.C. Criminal Code

G.O.P. lawmakers took aim at the law reducing some sentences as part of their effort to make fears of violent crime a political liability for Democrats.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #crime-and-criminals, #democratic-party, #local-government, #mandatory-sentencing, #republican-party, #senate, #sentences-criminal, #united-states-politics-and-government, #vetoes-us, #washington-dc

Congress Moves to Block Investment Rule, Setting Up Veto Fight

The Senate voted to upend a rule allowing retirement plan managers to consider environmental and social factors in their investments, in defiance of a White House veto threat.

#barrasso-john, #biden-joseph-r-jr, #corporate-social-responsibility, #financial-planners, #house-of-representatives, #manchin-joe-iii, #murray-patty, #pensions-and-retirement-plans, #senate, #tester-jon, #united-states-politics-and-government, #whitehouse-sheldon

Senate Republicans and Democrats Propose Rail Safety Bill

Weeks after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed outside East Palestine, Ohio, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has proposed that the Transportation Department impose stricter rules.

#brown-sherrod, #democratic-party, #east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment-feb-3-2023, #freight-cargo, #hazardous-and-toxic-substances, #law-and-legislation, #ohio, #railroad-accidents-and-safety, #railroads, #regulation-and-deregulation-of-industry, #republican-party, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government, #vance-j-d

What to Know About Section 702, the Post-9/11 Surveillance Law

Skepticism about security agencies and surveillance by Republicans allied with former President Donald J. Trump may bolster traditional liberal and libertarian critics of a post-Sept. 11 law.

#central-intelligence-agency, #espionage-and-intelligence-services, #federal-bureau-of-investigation, #foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act-fisa, #house-of-representatives, #senate, #surveillance-of-citizens-by-government, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government

Biden Could Face Veto Test Over Contentious D.C. Crime Bill

Legislation blocking a new crime law in the District of Columbia has drawn bipartisan support in the House, and Senate Republicans are working to win over Democrats.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #bowser-muriel-e, #crime-and-criminals, #democratic-party, #hagerty-william-f, #house-of-representatives, #law-and-legislation, #local-government, #mandatory-sentencing, #republican-party, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government, #vetoes-us, #washington-dc

Plans in Congress on China and TikTok Face Hurdles After Spy Balloon Furor

With budgets tight and political knives drawn, lawmakers seeking to capitalize on a bipartisan urgency to confront China are setting their sights on narrower measures.

#balloons-aeronautics, #china, #committee-on-foreign-investment-in-the-united-states-cfius, #computers-and-the-internet, #cyberwarfare-and-defense, #defense-and-military-forces, #espionage-and-intelligence-services, #federal-budget-us, #foreign-investments, #house-committee-on-foreign-affairs, #house-of-representatives, #law-and-legislation, #presidential-election-of-2024, #senate, #senate-committee-on-intelligence, #smartphones, #tiktok-bytedance, #united-states-economy, #united-states-politics-and-government

Dianne Feinstein Is Old, Absolutely. She’s Also an Absolute Giant.

At 89, after more than 30 years in the Senate, a trailblazing woman has announced her retirement.

#feinstein-dianne, #internal-sub-only-nl, #milk-harvey, #san-francisco-calif, #senate

Fetterman’s Disclosure of Depression Signals New Openness on Mental Health

The Democratic senator from Pennsylvania is the latest public figure to disclose his mental health struggles, an indication of growing acceptance, though some stigma remains.

#depression-mental, #fetterman-john-1969, #kennedy-patrick-joseph-ii-1967, #lynn-rivers, #mental-health-and-disorders, #moulton-seth-w, #senate, #stroke, #united-states-politics-and-government

Scott Drops Social Security From Plan as G.O.P. Retreats From Entitlement Cuts

The backtracking by the Florida Republican came after bipartisan criticism and signaled how the G.O.P. has pulled away from calls to overhaul the nation’s entitlement programs.

#federal-budget-us, #florida, #health-insurance-and-managed-care, #mcconnell-mitch, #medicare, #republican-party, #scott-richard-l, #senate, #social-security-us, #united-states-politics-and-government

John Fetterman Checks Into Hospital to Seek Treatment for Clinical Depression

A spokesman for the first-term senator from Pennsylvania, who suffered a near-fatal stroke last year, said his depression had grown severe in recent weeks, as he has worked to adjust to life in the Senate.

#democratic-party, #fetterman-john-1969, #pennsylvania, #psychiatry-and-psychiatrists, #reed-walter-national-military-medical-center, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

Republicans, Social Security and Medicare, and the Trouble With Sunsets

Why put time limits on legislation? Most of the reasons are bad.

#economics-theory-and-philosophy, #house-of-representatives, #internal-sub-only-nl, #law-and-legislation, #medicare, #republican-party, #senate, #social-security-us, #united-states-politics-and-government

Senator Dianne Feinstein to Retire at the End of Her Term

The senator from California, who was first elected in 1992, plans to serve out her term but will not run for re-election in 2024.

#california, #democratic-party, #feinstein-dianne, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

Bernie Sanders Has a New Role. It Could Be His Final Act in Washington.

After two unsuccessful runs for the presidency, the Vermont senator now leads the Senate health committee, a job that gives him sweeping jurisdiction over issues he cares about.

#content-type-personal-profile, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #drugs-pharmaceuticals, #health-insurance-and-managed-care, #labor-and-jobs, #law-and-legislation, #moderna-inc, #sanders-bernard, #schultz-howard-d, #senate, #senate-committee-on-health-education-labor-and-pensions, #starbucks-corporation, #united-states-politics-and-government, #workplace-hazards-and-violations

Fetterman, Recovering After Stroke, Labors to Adjust to Life in the Senate

The first-term Democrat is adapting to Congress while coping with the lasting effects of a near-fatal stroke, and the institution is adapting to accommodate him.

#content-type-personal-profile, #democratic-party, #fetterman-john-1969, #pennsylvania, #senate, #stroke, #united-states-politics-and-government

Politicians Everywhere All at Once

It’s a big week in Washington.

#academy-awards-oscars, #biden-joseph-r-jr, #democratic-party, #desantis-ron, #federal-budget-us, #haley-nikki-r, #harris-kamala-d, #house-of-representatives, #national-debt-us, #presidential-election-of-2020, #presidential-election-of-2024, #republican-party, #senate, #state-of-the-union-message-us, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #vice-presidents-and-vice-presidency-us

Meet the Women Trying to Avoid a Spending Train Wreck in Congress

For the first time, the leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are all women, as is the top White House budget official. Can they avert a fiscal disaster? They’re determined to try.

#collins-susan-m, #delauro-rosa-l, #federal-budget-us, #granger-kay, #house-committee-on-appropriations, #house-of-representatives, #murray-patty, #office-of-management-and-budget-us, #senate, #senate-committee-on-appropriations, #united-states-politics-and-government, #women-and-girls, #young-shalanda

Can Joe Manchin Broker a Debt Deal as Republicans Try to Unseat Him?

The centrist West Virginia Democrat, who faces re-election in 2024, has made it clear he believes he can help broker a compromise to raise the debt ceiling.

#democratic-party, #inflation-reduction-act-of-2022, #manchin-joe-iii, #republican-party, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

Wall Street Is Counting on a Debt Limit Trick That Could Entail Trouble

If the debt limit is breached, investors expect Treasury to put bond payments first. It’d be politically and practically fraught.

#banking-and-financial-institutions, #biden-joseph-r-jr, #federal-budget-us, #federal-reserve-system, #government-bonds, #national-debt-us, #politics-and-government, #republican-party, #senate, #stocks-and-bonds, #treasury-department, #united-states, #united-states-economy, #united-states-politics-and-government, #yellen-janet-l

Republicans Are Riding High on ‘Place-Based Resentment’

The anger felt by rural voters toward the Democratic Party is driving a regional realignment.

#democratic-party, #house-of-representatives, #johnson-ron-1955, #midterm-elections-2022, #population, #presidential-election-of-1992, #presidential-election-of-2016, #republican-party, #rural-areas, #senate, #sociology, #united-states-economy, #united-states-politics-and-government, #urban-areas

After Mass Shootings, Parties Remain Gridlocked Over Gun Control

The new House speaker is from California and the president is again asking for a bill to reimpose an assault rifle ban, but Congress is unlikely to muster any bipartisan consensus.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #california, #gun-control, #harris-kamala-d, #house-of-representatives, #mass-shootings, #mccarthy-kevin-1965, #schumer-charles-e, #senate

The ‘Reid Machine’ Rolls On

Top aides to the relentless former majority leader helped win crucial Senate seats and are now scattered through the Democratic apparatus.

#democratic-party, #fetterman-john-1969, #masto-catherine-cortez, #nevada, #reid-harry, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

The Constitution Can’t Enforce Itself

Congress has to get serious about the 14th Amendment. So does President Biden.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #constitution-us, #cooke-jay-1821-1905, #democratic-party, #fourteenth-amendment-us-constitution, #government-bonds, #house-of-representatives, #republican-party, #senate, #states-us, #supreme-court-us, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #voting-rights-registration-and-requirements

Why the Debt-Ceiling Fight Could Get Really Ugly — and How It Might End

Ross Douthat and two analysts discuss Kevin McCarthy, the House G.O.P. and the looming drama over the government borrowing cap.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #budget-control-act-2011, #democratic-party, #federal-budget-us, #house-freedom-caucus, #national-debt-us, #obama-barack, #politics-and-government, #republican-party, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

Gary Hart: The “New Church Committee” Is an Outrage

The new committee seems designed to prevent law enforcement and intelligence agencies from enforcing the law.

#appointments-and-executive-changes, #central-intelligence-agency, #church-frank, #classified-information-and-state-secrets, #constitution-us, #elections, #espionage-and-intelligence-services, #federal-bureau-of-investigation, #house-of-representatives, #human-rights-and-human-rights-violations, #iran-contra-affair, #law-and-legislation, #politics-and-government, #privacy, #reagan-ronald-wilson, #republican-party, #senate, #storming-of-the-us-capitol-jan-2021, #united-states-politics-and-government, #washington-dc

U.S. Will Hit Debt Limit on Thursday, Yellen Tells Congress

The Treasury Department expects to begin taking “extraordinary measures” to continue paying the government’s obligations before what is expected to be a big fight to raise the borrowing cap.

#democratic-party, #federal-budget-us, #house-of-representatives, #law-and-legislation, #national-debt-us, #republican-party, #senate, #treasury-department, #united-states-economy, #united-states-politics-and-government, #yellen-janet-l

Pete Ricketts Will Be Nebraska’s Next Senator, Replacing Ben Sasse

Mr. Ricketts, a Republican former governor of the state, was appointed by his successor and political ally, Gov. Jim Pillen.

#appointments-and-executive-changes, #nebraska, #pillen-jim, #republican-party, #ricketts-john-peter, #sasse-benjamin-e, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

Investigating Trump, Jack Smith Faces Headwinds Few Others Have

Jack Smith’s challenges include a newly empowered Republican House majority and the recent disclosure of classified documents at a former office of President Biden.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #democratic-party, #federal-bureau-of-investigation, #garland-merrick-b, #house-of-representatives, #justice-department, #senate, #special-prosecutors-independent-counsel, #united-states-politics-and-government

Republicans Prepare New Rules, but Fixing Congress Isn’t So Easy

History suggests that the procedural plans of the new House Republican majority are likely to lead to more gridlock and legislative instability, not less.

#federal-budget-us, #filibusters-and-debate-curbs, #house-of-representatives, #law-and-legislation, #mccarthy-kevin-1965, #republican-party, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

Stabenow, Michigan Senator for More Than Two Decades, Won’t Run in 2024

The Michigan lawmaker becomes the first Senate Democrat to announce she will not be on the ballot next year.

#democratic-party, #michigan, #senate, #stabenow-debbie, #united-states-politics-and-government

Retiring Congress Members See Rough Roads Ahead

Departing longtime lawmakers perceive little prospect of orderly business in a divided Congress. They’re taking with them decades of experience in the day-to-day work of keeping the government running.

#blunt-roy-d, #burr-richard-m, #bustos-cheri, #house-of-representatives, #kinzinger-adam, #leahy-patrick-j, #senate, #shelby-richard-c, #united-states-politics-and-government, #yarmuth-john

For Democrats, Spending Package Marked One Final Opportunity

For all their accomplishments in the past two years, Democrats face a far tougher environment to see most of their priorities through.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #federal-budget-us, #house-of-representatives, #law-and-legislation, #midterm-elections-2022, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

The Best, Worst and Weirdest Political Stories of 2022

Most egregious nepo couple, most stylish exit, top con man and more.

#biden-hunter, #biden-joseph-r-jr, #democratic-party, #desantis-ron, #house-of-representatives, #kemp-brian-p, #law-and-legislation, #pelosi-nancy, #republican-party, #santos-george-1988, #senate, #sinema-kyrsten, #trump-donald-j, #two-thousand-twenty-two, #united-states-politics-and-government

George Santos Is In a Class of His Own. But Other Politicians Have Embellished Their Resumes, Too.

Mr. Santos, a Republican representative-elect from Long Island, has admitted to lying about his professional background, educational history and property ownership.

#blumenthal-richard, #cawthorn-madison, #cooley-wes, #democratic-party, #house-of-representatives, #kim-andy-1982, #kirk-mark-steven, #lying, #republican-party, #rubio-marco, #santos-george-1988, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

No Child Left Behind, Unless We Don’t Feel Like Dealing With It

The 117th Congress didn’t do two things for kids that the 118th really should.

#children-and-childhood, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #democratic-party, #families-and-family-life, #food-insecurity, #house-of-representatives, #lunch-and-breakfast-programs, #republican-party, #senate, #states-us, #tax-credits-deductions-and-exemptions, #united-states-economy, #united-states-politics-and-government

Richard Shelby, One of the Last Big Senate Spenders, ‘Got Everything’ for Alabama

Senator Richard C. Shelby made the most of his perch on the committee that controls federal spending. Now he’s leaving Congress, where his way of doing business is a fading art.

#content-type-personal-profile, #earmarks-finance, #federal-budget-us, #law-and-legislation, #monuments-and-memorials-structures, #senate, #senate-committee-on-appropriations, #shelby-richard-c, #united-states-politics-and-government

Phil Washington, Biden’s F.A.A. Nominee, Faces Murky Road to Confirmation

The nominee, Phillip A. Washington, who has yet to receive a confirmation hearing, has drawn scrutiny over his aviation experience and his involvement in a corruption inquiry.

#airlines-and-airplanes, #appointments-and-executive-changes, #biden-joseph-r-jr, #denver-colo, #denver-international-airport, #federal-aviation-administration, #los-angeles-county-calif, #los-angeles-county-metropolitan-transportation-authority, #los-angeles-county-sheriffs-department, #senate, #senate-committee-on-commerce-science-and-transportation, #united-states-politics-and-government, #washington-phillip-a

House Clears $1.7 Trillion Spending Package, Averting Shutdown

The bill, which passed the Senate on Thursday, now heads to President Biden’s desk for his signature.

#democratic-party, #federal-budget-us, #house-of-representatives, #law-and-legislation, #republican-party, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government

Congress Votes to Expand U.S. Power to Prosecute International War Crimes

Passed after an address by Ukraine’s leader, the bill would allow foreigners in the United States who are suspected of war crimes to be tried even if the crime was overseas and the victim was not American.

#biden-joseph-r-jr, #house-of-representatives, #law-and-legislation, #russian-invasion-of-ukraine-2022, #senate, #united-states-international-relations, #united-states-politics-and-government, #war-crimes-genocide-and-crimes-against-humanity, #zelensky-volodymyr

Senate Moves to Pass Spending Package After Immigration Dispute Delays Votes

An effort to force a vote to maintain Title 42, a pandemic-era border policy, had stalled the scramble to pass the spending package before a midnight Friday deadline.

#democratic-party, #federal-budget-us, #illegal-immigration, #immigration-and-emigration, #law-and-legislation, #lee-michael-s-1971, #mcconnell-mitch, #republican-party, #schumer-charles-e, #senate, #united-states-politics-and-government