Republicans to Press Benghazi Issue With National Security Nominees
Mark Wilson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Making clear they are not relenting in trying to hold the Obama administration accountable for the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, a trio of Republican senators said Friday they&rsq…
Poll: Public Lukewarm on Cliff Deal, But Obama Bests Boehner
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Americans give a lukewarm response to last week’s agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff, albeit with higher marks for the deal to President Obama than to House Speaker John Boehner. More people in this…
Paul Ryan’s Votes on Fiscal Cliff and Sandy Could Haunt Him Four Years from Now
ABC News(WASHINGTON) — These are the two Paul Ryans.There’s “Pragmatic Paul,” the compromiser, who on Tuesday voted against most of his GOP House colleagues and with President Obama to raise taxes on wealthy Americans and, on paper at least, add $4 tr…
GOP Address: Rep. Dave Camp on Growing the Economy and Cutting Spending
US House of Representatives(WASHINGTON) — As the House returns for the 113th Congress, Rep. Dave Camp says its 2013 resolution is clear: to grow our economy, getting government spending under control and making Washington more accountable to Americans…
Christie Hauls In More Than $2 Million Since Announcing Re-Election Effort
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GettyImages(TRENTON, N.J.) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who blasted members of his own party Wednesday for abandoning a $60 billion relief bill for superstorm Sandy victims, had a fruitful fundraising period, raising more t…
Sen. Kirk Completes Stair Climb to Capitol on First Day Back in Senate
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — For Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., 45 steps awaited him upon his return to the Senate for the first time since his stroke last January.Kirk slowly climbed the steps to the Capitol, a trip that took about 10 minutes …
White House Sees ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Deal as Game Changer
(WASHINGTON) — It’s hard to find anyone in Washington happy about the outcome of the “fiscal cliff” brinksmanship.But inside the Obama White House, senior officials are elated by what they call a significant presidential achievement:…
As Fiscal Cliff Nears, All Eyes Turn to the Senate
Architect of the Capitol(WASHINGTON) — A fiscal-cliff fix went nowhere in the House. Now, the Senate will take its turn. With just three days before their end-of-the-year deadline, Congress and the White House are hurtling toward the so-called “fiscal…
Dick Armey Defends His $8 Million Deal to Leave FreedomWorks
Amy Sussman/Getty Images The New Yorker(WASHINGTON) — Former House majority leader Dick Armey says he took an $8 million consulting deal in return for leaving the conservative organization FreedomWorks because the group was “dishonest” and because he …
GOP Weekly Address: Senator Roy Blunt Discusses Progress on Avoiding the Fiscal Cliff
United States Senate(WASHINGTON) — In this week’s Republican address, Missouri Senator Roy Blunt highlighted the need for Republicans and Democrats to solve the fiscal cliff.“Divided government is a good time to solve hard problems—a…
Texas Rep. Hall to Be the Oldest US House Member
http://www.house.gov/ralphhall/images/RMHcolorheadshot.jpg(DALLAS) — Texas Representative Ralph Hall is set to become the oldest U.S. House member to serve Congress on Christmas Day, according to the Dallas Morning News.Hall, 89, will beat the 80 year…
President George H.W. Bush to Spend Christmas in Hospital?
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza(HOUSTON) — President George H.W. Bush will likely spend the Christmas holiday in the hospital, where he’s been battling bronchitis and a lingering cough since late last month.In a statement released to AB…
Asa Hutchinson: Gun Control Not Part of ‘Ultimate Solution’ to Gun Violence
Alex Wong/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Asa Hutchinson — the former congressman who will lead the effort by the NRA to place armed security guards in schools across the country following the Newtown, Conn. shooting that left 20 children and six adu…
Grover Norquist: Obama and Democrats Using Newtown for “Political Purposes”
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — National Rifle Association board member and president of Americans for Tax Reform Grover Norquist said on Sunday that President Obama and Democrats are politicizing the Newtown tragedy by pushing for gun co…
GOP Weekly Address: House Speaker Boehner on Working to Avoid Fiscal Cliff
Alex Wong/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker Boehner, having removed the proposed “Plan B” as an option in fiscal cliff talks, delivered this week’s Republican address about the will of the House to avert the fiscal deadline.Boehner, R- Ohio, no…
A Sassy Merry Christmas from Mitch McConnell: ‘I’m Stuck Here in Washington’
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call(WASHINGTON) — It’s a Christmas greeting with a few digs reflecting the frustration over the fiscal cliff stalemate from Senate Minority Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. In a video just posted to his You Tube page, the Minori…
Boehner Pulls Plan B Option as Fiscal Cliff Talks Fall into Disarray
TOBY JORRIN/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — In a surprise development late Thursday night, House Speaker John Boehner pulled his so-called “Plan B option” — an extension of current tax rates for Americans making up to $1 million a year — from the Hou…
Fixing the GOP: Party Like It’s 1949
Comstock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Americans by a 15-point margin in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll say the Republican Party needs less conservative policies that are more focused on middle- and lower-income Americans, rather than better leader…
Senators Stop Work To Watch "Lincoln" with Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Grab the popcorn: It’s movie night in the Senate.The Senate has taken an official recess from floor debate for a few hours to screen the movie Lincoln in the Capitol Visitors Center within the Capitol complex.Appea…
Rep. Huelskamp: If I Voted for Boehner’s Plan, I’d Deserve a Primary
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call(WASHINGTON) — Republicans who vote for House Speaker John Boehner’s “Plan B” fiscal-cliff proposal could and should be challenged in primaries, conservative GOP Rep. Tim Huelskamp suggested at a news confere…