Author
Biden calls for expanded child tax credit, taxes on wealthy in $7.3 trillion budget plan
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden released his budget request for the upcoming fiscal year Monday, calling on Congress to stick to the spending agreement brokered last year and to revamp tax laws so that the “wealthy pay their fair share.” The $7.266 trillion budget request doesn’t actually spend any money since Congress controls the power […]
Biden warns ‘freedom and democracy are under attack’ in fierce State of the Union address
WASHINGTON — In remarks pivotal to his reelection this fall, President Joe Biden in his State of the Union address Thursday night portrayed himself as the defender of democracy, touted the bipartisan deals he’s brokered during his first term in office and appealed to Congress to support Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion. […]
U.S. House passes $468 billion spending package that would stave off shutdown
WASHINGTON — U.S. House lawmakers cast a broadly bipartisan vote Wednesday to approve a six-bill government funding package, marking one of the few consequential votes on major legislation that chamber has taken since Republicans took the majority more than a year ago. The $468 billion package includes half of the annual spending bills for the […]
Who wants the U.S. Supreme Court to limit abortion pill access? Here’s the list.
WASHINGTON — Anti-abortion groups, attorneys general from 25 states and more than 140 members of Congress have signed on to dozens of briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court during the past two weeks, encouraging the justices to revert use and prescribing of the medication abortion pill mifepristone to what was in place prior to 2016. […]
A day ahead of shutdown, Congress works on advancing stopgap spending bills
WASHINGTON — Congress passed a short-term funding extension Thursday intended to give lawmakers a bit more time to wrap up work on the annual spending bills — dodging a shutdown despite election year politics and narrow margins. The stopgap spending bill, sometimes called a continuing resolution, or CR, would keep funding mostly flat for programs […]
U.S. Senate Republican blocks legislation protecting in vitro fertilization
WASHINGTON — U.S. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi blocked a bill from passing Wednesday that would have preserved access to in vitro fertilization nationwide, stalling a push by Democrats following a landmark Alabama state Supreme Court decision. The court ruled earlier this month that frozen embryos counted as children under state law and parents […]
A partial government shutdown is days away. There’s no agreement on federal funding yet.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden huddled with top congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday amid a crunch over government funding as well as a familiar stalemate over assistance to two major allies — and no solution immediately in sight. Lawmakers leaving the meeting, which lasted about an hour, said it was worthwhile, even […]
U.S. Senate Dems to try to push through legislation protecting in vitro fertilization
WASHINGTON — A group of Democrats will attempt to pass a bill in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday protecting access to in vitro fertilization, saying its availability should not be restricted. Their push to quickly approve the health care legislation comes shortly after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that fertilized eggs are […]
Biden unveils latest round of student loan cancellation to aid 153,000 borrowers
President Joe Biden expanded his push to eliminate student loan debt Wednesday, saying during a speech the initiative is part of a campaign promise to address the “broken” system. “While a college degree is still a ticket to a better life, that ticket is too expensive,” Biden said. “And too many Americans are still saddled […]
White House preps new sanctions package against Russia after Navalny death
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday again urged U.S. House Republican leaders to hold an up-or-down vote on military assistance for Ukraine and said a new sanctions package against Russia is on the way, citing the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny as placing new pressure on Western democracies to rally against the […]
U.S. Senate sends to the House a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly early Tuesday to approve a $95 billion emergency spending package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The measure now goes to the U.S. House, where Speaker Mike Johnson hasn’t committed to putting the bill on the floor for debate or votes amid opposition to the military and humanitarian assistance […]
Some GOP senators shy away from Trump threat he won’t aid ‘delinquent’ NATO allies
WASHINGTON — Republican and Democratic senators on Monday distanced themselves from comments Donald Trump made about NATO over the weekend, when the GOP front-runner said the United States might not assist those countries should Russia expand its war in Europe. Speaking at a rally in South Carolina, Trump recalled a conversation he had when he […]