Change my location 
Charles Hurt
Congress sidesteps dire warnings on Social Security and Medicare
- Despite a sobering report from the trustees who oversee the country’s two largest entitlement programs, Congress made little effort in its latest budget proposal to avert what many experts say is a looming crisis for Social Security and Medicare.
- Despite a sobering report from the trustees who oversee the country’s two largest entitlement programs, Congress made little effort in its latest budget proposal to avert what many experts say is a looming crisis for Social Security and Medicare.
Congressional Democrats face Bush veto after passing war spending bill
- Defying a veto threat from President Bush, Congress gave final approval Thursday to a war spending bill that contains timetables for withdrawal from Iraq.
Congress trims pork from war spending bill
- Congress stripped out much of the most widely criticized pork projects in the "emergency" war spending bill but retained more than $20 billion in extra spending that President Bush did not request for the war effort.
- Congress stripped out much of the most widely criticized pork projects in the "emergency" war spending bill but retained more than $20 billion in extra spending that President Bush did not request for the war effort.
Controversial war bill headed to Bush
- Congressional leaders hope to finish the emergency war spending bill this week. President Bush has said he will veto the bill if it contains a timetable for withdrawal or $20 billion in spending unrelated to the war effort.
- Congressional leaders hope to finish the emergency war spending bill this week. President Bush has said he will veto the bill if it contains a timetable for withdrawal or $20 billion in spending unrelated to the war effort.
Gonzales offers shaky defense for firing attorneys during Senate hearing
- U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Thursday accepted responsibility for the poor handling of the firings of eight U.S. attorneys and for inaccurate public statements he made about them, but he insisted that the ultimate decisions were sound and not guided by politics.
- U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Thursday accepted responsibility for the poor handling of the firings of eight U.S. attorneys and for inaccurate public statements he made about them, but he insisted that the ultimate decisions were sound and not guided by politics.
Rule to cut congressional ‘pork’ spending dismissed as unenforceable
- A proposal by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd to limit congressional “pork” in future spending bills is unenforceable and full of loopholes, according to longtime crusaders against federal spending on lawmakers’ pet projects.
Democrats say Republicans are guilty of ‘obstructionism’
- Democrats and Republicans in Congress have stolen each other’s political playbooks this year.
Cost of planes for lawmakers is deep secret
- Members of Congress who travel abroad on the taxpayers’ dimes must file expense reports, but the largest cost of the trips remains a closely guarded secret.
Congressional junkets picking up steam
- Congress is keeping Andrews Air Force base plenty busy this year ferrying lawmakers all over the globe at taxpayers’ expense. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi took his wife, nine Democrats and two Republicans - Reps. Dan Lungren of California and Mike Rogers of Alabama - on a whirlwind tour of the Caribbean last week. After stops in Honduras and Mexico, they stopped in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where the delegation stayed at the five-star Caneel Bay resort.
- Congress is keeping Andrews Air Force base plenty busy this year ferrying lawmakers all over the globe at taxpayers’ expense. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi took his wife, nine Democrats and two Republicans - Reps. Dan Lungren of California and Mike Rogers of Alabama - on a whirlwind tour of the Caribbean last week. After stops in Honduras and Mexico, they stopped in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where the delegation stayed at the five-star Caneel Bay resort.
Dems still shy of votes to override Bush’s veto of stem cell funding
- The Senate on Wednesday joined the House in approving legislation to expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, an area of science that opponents compare to abortion because it destroys live human embryos.
Dems reject invitation to discuss war funding
- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid reconvened the chamber Tuesday by quoting solemn words from Pope Benedict’s Easter address about the “slaughter” in Iraq where “nothing positive” can emerge.
GOP: Pelosi needs to resolve dispute before money runs out
- Republican leaders in Congress urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to return from Easter recess “immediately” to resolve disagreements over the war–funding bill so that military commanders don’t run out of money.
GOP to Pelosi: Resolve Iraq dollars
- Republican leaders in Congress urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to return from Easter recess “immediately” to resolve disagreements over the war funding bill so that military commanders don’t run out of money.