Topic: U.S. Republican Party

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Can immigration reform pass? Five senators to watch.

Immigration reform will pass the Senate before the Fourth of July, Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D) of Nevada has vowed. Here are five key senators (or groups of senators) that will be pivotal during the two weeks of debate.

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Decoder Wire Why Liz Cheney may be riding for a fall in Wyoming Senate race (+video)

True, Liz Cheney will be able to raise scads of money, given her connections, to vie against incumbent Sen. Mike Enzi in Wyoming's GOP primary. But does money for ads matter in a state without a major media market? Skeptics cite other reasons, as well, that she could lose.
Jimmy Carter: Unchecked campaign contributions are 'legal bribery'

'It's accepted fact,' Carter said during a speech in Atlanta. 'It's legal bribery of candidates. And that repayment may be in the form of an ambassadorship...'
Obamacare rebates? 8.5 million get health care rebates, says Obama (+video)

Obamacare rebates: A provision of Obamacare requires insurers to spend at least 80 cents of every premium dollar on medical care or reimburse the difference. Standing in front of rebate recipients, Obama said rebates are being sent for 8.5 million Americans this summer, averaging $100 each.
Decoder Wire Wendy Davis goes to Washington: Did Texas abortion fight create a new star?

Wendy Davis gained national fame for her staunch opposition of a Texas abortion bill. Now, she's coming to D.C. to raise money and sounding like someone who might run for governor.
Decoder Wire Hillary who? Joe Biden says he still dreams of becoming president.

Everyone knows Hillary Clinton would be the presumptive Democratic front-runner for president in 2016. But Joe Biden, in a new interview, doesn't sound like he's ready to concede.
House votes to delay two health care mandates: Will it matter?

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to delay two provisions of the 2010 health care reforms on Wednesday. Though the bills are unlikely to pass in the Democratic-run Senate, the votes gave Obamacare opponents a chance to express frustrations with the reforms.
In filibuster deal, a glimpse of how the Senate could actually work

The filibuster deal to avoid the Senate's 'nuclear option' showed that when senators actually talk to each other (a rare thing nowadays), they’re not so bad at figuring things out.
Decoder Wire Liz Cheney run for Wyoming Senate seat: Is she a lock to win? (+video)

Liz Cheney, daughter of the former vice president, is launching a Senate candidacy. But Michael Enzi, a Republican, already occupies the seat she wants.
Liz Cheney, daughter of ex-VP Dick Cheney, will run for Senate (+video)

Liz Cheney announced Tuesday that she will run for the US Senate seat currently held by a three-term Republican senator. She kicked off her campaign with a six-minute YouTube video.
Senate averts 'nuclear option,' but leaves deeper questions unanswered

After a rare, closed meeting senators agreed to confirm several controversial Obama nominees. The deal avoided a 'nuclear option' that would have changed Senate rules on filibusters.
The Monitor's View What Senate filibuster deal tells young democracies like Egypt's

The Senate filibuster deal avoids the severe political backlash of the 'nuclear option' – for now. It recognizes the filibuster's historic role in protecting minority interests, a lesson for newly democratic countries like Egypt.
Filibuster fight: Senators still wrestling over nominees (+video)

A series of roll call votes are planned for Tuesday morning to confirm seven presidential appointees whom Republicans have so far blocked from receiving yes-or-no votes.
'Nuclear option' 101: Why the big fight over the Senate filibuster? (+video)

The 'nuclear option' involves a rules change involving the Senate filibuster that may look to many Americans like another case of partisan bickering. But it would in fact change how Congress works. Here's what all the fuss is about.
Decoder Wire On immigration reform, more Americans hew to the Democrats' stance

Forty-eight percent of Americans say their views on immigration reform align best with the Democratic Party, compared with 36 percent whose views are closer to the Republican Party, a new poll shows. The gap is much wider for blacks and Hispanics.
Senate leaders at odds over proposed rule changes

On Monday, all 100 senators will meet to seek a compromise that will allow President Barack Obama's nominees for several posts to be confirmed without receiving the required 60 votes.
Former governor of Montana won't run for Senate; an opening for GOP?

Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat and former governor of Montana, announced he won't seek the US Senate seat vacated by Sen. Max Baucus next year. Baucus' seat will be a target for Republicans, who need to pick up six seats to control the Senate.
Texas abortion vote mirrors Americans' divided view

Texas lawmakers have passed a restrictive abortion law that could sharply reduce the number of clinics. Over the years, the sharply divided public view has become more conservative.
Food stamps fact check: For now, program will continue as is

Food stamps have historically been linked to farm programs, but on Thursday the House passed the farm bill without addressing food stamps at all, saying the $80 billion program would be addressed in a separate bill. In 2012, one in seven Americans used food stamps.
What role will Obama play in immigration reform? It's not clear, yet.

The House and Senate appear to have very different opinions of how to achieve an immigration overhaul, however, President Obama has no plans to tour the country to make a case for immigration reform as he did for healthcare. Instead, he is meeting with various groups in Washington.
House farm bill leaves food stamps in limbo

A House version of the farm bill took food stamps out entirely – leaving them to be taken up later and separately. But if cuts are what Republicans want, the tactic might backfire.
Immigration reform: How is the House approaching it?

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives appeared divided on whether to provide immigrants living in the U.S. illegally a path to citizenship following a closed door meeting Wednesday.
Immigration reform: House GOP consensus is to do something – but later

House Republicans emerged from a strategy session on immigration reform saying something needed to be done but seeming content to shelve the issue until the fall. What to do is still an issue.
Student loan rates battle: How the Senate's plans could affect you

Student loans are center stage today as the Senate votes on a Democratic plan to return interest rates on federal Stafford loans to a fixed rate of 3.4 percent for another year. Meanwhile, some senators are backing a bipartisan proposal to tie interest rates on student loans to the Treasury. How would the two plans affect students?
Will GOP plan to cut food stamps save the farm bill ... or kill it?

After the farm bill's stunning defeat last month, House GOP leaders are feeling out whether they can strip out a massive food stamp program and win back enough conservative votes to pass the aid to farmers.
Decoder Wire Will Rick Perry announce 2016 White House bid?

Rick Perry's announcement Monday in San Antonio may settle whether he'll run for a fourth term as governor – or open the door to a presidential bid in 2016. But as his 'oops' moment in 2012 signals, he's not predictable.