Topic: Bipartisanship

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Briefing
IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal

The Internal Revenue Service is under the microscope now, as revelations have emerged that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.
5 myths about amnesty for illegal immigrants in Senate bill

Under a bipartisan Senate immigration bill, immigrants who have come to the United States illegally are given a "path to citizenship." On close inspection, each of the following five claims about the requirements for illegal immigrants to earn amnesty are not what they seem.
Immigration reform bill: Top 8 changes GOP senators want

More than 300 amendments were submitted for possible inclusion in a sweeping immigration reform package – at least 100 of them from two Republicans, Sens. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Jeff Sessions of Alabama. Here are eight notable changes GOP lawmakers want to see in bill, as the Senate Judiciary Committee takes up amendments between now and Memorial Day.
Senate freshmen: What the 14 new members bring to Capitol Hill

A freshman Senate class was sworn in Jan. 3, bringing diverse skills and experience – not to mention agendas – to the legislative body. Whether the 14 newest senators help break partisan gridlock, or refuse to work across the aisle, will be the test for the 113th Congress.Twelve were elected on Nov. 6, including three Republicans, eight Democrats, and an independent. In addition, a Republican and a Democrat were appointed to vacant seats after the election. Here is a look at the 14 and what they bring to the Senate:
Briefing
Obama vs. Romney 101: 5 differences on women's issues

President Obama won the women’s vote four years ago, and he’ll need to again to win reelection, given Mitt Romney’s strength among male voters. Here are some of the women’s issues on which the candidates differ.

All Content

Congress demands answers on Google Glass privacy concerns

A letter from eight lawmakers poses a series of questions about Google Glass, the forthcoming Google spectacles.
Briefing
IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal

The Internal Revenue Service is under the microscope now, as revelations have emerged that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.
5 myths about amnesty for illegal immigrants in Senate bill

Under a bipartisan Senate immigration bill, immigrants who have come to the United States illegally are given a "path to citizenship." On close inspection, each of the following five claims about the requirements for illegal immigrants to earn amnesty are not what they seem.
Immigration reform bill: Top 8 changes GOP senators want

More than 300 amendments were submitted for possible inclusion in a sweeping immigration reform package – at least 100 of them from two Republicans, Sens. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Jeff Sessions of Alabama. Here are eight notable changes GOP lawmakers want to see in bill, as the Senate Judiciary Committee takes up amendments between now and Memorial Day.
USA Update Obama's 'try anything' bid to woo GOP moves from dinner to golf course

President Obama hit the golf course Monday with two Republican senators in an effort to build support for his second-term agenda. He has also had several dinners with GOP lawmakers.
Senate, House pursue sharply different paths to immigration reform

Senate's bill is sweeping, and it's moving fast. The House so far is taking up immigration reform piecemeal, and is proceeding at a, well, deliberative pace. Why are the approaches are so different?
John McCain: 'some optimism' for a more bipartisan approach in the Senate (+video)

Sens. John McCain and Charles Schumer spoke Thursday at a Monitor breakfast about immigration reform proposals drafted by a bipartisan group of eight senators. The two are part of that group.
Immigration reform bill may hang on economic effect of legalizing millions

Friday's testimony at first Senate hearing on the bipartisan immigration reform bill presented economic pros and cons of legalizing some 11 million people. A chief concern is wage suppression for low-skill Americans.
Why Rand Paul could be key player on immigration

Sen. Rand Paul hopes to attract conservatives to immigration reform by requiring annual certification of border security for five years before any undocumented immigrants could be granted legal status.
Decoder Wire Immigration reform: public support for a path to citizenship at all-time high

As the 'Gang of Eight' prepares to unveil its immigration reform proposal, several new polls shed light on shifting attitudes among Americans on a path to citizenship.
Luis Gutierrez: pivot man on House immigration 'gang'

How the Illinois Democrat and others work in groups behind closed doors as part of the new dealmaking in Congress.
Sen. Tom Coburn: How 'Dr. No' helps others say 'yes' (+video)

The Oklahoma Republican, an outsider's outsider, has become an essential player on key issues because if the opposition can cut a deal with Coburn, an unassailable conservative, other conservatives will go along.
Business, labor reach immigration deal on guest workers. Will it stand?

The US Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO have reached a deal on guest workers as a part of comprehensive immigration reform. That was a major issue, but more remain including border security and a pathway to citizenship.
Top Republican expresses willingness to back two Senate gun control bills

Iowa Senator Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee said he's open to supporting measures to crack down on illegal gun trafficking, and to bolster security at schools.
Domestic violence law clears House, but some Republicans aren't happy

The Violence Against Women Act now goes to President Obama's desk, but a majority of Republicans in the House didn't back it. Some say the domestic violence law was flawed and rammed through by leadership.
Decoder Wire One casualty of the sequester? Obama's entire legislative agenda.

The across-the-board cuts scheduled to take place at the end of next week would make most of President Obama's second-term priorities even harder, if not impossible, to achieve.
Decoder Wire Which gun control measures are gaining momentum in Congress? (+video)

Bipartisan support is evident for universal background checks, stricter laws against gun trafficking, and limits on high-capacity magazines. But consensus in the GOP-controlled House will depend on what the Senate accomplishes.
Tax VOX Congress makes bipartisan push for online sales tax

Republicans and Democrats have signed on to legislation that would allow states to collect taxes on what consumers buy over the Internet. The measure would finally resolve a decades-old dispute over whether states can collect sales taxes on mail-order and online purchases, Francis writes.
Immigration reform: White House drafts 'backup plan'

Though both Democrats and Republican have assured the Obama administration it won't be necessary, the White House has put together its own immigration plan, in case bipartisan talk of immigration overhaul breaks down.
Bob Goodlatte: GOP point man on immigration urges 'regular order'

House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte says that wherever the immigration debate winds up, nothing gets done in the end without education and building consensus in committee.
Immigration reform: Why many GOP lawmakers applauded Obama speech

President Obama treaded carefully around immigration reform during his State of the Union message. Republican lawmakers took notice, with many appreciating his back-seat approach.
Opinion: State of the Union: US needs a statesman, but Obama played politics as usual (+video)

President Obama devoted most of his State of the Union address to a laundry list of initiatives – and no answer for how to pay for them. Instead, he should foster bipartisan cooperation, working with Congress to build trust, bridge divides, and usher in needed reform.
Opinion: Immigration reform: Congress, Obama, and public are not so far apart

Both the bipartisan Senate plan and President Obama's proposal on immigration reform – which he's expected to mention in his State of the Union address tonight – show how Republican and Democrats aren’t as far apart on policy as politics might have us believe.
Gun debate 101: Doesn't US already have laws against gun trafficking?

Congress is considering legislation to crack down on gun traffickers and so-called straw buyers. But the NRA says the Obama administration just needs to enforce laws already on the books. Here's what the record shows.
Immigration reform: a bid to attract workers who will boost the economy (+video)

Immigration reform is foremost a social issue, but it has big economic implications. Exhibit A is a measure that, looking forward, aims to attract immigrants whose skills mesh with the US needs.