Topic: Capitol Hill

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Briefing
Four curious outcomes if the Electoral College ends in a tie

Here are four ways that a 269-to-269 tie in the Electoral College could play out in the 2012 presidential election.
10 richest members of Congress

The 10 wealthiest members of Congress in 2012 include Senate and House members hailing from all over the US. Can you guess which political party had the most lawmakers on the list – and who grabbed the top spot?
Briefing
Obama vs. Romney 101: 5 ways they differ on military issues

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has not been expansive regarding his views of the war in Afghanistan – perhaps because both he and President Obama do not have significantly different plans. But here are five areas where the candidates differ on military issues.
Briefing
Obama vs. Romney 101: 6 ways they differ on health-care reform

Former Gov. Mitt Romney has taken a libertarian turn since championing health-care reforms in Massachusetts, including an individual mandate to purchase insurance, which became the model for President Obama's signature law. Here’s a list of areas where the candidates differ.
Top 3 lessons the US military has learned in Afghanistan

As robust defense budget wranglings continue on Capitol Hill, much of the debate about one of the Pentagon's largest expenses – Afghanistan – centers around just how effective the decade-long fight has been. Here are the top three lessons that US military has learned in Afghanistan.

All Content

GOP's Rep. Dave Camp envisions inclusive path to a fiscal 'bargain'

Dave Camp, House Ways and Means Committee chairman, said Thursday that involving more members of Congress in budgeting and deficit-cutting could yield, if not a 'grand bargain,' at least a modest deal.
Bipartisan deal on background checks: Biggest gun control win yet?

Two senators announced a bipartisan deal on a gun control bill that would expand background checks. Its passage is hardly assured, but just the compromise is significant.
Cover Story How dealmaking gets done on Capitol Hill

In the new politics of Congress, deals are no longer fashioned by moderates, who vanished long ago, but by a few lawmakers on the left and right who have the respect, clout, and just enough pragmatism to surmount the culture of division.
Deals that changed history

A look back at three major pieces of historical federal legislation, started and finished by small groups of men intent on statesmanship.
Focus Tax reform: Why a kinder, simpler tax code eludes Congress, so far

As Tax Day nears, Americans in the throes of preparing their returns may be dreaming of a simpler tax code. Here's why tax reform is such a tall order for Congress – and how two lawmakers are laying the groundwork for it now.
USA Update Newtown family members entreat Congress over need for gun controls

Family members of the children and educators killed in the Newtown, Conn., school shooting are on Capitol Hill Tuesday, lobbying on behalf of Obama's push for gun control legislation.
Amid North Korea crisis, US scrubs missile test to avoid 'misperception' (+video)

Calling off the missile test – which had nothing to do with North Korea – is just one way the US is quietly trying to defuse tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Sandy Hook families on Air Force One: why it matters

In an unusual move, 11 family members of Sandy Hook victims will fly with President Obama back to Washington on Air Force One so they can lobby Congress on gun control.
Chaplain, Korean War hero, to receive medal of honor 62 years after his death

Chaplain Emil Kapaun was credited with saving hundreds of soldiers during the Korean War and received the Distinguished Service Cross and many other medals. On April 11 President Barack Obama will award him the Medal of Honor posthumously.
Obama's budget offends just about everybody. Is that compromise?

President Obama will unveil his federal budget proposal this coming week. Based on leaked details, the plan already is getting hammered by his own liberal base as well as by Republicans.
Rutgers fires coach Mike Rice for abusing players: Will more heads roll?

Senior administrators at Rutgers were aware of a videotape of the Mike Rice tirades against players, but opted not to fire him. That decision is under heavy scrutiny now.
Gun control: Can Obama use Colorado bully pulpit to accomplish anything?

President Obama is pushing gun control in Denver Wednesday and will do the same in Hartford, Conn., next Monday. It's not clear he can move the public to pressure Congress on gun legislation, but it's worth a try, some say.
Armed teachers? NRA task force suggests voluntary program.

A task force commissioned by the NRA reported its findings Tuesday, including a proposal to train school personnel in firearms safety.
Elwin Wilson, a KKK supporter who reformed, dies

Elwin Wilson was a reformed racist who publicly apologized for his violent acts. Wilson beat John Lewis of Georgia in 1961. Lewis later became a US congressman, and Wilson personally apologized to him.
Veterans groups gear up to fight any proposed changes to disability payments

To help reduce the deficit, President Barack Obama has suggested using a different measure of inflation to calculate Social Security benefits, leading to a slower growth rate. Veterans groups worry such a change could apply to disability payments.
Robert Reich Why don't politicians listen to public opinion on the economy?

Why are politicians so sensitive to public opinion on equal marriage rights, immigration, and guns – Reich asks – and so tone deaf to what most Americans want on the economy?
Obama's $2 billion plan to wean US off foreign oil (+video)

During a visit to Argonne National Lab, President Obama proposes using royalties from offshore drilling in federal waters to create an 'Energy Security Trust Fund' to pay for research into battery and clean-fuel technologies.
Why, after all these years, the Senate is working on a budget (+VIDEO)

Senate Democrats didn't pass a budget resolution for the previous three years, but they are taking steps to do it this year. Three things, in particular, have changed.
Obama launches 'charm offensive' on Capitol Hill. Does it have a chance? (+video)

President Obama begins meetings with lawmakers Tuesday to discuss everything from deficits to guns. He is not known for cultivating working relationships on the Hill, and at the same time, GOP congressional leadership has been locked in opposition.
Congress opens first budget debate in four years

Congress this week takes up the parties' sharply different views on taxes and spending. Just laying down political markers on next year's budget could help advance a 'grand bargain' on deficits and entitlements, some say.
In Afghanistan, Hagel faces early test: how many troops to leave behind

With his arduous confirmation finally over, Secretary Hagel arrived in Afghanistan to confront considerable challenges, including the pace of withdrawal and the size of the residual US force.
The Monitor's View: Why honey works better than vinegar in Washington

If tone can influence substance, as studies show, then the new friendly, face-to-face get-togethers between President Obama and GOP lawmakers signal possible breakthroughs.
Are Congress and Obama moving toward a budget deal?

As the public's patience with partisan politics wears thin, signs in Washington indicate possible movement toward bipartisan budget decision-making. The House passed a bill which would fund government programs through this fiscal year on Wednesday. The Senate is expected to pass a similar measure soon. Also on Wednesday, President Barack Obama invited Republican Senators to dinner.
What Congress has to do to avert a late-March government shutdown

Political leaders on both sides of the aisle stressed on Tuesday a commitment to reach a budget deal that avoids a government shutdown after March 27, when funding expires. But they are at the starting line.
Why Republicans think Obama's back is against the wall on 'sequester'

President Obama has spent the past week trying to put Republicans on the defensive over the sequester. But many Republicans believe the pressure is on him.