Topic: Capitol Hill
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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The Monitor's View: Create jobs – or create more graduates for existing jobs?
On the presidential campaign trail, Obama and Romney debate job creation when the easier path is tooling up graduates of higher education for jobs that already exist. But a political divide deters even that solution.
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Ted Cruz, pulling an upset, is poised to boost tea party ranks in Senate
Ted Cruz, the new darling of the tea party, easily won his primary runoff against Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and is favored to win in November. He could become a spokesman for no-compromise conservatives.
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Tea party lawmakers pave way to deal, averting a government shutdown
Government funding was set to run out on Sept. 30, but congressional leaders on Tuesday said they reached a deal to extend it for six months at current levels. Lawmakers with tea party leanings led the way, to prevent possibility of a preelection government shutdown.
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GOP roadshow: Senators pound on need to stave off defense cuts
Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Kelly Ayotte are holding town-hall meetings to generate awareness about looming defense cuts. On Monday, they stopped in the military center of Norfolk, Va.
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Romney pressed to release tax returns. Watchdogs ask what about Congress?
Democrats and some Republicans are hounding Mitt Romney to release his tax returns. But ask Congress members to release theirs and silence is the most frequent response. Double standard?
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Dreaded sequester looming, Congress demands White House identify cuts
In a rare, nearly unanimous vote, the House and Senate called on the Obama administration to itemize within 30 days what, exactly, the $109 billion in mandated spending cuts will affect Jan. 1.
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Ron Paul's last hurrah: a big, bipartisan vote to 'Audit the Fed'
Today's vote marks a high point for Paul, who is retires at the end of the year. His signature bill requires a full audit of the Federal Reserve – a move that critics, including Fed chair Ben Bernanke, dub 'nightmarish.'
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Steny Hoyer: Neither party is spoiling for a fight over a government shutdown
The end of the fiscal year is typically a flash point for partisan battles, but not with a 'fiscal cliff' looming after November elections. Even GOP conservatives are accepting higher spending levels, rather than risk a government shutdown.
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Homeland Security: Are US flight schools still training terrorists?
Congress is investigating reports that foreign nationals training to fly planes in the US were not properly vetted or are in the country on fraudulent visas – a lapse from standards set up after the 9/11 attacks.
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Sequester blues: Congress faces buyer's remorse on defense cuts
With $1.2 trillion in mandated spending cuts set to start in 2013, lawmakers are scrambling to salvage $600 billion in defense spending. Meanwhile, there's plenty of blame to spread around for getting to this point.
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Defense cuts: three things Americans should know
The US House approved a bill in July that’s likely to spark a showdown on military spending.
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Congress will allow the military to continue sponsoring sports
The House rejected a plan to trim military funding used to sponsor sports like NASCAR, in order to attract recruits.
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How GOP could be forced to raise taxes this December
Twenty leading congressional conservatives are imploring GOP leaders to head off any Democratic attempt to use the threat of a government shutdown to force Republicans to accept tax hikes.
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What will federal budget cuts mean for local economies?
Former Vice President Dick Cheney visited Republican senators on Capitol Hill to convey his message that defense spending cuts will hurt the U.S. military. Local mayors are concerned that lost government contracts will threaten their local businesses.
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Senators spar with power industry: Is it safe from cyberattack?
A Senate hearing on protecting the power grid and other crucial infrastructure from cyberattack pivots on the question: Should federal cybersecurity standards be voluntary?
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Senators push Bernanke: Was Fed asleep in the LIBOR rate scandal?
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was questioned by senators Tuesday about the central bank's role in the LIBOR rate-setting scandal. He said the Fed had pushed for reform of the rate setting process in 2008 when it became concerned about manipulation of the influential benchmark.
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The Monitor's View: As bank scandals add up, a need for a culture of integrity in banks
The HSBC scandal comes soon after reckless or deceitful behavior at Barclays and JPMorgan. The pattern lies in a bank culture that doesn't emphasize character enough. A survey of the industry shows why.
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Democrats renew bid to require big campaign donors to disclose
DISCLOSE Act would require corporations, labor unions, and other groups to disclose campaign donations of more than $10,000, but it faces a GOP filibuster in the Senate.
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Congress fumes over US Olympic uniforms 'Made in China'
Ralph Lauren, an American company, designed US Olympic uniforms. But members of Congress are angry that the US Olympic uniforms were made in China.
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Focus
Is Congress to blame for a downshifting US economy?Evidence is mounting that the economy is taking a hit because Congress can't – or won't – deal with the 'fiscal cliff' looming at year's end. The fight on Capitol Hill last summer over the national debt limit also took an economic toll.
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Decoder Wire
Could Congress jail Attorney General Eric Holder for contempt?Congress has jailed those deemed in contempt before but never a sitting Cabinet official – and not recently. Moreover, the few times Congress has locked down people within the Capitol, it has not turned out well for Congress.
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Why Republicans see a loss in the Supreme Court as a win at the polls
Supreme Court's 5-to-4 ruling upholding President Obama's health-care law gives Republicans a new case to repeal the law, hammer taxes, and rev up the party base.
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Having it all: The work-family balance debate continues
Having it all – a professional career and a family – isn't possible, says Anne-Marie Slaughter in a recent Atlantic article. The piece reignited the debate about difficulties for working mothers and the need for more flexible time in the workplace.
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The Passage of Power
In Volume IV of “The Years of Lyndon Johnson,” biographer Robert A. Caro concentrates on the succession of political triumphs and defeats that accompanied LBJ to the Oval Office.
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