Topic: Capitol Hill

Featured

What were they reading?: Bestsellers from 1930-2000

Here's a sampling of No. 1 bestsellers from the past eight decades – all worthy additions to this summer's reading list.

All Content

What were they reading?: Bestsellers from 1930-2000

Here's a sampling of No. 1 bestsellers from the past eight decades – all worthy additions to this summer's reading list.
Climate change: Why does President Obama's plan skirt Congress?

With Republicans implacably opposed – and some Democrats still wary of fallout at the polls – there's little prospect of getting climate change reform through Capitol Hill.
The Monitor's View Don't bemoan Washington's bogland

With Congress in gridlock on issues like guns, immigration, and energy, Americans turn to states, cities, and private groups for action. This spirit of community and problem-solving will inevitably find its expression somewhere.
Military brass, senators united against sexual assault but at odds on remedy (+video)

Top military leaders received a dressing down from lawmakers Tuesday for failing to curb sexual assault within the ranks. The brass, however, opposed changes to the military justice system.
Tea party firebrand Michele Bachmann to quit House next year (+video)

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) of Minnesota said Wednesday she will not seek reelection to a fifth House term. The tea party standard-bearer and former GOP presidential hopeful did not disclose her future plans.
Drones are cheaper and more powerful. In US, that's a problem, lawmakers told

Police departments are increasingly interested in deploying drones, a House subcommittee is told. As drones proliferate, so too does the 'specter of routine aerial surveillance in American life.'
Obama pledges to halt military sexual abuse

On Thursday, Army Chief of Staff General Ray Odierno acknowledged the military is failing to stop sexual assaults. President Barack Obama vowed to leave no stone unturned to halt the abuse.
Military sex-abuse crisis hits new low in Fort Hood investigation (+video)

For the second time in two weeks, a military official tasked with combating sex assault has been accused of sexual assault. All military sex assault counselors must now undergo retraining.
IRS tea party scandal is 'un-American' and a 'travesty,' lawmakers fume

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are vowing to hold people accountable and explore legislative changes to ensure the IRS mends its ways after singling out tea party and other conservative groups.
Decoder Wire Why does Prince Harry make Washington swoon? (+video)

Prince Harry, making a visit to the US, interrupted a congressional hearing without attending it. Even Michelle Obama sounded a tad breathless announcing his appearance at a White House Mother’s Day tea.
Energy Voices Why the US military should continue biofuel research

The sequester should not excuse the US military from making the important investments into the future, Holland writes. It is strategically important for the military to develop new sources of energy like biofuels.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev buried: Unidentified person steps up (+video)

Tamerlan Tsarnaev buried: The body of Tamerlan Tsarnaev has been removed from a Worcester, Mass., funeral home. Authorities say Tsarnaev is buried in an undisclosed location.
Sexual assault in military: Pentagon report, scandal deal a double blow (+video)

Even as the Pentagon prepared to report a dramatic increase in sexual assaults in the military, the officer in charge of the Air Force prevention program was alleged to have groped a woman.
Boston bombing fallout: US moves to close security gap on student visas (+video)

Student visa snafu involving a Kazakh friend of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston bombing suspect, prompts US to beef up security checks. Will the episode undermine chances for comprehensive immigration reform?
How Obama's Mexico trip sends a message back home on immigration, too

President Obama's Mexico trip is emphasizing trade and commerce, but the message being sent back home is also tailored to influence the congressional debate over immigration reform.
Is Obama's second term sunk? 'Maybe I should just pack up and go home.'

On the 100th day of his second term, President Obama laughed at the suggestion he may have run out of 'juice' for his agenda and expressed optimism on immigration reform.
Pentagon budget woes: furlough civilians, buy tanks you don't want

Once again, the Pentagon wants to scrap a weapon – in this case, the Abrams tank – that Congress has an interest in preserving. But with 'sequester' cuts, the tradeoff will be civilian furloughs.
Chorus grows against Obama administration's sanctions-heavy Iran policy

The Obama administration's effort to end Iran's nuclear program has focused on punitive measures, with little diplomatic outreach. Critics say this jeopardizes negotiations.
Girding for a federal budget battle royale, parties wrangle over rules

With Capitol Hill bracing for a battle over financial policy this summer, the focus now is on rules for the committee that will seek to reconcile House and Senate versions of the federal budget.
Energy Voices House aims to expand oil drilling in Gulf of Mexico

Members of the US House of Representatives last week proposed legislation that would open up more areas for oil drillers offshore, Graeber writes. Lawmakers say getting more work done in the Gulf of Mexico would ensure energy independence.
In US-China talks on cyber conflict, a top Chinese general owns to dangers

At a press briefing in Beijing with Martin Dempsey, chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Fang Fenghui offered some agreement on the damage of cyberattacks, a 'friction point' in US-China relations.
Immigration reform and Boston bombing: why some make a connection

Should the Boston bombing be part of the debate on immigration reform? Some say the proposal would make the US more vulnerable, but others say the discussion should not be so narrow.
Decoder Wire After Senate defeats, prospects for gun control shift to states

The failure of the Senate to pass even gun control measures that had overwhelming public support signals that the clout of the gun lobby is powerful enough to block reform on Capitol Hill.
Decoder Wire Boston bombing. Ricin in D.C. Texas inferno. Any links?

Boston bombing case has no suspect or suspects, which has opened the door to speculation. But the fire in Texas appears to be happenstance, and an arrest has been made in connection with the poison-laced letters.
Decoder Wire Ricin roils Washington: How dangerous? (+video)

Preliminary tests indicate that letters sent to President Obama and to Sen. Roger Wicker (R) of Mississippi were laced with the potentially deadly poison ricin. They were postmarked Memphis, Tenn.