Topic: Dick Durbin

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Backchannels IssaLeaks: More fallout from the Benghazi killings

Was it a good idea to release a lot of un-redacted State Department memos from Libya? Probably not.
Senator prods Gang of 8 to make middle class, deficit-cutting top priorities

As bipartisan talks to avoid a 'fiscal cliff' renew this week, a top Senate Democratic leader, Charles Schumer, warns negotiators that any plan that aims to cut taxes on the rich and also cut deficits is 'a trap,' and won't add up.
Chicago teachers strike: Is Rahm Emanuel's test a challenge for Obama?

The Chicago teachers strike takes the struggle over union demands to a bastion of Democratic control, a concern for Mayor Emanuel and President Obama, who will need union support in November.
Decoder Wire Democratic convention platform debacle: How much will it matter?

The kerfuffle over the omission – and reinsertion – of references to God and Jerusalem may not seem like a big deal. But Republicans won't let it die anytime soon.
How Democrats keep gate-crashing the GOP convention

Once upon a time, convention week was a chance for the opposing candidate to rest up. That began to change in 2008 – Obama and the Democrats are now running full tilt during the GOP convention.
Romney pulls back from aggressive statement on Iran

'I don't want to be creating new foreign policy for my country,' Romney said, distancing himself from remarks made by an aide earlier today saying he would 'respect' an Israeli military strike on Iran.
Constitutional amendment required to undo Citizens United, Senate panel told

No Republicans on the Senate Judiciary subcommittee attended the hearing, which heard testimony from lawmakers opposed to the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling and constitutional scholars.
Where is Jesse Jackson Jr.? As absence lengthens, pressure mounts.

For six weeks, Chicago voters have wondered about Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s whereabouts. With no word from the congressman about his 'mood disorder,' questions are growing sharper.
Congress's dirty secret: behind scenes, it's working to fix problems

Much of what Congress does this summer will be pure political posturing. But behind the scenes, small groups of lawmakers are trying to chip away at the biggest fiscal issues.
Why some illegal immigrants aren't celebrating Obama’s new policy (+video)

Some young illegal immigrants remain skeptical that President Obama's new policy, which could give renewable US work permits to 800,000 immigrants, will actually work.
DREAM deferred? Will Obama order make immigration reform harder?

President Obama, acting without Congress, took steps to curtail deportations for young illegal immigrants. Republicans say the move could jeopardize prospects for immigration reform.
Pakistan jails CIA informant: US Senate panel votes to cut aid to Pakistan

A Senate committee voted on Thursday to cut Pakistan aid by $33 million – one million dollars for each year of a 33-year sentence Pakistan gave a doctor for helping the CIA track down Osama bin Laden.
Endorsements, dollars shift to Romney. Can he close the deal?

The former Massachusetts governor and his allies spent hundreds of thousands of dollars more than Santorum and his backers in Illinois, and it showed in the results: Romney was beating Rick Santorum by 47 percent to 35 percent.
JOBS Act: Why are Democrats suddenly raising red flags?

No one wants to vote against jobs, but a wide swath of critics – ranging from the SEC, the AFL-CIO, and pension funds – worry that features in the proposed JOBS Act could hurt investors.
Senate passes highway bill, but rough road ahead in House

After years of delay, the Senate passes a two-year highway bill to help fix the nation's roads, bridges, rails, and ports. But rifts in the House could delay passage.
Newt Gingrich's big Super Tuesday gambit: win the gas pump vote

Ahead of Super Tuesday, Newt Gingrich is hammering Obama for an 'anti-energy policy' and playing up his own plan to reduce gas prices. It's a solid strategy, experts say, but will primary voters bite?
Religious freedom no match for Washington gridlock?

US Commission for International Religious Freedom, created in 1998, will cease to exist Friday unless lawmakers renew funding. Its aim: make religious freedom a priority of US foreign policy.
Can Congress force Supreme Court to let in cameras?

The Cameras in the Courtroom Act of 2011 would require TV coverage of all open sessions at the Supreme Court. Any legal challenge to the mandate would ultimately arrive at the Supreme Court – prompting a constitutional showdown.
Absent a super committee, now who'll lean on Congress to cut US deficit?

Global markets or deadlines for extending tax breaks may yet force Congress to try again for a 'grand bargain' to shrink the US deficit. But big action before the 2012 election is unlikely.
Pakistan scoffs at US apologies after NATO strike

US attempts to soothe tensions after a NATO strike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers have been mostly rebuffed. NATO claims the strike was 'unintended.'
A fix on the horizon for the online sales tax mess

The new measure would allow states to require online retailers to collect sales taxes on all purchases, as long as the states first agree to simplify their sales tax rules. Remarkably, the idea has broad support in the business community and may actually pass.
Debit cards: Chase, Wells Fargo dropping fees

Debit cards' fees so unpopular in pilot programs that Chase, Wells Fargo will eliminate them. Bank of America likely to offer ways to avoid fees on its debit cards.
Debit card fees: Why Bank of America will charge $5 for debit card use

Debit card fees on the rise: Bank of America to charge $5 for debit card usage. Other banks may follow suit.
Obama pushes 'Buffett Rule' to tax the wealthy. GOP cries 'class warfare!'

To reduce the deficit and create jobs, President Obama wants a "Buffett Rule" to make the super wealthy pay taxes at a rate more like average Americans. Republicans call that "class warfare."
Napolitano: FEMA cash crunch shouldn't stop Irene relief efforts (VIDEO)

Disaster aid funds are running low but Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Tuesday that Congress should put Irene relief first.