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House speaker vote: John Boehner wins reelection after tough few weeks (+video)
John Boehner's reelection to a second term as House speaker followed failed negotiations with Obama, a divisive fiscal cliff vote, and a bashing over delays in relief aid for superstorm Sandy.
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John Boehner's fiscal 'Plan B': What is it for and can it pass?
With a 'fiscal cliff' deal appearing closer than ever, Boehner offered up a fallback 'Plan B.' It seems designed to make Democrats uncomfortable and provide cover for Republicans ... if they pass it.
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With wide gap, Obama and Boehner meet for 'fiscal cliff' talks
With an end-of-year deadline looming, the two leaders came together at the White House on Thursday in an attempt to rejuvenate negotiations as frustration mounted over the lack of progress on averting the 'fiscal cliff.'
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Fiscal cliff debate: 'Lines of communication are open'
Spokespeople for both sides of the fiscal cliff debate indicated that they may be communicating. In the meantime, economists warned that failure to strike a deal could strike a blow to the economy, perhaps plunging the country back into recession.
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Medicare, social program cuts: Will Democrats go along?
Medicare, Obamacare, and other social programs are at the heart of a disconnect over the 'fiscal cliff' in Washington. Republicans appear willing for tax increases but only if Democrats accept big cuts in Medicare and other social programs.
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Jesse Jackson Jr. resigns: What happens next?
Jesse Jackson Jr. (D) of Illinois sent a letter of resignation to House Speaker John Boehner. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat, has five days to schedule an election to replace Jackson and the election must be held within 115 days. There are unconfirmed reports of an FBI investigation into misuse of campaign funds.
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GOP conservatives scramble to take government shutdown off the table
In a shift from last summer's debt-ceiling standoff, tea party conservatives now aim to be seen as avoiding a government shutdown, even if it means accepting a higher level of FY 2013 spending.
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GOP outlines two ways to keep rates low on student loans; Democrats see 'ruse'
On a day that Speaker Boehner reportedly called the student loan fight 'phony,' the Republican leaders outlined two ways to fund the subsidized student loan rates they say draw on Obama's own budget proposals.
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GOP-led House votes to keep rate low on student loans, as Obama balks
The White House says Obama will veto the House bill on student loans. It prefers a Senate measure that also helps debt-crushed students, but that covers the cost by closing a tax loophole benefiting the wealthy.
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With payroll-tax cut, House GOP aims to force senators back to Capitol
The House will vote Tuesday on requiring senators, who have left for the holidays, to negotiate differences in legislation to extend the payroll-tax cut and other measures set to expire on Jan. 1.
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Why John Boehner can still win the tax-cut showdown
House Speaker John Boehner stunned Senate Democrats and Republicans when he said the House would vote down their two-month deal on the payroll tax cut and other measures.
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Disaster aid bill prompts House-Senate showdown
Disaster aid bill: The measure would also prevent a federal shutdown next weekend by financing government agencies from the Oct. 1 start of the new federal fiscal year through Nov. 18.
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On Libya, Obama has angered both sides in Congress
Congress raised few objections to presidential use of force in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the way President Obama has carried out the Libya mission has rankled both Democrats and Republicans.
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Why debt limit issue may drag on through Election 2012
House Speaker John Boehner calls for trillions in spending cuts as a condition of raising the national debt limit. Is that bar so high that Congress will do short-term fixes – and wait for voters to speak in Election 2012?
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Libya intervention: Tea party and liberal Democrats make unusual allies
On Capitol Hill, the Libya intervention has elicited antiwar voices from opposite ends of the political spectrum. Their point in common: The power to make war resides with Congress.
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Congress sets new D-day for government shutdown: April 8
The Senate votes to fund the federal government through April 8. But the stalemate over 2011 spending remains, and no one wants to pass another short-term stopgap. Is the stage now set for a government shutdown next month?
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All eyes on GOP House freshmen in budget impasse. Will they budge?
The Senate on Wednesday rejected both the big budget cuts of the House bill and the much smaller cuts of a Senate alternative. The ball is once again in the court of the 87 GOP House freshmen elected on last year's tea party wave.
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Medicare: Time to privatize? GOP ponders.
Medicare could be replaced with a fixed payment to buy private insurance, according to one Republican proposal.
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Debate over health care repeal: five gauges of House civility
In the wake of the Tucson shootings, Congress was, briefly, awash in talk of the need for a more civil, less caustic tone in politics. This week’s vote to repeal health-care reform, President Obama’s signature domestic achievement, provided a formidable test – and produced mixed results. Here are five ways to break it down.
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Gabrielle Giffords shooting: Are members of Congress safe back home?
Congress is a near-fortress, but the Gabrielle Giffords shooting raises questions about security for members of Congress in their home districts.
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Gun control: Some action, but mostly silence in Washington after Arizona shootings
Gun control is a subject brought to everyone's attention by the Arizona shootings last weekend. But gun control is not a topic high on the agenda of many in Congress.
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Health care reform: House marches toward repeal vote
Health care reform law is top target of the new GOP House majority. But critics say GOP leaders set aside their pledges of fiscal restraint and openness in pushing forward on vote to repeal it.
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House Speaker John Boehner casts himself as a political throwback
The past 16 years in Congress have been typified by partisanship and procedural stunts. New House Speaker John Boehner promises to return the House to a time when members can 'disagree without being disagreeable.' He will be put to the test, and soon.
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Obama to meet GOP leaders: Should Democrats be worried?
President Obama will meet with GOP leaders from the House and Senate Tuesday for the first time since Election 2010. Some Democrats worry that he could be too willing to compromise.
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Bush tax cuts get all the attention as US lawmakers reconvene
Congress has a vast to-do list before midterm elections, including spending bills and a $30 billion package to help small businesses. But for now, the Bush tax cuts are the top issue.
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