Topic: Nancy Pelosi

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Could 'fiscal cliff' push US into recession? Five questions answered.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) warned in a report Tuesday that if Congress does not deal with a raft of fiscal measures by Dec. 31, the US could enter another recession. So what is this fiscal cliff and what is Congress doing about it?
Gas prices fact check: Six ideas in Congress, but can they work?

Soaring gas prices have also shown a consistent and significant ability to push members of Congress over the deep end. Here's the experts' take on 6 ideas floating through Congress.
What does the JOBS Act actually do? Six questions answered.

A bipartisan bill known as the JOBS Act, for 'Jumpstart Our Business Startups,' is among the GOP's priorities in Congress. It is targeted at small-business owners, but what would the bill actually do?
Newt Gingrich ethics investigation: 4 facts you haven't heard from him

Recently on the campaign trail, Newt Gingrich has made a number of forceful claims about the 1997 "reprimand" he received from the House Ethics Committee and challenged anyone to "go read the 1,300 pages” of the report. We did. Here’s what we found:
Newt Gingrich: 8 of the GOP idea man's more unusual ideas

Newt Gingrich is a big ideas guy. Ask anybody. Some of the ideas end up working, while others are a little out there.

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Deficit 'super committee' flooded with ideas. Will any of them work?

Friday is the deadline for congressional committees to submit ideas to the deficit 'super committee.' But there's little indication that any of the ideas signal an openness to compromise.
Everybody has an opinion about the Occupy Wall Street movement

As the Occupy Wall Street movement begins its fourth week and spreads around the country, politicians and the public are weighing in. Will it have the staying power of the tea party movement?
Senate rejects the House stop-gap spending bill. Is a government shutdown avoidable?

With near permanent brinksmanship the new normal, Congress headed into votes Friday to try to avert a government shutdown that is slated to occur on Oct. 1 if a continuing resolution bill is not passed.
How Democrats' anger at disaster funding helped doom House spending bill

Conservative Republicans joined the Democrats in opposing the spending bill, whose defeat revives the threat of a government shutdown. A way forward for House leaders is unclear.
How one school district won prestigious prize for narrowing achievement gap

The 2011 Broad Prize for Urban Education went to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina, which has narrowed the achievement gap for both African-American and Hispanic students.
Obama's deficit plan is just the first for 'super committee' to consider (video)

President Obama’s plan to cut the deficit by some $3 trillion faces robust competition in a Congress already awash in competing principles to get America back to a sustainable path.
The Vote
Why Obama is pumping up his rhetoric

President Obama is way down in the polls. The only politicians with lower approval ratings are those in Congress, which may explain why Obama is blaming them for "holding back this country."
Invisible presence at GOP debate in Iowa: Rick Perry

Eight candidates sparred at the GOP debate in Ames, Iowa, Thursday night. Though Texas Gov. Rick Perry wasn't one of them, his imminent entry into the presidential race changes everything.
Who's who on Congress's debt 'super committee'

Congress has created a special super committee to find at least $1.2 trillion in US budget cuts. If the plan is voted down, automatic spending cuts are slated to occur. Here are the 12 lawmakers named to the super committee.
Gabrielle Giffords returns to Capitol Hill, but political future still uncertain

Gabrielle Giffords, Democrat of Arizona, cast her vote Monday night on the debt deal in the House chamber. However, with recovery still ongoing, Gabrielle Giffords' future in politics is unclear.
The tea party and the debt deal: Fiscal 'terrorists' or principled heroes?

Shrugging off unfavorable polls and harsh criticism from Biden and other Democrats, the tea party faithful take stock of their influence on Capitol Hill's debt deal and look ahead to the next battle.
Gabrielle Giffords appears for debt deal vote (VIDEO)

Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head in January, surprised many when she appeared for the historic House vote on the debt deal, Monday.
For debt-ceiling deal to become law, what needs to happen by Tuesday

Selling the debt-ceiling deal to a critical mass of lawmakers is a formidable political reach. Many conservatives say the deal doesn’t go far enough, while some liberals say the richest Americans should have to pay more taxes.
Debt-ceiling compromise taking shape: What's in it?

The details of an emerging debt-ceiling compromise are unconfirmed and could change, but they appear currently to involve parts of Sen. Mitch McConnell's 'last choice' option, as well as a trigger to ensure promised spending cuts take place.
Saturday's debt-ceiling surprise: GOP and Obama are talking again

After a rancorous day in which Republicans vented their anger at the Senate and President Obama, GOP leaders said they are in talks with the president and that 'the country is not going to default.'
Rep. David Wu resigns amid allegations of sexual misconduct with 18-year-old

David Wu (D) of Oregon will resign after the resolution of the debt ceiling debate, he announced Tuesday. A young woman alleges Representative Wu had an unwanted sexual encounter with her last Thanksgiving.
No deal yet on debt crisis. How will Asian markets and Wall Street react?

Washington’s self-imposed deadline to do something credible on the debt crisis before the Asian financial markets opened on Sunday passed in silence. "There could be extreme turmoil in markets," says one expert.
Obama and congressional leaders hold grim Saturday meeting on debt crisis

President Obama convened an unusual Saturday meeting with Congressional leaders on the looming government default. The session lasted less than an hour, and the atmospherics appeared grim.
'Gang of Six' plan hailed as debt-ceiling breakthrough. What's in it?

The proposal by the 'Gang of Six' senators Tuesday draws on ideas from the deficit commission. The middle-of-the-road plan will have to overcome partisan concerns and a lack of time.
For both parties, deficit ceiling talks reveal fault lines

With debt ceiling talks showing no progress, some GOP leaders and constituencies are becoming concerned by the party's hard line in negotiations. Meanwhile, some Democrats are similarly worried about President Obama's bargaining.
Debt ceiling deal: Boehner's no-new-taxes pledge calms jittery conservatives

Conservative groups had been worried that House Speaker John Boehner would agree to some tax increases in a deal to trim deficits and raise the debt ceiling.
US debt talks: 'trust gap' between negotiators, rank and file in Congress

Details of the US debt and deficit talks have been mostly secret, fueling concerns on both sides of the aisle that their leaders will compromise party values or give away too much.
Who is blocking a grand debt deal? Democrats, too, have their limits.

With the White House preparing for negotiations Sunday over a deal on raising the debt ceiling, House Democrats say they will not support cuts in Social Security or Medicare benefits.
Debt ceiling: Why Sunday could be make-or-break day for 'grand bargain'

President Obama is pushing for a comprehensive deal to raise the debt ceiling and trim long-term deficits. But any big deal will require arm-twisting in Congress, and time is running out.
Michele Bachmann 'the one to watch' as she kicks off her presidential campaign

Michele Bachmann won neck-and-neck status with presumed front-runner Mitt Romney in the first Des Moines Register Iowa Poll. But with a serious candidacy come tough questions about her record and political assertions.