Topic: Robert Byrd

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Senate's 16 new members arrive on Capitol Hill: Who are they?

Starting this Monday, the Senate welcomes 16 fresh faces to the Capitol’s marbled halls.
10 of the closest statewide races heading into Election 2010

Here’s what’s going on in 10 of the closest statewide elections:
Q&A: Five key questions about midterm elections in Congress

Will Republicans take control of the House and Senate? All 435 House seats are up for election every two years. A majority in the House is 218 seats. Republicans need a net gain of 39 seats in the Nov. 2 midterm election to get there. Polls now show the Democrats are in trouble. Why?
Gallery: Top 10 longest-serving US senators
In Pictures: Senator Robert Byrd through the years

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Rick Santorum in Congress: why his record is costing him now

Some see Rick Santorum as an uncompromising firebrand of a culture warrior, but his rivals are focusing their attacks on his legislative record in Congress, which bridged party lines.
The Last Great Senate

Did the Senate really used to be a grand institution? Ira Shapiro argues that it was – and not that long ago.
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.
Senate's 16 new members arrive on Capitol Hill: Who are they?

Starting this Monday, the Senate welcomes 16 fresh faces to the Capitol’s marbled halls.
10 of the closest statewide races heading into Election 2010

Here’s what’s going on in 10 of the closest statewide elections:
Democratic chairman 'not wild' about Joe Manchin for Senate ad

Senate candidate Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a Democrat, denigrated 'Obamacare' and shot a hole in the cap-and-trade bill. Democratic National Committee Chair Tim Kaine was not impressed.
Sarah Palin takes on Bill Clinton in West Virginia Senate race

Sarah Palin announced Monday she was backing Republican businessman John Raese while Bill Clinton was in W. Virginia campaigning for Democratic Senate candidate Joe Manchin. Which endorsement carries more weight?
The Vote
'Dead aim' ad: Rifle-toting Senate hopeful blasts hole in cap-and-trade

Joe Manchin is a Democrat from West Virginia running for Senate, but in his new 'dead aim' ad, he takes on the White House, Obamacare, and cap-and-trade. It's an indication of how the traditionally Democratic state might be turning red. The seat is crucial to GOP Senate takeover aims.
What's the best way to promote safer, cleaner energy?

Dependence on foreign oil, the energy economy, the environment, new technology – they all factor into the debate over America's energy future. So what's the best path forward?
Q&A: Five key questions about midterm elections in Congress

Will Republicans take control of the House and Senate? All 435 House seats are up for election every two years. A majority in the House is 218 seats. Republicans need a net gain of 39 seats in the Nov. 2 midterm election to get there. Polls now show the Democrats are in trouble. Why?
Dan Rostenkowski: a Washington giant, a casualty of scandal

Dan Rostenkowski, once called one of the nation's most power politicians, died Wednesday. His lengthy political career in Washington began in 1958 and ended amid scandal in 1994.
Unemployment insurance benefits extension clears hurdle

Unemployment insurance to millions who have been out of work for more than six months would restore jobless checks for 2.5 million people whose benefits started running out seven weeks ago.
Jobless benefits given another vote by Democrats

Jobless benefits: After Tuesday's vote, if all goes as expected, about 2.5 million people will receive unemployment insurance retroactively.
Next up on unfinished Senate agenda: unemployment insurance

Once Democrat Carte Goodwin is sworn in Tuesday to replace the late Sen. Robert Byrd, Senate Democrats will have the votes to try again to extend unemployment insurance to the jobless.
Obama slams GOP for obstructing economic progress

In his weekly radio-Internet address, President Obama accuses Senate Republicans of playing politics with measures that would extend benefits to the unemployed and increase lending to small businesses.
Carte Goodwin to succeed Senator Byrd - for now

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) appointed his former general counsel, Carte Goodwin, to the late Robert Byrd’s Senate seat. But it is widely believed that Governor Manchin has his eye on winning the seat in special elections.
Off to Bar Harbor, Maine, Obama ends week on an up note

Obama – and the Democrats – may well feel buoyed by better news about the Gulf oil spill, Senate passage of financial reform, and latest poll numbers for vulnerable Sen. Harry Reid. The president now gets a weekend away, in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Obama's triumphs are also his weaknesses: Health care, stimulus, financial reform

President Obama's domestic agenda has been as ambitious as any president's in the last 50 years – including health care, economic stimulus, and financial reform. But such ambition has not always been rewarded by voters.
Can an overloaded Congress get to immigration reform?

Congress has a full plate before November's midterms. Financial reform is likely to pass. But energy reform and immigration reform look like long shots. Here's what is on the docket.
Obama eulogizes Sen. Robert Byrd under West Virginia skies

At a memorial service for Sen. Robert Byrd in West Virginia, regular folks and presidents alike gathered for a public celebration marked by moments of grace and humor.
Scott Brown mastering backroom deals he campaigned against

Scott Brown, Republican from Massachusetts, has quickly learned the art of the backroom deal in the US Senate, almost six months since capturing the late Ted Kennedy's seat.
Robert Byrd: His last appearance on the Senate floor

Sen. Robert Byrd’s knowledge of Senate history and precedent laced his floor speeches, informed his strategy as a party leader, and was an encyclopedic resource to his colleagues.
House passes financial reform, but a Senate hurdle awaits

The House of Representatives voted 237 to 192 Wednesday for a House-Senate compromise on financial reform. But the votes necessary for passage in the Senate aren't assured yet.
Who might be tapped to fill Senator Byrd's seat, fast?

Senate Democrats hope that West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin will act quickly to replace Senator Byrd. With Byrd's death, they are two votes short of the 60 needed to move key legislation to a vote.
Gallery: Top 10 longest-serving US senators