Topic: U.S. Republican Party

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Robert Reich Tax polluters, not students.

Republicans are willing to impose taxes on college students while shying away from taxing polluters; the GOP has it backwards, Reich says.
Opinion Speaker Boehner up at bat with immigration reform

After the Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill, House Speaker John Boehner is now at bat. Whether to swing is an incredibly tough call for him. Politically, the issue pits the long-term interests of the Republican Party against the short-term interests of its House members.
Robert Reich The Affordable Care Act delay is a bad omen.

Although the White House has said that the delay in President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act mandate is due to employers needing more time, Reich says the real reason has to do with the GOP resisting efforts to implement the law.
Decoder Wire Poll: Republicans pushing immigration reform could score with Latinos in 2016

Presidential hopefuls Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, and Paul Ryan are well positioned to win over some of the Latino voters who backed Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, according to the new poll.
Obamacare delay? Large businesses get a one-year reprieve

Companies with 50 or more workers were given a one-year delay in providing coverage for their workers or face fines. 'We have heard that [businesses] need the time to get this right,' wrote a senior White House aide in a blog post. 'We are listening.'
The Monitor's View When officials try to ban economic truth

A mandate on Chinese media not to report a credit crunch is the latest example of governments trying to keep bad news under wraps. But the forces for honest financial data are too strong to defy.
Immigration reform bill clears Senate, but faces roadblock in House (+video)

The Senate approved the bill by a 68-to-32 vote Thursday. But House leaders, including those supportive of the immigration reform effort, have said the Senate legislation won't get a hearing in their chamber.
Student loans: Despite new proposals in Congress, no fix as deadline looms

Interest rates on some subsidized student loans could double on July 1. A bipartisan Senate group and a sextet of Senate liberals both put forward proposals Thursday, but a deal is elusive.
USA Update Controversial Texas abortion bill will pass in new session, Rick Perry vows

A day after calling for another special legislative session, Texas Gov. Rick Perry vigorously defended the failed abortion bill Thursday at the National Right to Life Convention in Dallas.
Battleground DOMA: What next for opponents of gay marriage?

After twin losses at the Supreme Court, the battleground shifts to the states, where social conservative leaders aim to 'fight like crazy,' with little help from the national GOP establishment.
Junk foods banned by federal government in public schools

Junk foods, the sugary, syrupy, fattening stuff sold for a few quarters in school vending machines, are getting tossed by the federal government. The program, called 'Smart Snacks in Schools,' will replace junk foods with healthier items on school menus in the 2014-2015 school year.
Decoder Wire Why many 2016 GOP hopefuls are mum on Supreme Court gay marriage moves

Some possible Republican presidential candidates – Rick Santorum and Marco Rubio – chided the Supreme Court for its actions Wednesday on gay marriage cases. But many others remained quiet. Why is that?
After DOMA ruling, few fighting words from congressional GOP on gay marriage

One by one, leading Republicans offered statements after the Supreme Court's DOMA ruling that showed they were ready, by and large, to leave the gay marriage fight to the states.
Immigration reform's 'surge': The politics works, but will the policy?

The border security amendment that cleared the Senate Monday is the key to bringing in a big, bipartisan majority for the immigration reform bill. Critics say there are more effective ways to spend resources.
Markey wins a low-turnout, big-spending Mass. Senate race

Republican Gabriel Gomez was outspent and out-organized in a Massachusetts Senate race that netted a record low turnout. But Democrats working for Edward Markey were determined not to repeat Scott Brown's stunning 2010 upset.
Filibuster broken, but Texas abortion law fails to pass

Filibuster fails: Wendy Davis spoke for 11 hours in a filibuster but was stopped before the midnight deadline. Still, the Texas abortion law failed to pass when protestors managed to stall a vote.
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.
Texas abortion law, that would shut down clinics, stalls in Senate

Texas abortion law would effectively shut down most abortion clinics. But a Democratic filibuster looks likely to derail it. Texas is the latest conservative state to try to enact tough new laws on abortion.
Immigration reform takes giant leap forward with Senate vote (+video)

Senators think they have to pass immigration reform overwhelmingly to persuade the House to play ball. They paved the way for that to happen by passing an important amendment Monday.
Decoder Wire Immigration reform: Can a supporter win GOP nomination in 2016?

Although Republicans in general have been under pressure to warm up to immigration reform, such an approach might not resonate in early-primary states, where GOP voters tend to be socially conservative and largely white.
Decoder Wire Why Bill O'Reilly now supports immigration reform

Bill O'Reilly announced his support for the immigration reform bill on his Fox News show Thursday night, in light of a border-security compromise that has been struck.
Stunning farm bill defeat lays bare House dysfunction

The farm bill failed to pass the House Thursday after Republicans began tinkering with the measure, driving off Democrats who otherwise would have voted for it.
Immigration reform: new security plan could sway dozen Republicans

Many Republicans have balked at the immigration reform bill, saying it didn't do enough to improve border security. A new compromise amendment in the Senate addresses those concerns and could pave the way for overwhelming approval next week.
House defeats farm bill because of food stamp cuts

In rejecting a $500 farm bill that included cuts to food stamps, Congress temporarily sidesteps a paradox: Why are food-stamp rolls growing while the economy is recovering?
House GOP passes major antiabortion bill. Why Democrats are pleased. (+video)

House Republicans passed legislation Tuesday that would ban abortions after 20 weeks' pregnancy. The party's social conservative base is happy, but Democrats see a political boon.