Sen. Reid Threatens Nuclear Option To Confirm Nominees
Senate Republicans have continued blocking a number of President Obama's appointees to run his executive agencies. Majority Leader Harry Reid again has threatened a rules change to permit appointment...
View ArticleWhat Did Congress Really Know About NSA Tracking?
If you're a member of Congress and you didn't know about the National Security Agency's phone records program before it was disclosed last week, President Obama has this to say to you: Where have you...
View ArticleSecret Surveillance Credited With Preventing Terror Acts
The National Security Agency director made the rounds again on Capitol Hill to defend two surveillance programs leaked to the press. Gen. Keith Alexander appeared before the House Intelligence...
View ArticleWhy The AR-15 Is More Than Just A Gun
Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid insist that gun control legislation is not dead — they say they're strategizing on how to bring the issue back to the Senate floor.Even if...
View ArticleSenate Stuck On Student Loan Bill As Rate Is Set To Double
Student loan rates are set to double on Monday, with Congress not likely to take action before then. The debate now is on how to lower costs for students without needing annual stopgap bills. Such a...
View ArticleCongress Still Squabbling Over Student Loan Rate Increase
The Senate is planning to vote Wednesday on a plan to bring interest rates on subsidized federal student loans back down to 3.4 percent for one more year. The rate doubled on July 1 when the chamber...
View ArticleCritics: Immigration Reform Takes Jobs Away From Black Workers
Opponents of the Senate immigration bill and its path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants rallied on Capitol Hill on Monday.
View ArticlePaul, Cruz Back Bill Changing Military Sexual Assault System
Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is winning more support for her effort to put serious military criminal cases in the hands of prosecutors. Commanders currently decide whether to try a case. On...
View ArticleSenate Revisits Voting Rights Act Following Court Ruling
Transcript AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: And I'm Melissa Block.The Senate Judiciary Committee has held the first...
View ArticleSenate Passes Student Loan Legislation To Lower Interest Rates
Transcript ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.After a long wait, the Senate has finally passed student loan legislation. It would restore lower...
View ArticleIn Rural N.C., New Voter ID Law Awakens Some Old Fears
This week, North Carolina's governor signed a new law requiring a state-approved photo ID to cast a vote in a polling place and shortening the period for early voting. The move comes just weeks after...
View ArticleMany U.S. Lawmakers Want A Say On Taking Action In Syria
The Obama administration appears poised to attack Syria after concluding Bashar Assad's government used chemical weapons, but many members of Congress say they haven't been briefed enough about why...
View ArticleSyria Resolution Could Be A Hard Sell On Capitol Hill
Twenty-four hours after President Obama announced on Saturday that he'll wait for congressional authorization before launching strikes on Syria; members of Congress attended a classified briefing at...
View ArticleSenators Rand Paul And John McCain Differ On Syria Strikes
Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and John McCain of Arizona approach the question of military strikes on Syria from opposite wings of the Republican Party. Paul from the isolationist wing and McCain from...
View ArticleSenate Committee Votes To Authorize Strikes On Syria
Senators on the Foreign Relations Committee spent Wednesday scrambling to find language authorizing military strikes on Syria that was acceptable to both those wanting a stronger response and those...
View ArticleWhat Furlough? GOP Lawmakers Choose How Much Burden To Bear
As the government shutdown enters its fifth day, House Republicans and Senate Democrats continue to spar over who's being more unreasonable in this fight.GOP members now find themselves on the...
View ArticleSome Republicans Say Debt Limit Fuss Is A Lot Of Hype
For weeks, economists and bankers have been warning that there will be catastrophic consequences if Congress fails raise the nation's borrowing limit.They say it will mean the nation will default on...
View ArticleIn History, House Speaker Has Never Been Removed At Midterm
Transcript RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: There's been a lot of speculation about whether John Boehner could lose his job as speaker of the House if he doesn't placate the Republican's vocal Tea Party faction....
View ArticleSenate Gets A Dose Of Scolding With Its Morning Prayer
It's easy to tune out when the Senate goes through its morning rituals. The president pro tem calls the chamber to order; there's the Pledge of Allegiance. One morning could sound like any other.Except...
View ArticleDefeat Isn't Easy For Conservative Republicans To Admit
Transcript STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: And I'm Renee Montagne.For weeks, Republican and Democratic lawmakers insisted there were...
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