Author: Richard Cowan
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McCarthy directs a House panel to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday launched an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, propelling Congress toward a long-shot effort to remove the Democratic president following two impeachments of former President Donald Trump. McCarthy’s move sets the stage for months of divisive House of Representatives hearings that could distract from lawmakers’ efforts…
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Dems, GOP dig in on debt-ceiling standoff after House action
WASHINGTON • The Senate showed no sign of moving to avoid a looming debt-ceiling crisis on Thursday, as Republicans rejected calls to raise the $31.4 trillion limit without conditions and Democrats dismissed the idea of talks. A day after the House of Representatives approved a Republican package that would lift the borrowing limit and slash…
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McCarthy unveils plan to lift US debt ceiling, cut spending
WASHINGTON • Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday unveiled a plan to raise the nation’s debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion and cut federal spending by three times that amount, laying out an opening position in what is likely to be a tense partisan debate over government borrowing. McCarthy’s proposal, which he unveiled on the…
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CBO warns U.S. could face debt-ceiling crisis this summer without deal
WASHINGTON • The Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday said the U.S. Treasury Department will exhaust its ability to pay all its bills between July and September, unless the current $31.4 trillion cap on borrowing is raised or suspended. In a report issued alongside its annual budget outlook, the non-partisan CBO cautioned that a historic federal…
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House GOP votes to oust Omar from major committee
WASHINGTON • House of Representatives Republicans on Thursday ousted Democrat Ilhan Omar from a high-profile committee over remarks widely condemned as antisemitic, two years after Democrats removed two Republicans from committee assignments. The deeply divided House voted 218-211 along party lines to remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee with Republicans citing the 2019 remarks…
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Rep. Santos says he won’t resign, only leave if voted out in next election
WASHINGTON • U.S. Rep. George Santos said on Thursday he would vacate his seat only if he loses the next election, clarifying an earlier statement that he would resign if “142 people” asked him to because of a string of false claims he made about his work and personal background. His initial remark about potentially…
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Senate advances $1.66 trillion government-funding bill
WASHINGTON • A $1.66 trillion government spending bill drew overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate on Tuesday as lawmakers steered it toward passage before a weekend deadline to avoid a partial shutdown of federal agencies. Democratic and Republican negotiators agreed early Tuesday morning on the sweeping bill to fund the federal government through the end…
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House advances stop-gap funding bill
WASHINGTON • A stop-gap spending bill to avoid a partial shutdown of the U.S. federal government began moving through the House of Representatives on Tuesday, as Congress scampered to meet a midnight Friday deadline when existing funds expire. The one-week, government-wide funding bill is designed to give lawmakers additional time to finish negotiations on a…
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Senate aims for stop-gap bill as funding deadline looms
WASHINGTON • The U.S. Senate will aim to vote on a bill to keep the federal government operating for one week past a Friday deadline, as Democrats and Republicans bicker over a longer-term measure likely to spend more than $1.5 trillion, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday. “Over the weekend, appropriators held positive and…
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Bill addressing lawmakers’ stock holdings and trade
WASHINGTON • Proposed legislation to tighten rules on U.S. lawmakers’ stock holdings and trades should come together later this month, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday. While Pelosi characterized the unfinished legislation as “very strong,” she did not say during a weekly news conference whether congressional…