Author: Richard Cowan
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Some Democrats say Biden should not seek second term
WASHINGTON • A few Democrats in the U.S. Congress have begun to voice what many have mulled privately: whether President Joe Biden, the oldest person to ever occupy the Oval Office, ought to choose retirement over reelection in 2024. With his approval rating at 38% — and having held below 50% since May — the…
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Panel hearing, testimony tell one-side of story
WASHINGTON • A congressional probe into the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump supporters faced questions on Wednesday about what steps it had taken to corroborate a White House aide’s account of the then-president having struggled with Secret Service agents in his armored SUV that day. U.S. media outlets, citing Secret…
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Trump aides tell Jan. 6 committee he ignored their doubts about election fraud
WASHINGTON – Top advisers to then-President Donald Trump told him that his claims of widespread election fraud were unfounded and would not reverse his 2020 election loss, but he refused to listen, according to testimony on Monday at a hearing of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Close aides…
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Senate confirms Bedoya, giving Dems FTC control
WASHINGTON • The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to confirm privacy expert Alvaro Bedoya to be a commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, giving President Joe Biden’s Democrats control of the agency. Bedoya, who teaches at Georgetown Law School, was confirmed on a vote of 51-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie. Bedoya’s confirmation…
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Congress edges toward Ukraine aid, government funding bill
WASHINGTON • The U.S. Congress on Tuesday appeared to be on the cusp of an agreement to allocate billions of dollars in emergency aid for Ukraine, fund the federal government through Sept. 30, and provide resources to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Sweeping legislation, awaiting final approval from Democratic and Republican congressional leaders, was expected to…
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Senate nears passage of stop-gap funding bill to avoid gov’t shutdown
WASHINGTON • The U.S. Congress on Thursday gave final approval of legislation funding the government through March 11, avoiding the embarrassing spectacle of federal agencies having to shut many of their operations amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis. The Senate acted as a midnight Friday deadline loomed, when existing funds were set to expire for operating most…
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Congress approves sex harassment bill
WASHINGTON • The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would ban companies from forcing employees who allege sexual assault or harassment to settle their claims with an arbiter without the option of filing a lawsuit. The bill, which the House of Representatives passed this week, was sent to President Joe Biden to sign…
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Pelosi sees legislation on lawmaker stock trading ‘pretty soon’
WASHINGTON • Legislation to tighten controls on U.S. lawmakers’ financial transactions, including possibly banning them from buying and selling stocks, could be put on a fast track toward passage, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday. Weeks ago, Pelosi said the House Administration Committee was reviewing several suggestions from rank-and-file members amid calls for…
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House passes bill to avert temporary gov’t shutdown
WASHINGTON • The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved legislation to fund federal government agencies through March 11 and avoid a chaotic shutdown of many of Washington’s operations when existing money expires at midnight on Feb. 18. The House voted 272-162 to approve the stop-gap measure that will give Democratic and Republican negotiators in…
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Senator Lujan hospitalized after suffering stroke
WASHINGTON • Democratic Senator Ben Ray Lujan has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke last week and is expected to make a full recovery, his chief of staff said in a statement posted on Twitter on Tuesday. The statement said Lujan, 49, suffered a stroke last Thursday, underwent surgery to ease swelling and is hospitalized…