Obama’s fundraising stop in Miami Beach is costly to local taxpayers

President Obama travels to Miami Beach on Wednesday to fundraise for the Democratic Party at a private event where donations could reach as high as $32,400 per person. | 06/11/13 14:00:27 By - Marc Caputo

Rubio: newly legalized need to be able to speak English

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio wants to make sure newly legalized immigrants can speak English. On Tuesday, he’s introducing an amendment to his own immigration bill to ensure those applying for permanent residency are proficient in English. | 06/11/13 12:45:32 By - Franco Ordonoz

Does 2014 hold another barnburner in North Carolina’s 7th District race for Congress?

The 2014 congressional elections are still 18 months away, but the politics are heating up in eastern North Carolina, where Democratic Rep. Mike McIntyre edged into office last year by only about 650 votes. | 06/10/13 17:24:44 By - By Renee Schoof

Supreme Court: California raisin growers can challenge marketing rules

Dissident California raisin farmers harvested a Supreme Court win Monday, easing future legal challenges to the decades-old program that regulates the raisin marketplace. | 06/10/13 17:04:53 By - By Michael Doyle

Democrats hit the road to sell public on Obamacare

Three years after it passed, President Barack Obama and fellow Democrats are still trying to sell the federal health care law to a skeptical nation. | 06/10/13 16:23:48 By - By Anita Kumar

Phone record fury just one sign of how privacy is a thing of the past

Welcome to the new normal, the U.S. national security state that’s grown like mad since the 9/11 terrorist attacks nearly a dozen years ago. | 06/10/13 15:34:11 By - By Anita Kumar and Michael Doyle

Immigration overhaul may lead to demographic shift in America

The country may be on the verge of its next demographic metamorphosis. The explosive growth of Hispanics that upended the country’s black and white racial dynamics may be flipped again as leaders in Washington have begun a historic debate on the most far-reaching immigration overhaul in decades. The outcome might serve as a historic marker for a new wave of highly skilled immigrants – most likely from China and India – who may alter the racial and ethnic fabric of our cities and states for generations to come. | 06/10/13 15:32:08 By - By Franco Ordonez

Push for more California judges depends on passage of immigration overhaul

The Senate’s big immigration bill offers long-awaited reinforcements to the overworked federal judges in California’s Central Valley. | 06/09/13 00:00:00 By - By Michael Doyle and John Ellis

Spying hangs over U.S.-China summit

President Barack Obama and new Chinese President Xi Jinping opened two days of talks at a California retreat with joint calls for a new relationship, even as Obama said he’d continue pressing China on its human rights record and cyber security. | 06/08/13 00:42:33 By - By Lesley Clark

In setting limits of secrecy, Congress has taken a back seat

When Sen Ron Wyden, D-Ore., stepped to the Senate floor last December, he had something on his mind. He was disturbed by what he’d learned about the way the executive branch had used a section of the USA Patriot Act to collect records from millions of Americans’ phones. But he didn’t feel free to tell the American people what he knew. Congress prides itself on being the most open of the three branches of government, where business is conducted publicly and constituents are welcome to watch. But the phone records controversy shows that even among the elected representatives of the people, secrecy can overcome open discussions of public policy. | 06/07/13 19:11:23 By - By David Lightman and William Douglas

Michigan Democrat Dingell surpasses record for longest tenure in Congress

The day that John Dingell first stepped onto the floor of the House of Representatives, he faced a very different America. A woman named Rosa Parks had just been arrested, the name Emmett Till was in the news and a movie star named James Dean had just died in a car crash. | 06/07/13 18:20:22 By - By Ali Watkins

Obama on spying: I am not Big Brother

President Barack Obama offered a strong defense Friday of his administration’s newly disclosed programs to monitor phone and Internet activity, insisting that secret surveillance helps prevent terrorist attacks. | 06/07/13 17:28:05 By - By Anita Kumar

Senate expected to pass farm bill next week; House still has work to do

Californians score some wins, losses and split-decisions in the big Senate farm bill set for long-awaited approval Monday. | 06/07/13 16:46:47 By - By Michael Doyle

In wake of devastating factory collapse, U.S. senators press reforms in Bangladesh apparel industry

Key senators on Thursday urged the Obama administration and U.S. retail companies to press for change in Bangladesh’s apparel industry after an April building collapse killed more than 1,100 factory workers. | 06/06/13 18:18:04 By - By Ali Watkins

Mr. Obama, meet Mr. Xi; U.S.-China summit is personal

President Barack Obama and China’s new president, Xi Jinping, will meet Friday at a sprawling California retreat for two days of talks aimed as much at fostering a rapport between leaders of the two global superpowers as at reaching agreement on a variety of crucial issues. | 06/06/13 18:11:21 By - By Lesley Clark

Intelligence Director declassifies law to explain massive phone, Internet surveillance

President Barack Obama’s administration on Thursday defended a newly disclosed National Security Agency program that gathers telephone records of tens of millions of Verizon customers, authorized under a secret court order. | 06/06/13 23:36:09 By - By Anita Kumar and William Douglas

Progress slow in Gulf Coast oil cleanup as funding still uncertain

Three years after the infamous BP oil spill off the Gulf Coast, lawmakers are still trying to nail down the effectiveness of past, present and future relief efforts backed by billions of dollars. | 06/06/13 18:16:24 By - By Kate Irby

In the heartland, the gun issue is clear-cut, sort of

Phil Roe remembers the Friday night he heard a scratching on his apartment door. Someone had been casing the area for a couple weeks, and Roe sensed a stranger was about to break in. | 06/06/13 16:14:32 By - By David Lightman

Congress blasts spending on IRS conferences, spoof videos

A top official of the Internal Revenue Service – who played “Star Trek’s” Mr. Spock in an agency-funded spoof of the popular TV show – apologized Thursday for not being more careful with taxpayers’ money as beleaguered IRS officials endured a fresh grilling from a congressional committee. | 06/06/13 18:04:02 By - By David Lightman and Kevin G. Hall

Rep. Raul Labrador exits bipartisan House talks on immigration

Rep. Raul Labrador, one of Congress’s strongest conservative voices in the fight for an immigration overhaul, is walking away from bipartisan talks over disagreements on providing healthcare coverage to those in the United States illegally. | 06/05/13 20:53:46 By - By Franco Ordonez

Looming food-stamp cuts split Democrats, anger anti-hunger groups

Billions of dollars in funding cuts for food stamps, contained in bills moving through Congress, have split Democratic lawmakers and angered advocates for the poor, who criticize the cuts as heartless attempts to reduce the federal budget deficit. | 06/05/13 18:07:58 By - By James Rosen

Obama, champion Ravens mix it up; no harm, no foul, just jokes

In a welcome break from the political crises gripping his administration, President Barack Obama hosted the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens at the White House on Wednesday for a congratulatory ceremony on the South Lawn. | 06/05/13 17:24:56 By -

Groups tell of IRS abuse, Ways and Means chief promises to look at IRS employees

WASHINGTON Fueled by fresh, terse testimony Tuesday from conservative groups detailing intense IRS scrutiny, a powerful lawmaker with watchdog responsibility for the agency promised a relentless effort to get answers from officials at all levels of the Internal Revenue Service. | 06/04/13 17:58:04 By - By David Lightman and Kevin G. Hall

Obamacare nullification bill on S.C. Senate agenda

South Carolina this week could become the first state in the country to restrict the enactment of Obamacare since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld that law last year. | 06/04/13 13:56:49 By - Adam Beam

Obama sets up clash with Republicans over court nominees

President Obama today announced his intention to nominate three judges to the nation's second highest court, accusing Republicans of blocking his selections for political reasons in remarks the White House pool report described as "fiery." | 06/04/13 12:36:14 By - By Lesley Clark

Senate, presidential powers collide in key case on recess appointments

The Supreme Court is expected to take up a groundbreaking separation-of-powers case later this month that features a constitutional clash between the president’s right to make recess appointments and the Senate’s authority to confirm high-level picks. | 06/03/13 23:06:11 By - By James Rosen

Boxer, with more women in Senate, pushes military to end sexual assaults

Sen. Barbara Boxer says she never imagined how long she’d have to keep fighting to protect women and men in uniform from sexual assault. | 06/01/13 00:00:00 By - By Curtis Tate

Obama urges Congress to stop hike in student-loan interest

President Barack Obama called on Congress Friday to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling to 6.8 percent, a move that many congressional Republicans denounced as a campaign stunt rather than an effort at real change. | 05/31/13 16:51:44 By - By Kate Irby

So far, sequester turns out to be tremors, not earthquake

Taken as a whole, the impact of the mandated across-the-board cuts “so far has been really teeny,” said Barry Anderson, deputy director of the National Governor’s Association. The U.S. economy is showing signs of improvement, with housing prices up, gasoline prices down and April’s 7.5 percent unemployment rate the lowest in four years. But as the sequester continues, more Americans are learning that even the teeniest change in Washington spending can have a big impact on their lives. From furloughed workers to shuttered federal offices to canceled White House tours and lighter entitlement checks, the reality of the sequester is hitting home. | 05/31/13 15:50:39 By - By William Douglas

Michele Bachmann’s record – hot rhetoric, few accomplishments

Michele Bachmann’s brief tenure in Congress gave her a forum for national attention and fame – | 05/29/13 18:05:18 By - By David Lightman and Trevor Graff

Michele Bachmann will not seek re-election in 2014

"I've never considered holding public office to be an occupation," she said in a video that lasts a little over eight and a half minutes. | 05/29/13 07:25:28 By - Julie Moos

Supreme Court widens opportunity for claims of ineffective counsel

A badly damaged Texas man who was sentenced to death for his part in a San Antonio-area gang rape and murder will get a second chance at mercy, under a divided Supreme Court ruling Tuesday. | 05/28/13 16:43:32 By - By Michael Doyle

Debate over guns will be back, supporters and critics say

The debate over guns isn’t over yet. | 05/28/13 14:45:52 By - By Anita Kumar and David Lightman

New IRS chief Danny Werfel goes from White House budget office to center stage

It’s a tall order straight from the president: Find anyone at the Internal Revenue Service who improperly targeted conservatives. Hold them responsible. Fix the system so it never happens again. | 05/28/13 06:22:04 By - By Renee Schoof

After failure on gun legislation, Obama learning limits of his power

Six months after his triumphant re-election, President Barack Obama has run into the hard reality of the modern presidency. | 05/24/13 15:33:49 By - By Anita Kumar

Did the Pentagon cry wolf over sequestration?

A funny thing happened on the way to a predicted disaster: The Pentagon is learning to live with the automatic budget cuts its leaders had warned would threaten national security if they took effect. | 05/24/13 19:05:02 By - By James Rosen

Scandal draws questions about IRS role in enforcing Obamacare

The blossoming IRS scandal over the targeting of conservative groups is provoking new scrutiny and terse questions about the agency’s role in shaping and implementing the controversial new national health care law, with the biggest changes set to begin next year. | 05/23/13 18:21:19 By - By Kevin G. Hall and David Lightman

Alaska Rep. Don Young, gone hunting in Africa, misses subcommittee oil hearing

When a key House of Representatives panel took up a bill this week that would require annual lease sales and streamline permitting in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, home state Rep. Don Young missed the session. | 05/23/13 17:48:18 By - By James Rosen McClatchy Washington Bureau

Obama administration targets reporters in crackdown on leaks

First, there was the news that the Justice Department had secretly seized telephone records of reporters at the Associated Press. A week later, reports that the department had investigated a Fox News reporter as a potential criminal for doing his job. | 05/23/13 15:44:40 By - By Anita Kumar

Obama speech suggests possible expansion of drone killings

President Barack Obama on Thursday defended his administration’s use of drone strikes to kill terrorists as effective, lawful and “heavily constrained,” but he also appeared to be laying groundwork for an expansion of the controversial targeted killings. | 05/23/13 19:38:13 By - By Lesley Clark and Jonathan S. Landay

Anthony Foxx coasts through hearing to take wheel at Transportation

Anthony Foxx avoided the controversy of other Capitol Hill hearings Wednesday, receiving a mostly warm reception from senators who considered his nomination to become transportation secretary. | 05/22/13 18:54:11 By - By Curtis Tate

Medical company declines to answer Senate questions on Medicare billing

The president and chief executive officer of a medical equipment company invoked the Fifth Amendment at Senate hearing Wednesday, declining to answer questions about aggressive marketing tactics used to sell scooters, sleep apnea machines and other home medical supplies to Medicare recipients who may not need or want them. | 05/22/13 18:01:07 By - By Lindsay Wise

IRS officials aren’t cooperating in probes at top or bottom

Internal Revenue Service officials are not fully cooperating with efforts to learn who is responsible for targeting conservative groups, lawmakers learned Wednesday during the third and most tense, dramatic hearing on the scandal. | 05/22/13 18:16:45 By - By Kevin G. Hall and David Lightman

As farm bill debate looms, Tarheel lawmakers gird for fight over tobacco

The U.S. Senate this week has started to fine-tune the huge, new five-year farm bill, working through votes on a series of amendments that will include a proposal to eliminate federal subsidies for tobacco insurance. | 05/21/13 18:56:22 By - By Renee Schoof

With Obama in the dark, administration planned how to stage-manage news of IRS scandal

The Obama administration’s timeline for who knew what and when about the Internal Revenue Service scandal changed again Tuesday with revelations that the Treasury Department and White House officials had discussed how to stage-manage the release of the explosive information. The latest revelation came as acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller told Congress that he’s responsible for the secretly planted question answered by subordinate Lois Lerner that triggered the scandal that’s now gripping the nation’s capital. | 05/21/13 20:31:58 By - By Kevin G. Hall and David Lightman

White House admits top Obama aides knew a month ago about IRS probe

The White House acknowledged Monday that senior aides to President Barack Obama knew a month ago that the Internal Revenue Service had targeted conservative groups, expanding on previous administration statements about who in the White House knew about the inquiry and when they knew about it. | 05/20/13 19:32:16 By - By Anita Kumar and Kevin G. Hall

Farmers hope immigration bill yields more foreign ag workers

Walk the aisles of any neighborhood grocery store today and you’re as likely to find tomatoes picked in Sinaloa, Mexico, as Central California or oranges from Sao Paulo, Brazil, as Bradenton, Fla. | 05/20/13 17:02:39 By - By Franco Ordonez

Treasury says U.S. can pay its bills for months, delaying debt ceiling fight

Any confrontation over the nation’s debt ceiling is now unlikely until after Labor Day. | 05/19/13 18:16:33 By - By David Lightman

Fired IRS chief clashes with Congress

The embattled and departing head of the IRS on Friday defended as proper the actions taken by IRS employees who selected for close scrutiny tea party groups and other conservative organizations. | 05/19/13 18:16:16 By - By Kevin G. Hall and William Douglas

Despite sequester, high-level federal executives slated to get bonuses

An elite group of federal employees is set to receive cash bonuses despite this year’s automatic budget cuts, according to a report that a Senate subcommittee issued Friday. | 05/17/13 18:18:35 By - By Lindsay Wise

Obama, lawmakers tackle military sexual assault

In a one-two punch from both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue on Thursday, lawmakers introduced a sweeping revision to military sexual-assault law and the president summoned his uniformed service chiefs. The politically popular bill and the high-profile White House meeting underscore how recent cases and reports have rapidly turned combating military sexual assault into a bipartisan high priority. | 05/16/13 19:28:45 By - By Michael Doyle

In IRS scandal, why is any political group exempt from taxes?

The Internal Revenue Service is under fire for giving extra scrutiny to conservative organizations that asked for tax-exempt status. But the scandal begs a broader question: Why are political organizations getting this government subsidy anyway? | 05/16/13 16:59:58 By - By Kevin G. Hall and David Lightman

Hoe, hoe, hoe! Christmas trees are back, in new farm bill

A Christmas tree-promotion program that pumped up conservative mockery and panicked the Obama administration is back for a second go-around, under a new farm bill. | 05/16/13 16:41:22 By - By Michael Doyle

IRS scandal puts the caffeine back in tea party

Republicans think the Internal Revenue Service controversy is the magic weapon for beating up Democrats, because nothing resonates with the American public like potential IRS abuse. | 05/16/13 15:29:25 By - By David Lightman

Senate committee backs EPA nominee Gina McCarthy

After boycotting the same confirmation vote a week earlier, Republican senators agreed Thursday to show up for a committee vote on President Barack Obama’s pick to be the nation’s top air and water quality regulator. | 05/16/13 13:52:20 By - By Erika Bolstad

Multiple controversies suddenly plague Obama

The honeymoon, if there ever was one, is over. Four months into his second term, President Barack Obama finds himself under siege from members of both parties and the media for a series of crises that has stalled his policy priorities and threatened to engulf the second half of his presidency. | 05/16/13 13:24:23 By - By Anita Kumar and Steven Thomma

Obama fires IRS chief

Moving to quell a growing scandal, President Barack Obama on Wednesday fired the acting chief of the Internal Revenue Service and vowed to work closely with Congress in determining who ordered lower-level employees to target tea party groups and other conservative organizations. | 05/15/13 20:33:44 By - By Kevin G. Hall, David Lightman and Lesley Clark

Senate considers: If no one’s behind the wheel, who’s driving?

Cars that steer themselves through bumper-to-bumper traffic will hit the market by the end of this year, and self-parking vehicles aren’t far behind. Fully autonomous models that don’t need human drivers at all are less than a decade from dealerships. But laws lag behind the rise of the robo-car. At a Senate hearing Wednesday, lawmakers grappled with the policy implications and risks. | 05/15/13 18:52:31 By - By Lindsay Wise

Senate overwhelmingly approves water infrastructure bill

In a rare display of bipartisanship on major legislation, the Senate passed a bill Wednesday to move forward on a variety of water infrastructure projects throughout the country. | 05/15/13 17:49:35 By - By Curtis Tate

Benghazi emails show CIA deputy director did most of editing on talking points

President Barack Obama succumbed to days of withering criticism Wednesday, releasing dozens of emails in an effort to demonstrate that the White House did not try to cover up information about the September 2012 attacks on diplomatic facilities in Libya that killed four Americans. | 05/15/13 21:37:18 By - By Anita Kumar and Jonathan S. Landay

FBI starts criminal probe of IRS as report details unfair treatment

The Internal Revenue Service asked “unnecessary, burdensome questions” of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status, questions that unfairly delayed the applications, according to an investigative report obtained by McClatchy. | 05/14/13 21:40:39 By - By Kevin G. Hall and David Lightman

House Republicans, White House look to change student loan rates

Republicans in the House of Representatives and President Barack Obama agree in general on what to do with student loan interest rates: Let them vary with the market. | 05/14/13 18:36:19 By - By Renee Schoof

IRS asked 'unnecessary, burdensome questions' of conservative groups

The IRS used inappropriate criteria to review applications for tax-exempt status by tea party groups and other conservative organizations, according to a copy of the report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration obtained by McClatchy late Tuesday. | 05/14/13 18:27:27 By - Kevin G. Hall

House farm bill has plenty for California growers

California lawmakers will now help plant another farm bill, hoping it will bear fruit for the state’s frustrated growers. | 05/14/13 16:59:21 By - By Michael Doyle

Kentucky activist to IRS: 'Apology not accepted'

In February 2012, conservative activist Eric Wilson of Georgetown began claiming in news releases that the IRS was delaying his group's application for special tax status by asking personal questions. | 05/13/13 19:07:06 By - Jack Brammer

Obama, Congress promise probe of IRS

Political Washington reacted with bipartisan outrage Monday to reports that the Internal Revenue Service targeted conservative organizations applying for special tax-exempt status – though questions have been raised about politics and tax status since at least 2006. | 05/13/13 22:57:44 By - By Kevin G. Hall, William Douglas and Lesley Clark

Rand Paul careful about where family resemblance begins and ends in Iowa

Rand Paul’s potential bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination is off to a promising start in the crucial state of Iowa, thanks in part to the fact that his father is Ron Paul. The family name opens important doors to networks of potential volunteers and contributors. It draws people to take a close look at a man who’s only in his first Senate term. But Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., ultimately has to make it on his own. And that won’t be easy. | 05/13/13 12:38:51 By - By David Lightman

Immigration debate attracts wide swath of lobbyists

Money has played a major role in the current drama to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws, with millions of dollars spent in the past year trying to influence or kill various proposals that could affect a variety of special interests. | 05/13/13 00:00:00 By - By Franco Ordonez

For GOP House Whip Kevin McCarthy, the job is politics with a side of pizza

House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy is a genial man with a confounding job. | 05/12/13 00:00:00 By - By Michael Doyle and David Lightman

Rand Paul visits Iowa, triggers talk of 2016 White House bid

Sen. Rand Paul brought his national ambitions to Iowa on Friday, ripping potential Democratic rival Hillary Clinton while urging his own Republican Party to broaden its appeal as he campaigned like it was already 2016. | 05/11/13 09:46:52 By - By David Lightman

Obama aides scramble to defend edits to Benghazi talking points

The Obama administration insisted Friday that it acted in good faith and not to protect itself when it eliminated references to al Qaida and an allied group in talking points about the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. | 05/10/13 19:53:20 By - By Lesley Clark

Rep. Ellmers weighs campaign to take on Sen. Hagan

Republican U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers is mulling a bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan in 2014, but has some obstacles to consider: a competitive primary field, attacks on her record and a so-far meager campaign war chest. | 05/10/13 16:06:58 By - By Renee Schoof

Republicans call for an inquiry into IRS' targeting of conservative groups

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. on Friday called for the White House to conduct a "transparent, government-wide review" after the IRS admitted that they scrutinized conservative groups during the 2012 election. | 05/10/13 14:38:38 By - Anita Kumar

Republican boycott stalls vote on EPA nominee Gina McCarthy

Republican senators on Thursday boycotted a scheduled committee vote on President Barack Obama’s pick to be the nation’s top air and water quality regulator, saying the Environmental Protection Agency hadn’t adequately answered questions about her role as a deputy there. | 05/09/13 17:28:57 By - By Erika Bolstad

Senator Durbin wants proof that BRAC actually saved money

A U.S. senator wants the Air Force to prove it saved money by closing bases due to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process. "Base closure commissions are supposed to take the politicians out of the process. I think they've replaced politicians with other politicians," said Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois. | 05/09/13 13:38:25 By - Jennifer Bowen

Senate begins debate on immigration bill

The Senate will begin a historic debate Thursday that could overhaul the nation’s immigration system. Senators will get their first crack at modifying or killing legislation proposed by a bipartisan group of eight colleagues. The so-called Gang of Eight introduced the measure in hopes of offering a long-elusive solution to the immigration problems that have plagued the nation for decades. It’s the first real effort in six years. The road ahead is full of political peril. | 05/08/13 17:33:14 By - By Franco Ordonez

In D.C. with a wish list, Merced County looks for help with roads, redevelopment and cops

Merced County officials lobbying Washington this week know, in theory, the secret of getting things done on Capitol Hill. | 05/08/13 15:30:36 By - By Michael Doyle

Hispanic leaders warn GOP not to block Thomas Perez as labor secretary

Hispanic lawmakers and community leaders warned Republicans on Tuesday about the consequences of blocking President Barack Obama’s nomination of Thomas Perez to be labor secretary. | 05/07/13 19:54:34 By - By James Rosen

Medicare fraud targets seniors, scooters: ‘I don’t need it. I don’t want it.’

Dr. Charlotte Kennedy first became suspicious when she received a fax from a medical supply company asking her to authorize a back brace for a 92-year-old patient. She’d recently examined the patient, who never mentioned any back problems. In fact, the woman was an avid gardener. Kennedy had stumbled on a problem that cost Medicare – and taxpayers – $27 billion over the past four years. | 05/07/13 16:14:34 By - By Lindsay Wise

Senate approves online sales tax; House support isn’t so certain

A bill that would authorize states to collect sales taxes for online purchases easily passed the Senate on Monday with bipartisan support, but it faces a tougher hurdle in the House of Representatives. | 05/06/13 19:19:44 By - By Lindsay Wise

In Costa Rica, Obama turns back to economy

Wrapping up a trip to Central America Saturday, President Barack Obama sought to put the focus firmly back on his top priority: the economy. | 05/04/13 16:31:54 By - By Anita Kumar

Sen. Lindsey Graham shifts support of Obama over national security

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s recent harsh criticism of President Barack Obama over national security is a marked change from the South Carolina Republican’s previous repeated praise of Obama’s performance. | 05/03/13 17:05:54 By - By James Rosen

Rep. Don Young turns to oil cash for his legal defense

Alaska Rep. Don Young is reaching into a legal defense fund bankrolled by a Louisiana oil field services company in order to pay lawyers to defend him in his latest ethics investigation. | 05/02/13 16:11:46 By -

Obama’s bid to squeeze Social Security enrages his core backers

Liberal groups angered by President Barack Obama’s proposed Social Security cuts say they’ll take a page from conservatives’ campaign playbook and work to oust Democratic lawmakers who go along with the plan. | 05/02/13 16:42:19 By - By James Rosen

Family of Commerce pick Penny Pritzker was pioneer in troubled mortgage securities

President Barack Obama’s choice to be the new secretary of commerce is a powerful Democratic fundraiser and hometown friend whose family’s role in a controversial bank failure might raise questions during her Senate confirmation. | 05/02/13 18:00:51 By - By Kevin G. Hall

Obama vows anew to close Guantanamo

President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he’d redouble efforts on a failed first-term campaign promise to close the prison for terrorism suspects at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. | 04/30/13 20:25:48 By - By Anita Kumar

Lame duck? Obama says he still matters

President Barack Obama declared Tuesday that he’s still a force to be reckoned with, even as he faces a recalcitrant Congress, a stalled agenda, few options for containing civil war in Syria and new questions about U.S anti-terrorism efforts in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing. | 04/30/13 18:23:31 By - By Lesley Clark

Obama welcomes transportation nominee Anthony Foxx

President Barack Obama nominated Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Anthony Foxx on Monday to be his next transportation secretary, choosing a rising star from his own party to follow a popular Republican skilled at working across the aisle. | 04/29/13 19:03:43 By - By Franco Ordonez, David Lightman and William Douglas

Obama's remarks nominating Anthony Foxx

Now, unfortunately for us but fortunately for them, Ray LaHood is now looking forward to spending more time with his wife Kathy and their family –- especially a whole gaggle of grandchildren. And so, today, I’m proud to announce my intent to nominate another impressive leader to carry on his great work at the Department of Transportation: the Mayor of Charlotte, my friend from North Carolina, Mr. Anthony Foxx. | 04/29/13 15:06:57 By -

Congress heads home for recess, leaving to-do list behind

Congress headed home this weekend for a nine-day break, leaving behind much of the trouble it was elected to help ease. | 04/26/13 17:19:54 By - By David Lightman

Todd Akin: 'I still regret my rape comments'

Former Missouri Congressman Todd Akin broke his post-election silence Thursday, telling a St. Louis TV station that he regrets his “legitimate rape” remarks that boosted the candidacy of Democrat Claire McCaskill. | 04/26/13 14:53:12 By - Steve Kraske

Congress moves to ease air travel delays, then heads for airport

Congress moved fast Friday to ease delays at airports around the nation triggered by furloughs of air traffic controllers, as the House of Representatives approved by 361-41 a budget fix designed to avert more trouble. | 04/26/13 16:17:01 By - By David Lightman and Curtis Tate

At White House correspondents’ dinner, D.C. is Hollywood East for a night

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner this weekend has become an annual kind of prom for reporters, politicos and Washington insiders, who get to mingle with big names, starting with the president and first lady, and a lot of glitzy Hollywood stars. | 04/25/13 18:27:01 By - By Maria Recio

N.C. Rep. George Holding finding his way and not afraid to say ‘no’

George Holding promised voters he’d go to Washington to cut spending, and four months into the job, he hears pitches for what sound like good programs. | 04/25/13 18:08:31 By - By Renee Schoof

Pentagon’s budget cuts could slow F-35 program, Congress told

The on-time rollout of the F-35 fighter jet for its 2017 deadline could be in jeopardy as a result of forced federal budget cuts, testified a key military official to Congress on Wednesday. | 04/24/13 18:33:38 By - By Beena Raghavendran

Flight delays become real consequence of partisan gridlock

Politicians in Washington swapped accusations this week as anticipated mandatory spending cuts began to have their first noticeable impact on the nation’s air travel, with hundreds of flights delayed after airport personnel were forced to take unpaid days off. | 04/24/13 17:03:47 By - By Curtis Tate

Senate bill may require paying sales tax for more online purchases

Sarah Bagby’s 35-year-old independent bookstore so far has weathered the advent of Internet shopping and e-books. Now Bagby, the owner of Watermark Books & Cafe in Wichita, Kan., is closely following debate in Congress over a bill that she says would help her stay competitive with online retailers who are able to undercut her prices by not charging state or local sales taxes. | 04/23/13 17:25:43 By - By Lindsay Wise

Supreme Court justices tread murky waters in Texas-Oklahoma dispute

Supreme Court justices on Tuesday opened a floodgate of questions about a water dispute pitting Texas against Oklahoma, with the eventual outcome still in doubt. | 04/23/13 16:47:42 By - By Michael Doyle

Obama push against gun rights senators could backfire

“You’ve got to send the right people to Washington” to deal with gun control, President Barack Obama insists.In fact, the people voters send to Washington next year could prove to be Obama’s nightmare. | 04/23/13 16:19:53 By - By David Lightman

Obama to find new foreign-policy challenge in Mexico

On the eve of President Barack Obama’s trip to Mexico next week, the new government there looks to reboot a joint effort to combat violent drug traffickers, worries about piecemeal efforts in the United States to legalize marijuana and hopes to rebuild frayed relations with Cuba. | 04/22/13 16:37:56 By - By Kevin G. Hall and Hannah Allam

Mexican Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade, in his own words

Excerpts from an interview with Mexico’s new foreign secretary, Jose Antonio Meade, in advance of a May 2 visit to Mexico City by President Barack Obama. McClatchy interviewed him in Washington. | 04/22/13 16:36:21 By - By Kevin G. Hall

‘Compromise is not a bad word,’ Bob Dole says as he reflects upon his time in politics

Bob Dole tries to go to work every day. On April 10, for this interview in his law firm office, he wore a crisp white shirt with a pen in his pocket and a blue necktie festooned with tiny American flags. Except for the alert eyes, he looked frail. He spoke slowly. But as the words came, it was clear it was the same Dole who ran for president in 1996, who ruled Republicans in the Senate for 11 years before that. | 04/22/13 13:36:11 By -

Could Boston suspects’ background impact immigration debate in Congress?

The two brothers suspected of being behind the explosions in Boston have been thrust into the immigration debate just as it is gaining steam in Washington. Some are using the bombing case as justification for holding off talks on overhauling the nation’s immigration laws. | 04/19/13 21:19:55 By - By Franco Ordonez

History, culture, mistrust combined to defeat gun control effort

Why is it so hard for even the most modest gun control effort to succeed? The easy answer is the power of the gun lobby, but the obstacles are far more complex. Growing numbers of people distrust Washington. A deeply rooted gun culture sees big government as a threat to its security, not to mention its constitutional rights. Members of Congress from conservative areas are well aware that votes on gun control, even in baby steps, are politically perilous. | 04/19/13 14:33:23 By - By David Lightman

Looming California water fight will test Rep. McClintock’s political sway

A politically difficult bill allowing the expansion of Lake McClure will now test whether Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., has learned how to move the levers of California water. | 04/18/13 19:14:32 By - Michael Doyle

Next in immigration debate: Sorting through the specifics

Now that the behemoth immigration bill pitched by the so-called Gang of Eight has been filed, activists – and their lawyers – on both sides of the issue have been poring over the 844-page document and uncovering concerns they want addressed. | 04/18/13 18:02:58 By - By Franco Ordonez

Sen. Dianne Feinstein defeated on assault weapons, but not done with gun control push

Sen. Dianne Feinstein had a lot of support in her push to renew a federal ban on assault weapons, including from law enforcement officials, hundreds of mayors and President Barack Obama. | 04/18/13 18:24:36 By - By Curtis Tate

Gun control debate goes silent in the Senate – for now

Congressional efforts to pass or even debate serious gun-control legislation are over for the foreseeable future. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid put the legislation aside Thursday as it became clear that gun control forces lacked the votes to pass major measures they sought. | 04/18/13 16:28:33 By - By David Lightman

Tim Scott sole senator to vote against energy nominee

Scott, a South Carolina Republican who joined the Senate in January, acknowledged that Moniz is “well-educated and experienced,” but said he opposed Moniz’ nomination because of his “lack of clarity” in explaining the MOX (mixed-oxide fuel) program based at Savannah River Site in Aiken County, S.C. | 04/18/13 16:27:23 By - James Rosen

McConnell campaign claims he is Obama's 'No. 1 target' in new TV ad

Sen. Mitch McConnell depicts himself as a victim of "dirty" attacks by liberals and President Barack Obama's "No. 1 target" in a TV ad that begins airing Friday. | 04/18/13 14:23:48 By - Jack Brammer

Obama assures a reeling Boston: ‘We will finish the race’

President Barack Obama on Thursday celebrated this city’s resilience in the face of a bomb attack that upended the legendary Boston Marathon and rattled much of the country, pledging that runners will return to the streets of an unbowed city next year. | 04/18/13 18:07:07 By - By Lesley Clark and Anita Kumar

Senate vote crushes families devastated by gun violence

Families of gun violence victims filled the side of the Senate gallery Wednesday, awaiting a vote on a bill that would expand background checks for gun sales. Some wore ribbons and shirts in kelly green, which has become the color of gun violence remembrance. | 04/17/13 18:52:01 By - By Beena Raghavendran

Senate rejects series of tougher gun control measures

Gun control advocates led by President Barack Obama suffered a huge setback Wednesday as the Senate defeated a delicately crafted compromise aimed at strengthening background checks for gun buyers – and then proceeded to reject a ban on assault weapons and limits on ammunition clips. | 04/17/13 19:27:36 By - By David Lightman and Curtis Tate

Suspect arrested in Mississippi in poison letters to Congress, White House

The FBI arrested a Mississippi man Wednesday in connection with letters mailed to President Barack Obama and Republican Sen. Roger Wicker that tested positive for the poisonous substance ricin. | 04/17/13 21:33:08 By - By William Douglas, Greg Gordon and Anita Kumar

Some Democrats tacking left before possible 2016 White House runs

While the Republican Party grapples with a center-right divide after its election losses last fall, Democrats may be setting up a center vs. left battle for the 2016 election to succeed President Barack Obama. | 04/17/13 12:00:53 By - By David Lightman

Suspicious letters sent to President Obama, U.S. senator

A letter addressed to President Obama containing a "suspicious substance" was intercepted on Tuesday at a remote Secret Service mail screening facility, the presidential protective agency said. | 04/16/13 21:46:26 By - By David Lightman, William Douglas and Greg Gordon

Obama honors NASCAR champ Brad Keselowski at White House

President Barack Obama honored NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski at the White House on Tuesday for winning the 2012 Sprint Cup Championship for the first time and for his work with wounded veterans. | 04/16/13 18:43:34 By - By Emma Kantrowitz

Immigration overhaul: 'Something for everybody to hate'

The introduction of the most far-reaching immigration overhaul in decades marks only the first chapter in a long battle that will test emotions and political wits. | 04/16/13 18:37:05 By - By Franco Ordonez

Obama took his time in calling Boston Marathon attack ‘terrorism’

It took President Barack Obama nearly 24 hours to describe Monday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon the same way that lawmakers, experts and even his own staff did: as an act of terrorism. That was no accident. | 04/16/13 18:18:23 By - By Anita Kumar

Senators wrangle over how to shape gun-control amendments

The Senate struggle over guns begins Wednesday, and even the easiest votes are going to be hard. | 04/16/13 20:16:30 By - By David Lightman and Curtis Tate

Immigration bill to be unveiled this week focuses more on workers, less on families

After lengthy closed-door negotiations, a bipartisan group of senators plans to submit legislation to enact a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws on Tuesday. The controversial proposal would grant most of the 11 million people here illegally a path to citizenship and give thousands of deported individuals a chance to return, but would also adopt some of the toughest immigration enforcement measures in the history of the United States. | 04/16/13 00:00:00 By - By Franco Ordonez

Immigration overhaul faces a long road in Congress

The massive legislative overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws that’s expected to be unveiled in the Senate on Tuesday may represent a bipartisan breakthrough for the so-called Gang of Eight, but it’s just the beginning of a long slog. | 04/15/13 19:00:46 By - By William Douglas, James Rosen and Kevin G. Hall

Notion of gene patenting raises eyebrows at Supreme Court

Supreme Court justices pushed back Monday against the idea of patenting human genes during oral arguments that ranged from baseball bats and chocolate chip cookies to imaginary plants in the Amazon. | 04/15/13 17:28:07 By - By Michael Doyle

America turns left on social issues, but not on government

Some saw Barack Obama as a modern-day Franklin Roosevelt, ushering in a 21st century version of New Deal liberalism. Others saw a John F. Kennedy, heralding the dawn of a new progressive age of expanding rights. | 04/15/13 16:42:52 By - By David Lightman

Criticism of Sen. Roy Blunt’s role in agriculture provision illustrates concerns about Congress

Late last month, the Senate was under deadline pressure. The eleventh hour was approaching and Congress had to pass a stopgap budget bill to avert a federal government shutdown. The bill passed the Senate after a flurry of last-minute amendments on March 20. The House of Representatives approved it the next day. Buried in the 587-page package, a rider nicknamed the “farmer assurance provision” drew little notice. | 04/15/13 16:40:30 By - By Lindsay Wise

Same-sex benefits may be ‘poison pill’ in immigration debate

The Supreme Court may have an unexpectedly decisive role in helping to determine whether 11 million people who are in the U.S. illegally are allowed to remain without fear of deportation. | 04/15/13 00:00:00 By - By Franco Ordonez

Obama’s 2014 budget has more new taxes than he talked about

President Barack Obama touted a proposal this week to collect $580 billion in new taxes from the wealthy to reduce the nation’s escalating deficit. | 04/12/13 18:51:10 By - By Anita Kumar

Supreme Court to consider whether firms can patent genes, the essence of life

The building blocks of life are now stacked up before the Supreme Court, as justices consider whether scientists can patent an isolated human gene. | 04/12/13 17:22:05 By - By Michael Doyle

For gun control supporters, the hard part has just begun

The Senate next week plans votes on a wide-ranging series of gun control measures, the first time in years lawmakers will go on the record on major steps to curb gun violence, such as banning assault weapons and restricting the size of magazine clips. | 04/12/13 16:36:36 By - By David Lightman and Curtis Tate

Obama and Biden release tax returns, with pitch for the Buffett Rule

President Obama released his 2012 federal income tax return today, with he and first lady Michelle Obama filing jointly and reporting adjusted gross income of $608,611. The Obamas paid $112,214 in total tax. | 04/12/13 13:59:28 By - Lesley Clark

Obama proposes $3.78 trillion budget for 2014

President Barack Obama unveiled his $3.78 trillion budget proposal Wednesday for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, promising that it would boost the economy and cut projected deficits by investing in job growth and raising taxes on the wealthy. | 04/12/13 18:58:39 By - By Lesley Clark and Anita Kumar

Hearing on EPA nominee Gina McCarthy focuses on agency’s long reach

Even the Republicans who are the most critical of the Environmental Protection Agency had few questions about whether Gina McCarthy has the qualifications for the job. The agency’s regulatory practices and transparency got a lashing at McCarthy’s Senate confirmation hearing, though. And both Democrats and Republicans acknowledged that the agency under her leadership would likely take the lead in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the absence of significant congressional action on climate change. | 04/11/13 15:43:19 By - By Erika Bolstad

Spring is in the air on Capitol Hill – for now

The cherry blossoms are in bloom in Washington this week. Is long-absent bipartisanship on Capitol Hill flowering as well? | 04/11/13 15:34:10 By - By William Douglas and David Lightman

White House employees will take unpaid leave because of sequester

The president’s staff will start implementing furloughs for 468 employees next month as part of the across-the-board budget cuts implemented March 1. | 04/11/13 14:39:20 By - By Anita Kumar

White House honors Florida scientist Jennifer Jurado for work on climate change

The White House on Thursday honored a Broward County, Fla., scientist who helped launch a multi-county initiative to address sea level rise and other consequences of climate change in South Florida. | 04/11/13 13:15:21 By - By Erika Bolstad

Gun measure clears first Senate hurdle, but tougher ones await

A Senate vote Thursday to proceed with debate on gun legislation cleared an important, early hurdle for supporters of firearms restrictions, but backers face huge and potentially insurmountable obstacles in the days and weeks ahead. | 04/11/13 17:23:10 By - By David Lightman and Curtis Tate

Come tax time, many refunds go to identity thieves

An epidemic of tax-related identity theft continues to plague the Internal Revenue Service despite efforts by the agency and law enforcement officials to combat the fraud, witnesses told a Senate panel Wednesday. | 04/10/13 19:03:33 By - By Lindsay Wise

Immigrant advocates rally for change on Capitol Hill

Nancy Chavez feels the pain of being away from her 2-year-old every time she leaves her Salinas, Calif., home to go to work in the fields picking broccoli and lettuce. | 04/10/13 18:35:19 By - By Rebecca Lurye

Rand Paul tries to spread GOP gospel to black students

Adding his voice to his party’s recent quest to broaden its minority appeal, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a potential Republican presidential hopeful in 2016, told an audience at a historically black university on Wednesday that his party “has always been the party of civil rights and voting rights.” | 04/10/13 18:32:43 By - By Matthew Schofield

House Republicans push to give Keystone pipeline approval authority to Congress

Promoters of the Keystone XL pipeline are agitating for its fast approval now that the State Department has downplayed the project’s impact on global warming. Energy leaders in the House of Representatives back a bill to force the government to approve it, and the premier of the Canadian province of Alberta is in Washington lobbying for the project. | 04/10/13 18:07:08 By - By Sean Cockerham

One likely winner in budget fight – status quo

President Barack Obama’s $3.78 trillion budget Wednesday provided fresh, vivid evidence that Washington remains desperately divided over key spending and tax issues – and that government appears poised to keep limping along without a broad budget agreement. | 04/10/13 16:37:51 By - By David Lightman

Senate moves closer to compromise on gun background checks

Nearly four months after the shooting deaths of 20 schoolchildren and six others in Connecticut, the Senate moved closer Wednesday to a vote on a package of gun-related legislation, in a turnaround for supporters of new gun restrictions whose efforts have faltered in recent weeks. | 04/10/13 19:29:52 By - By Curtis Tate

Obama may trade one flawed Social Security formula for another

President Barack Obama’s coming push for less generous increases in Social Security benefits is angering his party and perplexing economists, many of whom question why he’d replace one ineffective measure with another. | 04/09/13 18:15:49 By - By Kevin G. Hall

Senators apply brakes to fast-moving immigration talks

The bipartisan group of senators who last week proclaimed the imminent release of the most sweeping immigration overhaul in decades may have hit some political snags. | 04/09/13 17:53:34 By - By Franco Ordonez

Energy nominee Ernest Moniz questioned about Hanford nuclear site

President Barack Obama’s energy secretary nominee, Ernest Moniz, faced Senate questioning Tuesday on how he’d fight global warming and fix federal mismanagement of the contaminated Hanford nuclear site in Washington state. | 04/09/13 17:23:52 By - By Sean Cockerham

Obama budget: An act of political outreach?

President Barack Obama will unveil a spending plan Wednesday that he hopes will provide a compromise to the two feuding parties on Capitol Hill, offering Republican-friendly proposals – including those that cut Social Security and Medicare – tied to tax increases on the wealthiest Americans. | 04/05/13 17:25:11 By - By Anita Kumar, Lesley Clark and Kevin G. Hall

Obama apologizes for the 'distraction' caused by his remarks about Calif. AG's looks

President Obama called California Attorney General Kamala Harris to apologize for the "distraction" created when he remarked on her good looks, Press Secretary Jay Carney said Friday. | 04/05/13 15:22:40 By - Lesley Clark

Florida fifth-graders help plant White House garden

While the rest of his classmates were stuck in school Thursday, Emilio Vega, 11, planted bread wheat seeds with first lady Michelle Obama in her garden on the South Lawn of the White House. | 04/04/13 17:20:33 By - By Emma Kantrowitz

Is Democratic Alaska Sen. Mark Begich conservative enough to win again?

In the hyper-partisan world of Washington politics, it’s not surprising that there are two competing narratives about Mark Begich’s four-plus years in office as a first-term senator. | 04/04/13 15:45:46 By - By James Rosen

Public still anxious over economy, has little faith in Washington, poll finds

President Barack Obama’s job approval rating is a so-so 50 percent, as Americans continue to have serious concerns about whether the country is headed in the right direction, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll. | 04/03/13 16:50:24 By - By David Lightman

NRA-paid study calls for armed guards on all school campuses

A task force working for the National Rifle Association recommended Tuesday that at least one armed guard be stationed on every campus in America as part of a three-month review on how to make schools safer in the wake of the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn. | 04/02/13 18:03:43 By - By Anita Kumar

The really early 2016 line: Hillary, Biden look strong over potential GOP field

The 2016 presidential election is far off, but an early sign indicates that Republicans could face trouble if Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden becomes the Democratic nominee, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll. | 04/02/13 17:05:36 By - By David Lightman

Quietly and behind the scenes, gun research and regulation has been stymied

Each year, lawmakers quietly tuck language into spending bills that restricts the ability of the federal government to regulate the firearms industry and combat gun crime. | 04/02/13 18:28:29 By - By Anita Kumar

NRA consultant recommends a gun on every school campus

A consultant hired by the National Rifle Association recommended Tuesday that at least one armed guard be stationed on every campus in America as part of a three-month review on how to make schools safer in the wake of the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn. | 04/02/13 13:41:05 By - Anita Kumar

Immigration plan heads to bill writing – and devilish details

Politics still might get in the way of a final agreement on a bipartisan immigration bill. Now that labor and business have agreed on an immigrant temporary-worker program, a bipartisan group of eight senators say they’ve cleared every major policy hurdle and are ready to introduce the most dramatic overhaul to the U.S. immigration system in decades. But first they have to write the bill, and that’s rarely an easy task. | 04/01/13 19:05:14 By - By Franco Ordonez

Supreme Court won’t hear Spirit Airlines’ appeal of ad price policy

Feisty ad tactics from Florida-based Spirit Airlines won’t become a First Amendment test for the Supreme Court, after all. In a case closely watched by the airline industry and free-speech advocates alike, the court declined Monday to hear Spirit’s challenge to federal mandates on how prices are advertised. The court’s decision effectively upholds Department of Transportation rules opposed by several airlines and civil libertarians who are concerned about government controls over commercial speech. | 04/01/13 17:05:20 By - By Michael Doyle

Democrats fear Obama group will siphon money from them

President Barack Obama’s decision to launch his own political organization has some Democrats wondering: Is he just in it for himself? | 04/01/13 14:33:03 By - By Anita Kumar

Alaska Rep. Don Young apologizes for using ethnic slur to describe Hispanics

The national leaders of both major political parties condemned Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young on Friday for calling Latino farm workers “wetbacks,” a slur that comes at a time that the Republican Party is desperately courting Latino voters. | 03/29/13 18:00:58 By - By Sean Cockerham

N.C. lawmakers say school safety bill is nation's most comprehensive

North Carolina lawmakers on Thursday unveiled what they call the nation’s most comprehensive response to the Newtown shootings, a bipartisan package designed to add more law enforcement officers in elementary and middle schools and install panic alarms in every classroom. | 03/29/13 07:19:06 By - John Frank

Fla. Gov. Scott wants state reimbursed for port dredging project

President Barack Obama will use the construction cranes and cargo containers at PortMiami as a backdrop Friday to speak about boosting the economy through investments in ports, roads and bridges. | 03/29/13 06:58:00 By - Patricia Mazzei

Obama: ‘Shame on us’ if Congress does little about guns after Newtown

President Barack Obama delivered an emotional plea Thursday for lawmakers to pass legislation intended to curb gun violence, saying Americans couldn’t possibly have forgotten the horror three months ago of 20 children shot to death in their elementary school in Newtown, Conn. | 03/28/13 17:33:18 By - By Anita Kumar

The country, not the Supreme Court, will settle gay marriage

The same-sex marriage battle won’t be settled with a Supreme Court decision, regardless of what the justices rule. Should the court stop short of recognizing gay marriage, gays and lesbians will still press for the right to marry in the court of public opinion, not to mention the halls of justice and government. And should the court grant the right, millions of Americans still will refuse to rally to the decision of a court of nine men and women. | 03/28/13 18:31:02 By - By David Lightman

Sen. Rand Paul discusses filibuster, immigration and guns at University of Kentucky

On March 6, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul went to work without any particular plans, certainly none that included making a speech for 13 hours straight. | 03/28/13 07:01:33 By - Linda B. Blackford

In federal gay-marriage case, more than 1,100 benefits at stake

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act will have implications far beyond how much same-sex couples might owe in income and estate taxes. | 03/27/13 19:15:23 By - By Lindsay Wise

Ashley Judd tells Twitter followers she will not run for Kentucky's U.S. Senate seat

Actress Ashley Judd will not challenge U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's seat in 2016, she announced late Wednesday. | 03/27/13 17:49:45 By - Linda B. Blackford

Gay-marriage debate day 2: Supreme Court takes up Defense of Marriage Act

The federal Defense of Marriage Act may be hanging by a thread after a Supreme Court oral argument Wednesday that exposed sharp divisions over the 1996 law prohibiting same-sex married couples from obtaining myriad federal benefits. | 03/27/13 17:33:16 By - By Michael Doyle

Sen. Kay Hagan declares her support for gay marriage

Sen. Kay Hagan said Wednesday that she supported the right of gay people to marry, saying “we should not tell people who they can love or who they can marry.” | 03/27/13 16:59:22 By - Rob Christensen

South Carolina becomes Republican's immigration reform 'test market'

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham called South Carolina ground zero in the fight for immigration reform as evangelicals join Republicans in pushing for change. | 03/27/13 07:30:00 By - Noelle Phillips

Fla. Gov. Scott weighs in on 'Jesus' stomping incident at Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic University has apologized for a controversial classroom lesson that led critics to accuse the school of religious intolerance. But that didn’t stop Gov. Rick Scott for stepping into the fray on Tuesday. | 03/27/13 07:13:35 By - Tia Mitchell

Outside Supreme Court, supporters and opponents of gay marriage divided by family, faith

While lawyers inside the majestic Supreme Court building argued over gay marriage Tuesday, hundreds of opponents and supporters gathered outside to dance, sing and pray – and debate the issue. For the opponents of California’s ban on gay marriage, which a federal court already had declared unconstitutional, the day was reason for near-celebration, as a cause that they said was so central to same-sex couples’ ability to enjoy what every other American can – but that they’ve been denied – had scaled to the top of the legal system. | 03/26/13 19:16:14 By - By Curtis Tate and Emma Kantrowitz

Obama honors hockey and soccer champions at White House

President Barack Obama, a basketball devotee, displayed his soccer prowess and hockey knowledge Tuesday as he honored the National Hockey League Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings and Major League Soccer champ Los Angeles Galaxy at the White House. The president bounced a silver-colored soccer ball – a gift from the Galaxy, along with a white team jersey – off his head as cameras clicked to capture the shot. “I hope you guys caught that,” Obama quipped. “That doesn’t happen very often.” | 03/26/13 18:46:49 By - By William Douglas

Kentucky House overrides 'religious freedom' bill veto from Gov. Beshear

Kentucky House Democrats voted Monday night to override a gubernatorial veto of controversial legislation known as the "religious freedom" bill. | 03/26/13 07:16:53 By - Beth Musgrave

Supreme Court will hear 1st of 2 gay-marriage cases

California Attorney General Kamala Harris and unemployed consultant Jason Wonacott both earned their way into the Supreme Court for Tuesday’s oral arguments over gay marriage. Wonacott’s way was more painful or, at least, wetter. He secured his seat in the courtroom by showing up outside four days earlier, enduring occasional snow just to hear one hour of argument about California’s Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage. “I’m gay,” Wonacott explained, “and I would like to get married someday.” | 03/25/13 18:14:28 By - By Michael Doyle

In a Congress split by party, region and culture, gun control prospects appear dim

Despite a strong push for tighter gun restrictions by the White House and others, common ground continues to elude lawmakers, even in the wake of the December massacre at a Connecticut elementary school that left 20 children dead and a nation horrified. | 03/22/13 18:07:49 By - By Curtis Tate and David Lightman

Beshear vetoes Kentucky religious freedom bill

Gov. Steve Beshear vetoed a controversial religious-freedom bill Friday afternoon, saying the measure was well intended but would spark costly taxpayer-funded court cases and bring an array of unintended consequences. | 03/22/13 17:17:45 By - Beth Musgrave

Black caucus chair to Obama: No more Ms. Nice Guy

Rep. Marcia Fudge didn’t sugarcoat her feelings about the fact that President Barack Obama has not yet chosen any African-Americans to fill open high-level positions in his second term. | 03/22/13 16:27:08 By - By William Douglas

GOP plan includes stalking Democratic candidates for video gaffes

Republicans are touting a 100-page report full of lofty talk about reaching out to minority voters and projecting an air of tolerance. But three paragraphs spell out another way of doing business: Stalking Democrats. | 03/22/13 14:05:37 By - By David Lightman

Senators lean toward point-based immigration system, giving workers more of an edge

Senators working on a comprehensive immigration plan are quietly talking about letting people into the United States by giving more weight to potential job skills and less weight to family connections than now exists – a departure from the current system and one sure to rile immigrant advocates while pleasing business interests. | 03/21/13 18:23:54 By - By Franco Ordonez

Sen. Patty Murray seeks new calm in partisan budget fight

After getting word in December that she’d be heading the Senate Budget Committee in 2013, Democrat Patty Murray picked up the check when she had breakfast with Republican Rep. Paul Ryan in the Senate Dining Room. | 03/21/13 21:06:44 By - By Rob Hotakainen

Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts: We must cut food stamps to save them

Once hailed as the savior of food stamps, Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts has introduced a bill to cut $36 billion from the federal aid program over 10 years. | 03/21/13 17:22:09 By - By Lindsay Wise

Obama considering Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx for Cabinet job

President Barack Obama is considering Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx for secretary of transportation, according to two people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday. | 03/21/13 07:26:18 By - Steve Harrison

Alaska Senate OKs oil industry tax cuts

The Senate voted Wednesday night by the barest of margins to approve a massive tax cut for the oil industry in the hope that it would lead to more oil production in Alaska. | 03/21/13 06:53:18 By - Richard Mauer

Congress moves to keep sequester spending cuts – while easing impact on public

Just weeks after Washington nearly went to war over automatic spending cuts, Congress scripted a peaceful ending to the clash Thursday as it backed the reductions while giving government managers flexibility to minimize the impacts on the public by finding the savings elsewhere in their budgets. | 03/21/13 11:06:41 By - By David Lightman and Lindsay Wise

Categorizing Alaska's Begich depends what you look at

Sen. Mark Begich can marshal some impressive evidence to bolster his claim that he is a centrist more in line with fellow Alaskans than with many of his Senate Democratic colleagues. | 03/20/13 13:49:34 By - James Rosen

Launching Mideast trip, Obama says he’s not sure about chemical attack in Syria

The two men appeared chummy during the visit, joking easily and saluting one another in a sharp departure from the often frosty rapport they’ve exhibited in the past. They met privately at Netanyahu’s residence, then again over a working dinner into the evening, with reports of a chemical weapon attack in Syria and continued fears of Iran’s nuclear program topping their agenda. | 03/20/13 19:13:27 By - By Lesley Clark

Obama calls trip an opportunity to 'reaffirm the unbreakable bond' between the US and Israel

President Obama landed in Israel Wednesday, pledging that the U.S. will remain a steadfast ally of Israel, amidst "winds of change" in the turbulent region. | 03/20/13 07:51:08 By - Lesley Clark

Assault weapons ban dropped from Senate bill in setback for Feinstein

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s effort to ban assault-style weapons fizzled Tuesday, as Majority Leader Harry Reid did not include the measure in a larger package of legislation to address gun violence. | 03/19/13 19:22:14 By - By Curtis Tate

Sequester politics on Capitol Hill: ‘Did not! Did too!’

Republicans in the House of Representatives sought Tuesday to aggressively debunk dire claims by the Obama administration about some of the impacts of the across-the-board federal spending cuts known as sequestration. | 03/19/13 18:57:11 By - By William Douglas

Republicans question ICE on release of illegal immigrant detainees

House Republicans pressed White House officials for more answers Tuesday on the unexpected release last month of more than 2,000 illegal immigrants in anticipation of automatic across-the-board federal budget cuts. | 03/19/13 18:20:36 By - By Franco Ordonez

Tea party darling Rand Paul supports immigration overhaul

Tea party hero Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday backed a dramatic overhaul of the nation’s immigration system, a fresh, strong signal that Republicans are coming to accept broad changes – and that Paul wants to widen his appeal. | 03/19/13 16:54:37 By - By David Lightman and Franco Ordonez

Ethics Committee investigating Rep. Don Young of Alaska

The House of Representatives Ethics Committee is investigating Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young over allegations of wrongly taking gifts, using campaign funds for personal purposes and lying to federal officials. | 03/19/13 16:25:50 By - By Sean Cockerham

Obama turning to executive power to get what he wants

President Barack Obama came into office four years ago skeptical of pushing the power of the White House to the limit, especially if it appeared to be circumventing Congress. Now, as he launches his second term, Obama has grown more comfortable wielding power to try to move his own agenda forward, particularly when a deeply fractured, often-hostile Congress gets in his way. He’s done it with a package of tools, some of which date to George Washington and some invented in the modern era of an increasingly powerful presidency. And he’s done it with a frequency that belies his original campaign criticisms of predecessor George W. Bush. | 03/19/13 14:32:39 By - By Anita Kumar

Congress takes a pass – so far – on college sports scandals

Several groups have been tapping on the door of Congress lately with a request for oversight into the often opaque, big-money world of college sports. | 03/19/13 06:26:35 By - By Renee Schoof and Dan Kane

Confirmation fight looms for Labor Secretary nominee Thomas Perez

The road to confirmation will likely be long and difficult for the first Latino picked to serve in President Barack Obama’s Cabinet during his second term. | 03/18/13 18:32:15 By - By Franco Ordonez

Obama looks to connect with Israeli people on his visit

President Barack Obama hopes to “connect with the Israeli people” when he arrives in Jerusalem on Wednesday, making his first visit in more than four years as president and facing a skeptical audience. | 03/18/13 16:12:32 By - By Lesley Clark and Sheera Frankel

Hillary Clinton announces support of same-sex marriage

Another sign Hillary Clinton may run for president in 2016?

The former secretary of state, senator and first lady on Monday endorsed same-sex marriage in a video distributed by the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign. | 03/18/13 14:08:08 By - Anita Kumar

Republicans’ self-analysis: The party of ‘stuffy old men’

The Republican Party’s got a big image problem that won’t be easily overcome, as a new GOP study found it’s often viewed as the party of "stuffy old men” with a weak, ineffective message. | 03/18/13 19:53:00 By - By David Lightman

Obama to nominate Justice official cited in negative report for Cabinet

President Barack Obama will nominate Thomas Perez to be labor secretary on Monday, a week after an inspector general's report said the assistant attorney general provided incomplete testimony to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission about a lawsuit involving the New Black Panther Party. | 03/18/13 06:22:58 By - Anita Kumar

Americans expect little from Obama’s Middle East trip

Few Americans expect much progress on Middle East peace during President Barack Obama’s trip to Israel and the West Bank, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll. | 03/15/13 17:58:55 By - By Lesley Clark

Compromise with Obama isn’t on red-meat CPAC menu

They might talk about it in downtown Washington. But moderation and compromise weren’t up for discussion as conservatives gathered to plot strategy in a suburb down the Potomac River. Higher revenues for the government were anathema at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference at a resort just south of Washington. So were same-sex marriage, abortion, gun control and Democrats. | 03/15/13 17:38:44 By - By David Lightman