Obama to meet with congressional leaders about spending cuts

President Barack Obama will meet with congressional leaders Friday, the day across-the-board spending cuts are scheduled to take place. | 02/27/13 10:35:49 By - Anita Kumar

Texas lawmaker wants tax holiday for guns, ammo sales

Texans love their independence -- and their guns.

State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, is proposing to give Texans more of both. | 02/27/13 07:27:07 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Federal budget cuts would hit South Florida from ports to national parks

At PortMiami, federal dollars fund Customs agents, security operations and cargo inspectors. But with a historic cut in federal spending set to begin Friday, port director Bill Johnson must contemplate how to keep the place running with less help from Washington. | 02/27/13 07:01:33 By - Douglas Hanks and Martha Brannigan

Sens. Lindsey Graham, Dianne Feinstein push problem-solving over politics

Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Lindsey Graham called Tuesday for an end to hyper-partisanship, saying the urgent issues the nation faces require lawmakers to focus on solving problems instead of assigning blame. Feinstein, a California Democrat, and Graham, a South Carolina Republican, expressed great respect for each other as each accepted the Prize for Civility in Public Life. | 02/26/13 18:45:39 By - By James Rosen McClatchy Newspapers

As Congress wrangles, Obama warns naval shipyard workers of defense cuts

President Barack Obama journeyed Tuesday to military-rich Virginia to prod Congress to halt looming federal spending cuts, warning of the potential consequences on America’s armed forces and economy. | 02/26/13 17:53:02 By - By Anita Kumar and William Douglas

Former Mississippi Gov. Barbour: 'I hope and believe' GOP allows sequestration

While South Mississippi braces for the effects of "sequestration," former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said in a recent nationally-televised interview he hopes the budget cuts go forward to help reduce the deficit. | 02/26/13 12:53:47 By - Michael Newsom

Alaska House passes bill challenging federal gun restrictions

In a chamber dotted with female legislators wearing new camo scarves, the Alaska state House on Monday passed a gun measure that is wildly popular among the GOP-controlled Legislature even though it raises serious constitutional issues. | 02/26/13 07:01:32 By - Lisa Demer

GOP will propose sequester changes; wary Democrats plan their own

In a last-minute bid to minimize the most painful impacts of federal spending cuts – and perhaps blame – Republicans will propose this week allowing the government to choose where to cut. | 02/25/13 18:57:40 By - By Anita Kumar and William Douglas

Sen. Ted Cruz’s crusade draws praise from allies, scorn from critics

He’s not your usual newbie senator. After just weeks on the job, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has managed to ruffle feathers on both sides of the aisle with his aggressive questioning of former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., the Obama administration’s nominee for defense secretary. Some critics said it contained echoes of the McCarthy era. | 02/25/13 17:40:21 By -

Obama urges governors to lobby their congressional delegations

President Barack Obama told the National Governors Association -- meeting today at the White House -- that members should lobby their members of Congress to avoid the looming series of spending cuts known as the sequester. | 02/25/13 14:24:08 By - Lesley Clark

Doc Hastings accuses Department of Interior inspector general of mismanagement

Congressman Doc Hastings in a letter to the White House accused a Department of the Interior official of mismanagement and called for President Obama to nominate a replacement. | 02/25/13 13:43:58 By - Michelle Dupler

N.C.'s Gov. McCrory likes 'pink licenses' aimed for immigrants

Gov. Pat McCrory says he signed off on the controversial “pink licenses” that will be issued to some young illegal immigrants who were granted protection from deportation for two years. | 02/25/13 12:19:41 By - Franco Ordonez

Will Mark Sanford's apology tour work?

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says he wants to return to Congress to tackle the growing national debt, but first he is tackling his past. | 02/25/13 07:18:22 By - Andrew Shain

White House warns again of budget cuts

The White House on Sunday ramped up its campaign to avoid across-the-board spending cuts scheduled to take place in less than a week by releasing detailed estimates of what reductions could mean in every state. | 02/24/13 20:09:38 By - By Anita Kumar

White House Releases New State-by-State Reports on the Impacts of the Sequester

Today, the White House is releasing new state-by-state reports on the devastating impact the sequester will have on jobs and middle class families across the country if Congressional Republicans fail to compromise to avert the sequester by March 1st. | 02/24/13 20:01:20 By -

GOP governors turn pragmatic as election nears

Faced with tough re-elections and constituents clamoring for government services, Republican governors in some big swing states are turning pragmatic, pulling away from the conservative line that helped them win in 2010. | 02/24/13 15:32:59 By - By David Lightman

In efforts to tame deficits, Obama leans against spending cuts

President Barack Obama insists he wants a balance of more taxes and less spending to curb runaway budget deficits. His record suggests, however, that he leans against cutting spending. | 02/22/13 15:56:10 By - By Lesley Clark

Democrats ask: How can we drill, baby, drill if we let sequester happen?

The upcoming automatic federal budget cuts would mean a big hit to energy development, as well as to America’s national parks, according to the Interior Department, which says oil and gas leasing would be slowed and popular parks would see reduced hours and fewer services. | 02/22/13 07:22:15 By - By Sean Cockerham

No plans to remove Cuba from terror list, according to U.S. officials

A newspaper report that top State Department officials believe Cuba should be removed from the U.S. list of countries that support terrorism drew denials Thursday from the department and the White House. | 02/22/13 06:50:43 By - Juan O. Tamayo

Dianne Feinstein, Lindsey Graham to be honored for civility in partisan-prone D.C.

Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina are being honored for displaying civility in politics, a rare Washington commodity they’ll need plenty of in the coming months as they champion the divisive issues of gun control and immigration legislation. | 02/21/13 20:00:00 By - By James Rosen

Not everyone will feel impact of automatic federal budget cuts

Don’t be too frightened by the doomsday talk about the automatic spending cuts that look more and more likely to kick in next week. | 02/21/13 16:32:43 By - By David Lightman

Looming federal budget cuts are bad news for Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park will not open the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center this season if Congress and the Obama administration fail to reach a budget deal by March 1. | 02/21/13 07:31:31 By - Jeffrey P. Mayor

Fla. Gov. Scott supports Medicaid expansion

Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday he supports expanding Medicaid and funneling billions of federal dollars to Florida, a significant policy reversal that could bring health care coverage to 1 million additional Floridians. | 02/21/13 07:10:38 By - Tia Mitchell and Steve Bousquet

Hagan plans bill that would encourage failing schools to improve

Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., on Wednesday said that she’ll introduce a bill in Congress next week that would reward high-poverty schools that improve their test scores and lower dropout rates. | 02/21/13 06:31:40 By - By Renee Schoof

Are congressmen worth $107,000 a year in retirement?

After retiring from a 36-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives last month, Norm Dicks has no doubt that he’s worth every penny of his new pension: It will allow the Washington state Democrat to cash a monthly check from the U.S. government for $7,365.82. Critics say the pension system is far too generous and that members of Congress should put their retirement money on the table as they look for ways to cut federal spending. | 02/20/13 17:29:46 By - By Rob Hotakainen

Poll: Obama's approval rating up to 62 percent in California

President Barack Obama's job approval rating among California voters has climbed above 60 percent for the first time since 2009, the year he first took office, according to a new Field Poll. | 02/20/13 07:03:20 By - David Siders

Rollback of cruiseship wastewater rules approved by Alaska Senate

The Alaska Senate on Tuesday approved a Parnell administration measure to roll back cruise ship wastewater standards that were approved by voters in 2006. The vote was 14-6. | 02/20/13 06:52:54 By - Lisa Demer

Obama calls Republican senators Graham, Rubio, McCain to talk immigration

After days of criticism that he was excluding Republicans from immigration talks, President Barack Obama on Tuesday reached out to several Republican leaders who are calling for an overhaul of the nation’s immigration system. | 02/20/13 06:23:39 By - By Franco Ordonez

Rich-poor spending gap on schools hurts kids, report says

America is failing too many of its children in public schools because it doesn’t spread the opportunity for a good education fairly to all, according to a report for the government released Tuesday. | 02/19/13 18:47:17 By - By Renee Schoof

Obama kicks off bid to stop automatic spending cuts

President Barack Obama is launching a public campaign to pressure Congress to avoid “brutal” spending cuts he said could hurt a still wobbly economy and increase the unemployment rate. | 02/19/13 18:44:53 By - By Lesley Clark

Every drug dog has his day – in court; even Supreme Court

Aldo the drug-sniffing dog and his canine colleagues won a big treat at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, as justices unanimously approved a sniff search that had led to a Florida bust. | 02/19/13 14:40:23 By - By Michael Doyle

Washington state’s new members of Congress fret over looming budget cuts

Federal spending cuts planned for March 1 could hit Washington state hard, costing 41,700 jobs and removing $3.4 billion from its economy, according to state estimates. | 02/19/13 18:55:34 By - By Rob Hotakainen

Mitch McConnell lampoons Democratic efforts to find a challenger for him

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s re-election campaign released its first video ad Tuesday, a parody highlighting the difficulty Democrats are having trying to recruit a viable candidate to run against him. | 02/19/13 13:18:59 By - Jack Brammer

Some Texas Democrats seek regulations for gun shows in Fort Worth

There's a new push to add regulations on gun shows held at city facilities.

As elected officials in Congress and the state Legislature consider whether to place additional restrictions on gun purchases, a local group is pressing for change at gun shows held on city property such as the Will Rogers Center. | 02/19/13 07:36:05 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Immigration plans from Obama and Rubio are similar

President Obama’s administration drafted legislation this month that could give undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship in eight years, require employers to check workers’ immigration status and increase penalties for those who break immigration law. | 02/19/13 06:59:56 By - Marc Caputo

Bill resisting federal gun laws gets OK from Alaska House panel

A controversial Alaska gun bill sponsored by House Speaker Mike Chenault that would put federal agents at risk of felony charges for enforcing certain future weapons laws cleared the lone committee assigned to hear it Monday, despite a legal opinion saying it is likely unconstitutional. | 02/19/13 06:49:09 By - Lisa Demer

As immigration vote looms, some southern Democrats get queasy

Immigration isn’t a touchy subject just for many Republicans. Southern and moderate Democrats also may be a bit skittish about the idea of granting a path to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants. | 02/18/13 15:52:43 By - By Franco Ordonez

Alaska bill would undo wilderness restrictions in state park

A bill moving through the Alaska Legislature would eliminate wilderness restrictions in a portion of a state park in the Bristol Bay region so a utility can study a hydroelectric project on a lake where such development now is banned. | 02/18/13 06:54:58 By - Richard Mauer

As budget crisis looms, Congress leaves town

Military readiness will be threatened. So will food inspections, teaching jobs, mental health services and more, all because of the automatic spending cuts due to take effect March 1. Congress, though, has left the building. | 02/15/13 15:04:46 By - By David Lightman

N.C. to give driver's licenses to immigrants in Deferred Action program

The state Division of Motor Vehicles will comply with a state attorney general’s opinion and issue driver’s licenses to thousands of young illegal immigrants who are eligible to drive because of a federal program that gives them temporary protection from deportation, Transportation Secretary Tony Tata said Thursday. | 02/15/13 07:18:45 By - Bruce Siceloff and Anne Blythe

GOP says it needs more time on Hagel for Pentagon

With Republicans balking, the Senate put off a confirmation vote on former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel to be secretary of defense. | 02/14/13 18:32:03 By - By William Douglas

Democrats pitch budget alternative to avoid pending automatic cuts

Senate Democrats proposed a $110 billion plan Thursday to cut projected budget deficits and replace automatic spending cuts scheduled to take effect March 1. | 02/14/13 17:54:40 By - By David Lightman

SC Sen. Graham fights to keep guns from mentally ill

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said he will propose legislation to prevent a repeat of an incident last week in which a Lady's Island woman, who once pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, passed a background check and legally purchased a gun. | 02/14/13 13:21:58 By - Gina Smith

Rep. Clyburn not interested in Transportation post

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn rejected Wednesday the possibility of serving in President Barack Obama’s Cabinet as transportation secretary, saying he wants instead to help Obama show that an African American can lead the nation. | 02/14/13 11:33:37 By - James Rosen

N.C. bill leaves thousands with few health insurance options

The thousands of low-income North Carolinians denied health insurance in a Republican-drafted measure that passed the House on Wednesday are left with few options for coverage. | 02/14/13 07:17:57 By - John Frank

Come 2016, Sen. Rand Paul could be the anti-Rubio choice for tea party faithful

Sens. Marco Rubio’s and Rand Paul’s delivery of back-to-back rebuttals of President Barack Obama’s speech to Congress – Rubio as the Republican response, Paul as the tea party rejoinder – raises some tantalizing questions: | 02/13/13 17:27:00 By - By James Rosen McClatchy Newspapers

Republicans raise fears about border security in Senate immigration hearing

Senate Republican leaders on Wednesday demonstrated the fissures that continue to linger over proposals to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws. | 02/13/13 19:34:50 By - By Franco Ordonez

GOP’s complaints about looming spending cuts ignore its role in creating them

Republicans forced the budget crisis that helped create the pending across-the-board cuts in the first place. And Republicans provided crucial votes for the 2011 deal that ended that impasse, an agreement that’s about to trigger $85 billion in automatic spending reductions March 1. The idea of the budget cuts did come from the White House two summers ago, as a last-ditch effort to jump-start stalled negotiations. | 02/13/13 16:40:30 By - By David Lightman

Senators look for ways to restore six-day postal delivery

Senators are urgently trying to save the struggling U.S. Postal Service after its announcement that it will cut Saturday delivery starting in August. | 02/13/13 15:57:40 By - By Beena Raghavendran

Treasury nominee Jack Lew grilled over Citi bonus, tax haven

Senate Republicans pressed President Barack Obama’s choice to head the Treasury Department on Wednesday over an investment in a Cayman Islands fund as well as a bonus deal that came as his then-employer Citigroup was about to need a taxpayer bailout and just before he left the bank to return to the government. | 02/13/13 19:11:48 By - By Kevin G. Hall

In North Carolina, Obama urges boost for manufacturing

. President Barack Obama used a bustling engine-parts factory that came back from the dead as the backdrop Wednesday to pitch his plans to boost U.S. manufacturing, part of the second-term agenda he’d rolled out in his State of the Union address the night before. | 02/13/13 17:05:51 By - By Lesley Clark

Sen. Rand Paul gives tea party response to State of the Union

Sen. Rand Paul scolded Democrats and Republicans alike for spending money the government doesn't have as he delivered the tea party response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address to Congress. | 02/13/13 10:48:59 By - James Rosen

Sen. Marco Rubio's swig of water during GOP rebuttal goes viral

Sen. Marco Rubio was cruising along in his rebuttal to the president’s State of the Union speech Tuesday night when he couldn’t take it any longer. | 02/13/13 06:59:39 By - Marc Caputo

Sens. Marco Rubio, Rand Paul deliver blistering rebuttals to Obama

In English and Spanish, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio on Tuesday night delivered a scathing rebuke of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech, signaling a Republican battle for middle-class voters that could help re-energize his party and also propel a potential 2016 White House run. | 02/12/13 23:26:46 By - By William Douglas

Remarks made by President Obama at the State of the Union

Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery - State of the Union Address | 02/12/13 22:45:16 By -

Sen. Marco Rubio Delivers the Republican Address to the Nation

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida Delivers the Republican Address to the Nation after President Obama's State of the Union address | 02/12/13 22:44:49 By -

Obama’s State of the Union speech more somber than lofty

Newly elected second-term presidents traditionally use their first State of the Union address to promote themselves as visionaries with sweeping plans to unite the nation behind an ambitious, common goal. | 02/12/13 22:41:38 By - By David Lightman

Senate panel recommends Hagel for defense secretary despite fireworks

A key Senate panel voted along party lines Tuesday to recommend the confirmation of former Sen. Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense, sending his nomination to the full Senate despite opposition from Republican senators over his stances on Iran, Iraq and Israel. | 02/12/13 20:01:44 By - By James Rosen

Cayman account dogs Jacob Lew, Obama’s treasury pick

President Barack Obama’s pick to head the Treasury Department faces a tough grilling Wednesday from Republicans looking to spotlight his time at Citigroup, the troubled financial institution rescued by taxpayers. | 02/12/13 18:24:42 By - By Kevin G. Hall

Obama on State of the Union: ‘We can fix this’

President Barack Obama returned to the unfinished business of a still struggling economy Tuesday night, outlining a second-term agenda with proposals designed to create jobs, expand the middle class and spur financial growth. | 02/12/13 23:14:49 By - By Anita Kumar and Lesley Clark

GOP senators to Supreme Court: Uphold Defense of Marriage Act

Ten U.S. senators are urging the Supreme Court to overturn the rulings of multiple lower courts and to uphold a 1996 law that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman and freed states not to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. | 02/11/13 18:22:37 By - By James Rosen

Texas to revisit open carry for handguns

Bryan Hull hopes that the Ruger LC9 pistol holstered on his hip sends a clear message. He's not hiding the fact that he is armed and ready to protect himself. | 02/11/13 07:33:34 By - Anna M. Tinsley

As cuts loom, the political forecast is mostly hostile, with a (slim) chance of unity

After days of private strategy sessions, Republicans and Democrats are poised this week for the same kind of ugly partisan combat over spending and taxes that’s spawned fiscal chaos and sent Congress’ approval ratings plunging. | 02/11/13 00:00:00 By - By David Lightman

White House cites threat to Israel in explaining decision not to arm Syria’s rebels

The White House on Friday defended its decision not to endorse a CIA plan to arm the Syrian rebels, saying it was worried that U.S. weapons could “fall into the wrong hands” and worsen the situation in the civil war-torn country. | 02/08/13 18:21:13 By - By Lesley Clark

State of the Union could be ‘call to action’ on jobs, energy and immigration

A confident President Barack Obama is expected Tuesday to unveil an aggressive agenda in the first State of the Union address of his second term, calling for a rewrite of the nation’s outdated immigration laws, steps to prevent gun violence and ways to bolster a still fragile economy. | 02/08/13 15:45:11 By - By Lesley Clark and Anita Kumar

DOE weighs sequestration furloughs at Hanford

The Department of Energy is closely examining contracts as the threat looms for sequestration-driven spending cuts March 1, according to a new memo from Daniel Poneman, deputy energy secretary. | 02/08/13 12:58:33 By - Annette Cary

Obama administration embraces major new cut in nuclear weapons

Senior Obama administration officials have agreed that the number of nuclear warheads the U.S. military deploys could be cut by at least a third without harming national security, according to those involved in the deliberations. | 02/08/13 04:00:00 By - By R. Jeffrey Smith

Panetta, military wanted to arm Syrian rebels, Senate panel told

America’s two top defense leaders acknowledged Thursday that they’d supported a CIA plan, opposed by the White House, to arm Syrian rebels . | 02/08/13 10:59:18 By - By Matthew Schofield

Senators use Brennan hearing to air decade of CIA controversies

The confirmation hearing Thursday of John Brennan to be CIA director reopened scrutiny of a wide range of controversies that have dogged the country for more than a decade, ranging from the Obama administration’s embrace of targeted killings to the Bush administration’s use of enhanced interrogation techniques many equate with torture. | 02/07/13 23:22:49 By - By Jonathan S. Landay

Congress’ ‘Problem Solvers’ say it’s time to commit to compromise

For the past three years, some Republican and Democratic lawmakers have sat next to each other during President Barack Obama’s annual State of the Union speech to Congress in a largely meaningless one-night show of bipartisanship. | 02/07/13 18:14:05 By - By James Rosen

Majority want stricter gun laws, strong support for background checks

Voters want stricter gun control laws--but not by an overwhelming majority.

A new Quinnipiac Polling Institute national survey shows that by a 52-43 percent margin, people want tougher laws. | 02/07/13 08:09:19 By - David Lightman

Rep. Jim Clyburn touted for transportation secretary by Congressional Black Caucus

The head of the Congressional Black Caucus is urging President Barack Obama to nominate House Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn of Columbia to become the next U.S. secretary of transportation. | 02/07/13 07:34:04 By - James Rosen

Medicaid expansion being embraced by some Republican governors

Cracks continue to develop in the Republican Party’s concrete opposition to Obamacare’s state expansions of Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor. | 02/07/13 07:23:05 By - Dave Helling

Sen. Marco Rubio will give bilingual GOP response to State of the Union speech

Marco Rubio won’t just give the Republican rebuttal to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night.

The Florida Senator will give two. | 02/07/13 07:07:39 By - Marc Caputo

On gun control, Reid feels tug of both state and statesmanship

At Wild West Guns, where stuffed caribou and Dall sheep adorn the walls, customers know Harry Reid as someone who understands guns. | 02/06/13 17:03:43 By - By Anita Kumar

Former Sen. Jim DeMint forms think tank in South Carolina

Retired U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, president-elect of one of the nation’s prominent conservative think tanks, has formed a conservative think tank in South Carolina. | 02/06/13 07:25:50 By - Jamie Self

Missouri's voter ID bill inspires pushback over 'voter suppression'

Republican lawmakers are taking another swing at insisting Missouri voters show a government-issued photo ID at the polls. And they’re meeting fierce resistance. | 02/06/13 07:15:05 By - Jason Hancock

Ex-aide to Sen. Bob Menendez could benefit from contract tied to donor under FBI scrutiny

A former aide to Sen. Bob Menendez might benefit from a major overseas port deal that’s supported by the powerful Democrat and is tied to a South Florida donor whose offices were raided last week by the FBI. | 02/06/13 07:06:59 By - Marc Caputo

Obama urges short-term budget fix, but GOP balks at more revenue

President Barack Obama urged Congress on Tuesday to pass a package of modest cuts and tax changes as a way to delay drastic, across-the-board federal spending reductions that could harm the economy. | 02/05/13 17:51:37 By - By Anita Kumar and David Lightman

House Republicans hold hearing on immigration, warn of past mistakes

Republicans in the House of Representatives kicked off their first hearing on immigration with a stated goal of harmonizing the principles of humanity and the rule of the law. But the gathering emphasized how many House Republicans still oppose granting a path to citizenship, which several Judiciary Committee members referred to as “amnesty.” | 02/05/13 16:57:19 By - By Franco Ordoñez

Govs. Jerry Brown and Rick Perry battle over who has better state for business

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is on the radio in California this week, criticizing the Golden State in a new advertisement and urging businesses to flee to Texas. | 02/05/13 07:01:06 By - David Siders

Bill loosening cruise ship discharge rules passes in Alaska House

The House decided Monday to roll back pollution standards voted into law by the 2006 cruise-ship initiative, allowing cruise vessels to dump ammonia, copper and other contaminants into Alaska waters. | 02/05/13 06:45:44 By - Richard Mauer

Essie Mae Washington-Williams, daughter of late U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, dies

Essie Mae Washington-Williams, the long-unrecognized daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, died Monday at 87. | 02/04/13 19:17:38 By - Jamie Self

In Washington state, mental health funds sought as help falls short

It’s nothing new: horror stories about people whose mental illnesses turned them into killers; a safety net that failed to catch them; and now, politicians in Olympia, Wash., vowing to do something. | 02/04/13 12:58:28 By - Jordan Schrader

Gloria Steinem calls Texas Gov. Rick Perry 'dictatorial, unacceptable American'

Feminist icon Gloria Steinem said Gov. Rick Perry has without a doubt created a lasting legacy in Texas. | 02/04/13 07:23:44 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Trail of Sen. Bob Menendez investigation leads to dead end in Dominican Republic

The shadowy tipster who made explosive allegations involving U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and underage prostitutes in the Dominican Republic named names. He gave descriptions of the women, and in some cases, phone numbers and addresses. | 02/04/13 07:06:13 By - Kathleen McGrory and Melissa Sanchez

Republican energy plan calls for more drilling, nothing to rein in greenhouse gases

The Senate’s top Republican on energy issues, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, has crafted a blueprint for U.S. energy policy that calls for increased drilling while opposing laws to cap greenhouse gases that are blamed for global warming. | 02/03/13 22:08:53 By - By Sean Cockerham

Obama honors scientists, researchers at White House

President Barack Obama honored 23 scientists Friday at the White House. | 02/01/13 18:43:24 By - By Anne-Kathrin Gerstlauer

Obama: Women should get free contraception but church groups shouldn’t have to pay

After months of criticism and legal challenges, President Barack Obama’s administration proposed Friday that religious institutions no longer be required to provide their employees with health insurance coverage for birth control. | 02/01/13 18:22:35 By - By Anita Kumar and Lesley Clark

Chuck Hagel pledges to help Camp Lejeune water victims

Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama’s nominee to be secretary of defense, said Thursday that he was committed to providing Marines with answers about the water contamination that occurred at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. If he’s confirmed, he pledged, he’ll work to overcome bureaucratic hurdles that may obstruct findings about the impact of the contamination on Marines and their family members. | 02/01/13 13:41:35 By - By Franco Ordonez

S.C. health officials consider food stamp soda ban in obesity battle

Seeking to slow the childhood obesity epidemic, South Carolina health leaders would like to limit the purchase of sugar-filled drinks with food stamps. Catherine Templeton, director of the Department of Health and Environmental Control, and Lillian Koller, director of the Department of Social Services, have exchanged thoughts on the subject. | 02/01/13 07:19:48 By - Joey Holleman

As immigration debate changes, will Kris Kobach's influence wane?

Shares in Kris Kobach’s political future — buy, sell, or hold? Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, built a national profile on immigration issues. In court, in print, and on television, Kobach often serves as the face of Republican support for tougher policies toward illegal immigration. | 02/01/13 07:07:30 By - Dave Helling

Analysts: Hillary Clinton’s record as top U.S. diplomat falls far short of greatness

When Hillary Clinton joined the Obama administration’s famed “team of rivals,” political observers were abuzz with the possibilities of a secretary of state who was already a powerful global celebrity, a former first lady, and a hardened presidential candidate. Despite the star power and political savvy, however, analysts four years later say they can’t identify an enduring diplomatic approach that would add her to the list of the all-time greatest secretaries of state. | 02/01/13 06:28:14 By - By Hannah Allam

Chuck Hagel, Senate Republicans clash at confirmation hearing

The left came to praise former Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican whom Obama nominated to be his next secretary of defense. The right came to, if not bury him, keep him on the hot seat all day as it explored his views and past, sometimes controversial, statements on Israel, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq and nuclear weapons. | 01/31/13 19:12:04 By - By Matthew Schofield

White House jobs council is now out of a job

President Barack Obama’s high-profile jobs council went out of business Thursday, despite reports that the economy shrank at the end of last year and the unemployment rate remains stuck at 7.8 percent, exactly the same as it was four years ago when the president first took office. | 01/31/13 18:47:12 By - By Emma Kantrowitz

Senate faces pay-cut threat, but its millionaires may not care

Can you make a wealthy person do something by temporarily withholding a relatively tiny part of his or her income? America is about to find out, after the Senate approved a bill on a 64-34 vote to suspend the nation’s debt limit until mid-May, enabling the federal government to continue to borrow money to pay its bills. | 01/31/13 17:48:13 By - By William Douglas

Pushing gun control a problem for red state Democrats

For members of Congress from big cities, the West Coast and the Northeast, gun control has jumped to the top of the agenda. For those elected in red state America, the issue is regarded very differently. | 01/31/13 17:21:41 By - By David Lightman

McConnell raises $715,000 for campaign, bringing total to $7.4 million

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell raised $715,000 in the last three months of 2012 for his re-election campaign, bringing his campaign total to $7.4 million, campaign manager Jesse Benton said. | 01/31/13 13:40:04 By - Jack Brammer

N.C. Gov. McCrory's comments link college funding to employment

Should public universities and colleges in North Carolina be judged and funded primarily by how well they groom students for the job market? | 01/31/13 07:23:29 By - Caroline McMillan

Union dues collecting is examined by Missouri, Kansas lawmakers

Republicans say it’s a simple change, from opting out to opting in. But by making it more difficult for public employee unions to collect dues, GOP lawmakers in Kansas and Missouri could weaken a chief political nemesis. | 01/31/13 07:15:43 By - Jason Hancock and Brad Cooper

Senators think bipartisanship will work in immigration overhaul

Two authors of the Senate bipartisan agreement on immigration from both parties see their work as a hopeful sign of a new wave of bipartisanship in Congress. | 01/30/13 21:01:39 By - By Franco Ordonez

S.C. Sen. Lindsey Graham says he'll take heat over immigration reform

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is wading into the immigration thicket again, less than six years after a titanic battle over the same issue left the Seneca Republican badly bruised and on the losing side. | 01/30/13 07:27:41 By - James Rosen

Sen. Mitch McConnell says liberals are infiltrating conservative groups in Kentucky

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's re-election campaign is contending that Democratic liberals are trying to infiltrate conservative groups in the state to oust McConnell next year. | 01/30/13 07:11:22 By - Jack Brammer

California lawmakers called on to toughen state gun, ammunition laws

Two former California Senate leaders sat before lawmakers Tuesday and warned them about the death threats sure to come their way as they embark on new gun control efforts – death threats that, ironically, drove one of of them, Don Perata, to arm himself for protection. | 01/30/13 06:51:29 By - Kim Minugh

Immigration divides GOP

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., took his case for an overhaul of the nation’s immigration system straight to one of the most influential voices in Republican politics, conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh. | 01/30/13 06:25:58 By - By David Lightman

Kerry wins 94-3 Senate vote to become Obama’s 2nd-term secretary of state

With only three “no” votes, the Senate on Tuesday confirmed veteran lawmaker and former presidential candidate John Kerry to succeed Hillary Clinton as the secretary of state for the Obama administration’s second term. | 01/29/13 18:57:46 By - By Hannah Allam

Obama joins bipartisan Senate group on immigration, best shot at overhaul in decades

President Barack Obama proposed to rewrite U.S. immigration laws Tuesday, echoing a bipartisan group of influential U.S. senators in a one-two step that signaled a changing political landscape and the best chance in a generation to change the way the nation treats those who arrived here illegally. | 01/29/13 18:56:25 By - By Anita Kumar and Franco Ordonez

Battle over guns makes N.C. dangerous political ground for Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan

As a Democrat from a swing state, Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina already faces a tough re-election fight next year. | 01/29/13 17:16:29 By - By Renee Schoof

Are the Democratic and Republican parties captives of their extremes?

America’s two major political parties are prisoners of their images, stifling their ability to broaden their appeal. Democrats are routinely portrayed as liberals and Republicans as conservatives, and movement toward the center, where elections are usually won, is difficult to detect. | 01/29/13 06:31:33 By - By David Lightman

Florida’s Marco Rubio, Mario Diaz-Balart will be key on immigration deal

All roads to immigration restructuring run through Florida, and the "tough but fair" approach that’s being discussed this week has at its center two of the state’s Republicans: Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Miami. | 01/28/13 17:45:01 By - By Erika Bolstad

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, 'Gang of Eight' unveil immigration deal

A group of eight Democratic and Republicans senators, including Florida’s Marco Rubio, will officially release a wide-ranging immigration plan Monday that could give a pathway to citizenship, tighten border security and increase guest-worker permits. | 01/28/13 07:04:46 By - Marc Caputo

Turning tide? Lawmakers look to Pentagon for budget cuts

As another debt-deal deadline looms this winter in Congress, an unusual alliance of lawmakers has joined forces to put the Pentagon budget under greater scrutiny and to end the almost carte blanche status it enjoyed in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. | 01/28/13 00:00:00 By - By James Rosen

Obama names longtime aide as new chief of staff

When it came time to select a new chief of staff, President Barack Obama didn’t look very far. | 01/25/13 18:55:55 By - By Anita Kumar

Obama will unveil immigration plans next week

According to the White House, Obama will introduce a plan that includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, which many Republicans oppose and liken to “amnesty.” | 01/25/13 18:51:27 By - By Franco Ordonez

Georgia GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss won’t run again; Democrats see opportunity

Citing frustration with the Obama administration and congressional gridlock, Georgia’s senior senator, Republican Saxby Chambliss announced Monday that he won’t seek re-election next year, dealing a blow to Senate Republicans while bolstering Democratic hopes of regaining the seat after a 12-year absence. | 01/25/13 18:37:53 By - By Tony Pugh

Obama’s second term – lead from ahead this time?

Anywhere you look, President Barack Obama looks different heading into his second term. | 01/24/13 15:00:04 By - By Lesley Clark

McCaskill again tries to ban earmarks

Sen. Claire McCaskill is making another run at ending earmarks after the Missouri Democrat tried but failed during her first term in Congress. McCaskill will reintroduce legislation today designed to halt the practice of earmarking, which enables lawmakers to designate funds for special projects back home without legislative scrutiny. | 01/24/13 12:15:17 By - Lindsay Wise

House votes to extend debt ceiling; Senate expected to follow

The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to suspend the nation’s debt limit until May, allowing the federal government to continue to pay its bills and removing an immediate threat to the economy as it struggles to gain strength. | 01/23/13 17:30:41 By - By William Douglas and Kevin G. Hall

Emotional and defiant, Clinton answers Congress on Benghazi attack

Defiant in one of her final appearances in office, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Congress on Wednesday that she accepts responsibility for security lapses in the deadly Sept. 11 attack on U.S. posts in Libya, but she also stressed that the assault was part of a broader war the United States faces against extremists in North Africa. | 01/23/13 18:43:55 By - By Hannah Allam

Will Charlotte host GOP convention in 2016?

It worked for Democrats. Could it work for Republicans? With national Republican Party officials gathering in Charlotte this week, it’s a natural question: Will the party return for its 2016 convention? | 01/23/13 13:04:09 By - Jim Morrell

California early abortion provider bill revived by Democratic lawmakers

More medical professionals, including nurses and midwives, would be permitted to perform certain early abortions in California under a bill unveiled Tuesday. | 01/23/13 06:58:59 By - Jeremy B. White

House to vote on extension of debt ceiling, some conservatives call it a sellout

The House plans to vote Wednesday on a Republican proposal to extend the government’s debt ceiling for three months, but conservatives were waging a last-minute effort to defeat the bill because it would not force spending cuts. | 01/22/13 19:08:14 By - By William Douglas and Lesley Clark

Several Kentucky Tea Party groups seek to defeat McConnell in 2014

Many of Kentucky's Tea Party leaders are plotting a strategy to defeat U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell in the 2014 Republican primary, a spokesman for a group calling itself the United Kentucky Tea Party said Tuesday. | 01/22/13 18:30:20 By - Jack Brammer

At National Cathedral, prayers for Obama

More than 2,000 people filled the National Cathedral on Tuesday to offer a prayer for President Barack Obama as he enters his second term in office. | 01/22/13 17:14:31 By - By Anita Kumar

In trouble, GOP will gather to decide what next

The Republican Party is in turmoil, confused about its future and disliked by huge numbers of voters. | 01/22/13 15:46:53 By - By David Lightman

Obama’s inaugural speech a call to a new liberal era

No doubt anymore where President Barack Obama wants America, and history, to place him: As a tough-minded liberal. | 01/21/13 18:38:36 By - By David Lightman

Inaugural crowd is smaller than four years ago, but no less hopeful

The crowd that jammed the National Mall on Monday for President Barack Obama’s second inaugural may have been smaller and less ebullient than the 1.8 million people who attended his historical first swearing-in, but by no means was it somber. | 01/21/13 17:51:31 By - By William Douglas and Maya T. Prabhu

California freshmen add diverse mix to a changing Congress

The new Congress looks like a changing country, and California’s delegation looks a lot like the change. | 01/21/13 17:40:39 By - By Curtis Tate

Idaho's Labrador says Obama is 'shameful' to use children to drive his anti-gun agenda

Idaho Republican Congressman Raul Labrador is critical of President Obama's news conference and executive order prompted aimed at curbing gun violence. The president had children attend his announcement last week of executive orders and a legislative agenda prompted by last month's Connecticut school shooting that left 20 elementary students dead. | 01/21/13 15:22:13 By - Dan Popkey

Obama summons nation for 2nd term: ‘We are made for this moment’

“America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive, diversity and openness, an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention,” he said on a crisp, sun-filled afternoon. “My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it, so long as we seize it together.” | 01/21/13 22:22:52 By - By Anita Kumar and Lesley Clark

Sen. Mitch McConnell says Medicare, Social Security must change to fix U.S. debt

The nation's debt is its biggest problem, and the only way to fix it is to make changes in entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell said Friday. | 01/21/13 07:17:04 By - Jack Brammer

Obama and weather don’t always get along

From a frigid 2009 Inauguration Day to a soggy 2012 Democratic convention, Mother Nature hasn’t always been kind to President Barack Obama. And meteorologists say that Monday’s inauguration is likely to be another chilly affair. | 01/20/13 12:39:42 By - By William Douglas

It’s official: Obama sworn in for second term

President Barack Obama was officially sworn into office for a second term Sunday in a small ceremony at the White House as the nation’s capital geared up for a full inauguration on Monday. | 01/20/13 22:35:21 By - By Anita Kumar

Obama, Biden kick off inauguration with volunteer work

President Barack Obama said Saturday his inauguration will be a symbol of U.S. democracy, as well as an “affirmation that we’re all in this together." | 01/19/13 16:22:11 By - By Lesley Clark

Kansas’ Black & Veatch, with history of problems in Afghanistan, now has another

An American contractor that came under fire several years ago for cost overruns and delays during the construction of a major U.S.-funded power plant in Afghanistan faces renewed criticism on another, much smaller project. | 01/19/13 00:00:00 By - By Lindsay Wise

Sen. Claire McCaskill leaps hurdles to overhauling wartime contracting

When Claire McCaskill set out to crack down on waste and fraud in wartime contracting six years ago, the newbie Democratic senator from Missouri figured that finding ways to save taxpayer dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan would be a no-brainer project, even in the highly partisan halls of Congress. “I learned quickly that that was very naive,” she said in a recent interview. | 01/19/13 00:00:00 By - By Lindsay Wise

House GOP leaders offer vote on small hike for debt ceiling

Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, hoping to avert another politically costly showdown with President Barack Obama over fiscal issues, plan a vote next week on increasing the debt ceiling enough to cover three months of additional borrowing to pay the government’s bills. | 01/18/13 18:01:47 By - By David Lightman

In second term, Obama will govern a nation worried about economy, anxious about safety

As President Barack Obama prepares to begin his second term, he will govern a nation where people feel insecure about their economic futures, worried about their personal safety and concerned that international threats are spiraling out of the United States’ control. | 01/18/13 15:29:36 By - By David Lightman

Obama’s second term: Guns, immigration, taxes – and warnings of hubris

Four years ago, President Barack Obama used his inaugural address to declare “an end to the petty grievances, and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.” | 01/18/13 15:22:27 By - By Lesley Clark and Anita Kumar

Monday’s inauguration is for show; real oath comes Sunday

When President Barack Obama raises his hand to take the oath of office Monday in a majestic inauguration ceremony, he’ll already be 24 hours into his second term. | 01/18/13 13:54:54 By - By Michael Doyle

LIVE from the presidential inauguration

Live inauguration coverage from Washington, D.C. by McClatchy DC Bureau reporters. Check back here starting at 8:15 a.m. as we track Barack Obama's second inauguration from the oath to the inaugural balls. | 01/18/13 10:34:37 By -

N.C. AG Cooper says young illegal immigrants in federal program should get driver's licenses

The state Attorney General’s office said Thursday that young illegal immigrants participating in an Obama administration program blocking deportation for two years should be eligible for driving privileges in North Carolina, but by day’s end it wasn’t clear whether the DMV would issue them. | 01/18/13 07:26:57 By - Anne Blythe and Bruce Siceloff

Hobby Lobby president expects long court battle over federal contraceptives mandate

The president of Hobby Lobby, which is fighting the government’s requirement to cover all contraceptives, asked Charlotte business owners to pray for his company Thursday. | 01/18/13 07:18:15 By - Ely Portillo

California Gov. Jerry Brown to push 'pathway to citizenship' for immigrants

Gov. Jerry Brown is thrusting himself into the federal fight over creating a "pathway to citizenship" for millions of undocumented immigrants who entered the United States illegally. | 01/18/13 07:04:05 By - Jim Sanders

Biden urges mayors to help sell Obama gun plan

Vice President Joe Biden looked to the nation’s mayors Thursday to help rally public opinion in support of the Obama administration’s push for new legislation aimed at curbing gun violence. | 01/17/13 18:29:35 By - By Franco Ordonez and Lesley Clark

In Marine Band, Fresno’s Jeffrey Strong will be part of ‘the president’s iPod’ at inauguration

This will be Strong’s first Inauguration Day performance, but the Marine Band’s 54th consecutive inaugural appearance. Don’t think it doesn’t know it, either: This is a musical organization that’s acutely aware of its heritage. | 01/17/13 16:47:02 By - By Michael Doyle

Top 10 inaugural address quotes

They have included some of the most stirring lines in U.S. history, often at times of great peril. They have included lines that marked moments of great change and defined an era. And many have been utterly forgettable. | 01/17/13 14:49:26 By - By Steven Thomma

From Washington to Obama, the inauguration is an American moment

Inauguration Days are the times America pauses to appreciate and reflect on the orderly transition, or reaffirmation, of power. | 01/17/13 14:48:44 By - By David Lightman

Texans react to Obama's gun proposal

Jim Williams isn't sure that President Barack Obama's proposed gun law changes will work. | 01/17/13 07:31:03 By - Anna M. Tinsley

Alaska gun bill threatens federal agents with arrest

House Speaker Mike Chenault says federal law enforcement officers should be arrested in Alaska if they attempt to enforce any future federal law banning personal possession of assault rifles or large ammunition clips or if they attempt to register any Alaska firearm. | 01/17/13 07:02:16 By - Richard Mauer

Experts applaud Obama’s sweeping gun-control plan

President Barack Obama’s wide-ranging plan to curb gun violence in America isn’t likely to be enacted in full, but experts say the sheer breadth of his proposal will provide a national blueprint for action that can guide lawmakers, fuel a powerful lobbying effort and sustain a national dialogue on gun control. | 01/17/13 06:28:02 By - By Tony Pugh

Campaign starts over guns, with children used by both sides

President Barack Obama’s call Wednesday to thwart gun violence – with four children by his side – signaled the start of what will be an intensive campaign to sway public opinion on one of the most hotly contested issues in recent history. | 01/16/13 18:56:50 By - By Lesley Clark and David Lightman

Obama’s and Martin Luther King’s stories will merge Monday

Both battled enormous odds to build historic multi-ethnic, multi-racial coalitions, one to advance the cause of civil rights, the other to win the nation’s highest office. Both won the Nobel Peace Price. Both could use soaring rhetoric to inspire millions. Both also had to overcome critics who accused them of socialist or communist sympathies, as well as black activists who maintained that they weren’t strong advocates for African-Americans. | 01/16/13 15:46:38 By - By William Douglas and David Lightman

Obama proposes assault-weapons ban, other controls on guns

President Barack Obama pledged Wednesday to put the full weight of his office behind the nation’s most aggressive gun-control plan in generations as he hopes to decrease the number of mass shootings and acts of random violence that occur every day in America. | 01/16/13 19:04:53 By - By Anita Kumar

Analysis: Immigration plans from Rubio, Obama are very similar

The White House has said Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s immigration plans, which could legalize the status of some of those unlawfully in the country, "bode well for a productive, bipartisan debate." A reason for that optimism: Rubio’s ideas and comments closely mirror those of President Obama in a 2011 policy speech in El Paso Texas. | 01/16/13 11:14:26 By - Marc Caputo

NRA releases video attacking Obama

Hours before President Obama unveils his proposals to curb gun violence, the National Rifle Association released a video late Tuesday calling President Obama an “elitist hypocrite” for requiring the Secret Service to protect his daughters school but not endorsing a proposal to install armed guards in all schools. | 01/16/13 11:06:21 By - Anita Kumar

Obama's Interior Secretary Ken Salazar heading back to Colorado

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said today he'll step down from his Cabinet post by the end of March and return to his home state of Colorado. | 01/16/13 10:25:45 By - Lesley Clark

Federal disaster relief squabble may impact Kansas and Missouri

Midwesterners accustomed to generous government aid after ice storms, floods and tornadoes may soon have to look somewhere else for help when disaster strikes. | 01/16/13 07:11:28 By - Dave Helling

Obama push for assault weapons ban, other gun restrictions faces steep climb in Congress

Obama will be joined at the White House announcement by Vice President Joe Biden and children who wrote to him after the shooting in Newtown, Conn. Gun control activists and lawmakers also have been invited. His proposals will include executive actions that don’t need congressional approval, as well as legislation. | 01/15/13 18:46:38 By - By David Lightman and Anita Kumar

Latino inaugural a party within a party

They helped elect him to a second term. Now, Latinos are going to make a splash at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration as never before. | 01/15/13 14:49:35 By - By Maria Recio

Kansas Sec. of State Kobach calls Obama's immigration plan 'out of touch'

President Obama must not be very serious about immigration reform because the proposal outlined over the weekend is out of touch with sentiments in the U.S. House and with the American public, said Kris Kobach, one of the nation’s leading anti-illegal immigration advocates and Kansas’ secretary of state. | 01/15/13 07:06:33 By - Brent D. Wistrom

Alaska bill would allow armed teachers, school personnel

State Rep. Bob Lynn, an Anchorage Republican, says school districts should be allowed to send teachers and other staff members into classrooms armed with guns, and is proposing a law that would do just that. | 01/15/13 06:49:35 By - Richard Mauer

Obama to Congress: Raise debt ceiling without spending cuts

President Barack Obama urged Congress on Monday to lift the nation’s debt ceiling without spending cuts, warning of dire consequences to the economy if lawmakers again push deliberations to the brink. | 01/14/13 18:12:11 By - By Lesley Clark

The selling of an inauguration: Prices run from $5 to $1 million

The taxpayers will pick up the tab – as they do every four years -- for the official swearing-in ceremony, a luncheon with Congress and extra security. The rest comes from contributions. And Obama supporters -- both individuals and corporations -- are helping to raise the millions of dollars, sometimes in ways that alarm government-watchdog groups. | 01/14/13 18:28:06 By - By Anita Kumar

Calif. lawmaker’s bill would try to speed up disaster cleanups and repairs

Sophomore Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif. started his second term in the spotlight Monday, as he shepherded a disaster relief bill through a House that sometimes stumbles over the topic. | 01/14/13 17:33:06 By - By Michael Doyle

Obama urges Congress to pass a new fiscal plan

In his last news conference of his first term, President Obama urged Congress to act on a new fiscal plan that would reduce the deficit by cutting spending and raising new revenue and raise the debt ceiling that will allow the government to pay its bill. | 01/14/13 12:06:36 By - Anita Kumar

Mixed news on gun control from Gallup survey

A new Gallup poll released Monday has mixed news on gun control. | 01/14/13 11:38:13 By - David Lightman

Idaho congressmen have public feud over Boehner ouster attempt

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson says fellow Republican Rep. Raul Labrador has forever undermined his effectiveness with an “irresponsible” role in plotting to defeat GOP House Speaker John Boehner. | 01/14/13 07:02:15 By - Dan Popkey

Obama quickens pace of troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

President Barack Obama announced Friday that he’s accelerating the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, with the 66,000 American forces moving this spring into a largely training and advisory role and Afghan troops taking the lead throughout the country in fighting the Taliban-led insurgency. | 01/11/13 18:40:50 By - By Lesley Clark and Jonathan S. Landay

Sandy relief-package politics continue with Congress’ return

So far, federal funding efforts on Hurricane Sandy disaster relief have been one hard slog. No one knows that better than Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss. The lawmaker from the Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast has been singled out by the aggressive New York-New Jersey media scrum for having voted last week against a boost to the flood insurance program. | 01/11/13 17:36:15 By - By Maria Recio and James Rosen

S.C. Rep. Mulvaney says he and Boehner have cleared the air

U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney said Thursday that he and House Speaker John Boehner patched things up after the South Carolina Republican declined to vote last week for the Ohioan’s re-election to the chamber’s top post. | 01/11/13 13:23:19 By - James Rosen

California Gov. Jerry Brown says budget deficit has disappeared

Gov. Jerry Brown declared Thursday that California's budget deficit has vanished thanks to new tax hikes and past spending cuts, marking the first time since the recession that state leaders haven't faced a deep fiscal chasm in January. | 01/11/13 06:49:44 By - Kevin Yamamura

Pastor Louie Giglio withdraws from inauguration after criticism of ’90s anti-gay comments

Giglio said he was stepping aside because he thought his participation and his prayer would be "dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration." | 01/10/13 16:53:05 By - By Lesley Clark

Conservatives warn McConnell they're watching him closely

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell got his first big challenge from the right Wednesday, as the conservative group ForAmerica launched an ad questioning whether the Kentucky Republican is a true conservative. | 01/09/13 11:59:29 By - David Lightman

Texas Gov. Perry says he's not focusing on next campaign

As he embarks on what could be his last legislative session Gov. Rick Perry radiates a sunny self-confidence, insisting that his focus is rigidly trained on the next 140 days under the dome of the Texas Capitol -- and not some distant political race. | 01/09/13 07:20:50 By - Dave Montgomery

Shell's Arctic oil exploration operation faces multiple investigations

As response teams continued Tuesday to evaluate Royal Dutch Shell's once-grounded oil drilling rig, the Coast Guard, the Obama administration and U.S. Sen. Mark Begich all announced investigations or reviews taking a close look at Shell. | 01/09/13 06:38:16 By - Lisa Demer

Sen. Lindsey Graham might block Obama pick, Brennan, to head CIA

Sen. Lindsey Graham threatened Tuesday to block Senate consideration of President Barack Obama’s nominee to head the CIA in retaliation for the Obama administration’s failure to provide more details about the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. | 01/08/13 17:02:22 By - By James Rosen

Mississippi Rep. Palazzo to tour Sandy destruction

U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo will tour disaster areas in New Jersey and the northeast with colleagues today to find out more about Hurricane Sandy relief and show his support for those efforts. | 01/08/13 11:49:03 By - Anita Lee

New S.C. Sen. Scott says debt is biggest threat to U.S. security

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott has the jokes down pat in his new job. | 01/08/13 07:15:24 By - Andrew Shain

California’s Bradley Blackwell may benefit from Supreme Court leniency on juvenile life sentences

A Northern California man who was sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of felony murder committed when he was 17 might gain his freedom eventually, under a brief Supreme Court ruling Monday that's the latest indication of potential leniency for similar inmates. | 01/07/13 17:17:37 By - By Michael Doyle

Supreme Court case involves medical malpractice awards, Medicaid

Sandra and William E. Armstrong’s 12-year-old daughter will never learn of the Supreme Court’s deliberations Tuesday, though the results could change her life. | 01/07/13 17:44:12 By - By Michael Doyle

Rep. Palazzo sought millions in Katrina relief for Biloxi Housing Authority

U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo says he voted against funding to pay the Hurricane Sandy flood insurance claims because of the deficit, but as the chief financial officer for the Biloxi Public Housing Authority back in 2005, Palazzo asked for federal relief despite the nation's debt. | 01/07/13 06:25:34 By - Anita Lee

Old farm bill extended as special interests worry anew about future

As part of the fiscal cliff package that passed earlier this week, Congress and the White House cobbled together an extension of the nation’s massive farm bill that keeps many – but not all – of the country’s agricultural and food programs sputtering along until September. | 01/04/13 19:10:05 By - By Erika Bolstad

Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo pleads guilty to drunken driving

The Idaho Republican stood quietly with his attorney during the three-minute hearing at the second-floor courtroom in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Va. | 01/04/13 12:54:32 By - By David Lightman

Idaho Senator Crapo pleads guilty to drunk driving

Sen. Mike Crapo Friday pleaded guilty to drunken driving and was fined $250, had his drivers’ license suspended and sentenced to 180 days in jail, which was suspended. | 01/04/13 11:33:10 By - David Lightman

'Homeless bill of rights' proposed by California state lawmaker

California law protects its residents from discrimination based on sex, race, religion and sexual orientation. Now a state lawmaker is pushing to add another category to the list: homelessness. | 01/04/13 07:04:42 By - Jim Sanders

On new Congress’ 1st day, clouds amid the sunshine

Republican John Boehner narrowly won re-election Thursday as the speaker of the House of Representatives as the 113th Congress convened in an atmosphere of unusual uncertainty and turmoil. | 01/03/13 18:45:53 By - By David Lightman and William Douglas

Sen. Tim Scott’s swearing-in caps historic rise

Tim Scott of South Carolina was sworn into office Thursday on a historic day that saw him become the first African-American United States senator from the South since Reconstruction and the upper chamber’s only current black member. | 01/03/13 18:16:48 By - By James Rosen

Norm Dicks' decades in Congress brought a lot of money back to home state

Pentagon chief Leon Panetta strode into the Cannon Caucus Room on Capitol Hill, surrounded by military officers in dress-green uniforms with rows of medals on their chests. | 01/03/13 13:52:15 By - James Rosen and Les Blumenthal

Will Texas lawmakers allow guns in elementary schools?

Armed police officers aren't an unusual sight in North Texas secondary schools. The Dallas school district has its own police force, as does at least one Tarrant County district, Mansfield.

But even in Texas, where guns are practically a birthright, plenty of people struggle with the thought of armed security officers walking past walls covered in finger-painted artwork and among laughing wee ones squirming in crooked hallway lines. | 01/03/13 07:32:14 By - Diane Smith

N.C. delegation split in fiscal cliff vote

Now that Congress has backed away from the fiscal cliff it faces three new deadlines and two more months of difficult debates. The expectation is more of the familiar partisan battles in January and February over the debt ceiling, across-the-board spending cuts and a temporary budget to keep the federal government running. | 01/03/13 07:24:53 By - Renee Schoof

Sen. Mitch McConnell gets praise, scorn from Kentucky Republicans over cliff deal

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell is getting heaps of praise and piles of scorn for his leading role in brokering a deal to avoid going over the fiscal cliff, raising questions about how the compromise will affect his 2014 re-election bid. | 01/03/13 07:06:25 By - Jack Brammer and Beth Musgrave

Obama signs 'fiscal cliff' bill

President Barack Obama, vacationing in Hawaii, signed the so-called fiscal cliff bill to avert massive tax hikes on most Americans and postpone spending cuts. He ordered the legislation be signed by autopen. | 01/03/13 06:45:07 By - Anita Kumar

Most of S.C. delegation opposes fiscal cliff deal

Sen. Lindsey Graham was the only Republican member of South Carolina’s congressional delegation who voted for the last-minute package to avert a fiscal cliff, saying Congress had to act to prevent catastrophic consequences. | 01/02/13 18:56:05 By - By James Rosen

A fiscal cliff solution, served with a side of tax breaks

There are breaks for movie producers and racetracks, a little gift for Captain Morgan rum and tax credits galore for makers of two- or three-wheeled plug-in electric vehicles, Indian coal facilities and companies that do business in American Samoa. | 01/02/13 18:49:20 By - By Anita Kumar and William Douglas

Joe Biden, Sen. Mitch McConnell show how old-school politics works

Lawmakers narrowly averted the worst of a fiscal crisis this week, largely thanks to behind-the-scenes negotiations between the Senate minority leader and the vice president – two Senate veterans and old-school politicians who reached a compromise no one seems to love but that enough members of both parties could accept. | 01/02/13 18:47:02 By - By Lesley Clark and David Lightman

Sen. Joe Lieberman made history but will retire without a party

Lieberman on Thursday will end his 24-year term in the Senate and in a political world that’s changed around him. He exits as a voice often without an echo, an independent without a comfortable spot in either political party, a man in the middle of a system that prizes partisanship over moderation. | 01/02/13 15:32:19 By - By David Lightman

House votes country back from fiscal cliff

America’s not going over the fiscal cliff, as the House of Representatives Tuesday approved the last-minute deal to pull the nation away from the brink of economic chaos. | 01/01/13 21:50:01 By - By David Lightman and Lesley Clark

From Capitol Hill to Iran, next defense secretary faces challenges

The trial balloon for the next secretary of defense barely lifted off before the darts started zipping at it, from the left and the right. | 01/01/13 09:02:38 By - By Matthew Schofield

Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison: 'I think it's the right time' to leave D.C.

When newly married Kay Bailey Hutchison left Houston for Dallas in the late 1970s, she discovered that she had become something of a desperate housewife. | 12/31/12 07:24:34 By - Maria Recio