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Republicans are trying a new approach to abortion in the race for Congress
Read full article: Republicans are trying a new approach to abortion in the race for CongressIn the most contested races for control of the U.S. House, many Republican candidates are speaking up about women’s rights to abortion access and reproductive care in new and surprising ways.
Prominent Democrat Schiff calls for Biden to withdraw, but party aims to nominate before convention
Read full article: Prominent Democrat Schiff calls for Biden to withdraw, but party aims to nominate before conventionCalifornia Rep. Adam Schiff has become the highest-profile Democrat to call for President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid, as the party pushes ahead with plans to hold a virtual vote to formally make Biden its nominee in the first week of August.
House Democrats want to stop early DNC effort to nominate Biden before party convention in August
Read full article: House Democrats want to stop early DNC effort to nominate Biden before party convention in AugustSome House Democrats are wary of swiftly nominating President Joe Biden as the party’s pick for reelection.
Biden gets support from key lawmakers as he tells Democrats he won't step aside after debate
Read full article: Biden gets support from key lawmakers as he tells Democrats he won't step aside after debatePresident Joe Biden is standing firm against calls for him to drop his reelection candidacy and calling for an end to the intraparty drama that has torn apart Democrats since his dismal debate performance.
Will Biden's new border measures be enough to change voters' minds?
Read full article: Will Biden's new border measures be enough to change voters' minds?President Joe Biden is trying to address a major liability for his reelection campaign by taking executive action to significantly restrict asylum.
Ukraine, Israel aid advances in rare House vote as Democrats help Republicans push it forward
Read full article: Ukraine, Israel aid advances in rare House vote as Democrats help Republicans push it forwardThe House has pushed a $95 billion national security aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies closer to passage.
We ranked Texas House members along the ideological spectrum based on their 2023 votes
Read full article: We ranked Texas House members along the ideological spectrum based on their 2023 votesHere’s a look at House members, ranked from most conservative to most liberal, based on their votes cast during the 2023 regular session and four special sessions.
New US aid for Ukraine by year-end seems increasingly out of reach as GOP ties it to border security
Read full article: New US aid for Ukraine by year-end seems increasingly out of reach as GOP ties it to border securityA deal to provide further U.S. assistance to Ukraine by year-end appears to be increasingly out of reach for President Joe Biden.
Republicans want to pair border security with aid for Ukraine. Here's why that makes a deal so tough
Read full article: Republicans want to pair border security with aid for Ukraine. Here's why that makes a deal so toughCongress return to work this week after the holiday break, and Senate Republicans have made clear they won’t support additional war aid for Ukraine unless they can pair it with border security measures.
Democrats hoping Biden can provide West Coast election boost
Read full article: Democrats hoping Biden can provide West Coast election boostPresident Joe Biden’s visit to California and Oregon this week comes close to Election Day and shows how Democrats are calling in reinforcements in states that are typically afterthoughts for the party.
Reps. Ocasio-Cortez and Omar among Democrats arrested at abortion rights protest
Read full article: Reps. Ocasio-Cortez and Omar among Democrats arrested at abortion rights protestMore than a dozen House Democrats were arrested outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday during a demonstration that involved blocking the street to protest the high court’s June decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
Pandemic relief money spent on hotel, ballpark, ski slopes
Read full article: Pandemic relief money spent on hotel, ballpark, ski slopesAn Associated Press review finds that state and local governments have spent nearly $1 billion worth of federal coronavirus aid on projects that have little to do with combating the pandemic.
What if? Path was uncertain if Pence objected to Biden's win
Read full article: What if? Path was uncertain if Pence objected to Biden's winIn the weeks before the Jan. 6, 2021, certification of President Joe Biden’s victory, a small group of House Democrats huddled to contemplate what they would do if then-Vice President Mike Pence tried to overturn the presidential election.
Dems: Discovery, AT&T merger will hurt diversity, workers
Read full article: Dems: Discovery, AT&T merger will hurt diversity, workersHouse Democrats are raising concerns that the proposed merger of Discovery and AT&T’s WarnerMedia, a $43 billion effort to conquer the world of streaming, could affect diversity efforts in Hollywood and particularly hurt Latinos, who are already deeply underrepresented.
Rattled Democrats reckon with bruising results in VA, NJ
Read full article: Rattled Democrats reckon with bruising results in VA, NJDemocrats are blending finger-pointing, optimism and a renewed push to unstick their stalled legislative agenda as they scramble for Election Day lessons from a jolting loss in Virginia and a closer than expected win in New Jersey.
Democrats reach drug price deal, Biden upbeat on Manchin
Read full article: Democrats reach drug price deal, Biden upbeat on ManchinDemocrats say they have sealed a deal to lower pharmaceutical drug costs for most older Americans as part of President Joe Biden’s sweeping $1.75 trillion domestic proposal.
With special session’s end looming, Texas Democrats and Republicans mull their next moves
Read full article: With special session’s end looming, Texas Democrats and Republicans mull their next movesAbbott has promised to call a second special session to pass the GOP’s priority voting bill, but the exact timing is uncertain. And House Democrats have not yet revealed what they have planned after the session ends this week.
Roads, bridges, jobs: Biden selling big infrastructure deal
Read full article: Roads, bridges, jobs: Biden selling big infrastructure dealPresident Joe Biden is trying to sell Americans on the economic benefits of the $973 billion infrastructure package under consideration in Congress, declaring there is an urgent need for a “generational investment."
Gov. Greg Abbott has set his legislative agenda. These lawmakers could influence how much is accomplished.
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott has set his legislative agenda. These lawmakers could influence how much is accomplished.But to get anything done on his list, he’ll need help in the Texas House and Senate. AdA hardline conservative faction in the HouseThe Texas House has 67 Democrats and 82 Republicans. One seat remains open after former state Rep. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, resigned to join the state Senate. Both the Texas House and Senate preliminary budgets both call for $119.7 billion in discretionary spending. In the House, meanwhile, state Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, will again chair the committee on criminal jurisprudence.
Trump rejects Dems' request to testify at impeachment trial
Read full article: Trump rejects Dems' request to testify at impeachment trial(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)WASHINGTON – House Democrats on Thursday asked Donald Trump to testify under oath for his Senate impeachment trial, challenging him to respond to their charge that he incited a violent mob to storm the Capitol. Hours after the Democrats' request was revealed, Trump adviser Jason Miller dismissed the trial as “an unconstitutional proceeding” and said the former president would not testify. Separately, Trump’s lawyers denounced the request as a “public relations stunt.”AdThe impeachment trial starts Feb. 9. He asked that Trump provide testimony about his conduct “either before or during the Senate impeachment trial,” and under cross-examination, as early as Monday, Feb. 8, and not later than Thursday, Feb. 11. The Senate could vote to subpoena Trump, or any other witnesses, on a simple majority vote during the trial.
Dems nominate Pelosi as speaker again to lead into Biden era
Read full article: Dems nominate Pelosi as speaker again to lead into Biden eraAgainst that backdrop, many House Democrats have for years impatiently insisted it's time for fresh leadership. To become speaker again, Pelosi will need more votes than House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who’s likely to garner nearly unanimous GOP support. Though she's likely to succeed, it won’t be simple because when Pelosi was elected speaker in January 2019, 15 Democrats opposed her. Pelosi came to Congress in 1987 and has led House Democrats, both as the minority and majority party, ever since 2003. Pelosi has won wide acclaim among Democrats as a leading Trump foe in battles over impeachment, immigration and health care.
House Dem campaign chair won't seek post anew after losses
Read full article: House Dem campaign chair won't seek post anew after lossesWASHINGTON – The chairwoman of House Democrats' campaign arm said Monday that she won't seek the post again for the next Congress, days after her party's unexpected loss of seats in last week's election triggered recriminations among Democrats. Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos' decision to not seek a new term atop the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee comes with party members upset and divided over why that happened. Her win came after an eleventh-hour $1 million expenditure for her by the House Majority PAC, which was resented by some Democrats. That committee is aligned with House Democratic leaders. House Democrats currently have a 232-197 advantage, plus one independent and five vacancies.
Dems head toward House control, but lose incumbents to GOP
Read full article: Dems head toward House control, but lose incumbents to GOPThough they seemed likely to retain House control, their performance was an unexpected disappointment for the party, which hoped for modest gains of perhaps 15 seats. Democrats control the House 232-197, with five open seats and one independent. By retaining House control, Democrats would mark only the second time in a quarter century that they've led the chamber for two consecutive two-year Congresses. She declared that Democrats had won the House majority, which seemed highly likely but hadn’t been officially declared by The Associated Press. “House Republicans have outperformed all expectations," said Dan Conston, who heads the Congressional Leadership Fund, a committee aligned with House GOP leaders that provides millions to Republican candidates.
Law and order vs. health care as Dems, GOP vie for suburbs
Read full article: Law and order vs. health care as Dems, GOP vie for suburbsIn the Republican-leaning California 48th Congressional District in Orange County, Republican challenger Michelle Steel has talked about taxes, while Rouda has focused on health care and prescription drug costs. The pattern is similar outside Philadelphia, where GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick accuses Democratic challenger Christina Finelo of supporting police defunding. Wagner has voted for bills that would have ended the coverage that former President Barack Obama’s health care law guarantees people with preexisting conditions. Freitas has said he thinks government intrusion into health care doesn't help. Democrats have run health care themed ads against Republicans in numerous states including Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska and Texas.
Capitol negotiators still stuck, still trying on virus aid
Read full article: Capitol negotiators still stuck, still trying on virus aidNegotiators are still stuck, but still trying. Republicans offered to extend the benefit into December and cut it to $400, according to aides confirming leaks reported in Politico. Pelosi is opposed for now, but Democrats who see it's a key to any final agreement aren't ruling the idea out. Key Republicans whose rural constituents are especially reliant on the post office support the idea. NON-CORONAVIRUS ITEMSThe competing bills from House Democrats and Senate Republicans include a fair amount of money for non-coronavirus-related items.
Virus aid: Where things stand in high-level Washington talks
Read full article: Virus aid: Where things stand in high-level Washington talksWASHINGTON After more than a weeks worth of meetings, at least some clarity is emerging in the bipartisan Washington talks on a huge COVID-19 response bill. Postal Service on Wednesday indicates a long slog remains, but the White House is offering some movement in House Speaker Nancy Pelosis direction on aid to states and local governments and unemployment insurance benefits. The aides were unauthorized to discuss the private talks and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Very tricky talks remain, and Republicans are carping that Pelosi is being too greedy. NON-CORONAVIUS ITEMSThe competing bills from House Democrats and Senate Republicans include a fair amount of money for non-coronavirus-related items.