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United States Senate

Congress tightens belt, trims spy budget for 2013
Congress has drastically trimmed the budget for U.S. spies and satellites for 2013, though not quite as deeply as the White House wanted. In one of ...
Senate approves fiscal cliff legislation 89-8
Hours past a self-imposed deadline for action, the Senate passed legislation early New Year's Day to neutralize a fiscal cliff combination of ...
Report details changes in Benghazi explanations
The FBI, CIA and other intelligence agencies — but not the White House — made major changes in talking points that led to the Obama administration's ...
Illinois Sen. Kirk to return a year after stroke
Nearly a year after a stroke left him barely able to move the left side of his body, U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk is expected to climb the 45 steps to the ...
Markets calm despite looming fiscal cliff
Markets appeared Monday to take in stride the ongoing failure of U.S. politicians to agree to a budget deal in time to avoid automatic tax increases ...
Fiscal 'cliff' deal proving elusive
A Capitol Hill deal to avert the "fiscal cliff" was proving elusive Sunday as a deadline to avert tax hikes on virtually every American worker and ...
Over the fiscal cliff: Soft or hard landing?
Efforts to save the nation from going over a year-end "fiscal cliff" were still in disarray as lawmakers returned to the Capitol to confront the ...
Last-minute fiscal cliff talks in Senate
Senate leaders groped for a last-minute compromise Saturday to avoid middle-class tax increases and possibly prevent deep spending cuts at the dawn ...
Obama: Congressional leaders may avoid cliff dive
President Barack Obama is urging Congress to reach a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff, saying the nation "can't afford a politically self-inflicted ...
APNewsBreak: Sen. Crapo won't fight DUI charge
U.S. Sen. Michael Crapo, the Idaho Republican arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, doesn't plan to fight the charges when he appears in court in ...
Senate approves $60.4 billion Sandy aid bill
The Senate on Friday approved a $60.4 billion emergency spending aid package for victims of Hurricane Sandy that had been backed by Senate Democrats.
Last ditch effort to avoid fiscal cliff under way
The end game at hand, the White House and Senate leaders made a final stab at compromise Friday night to prevent middle-class tax increases from ...
Bipartisan senators propose curbing filibusters
A bipartisan group of senators proposed Friday to clamp modest limits on filibusters, hoping to head off a bitter partisan fight over the issue when ...
Obama invites congressional leaders to cliff talk
A deadline looming, President Barack Obama will meet with congressional leaders at the White House on Friday in search of a compromise to avoid a ...
McConnell: Obama to meet Hill leaders on Friday
The Senate's top Republican says President Barack Obama has asked congressional leaders to convene at the White House for last-minute talks on a deal ...
Biden swears in Schatz as new senator for Hawaii
Brian Schatz symbolized a generational change in Hawaii's Senate delegation, taking the hand of his new colleague, 88-year-old Sen. Daniel Akaka, ...
Cliff looms: Kicking the Can, Washington-style
When it comes to the nation's budget challenges, congressional leaders are fond of saying dismissively they don't want to kick the can down the road.
In polarized nation, Iowa finds itself oddly split
Republicans and Democrats in state capitals across the country are talking ambitiously about what they'll do next year with the unchecked power they ...
GOP shows signs of bending after election defeat
For years, Republicans have adhered fiercely to their bedrock conservative principles, resisting Democratic calls for tax hikes, comprehensive ...
Ben Affleck won't run for US Senate in Mass.
Ben Affleck is taking his name off the list of possible candidates for U.S. Sen. John Kerry's seat, which would be open if the Democratic senator from ...
Texas Rep. Hall to be oldest US House member ever
When Ralph Hall was elected to the U.S. House in 1980 at the age of 57, he had already served in the Navy in World War II, built a successful business ...
A look at tough issues awaiting Obama's final term
As President Barack Obama approaches his second and final term, he will have to decide where to be ambitious, where to be cautious and where to buy ...
Stocks dip with budget deal in doubt at year's end
Stocks fell in light trading Monday during a shortened holiday trading session with lawmakers running out of time to reach a budget deal that would ...