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United States Congress

Husband of wounded lawmaker says Congress must act
The husband of wounded former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords says that while curbing gun violence is a complex problem, it is no excuse for inaction ...
Giffords asks Congress for bold gun control bill
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords says Congress should be bold in writing new laws to address gun violence in America. Giffords was severely ...
McCain: Immigration reform failure would cost GOP
In a warning to fellow Republicans, Sen. John McCain said Wednesday that failure to pass comprehensive immigration legislation could mean continued ...
Top senator: Close gun background check loopholes
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says closing loopholes in the background check system for gun purchasers won't threaten firearms ...
Aide: Gabrielle Giffords to testify at gun hearing
A Senate aide says wounded former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will be a surprise witness at Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on how to curb ...
Gore hits corporate media, defends Current TV sale
Al Gore, who takes aim in his new book at the corporate media for "suffocating the free flow of ideas," on Tuesday defended the sale of his television ...
Senate confirms Kerry nomination for State Dept.
The Senate overwhelmingly confirmed President Barack Obama's choice of five-term Sen. John Kerry to be secretary of state, with Republicans and ...
Obama on immigration overhaul: 'Now is the time'
Declaring "now is the time" to fix the nation's broken immigration system, President Barack Obama on Tuesday outlined broad proposals for putting ...
SD senator seeks to get rid of alienation lawsuits
A South Dakota state senator had hoped a sensational trial that aired details of a prosecutor's romance would help him in his decade-long quest to get ...
9/11 fund makes 1st payments to sick responders
A special fund set up by Congress to compensate people who got sick after being exposed to toxic World Trade Center dust following Sept. 11 is making ...
NRA says more gun control not a serious proposal
Banning some assault weapons and requiring background checks for all firearms purchases aren't a serious attempt to reduce gun violence, a top ...
LaHood departure leaves another vacancy in Cabinet
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who lifted the profile of distracted driving as a national safety concern, is stepping down, presenting President ...
Reid: Replace automatic cuts in short increments
The top Democrat in the Senate said Tuesday that lawmakers should redouble their efforts to replace looming across-the-board cuts to the Pentagon and ...
Dissident end of 'leadership of thieves' in China
Blind dissident Chen Guangcheng on Tuesday urged China's people to end the communist-governed nation's "leadership of thieves" and for Washington not ...
After gun crime, weapon history takes time to find
In the fictional world of television police dramas, a few quick clicks on a computer lead investigators to the owner of a gun recovered at a bloody ...
Graham threatens to block Hagel pick over Libya
A Republican senator is threatening to block the nomination of Chuck Hagel to lead the Pentagon unless Defense Secretary Leon Panetta testifies about ...
Lawmaker looks outside VA to fill mental care gap
Veterans who have trouble getting timely mental health care from Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics should also have access to thousands of health ...
Obama says he'll sign $50.5B Sandy aid bill soon
President Barack Obama said he'll sign a $50.5 billion emergency relief measure for Superstorm Sandy victims as soon as it lands on his desk.
Police push for background checks on gun purchases
Law enforcement leaders who met with President Barack Obama Monday urged him to focus on strengthening gun purchase background checks and mental ...
Guatemala ex-dictator to stand trial on genocide
A former U.S.-backed dictator who presided over one of the bloodiest periods of Guatemala's civil war will stand trial on charges he ordered the ...
Philippine dictatorship victims to be compensated
Almost four decades after he was arrested and tortured and his sister disappeared into a maze of Philippine police cells and military houses, ...
Congress passes $50.5B Superstorm Sandy aid bill
Three months after Superstorm Sandy ravaged coastal areas in much of the Northeast, Congress on Monday sent a $50.5 billion emergency relief measure ...
Immigration overhaul? GOP, Dem senators vow action
Side by side, leading Democratic and Republican senators pledged Monday to propel far-reaching immigration legislation through the Senate by summer ...
FACT CHECK: The stretched case against Chuck Hagel
Republican-leaning groups opposing President Barack Obama's choice of Chuck Hagel to head the Defense Department have let loose a barrage of claims ...
GOP looks to fight Dems, not negotiate with Obama
Is Washington's backroom dealing dead? House Speaker John Boehner says he no longer wants to negotiate deficit reduction with President Barack Obama.