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United States Congress

Dems push assault weapons ban
Congressional Democrats unveiled legislation Thursday to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines like those used in the school massacre at ...
Kerry skeptical on need for more US forces in Asia
The nominee to be America's top diplomat supports deeper ties with China and is unconvinced the U.S. needs to ramp up its military presence in the ...
Netflix shuffles the TV deck with 'House of Cards'
In Netflix's bid for a flagship original drama of its own — a "Sopranos" to its HBO — the subscription streaming service is presenting a high-class ...
Kerry: Assad missed shot to tighten ties with West
Sen. John Kerry says Syria's leader missed an historic opportunity to tighten ties with the West, and it's far too late now. President Barack Obama's ...
Democrats reintroduce assault weapons ban
Congressional Democrats are reintroducing legislation to ban assault weapons but the measure faces long odds even after last month's mass school ...
Congress charts new collision course over deficit
The nation's sharp disagreements over taxes and spending are on a re-routed collision course, as Senate Democrats launch a plan that includes new ...
Gay rights groups seek order on employer bias
Gay rights advocates are renewing their push for President Barack Obama to sign an executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating ...
Why Geithner's Treasury leadership proved divisive
President Barack Obama has saluted the outgoing Timothy Geithner as one of the best U.S. Treasury secretaries ever. He's surely been among the most ...
AP sources: Pentagon opens combat roles to women
The Pentagon is lifting its ban on women serving in combat, opening hundreds of thousands of front-line positions and potentially elite commando jobs ...
Debt crisis averted - but spring fight still ahead
Retreating with a purpose, Republicans sped legislation through the House on Wednesday to avert the imminent threat of a government default but ...
Dems, GOP may be near end of filibuster dispute
Senators may be nearing an end to their partisan dispute over curbing unlimited delays called filibusters. Whatever the resolution, it probably won't ...
Defiant Clinton takes on lawmakers on Libya attack
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered fiery rejoinders Wednesday to Republican critics of the Obama administration's handling of the ...
THE RESET: Delay becoming the norm for US gov't
Congress often gives itself more breathing room. In other words, it kicks the can down the road. It's an overused expression nearly everybody scoffs ...
Senate Democrats plan budget debate
Incoming Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray says Democrats controlling the chamber will attempt to pass a budget for the first time since ...
Oil holds near $97 ahead of US debt ceiling vote
The price of oil was steady near four-month highs around $97 a barrel on Wednesday as markets awaited a vote in Congress which would provide a ...
Expiring credits, deductions extended by Congress
Taxpayers preparing to file their 2012 returns can breathe a collective sigh of relief. The alternative minimum tax or AMT has been patched — ...
NJ senator takes digs at mayor's interest in seat
Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, at age 88 the oldest sitting U.S. senator, said Tuesday that the mayor of the state's largest city is surely ...
Obama's lofty inaugural ideals run into reality
President Barack Obama's lofty ideals from his inaugural address ran smack into reality Tuesday on the first working day of his second term.
Senate chair: Count up Hagel vote after hearing
Top Senate Republicans said Tuesday they would reserve judgment on Chuck Hagel's nomination until after his confirmation hearing next week, a positive ...
GOP moves to delay debt-ceiling showdown 3 months
Seeking to regain their budget footing versus President Barack Obama, Republicans controlling the House are moving quickly to try to defuse a ...
White House: Obama wouldn't block GOP debt bill
The Obama administration says it won't oppose a House Republican proposal to increase the nation's $16.4 trillion borrowing authority for only three ...
Recognition sought for church bombing victims
Nearly 50 years ago, white supremacists planted a bomb in a Birmingham, Ala., church that killed four young girls preparing to worship, an act of ...
Feud over budget for diplomatic security escalates
A long-running feud over whether Congress provides enough money for protecting U.S. diplomats escalated Tuesday as the chairman of a Senate ...
Obama climate pledge faces test on oil pipeline
Environmental groups say President Barack Obama's warning about climate change will soon be tested as he decides whether to approve the Keystone XL ...
Poll: Many say let illegal immigrants stay in US
More than 6 in 10 Americans now favor allowing illegal immigrants to eventually become U.S. citizens, a major increase in support driven by a ...