http://www.mail.com/organizations/356-united-congress.html Mail.com - the best personalized free web-based Email en en http://sec-s.uicdn.com/mail.com/2.23/img/mailcom_logo_rss.png http://www.mail.com/organizations/356-united-congress.html http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1862506-scott-brown-wont-seek-kerrys-senate-seat.html BOSTON (AP) — Former Sen. Scott Brown said Friday he would not run in a special Senate election in Massachusetts, dealing a setback to Republican hopes of winning the seat being vacated by Secretary of State John Kerry. Brown, who electrified his party with an upset win in a 2010 special election but lost his re-election bid in November, ended weeks of in... Sat, 02 Feb 2013 03:58:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1862506-scott-brown-wont-seek-kerrys-senate-seat.html 2013-02-02T03:58:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/health/1862032-healthier-schools-goodbye-candy-greasy-snacks.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Goodbye candy bars and sugary cookies. Hello baked chips and diet sodas. The government for the first time is proposing broad new standards to make sure all foods sold in schools are more healthful, a change that would ban the sale of almost all candy, high-calorie sports drinks and greasy foods on campus. Under new r... Fri, 01 Feb 2013 21:27:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/health/1862032-healthier-schools-goodbye-candy-greasy-snacks.html 2013-02-01T21:27:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1862654-harkin-campaign-aide-iowa-donor-list.html IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin's campaign fundraiser gave Iowa State University a list of possible donors to his namesake research institute, records show, though university officials have promised the powerful Democrat would have no influence over the center. The Harkin Institute of Public Policy would house the papers of the senator, who re... Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:10:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/news/1862654-harkin-campaign-aide-iowa-donor-list.html 2013-02-01T20:10:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1861238-republicans-face-balancing-immigration.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans face a delicate balancing act as they embrace an unprecedented shift in their views on immigration reform — and no one better exemplifies the potential risks and rewards than Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. Rubio has courted conservative commentators in recent weeks, outlining a set of principles for changes in immigration law t... Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:17:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1861238-republicans-face-balancing-immigration.html 2013-02-01T08:17:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1861170-hillary-clinton-takes-rest-weird-that.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton's plan for 2013 was simple. She'd embark on an epic swansong around the world as secretary of state, a dizzying itinerary of east-west and north-south flights that would take her past 1 million miles in the air at the helm of American diplomacy and perhaps break her own record of 112 countries visited while in the ... Fri, 01 Feb 2013 07:33:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1861170-hillary-clinton-takes-rest-weird-that.html 2013-02-01T07:33:00Z http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1860396-foxs-geraldo-rivera-weighing-us-senate-nj.html NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Geraldo Rivera, who hosts a weekend show on Fox News Channel, said Thursday he's seriously thinking about running for U.S. Senate in New Jersey. "Buckle your seat belts!" said Rivera before announcing, on his radio show on WABC-AM in New York, that he is "truly contemplating" a Senate bid. He said he has spoken to some people in the Ne... Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:18:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/1860396-foxs-geraldo-rivera-weighing-us-senate-nj.html 2013-02-01T06:18:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1858370-congress-sends-bill-to-obama-averting-govt-default.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress sent President Barack Obama drama-free legislation on Thursday raising the debt ceiling, averting a government default and putting off the next tax-and-spending clash between the White House and Republicans until later in the year. The measure cleared the Senate on a vote of 64-34 after winning House approval late last week. It ... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:58:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1858370-congress-sends-bill-to-obama-averting-govt-default.html 2013-01-31T22:58:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1858392-menendez-reimbursed-donor-2-jaunts.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Robert Menendez's office says he reimbursed a prominent Florida political donor $58,500 on Jan. 4 of this year for the full cost of two of three trips Menendez took on the donor's plane to the Dominican Republic in 2010. More details about the New Jersey senator's trips emerged as his office said unsubstantiated allegations that the... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:51:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1858392-menendez-reimbursed-donor-2-jaunts.html 2013-01-31T22:51:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1860484-biden-gun-curbs-killings-help.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Curbing guns can't ensure an end to mass slayings like December's killings of 20 first-graders in Newtown, Conn., but it will reduce firearm deaths, Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday. Biden said lawmakers can take steps "that have virtually zero impact on your Second Amendment right to own a weapon for both self-defense and recreati... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:26:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1860484-biden-gun-curbs-killings-help.html 2013-01-31T22:26:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1859704-senate-group-focuses-border-security.html WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators working to craft immigration legislation is focusing on how to define when the border is secure, one of several contentious issues that could cause the whole deal to collapse, a key Senate negotiator said Thursday. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., pointed to "serious challenges ahead" as the lawmakers delve into... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:56:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1859704-senate-group-focuses-border-security.html 2013-01-31T20:56:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1857118-fact-check-gun-control-claims-target.html WASHINGTON (AP) — The intensifying gun-control debate has given rise to sloppy claims on both sides. Here's a sampling, with the first two examples from the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on guns Wednesday, and the third from Vice President Joe Biden's online video chat last week during a Google Plus forum. IOW... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:42:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1857118-fact-check-gun-control-claims-target.html 2013-01-31T19:42:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1858548-congress-grapples-with-gap-scofflaw-contractors.html WASHINGTON (AP) — With thousands of civilian contractors remaining in Iraq and Afghanistan, Justice Department officials want Congress to resolve a legal issue they say obstructs efforts to prosecute any such workers who rape, kill or commit other serious crimes abroad. Scofflaw Pentagon employees and contractors supporting the American war mission overse... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:37:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1858548-congress-grapples-with-gap-scofflaw-contractors.html 2013-01-31T18:37:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1859340-joint-chiefs-looming-cuts-would-hollow-military.html WASHINGTON (AP) — The military's top leaders are warning Congress that automatic spending cuts looming in March would force the Pentagon to slash operating budgets, weakening the armed forces and possibly forcing furloughs of 800,000 civilian employees. The Joint Chiefs say in a letter to Congress that the cuts would create a "hollow force" and would requ... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:17:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1859340-joint-chiefs-looming-cuts-would-hollow-military.html 2013-01-31T16:17:00Z http://www.mail.com/sports/football/1858490-2-nfl-seasons-agreement-hgh-tests.html NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Baltimore Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones is among those NFL players who want the league and the union to finally agree on a way to do blood testing for human growth hormone. "I hope guys wouldn't be cheating. That's why you do all this extra work and extra training. Unfortunately, there are probably a few guys, a handful maybe, that ... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:04:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/sports/football/1858490-2-nfl-seasons-agreement-hgh-tests.html 2013-01-31T13:04:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1858398-illegal-immigration-foes-despair-gop-moves.html DENVER (AP) — Marty Lich is ready to bolt. It's been a couple of years since the self-described conservative considered herself a Republican, but she still often votes for GOP candidates. That's partly because of their tough stands against illegal immigration, which the retired teacher's aide blames for ruining her Southern California hometown and fears c... Thu, 31 Jan 2013 07:21:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1858398-illegal-immigration-foes-despair-gop-moves.html 2013-01-31T07:21:00Z http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1855648-gop-lawmakers-automatic-cuts-leverage.html WASHINGTON (AP) — There's a growing sense of resignation that the country's political leaders will be unable or unwilling to find a way around looming automatic spending cuts despite fresh signs the cuts would threaten the recovering economy. On one side are conservative Republicans, outnumbered and frustrated, who see the painfully large cuts as leverage... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:25:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1855648-gop-lawmakers-automatic-cuts-leverage.html 2013-01-30T23:25:00Z http://www.mail.com/scitech/health/1857906-families-to-priced-health-overhaul.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Some families could get priced out of health insurance due to what's being called a glitch in President Barack Obama's overhaul law. IRS regulations issued Wednesday failed to fix the problem as liberal backers of the president's plan had hoped. As a result, some families that can't afford the employer coverage that they are offered on t... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:17:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/scitech/health/1857906-families-to-priced-health-overhaul.html 2013-01-30T23:17:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1855650-giffords-pleads-gun-curbs-nra-fights.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Severely wounded and still recovering, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords begged lawmakers at an emotional hearing Wednesday to act quickly to curb firearms because "Americans are counting on you." Not everyone agreed, underscoring the national political divide over gun control. Giffords' 80-word plea was the day's most riveting moment, deli... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 22:46:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1855650-giffords-pleads-gun-curbs-nra-fights.html 2013-01-30T22:46:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1856272-mass-govs-ex-aide-cowan-named-interim-us-senator.html BOSTON (AP) — Although his time in the U.S. Senate will be brief — less than five full months — William "Mo" Cowan could find himself in the thick of major policy debates from the federal budget to immigration reform and gun control. Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick on Wednesday appointed Cowan, his former chief of staff, to serve as the interim U.S. senator... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:42:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1856272-mass-govs-ex-aide-cowan-named-interim-us-senator.html 2013-01-30T21:42:00Z http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1856152-us-economy-shifted-reverse-late-2012.html WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy shrank unexpectedly late last year, a reminder of the biggest threat it faces in 2013: sharp government spending cuts and prolonged political budget fights. A plunge in defense spending helped push the economy into negative territory for the first time since mid-2009. The contraction in the October-December quarter came ... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:41:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/markets/1856152-us-economy-shifted-reverse-late-2012.html 2013-01-30T21:41:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1857508-house-members-negotiate-proposal-immigration.html WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of a half-dozen House members, equally divided between Democrats and Republicans, is nearing completion of wide-ranging immigration legislation similar to proposals by Senate negotiators and President Barack Obama, including a pathway to legal immigration status for 11 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S. The group inte... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:37:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1857508-house-members-negotiate-proposal-immigration.html 2013-01-30T21:37:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1857232-hagel-military-view-shaped-vietnam.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Chuck Hagel says his experience fighting in Vietnam alongside his younger brother will shape any decision he makes to unleash military force if the Senate confirms him to be President Barack Obama's defense secretary. On the eve of his confirmation hearing, Hagel offered his opinions on a long list of issues, from cuts in defense spendin... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:11:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1857232-hagel-military-view-shaped-vietnam.html 2013-01-30T21:11:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1857352-senate-farewell-kerry-speaks-to-listen.html WASHINGTON (AP) — His voice quavering, Secretary of State-designate John Kerry bid farewell to the Senate after 28 years with a plea for comity and cooperation. "The political process works only when leaders are willing to listen," Kerry told his colleagues in his valedictory speech on Wednesday. More than a dozen Democrats and just a few Republicans list... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 20:55:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1857352-senate-farewell-kerry-speaks-to-listen.html 2013-01-30T20:55:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1857058-with-halting-voice-giffords-speaks-guns.html WASHINGTON (AP) — She uttered just 80 halting words. But her presence was powerful. Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, shot in the head by a Tucson gunman in 2011, opened the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on gun violence in dramatic fashion Wednesday. "OK," she began, steeling herself before a packed yet hushed committee room. ... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 20:50:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1857058-with-halting-voice-giffords-speaks-guns.html 2013-01-30T20:50:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1856496-husband-wounded-lawmaker-congress.html WASHINGTON (AP) — The husband of wounded former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords says that while curbing gun violence is a complex problem, it is no excuse for inaction by lawmakers. Former astronaut Mark Kelly told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that he and his wife, former Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, are gun owners who suppo... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:05:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1856496-husband-wounded-lawmaker-congress.html 2013-01-30T15:05:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1856454-giffords-asks-congress-bold-gun-control-bill.html WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords says Congress should be bold in writing new laws to address gun violence in America. Giffords was severely wounded in a 2011 shooting spree that killed six people during a forum in Tucson. She told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Americans are counting on lawmakers to address the problem. Speak... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:39:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1856454-giffords-asks-congress-bold-gun-control-bill.html 2013-01-30T14:39:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1856220-mccain-immigration-reform-failure-would-cost-gop.html WASHINGTON (AP) — In a warning to fellow Republicans, Sen. John McCain said Wednesday that failure to pass comprehensive immigration legislation could mean continued election losses for the GOP and cause Republican-friendly states like Arizona to fall to the Democrats. The Arizona Republican, his party's former presidential nominee and one of eight senato... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:28:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1856220-mccain-immigration-reform-failure-would-cost-gop.html 2013-01-30T14:28:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1856198-top-senator-close-gun-background-check-loopholes.html WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says closing loopholes in the background check system for gun purchasers won't threaten firearms owners' Second Amendment rights to own a gun and is a matter of common sense. In a prepared statement for his committee's hearing Wednesday on curbing guns, Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy ... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:00:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1856198-top-senator-close-gun-background-check-loopholes.html 2013-01-30T13:00:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1856100-aide-gabrielle-giffords-to-testify-gun-hearing.html WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 gun violence. The former Arizona Democrat, who suffered a severe head wound in a 2011 shooting as she met with constituents outside a Tucson supermarket, is not expected to answer questions... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:08:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1856100-aide-gabrielle-giffords-to-testify-gun-hearing.html 2013-01-30T12:08:00Z