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Protesters rally at Supreme Court as justices hear landmark abortion case
WASHINGTON–Lucia Ruta remembers a time when abortions were illegal. A native of Washington, D.C., she says she received an abortion in a back alley when she was 16, in the 1960s. “The doctor told me that if I made as so much a whimper, he was going to stop and kick me out,” she said. […]
Finally – Democrats get Build Back Better bill through the House
WASHINGTON — Lower prescription drug costs. Expansion of the child tax credit through 2022. Access to affordable child care. Universal preschool for every three- and four-year old. Tax cuts for low-income workers, and tax hikes for corporations and billionaires. The largest federal ever single investment to confront the impacts of climate change. Those were just […]
U.S. House censures Arizona’s Paul Gosar, boots him from committees
The U.S. House voted 223-207 Wednesday to censure Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar and strip him of his committee assignments, following his social media post of a manipulated cartoon that depicted him attacking Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden. Republican Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois voted with all Democrats present […]
Biden signs bipartisan infrastructure bill: ‘America is moving again’
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law his $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill during a ceremony at the White House packed with some 800 supporters, heralding what he said was a “truly consequential” spending bill that will improve Americans’ day-to-day lives. But Democrats also emphasized that there is more to come—a $1.85 […]
U.S. House sends $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill to Biden for his signature
WASHINGTON–The U.S. House cleared a $1.2 trillion physical infrastructure bill and took a major step toward passage of a landmark $1.85 trillion over ten years social spending and climate bill late Friday, following months of wrangling between Democrats’ progressive and moderate wings. The votes marked a milestone in the marathon negotiations among members of the […]
Supreme Court justices skeptical about New York gun control law
WASHINGTON-Conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court expressed skepticism Wednesday after listening to two hours of oral arguments on a New York law that imposes strict limits on carrying a gun outside the home—a case that will test how far states can go when crafting their own laws. In New York State Rifle & Pistol Assoc. […]
What’s in—and out—of Biden’s social spending and climate bill
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s social spending and climate package has been slimmed down to a $1.75 trillion plan over ten years that he and top congressional Democrats are attempting to wrestle through after months of negotiations. Snipped from that proposal are a number of key priorities for Democrats, including an attempt to create the […]
Garland stands by FBI investigation of threats against school board members
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans grilled Attorney General Merrick Garland for more than four hours on Wednesday about a Justice Department investigation into threats made to local school board members in multiple states. Garland at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing declined to revoke a memo he wrote asking the FBI to meet with local law enforcement to […]
National school boards group apologizes for requesting probe of threats against local officials
WASHINGTON — The National School Boards Association is walking back its letter to President Joe Biden asking for federal help for school board members who have been harassed and threatened over masking requirements and discussions of race in public schools. The shift came after Republican members of Congress led by Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley raised […]
Drought conditions, climate crisis spur calls for more efficient water infrastructure
WASHINGTON — Experts in government, agriculture, water management and the environment stressed during a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday the danger that droughts fueled by climate change pose in the West, including the Colorado River Basin. During a hearing before an Energy and Natural Resources Committee panel, witnesses said long-term solutions and an investment in […]
FBI to investigate threats made against school board members, teachers
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice has directed the FBI to meet with local governments and law enforcement to discuss strategies for dealing with increasing threats to teachers and school board members spurred by a conservative backlash against discussions of race in public schools. “Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to our […]
How Biden’s social spending bill would provide free preschool
WASHINGTON — If Pres. Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion social spending package survives ongoing negotiations in Congress, key provisions of the plan would provide low-cost care for children from birth to kindergarten—investments that would benefit single parents and low-income families. Under the full $3.5 trillion plan originally envisioned by the White House, Congress would allocate $450 […]