A Guide to the 113th Congress

The latest updates and debate on the 113th Congress covering key issues such as immigration, defense, cybersecurity and taxes along with demographics, historical data and biographies of the newest members of the Senate and House of Representatives.

House GOP accuses agencies of failing to prepare for sequester cuts

Recent Stories

** FILE ** Rep. Barbara Lee, California Democrat, addresses the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012. (Andrew S. Geraci/The Washington Times)

13 Democrats: Failing to fix climate change will drive women to prostitution

** FILE ** Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, speaks with reporters following a Democratic strategy session at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, April 9, 2013. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Democrats try to shift budget onus to GOP

Rep. Charles Boustany, Lousiana Republican (Associated Press)

Tax Day memo: Lawmakers want IRS to come clean on email searches

House panel OKs cybersecurity bill; opponents fear more monitoring of Internet

In this photo combo, Wayne LaPierre, left, CEO of the National Rifle Association, makes remarks at CPAC 2013, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., Friday, March 15, 2013; and at right, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks to the Economic Club of Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012, in Washington. LaPierre and Bloomberg claim their views on guns have the support of the overwhelming number of Americans. (AP Photo, Ron Sachs, Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Senate becomes ground zero in costly gun debate — with both sides predicting victory

**FILE** House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Republican, holds up a copy of the House Budget Committee 2014 Budget Resolution as he speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 12, 2013. (Associated Press)

Debate over budget balance less than balanced

** FILE ** House Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, listens on Tuesday, March 5, 2013, during a news conference on Capitol Hill following a Republican strategy session. (Associated Press)

John Boehner: Trust President Obama? 'Absolutely'

** FILE ** House Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, listens on Tuesday, March 5, 2013, during a news conference on Capitol Hill following a Republican strategy session. (Associated Press)

House Speaker John Boehner: Talk of tax increases is 'over'

** FILE ** Rep. Frank R. Wolf, Virginia Republican (The Washington Times)

GOP lawmakers: Obama administration blocking access to Benghazi survivors

**FILE** Sen. John McCain (Associated Press)

Sen. John McCain apologizes for 'wacko birds' comment

Sen. Bob Corker, Tennessee Republican (Associated Press)

Sen. Bob Corker: 'Grand bargain' fiscal deal 'possible'

** FILE ** Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Democratic Sen. Harry Reid, GOP push to switch to 2-year budget

Sen. Ted Cruz (Associated Press)

Sen. Ted Cruz's push to withhold 'Obamacare' funds ends in defeat

Bill Gates

Bill Gates set for closed-door session with freshmen lawmakers

**FILE** Gun dealer Mel Bernstein fires his AK-47 assault rifle on full automatic at his own Dragonman's shooting range and gun store, east of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Feb. 5, 2013. (Associated Press)

First post-Newtown shooting gun control bill clears key Senate hurdle, tougher work lies ahead

House Speaker John A. Boehner (left), Ohio Republican, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican (Associated Press)

McConnell and Boehner: Republicans united on sequesters

House Majority Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican (Associated Press)

Congress passes bill renewing anti-violence law

Rep. Tom Latham (left), Iowa Republican, has declined to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin. Reps. Bruce Braley (center), a Democrat, and Steve King, a Republican, have shown interest in the seat. (AP Photo/File)

Iowa Senate seat up for grabs as GOP Rep. Tom Latham declines run

** FILE ** Minister Louis Farrakhan speaks during the Saviours' Day annual convention at the U.I.C. Pavilion in Chicago, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Louis Farrakhan: Failing to confirm Hagel as defense secretary 'sentences America to war with Iran'

The Supreme Court (Associated Press) ** FILE **

Supreme Court won't hear campaign contributions appeal

Political strategist Karl Rove. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

Tea partyers fight for right-thinking GOP; electability vs. principle at issue

**FILE** Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 12, 2013. (Associated Press)

White House ups rhetoric on dangers of sequester

Former President Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter insists he had better support from Republicans, Congress than President Obama

Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat

Hoyer, No. 2 House Dem, says bickering must come to end

President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, want to repair their injured party after devastating congressional election losses but have diverging mandates at a critical time. (Associated Press)

Obama's liberal agenda seen as risky for red state Democrats

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (AP Photo/Allan Tannenbaum, Pool)

Bloomberg to dump $2M into Chicago race to defeat gun advocate Halvorson

**FILE** Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

Obama leak of visa plan draws fire

The Capitol dome is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. (Associated Press)

Democrats to target millionaires with tax legislation

** FILE ** Social Security Administration Commissioner Michael J. Astrue speaks at a news conference on the Social Security and Medicare trustees report at the Treasury Department in Washington on Aug. 5, 2010. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Social Security head Astrue: Program fraying from neglect

From left, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. sit on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013, before President Barack Obama's State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress . (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool)

Congressional members send subtle messages with ribbons, pins

Recent Commentary Columns

** FILE ** President Barack Obama, flanked by Vice President Joseph R. Biden and House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio, gives his State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool)

MILLER: The State of the Union gun grab

House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio walks in House of Representatives chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, as the 113th Congress began. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WEINER AND MANN: Boehner puts country before politics

"The 'Fiscal Cliff'" (Illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times)

WOLF: Grappling on the 'fiscal cliff'

Illustration Fiscal Cliff by Alexander Hunter for The Washington Times

PERKINS: 'Fiscal cliff' compromise deal betrays lack of courage

House Speaker John A. Boehner holds the gavel after narrowly being re-elected to lead the U.S. House of Representatives in the 113th Congress on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

MILLER: Boehner's challenge

Recent Blog Entries

Rep. Paul Ryan (AP Photo)

Rep. Paul Ryan: Budget assumes repeal of ‘Obamacare’

**FILE** Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat (Associated Press)

Senate Dem leader Harry Reid praises Rand Paul’s filibuster

** FILE ** Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat (Associated Press)

Sen. Leahy: Sequester should halt federal marijuana raids

**FILE** Sen. Mark L. Pryor, Arkansas Democrat (Associated Press)

Conservative group sees Pryor as top 2014 target

Sen. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Schumer: ‘Progress’ on background checks, less so on assault weapons ban

Former Sen. Chuck Hagel arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on his confirmation to be the next secretary of defense. (Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times)

McCain: Hagel will be confirmed as defense secretary

President Obama, flanked by Vice President Joseph R. Biden (left) and House Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican, gestures as he gives his State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool)

Climate-change solutions must be a bipartisan goal, Obama insists

From The Vault

** FILE ** An attendee shakes hands with Hoovers Mobile's remote-controlled Robot Hoovie at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2009. (Associated Press)

Sly dodge: Congress stretches ethics rules for lobbyist-paid trip

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