Jacqueline Klimas

Obama war powers unchecked despite postelection vow to work with Congress

President Obama promised a new war debate, but two weeks after making that postelection vow he has yet to send over legislation or even to begin negotiating with Congress on rewriting an authorization to allow him to go after the Islamic State terrorism group that he has committed thousands of U.S. troops to combat in Iraq.

November 18, 2014

Harry Reid: Obama’s Holder replacement will get vote in early 2015

Majority Leader Harry Reid said approving the president's attorney general nomination is not a priority for the Democrats' remaining time in the majority.

November 18, 2014

Capitol dome: Next phase of $60M repair begins

Workers are beginning to fill the more than 1,300 cracks in the Capitol dome as the next phase of restoration on the 150-year-old American icon begins.

November 18, 2014

War on women? Pelosi prevents pregnant Dem from voting by proxy

Democrats are preventing Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a pregnant wounded war veteran, from voting by proxy in next week's caucus leadership elections, despite a doctor ordering Ms. Duckworth not to fly to Washington so late in her pregnancy.

November 14, 2014

Lawmakers slam VA for lack of firings, accountability in wait-time scandal

Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said Thursday that the VA's efforts to remove leaders responsible for the wait-time scandal have been "nonexistent," prompting him to introduce a new law to further increase accountability.

November 13, 2014

Senate Democrats to tackle Keystone, NSA snooping in lame-duck session

With just a few weeks left in power, Senate Democrats want to clear the decks of spending bills and force votes on dozens of President Obama's judicial nominations, but a brewing fight over the Keystone XL oil pipeline already has split Democrats and proved a major distraction.

November 12, 2014

NSA phone snooping ban set for Senate vote

Senate Democrats took the first steps Wednesday to set a final vote on a bill to halt the National Security Agency's phone snooping, signaling a developing consensus to try to shut down the program before the end of the year.

November 12, 2014

Denis McDonough, White House chief of staff: Nominations should be a priority for lame-duck session

Denis McDonough, White House chief of staff, said Wednesday that he encouraged Senate Democratic leaders to make approving presidential nominees a priority for the lame duck session.

November 12, 2014

Veterans’ Care Card program is off to a promising start

Veterans groups are optimistic that the first Choice Cards entitling vets to care from private doctors are going out smoothly, marking a small victory for the embattled VA.

November 11, 2014

VA overhaul fails to please veterans advocates calling for mass firings

The Veterans Affairs Department announced a bureaucratic reshuffling Monday that Secretary Robert McDonald said will make it easier for veterans to get the care they need, but veterans advocates are still waiting for the mass firings they think the troubled department needs.

November 10, 2014

Robert McDonald: Helping vets is personal mission

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald said Sunday that he feels a personal commitment to provide the best care to veterans in the VA since many jumped out of airplanes alongside him during his time in the Army.

November 10, 2014

VFW leader tells commanders to welcome younger vets

The VFW's national commander this week told members to be more welcoming to the newest generation of veterans — or else leave.

November 7, 2014

Bob McDonald: Law didn’t specify deadline for VA’s Choice program

Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald said Thursday that the law didn't specify when Choice Cards needed to be sent to veterans, despite criticism from some veterans groups that the department missed the 90 day deadline.

November 6, 2014

GOP’s new stars break mold, refresh Republican brand

From the first female black Republican ever elected to Congress to the first woman combat veteran to serve in the Senate, voters Tuesday injected a wave of fresh faces into American politics, helping to soften the GOP's image as the party of cranky old white men, and anointing a galaxy of new political stars likely to have an immediate impact in Washington.

November 5, 2014