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Articles by Jacqueline Klimas

House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., joined by Speaker of the House John Boehner of Ohio, left, and incoming Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., right, speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 29, 2014, about a compromise bill to help veterans avoid long waits for health care, hire more doctors and nurses to treat them, and make it easier to fire executives at the Veterans Affairs Department. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House passes VA reform compromise

House lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to overhaul the VA health care system, hoping a $16 billion infusion of cash can help gain a handle on the wait times and poor care issues for veterans that have plagued the department.

July 30, 2014
Islamist fighters battle near Tripoli International Airport. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

Libya now nation at risk with weak U.S. influence; embassy closes as chaos grows

With violence spreading across Libya and the U.S. Embassy closing in Tripoli, Republican lawmakers over the weekend blasted the Obama administration for failing to stop yet another troubled Middle Eastern nation from descending into complete chaos, and even some Democrats conceded that America's influence in the world has waned considerably.

July 27, 2014
Agence France-Presse/Getty Images photographs
"Americans now don't have to say they're from Canada" when they travel abroad, says Madeleine K. Albright, a secretary of state under President Clinton.

Madeleine Albright: ‘The world’s a mess’

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's behavior and the Arab Spring in the Middle East have been "game changers," complicating U.S. foreign policy.

July 27, 2014
** FILE ** In this Tuesday, July 22, 2014, file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint news conference with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in Tel Aviv, Israel, regarding the Israel-Hamas war. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty, File)

Netanyahu: We must defend our own people

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he doesn't want any civilians to be killed in the conflict with the Palestinians, but that Israel has to defend its own people.

July 27, 2014
Department of Veterans Affairs Acting Secretary Sloan Gibson testifies Thursday before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, outlining actions aimed at addressing ongoing agency problems, especially doctored wait lists for medical appointments.

VA chief says more funding is only way to cure care crisis

Capitol Hill negotiations on a Veterans Affairs reform bill teetered on the verge of collapse Thursday, as acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson warned that the troubles at the scandal-plagued agency will only get worse without more federal funding.

July 24, 2014
House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., holds up two pages of resource requests from the Department of Veterans Affairs on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 24, 2014,  as he questions Department of Veterans Affairs acting secretary Sloan Gibson on how to restore trust to the beleaguered agency. (AP Photo)

GOP offer to fix VA gives $10 billion in emergency funds

Rep. Jeff Miller, Florida Republican, introduced Thursday a GOP plan to fix the Department of Veterans Affairs, but said he's not sure where negotiations stand now that both sides have proposals on the table.

July 24, 2014
Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vermont independent, has his own bill, but it would make broader changes such as expanded access to alternative medicine and changes to GI Bill benefits. (Associated Press)

Veterans Affairs reform bill collapses

Negotiations on the VA reform bill imploded Thursday morning as House negotiators planned to introduce their own bill rather than work with senators in a conference committee.

July 24, 2014