S.A. Miller

Pelosi: Bush ‘misled’ Congress on waterboarding

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday said the Bush administration "misled Congress" with inaccurate and incomplete information about harsh interrogation techniques for terrorism suspects and denied being briefed by the CIA about them.

May 14, 2009

Republicans block Interior nominee

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked President Obama's nomination for the No. 2 post at the Interior Department, the latest in a series of partisan clashes over personnel as the White House tries to advance its ambitious agenda.

May 14, 2009

Obama: Photo release would endanger troops

UPDATED: The president has reversed course and decided to fight the release of photos of apparent abuse of suspected terrorist detainees, a move driven by his newfound belief that the photos would hurt the military.

May 13, 2009

Republicans block Obama pick for Interior

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked President Obama's nomination for the No. 2 post at the Interior Department, the latest in a series of partisan clashes over personnel as the White House tries to advance its ambitious agenda.

May 13, 2009

Waterboarding’s wake widening

Democrats brushed aside questions about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but as hearings begin Wednesday it was clear that questions about who knew and approved of enhanced interrogation techniques have expanded.

May 13, 2009

Dems award Specter a chairmanship

Senate Democratic leaders on Thursday gave Sen. Arlen Specter the chairmanship of a key Judiciary subcommittee, pacifying the veteran Pennsylvania lawmaker after his shaky start as the chambers newest Democrat.

May 8, 2009

Senator, bucking leaders, to seek Gitmo funds

The Senate's top appropriator Monday vowed to restore funding President Obama requested to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, challenging his own Democratic Party leaders who expressed skepticism about the administration's plan.

May 7, 2009

War bill omits funds for Gitmo closure

House Democratic leaders bucked the White House on Monday by unveiling a war spending bill that does not fund President Obama's plan to close Guantanamo Bay prison camp and requires the administration to submit a progress report with performance benchmarks for the escalated mission in Afghanistan.

May 5, 2009

Unions benefit from Obama decisions

President Obama has moved quickly to demonstrate his solidarity with the labor movement, making a series of policy and personnel moves dramatically reshaping the landscape to give unions a better foothold.

May 5, 2009

Dems don’t fund bid to close Gitmo

House Democratic leaders Monday dropped President Obama's request for $81 million to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, bowing to strong Republican criticism that the administration lacks a plan to relocate terror suspects detained there.

May 4, 2009

Obama loses against banks in Congress

Senate Democrats handed President Obama a rare congressional setback Thursday by helping to scrap his plan to give bankruptcy judges the power to force banks to reduce mortgages payments for struggling homeowners.

May 1, 2009

Donors demand refund from Specter

Sen. Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party is prompting his campaign donors large and small to demand their money back, including several Republican senators whose political action committees gave tens of thousands of dollars to the Pennsylvania lawmaker.

April 30, 2009

Amtrak delays continue as track cleared

UPDATED: Amtrak passengers along the Northeast Corridor are experiencing delays Wednesday as a result of a water-main break south of Baltimore.

April 29, 2009

Hill battle on war spending looms

President Obama's $83.4 billion war-spending bill is headed for an unexpectedly tough time on Capitol Hill, where Republicans are scrutinizing the funding priorities and rank-and-file Democrats want to include performance benchmarks for the Afghanistan mission.

April 26, 2009

Budget deal could set up health care plan

Senate and House Democrats were on the brink of a budget deal Friday that could clear the way to pass President Obama's yet-to-be-written health care overhaul plan with a fast-track process circumventing a Republican filibuster.

April 25, 2009

Boehner: CIA methods no secret on Hill

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner on Thursday chided Democrats for seeking an investigation of the Bush administration's treatment of captured terror suspects, noting a long list of lawmakers from both parties were briefed about the use of harsh interrogation methods years ago.

April 23, 2009

Pelosi won’t rule out impeaching judge

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday would not rule out impeachment hearings against federal Judge Jay Bybee over accusations he misled Congress about his role in shaping Bush administration policy that condoned harsh interrogation techniques that critics say amounted to torture.

April 22, 2009

Lawmakers fried for bringing home bacon

Capitol Hill lawmakers still brag about the federal dollars and projects they bring home. But in an age of taxpayer-financed bailouts and massive budget deficits, members are increasingly on the defensive about pork-barrel spending.

April 20, 2009

Democrats pull ahead in money race

The year's first batch of campaign fundraising reports show early betting is on Senate Democrats for the 2010 election season.

April 17, 2009

Coleman refuses to throw in towel

Republican Norm Coleman vows to fight another day.

April 15, 2009