S.A. Miller

Senate returns to raucous start

Senate Democrats are bracing for a raucous opening day of the 111th Congress this week if disputed new members Roland W. Burris of Illinois and Al Franken of Minnesota try to claim seats in the chamber.

January 4, 2009

Green lobby critical of new-roads agenda

Friends of the Earth on Monday attacked President-elect Barack Obama's call for new infrastructure projects in his economic-stimulus package, saying it's a road to pollution.

December 17, 2008

Environmentalists say no to road projects

Friends of the Earth on Monday attacked President-elect Barack Obama's call for an economic stimulus package heavy on new infrastructure projects, saying it's a road to pollution.

December 16, 2008

Bush’s auto U-turn incites GOP

Republicans angrily demanded that President Bush respect the legislative process after the Senate blocked financial aid to the automakers and the White House said that using Wall Street bailout funds is an option.

December 13, 2008

Automaker bill failure sparks GOP intra-party war

UPDATED: Republicans on Friday angrily demanded that President Bush respect the legislative process after the White House declared it could rescue automakers on its own, following the Senate's block of the bailout measure.

December 12, 2008

Wage issue kills Big 3 deal in Senate

UPDATED: Senate leaders gave up Thursday night on a $14 billion automaker bailout, sunk by the refusal of the autoworkers union to agree to the concessions that Republicans had cried out.

December 12, 2008

Republicans keep automaker bailout in gridlock

Senate leaders struggled Thursday to salvage a $14 billion automaker bailout headed for defeat amid Republican qualms that it wasn't tough enough to change the Big Three's business ways, didn't do enough to protect taxpayers and gave too much power to a "car czar" to oversee the deal.

December 11, 2008

Senate GOP looks to halt auto bailout

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell threw his weight behind a Republican filibuster of the $14 billion auto bailout Thursday, crippling the measure's chances for surviving a vote that could come as soon as Friday.

December 11, 2008

Senate GOP puts brakes on bailout

The $15 billion bailout loan for Detroit automakers that the House passed Wednesday is still far from a done deal as a collection of Senate Republicans is raising roadblocks to the taxpayer-funded handout brokered by Democrats and the White House.

December 11, 2008

Senate Republicans resist auto bailout

Senate Republicans raised roadblocks to $15 billion automaker bailout agreed to by Democrats and the White House, dimming chances for the measure even as the House prepared to vote on it late Wednesday.

December 11, 2008

Van Hollen urges Obama to keep promises

Top Democrat Rep. Chris Van Hollen said his party recognizes it is responsible for the performance of the federal government and must deliver on President-elect Obama's list of campaign promises - or else.

December 11, 2008

Rep. Van Hollen insists that Obama deliver on promises

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, a point man in Democrats' policy and political shops, said his party recognizes it is now fully responsible for the performance of the federal government and must deliver on President-elect Barack Obama's long list of campaign promises - or else.

December 10, 2008

Bush, Democrats OK $15 billion for Big 3

The White House and senior congressional Democrats reached an agreement on the outlines of a $15 billion taxpayer bailout plan for troubled Detroit automakers General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC.

December 10, 2008

Rush opposes Durbin’s call

Rep. Bobby Rush, a leading black lawmaker from Chicago, said Tuesday he opposed a special election to fill the Illinois Senate seat of President-elect Barack Obama, saying the process would take too long and would leave minority candidates at a disadvantage in the race to replace the Senate's only African-American.

December 9, 2008

State court upholds Sen. Craig conviction

Sen. Larry Craig lost another bid Tuesday to clear his name from a sex-solicitation conviction as a Minnesota court rejected his appeal.

December 9, 2008

UPDATED: Hopes dim for quick auto rescue

UPDATED: The Senate's top Republican poured cold water on plans for a $15 billion taxpayer bailout of Detroit's Big Three on Tuesday, as his Democratic counterpart said hopes for quick passage of the emergency funding bill appeared to be slipping away.

December 9, 2008

Majority union members oppose bailout

Congress' plans for an automaker bailout are so unpopular with voters that even a majority of union members oppose taxpayer-funded handouts for Detroit's Big Three, a poll released Monday showed.

December 8, 2008

Doubt cast on public financing reform

President-elect Barack Obama's record-shattering $750 million campaign fundraising total spurred renewed calls to reform the public financing system, but Washington insiders wonder whether Capitol Hill Democrats have the political will to do it after winning the White House under current rules.

December 8, 2008

Hoyer challenges Bush on union rights

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer demanded Friday that the attorney general explain why President Bush took away collective bargaining rights from employees at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), who had union representation for 30 years before the adminstration last month deemed it a threat to national security.

December 6, 2008

Hoyer asks why union’s rights repealed

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer demanded Friday the attorney general explain why President Bush repealed collective bargaining rights from employees at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), who had union representation for 30 years before the administration last month deemed it a threat to national security.

December 5, 2008