Alan Fram Posts

Republicans are ready to muscle legislation through the House authorizing an election-year lawsuit against President Barack Obama that accuses him of exceeding his powers in enforcing his health care law. A party-line vote — and plenty of sharp partisan rhetoric — was expected when the GOP-led chamber considers the measure Wednesday. Democrats dismiss the proposal as a legally groundless exercise that could end up costing taxpayers millions of dollars in legal fees and other expenses.

Harry Reid has taken any gun rights legislation off the table, thwarting both gun control advocates on the left and gun "rights" advocates on the right. A year and half after the Newton, Connecticut shootings, this election-year maneuvering is plainly unacceptable.

Senate Republicans blocked an election-year Democratic bill on Wednesday that would boost the federal minimum wage, handing a defeat to President Barack Obama on a vote that is sure to reverberate in this year's congressional elections. The measure's rejection, which was expected, came in the early months of a campaign season in which the slowly recovering economy — and its impact on families — is a marquee issue. It was also the latest setback for a stream of bills this year that Democrats have designed to cast themselves as the party of economic fairness.

Democratic worries about this November's elections, a lack of Senate votes and House opposition are forcing congressional gun-control supporters to significantly winnow their 2014 agenda, a year after lawmakers scuttled President Barack Obama's effort to pass new curbs on firearms. But with Reid wary of exposing Democratic senators facing tight re-election contests in some conservative and Western states to politically risky votes people aren't holding their breath waiting for proposed gun restrictions to reach the Senate floor before Election Day.

House Speaker John Boehner questioned the feasibility of a bipartisan Senate deal to renew expired benefits for the long-term unemployed, a remark that seemed to suggest the agreement could be in trouble in the House. Asked Friday by The Associated Press what he thought of the Senate compromise, he said, "You mean the one that can't be implemented?" He gave no details about what the problem might be. An aide did not immediately provide further explanation.

Republicans in the Senate refused to pass a veterans bill that would have provided and extended services to the injured and their families. The reason? The bill – which at a paltry $21 billion pales in comparison to corporate welfare – costs too much. Plus, Democrats wouldn't let them stick unneeded Iran sanctions on the legislation.

Harry Reid finally let it all out. The Senate's top Democrat criticized a pair of billionaire brothers in unusually harsh terms Wednesday, accusing the conservative duo of being "un-American," spreading lies about President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and lacking a conscience.

Congress is racing toward renewing a 25-year-old prohibition against firearms that can evade metal detectors and X-ray machines, just days before the ban expires. But with 3-D printers increasingly able to produce plastic weapons, many Democrats, gun control advocates and law enforcement officials say the restrictions must be tightened. The Republican-led House was expected to approve a 10-year extension of the ban on Tuesday.

Senate Republicans blocked President Obama's pick for an influential spot on the U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit, setting the stage for showdown in the coming weeks of who holds power in the chamber.

Senate leaders are optimistic about forging an eleventh-hour bipartisan deal preventing a possible federal default and ending the partial government shutdown after Republican divisions forced GOP leaders to drop efforts to ram their own version through the House. Pressured by the calendar, financial markets and public opinion polls, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., were hoping to shake hands on an agreement Wednesday and, if possible, hold votes later in the day.

President Barack Obama is making plans to talk with Republican lawmakers at the White House in the coming days as pressure builds on both sides to resolve their deadlock over the federal debt limit and the partial government shutdown. With the shutdown in its ninth day Wednesday and a potential economy-shaking federal default edging ever closer, neither side was revealing clear signs of bending.

The Internal Revenue Service's screening of groups seeking tax-exempt status was broader and lasted longer than has been previously disclosed, the new head of the agency acknowledged Monday. Terms including "Israel," ''Progressive" and "Occupy" were used by agency workers to help pick groups for closer examination, according to an internal IRS document obtained by The Associated Press.

The Justice study also said that in 2011, about 70 percent of all homicides were committed with a firearm, mainly a handgun.

On Thursday, 50 Democrats, 16 Republicans and 2 independents opposed the conservative effort, while 29 Republicans and 2 Democrats supported it. Gun control supporters needed 60 votes to block the conservatives.

A bipartisan deal seems imminent on expanding background checks to more gun buyers, an agreement that could build support for President Barack Obama's drive to curb firearms violence.

Meanwhile, the Senate is ready for an opening vote on restricting guns as Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., set a roll call for Thursday on starting consideration of the firearms legislation.

A bipartisan deal seems imminent on expanding background checks to more gun buyers, an agreement that could build support for President Barack Obama's drive to curb firearms violence.

Meanwhile, the Senate is ready for an opening vote on restricting guns as Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., set a roll call for Thursday on starting consideration of the firearms legislation.

Senate Democrats set Congress' first showdown vote on new gun restrictions for Thursday as a small but growing number of Republicans appeared willing to join them in opposing conservatives' efforts to block debate from even starting.

Making it personal, relatives of victims of the Connecticut school shootings lobbied senators face-to-face at the Capitol on Tuesday in hopes of persuading enough Republicans to back a debate and votes on meaningful gun restrictions.

Including expanded checks in the gun legislation signals that Democrats feel they can win bipartisan support for the measure or are happy to dare Republicans to reject the entire gun-control package and face political consequences in next year's elections.

Reid, D-Nev., said he hoped a trio of senators would craft a bipartisan background check compromise. If not, he said, senators would consider a stricter version that allows fewer exemptions approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote.

A Senate aide says wounded former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will be a surprise witness at Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on how to curb gun violence.