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Votes on major bipartisan immigration deal in Congress said to be nearing
WASHINGTON — A U.S. Senate vote is expected next week on a bipartisan deal that would overhaul U.S. immigration law and provide more than $100 billion for a global security package. The long-awaited bill text on the supplemental package to aid Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific region and U.S. border security could be made public as […]
U.S. House committee advances impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas to floor
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security early Wednesday voted 18-15 along party lines to send articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the House floor.?Republicans argue the charges are legitimate. Members of the full House could vote as soon as next week to impeach Mayorkas, who is […]
U.S. House Republicans set to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee is gearing up for only the second impeachment in U.S. history of a Cabinet member. The Republican-led committee on Tuesday will mark up articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, for what Democrats say is no more than a difference in immigration policy […]
U.S. Senate Republicans insist they won’t bow to Trump demands to quit immigration talks
WASHINGTON — Top U.S. Senate negotiators said Thursday that final details on an immigration policy deal remain under debate in the U.S. Senate, despite outside pressure from GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump to sink any agreement as he makes immigration his central campaign message. The No. 2 Senate Republican and GOP whip, Sen. John Thune, […]
In milestones, Black women from South Carolina and Indiana confirmed as federal judges
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Wednesday confirmed the nominations of two federal judges in South Carolina and Indiana, bringing the total number of Black women tapped by President Joe Biden and cleared by senators as federal judges to 35. Judge Cristal Brisco is now the first Black judge and woman of color to serve as […]
On to November: Trump win in New Hampshire sets up 2024 rematch with Biden
WASHINGTON —?Leading Republicans —?and the Biden presidential campaign — on Wednesday rushed to identify former President Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee after he won decisively in New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary. Trump bested Nikki Haley, his former United Nations ambassador, by more than 10 percentage points in a moderate state with an open […]
Funding seen as a last hurdle to final U.S. Senate immigration deal
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan agreement that would make the most substantial changes to immigration policy in 30 years hinges on funding disputes, key senators said Tuesday. While senators have not finalized the text of the agreement, they are discussing changes to the White House’s use of parole authority to grant temporary protections to migrants by […]
Biden says he’s ‘ready to act’ on ‘significant’ changes at the border, including asylum
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden Friday said he backs “significant policy changes” to asylum law, amid ongoing immigration policy negotiations between the White House and Senate tied to passage of a global security package. “I believe we need significant policy changes at the border, including changes in our asylum system, to ensure that we have […]
U.S. House Republicans move ahead with drive to impeach Mayorkas over immigration policy
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans Thursday held a second hearing on the impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, even as Mayorkas works to reach a deal on changes in immigration law with a group of senators. Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee argued that Mayorkas has not upheld his oath of office because […]
Biden announces plan to cancel some student loan balances under $12,000
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Friday that some federal student loan borrowers will have their loans cancelled under the Department of Education’s new repayment plan. Starting next month, people who took out under $12,000 in federal student loans and have been repaying those loans for 10 years will get their remaining student loan balance […]
Immigration negotiations in Congress center on parole, asylum policy
WASHINGTON —? A deal on changes to immigration policy remained elusive on Tuesday for top U.S. Senate negotiators. Those leading the talks — Sens. James Lankford, Republican of Oklahoma, Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut and Kyrsten Sinema, independent of Arizona — have worked for weeks to strike a deal between the White House and Senate […]
White House unveils $1 billion for electric and low-emission school buses
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Monday $1 billion in funding for more than 2,700 electric and low-emission school buses across 37 states. This is a second part of funding of a $5 billion, five-year initiative from the bipartisan infrastructure law. In total, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program has awarded nearly […]