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Border security bill fails to lift U.S. House conservatives’ block of foreign aid package
WASHINGTON — The border security bill U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson offered to conservatives to win support for a major foreign aid package had not broken a blockade of the package by hard-right members late Thursday. The border security bill is nearly identical to a border security bill, H.R. 2, the House passed last year […]
Senate rejects two impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Mayorkas
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday dismissed two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The Democrat-controlled chamber voted, 51-49 along party lines, to adjourn the impeachment trial after finding that the impeachment articles accusing Mayorkas of not complying with federal immigration law and breaching the public trust did not rise to […]
U.S. House Republicans deliver impeachment articles against DHS Chief Mayorkas
WASHINGTON — Eleven U.S. House Republicans serving as impeachment managers delivered two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. The ceremonial delivery of the articles of impeachment, which charge Mayorkas with a “willful and systemic refusal to comply” with federal immigration law and breaking the public trust, […]
Trump supports U.S. House Speaker Johnson, elections agenda in joint appearance
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Donald J. Trump met Friday evening in Palm Beach, Florida, to promote an unreleased bill related to noncitizens voting in federal elections. The event doubled as a show of support from the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to the embattled GOP speaker. The two men argued that strict […]
U.S. Senate Republicans push for Mayorkas impeachment trial
WASHINGTON — More than 40 U.S. Senate Republicans lobbied Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday to hold a full impeachment trial for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Schumer and other Democrats have indicated they’d be open to immediately voting to dismiss?the House-passed articles of impeachment rather than holding a trial in the Senate. The […]
New rule to close ‘gun show loophole’ finalized by Biden administration
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Thursday finalized a new rule that would require anyone selling a gun to obtain a federal license and conduct background checks. The rule aims to close what’s known as the “gun show loophole.” Gun merchants who sell online, by mail or at flea markets and gun shows until now […]
U.S. Senate action on impeachment of Biden DHS chief postponed
This story has been updated with new information. WASHINGTON — U.S. senators returning from recess this week may soon have to deal with the two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that U.S. House Republicans passed last month. Eleven House Republican impeachment managers are expected to walk the two articles of impeachment […]
Biden proposes new student debt relief plan for millions of borrowers
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday will announce the rollout of a student debt forgiveness proposal that the White House believes is narrowly targeted enough to survive legal challenges. The plan, if finalized, would include a one-time cancellation of all accrued interest for 23 million borrowers. It would also cancel the full amount of […]
Massive $1.2 trillion spending package that would avert a shutdown released by Congress
WASHINGTON — Congress released the final six government funding bills early Thursday, starting off a sprint toward the Friday midnight deadline to wrap up work that was supposed to be finished nearly six months ago. The bipartisan agreement on the $1.2 trillion spending package, which emerged just before 3 a.m., came less than two […]
A ‘deeply divided’ Congress took no major action on civil rights in 2023, report finds
WASHINGTON — Last year, neither chamber in Congress passed any meaningful civil rights legislation, according to an analysis of legislative and voting records of the first session of the 118th Congress by a coalition of civil rights groups. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ Voting Record report found the lack of congressional action […]
Biden enlists local officials to revive immigration deal
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday urged local officials to lobby their members of Congress to pass the bipartisan border security deal struck in the Senate that Republicans walked away from this year. In a brief speech touting the administration’s accomplishments to more than 2,000 mayors, city officials and other advocates in Washington for […]
Biden warns ‘freedom and democracy are under attack’ in fierce State of the Union address
WASHINGTON — In remarks pivotal to his reelection this fall, President Joe Biden in his State of the Union address Thursday night portrayed himself as the defender of democracy, touted the bipartisan deals he’s brokered during his first term in office and appealed to Congress to support Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion. […]