Author

Jennifer Shutt

Jennifer Shutt

Jennifer covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include congressional policy, politics and legal challenges with a focus on health care, unemployment, housing and aid to families.

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

Doctors plead with Congress to help improve U.S. maternal mortality rates

By: - May 2, 2024

WASHINGTON — Doctors on Thursday urged Congress to pass legislation addressing the disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality throughout the country and to lower barriers that have hindered people of color from becoming medical professionals. During a hearing in the U.S. Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, a panel of five medical professionals detailed […]

Massie, Greene say they will force vote next week on ousting U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson

By: - May 1, 2024

WASHINGTON — Two U.S. House Republicans, aggrieved by Speaker Mike Johnson’s bipartisanship amid divided government, said Wednesday they plan to force a vote next week on removing him from the leadership office — despite the extremely long odds of success. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie held a press conference just […]

Trump leaves door open to banning medication abortion nationwide

By: - April 30, 2024

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump is planning to release more details in the weeks ahead about how his administration would regulate access to medication abortion, according to comments he made during a lengthy interview with Time magazine published Tuesday. Trump, the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee for president, said that he has “strong views” about access to […]

U.S. House Democrats vow to back Speaker Johnson if Republicans try to oust him

By: - April 30, 2024

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democratic Leaders on Tuesday killed efforts by a small group of far-right House Republicans to remove Speaker Mike Johnson from his leadership post. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar released a joint statement saying their members would vote against efforts to oust […]

U.S. House GOP bars earmarks for certain non-profits, after controversy over LGBTQ projects

By: - April 25, 2024

WASHINGTON — U.S. House lawmakers will no longer be able to request earmarked funding for some nonprofits under a change in eligibility made by the Republican chairman of the Appropriations Committee on Thursday. The alteration is related to an uproar during last year’s annual government funding process, when House Republicans, who are in the majority, […]

Biden signs $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan into law?

By: - April 24, 2024

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan emergency spending law Wednesday to provide an additional $95 billion in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, ending months of behind-the-scenes maneuvering and public pleas for Congress to approve the funding. The package also included a measure requiring the popular app TikTok be sold by its Chinese […]

U.S. Senate sends foreign aid bill to Biden as McConnell chides GOP ‘isolationist movement’

By: - April 23, 2024

This story has been updated to include the final U.S. Senate vote. WASHINGTON — An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan cleared the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to send it to President Joe Biden. The 79-18 vote wrapped up months of debate […]

Aid to Ukraine, Israel overwhelmingly approved by U.S. House in bipartisan vote

By: - April 20, 2024

WASHINGTON — Military and humanitarian aid could be on its way to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan within weeks after the U.S. House took a series of overwhelmingly bipartisan votes Saturday to approve $95 billion in emergency assistance — and the Senate appeared poised to agree. The approval in a rare weekend session ended months of […]

U.S. House heads toward Saturday vote on $95B in aid for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan

By: - April 19, 2024

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Friday moved one step closer to approving billions in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, with Democrats providing crucial support to Republican leaders after defections by their hard-right members. Lawmakers in the broadly bipartisan 316-94 vote approved a rule that sets up the procedure for debating […]

U.S. House speaker gains Dem backing for foreign aid plan, as far-right Republicans seethe

By: - April 18, 2024

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats on Thursday began coalescing behind Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to provide assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan through a series of three bills, though far-right members of his own party grew increasingly frustrated with the Louisianan’s bipartisan streak. Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is leading an effort […]

U.S. House GOP rolls out aid for Ukraine, Israel; votes planned on TikTok, border security

By: - April 17, 2024

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans unveiled three bills Wednesday that would provide $95 billion overall in assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, instead of voting on a similar bipartisan Senate-approved package that’s been waiting around for months. The Ukraine bill would provide $60.84 billion, the Israel bill would appropriate $26.38 billion and the Indo-Pacific bill […]

U.S. Rep. Massie joins move to oust Speaker Johnson, who vows: ‘I am not resigning’

By: - April 16, 2024

WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky called on U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to resign during a closed-door meeting of GOP lawmakers on Tuesday, throwing more uncertainty into that chamber just months before the November elections. Massie told reporters after the meeting and just before a Johnson press conference he believed the votes […]