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U.S. House Speaker Johnson says IVF should be protected — just not by Congress
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday that it’s up to states and not Congress to preserve access to in vitro fertilization, weighing in on a growing national debate and campaign issue. “It’s not my belief that Congress needs to play a role here,” the Louisiana Republican said during a press conference at the House […]
GOP U.S. Sen. Lankford of Oklahoma blocks bill expanding IVF for vets, service members
WASHINGTON — Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray tried to pass a bill Tuesday that would expand access to in vitro fertilization for military service members and veterans, but Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford raised an objection and prevented the legislation from moving forward. “The recent chaos in Alabama caused by far-right ideology put a […]
White House budget director says Biden plan would ‘give working families a shot’?
WASHINGTON — White House budget director Shalanda Young pressed senators Tuesday to pass legislation implementing core elements of President Joe Biden’s latest budget request, saying it would boost the economy and programs that help working Americans. Young told the Senate Budget Committee during a two-hour hearing the tax, spending and economic policies in the proposal […]
U.S. Veterans Affairs Department expands IVF access to unmarried and same-sex veterans
WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs expanded access to in vitro fertilization on Monday, saying that eligible unmarried veterans and veterans in same-sex marriages can now access IVF at VA health care facilities. The announcement notes that federal law requires the VA only provide IVF treatments to veterans whose issues having children are due […]
Biden calls for expanded child tax credit, taxes on wealthy in $7.2 trillion budget plan
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden released his budget request for the upcoming fiscal year Monday, calling on Congress to stick to the spending agreement brokered last year and to revamp tax laws so that the “wealthy pay their fair share.” The $7.266 trillion budget request doesn’t actually spend any money since Congress controls the power […]
U.S. Senate sends Biden giant spending package hours before midnight deadline
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators on Friday cleared a bipartisan spending package for President Joe Biden’s signature, completing work on half of the annual bills that were supposed to become law by Oct. 1. The $468 billion spending legislation rolls together the Agriculture-FDA, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy-Water, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD spending bills into a so-called “minibus.” […]
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. […]
What to expect in Biden’s State of the Union speech Thursday night?
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is set to deliver his State of the Union address Thursday night, with a grueling reelection campaign already fully underway and speaking to a chamber full of Republicans poised to seize on what they see as his shortcomings. Biden, seeking to unify Democrats, is expected to focus on issues core […]
U.S. House passes $468 billion spending package that would stave off shutdown
WASHINGTON — U.S. House lawmakers cast a broadly bipartisan vote Wednesday to approve a six-bill government funding package, marking one of the few consequential votes on major legislation that chamber has taken since Republicans took the majority more than a year ago. The $468 billion package includes half of the annual spending bills for the […]
Five months late, Congress is poised to pass a huge chunk of federal spending
WASHINGTON — Congress is on track to approve a staggering $468 billion in government spending this week, finishing part of the work it was supposed to complete by Oct. 1 — including a big boost intended to shore up the federal WIC nutrition program for women, infants and children. Other agencies will see cuts, including […]
Who wants the U.S. Supreme Court to limit abortion pill access? Here’s the list.
WASHINGTON — Anti-abortion groups, attorneys general from 25 states and more than 140 members of Congress have signed on to dozens of briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court during the past two weeks, encouraging the justices to revert use and prescribing of the medication abortion pill mifepristone to what was in place prior to 2016. […]
A day ahead of shutdown, Congress works on advancing stopgap spending bills
WASHINGTON — Congress passed a short-term funding extension Thursday intended to give lawmakers a bit more time to wrap up work on the annual spending bills — dodging a shutdown despite election year politics and narrow margins. The stopgap spending bill, sometimes called a continuing resolution, or CR, would keep funding mostly flat for programs […]