If you were wondering why anti-abortion advocates were so keen on getting Gosnell into the news cycle this spring, look no further than HR 1797: the reintroduced "D.C. Pain Capable Unborn Protection Act," which some lawmakers hope to institute on a national level.
Everyone talks about how Congress can't accomplish anything anymore. It's become a punchline, for goodness' sake. You might like the one about Congress not fixing over 1,000 holes in the roof of the Capitol building. Wait, that's not a joke at all. That's real life.
On Tuesday afternoon, California Rep. Dennis Cardoza resigned from Congress, effective at midnight. Before the day was over, he already had another job — as a director at a D.C. lobbying firm.
Republicans held a press conference on Wednesday to protest the Obama administration's requirement that private insurers cover birth control, which goes into effect today, and Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania wins the award for most sensational rhetoric.
Good news: The federal government came to a spending agreement Tuesday, most likely avoiding a shut-down long before most of us started seriously started stressing about it.
The sacred bond of friendship is no match for a congressional primary, it seems. This week, while the country mourns the breakup of Kristen and Robert, Washington has its mind on a different estranged couple: Marcy and Dennis.
Mitt Romney inadvertently blurted out an Obama campaign talking point last night while discussing the impending "fiscal cliff" facing Congress.
What does $10,000 mean to you? If you're a female Republican congressional staffer? It's about how much less you'd make than the men in your office, according to salary data from LegiStorm.
Much remains unknown about the mystery illness forcing Jesse Jackson Jr. into hiding, but last night's disclosure that the congressman is being treated for "mood disorder" at an inpatient care center gives mental health experts a better sense of what he's dealing with.
Former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan David Duke released a video announcing his endorsement of Charles Barron, an affirmative action supporting African-American who is running for Brooklyn's 8th Congressional district, and the conflicting priorities ole' Duke faced are just mind-boggling.
Darrell Issa is going go ahead with holding Eric Holder in contempt of Congress on Wednesday, after the two sides couldn't come to a deal during a last minute meeting Tuesday evening, unless he gets documents relating to the Fast & Furious program by 10 a.m. Wednesday morning.
It's only been a few years since one of the country's worst financial collapses destroyed the economy but already, the regulatory apparatus designed to prevent another such a catastrophe is being gutted by House Republicans.
Years after he actually testified to Congress, a jury has found Roger Clemens not guilty of six counts of perjury for lying to them about using steroids and growth hormones when he testified at the Capitol in 2008.
JPMorgan Chance CEO Jamie Dimon didn't say much that was unexpected during his Senate testimony today, but like most people talking in front of cameras these days he probably hopes that a few of his words aren't someday used against him.
Nancy Pelosi's open letter to House Speaker John Boehner asking him to work through next week's planned recess is basically political posturing, but the House minority leader has a point.
When it comes to our view of Congress, we are the boy who cried "worthless."
The Paycheck Fairness Act, supported by Democrats, failed to get the 60 votes it needed to get past a Republican block in the Senate, in what the A.P. is calling "a choreographed showdown."
Here we have the kind of story-as-bad-metaphor through which reporters can freely pretend to see whatever they want to see: a broken urinal soaked the press gallery at the U.S. Capitol on Monday.
It is very clear how last week's bad jobs report will affect the presidential race. It is less clear how it will affect policy that could create jobs.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's threat to let steep cuts hit the Pentagon seems to be working, as some staunchly anti-tax Republican Senators appear to be warming to revenue increases.
In recent years, Congress has gone from speaking at an 11th level to a 10th grade level, according to a report from the Sunlight Foundation featured on NPR Monday, and while it's easy to see this as an example of our dumbed-down discourse, it seems more like a sign that our politicians are becoming better at communicating.
Does this sound familiar? Both sides of the Senate agree they want to extend low interest rates on student loan payments, but they disagree on how to pay for it it, and after Republicans blocked a Democratic bill extending low rates, they're set to double in July.
The Congressional-Executive Commission on China held an emergency hearing Thursday to discuss the uncertain fate of Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng, and they got some surprising testimony from none other than Chen himself.
Down along the Gulf coast, the beaches look cleaner, the birds less tar-covered, but the longterm consequences of the BP oil spill are leaving their mark under the ocean's surface.
There are two types of unpaid interns: The kind who have a fair shot at suing their employers for illegal abuse of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the kind who can’t do anything about it. The government employs the second kind.
Imagine an Internet on which haters didn't hate.
Republican-backing business groups are nervous the politicians they helped elect might be so enthusiastic about cutting spending that they'll actually hurt business.
If you see Rep. Mary Bono Mack catching the red eye back to the West Coast, don't bother her--you might ruin her Dr. Dre playlist.
Dick Durbin announced Thursday that the Senate will hold a hearing to look into practice of paying sports players bounties to injure others, because, of course, Congress loves a good professional sports scandal.
After letting various scandals bounce around for months, Congress finally passed the STOCK Act that bans insider trading, and this time it's for real.
The Violence Against Women Act is a U.S. federal law signed into effect by President Bill Clinton in September of 1994, providing $1.6 billion to help investigate and prosecute violent crimes against women. Now, once again, it's the focus of a fight.
A man from Portland, Oregon, has been arrested and charged with sending nearly 100 threatening letters containing white powder to members of Congress.
Congress isn't as much fun as it used to be because lots of the perks, like free food from lobbyists, are gone, while the moderate pay and low public esteem remain. And also because, for some, it's harder to master the horse trading behind closed doors that helps an ambitious politician rise in the ranks.
Being a member of Congress is hard, say members of Congress. But don't break out the violins just yet.
The sudden retirement of long-time Maine Senator Olympia Snowe may spell the end of Republican hopes to take back the Senate this November.
What to say about the great Mustache Scandal of 2012? Well, it serves to make a lobby for men with mustaches look better than the gullible Congressional candidate entangled in the crosshairs.
Mitt Romney slams China, Fareed Zakaria talks "zones of immunity," and The New York Times edit board gives a bipartisan round of applause.
Expect both parties to claim a victory now that Congressional negotiators have reached a deal to extend a payroll tax holiday for 10 months and unemployment benefits through the end of the year.
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping is having a somewhat contentious visit to the U.S. this week and it doesn't sound like it's going to get much better.
House Oversight Committee chair Darrell Issa says he'll "move forward with the contempt process" against Attorney General Eric Holder if the Justice Department doesn't at least describe the Fast and Furious documents it won't turnover to Issa's committee, Talking Points Memo reports.
House and Senate leaders could reach a deal tonight on extending the payroll tax cut, jobless benefits, and the Medicare reimbursement rate, The Hill's Bernie Becker reports.
Cartoonist Tom Toles thinks Republican lawmakers are back to their old tricks.
The NYPD is on the trail of a dastardly mailbox thief in Staten Island.
The Washington Post followed up on its big investigation into congressional earmarks with a report Wednesday that found some legislators were directing government funds to organizations at which they had family on staff, which turns out to be is perfectly legal.
The handbag vendor who called police when he saw an SUV suspiciously idling in Times Square in 2010 says the experience inspired him to run for Congress.
If you live next to a member of Congress, you're in luck. A new Washington Post investigation shows the myriad ways lawmakers "spruce up" their neighborhoods by steering more than $300 million in earmarks to public projects that are "next to or near" their own properties.
The Washington Post has a huge exposé on 33 members of Congress who directed earmarks to projects close to their homes, but it's hard to see how this latest "scandal" should surprise or outrage anyone.
Rep. Michele Bachmann has announced today that she'll be seeking her fourth term in Congress, reports the AP.
President Obama's plea to ban Congressional insider trading may poll well and have bipartisan support, but it's already facing stiff resistance from lawmakers the morning after his State of the Union address.
Gabrielle Giffords posted a video today in which she announced her decision to give up her congressional seat. It's sure to stay with you.
Yesterday's internet-wide protest may not have killed Congress's anti-piracy efforts completely, but a lot of legislators (including some co-sponsors) suddenly can't run away from the bills fast enough.
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