house of representatives

In a move that all but ensures the Senate passage of the $838 billion stimulus compromise, Senate lawmakers this evening voted to end a GOP filibuster of the upper chamber’s bill, pounded out by a group of moderates late last week.
The count was 61 to 36, with almost every Republican voting against the bill. Sen. [...]

The final count was 260 to 166, with 10 Democrats voting in opposition and 18 Republicans voting in support.
Senate Democrats, of course, have shown little interest in considering the reform bill, which restricts the Treasury Department’s spending of the second half of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout. Leaders in the upper chamber have indicated [...]

Following his impeachment this morning, Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.) gave a press conference that addressed everything under the sun — except the charges of corruption and abuse of power for which he was impeached. It was an utterly bizarre spectacle that left CNN’s Rick Sanchez asking, “What the hell was that?”
“The House’s action today was [...]

A Maryland House seat long held by Republicans has officially gone Democratic, according to reports. Frank Kratovil, Jr., a Democratic states attorney, claimed the win Tuesday morning — a full week following the elections — after state Sen. Andy Harris, his GOP opponent, conceded defeat.
It was hardly a traditional contest. The district has been historically [...]

Fueled by their congressional victories in 2006, House Democratic leaders moved bills on renewable energy, health insurance for children and an economic stimulus package — only to run into a wall of GOP opposition in the Senate and presidential vetoes. But Obama’s election could tear down that wall.

Here’s a strange saga, even for a campaign year.
It seems that over the weekend officials with the Arizona Democratic Party discovered a credit card belonging to the campaign of Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) beneath a desk in their Tempe office. The find led Democratic officials to press, quite reasonably, for an explanation as to how [...]

The $488-billion for defense was just tacked on to a larger spending bill at the last minute, with no separate vetting by appropriations committees. The lack of oversight leads to increased funding for programs repeatedly criticized by Defense Sec. Robert Gates.