The Washington Independent

Posts Tagged tim johnson

FreedomWorks heads to Pennsylvania where groups hopes to quash unions

By | 03.28.11 | 3:38 pm

Breaking away from their fiscal policy roots, tea party groups lately have been sinking their hooks into all matters of American policy, from collective bargaining rights to education.

On Tuesday, a number of tea party organizations are gathering at a FreedomWorks “Restoring America Summit and Rally” at Pittsburgh International More…

Sen. Kent Conrad to retire, possibly marking end of Dakota Democrats

By | 01.18.11 | 12:09 pm

U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) will announce Monday he will not run for re-election in 2012 after being in the Senate since 1987, scoops Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post:

Conrad had been open about his ambivalence about running for another term and those doubts almost certainly increased following

More…

The Significance of Last Night’s Vote on Finance Reform

By | 03.23.10 | 12:57 pm

Following last night’s speedy passage of sweeping finance reforms in the Senate Banking Committee, much of the focus has been on the Republicans’ strategy to take the fight over the bill to the Senate floor, rather than pushing amendments during what was supposed to have been a long-drawn More…

Key Democratic Senators Set Conditions for Supporting Climate Agreement

By | 12.03.09 | 12:26 pm

Nine Democratic senators sent a letter to President Obama this morning laying out ten conditions that will allow them to support domestic and international climate deals. The senators, who all hail from manufacturing of fossil fuel-dependent states, are mostly moderates, and their votes will be crucial to passing a More…

Warner: On Sotomayor, NRA ‘Has Gone Beyond Its Mission’

By | 07.31.09 | 10:30 am

It’s not everyday that lawmakers with top ratings from the National Rifle Association go around criticizing the powerful gun lobby. But regarding the NRA’s bid to pressure senators to vote against Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, some are losing their patience.

Here’s Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), quoted yesterday by More…

Senate Panel Approves Credit Card Reform, Minus One Democrat

By | 03.31.09 | 4:44 pm

The Senate Banking Committee today approved legislation forcing banks to make credit cards more consumer friendly, but don’t mistake this for a strictly partisan issue. While it’s true that most Democrats support the legislation and most Republicans oppose it (the panel vote was 12-11), there are regional nuances in this More…

Larger Dem Majority Good News for Credit Card Reformers

By | 12.23.08 | 2:43 pm

Just off the phone with Travis Plunkett, the legislative director of the Consumer Federation of America, who points out an important advantage that the recent elections have lent to supporters of credit card reform legislation: The larger Democratic majority in the Senate next year means that the More…