Congress Buys GOP's Foam Cups From Ex-Koch Exec

Republicans reverse Democrats' green initiatives in Congress cafeterias

(NEWSER) - The Republicans are back in control of the House, and they're bringing something with them: styrofoam cups. The cups, along with plastic forks and a number of other things seen as not eco-friendly, were done away with four years ago by Nancy Pelosi to reduce Congress's carbon footprint. Now, the Republicans are reversing those initiatives, with the chair of the House administration committee calling the $475,000-per-year program "neither cost-effective nor energy efficient." More»

Deal will probably preempt secret ballot

(NEWSER) - The sound and fury of the midterm elections may be over, but the end of electoral voting brings about a round of behind-the-scenes jockeying for power. Reps. James Clyburn and Steny Hoyer are both plausible candidates for leading the Democratic minority in the house, but given that Nancy Pelosi will keep her post (well, with "majority" changed to "minority") they've begun low-key insider campaigns for the No. 2 slot, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Republicans court Blue Dog Dems to fight further spending

(NEWSER) - Talk of a second stimulus proves the first one isn't working, Republican leaders said today in blasting the possibility. “We don't even know what was in the first stimulus yet,” one senator said, while Minority Leader Mitch McConnell noted that Congress had spent “$1 billion an hour” so far this year. Republicans tell Politico they aim to lure discontented Dems in their fight for fiscal restraint. More»

(NEWSER) - Republicans clamoring for unified front should "calm down" and be careful what they wish for, William Kristol writes in the Weekly Standard. Firstly, Barack Obama is hugely popular; he'll be unassailable for months. What's more, spirited debate may serve the GOP better than blind adherence to conservative philosophy. Consider 1977-80, "a period of vigorous, even hectic, political policy" among conservatives, Kristol writes. More»

Session unravels over partisan head-butting, House to reconvene today

(NEWSER) - Shouting, jeering, paralysis and a power outage marred what was to be the last session before summer recess for the House of Representatives yesterday, the LA Times reports. House Democrats had hoped to resolve several key pieces of legislation, but the floor descended into tumult as leaders struggled in vain to recover decorum after Thursday night's furious GOP walkout. More»