Senate Kills Immigration Bill

Vote expected before Fourth of July break

(NEWSER) - Derailed last week, the controversial immigration bill will get a second chance, Senate leaders from both parties announced last night. The statement followed days of closed-door negotiations, the AP reports, and a personal pledge from President Bush to immediately provide $4.4 billion for border security—a key concern of conservative Republican Senators. More»

Even with Democrats more receptive, plan will be tough sell

(NEWSER) - President Bush is making another run at immigration reform, armed with the hope that the Democratic Congress will be more receptive than his own party was last year. In Arizona today Bush will reintroduce a package that sounds suspiciously like his earlier attempt: increased border security, better enforcement of immigration laws in the interior, and the politically sticky guest worker program. More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama will overturn the Bush administration’s ban on federal funding for stem-cell research Monday, Time reports. The move fulfills a campaign promise and Obama’s pledge to bring science back to the fore in America, and will precede legislation expected later this year preventing future presidents from banning the research. Once announced, the end to the ban will be effective immediately. More»

Choice of retired federal judge seen as effort to avoid confirmation fight

(NEWSER) - President Bush nominated retired federal judge Michael B. Mukasey today as attorney general. Seen as a compromise that would avoid abrasive confirmation struggles but still maintain DoJ’s law-and-order mindset, the choice comes after Democrats vowed to block the more controversial Ted Olson, reports the New York Times. More»

Some Republicans unsatisfied with scope; Bush may not sign

(NEWSER) - The ethics reform bill, which tightens restrictions on congressional pet projects and lobbyist dealings, easily cleared the Senate today. The final vote was 83-14, with all of those opposed Republicans. Critics say the bill won't go far enough to curb earmark spending, the AP reports, but Dianne Feinstein praised the package as "the most sweeping reform bill since Watergate." More»