Dems Join GOP in Wishing for Long Weekends

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»

(AP) - The House formally admonished Joe Wilson today for his "You lie" outburst during President Obama's speech. The vote was 240-179, with 12 Democrats and seven Republicans voting against party lines. "At issue," declared House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer during debate, "is whether we are able to proceed with a degree of civility and decorum that our rules and our democracy contemplate and require." But GOP leader John Boehner dismissed the resolution as a "witchhunt. ... My goodness, we could be doing this every day of the week." More»

House passes its version of renewal bill despite veto threat

(NEWSER) - The Violence Against Women Act, which provides funding to protect women from domestic violence and passed Congress easily in its prior two reauthorizations, is headed for Congress' latest partisan showdown. The House passed its version of the bill by a 222-205 vote yesterday over a veto threat from the White House, reports Politico . Democrats complain that the Republican version of the bill, unlike the version that has already passed the Senate, doesn't include additional protections for abused gays, Native Americans, and illegal immigrants. More»

Measure to help students gets bogged down in DC politics

(AP) - Republicans defied a veto threat as the House voted today to prevent federal loan costs from doubling for millions of college students. The vote gave the GOP a momentary election-year triumph on a bill that has become enmeshed in partisan battles over the economy, women's issues, and President Obama's health care overhaul. The measure's 215-195 passage was largely symbolic because the package is going nowhere in the Democratic-dominated Senate. Both parties agree students' interest costs should not rise, but they are clashing along a familiar fault line over how to cover the $6 billion tab: Republicans want spending cuts and Democrats want higher revenues. More»

January will be a milestone for American politics

(NEWSER) - For the first time in history, a political party will soon be represented in Congress by a majority of female and minority lawmakers. The Cook Political Report predicts that white males will make up 46% to 48% of House Democrats when the new Congress is sworn in next January, reports USA Today . That's down from 53% in 2010—and 98% in 1950. By contrast, white males will comprise 86% of House Republicans. More»