Stories related to: House of Representatives

House Democrats are sticking to plans to begin a one-week recess starting tomorrow without renewing a terrorist surveillance bill set to expire when their vacation begins—to the dismay of President Bush and House Republicans, the Washington Post reports. Bush, set to leave for Africa, said the decision imperils national security; House Republicans walked out of the chamber today in protest. More »

Congress approved an economic stimulus plan today that will give rebates of between $600 and $1,200 to most Americans. It now awaits President Bush's expected signature before checks can go in the mail. The House quickly approved the measure hours after the Senate finalized its version of the $168 billion bill, the New York Times reports. More »

The $157 billion stimulus bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee is "too complex," Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said today. "Complexity is our enemy," Paulson said of the bill, which is "in danger of looking like a Christmas tree" once it goes to the full Senate. He said he prefers the House's version, which is "simple, broad-based and bipartisan," Reuters reports. More »

Whatever the good intentions were, the $89,000 the House of Representatives spent on carbon offsets doesn’t seem to have done much, the Washington Post reports. Most of the money went to fund programs that were going on anyway or had already ended. “It demonstrated why offsets are controversial and possibly pointless,” said one environmental activist. “This is a waste of taxpayer money.” More »

The House today approved a $556 billion spending bill that grants President Bush his wish for $70 billion in additional funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Reuters reports. The measure, which also funds most of the federal government through next September, marks another setback for Democrats looking to curb Bush's war policies. It already cleared the Senate and now goes to Bush for his signature. More »

Perry Kucinich, the 52-year-old youngest brother of Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis, was found dead today in his Cleveland home, the Plain Dealer reports. His body was found face-down this morning by another brother, Larry, the AP and CNN report. Authorities found no evidence of foul play. More »

After months of wrangling over details, the House has passed a huge $515.7 billion domestic spending bill, the Washington Post reports. Lawmakers finally managed to hammer out a compromise that makes just about nobody happy. Conservatives and interest groups of all sides blasted the bill, and even Democrats could summon only mild enthusiasm at best. More »

Senators grilled CIA chief Michael Hayden for 90 minutes today, but his appearance behind closed doors shed little light on the agency's destruction of interrogation videotapes, the AP reports. Hayden's session was "useful and not yet complete," said Sen. Jay Rockefeller of the intelligence panel. Afterward, Hayden said that because the tapes were not made or destroyed during his watch, he couldn't answer all questions. More »

The House today approved a wide-ranging energy bill that calls for better fuel economy in US vehicles, the first such measure in more than 30 years. The bill, which has the grudging support of automakers, mandates a 40% improvement for most vehicles to an average of 35 mpg by 2020. The fuel standard is expected to survive as the bill winds through the Senate, the Los Angeles Times reports. More »

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin faced angry questioning from both sides of the aisle at a House oversight meeting yesterday, as many urged the commissioner to delay December 18's vote on a controversial change to media cross-ownership rules. Martin said the plan, which would allow companies to own both a newspaper and TV or radio station, was only a “minor loosening”; but his Dem colleagues cried foul. More »

The House has passed a bill intended to protect mortgage borrowers by imposing stricter regulations on lenders. But it's unlikely it will become law before the new year, given the Senate's problem passing a less controversial bill that also aims to mitigate the subprime lending crisis. The House measure bars lenders from steering people into expensive loans they might not be able to pay. More »

One week after being labeled moral “pygmies” in a House hearing, Yahoo settled a lawsuit  brought by two Chinese journalists jailed when the Internet giant turned over their personal data to Beijing. The two men, now serving 10-year sentences on charges of leaking state secrets, sued Yahoo for providing the Chinese government with their emails and addresses. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. More »

House Dems have introduced a bill that would force universities to do more to crack down on illegal file sharing, on pain of yanking their federal aid. Schools would have to provide alternatives to illegally downloading music and movies, such as pay file-sharing sites. A letter signed by several top university bigwigs calls the threatened action "inappropriate and punitive." More »

The House passed a sweeping tax-reform bill yesterday—shifting some $78 billion in taxes from middle-class families to the super-rich—that is expected to get little traction in the Senate and has already drawn the promise of a presidential veto. The bill would exempt middle-income families from the Alternative Minimum Tax and offset the cost by closing loopholes that benefit private equity and hedge fund managers. More »

The Democratic-controlled Congress has approved an extra $10 billion for education and health care, daring the White House to veto the extra funding for popular domestic programs that President Bush seeks to cut. The vote came as the Senate dealt the White House its first veto override on a water resources bill. More »

It took more than 30 years, but House Democrats today passed a bill banning workplace discrimination against homosexuals, the New York Times reports. Thirty-five Republicans joined 200 Democrats to pass the legislation, which would amend the Civil Rights Act and safeguard workers against discrimination because of their “actual or perceived sexual orientation.” Ted Kennedy says he will introduce it in the Senate. More »

The House overrode a presidential veto tonight for the first time in the Bush administration, with 138 Republicans crossing party lines to support a $23 billion water-resources bill. The 361-54 vote was far more than the two-thirds needed to override, reflecting the popularity on both sides of the aisle of legislation loaded with pet projects, the Washington Post reports. The Senate is likely to pass its own override, possibly as soon as today. More »

Democratic Rep. Pete Stark apologized on the floor of the House yesterday for accusing Republicans of sending soldiers to Iraq "to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement." The 75-year-old lawmaker issued his regrets in a somber statement "to my colleagues, the president, his family, the troops," reports the San Francisco Chronicle. More »

A House vote today failed to override President Bush's veto of a bill that could have provided health insurance to 10 million children. The measure fell 13 votes short of the needed two-thirds majority, with 273 voting for the bill, including 44 Republicans. Democratics say the fight isn't over. "There will be no compromise on 10 million children's health care," said Rahm Emanuel. More »

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert may leave office before his term expires in 2008, according to subscription-only RollCall.com. Hastert—who has already announced that he won't seek reelection—is reportedly telling colleagues that he'll leave office later this year, and sources say an official announcement is likely "soon." The move could mean a special election in his Illinois district. More »