Congress

(Newser) - The GOP responded today to Barack Obama’s calls for immediate action on the economy, cautioning that too bold a move could have dire consequences, the Hill reports. “Let’s not use the obvious need as a way to make the problem worse,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, warning against “big mistakes that exacerbate the problem we already have, which is a dramatic, eye-popping deficit.” More »

(Newser) - Senate Democrats are lauding Roland Burris as a faithful public servant who happens to owe his appointment to a crooked governor, but the Illinois politician has some pretty close—perhaps suspect—ties to Blagojevich, the Chicago Tribune reports. Burris and affiliates in his lobbying firm contributed $20,000 to Blagojevich campaigns, he's hosted fundraisers, and the governor's wife was hired in September by a firm with close ties to Burris' lobbying partner, CNN adds. More »

(Newser) - The GOP just can’t catch a break. Kit Bond, another senior Republican senator from a swing state, announced his retirement today, Politico reports. Bond joins Florida’s Mel Martinez, Kansas’ Sam Brownback, and, likely, Texas’ Kay Bailey Hutchison in a clutch of GOP Senate retirements. His decision not to run for reelection in 2010 is certain to prompt a tough race: Missouri went Republican by just 5,000 votes in November. More »

(Newser) - With a strengthened majority and a Democrat in the White House, Harry Reid expected a fast start off the blocks for the 111th Congress. But the Senate majority leader has found himself, these first days of 2009, stumbling over the handling of the Roland Burris appointment and struggling to respond to the chaos in Minnesota. In an interview with Washington Post , Reid admits that the Burris and Franken episodes have "certainly been a diversion." More »

(Newser) - Chris Matthews is keeping his night job. The host of MSNBC's Hardball told his staff today that he won't be running for the Senate in 2010, the Los Angeles Times reports. For months, Matthews had been not so quietly considering a run against the GOP's Arlen Specter in his home state of Pennsylvania. Matthews, who did not comment, also has been negotiating a new contract with NBC. More »

(Newser) - Barack Obama may have had something to do with the Senate’s apparent about-face on Roland Burris, a congressional aide tells the Huffington Post. Obama reps contacted senior Democrats before they began moving today towards accepting the Blagojevich appointee, despite the Illinois governor’s ongoing corruption case. After meeting with Burris, Majority Leader Harry Reid took pains to praise the veteran Chicago pol, as did Obama, who called him “a fine public servant” and expressed willingness to work with him. More »

(Newser) - Jack Kemp, the former NFL star and Republican congressman, is in treatment for cancer, the Buffalo News reports. A spokeswoman said the type of cancer is “undetermined,” but that tests are under way to identify it. Kemp, 73, served 18 years as a representative from New York before a stint as secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and was Bob Dole’s vice-presidential running mate in 1996. More »

(Newser) - This fiscal year, which started in October, will see the US running a budget deficit of at least $1.2 trillion, the largest ever, the Washington Post reports. That number could swell to $1.6 trillion if Barack Obama’s massive $800 billion stimulus plan is approved by Congress. The president-elect pledged to keep Americans informed about the risky venture, and scour the budget for unnecessary spending. More »