Obama says immigration bill unlikely to pass House before August break
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama on Tuesday for the first time admitted that it was unlikely that the Republican-led House of Representatives would pass sweeping immigration reforms before lawmakers left Washington for a month-long break i…
Voting rights enforcers shift focus after Supreme Court defeat
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. office charged with protecting the voting rights of racial minorities is changing its focus but not its commitment after the Supreme Court last month invalidated part of a federal voting rights law, U.S. Attorney General…
Obama to submit new labor board nominees to Senate: aide
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – As part of its bargain to avert a Senate battle over procedural rules, the White House will nominate two labor lawyers for the National Labor Relations Board, replacing two previous nominees, a senior Democratic aide said on Tues…
IRS cancels one furlough day, cuts costs elsewhere
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Internal Revenue Service said it was cancelling an agency shutdown that had been scheduled for Monday and required by federal budget cuts.
Majority of Senate votes to confirm consumer bureau leader
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A majority of senators voted on Tuesday to confirm Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, nearly two years after he was first nominated to the post.
In Tea Party probe, IRS interviews show no political bias
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A top Democrat investigating Internal Revenue Service scrutiny of conservative groups on Tuesday said interviews with 15 agency employees had found no hint of White House involvement, challenging Republicans on a lingering contro…
Senate push on U.S. military sexual assault rules gains support
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two Senate Republicans on Tuesday backed a sweeping change to how the military handles cases of sexual assault, boosting a plan that faces strong opposition at the Pentagon and in Congress.
Hagel says more budget cuts will force Pentagon layoffs
JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Reuters) – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Tuesday that a new round of automatic spending cuts next year would force the department to cut personnel and that he already has decided to reduce jobs in the offices of the Penta…
White House hopes for Senate deal on nominees
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House has not been involved in negotiating between senators in a fight in the Senate over executive-branch nominations but hopes lawmakers will reach an agreement that will allow the confirmation of President Barack Oba…
Senator Reid says deal close to end ‘filibuster’ fight
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate negotiators neared a deal on Tuesday to avert a showdown over threats by Democrats to strip Republicans of their power to filibuster President Barack Obama’s executive branch nominees, said Majority Leader Harry Reid….
