Leadership - Page 20

Help kids with cancer? Reid asks: 'Why would we want to do that?'

December 20, 2015

Help kids with cancer? Reid asks: 'Why would we want to do that?'

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is blaming Republicans for the National Institutes of Health turning away cancer patients. But when asked why the Senate wouldn't try to help "one child who has cancer" by approving a mini-spending bill, he shot back: "Why would we want to do that?"

Congressional stalemate rings in government slimdown

December 20, 2015

Congressional stalemate rings in government slimdown

What the Obama administration is portraying as a "shutdown" of the federal government -- complete with signs posted at the entrances to government buildings, parks and monuments -- is turning out to be more of a "slimdown," as all but non-essential workers reported to their jobs Tuesday.

Congress misses deadline, sending government into partial shutdown

December 20, 2015

Congress misses deadline, sending government into partial shutdown

Congress blew by a midnight deadline to pass a crucial spending bill, triggering the beginning of a partial government shutdown – the first in 17 years.

Senate budget deal provides back pay for furloughed federal workers

December 20, 2015

Senate budget deal provides back pay for furloughed federal workers

The bipartisan Senate agreement to end the partial government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling will also offer compensation to federal workers who have been furloughed since Oct. 1.

Obama signs bill ending partial shutdown, raising debt ceiling

December 20, 2015

Obama signs bill ending partial shutdown, raising debt ceiling

President Obama and his congressional allies succeeded overnight in winning a virtually condition-free increase in the debt ceiling, along with funding to end the partial government shutdown -- but in a deal that left America's debt crisis unaddressed and teed up another battle three months from now.

Congress aiming low in new budget talks, as Reid dismisses entitlement reform as 'happy talk'

December 20, 2015

Congress aiming low in new budget talks, as Reid dismisses entitlement reform as 'happy talk'

Congressional Democrats and Republicans are setting low expectations about budget talks scheduled to begin next week -- with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid dismissing as “happy talk” any notion of a grand bargain that would include cuts to entitlement programs.

Hill leaders push dueling budget plans, seek 'sweet spot' to break impasse

December 20, 2015

Hill leaders push dueling budget plans, seek 'sweet spot' to break impasse

House and Senate lawmakers pushed dueling proposals to address the budget impasse, as they prepared to take private talks with the White House into the weekend -- with both sides at last appearing to work toward a possible compromise, despite no deal emerging Friday.

Can lawmakers find the middle ground in budget impasse?

December 20, 2015

Can lawmakers find the middle ground in budget impasse?

There's plenty of middle ground between the two sides of the budget and debt-ceiling impasse. So, can lawmakers find it?

Fiscal deals now focus on sequester, amid little Capitol Hill optimism about quick fix

December 20, 2015

Fiscal deals now focus on sequester, amid little Capitol Hill optimism about quick fix

The Senate will be in session on Monday as time runs short to negotiate an increase of the nation's debt ceiling and the partial government shutdown concludes its second week.

When clock strikes midnight, does the government really shut down? Maybe not

December 20, 2015

When clock strikes midnight, does the government really shut down? Maybe not

Washington is bracing for the clock to strike midnight, with a government shutdown expected if Congress cannot strike a budget deal -- but despite the frenzy, the government might not turn into a pumpkin right away.