US politician with local links criticised for praising former IRA leader

An American congressman who has family in Banbridge has been defended for praising Martin McGuinness during a church service in Washington DC. A spokesman for Richard Neal, a Democratic Party congressional representative based in Massachusetts, issued a statement in response to criticism of a eulogy which the politician delivered at a memorial mass on Tuesday.

US Rep. John Delaney of Maryland to run for president new

A three-term Maryland Democrat who is one of the wealthiest members of Congress is the first to announce he'll seek his party's nomination to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020. Rep. John Delaney said Friday that he would seek the presidency, rather than the Maryland governorship or re-election to his House seat in 2018.

House Republicans want a new, sweeping probe of Clinton

House Republicans are intensifying their effort to have the Justice Department investigate Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, as they're seeking the same sort of special counsel probe President Donald Trump's campaign is now enduring. House Judiciary Committee Republicans detailed in a seven page letter to Justice a request for a special counsel to investigate "actions taken" by Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

Members of Congress sued over rainbow ‘pride flags’

U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, has vowed to fight a federal lawsuit attempting to force him and three other congressional colleagues to remove "Pride Flags" from their Washington, D.C., offices. The lawsuit was filed July 18 in Washington by Chris Sevier, who describes himself in the lawsuit as a "former judge advocate general, combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, D.C. lobbyist, overseas missionary, whistleblower and recording artist."

Schiff, Trump tangle again on Twitter

A Twitter feud broke out July 24 between President Donald Trump and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, with the president calling Schiff sleazy and Schiff responding that "your comments and actions are beneath the dignity of the office." "Sleazy Adam Schiff, the totally biased congressman looking into 'Russia,' spends all of his time on television pushing the Dem loss excuse!" the president tweeted in the morning.

Lewd, Rude, Crude? The White House Has Heard it All

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, when asked Thursday about the friction playing out in the public eye between White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and new White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, said conflict between White House staff is the result of "healthy competition." Sanders' comment came hours before the New Yorker magazine published a vulgarity-laced interview with Scaramucci.

House-approved budget funds border wall, increases military spending

The House has passed a $788 billion spending bill that combines a $1.6 billion down payment for President Trump's controversial border wall with Mexico with a whopping budget increase for the Pentagon. The 235 to 192 vote both eases a large backlog of unfinished spending bills and gives Mr. Trump and his House GOP allies political wins heading into the August recess.

Good Morning, News: GOP Health Care Efforts Implode, The Mooch Gets…

Hey, the Democrats won something ! In a dramatic vote early Friday morning , Mitch McConnell's "skinny repeal"-a Hail Mary for ditching Obamacare that McConnell was urging senators to pass with assurances it wouldn't ultimately become law-fell short by one vote. "WHOSE ONE VOTE?!" is the question the Internet is arguing about today.

‘Skinny repeal’ Obamacare vote defeated in Senate Updated at

With Sen. John McCain casting a dramatic decisive vote, the Senate early Friday morning narrowly defeated a scaled back bill dismantling the 2010 health law, leaving in question the future of GOP promises to repeal the law known as Obamacare. The 49-51 defeat capping hours of drama on the Senate floor - left open the question of whether congressional Republicans can carry through with a key 2016 key promise to repeal the law known as Obamacare.

House leaders block Defense Department from buying uniforms for Afghan army

The House on Thursday voted to block the Defense Department from buying Afghan army uniforms as part of its annual defense spending bill. The amendment, passed by voice vote without debate, would prohibit any 2018 funding to be used in the Pentagon's efforts to equip the Afghan National Army after a Pentagon auditor announced a criminal probe of the uniform purchases this week.

Iggy Azalea has a trot on a horse in Los Angeles

Maverick strikes! Cancer-stricken John McCain kills 'skinny' repeal of Obamacare as he votes NO handing humiliating 51-49 defeat to his own Republican party in the Senate Attorney for man accused of raping Alabama student who committed suicide releases full-page ad claiming her text messages exonerate him 'How precious and colonial supreme': Justin Trudeau is slammed after admitting he fought indigenous senator in boxing match because it fit the 'right kind of narrative' Hillary Clinton says it 'wasn't easy' to write her new memoir What Happened - but 'neither is witnessing what we see in the news every day' - as she plugs Amazon link for fans to pre-order it 'We shouldn't have used a press release': HBO admits they messed up the announcement of Confederate - the new slavery show from the creators of Game of Thrones Meg Whitman emerges as front-runner to replace Travis Kalanick as Uber ... (more)

Capito, Manchin reject Trump tweet on transgender soldiers

West Virginia's two U.S. senators both agreed with statements made by the decorated Vietnam War veteran Sen. John McCain about the president's social media post reversing a policy allowing transgender people to serve in the military.

Higgins introduces bill to open up medicare to more people

At the same time Senate Republicans were considering ways to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a few House Democrats offered up their solution to improve it. "This is the best plan that is being proposed today from a practicality standpoint," Rep. Brian Higgins, D-NY-1, said.

St. Croix River bridge ribbon-cutting expected to draw a crowd

The health care debate in the nation's capital will keep U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar from attending Wednesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new St. Croix River bridge, but two governors and numerous other state, county and city officials are expected to be there. Klobuchar, D-Minn., spearheaded legislation in the U.S. Senate to permit and fund construction of the massive four-lane bridge, as did then-U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in the House.

House GOP advancing spending boosts for Pentagon, veterans

The GOP-controlled House has given tentative approval to a $1.6 billion down payment for President Donald Trump's long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The controversial wall money is being given a ride on legislation to give the Pentagon a massive spending boost and increase funding for veterans medical care.