The Latest: Senator predicts smooth path for VA nominee

The chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is predicting a smooth path to confirmation for David Shulkin, President Donald Trump's choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sen. Johnny Isakson met with Shulkin on Tuesday.

Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme…

Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of an expected ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. / AFP / Mandel Ngan Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of an expected ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC.

White House says Trump’s false claim of voter fraud is his – long-standing belief’

White House press secretary Sean Spicer takes questions about President Trump's contention of widespread voter fraud at a press briefing Tuesday. The White House on Tuesday reiterated President Trump's false contention that he lost the national popular vote because of 3 million to 5 million illegal votes, as yet another untruth swelled into a distraction that threatens to undermine his first week in office.

House passes bill to bar federal funds for abortion

Emboldened by a Republican in the White House, the GOP-led House on Tuesday backed legislation that would permanently bar federal funds for any abortion coverage. The measure, which passed 238-183, would also block tax credits for some people and businesses buying abortion coverage under former President Barack Obama's health care law.

Speaker Ryan: – Every Parent Should Have The Chance To Choose a Decent School’

At a rally to celebrate National School Choice Week, House Speaker Paul Ryan said every parent should have the right to send their children to the school of their choice. "Every parent should have the chance to choose a decent school for your child," Ryan said, surrounded by children from Sacred Heart Catholic School in D.C. who carried signs emblazoned with messages such as "Put Kids First" and "Got Choice?" Ryan praised President Donald Trump's pick for Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, and said the scholarship program to allow low-income children in the District of Columbia to attend private and religious schools, which was ended by President Barack Obama, would be expanded by the Republican-led Congress.

Pilloried on social media, black defender of Jeff Sessions welcomes a Uncle Toma label

As a black man from Alabama, Willie Huntley Jr. has deep reverence for civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, an organizer of the landmark marches from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. So Huntley got a little emotional earlier this month when he found himself in the same Senate hearing room as Lewis.

Senate confirms Trump’s nominee for US ambassador to the UN

The Senate... . Health and Human Services Secretary-designate, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., right, accompanied by Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., pauses while testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, at his confirmation hearing... .

Budget Director Nominee: Obama Inauguration Crowds Were Bigger Than Trump’s

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., tried to test whether President Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget believed in facts or "alternative facts" in a confirmation hearing on Tuesday. With the incoming Trump administration repeating falsehoods about the size of crowds at the president's inauguration, Merkley asked Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., to look at two side-by-side photos - taken at roughly the same time during former President Obama's inauguration in 2009 and Trump's just last week - to gauge which, in fact, was bigger.

Trump says he’ll announce Supreme Court nominee next week

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will announce a candidate next week to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court. "We will pick a truly great Supreme Court justice," Trump told reporters who asked about the vacancy as the president signed paperwork to advance construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines.

Tom Price: Stock deals ‘ethical, above board, legal and transparent’

Georgia Rep. Tom Price , Donald Trump 's pick to serve as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, on Tuesday rejected conflict of interest and abuse of power accusations related to stock investments. Price has been criticized for actively trading in stocks for Australian pharmaceutical company Innate Immunotherapeutics during the time that he was promoting legislation that could affect the company .

Schumer, Democrats try to split Trump and Hill GOP over infrastructure

Senate Democrats are offering President Donald Trump a $1 trillion proposal to upgrade the nation's aging infrastructure - but he'd have to split with Republicans to get it. In their first major bid to force Trump's hand on a policy issue where the President's populism is at odds with spendthrift congressional GOP leadership, top Democrats unveiled their infrastructure package Tuesday.

Senate Democrats to propose $1 trillion infrastructure plan

Senate Democrats on Tuesday will propose spending $1 trillion on transportation and other infrastructure projects over 10 years in an attempt to engage President Donald Trump on an issue where they hope to find common ground. Details of the plan provided to The Associated Press include $200 billion for a "vital infrastructure fund."

New Study: Trump to Inherits $559B Deficit, Stable Economy

Congressional analysts Tuesday projected that President Donald Trump has inherited a stable economy and a government that is on track to run a $559 billion budget deficit for the ongoing budget year. The new estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office say the economy will hold relatively steady, with economic growth rising slightly to 2.3 percent this year and unemployment averaging less than 5 percent for the duration of Trump's term.

Former Whitman-Walker official named White House health adviser

In a little-noticed development, then President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 5 named former Whitman-Walker Clinic associate director Katy French Talento as his White House health policy adviser. Talento's LinkedIn page and other biographical information on her shows that she served from December 1998 to November 2000 as a Whitman-Walker Program Evaluator and later as its Associate Director for Contracts and Grants.

Will Trump become predictable?

People across the world are paying great attention to the first actions of the 45th US President Donald Trump, who took office as head of the most powerful state in the world on January 20. In a very strong signal for some parts of the world, including Ukraine, the new leader's first decree was one appointing General James Mattis, who is known for his tough stance on Russia, to lead the Pentagon. By his second decree, he appointed Marine General John Kelly as US secretary of homeland security.

House Republicans tackle their first priority under Donald Trump: Attacking abortion rights

Last month, Planned Parenthood released focus group research showing that while Donald Trump's supporters are often willing to express sexist attitudes , they aren't particularly keen on attacking reproductive health care access. Many of the participants were confident that Trump signified a new era for Republicans, where conservative politicians dropped the relentless attacks on reproductive rights.