McConnell says Senate will act this week on Obamacare repeal, ‘rapid’ replacement

The U.S. Senate will take its first steps toward repealing President Barack Obama's signature health care reform act by the end of the week, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Sunday. Speaking on CBS's "Face the Nation," McConnell said: "There ought not to be a great gap" between repealing the act and replacing it and that Republicans would be "replacing it rapidly after repealing it."

House Intelligence Committee chair: Russia report leak was a ‘political rollout’

The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, a member of President-elect Trump's transition team, sided with Trump on Sunday in criticizing the leak of an intelligence report to the press last week, saying that it appeared to be a political swipe at Trump by the Obama administration. The release of information about hacks into the Clinton campaign's emails, and intelligence agencies' tying it to Russia "looks like a political roll-out of a narrative just a couple weeks before Donald Trump 's inauguration, and it bothers me, and I don't think it's good," said Devin Nunes, a California Republican, in an interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace.

2 Senate Republicans warn Trump to get tougher on Russia

Senior Republicans Sunday gave Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt that he'll make Moscow pay for hacking the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, yet the president-elect could face a rift with members of his own party if policies against Russia don't change. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., plan to introduce legislation for tougher sanctions against Russia, hitting the country in the financial and energy sectors "where they're the weakest."

Priebus: Trump “accepts” US intel blaming Russia for hack

President-elect Donald Trump accepts the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia tried to interfere in the American presidential election, his incoming White House Chief of staff said Sunday. "I think he accepts the findings," Reince Priebus said on "Fox News Sunday."

McConnell: Trump’s Russia hopes will quickly be dashed

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell predicted Sunday that any hopes President-elect Trump has to get along with the Russians and President Vladimir Putin will be "dashed pretty quickly" into his first term in office. Appearing on "Face The Nation," McConnell argued that it is not unusual for a new president to seek an improved relationship with the Russians, citing former President George W. Bush's efforts upon taking office in 2000.

Schapiro: Goodlatte is first casualty of new Congress

Bob Goodlatte, the first ethics casualty of the new Congress - and by his own hand - is supposed to be the political heir to M. Caldwell Butler, the Virginia Republican who, as a newcomer to the House of Representatives in 1974, voted to impeach President Richard Nixon for Watergate crimes.

Hal Boyd: Bring the popcorn for a Hatch vs. Huntsman Jr. race

America's multinational juggernauts are clearly capitalizing on the former Utah Governor's grasp of global affairs. Yet, as Huntsman weighs a senate bid in 2018, likely challenging Sen. Orrin Hatch, Huntsman's vast international experience may ironically be as much a political liability as an asset.

Several Donald Trump picks’ ethics reviews incomplete

Republicans are intent on getting as many of Trump's choices through the arduous confirmation process as quickly as possible. Several of President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet choices have not completed a full review to avoid conflicts of interest, the government's ethics office says, even as Republican senators move quickly to hold at least nine confirmation hearings next week.

Brady Campaign Demands Sessions’ Plan to Reduce Gun Violence

Brady Campaign president Dan Gross issued the following statement calling on President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, Senator Jeff Sessions, to respond to the tragedy in Fort Lauderdale with a plan to reduce gun violence. Sessions' nomination hearings before the Senate begins next Tuesday.

Eastern United States digs out from big snowstorm, braces for cold

The eastern United States began digging out on Saturday from a massive storm that dumped heavy snow from Georgia to Massachusetts, knocking out power for thousands of people and causing hundreds of car crashes, officials said as they warned of more cold weather ahead. The snow began falling heavily on Friday in parts of Georgia, North and South Carolina and Virginia and lasted until mid-day on Saturday, meteorologist Andrew Orrison of the Weather Prediction Center said by phone.

Kansas lawmakers eye possible tax increases as session starts

The question as Kansas kicks off its annual legislative session this week isn't whether lawmakers will raise taxes but rather which taxes - or more precisely, whose? The state faces a projected budget shortfall of more than $900 million for the next 18 months. There's broad consensus among lawmakers that tax increases will play some role in the solution.

Another leading Alabama Democrat endorses Jeff Sessions

Sue Bell Cobb, former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, has endorsed Sen. Jeff Sessions in a letter to Sen. Charles Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Montgomery Advertiser describes Cobb as "one of Alabama's most prominent Democrats."

Rep. Black: Obamacare Repeal Will Include Transition Period

While Republicans are working to repeal Obamacare, there will still be a stable transition period so "no one has the rug pulled out from underneath them" Rep. Diane Black said in Saturday's GOP address . "Our goal is a system that lowers costs, and spurs free market competition, and ultimately empowers you, not bureaucrats in Washington," the Tennessee Republican said in the weekly statement, decrying Democrats in Washington using "all kinds of scare tactics" in order to keep the healthcare law.

Iowa, Nebraska senators re-introduce immigration hold bill

Senators from Nebraska and Iowa have re-introduced a bill requiring immigration officials to hold in custody anyone who has entered the country illegally and charged with a crime resulting in injury or death of another person. Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Deb Fisher and Ben Sasse of Nebraska introduced Sarah's Law in June but it failed to advance.