Final days in Congress not equal for all departing lawmakers

This is the time of year when I tend to take a longer look at the list of lawmakers in Congress who are "not voting," as some members of the House and Senate sometimes check out a little early before their terms are finished, while others are more than happy to stick around to the last vote, thoroughly enjoying their final moments on Capitol Hill. "I have a job to do," said Rep. Jeff Miller , who did not run for re-election in November, but has been busily filling his final days with work before his term ends.

Tiny office, minority party and little power? It’s all terrific to Virginia Rep-elect.

DECEMBER 1: Congressman-elect Don McEachin, center, a state senator from Richmond who was just elected to the House, gets directions from a staffer on procuring a parking pass as he prepares for his upcoming stint in Congress, on December, 01, 2016 in Washington, DC. The newly elected representative from Virginia fared poorly in the lottery for Congressional office space last week, drawing number 48 out of 50. There's nothing glamorous or even much desirable about the cramped room on the third floor of the Rayburn House office building that McEachin will call his own.

House spending bill would limit visas for workers at places like Trump’s golf courses

Mar-a-Lago is seen before President-elect Donald Trump walks out to his motorcade in Palm Beach, FL on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2016. House Republicans are set to approve a must-pass spending bill Thursday that would dramatically reduce the number of visas available next year for seasonal workers like the ones who have been hired at President-elect Donald Trump's golf courses in Florida.

Joe Biden, on valedictory tour, mixes emotional farewell with lingering ambition

In this image from Senate Television, Vice President Biden presides over the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Dec. 5. Vice President Biden's tribute tour reached a crescendo Wednesday in the rarest possible fashion: He barely said a word on the Senate floor. Biden, who for 36 years filled the chamber with voluble oratory, sat in the presiding officer's chair serving in his other capacity, president of the Senate, as a bipartisan collection of colleagues poured out tributes for the outgoing vice president.

Arkansas takes queso crown in cheesy D.C. taste-test | All Ablog Austin

This is a miscarriage of justice the likes of which we haven't seen since it was insinuated that San Antonio has better breakfast tacos than Austin . According to a blind taste-test from a group of Republican senators Wednesday in Washington, D.C., Arkansas' cheese dip is better than Texas' queso.

How do medicines affect breast-feeding? Congress passes bill requiring study

A bill that would require the federal government to conduct more research into health risks faced by women who use medications while breast-feeding is headed to President Barack Obama for his signature. The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday, marking a win for its chief author, Washington state Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler .

Pence claims mandate for incoming Trump administration

Vice President-elect Mike Pence claimed a governing mandate for the incoming White House, calling on Republican activists to help the Trump administration pass an ambitiously conservative agenda. The Indiana governor made little reference to still-simmering national divides in his Tuesday evening remarks before top donors of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that's working closely with Donald Trump's transition effort.

Could Democrats go ‘nuclear’ one last time before President Trump?

Federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland, walks out with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden as he is introduced as Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court during an announcement in the Rose Garden of the White House, in Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2016. The Republican strategy of ignoring President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court this year paid clear dividends.

Sen. Rand Paul: Trump’s Secretary of State Must Understand – Iraq War Was a Mistake’

Senator Rand Paul talked with SiriusXM host Matt Boyle on Tuesday's Breitbart News Daily about his hopes for President-elect Donald Trump's foreign policy, as expressed through his choice for secretary of state. Paul said he has "looked at the Secretary of State position as probably one of the most important picks that will come up" and hoped Trump would choose "somebody who understands that the Iraq War was a mistake."

Los Angeles County officials push back against threats of deportation

The reconstituted Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday to explore strategies to protect county residents from any potential changes in federal immigration policy. Supervisor Hilda Solis recommended the analysis, saying many of her constituents are worried about President-elect Donald Trump's statements about illegal immigration.

House snuffs out conservativesa IRS impeachment push

Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 10, 2016. The House on Tuesday voted to bottle up articles of impeachment filed against Koskinen by hard-line conservatives upset about the agency's targeting of political groups.

Gov. Nikki Haley to visit Capitol Hill in preparation for confirmation hearings

Gov. Nikki Haley will be on Capitol Hill later this week to meet with many of the senators who will determine whether she gets to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Haley's deputy chief of staff and spokesman, Rob Godfrey, told The Post and Courier that Haley would "meet some senators as a part of the confirmation process."