Mnuchin Seeks to Calm Fears of Economic Fallout From Tariffs

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said U.S. tariffs and China's retaliatory actions haven't dented the domestic economy, as he sought to calm fears from Republicans in Congress that a trade war is hurting American consumers and companies. Mnuchin, speaking before the House Financial Services panel on Thursday, said he and administration officials are available for talks with China over trade.

Interest Groups Rush to Sway Senators on Kavanaugh Nomination

Brett Kavanaugh walks through the U.S. Capitol before a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, not pictured, in Washington, D.C., on July 10, 2018. The GOP's race to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is sparking a furious battle between liberal and conservative groups to sway half a dozen pivotal senators who are giving little hint of how they'll vote.

Kavanaugh reports relatively modest finances, debt repayment

WASHINGTON - The vetting of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is just beginning, but his public financial disclosures make one thing clear: He's not as wealthy as many already on the high court. Public disclosure forms for 2017 show that the federal judge would come to the nation's highest court with only two investments, including a bank account, together worth a maximum of $65,000, along with the balance on a loan of $15,000 or less.

National Military Family Association and Elizabeth Dole Foundation…

The National Military Family Association , a nonprofit that works to strengthen military families, and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation , an organization that empowers, supports, and honors our nation's military caregivers, today hosted a forum focused on the children of caregivers. Participants worked together to gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by these children and produce a shared action plan that will serve as the basis for future programming and support.

Senate veteran returns to action as Supreme Court Sherpa

Jon Kyl trekked back to the Capitol with a name tag hanging around his neck, but he didn't need one. Kyl was a Republican senator from Arizona for three terms, which is why Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the White House wanted him to guide President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee through the confirmation process.

Editorial: Retirees counting on Congress to find solution to pensions crisis

Thousands of workers - most pensioners, others nearing the time they plan to collect their earned benefits - will gather at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus today for a rally designed to draw attention to a political meeting with serious national ramifications. Friday, a bipartisan joint congressional committee will hold a field hearing in Columbus to gather information from testimony to help federal lawmakers solve a looming crisis jeopardizing the pensions of about 60,000 Ohioans and 1.5 million Americans.

Court nominee making rounds

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for a round of meetings with key Republican senators as Democrats ramped up efforts to block his confirmation. Kavanaugh, an appellate court judge and President Donald Trump's choice to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, planned to meet separately with at least five members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

As Trump backlash continues, STEM professionals in Texas run for office

Clockwise from bottom left: Allison Lami Sawyer, Michelle Beckley, Joseph Kopser, Carla Morton, and Rick Kennedy are Democrats with backgrounds in STEM running for office this year. As a child growing up in small-town Alabama, Sawyer spent five consecutive summers at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, where she built model rockets and began to envision herself as a scientist.

Fallin signs emergency rules, infuriates marijuana advocates

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has signed into place strict emergency rules for medical marijuana that pot advocates say are intentionally aimed at delaying the voter-approved use of medicinal cannabis. The term-limited Republican governor signed the rules on Tuesday, just one day after the state's Board of Health adopted them at an emergency meeting after last-minute changes to ban the sale of smokable marijuana and require a pharmacist at every pot dispensary.

Mind-altering breast milk? New pot study poses that question

Foxconn Technology Group says it will invest $100 million in engineering and innovation research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which is one of the largest gifts in the school's history. Foxconn Technology Group says it will invest $100 million in engineering and innovation research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which is one of the largest gifts in the school's history.

‘FBI lovers’ lawyer refuses to testify on alleged anti-Trump bias

US President Donald Trump has dubbed the "FBI lovers" agent Peter Strzok and Lisa Page Page and Strzok are major figures in a Republican effort to discredit the FBI and protect Trump from allegations that his campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign and that he tried to obstruct the investigation into those allegations. During 2016, Page and Strzok were having an affair while they were both involved in the politically charged investigation of Clinton, Trump's Democratic election rival, for misuse of classified materials on her private email server.

Paul Ryan defends Jim Jordan, rejects calls for ethics probe

JULY 11: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan speaks with reporters during a news conference following a House Republican conference meeting July 11, 2018 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. House Republicans are promoting the results of their recent tax bill.

Sen. Marco Rubio Endorses Matt Caldwell

Representative Matt Caldwell today received the endorsement of Senator Marco Rubio in his bid for Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Senator Marco Rubio said, "As the most conservative candidate in the race for Commissioner of Agriculture, Matt Caldwell has been an unwavering supporter of the Second Amendment, consistently voted to cut taxes and reduce the size of government, and is a staunch supporter of the right-to-life.

House GOP debates Obamacare subsidies

With their Obama repeal efforts failed and with customers howling over rising costs, House Republicans went back to the drawing board Wednesday looking to come up with new solutions to boost consumer choices and free businesses from the 2010 law's punishments. The Ways and Means Committee debated bills that would let Americans use Obamacare subsidies to buy cheaper plans outside the law's "exchange" markets, creating an escape hatch for health people who can't afford robust coverage that is getting more expensive.

voting scrutiny

To help protect the nation's voting infrastructure, the Elections Assistance Commission is distributing $380 million in funding to states, while the Department of Homeland Security is conducting vulnerability scans on election equipment in at least 17 states. But some senators believe there's much more that could be done to help secure elections.

Senate approves resolution to give Congress more say on Trump tariffs

The nonbinding measure, which passed 88-11, directs Capitol Hill negotiators trying to reconcile separate spending bills to include language giving lawmakers a role when such tariffs are put in place. Workers apply fiberglass to the resin frame of a boat Wednesday at Regal Marine Industries in Orlando, Fla.