Congress averts shutdown, sends Trump stopgap spending bill

Congress on Thursday passed a stopgap spending bill to prevent a government shutdown this weekend and buy time for challenging talks on a wide range of unfinished business on Capitol Hill. The shutdown reprieve came as all sides issued optimistic takes on an afternoon White House meeting between top congressional leaders and President Donald Trump.

House OKs stopgap bill to keep government open

The House on Thursday passed a stopgap spending bill to prevent a government shutdown this weekend and buy time for challenging talks on a wide range of unfinished business on Capitol Hill. The measure passed mostly along party lines, 235-193, and would keep the government running through Dec. 22. The Senate was expected to swiftly approve the measure as early as Thursday night and send it to President Donald Trump.

Senate Judiciary Committee Dems: GOP Rushing Trump Nominees

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee accused Republicans on the committee of rushing through President Donald Trump's judicial nominees, according to The Hill . Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said that the confirmations were the fastest pace she could remember in her 25-year experience as a committee member.

Sen. John Thune: Tax Reform Will Be on Trump’s Desk Before Christmas

The year is winding down, but the tax reform bill will be complete and on President Donald Trump's desk before 2017 ends, Sen. John Thune said Thursday. "There is a sense of urgency about it," the South Dakota Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" program, explaining that there are already informal discussions occurring between House and Senate negotiators.

Donald Trump Has Made Roy Moore the Face of the Republican Party

The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. Now that Donald Trump has signaled that he believes Roy Moore should be the new face of the Republican Party on Capitol Hill, he has placed every one of his fellow Republican leaders in a tough position.

Mideast braces for fallout from Trump’s move on Jerusalem

U.S. officials say President Donald Trump will recognize Jerusal... . Hamas supporters stage a protest against the possible U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, in Jebaliya Refugee Camp, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017.

No support to Trump’s decision on Jerusalem: Merkel

Berlin, Dec 7 - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday that Germany does not support US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel. The Federal Government does not support this attitude because the status of Jerusalem is to be negotiated within the framework of a two-state solution, Xinhua news agency quoted spokesperson Steffen Seibert as saying on behalf of Merkel.

Count the ways: How GOP tax plans would reward rich families

In this Dec. 5, 2017, photo, House Republicans, from left, Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, and Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., arrive for a closed-door strategy session on Capitol Hill in Washington. Sounding a discordant note among the positive talk on the tax bill, a number of Republicans are delivering a blunt assessment, casting the bill as a boost to big corporations and the wealthy instead of the middle class.

Trump warns of government shutdown threat ahead of meeting with lawmakers

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the federal government could shut down after funding runs out on Friday, casting blame on Democrats for congressional gridlock on the budget and disagreements on immigration issues. U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and Defense Secretary James Mattis , speaks to reporters before he holds a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S. December 6, 2017.

Trump’s Attacks Put New FBI Director in Tough Spot

Christopher Wray faces a tough test four months into his leadership of the FBI: He must defend America's top law enforcement agency against blistering attacks from President Donald Trump without putting his own job at risk. The competing pressures Wray faces will be on display Thursday when he testifies before the House Judiciary Committee.

The Latest: WH says Trump looks forward to budget meeting

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the conservative Freedom Caucus, arrives for a closed-door strategy session with House Republicans as the deadline looms to pass a spending bill to fund the government by week's end, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017. The White House says President Donald Trump "looks forward" to meeting congressional leaders Thursday to address budget differences and avoid a partial government shutdown this weekend.

Steve Bannon: Roy Moore Has More ‘Honor and Integrity’ Than Mitt Romney

Populist firebrand Steve Bannon savaged national Republican leaders in a fiery call to rally voters behind embattled Senate candidate Roy Moore as the battle for the GOP's soul spilled into a dirt-floor barn deep in rural Alabama. Bannon, known best for his former role as President Donald Trump's chief strategist, called GOP leaders in Congress "cowards" Tuesday night and attacked the party's 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney as a draft dodger as he defended Moore, who is fighting several allegations of sexual misconduct and a Washington establishment that wants him to lose the Dec. 12 election.

Donald Trump Jr. to face questions about Russia contacts on Capitol Hill

Donald Trump Jr., son of President-elect Donald Trump, walks from the elevator at Trump Tower in New York, Nov. 16, 2016. The House Intelligence Committee will interview Donald Trump Jr. on Wednesday, the first time lawmakers on Capitol Hill will have an opportunity to question President Donald Trump's eldest son about any Russian contacts during the presidential campaign.