Lawmakers push for federal nutrition bill for Native youth

A group of Democratic senators and representatives are pushing for federal legislation that would allow for tribes to administer free federal food and nutrition programs to school children. U.S. Sen. Tom Udall and U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, both of New Mexico, are among the bill's sponsors.

Electrolux workers, officials talk next steps

There was a mixture of disappointment and optimism in a meeting between state and local officials, community and union leaders and Electrolux employees on Saturday afternoon at St. Cloud City Hall. Electrolux announced Jan. 30 it will end production at the St. Cloud facility by 2020, eliminating 900 jobs at the plant, which manufacturers freezers.

Dayton has had solid achievements, but inaction on two major challenges leaves future risks

It remains to be seen whether Gov. Mark Dayton's policy agenda can withstand the test of new demographic, competitive and political realities. Love or hate his policies, Gov. Mark Dayton has always communicated an authenticity about doing what's best for Minnesota and has been a counterweight to the mass of cynicism political candidates today often express toward government.

GOP endorses Scott Wagner for governor

Saturday's endorsement at the Republican State Committee's winter meeting comes a month before the deadline for the May 15 primary, where the party will nominate a candidate to challenge Gov. Tom Wolf. Sen. Scott Wagner kicks off his campaign for governor Wednesday at his York County waste and recycling business, Penn Waste Inc., in East Manchester Township.

GOP endorses Wagner for governor, Turzai dropsa

State Sen. Scott Wagner and running mate Jeff Bartos received an endorsement Saturday, Feb. 10, from the Republican Party of Pennsylvania in support of Wagner's bid for governor in 2018. Sen. Scott Wagner, a prominent businessman, sits down with The York Dispatch to discuss, among other topics, the potential for conflicts of interest as he runs for governor.

Ap Fact Check: Trump in a stock market and budget tempest

In this Feb. 8, 2018, photo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., walks to the Senate chamber early shortly before midnight Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The weeklong drama over the hourslong government shutdown set loose overblown rhetoric from both parties while President Donald Trump wrestled inartfully with turmoil in the stock market, one of his favorite bragging points until it tanked.

Lobbying expenses spiked as Congress shaped tax overhaul

This Dec. 3, 2015, file photo shows an existing home for sale in Roswell, Ga. Money spent on lobbying by corporations, trade associations and special interest groups spiked during the final three months of 2017 as they battled for the biggest breaks possible in the most dramatic rewrite of the U.S. tax code in more than 30 years.

Immigration fight looks tougher after budget debate

Republican leaders, top Democrats and President Donald Trump are all claiming big wins in the $400 billion budget agreement signed into law Friday. But the push to pass the massive legislation underscored enduring divisions within both parties, and those rifts are likely to make the next fight over immigration even more challenging.

Senator lifts hold on OAS ambassador nomination

Democrat Sen. Ben Cardin has lifted the hold he had placed on the nomination of Carlos Trujillo to be U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States. Cardin said the State Department provided him with information he had been asking for months, regarding the decision process to end a temporary protected status for immigrants from Haiti and two Central American nations.

All sides claim budget win; immigration fight looks tougher

Republican leaders, top Democrats and President Donald Trump are all claiming big wins in the $400 billion budget agreement signed into law Friday. But the push to pass the massive legislation underscored enduring divisions within both parties, and those rifts are likely to make the next fight over immigration even more challenging.

Rand Paul: Does $20 trillion debt make U.S. stronger?

Sen. Rand Paul explained in an op-ed his opposition to the 700-page federal spending bill that passed in Congress early on Friday. "It was a massive and destructive bargain struck by the leaders of both parties, where both got to blow up the spending 'caps' they agreed to just a few short years ago," wrote the junior senator.

Shutdown over as Congress passes massive budget bill

The 240-186 vote came in the pre-dawn hours, putting to bed a five-and-a-half hour federal freeze that relatively few would notice. The 240-186 vote came in the pre-dawn hours, putting to bed a five-and-a-half hour federal freeze that relatively few would notice.

Don’t Blame Rand Paul for Last Night’s Shutdown Alexandra DeSanctis 24 minutes ago

Congress had weeks to pass another budget deal to keep the federal government open. Last night, Kentucky's junior senator, Republican Rand Paul, prolonged that process another few hours, filibustering the last-minute compromise over his complaints about increasing the federal deficit.

Cornyn Statement on Passage of Disaster Relief, Budget Agreement

U.S. Senator John Cornyn released this statement after Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act , including nearly $90 billion in funding available for relief efforts following natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey: "While long-overdue, this bill is a big step forward for Texans impacted by Hurricane Harvey up and down our coast. We know the recovery process is far from over, but these resources will go a long way for Texas families, small businesses and communities who are still rebuilding.

Trump signs budget deal, government to reopen

President Donald Trump on Friday signed a $400 billion budget deal that sharply boosts spending and swells the federal deficit, ending a brief federal government shutdown that happened while most Americans were home in bed and most government offices were closed, anyway. The House and Senate approved a bill to keep the government funded through March 23, overcoming opposition from liberal Democrats as well as tea party conservatives to endorse enormous spending increases despite looming trillion-dollar deficits.