Kaine demands secret memo on Trump’s ‘authority’ to declare war

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia is demanding that a secret memo that describes President Trump's interpretation of his legal authority to declare war be released, according to a report. Kaine, a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, urged Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a letter late Thursday to release the seven-page document, NBC News reported .

Early morning budget votes end brief federal shutdown

Here's an account of early morning votes in Congress to pass budget legislation that ended a brief government shutdown. Worth noting: * BLITHERING HYPOCRISY : Sen. Rand Paul held up the Senate vote, noting the hypocrisy of voting to add to the deficit after years of Republican complaints about the deficit.

Inside the three congressional districts Texas Democrats hope to turn blue in 2018

In the 2016 election cycle, Democrats pinned their hopes of flipping a red Congressional seat in Texas on just one district. With Trump's low approval rating and a surge of energy among voters on the left, Democrats say they have their best shot in years of taking back a few critical seats in Texas.

Barletta’s hard line on immigration, weak fund-raising are undermining Senate bid, analysts say | Friday Morning Coffee

Good Friday Morning, Fellow Seekers. We'll close out the working week this week by turning our attention to the campaign for U.S. Senate, where Republicans are looking to retain their majority in the closely divided chamber.

Opioid makers gave $10M to advocacy groups amid epidemic

Companies selling some of the most lucrative prescription painkillers funneled millions of dollars to advocacy groups that in turn promoted the medications' use, according to a report released Monday by a U.S. senator. The investigation by Missouri's Sen. Claire McCaskill sheds light on the opioid industry's ability to shape public opinion and raises questions about its role in an overdose epidemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of American lives.

US government shuts down for second time

Washington, Feb 9 - The US federal government officially shut down on Friday for the second time in three weeks after a single senator, Rand Paul of Kentucky, held up a vote on a far-reaching budget deal that would have staved it off. Senators are still expected to vote in favour of the deal in a series of votes that will most likely begin around 1 a.m., reports The New York Times.

Used to scuffles, Rand Paul takes on Senate, risks shutdown

The last time Sen. Rand Paul was in the news for a scuffle, it involved a neighbor who allegedly tackled him in his yard over a lawn dispute. Thursday night, the Kentucky Republican took on the entire U.S. Senate - and rather than fisticuffs, his weapons of choice were obstinacy and the chamber's weird rules.

DC News Junkie | Second Shutdown in Three Weeks

Congressman John Larson, D-1st District, released a statement shortly after midnight, placing the blame for last night's federal government shutdown on Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, and suggesting it was motivated by a "personal, ideological agenda." "This shutdown falls squarely on the shoulders of egotists like Senator Rand Paul.

Congress stumbles into gov’t shutdown, budget deal stalled

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., is shown on television as she speaks from the House floor on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, as a news conference that she was supposed to attend goes on in the ... . Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., leaves the chamber after announcing an agreement in the Senate on a two-year, almost $400 billion budget deal that would provide Pentagon and domestic programs with huge spe... .

People walk by the U.S. Capitol building in Washington on Thursday.

The government staggered into another shutdown on Thursday night after an outspoken fiscal conservative in the Senate singlehandedly delayed action by Congress on a stopgap funding bill wrapped up in... Beau Hossler and Kevin Streelman shot 7-under-par rounds of 65 on Thursday to share the first round lead of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in ... (more)