LETTERS: On border wall, local congressmen and healthier living

So what happened to the border wall that was going to be built with Mexico's money? Because millions of Donald Trump's believers voted for him on that promise. So now what we get is "I better get the billions of dollars of our tax dollars" and if not I'll shut down the federal government.

Republicans Are Preparing to Shut Down the Government Out of Anti-Immigrant Spite

There is basically one thing the GOP needs to do to avoid a government shutdown tonight when the temporary funding bill is set to expire: Offer a clean path to permanent legalization for Dreamers-individuals who have grown up as Americans even though they were brought to this country as minors illegally-and make them off-limits to this administration's deportation designs. The House just passed a stopgap funding bill that does nothing about Dreamers but extends CHIP, a health insurance program for children that Republicans have never liked, showing that the only principle that animates their party now is saving this land of immigrants from immigrants.

Congress agrees to fund government for 3 weeks; immigration debate continues

After the Senate passed the bill by an 81-18 margin Monday afternoon, the House of Representatives concurred with the measure 266-150, sending it to President Donald Trump, whose signature would bring an end to the impasse. Between 700,000 and 800,000 federal employees were furloughed during the standoff, according to the Office of Management and Budget.

Flake in the sky with diamonds

This week, retiring Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona gave a speech on the floor of the Senate. This is some of what he said : 2017 was a year which saw the truth -- objective, empirical, evidence-based truth -- more battered and abused than any other in the history of our country, at the hands of the most powerful figure in our government.

Congress likely racing toward a government shutdown

A bitterly-divided Congress hurtled toward a government shutdown this weekend in a partisan stare-down over demands by Democrats for a solution on politically fraught legislation to protect about 700,000 younger immigrants from being deported. Democrats in the Senate have served notice they will filibuster a four-week, government-wide funding bill that passed the House Thursday evening, seeking to shape a subsequent measure but exposing themselves to charges they are responsible for a looming shutdown.

The Latest: Ex-coal baron Senate bid: ‘Slap’ for miner’s dad

A West Virginia man whose son was killed in the deadliest U.S. mine disaster in four decades says a former coal executive's candidacy for U.S. Senate has brought up some bitter memories for his family. Robert Atkins' 25-year-old son, Jason Atkins, died in the 2010 Upper Big Branch mine explosion that killed 29 men in southern West Virginia.

Convicted ex-coal CEO launches US Senate bid with town hall

An ex-coal company executive who went to prison for charges stemming from the deadliest U.S. mine disaster in four decades kicked off his U.S. Senate bid Thursday evening, telling an audience he backs President Donald President Trump as a real opportunity for West Virginia. Ex-Massey Energy boss Don Blankenship received several ovations from more than 100 supporters present at his town hall-styled kickoff event in Logan.

Convicted ex-coal CEO woos working class, opening Senate bid

Blankenship will face two other Republican candi... . Former Massey CEO and West Virginia Republican Senatorial candidate, Don Blankenship, greets supporters, Doug Smith, left, of Chapmanville, W.Va., and Wanda Smith, right, of prior to a town hall in Logan, W.Va., Thursday, Jan. ... .

The Latest: McConnell pins possible shutdown on Democrats

A small group of senators spoke on the floor Wednesday, urging their peers to pass what they say is a bipartisan DACA solution before the looming March 5th deadline. White House chief of staff John Kelly stands to leave after appearing on Special Report with Bret Baier on Fox News in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018.

If the government shuts down, here’s your cheat sheet on which party to blame

If Congress doesn't reach agreement on crucial immigration issues and pass a spending bill, the costly consequence would be a government shutdown. We don't know whether the government will shut down yet , but lawmakers are already playing the blame game.

Senate Democrats gather votes to block spending bill; White House…

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 18, 2018. President Donald Trump blew up Republican strategies to keep the government open past Friday when on Thursday morning he said a long-term extension of the popular Children's Health Insurance Program should not be part of a stopgap spending bill pending before the House.

Old Photos That Current Candidates Might Not Want You to See

Nevada Republican Danny Tarkanian campaigns door to door with his daughters in Las Vegas in May 2010 in his ultimately unsuccessful race against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Since the internet has deemed Thursday the appropriate time to turn back the clock, I dug through Roll Call's extensive photo archives for some old photos of current candidates who previously ran for another office.

Congress nears showdown votes on averting federal shutdown

Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday that he's confident that the GOP-controlled House will pass a stopgap government-wide funding bill, even as growing opposition from Senate Democrats made prospects in that chamber increasingly dicey. Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health says the institution is in a "scramble" to prepare for a potential government shutdown at midnight Friday.

Regulators grapple with fallout from Justice Dept. U-turn on pot

On a Thursday morning in early January, most of official Washington was contending with a road-clogging snowstorm when Attorney General Jeff Sessions triggered another form of chaos on Capitol Hill and inside the federal banking agencies. Sessions announced that the Justice Department was rescinding an Obama-era memo on marijuana enforcement, a move that carried big implications for banks and credit unions in California, Colorado, Oregon and a handful of other states that have legalized recreational pot use.