Cybersecurity bill features rare collaboration in House; now comes the Senate challenge

House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, is tantalizingly close to achieving one of his top remaining cybersecurity goals - a year before he gives up the gavel after six years of running the committee - in creating a prominent, stand-alone cybersecurity agency within the Department of Homeland Security. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act was unanimously approved by the House on Dec. 11, and the fate of McCaul's bill is now in the hands of Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and other senators, who apparently want to make some last-minute tweaks to the measure.

Rubio’s defection threatens Senate GOP’s edge on tax bill

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio declared Thursday he will vote against the GOP'S sweeping tax package unless negotiators expand its child tax credit, jeopardizing the Republicans' razor-thin margin as they try to muscle the $1.5 trillion bill through Congress next week.

Rubio’s defection threatens Senate GOP’s margin on tax bill

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio declared Thursday he will vote against the GOP'S sweeping tax package unless negotiators expand its child tax credit, jeopardizing the Republicans' razor-thin margin as they try to muscle the $1.5 trillion bill through Congress next week. Rubio wants to increase the portion of the basic $2,000-per-child tax credit that would go to low-income families.

Senator: Comey’s remarks on Clinton probe heavily edited

Parts of a letter written by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., to FBI director Christopher Wray are photographed in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017. Johnson says edits to a draft FBI statement on the Hillary Clinton email investigation appear to have watered down the significance of the bureau's findings.

N.J. Republican to lead investigation into lawmaker accused of sexual harassment

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Leonard Lance has been tapped to lead an ethics investigation against a Texas lawmaker accused of sexual harassment. It will be the first such case against a sitting member of Congress since the high-profile resignations of several lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Al Franken.

Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Support ‘Zero Tolerance’ On Sexual Harassment

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and his wife Franni Bryson arrive at the U.S. Capitol Building on December 7, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Franken announced that he will be resigning in the coming weeks after being accused by several women of sexual harassment. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and his wife Franni Bryson arrive at the U.S. Capitol Building on December 7, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Franken announced that he will be resigning in the coming weeks after being accused by several women of sexual harassment.

Rubio’s demand to expand child tax credit threatens GOP’s slim margin on tax bill

The Republicans' razor-thin margin for driving their sweeping tax package through the Senate was thrown into jeopardy Thursday when GOP Sen. Marco Rubio declared he will vote against it unless negotiators expand the tax credit that low-income Americans can claim for their children. Rubio's potential defection complicates Republican leaders' goal of muscling the $1.5 trillion bill through Congress next week, handing President Donald Trump his first major legislative victory by Christmas.

As sexual misconduct complaints loom, state Senate leader urges fellow Democrat step aside

California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, at podium, speaks to reporters during a news conference in his office at the state Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017. De Leon ramped up pressure on his fellow Democrat, Sen. Tony Mendoza of Artesia, to take a leave of absence until an investigation of his alleged sexual misconduct ends.

GOP Tax Plan Keeps Green Energy, Electric Car Subsidies

The House and Senate agreed Thursday to scrap a proposal eliminating a large tax credit the electric vehicle market and other green energy companies rely on to keep the fledgling industry afloat. Lawmakers spared a $7,500 electric-vehicle tax credit and a wind production tax credit that Republicans nixed to balance out the hefty tax bill, according to a Bloomberg report Thursday.

Our Opinion: The right path

If you take out a loan to buy a car that turns out to be a lemon, do you stop making payments to the bank? Some do, deciding their vehicles were such bad deals that letting the lender repossess them may be the best way out of a bad situation. About 95,000 people who took out student loans to attend for-profit institutions of higher learning are asking that the federal government forgive their debts because the schools defrauded them.