Bipartisan election cybersecurity bill introduced by Senate Intelligence Cmte. members

Two members of the Senate Intelligence Committee introduced bipartisan legislation Tuesday aimed at safeguarding state election systems from foreign interference as their panel continues to probe Russia 's role in the 2016 U.S. presidential race. The multifaceted cybersecurity bill introduced by Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine would protect voting systems, registration data and ballots from being stolen or manipulated by malicious computer hackers by facilitating information sharing between federal and state election monitors while allocating government funds destined specifically for safeguarding election systems, among other measures, its sponsors said Tuesday.

Outcomes on tax reform, Russian investigations, raise stakes for…

WASHINGTON a It's one of those weeks in the capital, a week of indictments, special counsel intrigue, and legislative uncertainty. Republicans entered 2017 with the White House and majorities in Congress, and big-ticket campaign promises to fulfill.

The Latest: Senator calls to delay Trump nominee hearing

A leading Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee says a confirmation hearing for one of President Donald Trump's nominees should be delayed in light of new twists in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Trump has nominated former campaign adviser Sam Clovis to serve as chief scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Trump ad incorrectly blames Dem for GOP health care struggle

President Donald Trump is lashing out at Democrats in a new TV ad that incorrectly blames his critics in the opposing party for blocking fixes to the nation's health care system. The new ad, set to begin airing on cable stations nationwide on Tuesday, seizes on "skyrocketing" insurance premiums "all while Democrats in Washington, D.C., block a better plan to repeal and replace Obamacare once and for all - obstructing our president just to score political points with the radical left."

Sen. Kaine Refuses To Comment On Virginia Church’s Decision To Remove Washington Plaque

Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine ran away from The Daily Caller Tuesday when asked about his thoughts on the decision of a local church in Alexandria to remove plaques honoring President George Washington, a founder and parishioner of the historic church. Kaine told TheDC he would not answer the question, as he was on his way to deliver a floor speech on war powers.

GOP: Mueller investigation won’t derail tax plans

News of the first indictments in the investigation by Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller captivated Capitol Hill on Monday night, just as Republicans were putting the finishing touches on their long-awaited tax bill. House Republicans are expected to release their tax bill Wednesday afternoon after months of work, but the already tough job of passing tax reform could get harder if the President -- the most popular and visible voice within the GOP -- grows distracted by the latest Russia investigation developments and allows it to overshadow the legislative work being done on Capitol Hill.

Current war authority sufficient, top US officials say

Top U.S. national security officials have warned congressional Republicans and Democrats demanding a new war authorization that existing laws governing combat operations against terrorist groups are legally sufficient and that repealing them prematurely could signal the United States is backing away from the fight. During testimony Monday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis urged Congress to tread carefully.

The Latest: Trump slams visa lottery after NYC attack

President Donald Trump is urging swift repeal of an immigration program that brought the New York truck attack suspect to America. Trump insists Congress must end the visa lottery program under which Uzbek immigrant Sayfullo Saipov entered the country, and he has ordered still tighter scrutiny of immigrants already subject to what he calls "extreme vetting."

McCain Thanks Midshipmen for Their Sacrifice to Nation

Republican Sen. John McCain on Monday gratefully thanked U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen for sacrificing for fellow Americans "who won't be asked to make sacrifices for you'' in an emotional address from the former Navy pilot now battling brain cancer. With a mix of humor and pathos, the six-term Arizona senator returned to his alma mater to speak to the Brigade of Midshipmen and field a few questions about past presidential campaigns, the Russia probe and advice for those at the academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

To get important legislation passed, Trump should do nothing

The best hope for passing new laws on health care, tax reform or infrastructure is for President Donald Trump to get out of the way. This odd reality is a direct result of the poisonous political environment in which our country now operates.

National security leaders say war authority sufficient

Two New York City police detectives are accused of threatening an 18-year-old woman with arrest over a bottle of prescription pills, handcuffing her, driving her around and then raping her. A Baltimore police officer who was acquitted of criminal charges in the death of a suspect while in custody is now fighting an administrative procedure that could cost him his job.

Tillerson, Mattis tell senators new war authority not needed

In this June 5, 2017, file photo, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, right, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis participate in talks at Government House in Sydney. President Donald Trump's national security brain trust faces Congress on the need for a new war authorization as the deadly ambush in Niger is fueling a push among many lawmakers to update the legal parameters for combat operations overseas.

Dems eyeing 2018 say ita s time to start talking Russia

Monday's bombshell revelations - highlighted by the indictment of Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort - offer a vivid example of the political bind gripping Democrats, who want to discuss jobs and health care but instead must react to new developments in Special Counsel Mueller's probe into allegations of collusion between the Republican's campaign and Russia. The expectation of fresh breaks in the case, which could last well into 2018, has convinced some leading party operatives that candidates need to simply embrace the Russia story.