WashPost: Senate’s Failure on Repeal Puts Push on Tax Overhaul

Friday morning's failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act is putting pressure on the Republican Party to push through a complex tax overhaul measure, while heading into the 2018 midterm elections that could flip control of the House and Senate back to the Democratic Party. Lawmakers have not given up on the seven-year-long effort to undo Obamacare, reports The Washington Post, but with Friday's failure to push through a "skinny repeal" measure that would have stripped many mandates from the healthcare plan, incumbent lawmakers are left with accusations that they did not live up to the promises that got them elected.

Grand Teton park plans for eclipse crowd

Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming will alter some road traffic and parking in order to accommodate an expected influx of people looking to view the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21. "A typical August day is a very busy day at Grand Teton National Park," park spokeswoman Denise Germann said. "This Aug. 21, the day of the total eclipse, we're expecting to be the busiest day in the history of the park," Fees will be waved at the Granite Canyon, Moose and Moran entrance gates to ease the flow of traffic.

Health care rally planned at Connecticut state Capitol

Opponents of Republican efforts to overhaul the Affordable Care Act, including Connecticut's U.S. Senators, are set to rally at the state Capitol. Jane McNichol, organizer of the Protect Our Care CT campaign, says rally-goers will meet Saturday to express concerns that health care coverage is "still under threat," despite the Senate failing early Friday to pass legislation that would have repealed parts of former President Barack Obama's health care law.

‘Time to move on’ from health care, Senate GOP leader says

The resounding Senate crash of the seven-year Republican drive to scrap the Obama health care law has led to finger-pointing but also has left the party with wounded leaders and no evident way ahead on an issue that won't go away. In an astonishing cliff-hanger, the GOP -run Senate voted 51-49 on Friday to reject Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 's last ditch attempt to sustain their drive to dismantle President Barack Obama 's health care overhaul with a starkly trimmed-down bill.

Buffington: Population shifts and the effects

It's difficult to believe when you look around booming northeast Georgia, but not everywhere in the country is growing. A large swath of the American Midwest, from northern Texas up into the Dakotas, is seeing depopulation as young people leave rural communities and move into urban areas where there are more job opportunities.

Analysis: Trump gets a major bill, and it’s Russia sanctions

The most consequential piece of legislation that the Republican-led Congress has delivered to President Donald Trump after seven months is a new package of financial penalties against Russia that he didn't want to sign into law.

Trump ready to sign Russia sanctions bill, Moscow retaliates

President Donald Trump will sign a package of stiff financial sanctions against Russia that passed Congress with overwhelming support, the White House said Friday. Moscow has already responded, ordering a reduction in the number of U.S. diplomats in Russia and closing the U.S. Embassy's recreation retreat.

GOP unsure what to do about Affordable Care Act

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was one of three Republicans to reject the 'skinny repeal' plan. Melina Mara/The Washington Post Hundreds of people stood outside the U.S. Capitol Thursday, to protest the Republican health care bill as the Senate worked overnight on the legislation.

Reince Priebus given the boot from presidential motorcade

Ousted Priebus insists he RESIGNED because Trump wanted to 'take new direction' amid reports President was unhappy that he didn't 'return fire' at Scaramucci after THAT explosive interview REVEALED: One-in-400million disability becomes COMMON in tiny polygamist Mormon town Hilldale where sufferers can't sit or stand without help after generations of inbreeding Kim Jong-Un issues 'stern warning' to America after successful test of ICBM that experts claim can hit CHICAGO - prompting joint exercise between US and South Korean forces Private school boy, 16, 'sexually assaulted at least five female classmates across the campus for a year and choked one because she wouldn't have sex with him' The REAL reason Scaramucci hates Priebus: Trump's new darling of the White House 'never forgave ousted Chief of Staff for scuppering his chances of joining the transition team' as he now gets last laugh ... (more)

House Republicans want a new, sweeping probe of Clinton

House Republicans are intensifying their effort to have the Justice Department investigate Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, as they're seeking the same sort of special counsel probe President Donald Trump's campaign is now enduring. House Judiciary Committee Republicans detailed in a seven page letter to Justice a request for a special counsel to investigate "actions taken" by Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

Leaders in McCain’s home state frustrated by repeal failure

Sen. John McCain sent shockwaves through the Senate early Friday morning when he cast the deciding vote rejecting the GOP's heath care effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. While his dramatic thumbs-down rejection drew gasps and cheers in Washington, D.C., leaders in Arizona have responded with a mixture of disappointment and frustration - but little in the way of direct criticism in this Republican-heavy state.

McCain expected to return to Arizona to start cancer treatment Monday

There's a reason why Sen. John McCain was eager to pivot to the annual defense spending bill in the early hours of the morning right after he had killed the Senate's Obamacare repeal effort: The Arizona Republican's office announced McCain is planning to return to his home state to start cancer treatment Monday. That may also help explain why Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared willing to let McCain try to proceed to the the National Defense Authorization Act, even after he thwarted the GOP's plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act in the early hours of Friday morning.

John McCain’s maverick moment

Shortly before Sen. John McCain entered the Senate chamber in the wee hours of Friday morning, reporters wanted to know how he'd vote. McCain killed his party's narrowly-crafted Obamacare repeal bill Friday not because he was opposed to dismantling the Affordable Care Act, but because he fundamentally believed the process -- the lack of hearings, the one-party, closed-door negotiations, the fact that in the end all that Republican senators could agree upon was a shell of the plan they'd promised -- was flawed.

McCaul unveils border security bill

The top homeland security Republican in the House unveiled a border security bill Friday that would codify President Donald Trump's border wall, boost resources for Border Patrol and authorize the National Guard and Defense Department to provide support to those efforts. The Border Security for America Act by Texas Rep. Mike McCaul is a scaled back version of a bill that McCaul had been working on with fellow Texan Republican Sen. John Cornyn, as CNN first reported.