Senate hearing ahead, labor nominee has been there before

President Donald Trump and a leading Republican are highlighting a key fact about labor secretary nominee Alexander Acosta: He has been confirmed three times by the Senate. Acosta, who would be the first Hispanic member of Trump's Cabinet, has won confirmation to the National Labor Relations Board, as the head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and as U.S. attorney in Miami.

The folks packing Republican town halls

These days, Deborah Johnson is on edge. She says she's worried she won't qualify for Social Security disability benefits, anxious about her middle son's recovery from a car accident last year, and feeling the pervasive effects of her complex post-traumatic stress disorder that dates back to an abusive childhood.

Labor secretary nominee addresses conflicts of interest

President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of labor has proposed avoiding conflicts of interest by resigning as CEO of his fast food empire, selling off hundreds of holdings and recusing himself from government decisions in which he has a financial interest, according to his ethics filings with the government. "I will not participate personally and substantially in any particular matter in which I know that I have a financial interest directly and predictably affected by the matter" without a waiver from government ethics officials, Andrew Puzder wrote in the nine-page filing, dated Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press.

Round-the-clock Senate sessions start with DeVos nomination

The Senate will be in session around the clock this week as Republicans aim to confirm more of President Donald Trump's Cabinet picks over Democratic opposition. Democrats intend to drag out the process as much as possible using all the time they can under the Senate's arcane rules.

DeVos clears Senate hurdle toward becoming ed secy

Betsy DeVos's embattled nomination for education secretary cleared another hurdle in the Senate on Friday as Republicans overpowered fierce resistance from Democrats. Senators voted 52-48 to cut off debate in an early-morning session, setting the stage for a final confirmation vote next week on President Donald Trump's nominee.

DeVos nomination on thin ice with 2 GOP senators opposed

Donald Trump's nomination of school choice activist Betsy DeVos as education secretary is on thin ice after two Republican senators vowed to vote against her. DeVos, a billionaire Republican donor who spent more than two decades promoting charter schools, has emerged as one of Trump's most controversial Cabinet picks facing fierce opposition from Democrats, teachers unions and civil rights activists.

Republicans told to proceed with speed a ” and caution a ” on dismantling Obamacare

Republicans have yet to agree on how they want to replace the Affordable Care Act, but they're hearing that they might not have much time. Insurance companies need some details by the end of March as they develop health coverage packages for 2018, panelists suggested at a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

DeVos may have used official’s remarks without attribution

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., accompanied by the committee's ranking member Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, during the committee's executive session to discuss the nomination of Education Secretary-designate Betsy DeVos.

Democrats, Teachers Unions Make Final Attempt To Block Betsy Devos

Betsy DeVos testifies before the Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee confirmation hearing to be next Secretary of Education on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas Senate Democrats, labor unions and civil rights groups voiced their opposition to President Trump's nomination of Betsy DeVos for Seccretary of Education in a joint letter expected to be delivered to U.S. senators Monday, according to the Washington Post .

The Latest: Senator says don’t repeal without replacement

FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2016 file photo, Education Secretary-designate Betsy DeVos speaks in Grand Rapids, Mich. DeVos, Trump's choice for education secretary, has spent over two decades advocating for school choice progra... A top Republican senator says Congress should not finalize repeal of President Barack Obama's health care law unless it first has a replacement ready.

DeVos: Won’t dismantle public schools as education secretary new

In a sometimes contentious confirmation hearing, education secretary pick Betsy DeVos pledged that she would not seek to dismantle public schools amid questions by Democrats about her qualifications, political donations and long-time work advocating for charter schools and school choice. DeVos said she would address "the needs of all parents and students" but that a one-size-fits-all model doesn't work in education.

Why Trump’s pick for Education could face unusually stiff resistance

In this Dec. 9 photo, Betsy DeVos, Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of education, speaks while on stage with the President-elect at a rally in Grand Rapids, Mich. Issues related to DeVos's wealth, power and influence with lawmakers and stance towards teachers unions and the LGBT community swirl around her nomination.

Ethics Reviews Incomplete for Several of Trump’s Picks

Several of President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet choices have not completed a full review to avoid conflicts of interest, the government's ethics office says, even as Republican senators move quickly to hold at least nine confirmation hearings next week. In a letter to Senate leaders, the director of the Office of Government Ethics described the current status of several nominees, some of whom are billionaires and millionaires, in the ethics process and expressed concern about the lack of ethics reviews just days from committee hearings.