White House to order expansion of health care options

The White House is finalizing an executive order that would expand health plans offered by associations to allow individuals to pool together and buy insurance outside their states, a unilateral move that follows failed efforts by Congress to overhaul the health care system. President Donald Trump has long asserted that selling insurance across state lines would trigger competition that brings down premiums for people buying their own policies.

Testy tweeting free-for-all between Trump, GOP Sen. Corker

An enraged President Donald Trump and a prominent Republican senator who fears the country could be edging toward "chaos" engaged in an intense and vitriolic back-and-forth bashing on social media Sunday, a remarkable airing of their party's profound rifts. In political discourse that might once have seemed inconceivable, the GOP's foreign policy expert in the Senate felt compelled to answer his president's barbs by tweeting: "It's a shame the White House has become an adult day care center.

Trump defends federal response in Puerto Rico as criticism mounts

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday his government was doing a "great job" to help Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria and took a new swipe at critics who said he had been slow to aid the island, whose power grid was destroyed 12 days ago. The Republican president has intensified his praise of federal response efforts in the U.S. territory after the mayor of the capital rebuked the efforts and American media continued to broadcast images of the havoc and suffering on the island.

Deal or no deal? ‘Dreamers’ wait as Trump, lawmakers joust

The fate of 800,000 young immigrants hung in the balance Thursday as top lawmakers, White House officials and President Donald Trump himself squabbled over whether an agreement had been struck to protect them - and if so, exactly what it was. In the face of an intense backlash from conservatives inside the Capitol and out, Speaker Paul Ryan and other GOP House members adamantly insisted that there was no agreement to enshrine protections for the immigrants brought to America as children and now here illegally.

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., center, speaks with House Majority…

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., center, speaks with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., left, as they arrive for a news conference following a GOP caucus meeting on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, in Washington.

US Congress approves Trump’s $15 bln deal on aid, debt ceiling

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a bill late o Sept. 8 extending the government debt limit for three months and providing about $15 billion in hurricane-related aid, bringing his surprising deal with Democratic congressional leaders this week to completion.

Trump sets emergency aid in motion in deal that upsets GOPAssociated Press

President Donald Trump ignored seething Republicans and made good on his deal with Democrats, signing legislation that links $15.3 billion in disaster aid to an increase in the U.S. borrowing limit. The law is a first installment in replenishing depleted federal emergency coffers.

Trump sets emergency aid in motion in deal that upsets GOP

Budget Director Mick Mulvaney speaks to reporters following a closed-door Republican strategy session that included Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., at the Capitol in Washingt... . Budget Director Mick Mulvaney speaks to reporters following a closed-door Republican strategy session that included Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., at the Capitol in Washingt... WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ignored seething Republicans and made good on his deal with Democrats, signing legislation that links $15.3 billion in disaster aid to an increase in the U.S. borrowing limit.

Trump signs aid and debt bill over some GOP objections

Congress on Friday sent President Donald Trump a massive package of $15.3 billion in disaster aid linked to an increase in the nation's borrowing authority that angered conservative Republicans who hissed and booed senior administration officials dispatched to Capitol Hill to defend it. The House voted 316-90 for the measure that would refill depleted emergency accounts as Florida braces for the impact of Hurricane Irma and Texas picks up the pieces after the devastation of the Harvey storm.

House heads toward passage of Harvey aid bill, debt hike

Conservative grumbling aside, the House is heading toward backing a $15.3 billion disaster aid package that President Donald Trump and Democrats have linked to a temporary increase in America's borrowing authority and keeping the government funded through December. The House vote on Friday would send the massive package to Trump for his signature, replenishing rapidly dwindling emergency accounts as Florida braces for the impact of Hurricane Irma this weekend and Texas picks up the pieces after the devastation of the Harvey storm.

With brutal to-do list, GOP clashes before it returns this week

President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans return to work this week facing enormous pressure to achieve major policy victories and fulfill such basic acts of governance as providing disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, avoiding a default on the nation's debt and keeping federal agencies open. On Sunday, a proposal from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to attach recovery aid to legislation raising the nation's borrowing limit quickly drew objections from conservative lawmakers.

Trump seeks an initial $7.9 billion in Harvey aid

President Donald Trump has sent lawmakers an initial request for a $7.9 billion down payment toward Harvey relief and recovery efforts. The request, expected to be swiftly approved by Congress, would add $7.4 billion to rapidly dwindling Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster aid coffers and $450 million to finance disaster loans for small businesses.

Trump asks for $7.9 billion down payment for Harvey relief

President Donald Trump has sent lawmakers an initial request for a $7.9 billion down payment toward Harvey relief and recovery efforts. The request, expected to be swiftly approved by Congress, would add $7.4 billion to rapidly dwindling Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster aid coffers and $450 million to finance disaster loans for small businesses.

Trump Asks for $8 Billion in Initial Harvey Aid, Debt Cap Hike 31 minutes ago

The Trump administration sent Congress a request Friday for almost $8 billion in initial relief for Hurricane Harvey victims and suggested the assistance be authorized in tandem with a measure to raise the federal debt ceiling, a move that House Republicans are unlikely to embrace.   In a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan requesting the storm aid, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney stops short of explicitly asking for the two to be linked.

Feds on Trumpa s shutdown threat: a Ita s blackmaila

President Donald Trump's latest threat to shut the government is just the most recent indication that he is unfit and unprepared for the office. The notion that the president of the United States would purposefully imperil services to taxpayers if Congress doesn't approve $1.6 billion for his Mexico border wall would be far-fetched, if a credible person occupied the White House.

Trump’s demand to build border wall could upend sensitive negotiations on Capitol Hill

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., August 22, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts President Trump's threat to shutdown the federal government over his demand for $1.6 billion in border wall money could upend delicate negotiations on Capitol Hill to keep the government open and funded past Sept.

GOP Leadership Silent on Bannon’s Departure

House Speaker Paul Ryan, left, and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, right, often avoid addressing controversy surrounding the presidency of Donald Trump. Almost two hours after news broke Friday that President Donald Trump decided to part ways with White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy - at least at that moment - had another topic on his mind.

The Latest: Cornyn raises possibility of working with Dems

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, July 28, 2017, after the Republican-controlled Senate was unable to fulfill their political promise to repeal and replace "Obamacare." In this July 27, 2017, file photo, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas talks to reporters as heads to the Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington.