You’re hired, Trump tells 5 million future apprentices

Students training to become electrical linemen attach themselves to poles during class at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College in Los Angeles on March 12, 2014. MUST CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by Patrick T. Fallon.

Senator in awkward position in heath care battle

Sens. Dean Heller, left, and Jack Reed listen at a news conference in 2014 on Capitol Hill in Washington. Heller, who could be the swing vote on his party's 2017 health care bill, is being torn between his majority leader and his governor for his decision.

Trump ready to single out GOP senators who oppose healthcare bill

President Trump is making it clear he's willing to browbeat Republican senators who don't support the healthcare bill that GOP leaders hope to vote on next week. Five Republicans have said they don't like the bill as is, and on Saturday, Trump accused the holdouts of being in the way of dismantling Obamacare.

Why Washington should continue billions in health care subsidies

It's not every day that hospitals and insurers see eye to eye, but there is one thing we agree on - the government must continue to help lower the cost of health care that millions of lower-income Americans receive. The Cost Sharing Reduction payments, which have been paid on a monthly basis to insurers for the past three years, are an integral part of the Affordable Care Act .

Dems look to defense bill to put pressure on Trump

Democrats are pushing to make the annual defense policy bill a referendum on President Trump, with plans to introduce a series of amendments as the legislation makes its way through committee. Rep. Jim Langevin will take the lead on introducing an amendment on climate change in an effort to throw Defense Secretary James Mattis's words back at the administration.

Pence Meets With Charles Koch as Big Donors Convene in Colorado

Vice President Mike Pence met privately Friday evening in Colorado with Charles Koch as a weekend summit of donors led by the billionaire industrialist convened at a time of angst and uncertainty about the early months of President Donald Trump's administration. Pence, who has long ties to Republican mega-donors Charles and David Koch, also attended an evening fund-raiser for Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado at the resort where the network will hold a three-day conclave starting Saturday.

5 GOP senators now oppose health care bill as written

Nevada Republican Dean Heller became the fifth GOP senator to declare his opposition to the party's banner legislation to scuttle much of Barack Obama 's health care overhaul on Friday, more than enough to sink the measure and deliver a stinging rebuke to President Donald Trump unless some of them can be brought aboard. Echoing the other four, Heller said he opposes the measure "in this form" but does not rule out backing a version that is changed to his liking.

Pelosi rallies Democrats to fight Senatehealth bill: – The next few days are critical’

Pelosi rallies Democrats to fight Senate health bill: 'The next few days are critical' Washington Times, by Tom Howell, Jr. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told Democrats Friday to dig up and air stories about the "devastating impact" that a GOP plan to replace Obamacare could have on the most vulnerable, as Republicans try to pin down votes and fulfill their repeal promise before the July 4 holiday. "No argument against Trumpcare is more eloquent than the grave consequences it means in people's lives, especially for our children, veterans, seniors, people with pre-existing conditions and rural hospitals," the California Democrat said in a "dear colleagues" letter.

California is playing defense under Trump

Xavier Becerra, California's combative attorney general, has become the Golden State's face of resistance to the Trump administration's domestic initiatives, the blunt voice rejecting the president's attempts to roll back the progressive immigration and environmental policies so central to California's sense of itself. At a June 16 press conference, for example, Becerra pushed back against stricter immigration enforcement, saying his office would review conditions at immigrant detention facilities in conjunction with a legislative measure that prohibits local governments from renting out jail beds to U.S. Immigration and Customs.

Can we lose the liberal jingoism? Loose talk about…

After James Hodgkinson shot Republican congressman Steve Scalise and four other people at the Republican congressional baseball team practice last week in Virginia, it did not take long for right-wingers to start blaming the left. Hodgkinson, who had an anger management problem and a history of violence - yet no trouble getting his hands on an assault rifle and handgun - had also been a supporter of Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign, which was more than enough for partisans on the right to denounce the entire left for violence.

GOP Push for 20-Year Tax Cut Grows as Ryan Seeks Permanent Fix

A Republican senator is building support to change budget rules in order to make temporary tax cuts last for two decades or more, but he has yet to convince a critical figure -- House Speaker Paul Ryan. Ryan says he wants permanent tax cuts, a goal he repeated this week in response to questions about Senator Pat Toomey's proposal to relax time limits on any cuts that would increase the federal deficit.

Stephen Lynch: Reduce cost on health plans

The proposed Republican health care bill released by Senate leadership this week will "kill Massachusetts" without addressing any of the real flaws in Obamacare, Congressman Stephen Lynch said yesterday. "The two plans I've seen so far, they don't reduce the cost of health care, unfortunately," Lynch said during an appearance on Boston Herald Radio's "Morning Meeting" program, referring to the GOP plans passed by the House and proposed in the Senate.

Norman wins D-5 seat –

With Ralph Norman's victory in Tuesday's special election for the U.S. House of Representatives District 5 seat, the Republican Party is now four for four. Since April, there have been four special elections for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives left vacant after the Republican incumbents were appointed to positions in the Trump administration.

PHOTO: The Marines tweeted this photo on June 23, 2017, in honor of Take Your Dog to Work Day.

Lawmakers, branches of the armed forces and federal departments populated their Twitter timelines Friday with pooch pics in honor of Take Your Dog to Work Day, also referred to as Bring Your Dog to Work Day. The day was created in 1999 by Pet Sitters International, a North Carolina-based educational association for professional pet sitters, to encourage business owners to allow dogs in the workplace.

W. House says Trump tweet meets Comey tapes records request

The White House said in a letter on Friday that a tweet by President Donald Trump on Thursday was the formal answer to a request by the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee for information about records of conversations with fired FBI Director James Comey. The letter to Republican Representative Mike Conaway, who is leading the panel's investigation into Russian interference to the 2016 election, and Representative Adam Schiff, the committee's top Democrat, said: "In response to the committee's inquiry, we refer you to President Trump's June 22, 2017, statement regarding this matter."

Trump called Cruz to press him on ObamaCare repeal bill: report

Mitch McConnell Trump called Cruz to press him on ObamaCare repeal bill: report Meadows: Senate bill lacks conservative support to pass House Fifth GOP senator announces opposition to healthcare bill MORE to get the 50 votes needed to pass the Senate GOP bill to repeal ObamaCare, according to a new report. "Currently, for a variety of reasons, we are not ready to vote for this bill, but we are open to negotiation and obtaining more information before it is brought to the floor," the statement said.