Beatitudes take a beating in DC

U.S. President Donald Trump waves with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., after attending a Friends of Ireland reception on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., March 16. Writing a weekly column means always worrying about finding a topic for the next one. The horror of staring at a blank document on the computer screen, while your mind remains as blank as that document, is one of the scariest moments in a writer's life.

White House limits what officials can say about budget

The White House is instructing Cabinet heads and agency officials not to elaborate on President Trump's proposed budget cuts beyond what was in a relatively brief submission, a move Democrats decried as a gag order. Budget director Mick Mulvaney wrote in a memo late last week that until the full budget release in May, ''all public comments of any sort should be limited to the information contained in the Budget Blueprint chapter for your agency,'' referring to the 53-page document released last Thursday.

Military seeks new ways to punish bad online behavior

Skeptical Congress members on Tuesday pressed senior military leaders to take more aggressive action to prevent and punish inappropriate online activity by service members, including posts of "intimate" images on social media sites. And the military officers said a weeks-old investigation into nude photo-sharing by Marines online now involves all the services and has expanded to other websites, including a Tumblr page that has pornographic photos of people in various military uniforms.

Trump signs NASA bill, ponders sending Congress to space

Fromm left, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. share a laugh in the Oval Office of the White House in Washignton, Tuesday, March 21, 2017... WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed legislation Tuesday adding human exploration of Mars to NASA's mission.

As Vote on TrumpCare Nears, #SaveMedicaid Movement Grows

The movement to save Medicaid from the Republican chopping block continued on Tuesday, with actions happening on the ground and on social media, just days before the House of Representatives votes on the American Healthcare Act , the GOP's answer to the Affordable Healthcare Act , or Obamacare. Hundreds of Medicaid supporters held a "die-in" outside of Rep. Darrell Issa's office to express concerns that Republicans are angling to gut Medicaid as part of the replacement bill.

The White House calls climate research a ‘waste.’ Actually, this report is required by law

Floodwaters surround several houses in Rocky Mount, N.C., near the Tar River in October 2016. RALEIGH, N.C. - The day that President Trump's climate science-slashing budget landed last week, his government held a public meeting here to prepare the nation's Southeast region for rising seas, wildfires, extreme downpours and other impacts of climate change.

Continue reading Trump undermines campaign promises by supporting GOP policies

One is its public face, epitomized by President Donald Trump's incessant tweeting and his zest for unprovoked criticism of everyone from political foes to longtime U.S. allies. Even many supporters question his refusal to transition from campaign to governing mode.

Trump to meet at White House with Congressional Black Caucus leaders

Five weeks after inappropriately asking a reporter to set up a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus, President Trump has arranged his own face-to-face discussion with the group, whose leaders are scheduled to visit the White House on Wednesday. Rep. Cedric L. Richmond , the caucus chairman, said that he and five executive committee members have accepted Trump's invitation to discuss issues related to the African American community, including the president's proposed budget, education, criminal justice reform and health care.

After Trump Warning, House Freedom Caucus Members Unmoved On Trumpcare Bill

After President Trump threatened to drive out any Republicans who did not support this monstrous "Trumpcare" bill, Meadows remained unfazed. "I serve at the pleasure of the people of western North Carolina, and when you serve at their pleasure, it's only those 750,000 people that can send you home," Meadows told reporters Tuesday.

GOP Senator Says Trump Should Apologize to Obama and Move On, and He’s Right

In a radio interview, Senator Jeff Flake stated that he believes President Trump should apologize to President Obama for his false allegations of "wiretapping" Trump Tower. That's pretty sound advice, so the chances of Trump paying any heed are virtually nil.

White House issues gag order to officials on budget details

The White House is instructing Cabinet heads and agency officials not to elaborate on President Donald Trump's proposed budget cuts beyond what was in a relatively brief submission, a move Democrats decried as a gag order. Budget Director Mick Mulvaney wrote in a memo late last week that until the full budget release in May, "all public comments of any sort should be limited to the information contained in the Budget Blueprint chapter for your agency," referring to the 53-page document released last Thursday.

Puerto Rico can’t kick the creditor can down the road

Last week, on March 13, Puerto Rico's Fiscal Oversight and Management Board approved the economic recovery plan submitted by Gov. Ricardo RossellA3. Paul Ryan GOP chairman: Trump infrastructure package could be rolled into aviation bill Puerto Rico can't kick the creditor can down the road Lobby firm scores top House Republican tax aide MORE pushed through Congress last year, will fail to bring to Puerto Rico the type of government accountability that we were lead to believe the law would bring about.

Day One of the Neil Gorsuch Hearings Was Not about Neil Gorsuch

Those who tuned into C-SPAN today for hot-and-heavy questioning of President Donald Trump 's Supreme Court nominee were sorely disappointed. The first day isn't actually about the nominee, but just a chance for senators on the Judiciary Committee to make opening statements.

GOP Obamacare repeal saves rural New Yorkers cash at city expense

House Republicans cut a backroom deal Tuesday night leaving New York City in the lurch by cutting Upstate contributions to the state Medicaid program. The House speaker, scrambling for votes to pass his much-maligned Obamacare repeal plan, tacked on a last-minute provision from Rep. Chris Collins aimed at winning over skittish Upstate New York Republicans ahead of Thursday's House vote.

Ranking Democrat: ‘We Do Not Yet Know Whether the Russians Had the Help of U.S. Citizens’

Rep. Adam Schiff , the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, made something very clear in his opening statement on Monday: "Most important, we do not yet know whether the Russians had the help of U.S. citizens, including people associated with the Trump campaign," he said. "Many of the Trump's campaign personnel, including the president himself, have ties to Russia and Russian interests.

Former Louisiana Rep. John Fleming to join HHS under Trump

Former Louisiana Congressman John Fleming is going to be working for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NOLA.com/ The Times-Picayune reports that former U.S. Rep John Fleming says he has accepted a job as deputy assistant secretary for health technology within the department.

Governor: Congressional delegation must fight for health law

Gov. Charlie Baker is urging the state's congressional delegation to fight a Republican-backed health care bill that he said could undermine Massachusetts' efforts to maintain its highest-in-the-nation rate of insured residents. The Republican governor is including his concerns in a letter he's planning to send to the all-Democratic delegation Tuesday.