Congress set to fund government, but not Trump’s wall Source: AP

Congress is set to pass a crucial spending bill that averts a government shutdown, but there's one potential obstacle: President Donald Trump. Neither party wants the government to close ahead of the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress, but Trump has made clear his frustration at the lack of money for his long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Economy hums, Trump tweets, GOP worries

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Russian President Vladimir Putin won't be invited to speak at a joint meeting to Congress on a visit to the U.S., and what matters is the message Putin will get from Trump -- to stop meddling in U.S. elections and violating sovereignty.

Teflon Don? Trump tries a familiar tactic: providing a new story line

President Donald Trump spent much of Thursday playing up his economic accomplishments and attacking his regular list of rivals, including Hillary Clinton and the news media, which he again called the enemy of the people. As he tried to leave in his wake Monday's news conference with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, analysts and critics spent the day wondering whether the misstep would create a lasting problem for him.

GOP Rep Introducing Bill to Limit Trump’s Trade Powers

Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., is set to introduce a bill curtailing President Donald Trump's authority to impose specific tariffs, The Hill is reporting. The legislation, expected to be introduced on Monday, would require Trump to gain congressional approval before he could impose tariffs "in the interest of national security," according to the website.

US House immigration bill plans in turmoil following Trump opposition

WASHINGTON: Republican efforts to debate immigration legislation next week in the U.S. House of Representatives were in turmoil on Friday after President Donald Trump blasted one of two delicately crafted proposals that had a better chance of passing. House Speaker Paul Ryan's leadership team cancelled plans on Friday to build support for a draft bill protecting 1.8 million "Dreamers" from deportation and allowing them a path to citizenship.

Conservative revolt over immigration sinks House farm bill

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., arrives at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, May 18, 2018, as the conservative House Freedom Caucus threatens to hold up a final vote on the farm bill. Passage of the farm bill is a priority for GOP leaders, who are eager to pitch to voters its tougher work requirements for food stamps, a party priority that polls well with voters.

What’s on GOP congressional agenda? ‘Not so much’

After last year's successful drive to cut taxes, what does the majority party in Congress do for an encore? The answer for Republicans seems to be, "Not so much." For sure, Republicans in Washington feel good about the effect their overhaul of the nation's tax code is having on the economy, and recent polling suggests it's getting more popular as the midterm elections draw closer.

Boosted by PACs, incumbents running for Texas House outraise rivals

State Rep. Matt Schaefer speaks during his campaign kick-off and fundraiser in Tyler, Texas, on Monday, Nov. 13, 2017. Representatives of Grassroots America, Texas Right to Life, Texas Eagle Forum, Empower Texans, Texas Home School Coalition, Gun Owners of America, and Texans for Vaccine Choice were in attendance.

Democrats consider the unthinkable: forcing a shutdown

A year after losing the presidency, Democrats are facing an uncomfortable question: Are they willing to force a government shutdown to extract political victories - a hardball tactic for which they have long blasted Republicans? The dilemma comes as a Jan. 19 funding deadline approaches and bipartisan negotiations over immigration and other issues have so far failed to produce an agreement. The thorniest issue is the fate of "dreamers" - roughly 2 million young immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children, some of whom had gained legal status under a program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals that President Trump canceled.

CNN’s Poppy Harlow shoots down GOP’s Tom Cole after he…

CNN host Poppy Harlow called out Republican U.S Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma after he suggested that Russia's interference in the U.S. election was not unusual or disturbing. During an interview on Thursday, Harlow noted that Cole had recently called Russia's hacking of the U.S. election "nothing to hyperventilate about."

Loophole allows fundraisers during Oklahoma special session

Oklahoma legislators have been raising thousands of dollars from lobbyists at lavish fundraisers during a special session limping into its eighth week, yet they've failed to make much progress toward plugging a $215 million hole in the state budget. The Associated Press obtained invitations to a dozen scheduled fundraisers held over the past few weeks for some of the Legislature's top Republican leaders, including the powerful chairs of the appropriations committees in the House and Senate.

House poised to vote on tax overhaul as bigger battle lies ahead

The House is preparing to vote Thursday on the first major rewrite of the tax code since 1986, a crucial step toward delivering one of President Trump's signature promises. Starting Jan. 1, the bill would drop the top corporate rate dramatically, realign how Washington treats domestic and foreign income of multinational companies, and give individuals lower rates while eliminating some deductions and credits.

House to vote Thursday on $36.5 billion disaster aid bill

The House will vote Thursday on a disaster relief bill following a series of devastating hurricanes and massive wildfires that have ravished parts of the United States. While the Trump administration requested $29 billion in supplemental spending last week, it asked for additional resources Tuesday night, including $4.9 billion to specifically to fund a loan program that Puerto Rico can use to address basic functions like infrastructure needs.

Tax cuts quiet once-deafening GOP call for fiscal discipline

Republicans spooked world markets in their ardor to cut spending when Democrat Barack Obama occupied the White House. Now, with a GOP president pressing for politically popular tax cuts and billions more for the military, few in the GOP are complaining about the nation's soaring debt.

Senate will tie Harvey to debt limit, forcing second House vote

The move is opposed by fiscal conservatives who want to pair spending reform to the debt ceiling increase, which will push the nation's borrowing limit well about $20 trillion. The Senate will tie a critical hurricane relief measure to legislation that would increase the nation's borrowing limit, after theHouse planned to take up the two bills separately.