Democrats skip Trump meeting, raising risk of government shutdown

Democratic leaders in Congress skipped a meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday that was to have focused on the budget, raising the risk of a government shutdown next month with both sides far apart on the terms of an agreement. After Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi informed Trump they would not attend the meeting at the White House, the president and Republican congressional leaders went ahead with the talks without them.

GOP shoves tax overhaul ahead; shutdown still a threat

Republicans held together and shoved their signature tax overhaul a crucial step ahead Tuesday as wavering GOP senators showed a growing openness. But its fate remained uncertain, and a planned White House summit aimed at averting a government shutdown was derailed when President Donald Trump savaged top Democrats and declared on Twitter, "I don't see a deal!" "It's time to stop tweeting and start leading," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer retorted after he and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi rebuffed the budget meeting with Trump and top Republicans.

How Jackie Speier used her own experience to shine the spotlight on sexual harassment

Jackie Speier was a 23-year-old congressional staffer excited about her new job on Capitol Hill when her chief of staff got her alone in a room. Her 50-year-old boss grabbed her face and stuck his tongue down her throat.

Michigan Rep. John Conyers acknowledges sex harassment settlement

Longtime Michigan Rep. John Conyers acknowledged Tuesday that his office settled a harassment complaint involving a former staffer but said he "vehemently" denies the allegations against him. His office "resolved the allegations" "for an amount that equated to a reasonable severance payment," the 88-year-old Detroit Democrat said in a statement.

Michigan Rep. John Conyers denies sexual harassment settlements

In this April 4, 2017, file photo, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., speaks during a hearing of the House Judiciary subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Buzzfeed, a news website, is reporting that Conyers settled a complaint in 2015 from a woman who alleged she was fired from his Washington staff because she rejected his sexual advances.

WH: Trump not stumping for Moore due to ‘discomfort’ with bid new

President Donald Trump isn't campaigning for Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore because of "discomfort" with the sexual misconduct allegations made by several women but isn't calling on the controversial judge to drop out of the race because the state's voters should decide, the White House says. Ultimately, Trump doesn't know who to believe following decades-old allegations made one month before the Dec. 12 election, according to his aides.

Trump not campaigning for Moore due to ‘discomfort’ over sexual misconduct claims

President Donald Trump doesn't know who to believe about sexual misconduct allegations involving Roy Moore, but isn't campaigning for his party's Senate candidate in Alabama because of "discomfort" with the claims made by a number of women, aides said Sunday. One Republican senator urged Alabama voters to reject Moore in the Dec. 12 election even if that could mean ceding the seat to a Democrat and narrowing the GOP's 52-48 Senate edge.

Does Trump Support Roy Moore? White House Official Ducks The Question 15 Times.

Marc Short, White House director of legislative affairs, won't say whether Trump believes the women accusing Alabama Senate nominee Roy Moore of sexual misconduct. WASHINGTON - A top White House official on Sunday avoided answering the question - 15 times - as to whether President Donald Trump supports Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore , who has been accused of sexual misconduct by seven women.

The Latest: Democrats use new analysis to bash GOP tax bill

A Senate Finance Committee hearing got heated Wednesday as the committee's chair, Sen. Orrin Harch, defended the decision to include in the tax bill a repeal of the Obamacare requirement for Americans to get health insurance. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., left, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, criticizes the Republican tax reform plan while Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, listens to his opening statement as the panel begins work overhauling the nation's tax code, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Nov. 13, 2017.

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.

Congress paid out $15M in settlements

Two things have become painfully clear on Capitol Hill this week: Lawmakers and staffers say sexual harassment is "rampant" -- but even members of Congress have no idea just how widespread the problem is. The controversial and sensitive issue has taken center stage in Congress this week, with female lawmakers making fresh allegations of sexual harassment against unnamed members who are currently in office, and the unveiling of a new bill on Wednesday to change how sexual harassment complaints are reported and resolved.

House Republicans await audience with Trump on tax overhaul

Republicans are muscling their massive tax bill through the House, with President Donald Trump urging them on to a critically needed legislative victory and GOP House leaders exuding confidence they have the votes. But the tax overhaul hit a roadblock Wednesday as Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin became the first Republican senator to say he opposes his party's politically must-do tax legislation.

1st GOP senator opposes tax bill in early sign of problems

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., points to boxes of petitions supporting the Republican tax reform bill that is set for a vote later this week as he arrives for a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tue... WASHINGTON - Wisconsin's Ron Johnson on Wednesday became the first Republican senator to say he opposes his party's tax bill, signaling potential problems for GOP leaders. Passage of a similar package seemed certain Thursday in the House, where a handful of dissidents conceded they expected to be steamrolled by a GOP frantic to claim its first major legislative victory of the year.