Issa renews call for independent prosecutor on Russia

Rep. Darrell Issa doubled down on statements he made over the weekend urging for an independent investigation of communications between President Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russians known to US intelligence. "The American people need a clear-eyed view of the nefarious actions of the Russian government," the California Republican said in a statement Monday.

Big surge for military in Trump budget, big cuts elsewhere

President Donald Trump is proposing a huge $54 billion surge in U.S. military spending for new aircraft, ships and fighters in his first federal budget while slashing big chunks from domestic programs and foreign aid to make the government "do more with less." The Trump blueprint, due in more detail next month, would fulfill the Republican president's campaign pledge to boost Pentagon spending while targeting the budgets of other federal agencies.

Lawmaker who introduced HB2 repeal bill questions bill’s future

The North Carolina lawmaker who introduced a bill to repeal the controversial House Bill 2 has called into question the bill's future after the bill was moved to a House committee. The bill seeks to fully repeal HB2 and update the state's non-discrimination laws to match federal protections.

Justice department suddenly rescinds support for opposition in key part of Texas voter ID law

The U.S. Justice Department said Monday it is abandoning its longstanding opposition to a key aspect of Texas' toughest-in-the-nation voter ID law, costing voting rights groups their most important ally and possibly encouraging other conservative states to toughen their own election rules with President Donald Trump in charge. It's a dramatic break from the agency's position under President Barack Obama, which spent years arguing that the voter ID law passed in 2011 by Texas' Republican-controlled Legislature was intended to disenfranchise poor and minority voters.

Trump Looks To Refocus His Presidency In Address To Congress

President Donald Trump's first address to Congress gives him a welcome opportunity to refocus his young administration on the core economic issues that helped him get elected - and, his allies hope, to move beyond the distractions and self-inflicted wounds that have roiled his White House. Trump's advisers say he will use his prime-time speech Tuesday to declare early progress on his campaign promises, including withdrawing the U.S. from a sweeping Pacific Rim trade pact, and to map a path ahead on thorny legislative priorities, including health care and infrastructure spending.

Top House Republican hasna t seen a evidencea of Trump-Russia contacts

The chairman on the House Intelligence Committee said Monday that he had not seen any "evidence" of contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian government amid an investigation into Russian activities during the 2016 election. "We still have not seen any evidence of anyone from the Trump campaign or any other campaign for that matter that's communicated with the Russian government," Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told reporters at the Capitol.

GOP congressman says special prosecutor needed to investigate Russia election meddling

California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa said a special prosecutor is needed to investigate into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Bill Maher asked Issa during an interview on his show Real Time about reports that members of President Trump's campaign had contact with Russian officials.

A look at the 3 Pentagon reviews into the SEAL raid in Yemen

There are three reviews underway into the SEAL Team Six raid in Yemen last month that killed William "Ryan" Owens and some civilians, the Pentagon said Monday. Owens was killed during a Jan. 29 nighttime raid targeting a rural compound in southern Yemen believed to be a key planning location for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula .

His father stood up to McCarthyism. This N.J. congressman shows no such courage | Editorial

At a recent town hall in Livingston, where Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen did not show, someone saluted the memory of a moderate Republican during the height of McCarthyism. "By remaining silent," Rep. Peter Frelinghuysen said in 1954, "we permit the public to believe that most Republicans condone the senator's tactics.

Reality Check: Trump Proposal Doesn’t Cover Major Military Expansion

In this Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017 photo, a shipyard worker walks to his car at the end of the workday at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. With Donald Trump demanding more ships, the Navy is proposing the biggest shipbuilding boom since the end of the Cold War to meet potential threats from Russia and China.

Kansas tries to discern Washington’s direction on Medicaid

As the nation's governors wrapped a weekend of meetings with each other and President Donald Trump that included discussions about healthcare, Kansas is attempting to discern what direction Washington will go. A group of Republican governors is pushing a plan that would change Medicaid - which provides healthcare to poor, elderly and disabled individuals - from an open-ended federal entitlement to a program designed by each state within a financial limit.

Records show EPA’s Pruitt used private email, despite denial

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt occasionally used private email to communicate with staff while serving as Oklahoma's attorney general, despite telling Congress that he had always used a state email account for government business. A review of Pruitt emails obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request showed a 2014 exchange where the Republican emailed a member of his staff using a personal Apple email account.

Trump seeks help of insurers to smooth Obamacare transition

President Donald Trump sought on Monday to bring the nation's largest insurance companies on board with his plans to overhaul Obamacare, saying their help was needed to deliver a smooth transition to the Republicans' new plan. "We must work together to save Americans from Obamacare - you people know that and everyone knows that - to create more competition and to bring down prices substantially," Trump told insurers at a meeting at the White House.

George W. Bush on Trump and Russia: ‘We all need answers’

Former President George W. Bush said Monday "we all need answers" on the extent of contact between President Donald Trump's team and the Russian government, and didn't rule out the idea that a special prosecutor could be necessary to lead an investigation. The Republican also defended the media's role in keeping world leaders in check, noting that "power can be addictive," and warned against immigration policies that could alienate Muslims.

Trump budget will hike defense spending by $54 billion

The White House says President Donald Trump's upcoming budget will propose a whopping $54 billion increase in defense spending and impose corresponding cuts to domestic programs and foreign aid. The result is that Trump's initial budget wouldn't dent budget deficits projected to run about $500 billion.

Trump budget will hike defence spending by USD 54 billion21 min ago

The White House says President Donald Trump's upcoming budget will propose a whopping USD 54 billion increase in defence spending and impose corresponding cuts to domestic programmes and foreign aid. The result is that Trump's initial budget wouldn't dent budget deficits projected to run about USD 500 billion.

In warning shot, Moody’s calls Brownback veto of tax bill a – credit negative’

After announcing he would veto the tax bill sent to him by the legislature, Gov. Sam Brownback officially signed the veto, in his ceremonial office Wednesday, February 22, 2017, as he stood in front of the assembled media. Gov. Sam Brownback's veto of tax legislation represents a "credit negative" to Kansas, a ratings agency said Monday - a label that amounts to a warning shot for the fiscally challenged state.

Trump Supporters Starting To Lose Faith?

Tom Godat, a union electrician who has always voted for Democrats, cast his ballot for Donald Trump last year as "the lesser of two evils" compared to Hillary Clinton. There's a lot that Godat likes about President Trump, especially his pledge to make the country great again by ignoring lobbyists, challenging both political parties and increasing the number of good-paying jobs.