House GOP scrambles to rally votes for spending bill

In this Oct. 24, 2001, file photo, the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. is shown in an aerial view. The GOP-led Congress is hoping to approve a must-pass spending bill as the clock ticks toward potential government shutdown this weekend.

Ap Fact Check: Trump’s truth-warp on taxes; Dems drift, too

President Donald Trump speaks during a bill passage event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017, to acknowledge the final passage of tax cut legislation by Congress. President Donald Trump speaks during a bill passage event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017, to acknowledge the final passage of tax cut legislation by Congress.

GOP Poised For Tax Victory, After A Brief Delay

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, arrive at the press conference after the Senate passed the GOP tax bill early Wednesday morning. Congress is set to deliver on the first major GOP legislative accomplishment of the Trump era on Wednesday, as the House takes a final vote on a $1.5 trillion tax package that cuts individual rates for eight years and slashes corporate taxes to 21 percent permanently.

House, Senate vote today on tax overhaul plan

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, accompanied by Rep. Kevin McCarthy , and Rep. Steve Scalise , speaks at a news conference following a closed House Republican conference meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 19, 2017. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks at a news conference about the Republican led tax reform bill at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Dec. 19, 2017.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn faults Democrats griping about tax bill for refusing participate in process

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn pushed back Sunday against Democrats griping about the tax reform bill, saying they have refused to participate despite being invited to do so by Republicans. "Our Democratic colleagues simply refused to participate in the process," Mr. Cornyn, Texas Republican, said on ABC's "This Week."

Nevada Democrat, facing ethics probe, wona t seek re-election

First-term Democratic Congressman Ruben Kihuen of Nevada, who is at the center of sexual harassment allegations, announced Saturday he won't seek re-election. Kihuen's announcement came a day after the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into whether Kihuen "may have engaged in sexual harassment" with a campaign aide and a lobbyist.

Nevada Rep. Ruben Kihuen won’t seek re-election amid sexual harassment allegations

In this Nov. 14, 2016 file photo, Rep.-elect Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., right, speaks with reporters as Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., left, listens on Capitol Hill in Washington. The first-term congressman announced Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017, that he won't seek re-election as he continued to deny allegations of sexual harassment.

Second accuser prompts call for Nevada congressman to go

This Nov. 14, 2016 file photo Rep.-elect Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev.,right, speaks with reporters as Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., left, listens on Capitol Hill in Washington. The chairman of the House Democrats' campaign committee called on Kihuen to step down after a report Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, that he allegedly sexually harassed his campaign's finance director.

Pelosi: Lawmaker accused of sexual misconduct should resign

The top House Democrat says a Nevada lawmaker should resign after a second woman accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi first said Rep. Ruben Kihuen should resign on Dec. 2, one day after a former staffer said Kihuen sexually harassed her during his congressional campaign in 2016.

Democrats call for halt to GOP tax bill until Jones is seated in the Senate

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to delay the vote on the tax bill until newly elected Senator-elect Doug Jones can cast a vote. Democrats warned Wednesday that Republican plans to speed ahead with revamping the nation's tax code could spell more electoral trouble for President Trump and his party next year, especially with young people and suburban families.

US Sen. Elizabeth Warren gets 2nd turn as comic book hero

In this Dec. 5, 2017, file photo, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., waits to speak during a meeting of the Senate Banking Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Warren was the focus last year of a 22-page comic titled "Female Force: Elizabeth Warren" and now the publisher TidalWave Comics is bringing out a sequel, "Female Force: Elizabeth Warren #2."

San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee oversaw explosive growth

Mayor Ed Lee, who oversaw a technology-driven economic boom in San Francisco that brought with it sky-high housing prices despite his lifelong commitment to economic equality, died suddenly early Tuesday at age 65. A statement from Lee's office said the city's first Asian-American mayor died at 1:11 a.m. at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Lee was surrounded by family, friends and colleagues.

Final push for Moore and Jones in Alabama Senate race

Alabama Democrats see Tuesday's special Senate election as a chance to renounce a history littered with politicians whose race-baiting, bombast and other baggage have long soiled the state's reputation beyond its borders. Many Republicans see the vote as chance to ratify their conservative values and protect President Donald Trump's agenda ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.

Trump records a robo-calla for Moore ahead of Alabama vote

President Donald Trump sought to boost Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore by releasing a recorded phone call on his behalf in the final stretch of a bitter Alabama election fight marked by accusations of sexual misconduct against Moore. Moore, a 70-year-old conservative Christian and former state judge, will face off in Tuesday's election against Democrat Doug Jones, a 63-year-old former U.S. attorney.

Start the clock for Trump, GOP in last push on taxes, budget

Republicans are determined to deliver the first revamp of the nation's tax code in three decades and prove they can govern after their failure to dismantle Barack Obama's health care law this past summer. Voters who will decide which party holds the majority in next year's midterms elections are watching.

Outlook: Inching Toward Deals on Spending, Taxes

Congress now has until Dec. 22 to strike another agreement to keep the government running, while the tax conference officially kicks off this week. President Trump, accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence, speaks before a meeting with congressional leaders including House Speaker Paul Ryan, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in the Oval Office on Thursday.

Congress week ahead: Washington watching Alabama

Congress has given themselves a little more breathing room to get through their 2017 to-do list, passing a continuing resolution Thursday on a spending bill that gives them two more weeks to get a final budget to the President's desk. Budget negotiations will continue behind the scenes, and although no resolution is expected this week, those involved want a clear outline for the final deal locked in before lawmakers go home for the weekend.