‘Shameful’: US lawmakers blast Trump over Putin summit

US lawmakers blasted President Donald Trump Monday over his uncritical comments towards Russia during a landmark summit with Vladimir Putin, calling it "shameful", "dangerous" and "verging on treason." Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham described Trump's Helsinki summit and joint press conference with Putin as a "missed opportunity" to hold Russia accountable for meddling in the 2016 election.

Things to Know: 8 states cast midterm primary votes Tuesday

Kristi Noem gives her acceptance speech after winning the Republican gubernatorial primary, Tuesday, June 5, 2018, in downtown Sioux Falls, S.D. U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham speaks to supporters in Albuquerque, M.M., Tuesday, June 5, 2018.

Jeff Van Drew, Seth Grossman win primaries in New Jersey’s Second Congressional District

Amy S. Rosenberg is a staff writer. Most recent preoccupations: the epic drama of Atlantic City, the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, local beach culture, shoobies, the fragile psyche of the Philadelphia sports fan, and Miss America.

US Sen. Menendez, GOP hopeful focused on general election

Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and his well-funded Republican foe, Bob Hugin, already are lobbing attacks at each other in anticipation of a fall showdown, but they first have to win their parties' primaries Tuesday. Menendez, who is seeking a third term, has establishment support as he faces a challenge in the Democratic primary from Lisa McCormick, a Rahway publisher.

House retirements show how Trump is splitting GOP

Those leaving office without a clear next political step tend to come from places where Trump is less popular. On the flip side, Republicans are more likely to leave the House to seek higher office if Trump was more popular in their districts.

Paul Ryan’s retirement echoes GOP departures from Philadelphia region

After House Speaker Paul Ryan announced Wednesday that he would not seek reelection, he'll follow up with a very different task Thursday: swearing in the newest Democratic representative, Southwestern Pennsylvania's Conor Lamb. The juxtaposition of the departing GOP leader welcoming a Democrat who won a stunning special election upset last month will briefly encapsulate Republicans' growing fear of a coming political wipeout this fall.

Rep. Ryan Costello won’t seek reelection, boosting Dem opportunity

I cover national politics and policy from Washington D.C., with a focus on Pennsylvania and New Jersey lawmakers and issues. Rep. Ryan Costello won't seek reelection, he announced Sunday night, opening a major opportunity for Democrats in the fight for control of the U.S. House.

Donald Trump may not like what these Jersey Republicans did

Three New Jersey House Republicans -- more than any other state -- were among the 10 lawmakers who most often broke away when a majority of their party and a majority of Democrats were on opposite sides, according to Congressional Quarterly 's annual vote studies. Likewise, Garden State Republicans lined up against President Donald Trump 's policies more often than those from all other states, even as they supported him more than three-fourths of the time.

House Democrats’ campaign arm now backing Dan Lipinski against liberal primary challenger

National Democrats are now backing Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., in a competitive primary after first giving the incumbent the cold shoulder. Lipinski, a socially conservative Democrat who is facing a tough primary from the Left, told the Washington Examiner on Thursday that he is now receiving support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Times shouldn’t ignore D.C. anti-abortion march; Focus South…

Pro-life demonstrators march towards the US Supreme Court during the 44th annual March for Life in Washington, DC, on January 27, 2017. Anti-abortion advocates descended on the US capital on Friday for an annual march expected to draw the largest crowd in years, with the White House spotlighting the cause and throwing its weight behind the campaign.

Trump is so unpopular in N.J. that Democrats are now targeting this unbeatable Republican

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Chris Smith, who hasn't received less than 60 percent of the vote in his last 17 elections, has just been added to the House Democrats' list of 2018 targets . Thursday's announcement by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee means that the party is now focusing on every Republican-held seat in New Jersey.

Lawmakers to Justice Department: Keep online gambling legal

Federal lawmakers who represent New Jersey from both parties have asked the U.S. Justice Department to keep internet gambling legal. In a letter Thursday to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the lawmakers urged the department not to rescind its 2011 legal opinion that says internet gambling is permissible under federal law.

New Jersey pols to DOJ: Keep internet gambling legal

Federal lawmakers from both parties in New Jersey are asking the U.S. Justice Department to keep internet gambling legal. In a letter Thursday to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the lawmakers urged the department not to rescind its 2011 legal opinion that internet gambling is permissible under federal law.

For Democrats, path to majority runs through New York, New Jersey

If there's going to be a Democratic wave in the 2018 midterm elections, look for it to wash ashore in New York and New Jersey. House Democrats have targeted all but one Republican - Rep. Chris Smith in New Jersey's reliably conservative fourth district - in the two states, where former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton beat President Trump in 2016.

11 blue state Republicans vote against tax bill

Twelve House Republicans, including 11 who hail from districts in states won by Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, voted against the GOP's ambitious $1.5 trillion measure that rewrites the nation's tax code. The 11 blue state Republicans who voted no are all from California, New York or New Jersey, and represent mostly suburban districts that Democrats are targeting in their quest to retake the House in the 2018 midterm elections.

Report: VA clinic where vet set self on fire was remiss

A stressed Gulf War veteran who set himself on fire outside a Veterans Affairs clinic and later died went nearly a year without a mental health appointment or medication, one of several serious problems government investigators found with the clinic in a report released Thursday. The Veterans Affairs Department's inspector general found Charles Ingram III went almost a year without seeing a counselor or taking medications for his mental health problems before his death in March 2016.

New Jersey GOP congressman LoBiondo to retire after 12 terms

Twelve-term GOP Rep. Frank LoBiondo of New Jersey says he plans to retire, declaring that "our nation is now consumed by increasing political polarization" and that "there is no longer middle ground." The 71-year-old became the latest moderate Republican to make plans to step down as his party struggles with internal divisions under President Donald Trump.

In high-tax states, worries about pain from GOP tax plan

Homeowners in high-tax states like New Jersey, where a modest house within commuting distance of New York City can easily carry property taxes of over $15,000 a year, are wondering whether the Republican bill being sold as a tax cut would actually result in higher bills for them. At issue are provisions that would end deductions for state and local sales and income taxes and would cap the property tax deduction at $10,000.

A big wave of cash, with some dry spots, for Democratic House challengers

Democratic congressional challengers have posted very impressive fund-raising tallies so far this year. In the last quarter, nearly three dozen Republican incumbents were outraised by at least one Democratic challenger - an astonishing number against sitting members of Congress.

Lawmaker’s Spokesman Says They Were Veteran’s Threat Target

A spokesman for a New Jersey congressman says their office was the one allegedly targeted and threatened by a veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Federal prosecutors say Joseph Brodie threatened to assault and kill a congressman and his staff in threats that were made via telephone and email Sept.