House of Representatives
Despite President Obama’s veto threat, the House of Representatives passed a bill allowing insurance companies to renew individual policies and sell similar policies to new customers next year without providing all the benefits and consumer protections required by the Affordable Care Act. The bill, which passed with a vote of 261 to 157, was supported by 39 Democrats.
President Obama called on the House of Representative to pass immigration reform this year, calling it the 'smart thing to do.'
The government reopened today after a 16-day shutdown after a bill was passed late Wednesday that funds the government through January. Republicans hardly won any concessions, and are now trying to figure how to come back after their major defeat.
On Thursday, the Democratic National Committee launched a campaign to make Spanish calls to Latino voters that criticize Republicans for their role in the government shutdown.
Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) were caught talking about the Republican strategy during the shutdown on a hot mic. Some senior GOP members take issue with the Republican intransigence and the government shutdown.
With the clock ticking and the deadline to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year slowly nearing, it may take House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to reignite life back into this faltering issue and keep the debate going.
Polls have closed in South Carolina’s First District, and the candidates await the results in what is likely to be an extremely close race. Check the live results here.
Elizabeth Colbert Busch and Mark Sanford met in their first and only debate before the South Carolina special election for the House of Representatives a week from now.
While the Senate seems likely to pass a bipartisan immigration bill eventually, whatever legislation comes from that debate will then need to pass the more conservative House of Representatives, and some House members aren’t waiting.
While the Senate seems close to presenting a bipartisan immigration reform bill, the House of Representatives has been working on its own proposal, and it looks like it contains three different path to citizenship for immigrants in different circumstances.
As the “Gang of Eight” in the Senate continues to hit snags in creating a bipartisan immigration reform bill, the House of Representatives may be stepping up to present its own legislation.
While the Senate’s “Gang of Eight” has been getting all the attention for its efforts on a bipartisan immigration reform bill, a similar group has emerged in the House of Representatives, and they seem to be making progress.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives approved a renewed version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) which guarantees $659 million in funding over the next five years for victims of domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. The bill also protects immigrants, gays and Native Americans from domestic and sexual violence.
The House GOP avoided a fight over the debt ceiling today, by passing a bill extending the country’ ability to pay its debts until mid-May.
Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has announced his plans to make a political comeback.
