Latest Politics Headlines

All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Republicans Question Privacy Protections with Health Insurance Navigators

Aug 21 2013 // Florida Gov. Rick Scott has joined other Republicans lawmakers around the country in questioning privacy issues surrounding the navigators hired to walk people through their health insurance options under the Affordable...

Republican Sen. McConnell Calls for Delay in Obamacare Insurance Exchanges

Aug 13 2013 // Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Monday called on the Obama administration to delay the Oct. 1 opening of exchanges where uninsured Americans will be able to buy health insurance until the U.S. government can...

Senate Bill on Chemical Safety Runs Into Roadbloack

Aug 1 2013 // A bipartisan measure on federal toxic chemical standards would undercut state efforts, the head of a Senate committee said in comments that may imperil a compromise to overhaul U.S. consumer-safety regulations.Senator...

Senate Bill Gives Federal Reserve Flexibility on Systemically Important Insurers

Jul 26 2013 // A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is introducing legislation that would give the Federal Reserve more flexibility in regulating systemically important insurance companies such as American International Group Inc.The...

Flood Insurance an Issue in Louisiana’s U.S. Senate Race

Jul 24 2013 // U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and her Senate race challenger, U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, are jockeying for credit and prominence on a high-profile problem for many Louisiana residents: the skyrocketing cost of flood insurance...

Oklahoma Senate Chief Endorses Lawsuit Reform Special Session

Jul 22 2013 // Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman said he supports the idea of a special session to resurrect a lawsuit reform bill struck down by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and Gov. Mary Fallin said she’s discussing the idea...

Insurers, Republicans Part Ways Over Global Warming

Jul 19 2013 // The U.S. insurance industry told Senators that a surge in weather-related catastrophes has forced billions of dollars in payouts, offering an assessment at odds with Republicans who have expressed doubt about global...

Obama Administration Under Fire for Delay on Chemical Plant Safety

Jul 16 2013 // The Obama administration’s lack of action to impose recommended changes to make refineries, chemical factories and sugar plants safer is set to get a public rebuke from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.The independent...

House Passes Republican Farm Bill Without Food Stamps

Jul 11 2013 // House Republicans passed a five-year U.S. farm-policy bill that retains subsidies to farmers and strips out food-stamp spending, costing it Democratic support.The plan was approved today 216-208, with no Democrats in...

Bipartisan Senate Megabank Bill Would Split Banking from Insurance, Other Risks

Jul 11 2013 // A small bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Thursday introduced legislation that would break up Wall Street’s megabanks by separating traditional banking activity from riskier financial services.The bill, called the...

Republicans Press for Delay in Obamacare Individual Mandate

Jul 11 2013 // Framing a new argument against President Barack Obama’s health care law, congressional GOP leaders called this week for a delay in the law’s requirement that individual Americans carry health insurance.If the...

Obama Administration Issues Contraceptive Rule For Faith-Based Employers

Jun 28 2013 // The Obama administration on Friday issued its final rule requiring health insurance coverage of contraceptives for the employees of religiously affiliated universities, hospitals and other institutions, just as the new...

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Out of Step with Today’s GOP

Jun 26 2013 // Sandy Praeger was always the team player and never the black sheep.As mayor of Lawrence, state representative, state senator and now Kansas’ three-term insurance commissioner, Praeger was mainstream Republican all...

Senate Leader Reid Rules Out Extending Current Farm Law

Jun 25 2013 // The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives needs to solve its farm bill impasse by enacting the Senate’s bipartisan bill, Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Monday, warning that the Democrat-run Senate...

U.S. House Strikes Down Republican Farm Bill

Jun 21 2013 // Republican budget-cutters joined Democratic defenders of food stamps on Thursday to deal a shocking defeat to the $500 billion farm bill backed by Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, undermining hopes of...

Kansas City-Area Insurance Exec Seeks GOP Nod for Commissioner Post

Jun 14 2013 // A certified public accountant from Leawood who’s also an insurance industry executive has launched a campaign for the Republican nomination for Kansas insurance commissioner.Ken Selzer announced that he’s...

Republican Hill, Insurance Agent, Wins Florida House Seat

Jun 13 2013 // Republican Mike Hill has defeated Democrat Jeremy Lau for the vacant state House District 2 seat.The Miami Herald reported that Hill carried about 58 percent of the vote in the Northwest Florida district, which includes...

Senate Passes Crop Insurance Bill; House Fight Over Food Stamps Next

Jun 10 2013 // The Democratic-run U.S. Senate passed a $500 billion, five-year farm bill on Monday that expands a taxpayer-subsidized crop insurance program and rejects sweeping cuts in food stamps for the poor being pursued in the House...

Senate Committee Advances National Producer Licensing Reform Bill

Jun 6 2013 // The Senate Banking Committee today voted to send an insurance producer licensing reform measure to the full Senate for consideration.The bipartisan bill — S. 534, the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers...

Oregon Senate Oks Workplace Protections For Interns

Jun 6 2013 // The Oregon Legislature has agreed to extend workplace protections against harassment and discrimination to unpaid interns.The Senate unanimously passed HB 2669, sending it to Gov. John Kitzhaber, who intends to sign it....