Latest Politics Headlines

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

Republican VP Pick Ryan Aims to Change Tax Break for Health Insurance Benefits

Aug 17 2012 // Mitt Romney wants to change the U.S. tax code’s treatment of healthcare costs, but his vice presidential pick is one step ahead: Paul Ryan has proposed a plan to scrap a generations-old tax break enjoyed by millions...

Maryland Senate Approves Strict Liability for All Dog Bites

Aug 13 2012 // The Maryland Senate has voted to change a state law so that it creates a strict liability standard for owners of all dogs, not just pit bulls. The change was in response to a court ruling that determined pit bulls are...

Despite GOP Governors, Feds Building Health Insurance Exchanges

Aug 8 2012 // Don’t look now: The feds may be gaining on GOP governors who’ve balked at carrying out a key part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul law.Opponents of the law say they won’t set up new...

Democrats, Republicans Offer Rival Views to Control Health Costs

Aug 2 2012 // Democrats and Republicans agree that the next U.S. president will have to contend with rising healthcare costs that pose a growing, destabilizing burden for families, employers and government budgets.But two articles...

US Congressional Negotiators Reach Deal on New Iran Sanctions

Jul 31 2012 // U.S. lawmakers moved a step closer to finalizing new sanctions aimed at further restricting Iran’s oil revenues after negotiators from the Senate and House of Representatives agreed on a compromise bill on Monday.The...

Obama Administration Says Federal Health Exchanges on Track for 2014

Jul 27 2012 // The Obama administration on Friday said it is on track to set up federal health insurance exchanges by 2014 in U.S. states that fail to establish their own regulated insurance markets as required by the U.S. healthcare...

Michigan House GOP Won’t OK Health Exchange Anytime Soon

Jul 20 2012 // Republican lawmakers want more questions answered before they’ll consider giving GOP Gov. Rick Snyder approval to start work on a website for purchasing health insurance required under the federal health care law,...

Bipartisan Senate Bill Addresses Cyber Threats

Jul 20 2012 // Compromise legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday would bolster cyber threat assessment and permit the government to share information with American business under certain conditions, a step aimed at better...

Senate Panel Approves Russia Trade, Human Rights Bill

Jul 19 2012 // The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill to ensure U.S. exporters share in the benefits of Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization but also to punish Russian officials for...

In Massachusetts Senate Race, Health Care Still Hot Topic

Jul 16 2012 // In Massachusetts’ contentious U.S. Senate race, few issues divide the two candidates more sharply than the health care law signed by President Barack Obama and upheld by the Supreme Court.Republican Scott Brown ran...

House Panel Balks at Senate Crop Insurance Reforms

Jul 12 2012 // The U.S. House Agriculture Committee challenged two crop insurance reforms approved by the Senate, creating another farm-bill dispute with time running out to enact the new law.Besides disagreeing on crop insurance, the...

Republican Leaders Vow Healthcare Law Repeal

Jul 2 2012 // The two top Republicans in Congress vowed on Sunday to push ahead with efforts to repeal President Barack Obama’s healthcare law despite the Supreme Court upholding it, but the White House said it is time to stop...

BREAKING: Senate leaders strike deal on flood insurance reform

Jun 28 2012 // In a briefing today with interested parties, the Senate Banking Committee’s chairman and ranking member confirmed that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have...

Republican Senator’s Abortion Amendment Holding Up Flood Insurance Bill: Reid

Jun 26 2012 // The Senate bill to renew the federal flood insurance program is being jeopardized by a Republican senator who is insisting on an amendment to the bill that defines “when life begins,” Senate Majority Leader...

Obama Lends Support to Senate Flood Insurance Bill

Jun 26 2012 // The Obama Administration has signaled its support for a Senate bill (S.1940) to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).The Senate advanced the bill yesterday but did not vote on it as Majority Leader Sen....

Senate to Finally Debate Flood Insurance Monday

Jun 22 2012 // Now that the U.S. Senate has voted on a federal farm bill, it is scheduled to take up federal flood insurance starting Monday.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has officially filed “cloture” on the measure...

Senate Overhauls Farm Subsidies, Crop Insurance But Time Running Out

Jun 21 2012 // The Senate approved sweeping new U.S. farm legislation on Thursday that would cut almost all traditional farm subsidies while expanding a costly crop insurance program, but odds are slim the bill will pass this year.Passed...

This is it: Senate Flood Insurance Bill Vote Coming Up

Jun 19 2012 // It’s almost time. After seventeen (count ’em–17) short-term extensions, almost a half dozen lapses in the program, and tons of political wrangling, a flood insurance reform bill–a real one–is...

Senate Favoring End to Direct Payouts to Farmers

Jun 4 2012 // A program that puts billions of dollars in the pockets of farmers whether or not they plant a crop may disappear with hardly a protest from farm groups and the politicians who look out for their interests.The Senate is...

Bill to Create ‘Framework for Damages’ Passes Calif. Senate

May 31 2012 // A bill its author says will provide a framework to measure damages when a plaintiff suffers injuries that passed the California Senate floor is being called by its detractors a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”...