Jacqueline Klimas

McConnell: Senate should focus on defense, budget in last days

With less than two weeks in session before the end of 2013, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he doesn't understand why the Senate is focusing on a string of non-emergency presidential nominations rather than must-pass legislation like a budget, defense policy bill and farm bill. Published December 10, 2013

Lawmakers in hurry to fund military budget

Lawmakers are trying to rush the 2014 defense policy bill through Congress in less than a week to keep up a decadeslong streak of passing the key piece of legislation that covers defense spending, including military pay. Published December 9, 2013

Congress creates a legislative fortress for military sex-assault policy

It has been looming for months, but Congress' debate over how to deal with sexual assaults in the U.S. military could get lost in the end-of-year shuffle as Senate Democrats find themselves with little time to tackle the budget, presidential nominations and a host of other major priorities. Published December 8, 2013

Budget negotiators look to federal workers for benefit concessions

Negotiators are once again looking to tap federal workers' benefits to help make ends meet elsewhere in the budget, saying government employees may have to pay more into their retirement plans. Published December 5, 2013

John Boehner faces bipartisan pressure to allow gay-rights vote

A bipartisan group of House members said Wednesday they've asked Speaker John A. Boehner to schedule a vote by the end of next year on a gay-rights bill that would prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. Published December 4, 2013

Congress reports ‘great progress’ on farm bill

Lawmakers said they made "great progress" toward reaching a farm bill deal in a meeting Wednesday morning as they push toward a final agreement that could be a year-end bright spot for an otherwise unproductive Congress. Published December 4, 2013

First deadline missed in bipartisan negotiations to avoid shutdown in January

The congressional negotiators trying to write a budget to avoid a potential shutdown next month missed their first informal deadline Monday. Published December 2, 2013

Is airline security fee in budget a tax in disguise?

Congressional Republicans have said they won't accept higher taxes as part of a year-end budget deal, but critics say one option that's still on the table is just a tax increase in disguise. Published November 28, 2013

Donations paid for Capitol Christmas Tree’s cross-country trip

The Capitol Christmas Tree arrived in Washington on Monday after a cross-country trek from Washington state and, in keeping with the austerity that's constraining federal spending, the trek didn't cost taxpayers a penny. Published November 25, 2013

Democrats end Senate tradition, trigger ‘nuclear option’ to ram through Obama’s judicial nominees

Senate Democrats triggered the "nuclear option" Thursday, using a shortcut to undercut the chamber's filibuster rules and giving President Obama a clear path to stack the federal judiciary with ideological allies. Published November 21, 2013

Democrats trigger ‘nuclear option’ to eliminate many filibusters

Senate Democrats on Thursday used the so-called "nuclear option" to change the chamber's long-standing rules and eliminate filibusters of presidential nominees, in a move that could further erode whatever cooperative mood was left in Washington. Published November 21, 2013

Jobless, Medicare action nears

Congress may have punted deadlines for a government shutdown and a debt ceiling deal into 2014, but the clock is ticking on two entitlement programs that will expire in December, stripping away benefits for millions of people in the new year if lawmakers don't act. Published November 20, 2013

Senate, House at odds over moving Guantanamo detainees

The Senate voted Monday night to ease restrictions on transferring suspected terrorist detainees from the prison at Guantanamo Bay to the U.S., overcoming GOP objections and giving President Obama at least a temporary victory on the annual defense policy bill. Published November 19, 2013

Negotiators face ‘huge’ differences between House and Senate versions of budget

Congressional negotiators have about a month to write a compromise federal budget, but it's a difficult task when the starting points — the plans passed earlier this year by House Republicans and Senate Democrats — are $4 trillion apart. Published November 18, 2013

Sanders lays out plan to raise taxes to pay for expanded entitlements

Even as negotiators struggle to write a final fiscal 2014 budget, one of Congress' most liberal lawmakers laid out his own vision for what the government's priorities should be — complete with big jumps in taxes and social spending and cuts at the Pentagon. Published November 17, 2013

Democrats: Obamacare fix doesn’t go far enough

Congressional Democrats largely rallied behind President Obama's shift Thursday to allow some people to keep their existing insurance policies for a year, but many said it still doesn't go far enough to permanently fix the problems with the president's signature national health law. Published November 14, 2013

CBO director: Short-term budget fix better than nothing

If Congress can't agree on a long-term budget grand bargain, then even a short-term fix is better than nothing, Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf told lawmakers on Wednesday. Published November 13, 2013

Negotiators already stake out positions on budget

No tax increases, no major cuts to Social Security or other entitlements, and no big jump in federal spending. As House and Senate negotiators meet Wednesday to try to hammer out a unified 2014 federal budget, what's most striking is how many options they've already ruled out. Published November 12, 2013

Iowa lawmaker pushes to give veterans a day off on their day

As Veterans Day arrives, members of Congress have plenty of proposals on how to honor them — including one Iowa Democrat, Rep. Bruce L. Braley, who has written a bill granting many veterans in the private sector the day off. Published November 10, 2013

Mendacity: Lawmakers renege on pledge to give up shutdown paychecks

Nearly half of Congress promised to share federal workers' pain during the partial government shutdown by forsaking pay — but now that the shutdown is over and employees got paid, many lawmakers say they deserve their own checks. Published November 7, 2013