Seth McLaughlin

Sen. Paul says tea party holds power on Hill

To those who predicted that the tea party movement would get swallowed up by Washington, Sen. Rand Paul says the cynics have got it completely backward — it's the tea party that has co-opted Capitol Hill. Published January 27, 2011

GOP hearings put health law, oil spill under scrutiny

House Republicans drove home the new political reality on Capitol Hill on Wednesday by convening a series of hearings aimed at scrutinizing President Obama's first two years in office and sending a message against what they see as his expansive government agenda. Published January 26, 2011

Lawmaker wants to set terms on U.N.

Arguing that the United States can no longer blindly turn over billions of dollars to the United Nations, members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said the new Congress should withhold contributions to the global body until it adopts serious reforms. Published January 25, 2011

Tea party wary of spending cut vows

Leaders of a nationwide tea party group say they are heartened by early steps the new Republican majority has taken in the House, but they remain concerned that GOP leaders could walk away from campaign promises when it comes to cutting spending and reducing the national debt. Published January 24, 2011

House GOP works on health ‘solutions’

Wasting no time, House Republicans moved quickly ahead Thursday with their own overhaul of the nation's health care system, commanding key committees to get to work and launching a fresh attack on federal policies regarding abortion funding. Published January 20, 2011

House pulls plug on health care law

House Republicans on Wednesday scored their first victory in their long-shot bid to scrap President Obama's health care overhaul, delivering a repeal bill to the Senate and a stiff rebuke of White House policy that will help shape the political landscape over the weeks, months and years to come. Published January 19, 2011

House GOP dares Senate to vote on a bill to repeal ‘Obamacare’

House Republicans already are looking past Wednesday's expected vote to repeal Democrats' health care law, going so far as to dare Senate Democrats to bring the bill up for a vote in their chamber. Published January 18, 2011

House panel eyes reforms in U.N.

The new Republican majority in the House is poised to revive some old battles over the U.S. government's financial contribution to the United Nations, vowing once again to use the power of America's purse to force what it calls needed reforms at the world body. Published January 17, 2011

Parties’ talking points spin health care law

With consumers already enjoying prescription-drug discounts, expanded health coverage for young adults, and insurance plans for pre-existing conditions, Democrats say the Republican push to repeal the health care overhaul will encounter opposition from the growing number of people who benefit from it. Published January 16, 2011

Health-law fight highlights CBO balancing act

In rolling out their "Pledge to America" last year, House Republicans repeatedly cited Congressional Budget Office research as proof President Obama's health care overhaul was too expensive. Published January 12, 2011

Senator wants to mix it up at Obama address

Sen. Mark Udall wants his colleagues to adopt a new seating arrangement, calling on lawmakers to break with tradition by sitting next to a member of the opposing party during President Obama's State of the Union address Jan. 25. Published January 12, 2011

Arizona shootings prompt call for ban on high-capacity clips

Two lawmakers said they'll push for tougher gun controls, including stricter limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines. Published January 10, 2011

GOP disputes deficit effect of health law repeal

Congress' official scorekeeper said Thursday that the House Republicans' first major bill, which would repeal last year's health care law, would increase deficits by $230 billion over 10 years - setting off a firestorm of criticism from Democrats who said the GOP is already walking away from its pledges of fiscal restraint. Published January 6, 2011

Centrists likely to sway priority issues on Hill

Tea partyers may be getting all the attention, but the centrist wings of both parties remain the fulcrum in Congress, though which way they swing depends on the issues lawmakers tackle first. Published January 5, 2011

Tea party organizers warn: ‘We are watching’

Eager to dispel the notion that their protest movement is a mere flash in the pan, the nation's tea party activists are preparing to welcome the newest crop of lawmakers to Washington by reminding them of the consequences if they walk away from their campaign promises. Published January 4, 2011

Legislators acted with eye on 2012 races

It's no coincidence the tax-cut deal President Obama and Republicans reached extends the Bush-era tax breaks for two years, or just in time for the next national election. Published December 26, 2010

Collins, Lieberman prove formidable team

The repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy owes much to Sens. Susan Collins and Joseph I. Lieberman, who kept the issue alive when it appeared dead in the kind of partnership that is likely to become a model for getting things done in next year's divided Congress. Published December 21, 2010

Virginian: Bar gays from National Guard

Responding to the federal repeal of the military policy banning open gays from serving in the armed forces, a state lawmaker in Virginia plans to fight back with legislation that bars "active homosexuals" from serving in the Virginia National Guard. Published December 19, 2010

House approves tax-cut compromise bill

Staving off the largest tax increase in history, lawmakers Friday morning passed President Obama's tax-cut deal with Republicans through the House after fending off a last-minute effort to increase the estate tax beyond what was proposed. Published December 16, 2010

‘Don’t ask’ bill OK’d by House, sent to Senate

Democrats jammed through the House a repeal of the ban on gays openly serving in the military, breathing new life Wednesday into a proposal that appeared dead a week ago and putting the pressure on the Senate to take up the vote before the end of the year. Published December 15, 2010