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Attacks from right take toll on Obama’s tax plan
WASHINGTON — A growing chorus of conservative criticism is prompting some House members to rethink the $850 billion package of tax cuts and extended jobless benefits that President Barack Obama negotiated with top Republicans in Congress. The attacks are unlikely to derail the measure, which gets a final vote Wednesday in the Senate, to be […]
Tax package heads toward passage in Senate
WASHINGTON — The tax package negotiated by President Barack Obama and GOP lawmakers is headed toward passage in the Senate even as House Democrats consider changes to the estate tax. The bill could be passed and sent to the House by Tuesday. The Senate voted 83-15 Monday evening to advance the package, which would provide […]
GOP Chairman Steele may make re-election plans known
WASHINGTON — Embattled GOP Chairman Michael Steele could disclose late Monday whether he’ll seek re-election to the two-year post as a stream of challengers line up to challenge him in balloting next month. The latest to formally announce a candidacy: Maria Cino, a New York native who served in the Bush administration and planned the […]
First Senate vote expected on Obama-GOP tax deal
WASHINGTON — Senators get their first chance Monday to vote on the tax-cut deal struck by President Barack Obama and Republicans, but whatever the outcome of the test vote, the White House expects the bill to pass by year’s end. “Everybody understands what it would mean for the economy if we don’t get this done,” […]
Democrats delay action on young immigrants bill
WASHINGTON — The Senate moved Thursday to delay a politically charged showdown vote on legislation carving out a path to legal status for foreign-born youngsters brought to this country illegally, putting off but probably not preventing the measure’s demise. Facing GOP objections, Democrats put aside the so-called Dream Act and said they’d try again to […]
Frederick County seeks laws to curb illegal immigration
FREDERICK— The Frederick County Commissioners are asking state lawmakers to take action against illegal immigration. The all-Republican board voted Thursday on a set of legislative proposals that were forwarded to the county’s delegation to the General Assembly. One proposal would require the Frederick County school board to report the number of undocumented students in the […]
Obama optimistic about bipartisan deal on taxes
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says he is optimistic that Democrats and Republicans will come to agreements on several issues in the coming weeks. Obama says the most important issue lawmakers must resolve is making sure taxes don’t increase for middle-class families when Bush-era tax cuts expire at the end of the year. Obama says […]
Governor O’Malley to take over as chairman of DGA
WASHINGTON — Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is taking over as chairman of the Democratic Governors Association. He succeeds Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, who was the chairman of the political arm of the nation’s Democratic governors during 2010. O’Malley was the group’s vice chairman this year. He won re-election as Maryland governor by a double-digit margin […]
Obama, GOP promise to work on differences on taxes
WASHINGTON — Reaching no quick fixes, President Barack Obama and Republican leaders in Congress vowed on Tuesday to seek a compromise on their sharply different views about tax cuts before year’s end. “The American people did not vote for gridlock,” Obama said following the session. “They did not vote for unyielding partisanship. They’re demanding cooperation [&hell[...]
Obama joke about Slurpee Summit inspires 7-Eleven
Is President Barack Obama willing to risk Slurpee brainfreeze as he grapples with political gridlock? A strange but real possibility. The president’s campaign-trail attack on Republicans as Slurpee-sipping do-nothings boomeranged on him the day after the GOP won the House majority in last week’s midterm elections. He was asked if he would have likely House […]
Hoyer running for whip in showdown with Clyburn
WASHINGTON — The House Democrats’ second-in-command, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, officially announced Monday that he wants to keep that job next year, setting up a showdown with the most senior black congressman in the chamber that all involved had hoped to avoid. Hoyer, like Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, said the vanquished Democrats […]
Senate GOP leader takes aim at health care law
WASHINGTON — The Senate’s Republican leader has a simple postelection message for President Barack Obama: Move toward the GOP or get no help from its lawmakers. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday offered an aggressive assessment of the election results, calling for votes to erode the reach of the health care law that was […]
