FEMA Is Nearly Out of Cash, Just as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma Strike
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is rapidly running out of disaster relief funding as Hurricane Irma slams Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and heads toward Florida.
Congress
Trump phaseout of DACA gives Congress six months to devise solution for Dreamers
The Trump administration on Tuesday declared the Obama-era DACA program unconstitutional and ordered a phaseout, giving Congress six months to devise a permanent solution for 800,000 young adult illegal immigrant Dreamers who could be at risk of deportation.
Mixed reaction to DACA spells trouble for Republican action on immigration
Congressional Republicans flashed a glimpse Tuesday of the coming battle they will face over what to do with those protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, an Obama-era directive for young illegal immigrants who have grown up in the U.S. and could lose their legal status when the Trump administration completes its phase-out of the program next spring.
Russell Moore, Evangelical Leaders Urge Trump to Protect DACA Recipients
A group of evangelical leaders are pressuring President Donald Trump to continue protecting immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally when they were children, and are urging Congress to take permanent legislative action to ensure their long standing protection from deportation.
Armed with new data, committees ready to ratchet up investigations into Trump’s ties with Russia
The progress congressional investigators have made this summer comes into sharp focus this week as House and Senate committees return to work to ratchet up the legal and political clash into the Trump campaign’s suspected collusion with the Kremlin in the November presidential election — and whether Democratic rival Hillary Clinton’s allies tried to falsely fan the story.
Congress Faces a Tense Agenda, With Little Margin for Error
Congress returns Tuesday from its summer break and, in a test of the uneasy alliance between President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans, will have to grapple with keeping the federal government open, paying U.S. creditors and passing a hurricane-aid bill.
Conservatives wary of taking up legislation to fix DACA
Conservatives in the House indicated Monday they aren’t thrilled with the idea of considering legislation to salvage former President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, something that could happen under President Trump’s plan to end the program after giving Congress six months to come up with a replacement.
Russia blames Obama, Congress for souring relations, not Trump
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday blamed former President Barack Obama and the Congress — but not President Trump — for the downward spiral in U.S.-Russia relations.
Trump uncovers evidence of Dreamers loophole hidden by Obama
Thousands of Dreamers have used a loophole in federal law to get on a full pathway to citizenship, top congressional Republicans revealed Friday, citing government data withheld by the Obama administration but provided by the Trump administration.
Trump retaliates by closing Russian diplomatic outposts in U.S.
The Trump administration ordered Russia to close a consulate in San Francisco and scale back operations in New York and Washington in retaliation for Moscow’s expelling U.S. diplomats and closing sites in Russia a month ago, the State Department announced Thursday.
White House preparing $5.9B request for Harvey recovery aid
The White House has prepared a request to Congress for an initial $5.9 billion package in Harvey recovery aid, a first down payment to make sure recovery efforts over the next few weeks are adequately funded.
Trump sticks with 15 percent tax rate and child care credits in Missouri speech
President Trump restated his campaign goals of lowering the corporate tax rate to 15 percent and offering new tax benefits for child care in a speech on tax reform in Springfield, Mo., Wednesday, although he didn’t offer any new details.
Trump on tax reform: ‘I don’t want to be disappointed by Congress’
President Donald Trump on Wednesday touted tax reform as his key to unlocking economic growth and job opportunities — and put the onus on Congress to overhaul the U.S. system.
Trump vows ‘100 percent’ support, rapid federal aid to Harvey victims ahead of Texas visit
President Trump vowed ‘100 percent’ support Monday to the victims of the massive storm known as Harvey, while predicting he and Congress will be able to quickly approve emergency aid to help the region recover.
Obama Admin Hid Intel on Iranian Militants in Syria to Push Nuclear Deal
The Obama administration likely hid information about Iran illicitly ferrying militants into Syria on commercial aircraft in order to promote the landmark nuclear deal and foster multi-billion dollar business deals with Tehran’s state-controlled airline sector, according to lawmakers and other sources familiar with the matter.
With Congress in stalemate, states take lead in Planned Parenthood defunding
The effort to defund Planned Parenthood may be stalled at the federal level, but recent legal and legislative victories have given states more power than ever to cut off taxpayer funding to the nation’s largest abortion provider.
Trump ready for shutdown standoff over border wall: ‘We will build the wall’
President Trump stood firm Monday on his threat to shut down the government if congressional Democrats block funding for a wall on the border with Mexico, saying the wall was crucial to U.S. security and stopping the flow of illegal drugs.
US changes proposed anti-Hezbollah sanctions to ease Lebanon’s fears
Proposed tighter U.S. sanctions on Hezbollah have been altered enough to allay fears of major damage to Lebanon’s economy, a sign Washington is taking concerns about Lebanese stability seriously, banking and political sources said Sunday.
Iran Caught Shipping Soldiers to Syria on Commercial Flights in Violation of Nuclear Deal
New photographs obtained by congressional leaders show Iran shipping militant soldiers to Syria on commercial airline flights, a move that violates the landmark nuclear agreement and has sparked calls from U.S. lawmakers for a formal investigation by the Trump administration, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.
Trump blames Congress for stalled agenda, urges Senate to abolish filibuster rules
President Trump has pinned the blame for his stalled agenda on Congress, chastising lawmakers of both parties who stand in his way and urging the Republican-run Senate to abolish filibuster rules in order to ram though bills for a border wall, tax cuts and a replacement of Obamacare.