Archive: House
Player of the Week: 'Charlie Boy' for Speaker?
BATON ROUGE, La. -- State Rep. Don Cazayoux (D-La.) is refusing to endorse House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) should he win a special House election Saturday and get to cast a ballot in the next vote for the speaker's gavel in January. In an interview Thursday, Cazayoux went a step...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | May 2, 2008; 05:44 PM ET | Comments (0)
Miss. House Special Heads to Runoff
The race to fill Mississippi's vacant 1st District House seat is headed to a May 13 runoff after Democrats tonight came within inches of stealing a heavily Republican seat. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, according to AP, Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers (D) led Southaven Mayor Greg Davis...
By Ben Pershing | April 23, 2008; 12:51 AM ET | Comments (0)
Muslim Rep. Ellison on the Pope
Speaking this week as Pope Benedict XVI visited the U.S., Congress' first Muslim lawmaker, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), declined to criticize the pontiff for his past comments about Islam and suggested that the continued "age-old exchange of ideas" between Catholics and Muslims was "a good thing." Speaking to Sally Quinn...
By Ben Pershing | April 18, 2008; 11:40 AM ET | Comments (9)
A Papal Audience for Members
It sounds like layfolk still hoping to score tickets to tomorrow's papal Mass at Nationals Park are out of luck. But, as is often the case, members of Congress appear to have been blessed with better fortune. The Catholic ones, anyway. More than 100 members of the House and Senate...
By Ben Pershing | April 16, 2008; 04:44 PM ET | Comments (2)
A Dubious Milestone for Rep. Young
Embattled Alaska Rep. Don Young (R) has now spent more than $1.1 million on legal fees since the start of 2007, after shelling out $253,000 to four different sets of lawyers in the first quarter of this year, according to his latest filing with the Federal Election Commission. Young is...
By Ben Pershing | April 16, 2008; 12:21 PM ET | Comments (1)
Mr. Thomas Has the Floor?
Last Thursday morning, just a few hours before the House approved a key procedural move on the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, ex-Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) strolled onto the chamber floor to chat with his former colleagues. By his own account, Thomas was on Capitol Hill on other business and just...
By Ben Pershing | April 15, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Keeping Score on the Colombia Trade Pact
The House voted today to "stop the clock" on the Colombia free trade agreement, passing a rule change allowing the chamber to ignore the traditional 90-day timeframe under which Congress must vote on trade bills. The 224-195 vote in favor of the rule change broke down mostly along party lines,...
By Ben Pershing | April 10, 2008; 03:48 PM ET | Comments (23)
Meet the House's Newest Member
Former state Sen. Jackie Speier (D) won a special election Tuesday to replace the late Rep. Tom Lantos (D) in California's 12th district, easily avoiding a runoff by racking up nearly 78 percent of the vote against four other contenders. Speier, who will likely win a full term in November...
By Ben Pershing | April 9, 2008; 05:13 PM ET | Comments (3)
Pelosi to Stop Clock on Colombia Deal
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) threw a counter-punch at President Bush on the Colombia free trade agreement today, announcing that the House would vote on a rules change to stop a legally mandated 90-day clock for Congress to take up the measure. Bush sent Congress the Colombia measure on Tuesday,...
By Ben Pershing | April 9, 2008; 01:16 PM ET | Comments (37)
Rep. Wynn to Resign
Maryland Rep. Al Wynn (D) plans to announce as early as today that he will resign from the House to take a job at the D.C.-based law firm Dickstein Shapiro, according to sources. Wynn's move, which was first reported on rollcall.com, comes less than two months after he was defeated...
By Ben Pershing | March 27, 2008; 01:54 PM ET | Comments (4)
Indictment: Hussein Funded Lawmakers' Trip
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday accused a Michigan nonprofit executive of funnelling money from Saddam Hussein to pay for a 2002 trip to Iraq by three House Democratic lawmakers, according to the Associated Press. The AP says the dates of the 2002 Iraq trip correspond to those of an infamous visit...
By Ben Pershing | March 26, 2008; 06:45 PM ET | Comments (49)
About That New Ethics Office...
Capitol Briefing's alma mater, Roll Call, had a good story Monday (subscription req'd) about some questionable behavior by a House aide that would make fine fodder for the newly formed Office of Congressional Ethics' first investigation. The story reported that Jerry Hurckes -- Rep. Daniel Lipinski's (D-Ill.) top district aide...
By Ben Pershing | March 25, 2008; 05:26 PM ET | Comments (4)
The Rise and Fall of Tom Reynolds
New York Rep. Tom Reynolds announced today that he is not running for reelection in November, capping off a congressional career whose arc neatly mirrors that of the GOP majority he helped lose. Elected near the apex of Republican power in 1998, Reynolds rose quickly on the strength of his...
By Ben Pershing | March 20, 2008; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (26)
Rep. Tom Reynolds to Retire
Sources have told the Associated Press that Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y.) will retire. A news conference to make the announcement is reportedly scheduled for noon. Capitol Briefing will have more on this later in the day....
By washingtonpost.com Editors | March 20, 2008; 10:13 AM ET | Comments (2)
Player of the Week: Michael Conaway
When Michael Conaway was elected to Congress from Texas in 2004, he figured he could use his background as a certified public accountant to advance the Republican cause on big-picture policy issues like the federal budget and the national debt. Little did he know then that he might end up...
By Ben Pershing | March 14, 2008; 05:00 PM ET | Comments (5)
Carson Becomes Second Muslim to Serve in Congress
On Tuesday, Andre Carson (D) won a special election to replace his grandmother -- the late Rep. Julia Carson (D) -- in Indiana's 7th district. The younger Carson is the second Muslim in U.S. history to serve in Congress, following the trail blazed by current Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.)....
By Ben Pershing | March 13, 2008; 07:43 PM ET | Comments (19)
NRCC Suspects 'Several Hundred Thousand Dollars' Stolen
National Republican Congressional Committee officials acknowledged publicly today that they have found discrepancies in their books of more than a million dollars and evidence that the NRCC's former treasurer, Christopher Ward, made "several hundred thousand dollars" worth of unauthorized wire transfers out of the committee that appear to have ended...
By Ben Pershing | March 13, 2008; 04:00 PM ET | Comments (40)
House Holds Rare 'Closed Session'
UPDATE 4:12 PM ET: House Democratic leaders have agreed to the GOP's request that the chamber go into secret session today to discuss terrorist surveillance legislation. The session will last one hour, with the time equally divided between the majority and the minority. ORIGINAL POST: House Republicans plan to call...
By Ben Pershing | March 13, 2008; 02:23 PM ET | Comments (22)
House Passes Ethics Bill Amid Squabbling
After several halting attempts in recent weeks, House Democratic leaders were finally able to get an ethics reform bill through the chamber tonight, passing the measure by a misleadingly wide margin, 229-182. In the end, 196 Democrats and 33 Republicans voted in favor of the measure, while 159 Republicans and...
By Ben Pershing | March 11, 2008; 11:56 PM ET | Comments (5)
George Miller's (Un)official Web Site
It's no secret that Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) is backing Barack Obama's campaign for president. The veteran chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee and a top lieutenant of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Miller endorsed the Illinois Democrat last month and worked (unsuccessfully) to try to help him win California...
By Ben Pershing | February 29, 2008; 03:30 PM ET | Comments (1)
Democrats Pull Ethics Bill
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) just announced on the House floor that Democrats were canceling plans to vote tomorrow on a proposal to create a new Office of Congressional Ethics. Here's Capitol Briefing's original post on the subject. After a full day of private meetings on both sides of...
By Ben Pershing | February 27, 2008; 04:24 PM ET | Comments (19)
Parties Plot on Ethics Reform
Meetings on ethics reform are breaking out all over the Capitol this afternoon, as House Democrats try to convince their members to vote for the creation of a new office to screen complaints and Republicans prepare to unveil a counterproposal that would radically change House rules and the entire ethics...
By Ben Pershing | February 27, 2008; 03:12 PM ET | Comments (0)
Renzi Move a Mixed Blessing for GOP
Indicted Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) yesterday announced his decision about his future in the House: He's staying -- for now, anyway. And while Republican leaders may not be outwardly pleased with that choice, it could actually help them as much as it hurts. Renzi was charged last week by a...
By Ben Pershing | February 26, 2008; 08:29 AM ET | Comments (26)
Renzi Vows to Stay in House
Arizona Rep. Rick Renzi (R) said late Monday that he would not resign from the House, despite being indicted last week by a federal grand jury in Tucson on 35 counts of money laundering, wire fraud, extortion and other charges related to a land-swap scheme and his alleged embezzlement of...
By Ben Pershing | February 25, 2008; 07:08 PM ET | Comments (22)
Rep. Renzi Indicted
Rep. Rick Renzi (R) was indicted today on multiple charges by a federal grand jury looking into a controversial land deal in his home state of Arizona. Here is a copy of the indictment. Will the indicted congressman resign? (AP File Photo) Under heavy pressure from House GOP leaders, Renzi...
By Ben Pershing | February 22, 2008; 04:05 PM ET | Comments (73)
Shadegg Reverses Course, Will Run for Reelection
Just 10 days after announcing he would not run for reelection in the fall, Arizona Rep. John Shadegg (R) reversed course today and said he would be on the November ballot after all. "I expected my decision would elicit little reaction here in Arizona, and less in Washington," Shadegg said...
By Ben Pershing | February 21, 2008; 07:17 PM ET | Comments (1)
Rep. Jefferson's Trial Delayed
Spectators hoping to snag a seat at next week's trial of Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson (D) on bribery charges are going to have to wait a little longer, as the proceedings have now been delayed following a new appeal from the defense. Jury selection for the trial had been scheduled...
By Ben Pershing | February 21, 2008; 03:02 PM ET | Comments (4)
Player of the Week: John Conyers
House Democrats left town Thursday for the President's Day recess having fired two controversial salvos at the Bush administration -- approving contempt of Congress citations against White House officials while refusing to renew a terrorism surveillance law. House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) was at the fulcrum of both moves,...
By Ben Pershing | February 15, 2008; 02:40 PM ET | Comments (22)
GOP's Earmarks Crusade Has its Limits
Anti-earmark crusader Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) lost his bid for a seat on the House Appropriations Committee Thursday, and the conservative blogosphere is not happy about it. This Red State post was typical of the reaction. Under the heading, "House Republicans Aren't Serious About Earmark Reform," blogger Bluey wrote, "Just when...
By Ben Pershing | February 15, 2008; 10:55 AM ET | Comments (25)
No Plan B in the House for Surveillance Bill?
In a surprise twist, a 21-day extension of the terrorist surveillance law failed decisively on the House floor this afternoon, making it increasingly likely that the law will be allowed to expire on Friday. Thirty-four Democrats, mostly liberals who want to take a tougher line against the Bush administration on...
By Ben Pershing | February 13, 2008; 05:58 PM ET | Comments (42)
Waxman Swears Off Earmarks
House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) is known as a master of orchestrating high-profile investigations, most recently the steroids probe that will bring Roger Clemens to testify on Capitol Hill Wednesday. But now it appears Waxman has earned a new title -- earmark crusader. In a surprise...
By Ben Pershing | February 13, 2008; 08:18 AM ET | Comments (2)
Rep. Lantos, Holocaust Survivor, Dies at 80
California Rep. Tom Lantos (D), a Holocaust survivor known for his dogged commitment to human rights issues, died early this morning at Bethesda Naval Medical Center after a bout with esophageal cancer. He was 80 and had served in the House since 1981. President George W. Bush, right, shakes hands...
By Ben Pershing | February 11, 2008; 11:25 AM ET | Comments (10)
Player of the Week: Nancy Pelosi
Having been raised on a steady diet of highlight shows like Sportscenter and This Week in Baseball (with the greatest theme song ever), Capitol Briefing has always been fond of awards like "Pepsi Clutch Performer" and "Rolaids Relief Man." Beginning today, Capitol Briefing will begin handing out his own honor...
By Ben Pershing | February 8, 2008; 12:29 PM ET | Comments (15)
As the Earmarks Turn
Two weeks ago, House Republicans emerged from their annual retreat with a call for Democrats to agree to a temporary earmark moratorium and the formation of a bipartisan committee to recommend changes to the earmarking process. Democrats never gave much of a response -- other than to defend their own...
By Ben Pershing | February 7, 2008; 02:20 PM ET | Comments (1)
House Democrats Feel Wind at Their Backs
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Their approval ratings may still be in the tank, but House Democrats are feeling pretty good about themselves right now, at least when it comes to their ability to hold and possibly expand their majority come November. Briefing reporters here at the caucus's annual retreat, Democratic Congressional...
By Ben Pershing | January 31, 2008; 05:12 PM ET | Comments (3)
Bizarre Trial Begins in N.H.
Amid all the weighty talk of stimulus-this and Iraq-that, Capitol Briefing would like to pause and draw your attention to one of the more bizarre political trials in recent memory, kicking off today up in Dover, N.H. On trial -- Gary Dodds, a businessman and Democratic candidate in 2006 for...
By Ben Pershing | January 29, 2008; 12:31 PM ET | Comments (1)
Getaway Day for the GOP
Today is a travel day for Capitol Briefing as he journeys to White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., to cover the House GOP's annual retreat at the lovely Greenbrier resort. The event will run from today through Saturday. These gatherings allow members to relax a bit -- many bring their families along...
By Ben Pershing | January 24, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Despite Blog Support, Flake Bid a Long-shot
Every so often, the liberal or conservative blogospheres will get excited and mobilized to make something happen that probably never will. Such is the case with the growing movement to get Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake (R) onto the House Appropriations Committee. Flake -- the House's best known scourge of spending...
By Ben Pershing | January 21, 2008; 07:40 PM ET | Comments (7)
Rep. Baker Leaving House for K Street Post
Louisiana Rep. Richard Baker (R) is leaving the House to become president and CEO of the Managed Funds Association, adding to the list of prominent lawmakers decamping to K Street. Here's the release from MFA. Baker has represented the Baton Rouge-based 6th district in central Louisiana since 1986. He is...
By Ben Pershing | January 15, 2008; 12:10 PM ET | Comments (243)
And the Mouse Goes to...
If you've ever had to peruse an official congressional Web site for business or pleasure, you know they're a mixed bag. Some are cutting-edge, incorporating blogs, video, podcasts and all the bells and whistles savvy surfers have come to expect. Others are basically a jumble of text and links that...
By Ben Pershing | January 14, 2008; 09:17 AM ET | Comments (4)
In Michigan, a Lonely Hunter
The first thing to know about Rep. Duncan Hunter's (R-Calif.) presidential campaign is that he travels light. "I don't have any consultants, thank God," he says, "so we don't have any large payroll we have to carry." Rep. Duncan Hunter at a GOP debate last June. (AP) With no busload...
By Ben Pershing | January 12, 2008; 11:56 AM ET | Comments (3)
Hastert Resigns Tonight
After months of playing coy about when he would depart, Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) bid his official farewell to the House today. The speaker for eight years, Hastert wrote letters to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.) officially resigning his congressional seat in a move that...
By Paul Kane | November 26, 2007; 08:58 PM ET | Comments (34)
Congressional Thanksgiving: So Much to Do, So Little Time
Casting a flurry of votes on both ends of the Capitol last night and this morning, the House and Senate have now adjourned for a two-week Thanksgiving recess that leaves them with an overwhelming amount of work left to finish. Lawmakers will return to Capitol Hill in early December for...
By Paul Kane | November 16, 2007; 03:06 PM ET | Comments (6)
Hastert's Farewell: 'My Heart is Still Here'
Note: Please upgrade your Flash plug-in to view our enhanced content. var thisObj = "flashobj111507_9v"; var so = new SWFObject("http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/player/wpniplayer_blog.swf", thisObj, "454", "305", "8", "#ffffff"); so.addParam("allowScriptAccess", "always"); so.addParam("swfliveconnect", true); so.addVariable("thisObj", thisObj); so.addVariable("vid","111507-9v_title"); so.addVariable("playads", "yes"); so.addVariable("adserv",""); so.addVariable("autoStart", "no"); so.write("flashcontent111507_9v"); Speaking from the well of the House for the last time,...
By Paul Kane | November 15, 2007; 04:45 PM ET | Comments (13)
UPDATE: Hoyer: 'Impeachment ... Not on Our Agenda'
After the vote on the impeachment resolution, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) unequivocally said he expects no action taken by the Judiciary Committee to consider the Kucinich articles of impeachment against Vice President Cheney. "The speaker and I have both said impeachment, either of the president or the vice...
By Paul Kane | November 6, 2007; 06:20 PM ET | Comments (66)
Cheney Impeachment Resolution Sent to House Committee
The House voted today to send a resolution considering the impeachment of Vice President Cheney to the Judiciary Committee, a move that embarrassed Democratic leaders who were forced into the parliamentary tactic to avoid a floor debate on impeachment. Led by Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the long-shot anti-war candidate for the...
By Paul Kane | November 6, 2007; 04:55 PM ET | Comments (388)
What Has the Record-Setting House Achieved?
The House this week surpassed the 1,000-vote mark for the first time in a single year, a milestone hailed by the Democrats as a sign of the new majority's hard-working commitment to reshaping the domestic and foreign policy agenda. But House Republicans see it much differently, saying the record-setting roll...
By Paul Kane | October 26, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Dems Still Short of GOP Votes for Veto-Proof SCHIP Majority
The third time was not the charm for House Democrats, as they failed today to grow their bipartisan majority for expanding a children's insurance program beyond the two-thirds majority needed to override President Bush's veto of the legislation. In forcing a vote on a re-tailored $35 billion expansion of the...
By Paul Kane | October 25, 2007; 06:43 PM ET | Comments (49)
Speaker Rebukes Rep. Stark Over Comments During SCHIP Debate
In what has become something of a routine move, Democratic leaders attempted to distance themselves from controversial remarks made by 18-term Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) late Friday issued a statement condemning Stark's controversial language during the debate before Thursday's failed vote to override President Bush's...
By Paul Kane | October 19, 2007; 07:05 PM ET | Comments (82)
Cheney, House Republicans on Different Money Paths
Once popular enough to charge donors $4,200 for a handshake and a photo, Vice President Dick Cheney has become a much less sought-after fundraiser among House Republicans. Almost 10 months into the year, Cheney has headlined one fundraiser for an incumbent House Republican, Rep. Sam Graves (Mo.), who is facing...
By Paul Kane | October 11, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (28)
Democrats Begin SCHIP Veto Override Campaign
With a presidential veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) now official, Congressional Democrats have formally embarked on a campaign to find the 15 to 20 votes from House Republicans they will need to override President Bush's veto pen. Aides say because the $35 billion expansion of the...
By Paul Kane | October 3, 2007; 12:53 PM ET | Comments (165)
S-CHIP Showdown Could Affect 2008 Races
The House is set to vote tonight on a key provision of the Democratic Party's domestic agenda -- expanding the federal-state Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). President Bush has threatened to veto the measure. But Democrats want Republicans to be thinking of Bailey, a little girl from Texas who, as...
By Paul Kane | September 25, 2007; 01:47 PM ET | Comments (17)
Freshmen 42: The Fight Over SCHIP
A handful of freshman House Democrats are at the center of a fight over whether to expand a children's insurance program. The five -- Michael Arcuri (N.Y.), Gabrielle Giffords (Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Steve Kagen (Wisc.) and Tim Mahoney (Fla.) -- have already been hit by insurance industry ads attacking...
By Paul Kane | September 13, 2007; 02:14 PM ET | Comments (5)
Ranking the Most Powerful in Congress
Who's got more power on Capitol Hill, Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi? Are young guns with political capital like Rahm Emanuel running the show, or is it better to have subpoena power like Henry Waxman? While there really are no official answers to questions like these, two recent power rankings...
By Paul Kane | September 12, 2007; 03:23 PM ET | Comments (25)
Fla. County Says 'No Thanks' to $10 million Earmark
In a highly rare move, a local planning commission in Southwest Florida today overwhelmingly voted to reject a $10 million congressional earmark for a highway project, declaring that local officials never wanted the money in the first place. The Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization passed a resolution pleading for Congress...
By Paul Kane | August 17, 2007; 04:45 PM ET | Comments (20)
The House GOP Leaders' Precipitous Fall
The dissolution of a once proud House Republican leadership team is near complete. Dennis Hastert (Ill.), the affable wrestling-coach-turned-House-speaker, and Deborah Pryce (Ohio), the former head of the GOP Conference, both announced this week that they do not plan to stand for reelection next year, ending political careers that total...
By Paul Kane | August 17, 2007; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (72)
Special Committee Formed to Examine Vote Controversy
Here's an update to today's zaniness in the House regarding the disputed vote Thursday night on a Republican motion: A special committee is being formed to investigate. In an almost unheard of maneuver, the House unanimously agreed to create a special committee -- complete with subpoena power -- to review...
By Paul Kane | August 3, 2007; 10:29 PM ET | Comments (18)
The House Fades into "Blue Screen" as Chaos Reigns
The House is back to "blue screen" - the picture of the Capitol dome with the blue sky above it shown on the internal Capitol television system with the words "recess subject to the call of the chair" across the bottom. And blue screen often means something has gone terribly...
By Paul Kane | August 3, 2007; 04:25 PM ET | Comments (25)
New Ethics Panel 'Not Even Close'
Even as they pass a set of broad lobbying reforms, House Democrats have run into a wall with their consideration of a new internal commission to handle ethics complaints, particularly from outside watchdog groups. Rep. Michael E. Capuano (D-Mass.), who is heading a task force studying the idea of a...
By Paul Kane | August 1, 2007; 01:40 PM ET | Comments (5)
House Members Shell Out $1 Million in Legal Bills
Current and recently departed House members spent nearly $900,000 on legal bills in the 2nd quarter of 2007, largely fighting off criminal investigations regarding corruption allegations. When outstanding debts are factored into the picture, the political legal tab for the quarter hits just beneath $1 million. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska),...
By Paul Kane | July 16, 2007; 03:09 PM ET | Comments (23)
The House's Iraq Vote: A Look at the 'Defectors'
With a 223-201 vote, the House has once again voted to set a deadline for ending major military actions in Iraq, a move that came despite a highly unified Republican opposition to any timeline for withdrawal. The final tally was similar to previous votes that included strong withdrawal language. This...
By Paul Kane | July 12, 2007; 07:23 PM ET | Comments (24)
Dems Hint at Constitutional Showdown Over Miers' No-Show
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee raised the ante Tuesday in their constitutional showdown with the White House, staring at the empty chair where former White House Counsel Harriet Miers was intended to sit and declaring President Bush's claim of executive privilege invalid. Of course, the declaration has no force...
By Paul Kane | July 12, 2007; 04:02 PM ET | Comments (15)
Boehner, From Russia With Love ... for Libby
Shortly before 10 a.m. ET today, House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) became the highest ranking congressional Republican to speak out on President Bush's decision Monday to commute I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's 30-month prison sentence. Boehner's belated statement is more understandable than the silence of most other GOP leaders, since...
By Paul Kane | July 3, 2007; 12:02 PM ET | Comments (16)
Among GOP Lawmakers, All's Quiet on the Libby Front
It's 8 p.m. on Capitol Hill as I type, and all is silent ... on the Republican side of the aisle, at least. Late Monday afternoon, President Bush dropped a political bombshell, commuting the 30-month prison sentence given to I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby for lying to investigators and a grand...
By Paul Kane | July 3, 2007; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (26)
Emanuel's Earmark Curve Ball
Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) today displayed his flair for political gamesmanship, releasing a list of two dozen 2008 budget "earmark" requests he has made to the House Appropriations Committee. Rep. Rahm Emanuel puts his earmark cards on the table. (Getty Images) Emanuel, who is No. 4 in the House Democratic...
By Paul Kane | June 18, 2007; 04:29 PM ET | Comments (19)
Disclosure Odds and Ends: From Airline Miles to Calves
Thanks to the Washington Post's Alec MacGillis, Capitol Briefing can give readers the 999,999th example of why members of Congress live, generally, more charmed lives than the rest of us schleps. Take Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), who's holding assets worth between $1.8 million and $5 million, according to the financial...
By Paul Kane | June 15, 2007; 08:31 AM ET | Comments (20)
Financial Disclosures: A Look at Who Got Extensions
Today is unofficially "Opposition Research Day" here on Capitol Hill, otherwise known as the day when annual financial disclosure forms are due from all 535 members of Congress. Occasionally providing a treasure trove of potential conflicts of interest to be exploited in the next election, financial disclosure forms (FDs in...
By Paul Kane | June 14, 2007; 05:05 PM ET | Comments (11)
House Readies for Earmark Battle
For those of you already going through "Sopranos" withdrawal, the House floor may provide a slight fix this week. House Republicans are planning a series of aggressive tactics later in the week when Democrats try to pass four of the annual appropriations bills, those spending measures that fund the departments...
By Paul Kane | June 11, 2007; 03:46 PM ET | Comments (16)
Van Hollen Sees 60 Seats in Play, Roughly Partisan Parity
With President Bush's continued unpopularity, House Democrats now believe that the 2008 political environment will allow them to play as much offense against Republican incumbents as they have to play defense of their own seats. According to a new memo from Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), chairman of the Democratic...
By Paul Kane | June 7, 2007; 04:09 PM ET | Comments (1)
Republicans Hope to Force Jefferson Vote
The fallout from Rep. William Jefferson's 16-count indictment on bribery, racketeering, money laundering and other charges is moving quickly across Capitol Hill and down into his New Orleans-based district. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) plans to immediately put Democrats on the spot by offering a privileged resolution giving the...
By Paul Kane | June 4, 2007; 05:34 PM ET | Comments (17)
House Dems Show Historic Level of Unity
House Democrats are voting with such unity that, if continued throughout the 110th Congress, their cohesion would be unparalleled in recent congressional history. Through the first five months of the year, the average House Democrat has voted with a majority of his/her caucus colleagues on 94 percent of the 425...
By Paul Kane | June 1, 2007; 05:09 PM ET | Comments (12)
Freshmen 42: Taking Iraq Heat on Both Flanks
[The following post is a combined effort of washingtonpost.com's Ed O'Keefe, who spoke with the MoveOn.org's Eli Pariser yesterday, and Paul Kane.] As the House prepares to vote on the Iraq war funding compromise, freshmen Democrats find themselves catching flak from both their left and right flanks politically. The liberal...
By Paul Kane | May 24, 2007; 01:32 PM ET | Comments (3)
Brady, Fattah Extend Mayoral Losing Streak for House Members
The outcome of yesterday's mayoral primary in Philadelphia illustrates a harsh political reality that the path to City Hall rarely is through Capitol Hill. Two House members who represent parts of Philadelphia -- Reps. Bob Brady and Chaka Fattah -- failed badly in their bids to secure the Democratic nomination...
By Paul Kane | May 16, 2007; 01:45 PM ET | Comments (12)
Barney Frank: Thank You For Not Asking
Few members of Congress are as outwardly pugnacious, confrontational, witty, acid-tongued and downright quotable -- and happy to admit all of the above -- as Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.). Frank is now the chairman of the Financial Services Committee, giving him plenty of power and, presumably, few reasons to be...
By Paul Kane | May 15, 2007; 04:20 PM ET | Comments (18)
Freshmen 42: A First Split on the Iraq War
For the first time since entering Congress on Jan. 3, the House's freshmen Democrats split into different camps last week on a key Iraq war vote. Until last week, the "Freshmen 42" had voted in lock step with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on every major Iraq vote this year,...
By Paul Kane | May 15, 2007; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
Gonzales Finds More Friends in Latest Trip to the Hill
To use a sports analogy, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales doesn't care for playing away games. And three weeks ago, appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Gonzales was very much on the road facing a hostile crowd of Democrats and Republicans who felt they weren't getting straight answers from the AG...
By Paul Kane | May 11, 2007; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (27)
Gonzales Hearing Update: No More Pink
Code Pink is the proper name for the organization that the anti-war protestors belong to, and here's an update on their status at the House hearing where the attorney general is answering questions about the U.S. attorney firings: They've been completely ousted from the hearing room. About eight Code Pink...
By Paul Kane | May 10, 2007; 02:20 PM ET | Comments (4)
Gonzales Hearing Turns 'Pink'
OK, this time around, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's appearance on Capitol Hill began with an act of dignity by the majority. Then the partisan sparks started flying, providing the appearance that House Republicans are much more aggressively defending Gonzales than their Senate GOP counterparts did three weeks ago. The hearing...
By Paul Kane | May 10, 2007; 12:20 PM ET | Comments (14)
A Brewing Battle Over House Committee Assignments
Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives are involved in an increasingly bitter skirmish over one of the most routine congressional acts -- approving committee assignments. Yesterday, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced that senior Republicans had approved Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) to take a seat on the...
By Paul Kane | May 10, 2007; 08:15 AM ET | Comments (5)
Virginia Delegation Heading to Blacksburg
The entire Virginia congressional delegation is expected to trek to the campus of Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va., tomorrow to show support and assess needs at the site of today's mass murder, aides said. Sens. John Warner (R-Va.) and James Webb (D-Va.) will lead the delegation to determine what...
By Paul Kane | April 16, 2007; 09:50 PM ET | Comments (16)
Freshmen 42: The Money Chase
A majority of the most politically endangered freshmen House Democrats set out to raise campaign cash quickly in the first quarter of 2007, according to a review of reports filed yesterday with the Federal Election Commission. Many of the Freshmen 42 -- those first-term House Democrats whose victories handed the...
By Paul Kane | April 16, 2007; 12:50 PM ET | Comments (4)
Wilson: Under Fire But Raising Cash Fast
Two House Republican incumbents under fire over alleged ethics violations have taken different approaches to stockpiling early campaign cash, with one raising money at her fastest clip ever and the other falling behind his fund-raising clip from previous cycles. Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.), who is fighting allegations she pressured a...
By Paul Kane | April 13, 2007; 04:24 PM ET | Comments (9)
Putnam's 11, Seeing 'Red'
Let's call them "Putnam's Eleven." They're the 11 House Republicans who collected $2,500 checks each for their campaign accounts from "Red PAC" the political action committee run by Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.), who, as chairman of the House Republican Conference, is the third-ranking GOP leader in the chamber. Contributions from...
By Paul Kane | April 6, 2007; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (8)
The Freshman 42: Mr. Mitchell's Opus
Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.) is the unofficial "dean" of the Freshmen 42. (File Photo) At 66, he is the oldest member of the newest crop of House Democrats. And, unlike some of the non-politician upstarts who ousted GOP incumbents last November, Mitchell is a veteran politico who served as mayor...
By Paul Kane | March 12, 2007; 03:39 PM ET | Comments (2)
House GOP Faces Reversal of (Absentee) Fortunes
Senators aren't the only ones missing votes, these days. In a reversal of fortunes that makes life that much more difficult for the minority party, House Republicans are having a hard time keeping some of their players on the field. In the first six weeks of the 110th Congress, more...
By Paul Kane | February 22, 2007; 07:10 AM ET | Comments (12)
Pelosi's Big Win...and the GOP's Too
With the passage of the Democrats' Iraq war resolution, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) achieved her most symbolic victory so far in the 110th Congress. However, House Republicans are claiming a moral victory, as just 17 members of their conference joined Democrats to approve the resolution, which expresses the House's disapproval...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | February 16, 2007; 03:43 PM ET | Comments (12)
Rep. Jefferson Gets Seat on Homeland Security
Rep. William Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who's facing an ongoing federal corruption probe, is being granted a spot on the Homeland Security Committee, according to Democratic aides. The appointment will be announced Friday, according to one aide who requested anonymity because the decision isn't yet official. Jefferson was removed from...
By Paul Kane | February 15, 2007; 05:59 PM ET | Comments (35)
By the Numbers: Day 2 of the Iraq Debate
The second full day of the House's Iraq debate actually didn't conclude until early this morning, with the final gavel closing Wednesday's session coming at 12:02 a.m. ET. In a symbolic moment, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) was in the speaker's chair for the final hour or so, meaning lawmakers referred...
By Paul Kane | February 15, 2007; 12:12 PM ET | Comments (19)
Jones's 11 Take on the Surge
Granted, these guys aren't exactly as debonair as Danny Ocean, Rusty Ryan, Linus Caldwell and the rest of the Ocean's 11 characters. But Rep. Walter Jones (N.C.) managed to rally 10 of his fellow House Republicans Wednesday to join him in backing Democrats' resolution expressing disapproval of President Bush's plans...
By Paul Kane | February 15, 2007; 07:45 AM ET | Comments (17)
Iraq Debate, by the Numbers
Day two of the House debate on the Iraq war kicked off promptly at 10:30 a.m. ET this morning, with today's highlight being the floor time Democrats granted to Republican lawmakers who are opposed to President Bush's plan to send in more troops House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer speaks Tuesday...
By Paul Kane | February 14, 2007; 12:23 PM ET | Comments (32)
Reading the Tea Leaves About Dennis Hastert
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert won't make scheduled appearances at a pair of GOP fundraising events this weekend in Arizona, but that shouldn't be taken as a sign that the Illinois Republican is planning to lower his profile in advance of a planned early retirement from Congress. Hastert canceled what...
By Paul Kane | February 13, 2007; 07:45 AM ET | Comments (5)
Bush and the Dems -- Together Again
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- After some shuttle diplomacy over the last week or so, the White House agreed to allow House Democrats to ask President Bush a half-dozen questions today at the conclusion of their 48-hour retreat. That's roughly a third of the number of questions that Bush took a week...
By Paul Kane | February 3, 2007; 03:09 PM ET | Comments (10)
The Clyburn Primary
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - For political junkies reading every tea leaf possible regarding presidential endorsements, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) just wrapped up an interesting conference call with reporters covering the House Democratic retreat here in the cradle of American civilization. Clyburn's call was a chance to recap a panel discussion he...
By Paul Kane | February 2, 2007; 02:15 PM ET | Comments (3)
Bill Clinton Still Expected at House Dems' Retreat
House Democrats heading off to their annual retreat this weekend in Williamsburg, Va., are surely sending positive energy in the direction of their favorite former president, Bill Clinton, whose step-father Richard Kelley passed away Wednesday in Little Rock. News of Kelley's grave condition had already forced Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton...
By Paul Kane | February 1, 2007; 05:32 PM ET | Comments (3)
Tortoise and Hare
One month into the 110th Congress, the hare has taken a huge lead over the tortoise. By the close of business yesterday, Jan. 31, the House had already recorded 73 roll call votes; the Senate, 39. The House has already passed 11 different pieces of major legislation -- from reforming...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | February 1, 2007; 01:24 PM ET | Comments (1)
Wasting Away Again ... in Moneyville
For members of Congress, it's never too early to start raising money for the next campaign, whether a lawmaker won in a photo finish or completely trampled the opponent. This week alone there are at least 14 different fundraisers for House Republicans looking to stock their war chests, according to...
By Paul Kane | January 30, 2007; 05:12 PM ET | Comments (3)
SOTU, Take Two
CAMBRIDGE, Md. - State of the union, take two. In a speech meant to help rally his House Republican troops, President Bush rehashed much of his address from earlier this week for a about 160 members of the GOP conference as they are wrapping up a 48-hour retreat with an...
By Paul Kane | January 26, 2007; 01:48 PM ET | Comments (13)
Out of the Majority ... And the Spotlight
CAMBRIDGE, Md. -- Here's the latest example of what it means to be in the minority party: This year's House GOP conference retreat to the Eastern Shore has drawn roughly one-third the number of press as in years past. Last year, according to those who've participated before, a couple dozen...
By Paul Kane | January 25, 2007; 04:35 PM ET | Comments (1)
House GOP Retreats ... to the Eastern Shore
Capitol Briefing is on the move this morning, heading down to Maryland's Eastern Shore for the House Republican Conference's retreat, the first such meeting for most of these GOP lawmakers where they'll be convening as the minority party. It should be an interesting couple days as Republicans mull over their...
By Paul Kane | January 25, 2007; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Much Ado About Tuna?
It's been a dozen years since they were in the minority, but House Republicans are quickly adopting the sort of legislative tactics needed to needle the all-powerful Democrats -- filing motions to adjourn the chamber before big votes, offering privileged resolutions claiming rules violations and, now, adopting Charlie the Tuna...
By Paul Kane | January 24, 2007; 04:22 PM ET | Comments (8)
The Night the Lights Went Down in Statuary Hall
For a brief few minutes, a major crisis broke out Tuesday evening inside the Capitol's ornate Statuary Hall: The lights went out. And with it, dozens of television cameras immediately lost their ability to get good shots of the members of Congress pouring into the room to give their reactions...
By Paul Kane | January 24, 2007; 12:25 AM ET | Comments (1)
House Dems Aim to Avert Freshmen Losses in '08
Key House Democrats are once again looking in the rearview mirror, studying the Republican revolution of 1994 in hopes of drawing lessons from the opposition party's experience on how to keep their majority in the next election cycles. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, head of House Democrats' campaign arm, is betting...
By Paul Kane | January 23, 2007; 11:06 AM ET | Comments (8)
The Speaker vs. The Dean
The U.S. Congress is an intriguing place inhabited by plenty of charismatic leaders and back-bench eccentrics. Collecting all those egos under one dome, as you would expect, results in plenty of rivalries -- many of which are rooted in personal battles rather than ideological animus. John Dingell was first elected...
By Paul Kane | January 22, 2007; 05:45 PM ET | Comments (5)
Pelosi's "Will" to Govern
As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sees it, Democrats will get the job done in the 110th Congress. In her "prebuttal" to the president's State of the Union Address, Pelosi today use declarative language in an effort to display her confidence in Democrats' new majority. At least five different times in...
By Paul Kane | January 19, 2007; 03:43 PM ET | Comments (5)
