David R. Sands

House panel’s chief counsel seeks censure for Rangel

The chief counsel for the House Ethics Committee Thursday recommended that New York Democratic Rep. Charles B. Rangel be censured after the panel concluded he was guilty of 11 violations of House rules regarding financial reporting, use of official resources and fund-raising.

November 18, 2010

McConnell blasts Obama handling of terror trial

The Senate's top Republican Thursday sharply attacked the Obama administration's handling of the trial against Guantanamo Bay detainee Ahmed Ghailani, a day after a New York City jury acquitted the Tanzanian native of all but one of some 280-plus charges related to the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Asia.

November 18, 2010

Food-safety overhaul bill clears hurdle in Senate

With a number of Republicans breaking ranks, the Senate on Wednesday voted to allow debate to go forward on what supporters say would be the biggest overhaul of the nation's food-safety laws since the Great Depression.

November 17, 2010

Recess-appointed Medicare chief gets first grilling

Senate Republicans on Tuesday took aim at President Obama's appointee to oversee a major component of his health care overhaul plan, complaining about the way the nomination was made and the lack of time given to lawmakers to question him.

November 17, 2010

Medicare chief grilled on the Hill

Senate Republicans Tuesday took aim at President Obama's choice to oversee a key component of his health care overhaul plan, complaining about the way the choice was made and the lack of time given to lawmakers to question him.

November 17, 2010

Senate breaks filibuster on food safety bill

In one of the first votes of the lame-duck session of Congress, a number of Senate Republicans crossed the aisle to allow debate to move forward on a bill to strengthen the nation's food safety laws.

November 17, 2010

Rangel sentencing set for Thursday

The full House Ethics Committee will meet Thursday to determine the punishment for New York Democratic Rep. Charles B. Rangel, who was found guilty Tuesday of 11 counts of violating congressional financial reporting and fund-raising rules.

November 17, 2010

Chamber condemns ‘regulatory tsunami’

The head of the nation's largest business lobby Tuesday announced a stepped-up plan to fight a wave of new federal regulations coming in the wake of President Obama's health care, banking and environmental reforms.

November 17, 2010

Kyl drops bomb on arms treaty prospects

President Obama's bid to win ratification of a new strategic arms pact with Russia suffered a major blow on Tuesday when a key Republican senator came out against holding a vote before the Senate adjourns at the end of the year.

November 16, 2010

House panel: Rangel found guilty of ethics violations

A House panel Tuesday found New York Democratic Rep. Charles B. Rangel guilty of 11 of 13 ethics violations, a stunning rebuke to one of Capitol Hill's most powerful black lawmakers.

November 16, 2010

Kyl opposes quick vote on missile pact

The Republican point man on a major new missile pact with Russia said that he doubted the Senate had enough time in the lame-duck session to debate and vote on the treaty.

November 16, 2010

Ethics case goes on, minus Rangel

Capitol Hill's most celebrated ethics trial in years continued Monday without the defendant after Rep. Charles B. Rangel, New York Democrat, walked out on the proceedings, claiming he was not given the time to prepare a defense and lacked the money to pay for an attorney to represent him.

November 15, 2010

Charles Rangel walks out of hearing after ethics panel rejects delay

Saying he had been denied the right to counsel, Rep. Charles B. Rangel slammed a House ethics hearing into charges he violated more than a dozen House rules and said he would not participate in the panel's deliberations.

November 15, 2010

Tax-cut extension deal takes shape on Hill

The White House and Republicans in Congress edged ever closer to a deal Sunday on at least a temporary extension of all of the George W. Bush-era tax breaks that are due to expire at the end of the year.

November 14, 2010

Ethics panel sets Monday hearing for Rangel

A House panel has set a Monday morning date to hear the ethics case against New York Democratic Rep. Charles B. Rangel, former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and long one of the most influential black lawmakers in Congress.

November 12, 2010

Deficit report favors ‘do-nothing Congress’

Buried inside the wide-ranging blueprint put out this week by the respected co-chairmen of President Obama's bipartisan commission to slash the federal deficit is a powerful argument for doing nothing.

November 11, 2010

Deficit panel’s Rx: ‘Cancer’ surgery

The chairmen of President Obama's bipartisan deficit commission tipped their hand Wednesday, releasing a stark, sweeping proposal to rein in federal debts and deficits with cuts to spending programs, Social Security and Medicaid benefits and an increase in the retirement age over the next four decades from 65 to 68.

November 10, 2010

Draft deficit-reduction proposal targets Social Security, tax breaks

A sweeping draft proposal offered by the Democratic and Republican chairmen of President Obama's deficit reduction commission Wednesday endorsed a string of painful measures to rein in the government deficit, including reduced cost-of-living increases for Social Security recipients, Medicare cuts and ending or curbing popular tax breaks such as the home mortgage interest deduction.

November 10, 2010

Rhee to resign from D.C. schools

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee will step down Wednesday as head of the city's troubled public school system, ending a 3½-year tenure during which she became a symbol of urban education reform nationally but a deeply polarizing figure in the city she served.

October 12, 2010

Obama takes hard line on tax cuts

President Obama used his first press conference in months to draw a sharp line with congressional Republicans on economic policy and the fate of expiring tax cuts passed under predecessor President George W. Bush.

September 10, 2010