President-elect Barack Obama's pick for U.S. Treasury Secretary came under fire Tuesday on Capitol Hill for employing a housekeeper with expired immigration papers and for failing to pay his full taxes. Published January 14, 2009
House Democrats put their beefed up majority to work Friday to pass two bills that ease limits on pay discrimination lawsuits, the first pieces of legislation passed this session. Published January 10, 2009
President-elect Barack Obama sought to move the economic stimulus debate past broad agreement on the outlines, pushing Congress to overcome squabbles or risk a long recession that threatens America's standing. Published January 9, 2009
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed Thursday to have a roughly $1 trillion economic stimulus bill on the floor during the week of President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration Jan. 20 and passed through Congress within three weeks. Published January 8, 2009
Democratic leaders backpedaled furiously Wednesday from past vows to block a Senate seat going to Roland W. Burris, whose appointment by scandal-smeared Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich over fellow Democrats' objections cast a pall over the opening days of the 111th Congress. Published January 8, 2009
UPDATED: An increasingly confident Roland W. Burris of Illinois, whose disputed appointment to the U.S. Senate has befuddled the Democratic leadership, said Wednesday that a path has been cleared for him to assume the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. Published January 7, 2009
The 111th Congress opened Tuesday to a raucous start on a day typically reserved for ceremony, as Democrats dealt with an embarrassing sideshow over President-elect Barack Obama's replacement in the Senate and pushed through rules changes to limit minority Republicans' ability to influence legislation. Published January 7, 2009
Disputed Senate appointee Roland W. Burris' quest to be seated in the chamber Monday ended abruptly in the Secretary of the Senate's office, where his credentials were rejected. Published January 6, 2009
President-elect Barack Obama laid his huge economic stimulus plan before Congress on Monday and received warm support from Republicans on his first full day of work in Washington. Published January 6, 2009
UPDATED: Democratic congressional leaders expect to pass a massive economic-stimulus package and other pieces of long-sought legislation - such as expanded stem-cell research funding and more money for poor children's medical insurance - in the first several weeks of the 111th Congress. Published January 5, 2009
Senate Democrats are bracing for a raucous opening day of the 111th Congress this week if disputed new members Roland W. Burris of Illinois and Al Franken of Minnesota try to claim seats in the chamber. Published January 4, 2009
Friends of the Earth on Monday attacked President-elect Barack Obama's call for new infrastructure projects in his economic-stimulus package, saying it's a road to pollution. Published December 17, 2008
Friends of the Earth on Monday attacked President-elect Barack Obama's call for an economic stimulus package heavy on new infrastructure projects, saying it's a road to pollution. Published December 16, 2008
Republicans angrily demanded that President Bush respect the legislative process after the Senate blocked financial aid to the automakers and the White House said that using Wall Street bailout funds is an option. Published December 13, 2008
UPDATED: Republicans on Friday angrily demanded that President Bush respect the legislative process after the White House declared it could rescue automakers on its own, following the Senate's block of the bailout measure. Published December 12, 2008
UPDATED: Senate leaders gave up Thursday night on a $14 billion automaker bailout, sunk by the refusal of the autoworkers union to agree to the concessions that Republicans had cried out. Published December 12, 2008
Senate leaders struggled Thursday to salvage a $14 billion automaker bailout headed for defeat amid Republican qualms that it wasn't tough enough to change the Big Three's business ways, didn't do enough to protect taxpayers and gave too much power to a "car czar" to oversee the deal. Published December 11, 2008
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell threw his weight behind a Republican filibuster of the $14 billion auto bailout Thursday, crippling the measure's chances for surviving a vote that could come as soon as Friday. Published December 11, 2008
The $15 billion bailout loan for Detroit automakers that the House passed Wednesday is still far from a done deal as a collection of Senate Republicans is raising roadblocks to the taxpayer-funded handout brokered by Democrats and the White House. Published December 11, 2008
Top Democrat Rep. Chris Van Hollen said his party recognizes it is responsible for the performance of the federal government and must deliver on President-elect Obama's list of campaign promises - or else. Published December 11, 2008
