Category: POLITICS

Will Jim Jordan bully his way to the speakership? 

Oct. 14 By RACHAEL BADE Back in September 2016, Rep. Jim Jordan was on a crusade: He wanted the House to launch impeachment proceedings against IRS Commissioner John Koskinen over allegations that the agency had targeted conservatives. But Jordan (R-Ohio) had a problem: GOP party…

Republicans ramp up search for an escape hatch from speaker chaos 

Oct. 13 By SARAH FERRIS Centrists are signaling they’re open to a deal. Democrats are outlining terms. With no speaker in sight yet, House Republicans are ramping up their discussions about a way to reopen the chamber. A bipartisan solution to the GOP’s leadership chaos…

Empty speaker’s office aggravates House-Senate beef 

Oct. 7 By BURGESS EVERETT The chaos-ridden, speaker-less House is threatening to stymie a host of bipartisan legislative efforts across the Capitol — and senators are getting really tired of it. Forget the expectations earlier this year of achieving even modest policy reforms, or passing…

Inside the bipartisan deal that might have saved Kevin McCarthy 

Oct. 6 By SARAH FERRIS Centrists in the House attempted to engineer a last-minute bipartisan power-sharing agreement that could have saved Kevin McCarthy’s speakership — a frantic but failed effort that continued just hours before the fateful vote. Democrats in the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus…

McHenry named as acting speaker 

Oct. 3 By KATHERINE TULLY-MCMANUS Rep. Patrick McHenry is now the acting speaker, the House Clerk announced immediately after Kevin McCarthy was stripped of the gavel in a historic House vote. The speaker pro tempore is imbued with all the powers of an elected speaker…

US Near-Miss With Government Shutdown Illustrates Washington Dysfunction 

Oct. 1 By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. narrowly dodged its fourth partial government shutdown in a decade on Sunday, but the past week exposed the depths of political dysfunction in Washington and particularly within the splintered House Republican caucus. A last-minute decision…