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House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has renewed his call for Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) to resign as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. “When it comes to the relationship between the American people and those they elect to serve them, trust is everything,” Boehner wrote in a letter to Rangel sent Friday. “This is especially true at a difficult time such as this for our nation, when Americans are looking to their government for leadership and solutions, and finding both in short supply. “For this reason, I am writing to again respectfully urge that you step aside as...

FOR POLITICIANS with major bad news to release or to make public, there's no time like the dead of August to do it. The thinking goes that the public won't remember a thing come September. We hope Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) will have no such luck. His belated revelation of previously unreported income, property and bank accounts demands that he step aside as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Mr. Rangel's amended financial disclosure form, which exposes omissions from his 2002 through 2006 records, is a treasure trove of outrage. He neglected to report a checking account...

With the death of US Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) the Democrats lose their sixty-seat filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. This will make the passing of Obama agenda legislation – specifically healthcare – more difficult until Massachusetts seats its next Junior Senator, who promises to be a Democrat. The loss of even one Democrat in the Senate is cause for concern for Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) because he has a rogue element within his Democrat caucus, the Blue Dog Democrats. In Washington, it is all about counting the votes at any given moment on any piece of legislation. As they...

Last week, the Washington Post had a story discussing potential conflicts of interest of the members of the House ethics committee over its investigation of alleged earmark irregularities linked to the lobbying firm PMA Group. PMA has close ties to a number of Members of Congress, including the powerful chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.). It turns out that the 10 members of the ethics panel have requested a number of earmarks from Murtha’s subcommittee. Let me start by saying that I have met with the chairwoman and ranking member of the Committee on Standards...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US House of Representatives voted Friday to pump another two billion dollars into a program that lets consumers trade in gas-guzzling cars and trucks for more efficient vehicles. Lawmakers voted 316-109 to prime the "cash-for-clunkers" program with monies taken from a giant economic stimulus package approved in early 2009 after the vastly popular effort burned through one billion dollars in its first week. The measure must now clear the US Senate, where its fate is far less clear, amid disputes on whether to require higher fuel efficiency and greater emissions reductions before extending the campaign. The...

To claim that the Congress is being run by an ape-wild gang of ring-tailed baboons going on a pilfering and plundering spree would be a gross understatement. They flush taxpayer dollars down the toilet faster than Joe Biden can reel off a string of foot-in-mouth inaccuracies. This is true with both the House and the Senate. However, at least on the House side, the Democratic leadership is not only exhibiting the pillage habits of zoo animals but the ethics and fairness of the Chicago mob.

WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives working on climate change bill said on Tuesday that they had reached a deal on difficult agriculture issues that will clear the way for a vote, and probable passage, in the chamber this week. "We have an agreement finally," said House Agriculture Committee chairman Collin Peterson whose support has been widely sought by House Democratic leaders. Representative Henry Waxman, a main proponent for legislation to reduce industrial emissions of carbon dioxide told reporters the U.S. Department of Agriculture, not the Environmental Protection Agency, will be put in charge...

Joining Obama in Trinidad and Tobago: Sen. Max Baucus (D)and Reps. Xavier Becerra (D), Kevin Brady (R), Dan Burton (R), Yvette Clarke (D), Bill Delahunt (D), Eliot Engel (D), Sam Farr (D), Sander Levin (D), Connie Mack (R), Mary Bono Mack (R), Kendrick Meek (D), Gregory Meeks (D), Donald Payne (D), Charlie Rangel (D), Nydia Velazquez (D) and Delegates Pedro Pierluisi (D) and Donna M. Christensen (D).

WASHINGTON – As an eager rookie in the House of Representatives, Tom McClintock came to Capitol Hill in January, ready to honor a popular president who had transformed the nation's politics. Yes, Ronald Reagan's 98th birthday was approaching. And McClintock, the new Republican congressman from California's 4th District, offered a resolution to celebrate the Gipper's life. It was never taken up by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. "We were informed by the committee that they don't do birthday resolutions any more," McClintock said. The resolution was one of two pieces of legislation sponsored by McClintock in his first...

Now that congressional candidates have filed their first-quarter Federal Election Commission fundraising reports, a clearer picture of the 2010 election cycle is developing. The following is POLITICO’s list of the top 10 insights gleaned from the first round of fundraising — and what they reveal about the 2010 landscape.

ALBANY—Judge James Brands just ruled that most of the over 1,200 contested absentee ballots in the race to replace Kirsten Gillibrand in Congress were objected to improperly based on discrepancies in their applications. This means many more ballots will be counted. Henry Berger, an attorney for Democratic candidate Scott Murphy, argued this morning that these ballots should all be counted because boards of election already issued them. Any problems with those ballots - from an invalid reason for the request to a missing date - cannot be challenged because the determination was already made by elections officials to send them...

President Obama is heading to Virginia Thursday night for a retreat with House Democrats, as Senate leaders on Capitol Hill continue to wrestle with the president's contentious economic stimulus package. But whether they'll be any closer to an agreement on the more than $900 billion bill by the time he gets back is anyone's guess. A couple of senior Democratic aides told FOX News late Thursday final passage of the current bill is very likely Friday despite the efforts of a group of 18 senators who have been negotiating a compromise package to get more senators on board. The group...

I have recently had several opportunities on various news programs to discuss the economy and what is wrong with the so-called economic stimulus package. I have said over and over what we shouldn’t be doing, and now I’d like to explain what we should be doing. But to improve the situation, you must first have a solid grasp of how we got here. Government policies and central planning created the housing bubble, now going bust. About a decade ago the government made expanded homeownership and affordable housing a public goal. Through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the secondary mortgage market...

The unanimous vote by House Republicans against President Obama's stimulus plan provided an early indication that the GOP hopes to regain power by becoming the champion of small government, a reputation many felt slipped away during the high-spending Bush years. The bill passed easily despite the opposition of all 177 Republican House members, but party leaders delighted in what they considered a victory after two straight electoral drubbings and much soul-searching about what the party stands for. "How about those House Republicans?" cheered Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a vocal small-government advocate, at a Heritage Foundation appearance yesterday.

In a shocker, there will be a GOP Rep. in New Orleans. In a surprising twist, GOPers won a sweep in LA tonight in two general elections, picking up embattled Rep. Bill Jefferson's (D-LA 02) seat in New Orleans, and holding retiring Rep. Jim McCrery's (R) seat in the Shreveport-based Fourth District. But the surprise of the night, and possibly the cycle, was in the Big Easy. Atty Ahn “Joseph” Cao (R) defeated Jefferson 50-47%. Dems outnumber GOPers here 6-1, and African Americans make up 61% of the vote. But the NRCC must've had an inkling that something was up...

LA-2 , Orleans, Jefferson Parish: In a huge upset win, little known Republican attorney Anh "Joseph" Cao beat nine term and criminally indicted William Jefferson(D). Jefferson had been expected to easily win. Cao becomes the first Vietnamese member of U.S. Congress. LA-4, Shreveport-Bossier City, Sabine Parish, et. al., Western LA, TX/AR border: Republican Dr. John Fleming wins. Fleming was trailing by about 3% early in the election results but came on strong in the end to beat Carmouche(D) by 356 votes. Carmouche has not conceded election – recount probably pending. With these results, the 111th U.S. House of Representatives...

House Republicans installed Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions at the helm of their campaign arm (National Republican Congressional Committee) this afternoon, betting he can round up the cash and candidates they’ll need to climb out of a deepening hole in the next elections. That makes a pair of Texans responsible for GOP efforts to boost their ranks in both the House and Senate. On Tuesday, Sen. John Cornyn won the chairmanship of the Senate GOP campaign committee (National Republican Senatorial Committee - FR Thread) a coincidence that reflects Texas’ status as a mother lode of Republican votes and donors, an increasing...

WASHINGTON, (AP) -- With their Northern California House race still too close to call, Republican Tom McClintock and Democrat Charlie Brown will be heading to the nation's capital next week for orientation for new lawmakers. Both were invited by House leaders, as were contestants of both parties in another uncalled race in Ohio — along with some 50 new House members who won election outright. "We believe Tom will be elected to represent the 4th Congressional District, and it is important for him to attend orientation in order to best serve the people," said McClintock's spokesman, Bill George. Said Brown's...

A fiercely contested race between six-term U.S. Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., R-Rocky Mount, and Democrat Tom Perriello of Ivy was too close to call at press time Tuesday night. With 97.4 percent of precincts reporting, it appeared that Perriello, a 34-year-old national security consultant, and Goode, 62, were in a dead heat. Perriello had 50.11 per-cent of the vote, compared with Goode’s 49.83 per-cent. The Associated Press and CNN both projected Goode as the winner Tuesday, but Perriello took a slight lead over Goode late in the evening.

Of all the politicians this newspaper has encountered, Virgil H. Goode Jr. is among the most sincere in his efforts for constituents and the least caught up in politics and paybacks. He does what he believes is right. That’s a rare quality in Washington these days. If for no other reason than to present the Beltway insiders with an example of a true independent, the 5th District should re-elect Virgil Goode. But there are other reasons — such as that constituent concern. Mr. Goode is well known for his work in assisting 5th District residents with their problems. His record...

On RFFM.org you will find a list of those Congressional members who voted "yea" for a nearly $1 trillion rape of the American taxpayer: http://rffm.typepad.com/republicans_for_fair_medi/2008/10/the-bipartisan-boondoggle-which-members-of-congress-voted-yea---putting-the-us-nearly-1-trillion-in-more-debt.html I am not an economist. I am simply an American citizen who knows when it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and defecates like a duck, it's a duck. Late last week, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed a bill that will put the U.S. government nearly $1 trillion deeper in debt. Earlier in the week, the House of Reps. found some political backbone and rejected the $700 billion pork-laden bailout...

About one in five adults in the US still smokes The US House of Representatives has voted to treat tobacco as a drug and have it regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill would tighten restrictions on advertising, impose new penalties for selling to children and require all new products to be approved by the FDA. But the White House threatened to veto the bill, saying it would put an enormous burden on the FDA. It also said having FDA approval could make people think cigarettes are safe. Industry funded The bill cleared the House with a...

U. S. Representative, 6th Congressional District 508 of 512 precincts reporting Click here for Results by Parish 49,312 49.24% "Don" Cazayoux, D - 46,282 46.22% Louis "Woody" Jenkins, R - 443 .44% Peter J. Aranyosi, N - 3,705 3.70% Ashley Casey, N - 397 .40% Randall T. Hayes, O -

Posted by: John Campbell at 6:36 PM Early in the morning on Sunday, as we were finishing up amendments on the Defense Appropriations bill, I debated an earmark challenge with the Chairman of the Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations, Congressman John Murtha (D-PA). The earmark allocated $2 million to Sherwin-Williams Paint Company to develop what they described as a "paint shield to protect against microbial attacks." As the sponsor of the amendment, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-OH) did not come down to defend her earmark. The defense was left to Congressman Murtha. Here is a link to this brief debate, now keep...

Nadler just called Bush a criminal, Republicans object and ask him to withdraw statement. Nadler says he "withdraws his accurate statement." Heated debate continues with Democrat lies.....

A busted computer system hamstrung the House of Representatives for at least 45 minutes Friday on one of the tensest legislative days of the year.The House's electronic voting system malfunctioned at approximately 2pm as lawmakers began a vote on a procedural motion sponsored by Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.). Projectors that usually display how each member voted and show a tally of votes were not working, although votes were still being recorded on computers at various locations in the House chamber. The mishap came during the final two days of legislative activity before a month-long recess, a time when tensions run...

In a massive flare-up of partisan tensions, Republicans walked out on a House vote late Thursday night to protest what they believed to be Democratic maneuvers to reverse an unfavorable outcome for them. The flap represents a complete breakdown in parliamentary procedure and an unprecedented low for the sometimes bitterly divided chamber. The rancor erupted shortly before 11 p.m. as Rep. Michael R. McNulty (D-N.Y.) gaveled close the vote on a standard procedural measure with the outcome still in doubt. Details remain fuzzy, but numerous Republicans argued afterward that they had secured a 215-213 win on their motion to bar...

11:49 AM PDT, August 2, 2007 WASHINGTON -- The House today passed a measure to mandate more rest at home for troops serving in Iraq, with Democrats taking another swipe at President Bush's management of the war on the eve of Congress' summer recess. The legislation — which passed 229 to 194, with six Republicans joining the majority — stands little chance of becoming law. A similar proposal sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) was blocked by Senate Republicans last month, and the White House today issued a veto threat. But as lawmakers prepare to go home to face their...

House Republicans yesterday unveiled a resolution expressing their disapproval of the Senate immigration bill. It was offered by Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), and simply read: “resolved the House GOP Conference disapproves of the Senate immigration bill.” The move puts the House Republican Conference at odds with President Bush, who has endorsed the Senate bill. Hoekstra said that while he preferred not to break with the president, the language and content of the Senate bill compelled him to vocalize his opposition. It is the second time this year that members of the House Republican Conference have publicly vocalized opposition to Bush...

In a just concluded House GOP Conference voted 114 to 23 to reject the Senate's Amnesty Bill. Pelosi has now signaled that the House will start fresh on the Amnesty Bill and will not just embrace the Senate version. It looks like, in fact, the House will . . . dare we say it . . . have committee hearings on the bill.

Jun. 21, 2007 17:38 | Updated Jun. 21, 2007 17:46 House urges UN to charge Ahmadinejad By BY HILARY LEILA KRIEGER AND JTA The US House of Representatives urged the UN Security Council Wednesday to charge Iran's president under genocide conventions. The non-binding resolution, initiated by Reps. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Steve Rothman (D-N.J.), passed by 411-2. It cites an October 27 speech in which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad allegedly called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" and calls for the Security Council to charge him under its 1948 convention for the prevention of genocide. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) attempted...

The House last week approved about $8 billion in earmarks as part of the 2008 defense authorization bill, with the wealth shared by both Democrats and Republicans. Given their majority, however, Democrats claimed close to 60 percent of the bill’s earmarks. Because of new House rules, for the first time the earmarks have been disclosed as part of the bill’s report. The current list of earmarks includes the budget account, the project description, the intended recipient and beneficiary as well as the name of the requesting member. This year, the House approved a $504 billion defense authorization bill. Among the...

...Minority Leader John Boehner and the GOP leadership deserve credit for making a spirited argument against the resolution that clearly won over many of their skittish backbenchers. Credit, too, to such "moderate" GOP Members as John McHugh of New York and Jim Saxton of New Jersey, who opposed the resolution despite the unpopularity of the war in their states. And credit as well to the two Democrats, Gene Taylor of Mississippi and Jim Marshall of Georgia, who didn't join their party's defeatist ranks. As for those in favor, no fewer than 69 Members were for the war before they were...

Veterans from World War II through the current conflict in Iraq led off debate yesterday as the House of Representatives took up a resolution to oppose President Bush's troop increase for Iraq. "Walking in my own combat boots, I saw firsthand this administration's failed policy in Iraq," said Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., a 33-year-old freshman and the first Iraq combat veteran to serve in Congress. Rep. Duncan Hunter, 58, a California Republican and Vietnam veteran, argued a widely held opposing view, that the resolution signals "the first sound of retreat in the world battle against extremists and terrorists." With the...

THE REAL story always wins out. After weeks of denying that he was interested in the UMass Lowell chancellor's job, Rep. Marty Meehan finally fessed up last week, and was interviewed by the 21-member Search Committee on Friday. The 50-year-old congressman handles the sharp focus of the press better than many pols, but in recent days he delivered his denials with atypical vehemence. Bending over backwards to prove his point, Meehan asked: How can I leave with the Democrats now in control of the House? How can I leave when I'm now chairman of a high-profile subcommittee of the Armed...

Thank you, OXENinFLA for putting together the below comments and links!. Since "Free Republic is an online gathering place for independent, grass-roots conservatism on the web. We're working to roll back decades of governmental largesse, to root out political fraud and corruption, and to champion causes which further conservatism in America.", I and others think it's a good idea to centralize what the goes on in the Senate (or House). So if you see something happening on the Senate/House floor and you don't want to start a new thread to ask if anyone else just heard what you heard, you...

Mounting population losses are all but certain to cost Massachusetts one of its 10 congressional seats after the 2010 Census, two new studies have projected. However, Secretary of State William F. Galvin has already begun a campaign to keep all the US House seats, focusing on making sure all students and immigrants get counted to boost Massachusetts' sagging population

A Tallahassee circuit judge today denied Democrat Christine Jennings’ request to expedite her lawsuit challenging the outcome of her District 13 Congressional race against Republican Vern Buchanan. The decision by Judge William Gary means the next critical event in the disputed election will occur Tuesday when the state Division of Elections begins its testing of touch-screen machines used in the election. Jennings has alleged the machines malfunctioned during the election, resulting in more than 18,000 undervotes in Sarasota County, and she has asked for a new election. In his order, Gary said Jennings and Buchanan can have their computer experts...

WASHINGTON - If a recount in Sarasota fails to award Democrat Christine Jennings a seat in Congress, she has a final recourse: The newly Democratic-controlled U.S. House. A little-known provision in the U.S. Constitution gives the House the final decision on who sits in its chamber. House staffers have already been dispatched to Sarasota to monitor the recounts, and both candidates in District 13 - Jennings and Republican Vern Buchanan - say they are aware that a disputed election could be appealed to Washington. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a South Florida Democrat working with Jennings, said she hopes it wouldn't...

This is a favorite topic of mine. In investing, we can look at two markets and imply a third. That's basically how options work. Well...we can do the same for predictions markets. At Tradesports, they offer futures contracts for how many seats they Democrats will pickup in the house. They offer contract for several different scenarios (i.e., greater than 14.5 seats, or greater than 19.5 seats). Assuming a logonormal distribution, we can find an implied mean and standard devation. The chart above shows the mean number seats the Democrats looks to gain (black line) with plus and minus one...

Media reality says that the Democrats are going to win — either a colossal win or at least a narrow win — in the House and Senate races November 7. Maybe. But I am sticking to my view, expressed last June 15, that the Republicans will actually gain seats this fall, both in the House and in the Senate. Well, maybe only in the Senate, while holding the House. Put another way, I am expecting a delicious “November Surprise.” I know, I know. Unrealistic. All my friends who are numbers crunchers and “realistic” think that the Republicans are toast. Some...

The Washington Times offered an article today about improving GOP prospects that, to me anyway, seemed long on conclusions and short on evidence. Their thesis: There has been a palpable shift in the mood in Washington in recent weeks. No longer are insiders in both parties sharing predictions of a Democratic rout of Republicans. Some on both sides had expected an election debacle for the Republicans, driven by the Iraq war, high gas prices and the perception that a Republican-led Washington can neither shoot nor spend straight.Now those perceptions have changed. First off, let me just note the strategic...

Don't Trust the Scorpion By Herman CainA variation on a centuries-old parable goes like this: A scorpion wants to cross a stream but, since he cannot swim, the scorpion will need some help. A frog soon hops by and the scorpion says, "Mr. Frog, I would like to get to the other side of the stream, but I cannot swim. Would you carry me on your back?" The wary frog replies, "But you are a scorpion. As soon as we get halfway across you will sting me. Then we will both drown." "Don't be ridiculous," the scorpion replies. "Why would...

Hezbocrats Attack Wal-Mart By Herman Cain The Hezbocrats, a roaming band of militant guerrillas seeking their party’s 2008 nomination for president, have most recently lobbed their rhetorical bombs at Wal-Mart, that cruel capitalist occupying corporation. The most recent base of Hezbocrat activity was Iowa, the state whose January 2008 party caucuses are the nation’s first measure of presidential preference. The Hezbocrats, armed with nothing more than Katyusha-grade class warfare rhetoric, descended upon Iowa earlier this month determined to take down Wal-Mart, a company they consider the nation’s largest capitalistic oppressor of the proletariat. Leading Hezbocrats, including Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE),...

Where Congress Fumbles, the States Recover By Herman Cain August 16, 2006 "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." – 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution The inability and unwillingness of Congress this year to cut federal spending, restructure Social Security, eliminate the estate tax and protect our borders has been well documented. If the Republicans lose seats this November in one or both chambers, they will have their self-imposed legislative impotence to blame. Fortunately, many of the...

Democrats Can't Hit the Trifecta By Herman CainHouse and Senate Democrats have made an increase in the federal minimum wage a centerpiece of their 2006 plan to take back control of Congress. Yet when Republicans last week offered up the "trifecta" bill, which contained the minimum wage increase Democrats demand, the Democrats balked and opposed it. Democrats claimed that the coupling of a minimum wage increase with reductions in the estate tax was a dirty political trick they could not accept. If the minimum wage increase was so important to the Democrats' election year agenda, why did they oppose it...

Thanks to Congressman Jeff Flake's 19 anti-pork amendments, we now have every House member on record regarding their positions on earmarks. Before now, House members have been able to avoid scrutiny because their pork was co-mingled with other projects and tucked into the dark corners of big spending bills. Or they were able to withstand the scrutiny because they were attacked as a whole chamber and not directly attacked themselves. But because of Flake's amendments, they were recently forced to cast up-or-down votes on specific projects. They could no longer deflect attention. Below is a summary scorecard of how they...

The Constitution in Crisis; The Downing Street Minutes and Deception, Manipulation, Torture, Retribution, and Coverups in the Iraq War, and Illegal Domestic Surveillance

10. Steve Chabot (98%) – Liberals want Chabot’s seat. He’s in an evenly split district (Bush got 51% against Kerry), but that hasn’t weakened his exceptionally strong voting record. 9. Joe Pitts (99%) – A Vietnam veteran, Pitts has quietly attained a very conservative voting record in a state that continues to lurch leftward because of its increasing RINO congressional representation. 8. Sue Myrick (99%) – She’s part of the celebrated Class of 1994 who continues to fight for limited government even after 12 years in Washington. 7. Todd Akin (100%) – Akin was one of the 25 brave fiscal...