Washington (CNN) - An envelope that tested positive for the deadly poison ricin was intercepted Tuesday afternoon at the U.S. Capitol's off-site mail facility in Washington, congressional and law enforcement sources tell CNN.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he was told the letter was addressed to the office of Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi. After the envelope tested positive in a first routine test, it was retested two more times, each time coming up positive, the law enforcement source said. The package was then sent to a Maryland lab for further testing.
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Washington (CNN) - As proponents of gun control legislation in the Senate struggle to get enough votes for their bill, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, say they feel "optimistic" that the bipartisan compromise will get enough approval.
And Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia indicated the bill could potentially be tweaked to convince opponents to join their side, while Vice President Joe Biden said advocates are "working" to get the 60 votes needed to pass.
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Washington (CNN) – It was hard enough getting one Democrat and one Republican to work out a compromise on expanding background checks of gun buyers.
Now comes the vote on whether the amendment by Sens. Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey can win Senate approval - the next step on the tortuous path of gun legislation in the aftermath of the Newtown school massacre.
FULL STORYWashington (CNN) - The bipartisan "Gang of Eight" senators crafting a deal on comprehensive immigration reform, having reached an agreement on all of the major issues, is set to unveil its plan on Tuesday, sources with knowledge of the matter said.
While some small details still need to be ironed out, negotiators were able to find common ground on one of the last significant hurdles - wages and visas for undocumented farm workers, two sources close to the talks confirmed on Friday.
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Washington (CNN) – The U.S. House on Friday eliminated a key requirement of the insider trading law for most federal employees, passing legislation exempting these workers, including congressional staff, from a rule scheduled to take effect next week that mandated online posting of financial transactions.
Aides to lawmakers insisted the changes were needed to avoid potential security risks to federal employees by revealing personal information.
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(CNN) - Democratic nominee Robin Kelly won a special election Tuesday to fill the congressional seat left vacant by disgraced former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., CNN projected.
A former Illinois state representative, Kelly was considered the overwhelming favorite in the district, which includes parts of Chicago's Southside. It's one of the most Democratic in the nation.
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Washington (CNN) - The Senate's top Democrat said Tuesday that he will force a vote on Thursday on whether to open debate on tougher gun laws, increasing pressure on legislators from both parties negotiating a possible compromise on a package that some Republicans have threatened to filibuster.
A GOP filibuster would mean Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid needs 60 votes to begin Senate consideration of the package based on proposals by President Barack Obama in the aftermath of the Newtown school massacre in December that killed 20 first-graders and six educators.
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Washington (CNN) – The leading bipartisan negotiations in the Senate for new gun control legislation would favor expanding background checks but would fall short of the universal approach backed by President Barack Obama and many Democrats, CNN has learned.
FBI background checks are currently required for commercial sales. The proposal being considered would expand them to gun shows and Internet sales, but would not require them for any other private sales, according to multiple sources in both parties familiar with the talks.
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Washington (CNN) – A sharp disagreement over the future treatment of undocumented workers on America's farms is holding up progress on the comprehensive immigration reform bill being considered by the Senate's so-called "Gang of Eight."
The two key sticking points are wages and the number of visas to be granted to undocumented farm workers, two sources close to the talks confirmed Friday.
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(CNN) - Initially Rep. Diana DeGette was against large gun magazines because they "put the 'mass' in 'mass shooting'" but now the Colorado Democrat has warmed to them. If enough people use them, she said, eventually the supply will run out.
Her comments sparked mockery from conservatives.
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