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Barney Frank not seeking re-election in 2012
November 28th, 2011
09:46 AM ET
542 days ago

Barney Frank not seeking re-election in 2012

Washington (CNN) - Massachusetts congressman Barney Frank, a prominent 16-term liberal Democrat and arch-enemy of political conservatives nationwide, will announce Monday he does not intend to seek re-election in 2012, according to a statement from Frank's office.

Frank, 71, will hold a news conference in his district to discuss the decision at 1 p.m.

FULL STORY

Filed under: Barney Frank
Analysis: What is Obama's post-super committee strategy?
November 22nd, 2011
02:45 PM ET
548 days ago

Analysis: What is Obama's post-super committee strategy?

Washington, D.C. (CNN) - One of the oldest axioms in politics is that you should never let a good crisis go to waste. Now that the hopelessly divided deficit reduction super committee has failed, it is apparent to just about everyone that Washington has a serious crisis of governance.

Question: What - if anything - will President Barack Obama do about it? With the 2012 election season already under way, should he assume a deal is impossible and use the panel's failure as a campaign weapon? Or is he better off knocking heads together on Capitol Hill and trying to ram through a deal that will prevent unpopular automatic spending cuts from taking effect starting in 2013?

FULL STORY

Filed under: Congress • Debt • Deficit • Deficit commission • President Obama
Analysis: Super committee reflects our own super failure
November 21st, 2011
05:00 PM ET
381 days ago

Analysis: Super committee reflects our own super failure

Washington (CNN) - So the "super committee" failed. Can you honestly say you were expecting a different outcome?

The inability of an evenly split panel of Capitol Hill Democrats and Republicans to agree on $1.2 trillion in savings is about as surprising as January snow in Fairbanks, Alaska. Elected officials in Washington can't even pass a budget anymore, much less agree on politically tough choices about taxes and spending.

FULL STORY

Filed under: 2012 • Congress • Debt • Deficit • Deficit commission
BREAKING: House rejects balanced budget amendment
November 18th, 2011
02:02 PM ET
552 days ago

BREAKING: House rejects balanced budget amendment

Washington (CNN) – The Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Friday rejected a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution - a setback to GOP leaders and conservative activists who claim the measure is necessary to end the federal government's spiraling deficit spending.

A total of 261 members voted for the measure - 29 votes shy of the two-thirds majority required for passage - while 165 members opposed it.

FULL STORY

Filed under: Budget • House of Representatives
House set for balanced budget amendment vote
November 18th, 2011
10:44 AM ET
552 days ago

House set for balanced budget amendment vote

Washington (CNN) - The Republican-controlled House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Friday on a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution - a key component of GOP leaders' plan to end the federal government's spiraling deficit spending.

The vote on the amendment was agreed to by both parties over the summer as part of the agreement raising Washington's debt ceiling. Democratic leaders, however, are vehemently opposed to the idea, arguing that it would force the government into an economically destructive cycle of massive spending cuts.

FULL STORY

Filed under: Budget • Congress • House
Congress facing Friday shutdown deadline
November 14th, 2011
02:04 PM ET
556 days ago

Congress facing Friday shutdown deadline

Washington (CNN) - Congress is facing yet another government shutdown threat this week as it confronts the expiration Friday of its latest short-term spending bill.

Legislators are set to consider a new spending bill that would keep the federal government funded through December 16, according to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia.

FULL STORY

Filed under: Congress • Debt • Deficit
Will alleged sexual antics or cover-up sink Cain?
November 1st, 2011
03:28 PM ET
569 days ago

Will alleged sexual antics or cover-up sink Cain?

Washington (CNN) - What did Herman Cain know, and when did he know it?

Over the past couple of days, the former pizza CEO's high-flying insurgent campaign has been thrown on the defensive by the revelation of sexual harassment allegations made against him in the 1990s. Cain's account of the incident has changed multiple times, leading to accusations of a half-baked cover-up.

FULL STORY

Filed under: 2012 • Herman Cain
Obama tackles drug shortages, prices
October 31st, 2011
02:33 PM ET
570 days ago

Obama tackles drug shortages, prices

Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama signed an executive order Monday designed to help reduce a growing number of prescription drug shortages while protecting patients from possible pharmaceutical industry price gouging.

Among other things, the order requires the Food and Drug Administration to increase its reporting of possible shortages of certain prescription drugs, while also speeding up regulatory reviews of new drug manufacturing sites, drug suppliers and manufacturing changes.

FULL STORY

Filed under: President Obama
Congress considers Solyndra subpoena
October 28th, 2011
04:03 PM ET
573 days ago

Congress considers Solyndra subpoena

Washington (CNN) - House GOP leaders announced Friday that they are laying the groundwork for Congress to issue a subpoena for internal White House documents regarding the decision to issue federal loan guarantees in 2010 to Solyndra, a solar energy company that has since filed for bankruptcy.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee will meet Thursday to consider a resolution authorizing the issuance of the subpoena.

FULL STORY

Filed under: Congress • House
Obama's deportation record: inside the numbers
October 19th, 2011
04:26 PM ET
581 days ago

Obama's deportation record: inside the numbers

Washington (CNN) - A record number of people were deported from the United States last year, federal officials announced Tuesday.

But does the Obama administration deserve all the credit - or blame - for this record? And is it actually as impressive as it sounds?

FULL STORY

Filed under: Immigration • President Obama
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