Political Circus: McConnell comes strapped to CPAC...sort of
Mitch McConnell came strapped to the Conservative Political Action Conference this week.
The Senate minority leader, 72, held his rifle mightily overhead before presenting it to his pal, Sen. Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, as part of the NRA Courage Under Fire lifetime achievement award.
Kerry rebukes Russia's 'incredible act of aggression' in move into Ukraine
Updated 9:15 a.m. ET, 3/3/2014
(CNN) - Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday sharply denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin's "stunning, willful" actions in Crimea, characterizing the move as an "invasion" and saying “all options are on the table” as far as a U.S. response.
"You just don't in the 21st century behave in 19th-century fashion, by invading another country on completely trumped up pretext," Kerry said, appearing on CBS's "Face the Nation."
Lawmakers agree poverty level is high, disagree on how to solve it
Washington (CNN) – Nearly 50 million. That’s how many Americans are living in poverty today. It’s an obvious problem, but unfortunately without an obvious solution.
President Barack Obama last week announced economic “Promise Zones,” aimed at hard-hit areas, where the administration is trying to attract investments for improving job creation, education, affordable housing and overall economic security.
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Obamacare website progress garners muted reaction from Congress
Washington (CNN) - News that the Obama administration met critical repair goals for HealthCare.gov brought almost no applause from Capitol Hill Sunday, with just a few members of Congress responding to the website progress report at all.
Of those who responded, most either indicated that they expect more issues or that they saw the website as the beginning of Obamacare's problems.
Democratic congressman sues IRS
Washington (CNN) - Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Internal Revenue Service over the agency's criteria for tax-exempt social welfare groups.
The lawsuit seeks clarification over a discrepancy in the way federal law defines eligibility requirements for a 501(c)(4) group versus the way the IRS defines such groups.
The difference comes down to two words: 'exclusively' and 'primarily.'
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Lawmakers: NSA reform needed
(CNN) - Republican Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan said Sunday he's hopeful the House will have another chance to vote on a measure that would curb the National Security Agency.
The Washington Post reported Friday that an internal NSA audit showed that the agency broke privacy rules "thousands of times each year," by making illegal interceptions of phone calls and e-mails, using methods later deemed illegal, and not fully reporting the extent of the agency's errors.
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Obama invites House budget chiefs to lunch
(CNN) - President Barack Obama has invited Rep. Paul Ryan and Rep. Chris Van Hollen to lunch at the White House Thursday, according to a White House official. Ryan chairs the House Budget Committee and Van Hollen is the ranking minority member of the committee.
The Maryland Contingent
(CNN) - Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland in the press file/spin room at the debate site, speaking to Democrats back home in Maryland.
Dems: Ryan's budget plan a 'hard-right U-turn'
Tampa, Florida (CNN) - On the day of Rep. Paul Ryan's big primetime speech at the Republican National Convention, Democrats sought to portray Ryan's trademark budget blueprint as bad policy and to link the Ryan plan to GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
"What it is, is a U-turn," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, said Wednesday at news conference, "a hard right, U-turn back to the failed Bush, trickle-down economic policies."
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Lawmakers mum on health care contingency plans
(CNN) – With a decision looming from the U.S. Supreme Court on the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's sweeping health care law, two lawmakers wouldn't describe in detail Sunday any plans for replacing the landmark piece of legislation.
Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," neither Republican Sen. John Barrasso nor Democratic Rep. Chris van Hollen could specify what preparations they were making should the Affordable Care Act be struck down.
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