Retiring lawmakers reflect on remaining challenges
(CNN) – When the new session of Congress begins in January, most of the faces on Capitol Hill will be the same – incumbents in both the House and the Senate overwhelmingly won re-election in November.
Yet before ballots were cast, thirty-five members of Congress had already said they wouldn’t be returning to Washington in 2013. The number of retiring lawmakers was the highest since 1996, and the list included some formidable – and famous – members of the legislative branch. All will be watching from the sidelines as their former colleagues attempt to find solutions to both major legislative problems, and Congress’ own dismal approval ratings.
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GOP senators hold comment on immigration policy, wait on Romney
Washington (CNN) - Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he and most other Republican senators will hold off commenting on the merits of President Obama's new immigration policy until Mitt Romney makes his position clear in a speech scheduled Thursday to a group of Latino elected officials.
"I think most of my members are interested in learning what Gov. Romney has to say about this issue, and we're going to withhold judgment, most of us, until that time," McConnell said, in what amounted to a slightly awkward vow of silence from a politician who is typically proficient at shredding the president's positions.
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Sen. Kyl endorses Romney
(CNN) - Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl threw his support behind Mitt Romney, the candidate's campaign announced Friday.
"After a long primary, it is time for the Republican Party to come together and support the candidate who will defeat President Obama. That is why I am proud to support Mitt Romney," the Arizona senator said in a statement.
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Senate race heats up in Arizona
Washington (CNN) - Soon after Don Bivens launched his Arizona Senate bid Monday, the former Arizona Democratic Party Chairman took his first hit from GOP opponent Rep. Jeff Flake.
"If the Democrats indeed put forth a liberal lawyer and former Party Chairman, the voters will have a clear choice come November," Flake said in a statement.
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GOP lays out consequences of missing debt deadline
Washington (CNN) - With Congress and the White House still at odds on raising America’s debt ceiling, Republicans used their weekly address to illustrate the dire risks of missing next week’s deadline for reaching a deal.
“The consequences of missing this deadline could be severe, precisely because Washington borrows so much money – more than 40 cents out of every dollar it spends,” Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona said.
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Despite debt impasse, behind-the-scenes talks continue
Washington (CNN) - Even as the impasse over the debt ceiling continues, behind-the-scenes talks are underway between Democratic and Republican leaders about a bipartisan deal to end the crisis, according to two Senate leaders intimately involved in the situation.
"There are still discussions going on," said Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate. "Everybody's talking."
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Kyl slams Reid debt proposal for counting war savings
Washington (CNN) - The No. 2 Senate Republican blasted the debt ceiling package unveiled Monday by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, saying its reliance on $1 trillion in savings from the winding down of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan amounts to "phony scoring."
At the same time, Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona acknowledged Republicans have supported the same approach. House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin counted the same savings in the budget he proposed earlier this year.
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Key Republican pulls out of debt ceiling talks, negotiations on verge of collapse
Washington (CNN)-With only weeks to go before the country hits the debt ceiling, bipartisan negotiations were on the verge of collapsing as one of two Congressional Republicans walked away from the talks, and the other was unclear about future discussions.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor withdrew from the negotiations Thursday, saying they had reached an impasse with Democrats over tax issues and it was time for President Obama to get involved to broker a deal that would pave the way for a vote to raise the debt ceiling this summer. Arizona Republican Senator Jon Kyl said that it would be difficult to continue negotiations with only one Republican at the table.
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Stephen Colbert's 'not factual' hashtagging
(CNN) - It was a remark seemingly made for late-night TV comics: Sen. Jon Kyl's claim that abortion is "well over 90% of what Planned Parenthood does."
When the actual figure turned out to be 3%, his office released a statement clarifying that Kyl's figure was "not intended to be a factual statement."
Enter Stephen Colbert. The Comedy Central host lampooned the line on last night's show... but it turns out he was just getting started.
FULL STORY at the Marquee Blog
Political punches thrown at Obama over budget debate
Washington (CNN) - While Congress debates how to continue funding the government, the political debate Sunday centered on the president’s involvement in the negotiations.
Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona blamed the Democrats, who controlled the House and Senate before the midterm elections, for the current budget battles and touted the Republican plan to fund the government for the remainder of this fiscal year.
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