Political Chatter: Kerry defends prisoner transfer, but lawmakers remain skeptical
In an interview that aired Sunday on CNN, Secretary of State John Kerry defended the transfer of five Taliban detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in exchange for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, but even a leading Democratic senator raised questions about the administration’s handling of the case.
Nearly five years after he disappeared in Afghanistan, Bergdahl has ignited a political controversy, with some members of Congress in an uproar over the terms of his release by the Taliban and the secrecy surrounding it.
We’ll get you up to speed on the latest in Washington with a roundup of all things political:
Senate Republican: Swapped prisoners will carry out additional attacks
(CNN) - Sen. Saxby Chambliss believes the Guantanamo Taliban detainees swapped for Bowe Bergdahl will reenter the terror fray.
In an interview Tuesday with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Chambliss, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the detainees "high-level individuals" with ties to al Qaeda as well as Mullah Mohammed Omar, who is credited with creating the Taliban.
Casey: GOP has no plan for health care
Sen. Bob Casey says the GOP wants to repeal Obamacare but offers no solution. Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss disagrees.
Senate intelligence leaders say phone surveillance is 'lawful'
(CNN) - The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Select Committee On Intelligence said Thursday the government's top-secret court order to obtain phone records on millions of Americans was "lawful" and Congress had been briefed on the issue.
"As far as I know this is the exact three month renewal of what has been the case for the past seven years. This renewal is carried out by the [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] court under the business records section of the Patriot Act," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the intelligence committee, told reporters in the Senate gallery. "Therefore it is lawful. It has been briefed to Congress."
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What Chambliss told Obama after hitting hole-in-one
Washington (CNN) – Hitting a hole-in-one is a rare achievement for any golfer. What’s even rarer is a hole-in-one during a round with the president of the United States.
“It was pretty special,” Sen. Saxby Chambliss said of his feat, which took place during a Monday game with President Barack Obama and two other senators.
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Chambliss shoots hole-in-one during Obama outreach round
Washington (CNN) - In another attempt at bipartisan outreach, President Barack Obama joined three of the best golfers in the United States Senate for a bipartisan round of golf on Monday.
The foursome included Colorado Democrat Mark Udall and Tennessee Republican Bob Corker, who were ranked as the top two golfers in Congress by Golf Digest as part of its 2011 list of Washington's Top 150 Golfers. At the time, both Udall and Corker had a handicap around two.
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Should Boston bombing suspect get a Miranda warning? Debate follows Friday capture
(CNN) - As Boston celebrated the capture of a suspect in the marathon bombings Friday night, a debate erupted in Washington over whether military or civilian law would best handle Dzhokar Tsarnaev.
“This guy didn’t rob a liquor store. He wasn’t working for the Mafia,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, said Saturday on Fox News. “My God, they were at war with us, we need to be at war within our values and within our laws.”
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Republicans divided on filibuster front
(CNN) - The Republican Party appears split over whether to block gun legislation in the Senate.
While more than a dozen GOP senators have stated they plan to block the proposed bill from proceeding, a number of Republicans are saying the public deserves to hear debate over the legislation. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has also vowed to oppose the bill as it now stands.
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Georgia Rep. Paul Broun to run for Senate
(CNN) - The 2014 Senate race in Georgia has its first candidate.
Republican Rep. Paul Broun announced Wednesday he's running for the seat currently held by retiring GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who announced last month he's not seeking re-election.
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Washington gridlock linked to social funk
Washington (CNN) - In his retirement announcement, Republican Sen. Saxby Cambliss cited "the dearth of meaningful action from Congress" as one reason for not seeking re-election next year.
"The debt-ceiling debacle of 2011 and the recent fiscal-cliff vote showed Congress at its worst and, sadly, I don't see the legislative gridlock and partisan posturing improving anytime soon," the Capitol Hill veteran said in a statement.
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