By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was blocking Democrats’ effort to include funds for the U.S. Postal Service and election infrastructure in a new coronavirus relief bill, a bid to block more Americans from voting by mail during the pandemic.Congressional Democrats accused Republican Trump of trying to damage the struggling Postal Service to improve his chances of being re-elected as opinion polls show him trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.Trump has been railing against mail-in ballots for months as a possible source of fraud, although...…By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was blocking Democrats’ effort to include funds for the U.S. Postal Service and election infrastructure in a new coronavirus relief bill, a bid to block more Americans from voting by mail during the pandemic.Congressional Democrats accused Republican Trump of trying to damage the struggling Postal Service to improve his chances of being re-elected as opinion polls show him trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.Trump has been railing against mail-in ballots for months as a possible source of fraud, although...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) - Conservative House of Representatives Republicans plan to form an "America First" caucus to promote the policies of ex-President Donald Trump and said on Friday the group would soon release a policy platform.The platform promotes "a common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions" and advocates for infrastructure with aesthetic value that "befits the progeny of European architecture," Punchbowl News reported on Friday.Republican lawmakers Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar are involved in...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) - Conservative House of Representatives Republicans plan to form an "America First" caucus to promote the policies of ex-President Donald Trump and said on Friday the group would soon release a policy platform.The platform promotes "a common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions" and advocates for infrastructure with aesthetic value that "befits the progeny of European architecture," Punchbowl News reported on Friday.Republican lawmakers Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar are involved in...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comApril 14 (Reuters) - A group of liberal Democratic lawmakers on Thursday proposed expanding the U.S. Supreme Court by four justices, aiming to end its conservative majority, but the plan drew an unenthusiastic response from the White House and top Democrats and was denounced by Republicans.Senator Ed Markey and House of Representatives members Jerrold Nadler, Hank Johnson and Mondaire Jones introduced legislation in both chambers that would expand the number of justices to 13 from the current nine.Markey said that Republicans had...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comApril 14 (Reuters) - A group of liberal Democratic lawmakers on Thursday proposed expanding the U.S. Supreme Court by four justices, aiming to end its conservative majority, but the plan drew an unenthusiastic response from the White House and top Democrats and was denounced by Republicans.Senator Ed Markey and House of Representatives members Jerrold Nadler, Hank Johnson and Mondaire Jones introduced legislation in both chambers that would expand the number of justices to 13 from the current nine.Markey said that Republicans had...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) - Hate crime legislation intended to combat violence against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic advanced in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, easily overcoming the Senate procedural tool known as the filibuster.Senators on Wednesday took a procedural vote on whether to limit debate on the overall bill. Under the chamber's filibuster rule, at least 60 senators must consent to take that step, requiring bipartisan support since the chamber is divided 50-50.It cleared the initial hurdle with a bipartisan...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) - Hate crime legislation intended to combat violence against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic advanced in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, easily overcoming the Senate procedural tool known as the filibuster.Senators on Wednesday took a procedural vote on whether to limit debate on the overall bill. Under the chamber's filibuster rule, at least 60 senators must consent to take that step, requiring bipartisan support since the chamber is divided 50-50.It cleared the initial hurdle with a bipartisan...WW…

By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Tuesday backed reforming, rather than scrapping, the filibuster after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned Democrats that ending the long-standing Senate procedure that can block partisan legislation would bring the Democratic president’s agenda to a standstill.Top Democrats, including the two highest-ranking party members in the Senate, have stepped up rhetoric in recent days about the future of the filibuster, which requires support from 60 of the chamber’s 100 members to pass most legislation -- effectively giving power to the...…By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Tuesday backed reforming, rather than scrapping, the filibuster after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned Democrats that ending the long-standing Senate procedure that can block partisan legislation would bring the Democratic president’s agenda to a standstill.Top Democrats, including the two highest-ranking party members in the Senate, have stepped up rhetoric in recent days about the future of the filibuster, which requires support from 60 of the chamber’s 100 members to pass most legislation -- effectively giving power to the...WW…

By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. Senate said Friday they had resolved their differences over unemployment aid in President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid bill, enabling them to move forward with the sweeping package after hours of delay.The deal would scale back the level of jobless benefits provided in the version of the bill that passed the House of Representatives last week and set up new tax breaks for people receiving them, according to Democratic aides.“We have reached a compromise that enables the economy to rebound quickly while also protecting those...…By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. Senate said Friday they had resolved their differences over unemployment aid in President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid bill, enabling them to move forward with the sweeping package after hours of delay.The deal would scale back the level of jobless benefits provided in the version of the bill that passed the House of Representatives last week and set up new tax breaks for people receiving them, according to Democratic aides.“We have reached a compromise that enables the economy to rebound quickly while also protecting those...WW…

By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Saturday passed President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan in a party-line vote after an all-night session that was delayed repeatedly as the Republican minority tried but failed to push through around three dozen amendments.The plan passed in a 50-49 vote with the support of every Democrat but no Republicans. It is one of the largest stimulus bills in U.S. history and gives Biden his first major legislative victory since taking office in January.The partisan victory was made possible by Democrats winning two Senate seats in...…By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Saturday passed President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan in a party-line vote after an all-night session that was delayed repeatedly as the Republican minority tried but failed to push through around three dozen amendments.The plan passed in a 50-49 vote with the support of every Democrat but no Republicans. It is one of the largest stimulus bills in U.S. history and gives Biden his first major legislative victory since taking office in January.The partisan victory was made possible by Democrats winning two Senate seats in...WW…

By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate will start debating President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill this week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday after Democrats backed down from an effort to raise the minimum wage to $15 as part of it.The backpedaling did not end hopes of addressing the minimum wage issue in Congress. Democrats and some Republicans have voiced support for the idea of raising the federal minimum wage, now at $7.25 an hour, for the first time since 2009, although they disagree on how much.Republican Senators Mitt Romney and Tom Cotton...…By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate will start debating President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill this week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday after Democrats backed down from an effort to raise the minimum wage to $15 as part of it.The backpedaling did not end hopes of addressing the minimum wage issue in Congress. Democrats and some Republicans have voiced support for the idea of raising the federal minimum wage, now at $7.25 an hour, for the first time since 2009, although they disagree on how much.Republican Senators Mitt Romney and Tom Cotton...WW…

By WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The next few days will give Republicans opportunities to stand together or fight among themselves, first when the House of Representatives votes on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus package on Friday and again when Donald Trump retakes the global spotlight in a speech to the party’s most conservative members.The Republican leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives - Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy - have focused on rallying their caucuses against Democratic President Joe Biden’s massive bill and away from internal hostilities over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and...…By WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The next few days will give Republicans opportunities to stand together or fight among themselves, first when the House of Representatives votes on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus package on Friday and again when Donald Trump retakes the global spotlight in a speech to the party’s most conservative members.The Republican leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives - Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy - have focused on rallying their caucuses against Democratic President Joe Biden’s massive bill and away from internal hostilities over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and...WW…

By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. Senate said Friday they had resolved their differences over unemployment aid in President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid bill, enabling them to move forward with the sweeping package after hours of delay.The deal would scale back the level of jobless benefits provided in the version of the bill that passed the House of Representatives last week and set up new tax breaks for people receiving them, according to Democratic aides.“We have reached a compromise that enables the economy to rebound quickly while also protecting those...…By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. Senate said Friday they had resolved their differences over unemployment aid in President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid bill, enabling them to move forward with the sweeping package after hours of delay.The deal would scale back the level of jobless benefits provided in the version of the bill that passed the House of Representatives last week and set up new tax breaks for people receiving them, according to Democratic aides.“We have reached a compromise that enables the economy to rebound quickly while also protecting those...WW…