WASHINGTON — Even as the Supreme Court banned employment discrimination against LGBTQ people Monday, Congress remains far from passing legislation that would do the same in other facets of life.The House approved a bill barring discrimination on the basis of sexuality or gender identity in May 2019, with all Democrats and eight Republicans in favor. But the Equality Act has gone nowhere in the Republican-controlled Senate, where it has only one GOP co-sponsor.Now, advocates say, the for gay, lesbian and transgender Americans shows the need for more action by Congress.Justice Neil Gorsuch, a...…WASHINGTON — Even as the Supreme Court banned employment discrimination against LGBTQ people Monday, Congress remains far from passing legislation that would do the same in other facets of life.The House approved a bill barring discrimination on the basis of sexuality or gender identity in May 2019, with all Democrats and eight Republicans in favor. But the Equality Act has gone nowhere in the Republican-controlled Senate, where it has only one GOP co-sponsor.Now, advocates say, the for gay, lesbian and transgender Americans shows the need for more action by Congress.Justice Neil Gorsuch, a...WW…

WASHINGTON — In raw remarks on the Senate floor, Sen. Kamala Harris called an effort to amend her anti-lynching legislation “cruel and deliberate obstruction” on the day the country mourned George Floyd.The California Democrat and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., were responding Thursday to an effort by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to amend their legislation that would make lynching a federal crime — something past Congresses have repeatedly failed to do.Booker and Harris, two of the Senate’s three black members, delivered emotional remarks criticizing Paul’s insistence on an 11th-hour change that threw...…WASHINGTON — In raw remarks on the Senate floor, Sen. Kamala Harris called an effort to amend her anti-lynching legislation “cruel and deliberate obstruction” on the day the country mourned George Floyd.The California Democrat and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., were responding Thursday to an effort by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to amend their legislation that would make lynching a federal crime — something past Congresses have repeatedly failed to do.Booker and Harris, two of the Senate’s three black members, delivered emotional remarks criticizing Paul’s insistence on an 11th-hour change that threw...WW…

WASHINGTON — Concord Rep. Mark DeSaulnier is getting back to work in Congress as he recovers from a near-death experience that hospitalized him for weeks, the Democrat revealed in posted late Monday.A visibly and audibly weakened DeSaulnier detailed the ordeal in depth for his constituents in his first public remarks since March, when he contracted pneumonia unrelated to the coronavirus after a bad fall he took while running.The longtime East Bay politician noted that while he was hospitalized, Congress and the rest of the world underwent a transformation into the age of COVID-19. He said...…WASHINGTON — Concord Rep. Mark DeSaulnier is getting back to work in Congress as he recovers from a near-death experience that hospitalized him for weeks, the Democrat revealed in posted late Monday.A visibly and audibly weakened DeSaulnier detailed the ordeal in depth for his constituents in his first public remarks since March, when he contracted pneumonia unrelated to the coronavirus after a bad fall he took while running.The longtime East Bay politician noted that while he was hospitalized, Congress and the rest of the world underwent a transformation into the age of COVID-19. He said...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateWASHINGTON — Federal investigators are no longer probing stock trades made by Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s husband as the coronavirus pandemic was in its early stages, the California Democrat’s office said Tuesday.Feinstein’s attorney was notified by the FBI that it had closed its investigation, her office said.Feinstein by federal law enforcement about sales of millions of dollars of biotechnology stocks that were made shortly after senators received briefings in January about the possible spread of coronavirus in the U.S. Feinstein...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateWASHINGTON — Federal investigators are no longer probing stock trades made by Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s husband as the coronavirus pandemic was in its early stages, the California Democrat’s office said Tuesday.Feinstein’s attorney was notified by the FBI that it had closed its investigation, her office said.Feinstein by federal law enforcement about sales of millions of dollars of biotechnology stocks that were made shortly after senators received briefings in January about the possible spread of coronavirus in the U.S. Feinstein...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigatePlaces of worship in San Francisco might be able to hold indoor services for up to 25 people, and 50 people outdoors, starting Oct. 1 if coronavirus cases aren’t surging.That goal was announced Monday, two days before the head of Archdiocese of San Francisco the city for “unfairly treating” religious institutions by not allowing indoor services — a move that he argued lacked compassion. He also said the new rules to allow indoor gathering will not accommodate enough people.He has organized to “Free the Mass.”San Francisco is...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigatePlaces of worship in San Francisco might be able to hold indoor services for up to 25 people, and 50 people outdoors, starting Oct. 1 if coronavirus cases aren’t surging.That goal was announced Monday, two days before the head of Archdiocese of San Francisco the city for “unfairly treating” religious institutions by not allowing indoor services — a move that he argued lacked compassion. He also said the new rules to allow indoor gathering will not accommodate enough people.He has organized to “Free the Mass.”San Francisco is...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateWASHINGTON — Rep. Jackie Speier wants you to see her in her pajamas — in the hopes of exposing the “dirty little secret” of members of Congress sleeping in their workplaces.It’s a practice she argues should be banned.The San Mateo Democrat a video Monday that features her at first in work attire, showing off her office as a place where she meets with constituents and does the business of her district.But then the video cuts to her wearing tasteful black and white floral pajamas, with the office’s leather couch made up as a bed....…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateWASHINGTON — Rep. Jackie Speier wants you to see her in her pajamas — in the hopes of exposing the “dirty little secret” of members of Congress sleeping in their workplaces.It’s a practice she argues should be banned.The San Mateo Democrat a video Monday that features her at first in work attire, showing off her office as a place where she meets with constituents and does the business of her district.But then the video cuts to her wearing tasteful black and white floral pajamas, with the office’s leather couch made up as a bed....WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateWASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Democrats want to undo a provision in coronavirus legislation that bars families with mixed immigration status from receiving stimulus payments from the Internal Revenue Service.“We want to address the mixed-family issue,” the San Francisco Democrat said at her weekly news conference Thursday, without committing to it being part of the next bill the House passes on the pandemic.At issue are payments up to $2,400 for married couples who file their taxes jointly and $500 each for...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateWASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Democrats want to undo a provision in coronavirus legislation that bars families with mixed immigration status from receiving stimulus payments from the Internal Revenue Service.“We want to address the mixed-family issue,” the San Francisco Democrat said at her weekly news conference Thursday, without committing to it being part of the next bill the House passes on the pandemic.At issue are payments up to $2,400 for married couples who file their taxes jointly and $500 each for...WW…

WASHINGTON — Sen. Dianne Feinstein defended Republican senators who objected to Electoral College results and downplayed the importance of an upcoming impeachment trial for President Trump, diverging from her Democratic colleagues.The California Democrat was asked Tuesday about Republicans who objected to the Electoral College results that Congress certified early Jan. 7, after a pro-Trump insurrection that resulted in five deaths had been cleared from the Capitol. Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri led the objections to President-elect Joe Biden’s victory even...…WASHINGTON — Sen. Dianne Feinstein defended Republican senators who objected to Electoral College results and downplayed the importance of an upcoming impeachment trial for President Trump, diverging from her Democratic colleagues.The California Democrat was asked Tuesday about Republicans who objected to the Electoral College results that Congress certified early Jan. 7, after a pro-Trump insurrection that resulted in five deaths had been cleared from the Capitol. Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri led the objections to President-elect Joe Biden’s victory even...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateWASHINGTON — One Bay Area lawmaker tested hundreds of pens to see if they had ink. Another Californian made sure his life insurance policy was up to date. Some congressional staffers have trouble sleeping. Most describe feelings of anger, sadness and fear.As lawmakers move rapidly toward impeaching President Trump for his role in last week’s deadly Capitol riot by his supporters, they are dealing with not only the political fallout, but the human one.The Jan. 6 attack was timed to interrupt the certification of electoral votes...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateWASHINGTON — One Bay Area lawmaker tested hundreds of pens to see if they had ink. Another Californian made sure his life insurance policy was up to date. Some congressional staffers have trouble sleeping. Most describe feelings of anger, sadness and fear.As lawmakers move rapidly toward impeaching President Trump for his role in last week’s deadly Capitol riot by his supporters, they are dealing with not only the political fallout, but the human one.The Jan. 6 attack was timed to interrupt the certification of electoral votes...WW…

WASHINGTON — Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is dissolving her political fundraising committees as she prepares for her inauguration with President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20, and will give the leftover money to California charities.The dollar totals left in the accounts are far less than the tens of millions Harris raised as a candidate, most of which was spent on her unsuccessful run for president. But her decision to close the accounts, shared exclusively with The Chronicle, also leaves Harris with no active fundraising PACs of her own — a signal to those who question whether her...…WASHINGTON — Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is dissolving her political fundraising committees as she prepares for her inauguration with President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20, and will give the leftover money to California charities.The dollar totals left in the accounts are far less than the tens of millions Harris raised as a candidate, most of which was spent on her unsuccessful run for president. But her decision to close the accounts, shared exclusively with The Chronicle, also leaves Harris with no active fundraising PACs of her own — a signal to those who question whether her...WW…