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Pandemic highlights gaps in internet access
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers are urging congressional leaders to prioritize emergency funding for high-speed internet access in upcoming coronavirus relief legislation. More than two dozen lawmakers, including Virginia Congressman Rob Wittman, R-1st sent a bipartisan letter asking Democratic and Republican leaders of the U.S. House and Senate to set aside funding for a temporary emergency relief […]
Congressional Dems want more federal cash to combat hunger during pandemic
WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers want to prioritize food insecurity in the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation. More than 100 lawmakers sent a letter Tuesday, including five Virginia representatives, asking Democratic and Republican leaders of the U.S. House and Senate to boost the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit by 15 percent — a request […]
Congress preps for next round of coronavirus relief
WASHINGTON — Congress is gearing up for additional coronavirus response legislation that aims to build on the first three massive relief packages. The next bill could include huge infrastructure projects, and U.S. House Democrats are pushing to include some of their top priorities that were sliced off the sweeping $2 trillion bill passed last week during […]
COVID-19 threatens census count. At stake: money, political power.
WASHINGTON — It’s National Census Day. Organizations across the country are marking the occasion with webinars, virtual rallies, Twitter chats and other digital events throughout the week. April 1 is the date by which all people in U.S. households are to be counted. But the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to make the count even more difficult than usual, […]
Military risk from COVID-19: ‘Anxieties are really high’
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Defense is on course to get a major funding boost as the U.S. military is drawn into the nation’s war against an “invisible enemy.” The issue is of special concern in Virginia — home to the Pentagon, more than two dozen military bases and one of the highest military […]
Congress clears 2nd major coronavirus package; 3rd in the works
WASHINGTON — A second major coronavirus package cleared the U.S. Senate Wednesday and was signed by President Donald Trump. The bill passed 90-8, with overwhelming bipartisan support. The multi-billion dollar measure aims to slow the spread of a new coronavirus and stimulate the economy as a major recession looms. The package provides free access to […]
U.S. House passes coronavirus response bill; 40 Republicans dissent
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House early Saturday morning approved an emergency stimulus package to combat the coronavirus pandemic after President Donald Trump signaled his support for the bill. The multi-billion dollar package aims to slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by a new coronavirus, and mitigate its economic effects as fears of recession […]
On a bipartisan vote, U.S. Senate approves Kaine’s measure to curb Trump’s military power
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate issued a rare bipartisan rebuke to President Donald Trump Thursday when it approved a resolution that would curtail his ability to take military action against Iran without first securing congressional approval. The resolution passed with support from 55 senators, including eight Republicans. “The resolution before the body today is about Congress reclaiming its […]
U.S. House to vote on upending DeVos student loan forgiveness policy
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House is expected to vote next week on a resolution that would overturn a federal rule that critics say guts protections for defrauded student loan borrowers. The resolution — led by Nevada Democratic Rep. Susie Lee — expresses congressional disapproval of the so-called borrower defense rule, which was revised by President […]
U.S. House votes to crack down on toxic chemicals; Virginia’s Republicans vote no as Trump threatens veto
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House voted Friday to pass a comprehensive legislative package that would crack down on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a class of chemicals known as PFAS that are said to cause serious health problems. Used in tape, nonstick pans and other everyday substances, PFAS have been linked to cancer, decreased fertility, developmental […]
Trump has appointed judges at a breakneck speed. More are coming.
WASHINGTON — The GOP-controlled U.S. Senate heads into 2020 with few major legislative victories but a significant one on the judicial front: a dramatic reshaping of the federal bench. Over the past three years, the Senate has confirmed 185 of President Trump’s judicial nominees, more than any of the last five presidents at the same […]
Prescription drug pricing bill clears U.S. House on largely party-line vote
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed a landmark health care measure Thursday that proponents say would dramatically reduce the rising cost of prescription drugs and significantly expand access to health care benefits and services. The sweeping legislation passed largely along party lines, with 230 lawmakers voting for it and 192 against. Only two House Republicans […]