BeltwayBlips - Latest Washington, D.C News Articles

Netanyahu's Washington trip clouded by Abbas threat

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 11:28:55 +0000

TEL AVIV, Israel (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Washington on Sunday with the U.S. Middle East peace drive in crisis over a threat by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to stand down.

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Netanyahu heads to US hoping for Obama meet (AFP)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 08:32:33 +0000

AFP - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington on Sunday to address a Jewish gathering and hoping to meet President Barack Obama amid a delicate time in US efforts to restart Middle East peace talks.

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Obama "absolutely confident" on Senate health bill

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 05:05:26 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Saturday he was "absolutely confident" the Senate would follow the lead of the House of Representatives in passing legislation to overhaul the healthcare system.

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House passes historic health care bill, with one GOP vote (McClatchy Newspapers)

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 04:26:00 +0000

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives Saturday passed, by a vote of 220 to 215, historic health care legislation that would require virtually all Americans to obtain health insurance and create a government-run health insurance plan to help them do so.

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BREAKING: House pases health care reform bill

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 04:24:21 +0000

Washington (CNN) - The House of Representatives on Saturday night passed a sweeping health care bill bya vote of 220-215. Full story

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Amendment introduced by House Minority Leader fails

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 03:57:31 +0000

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House passes amendment prohibiting abortion funding

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 03:30:33 +0000

Washington (CNN) - The House of Representatives on Saturday night passed an amendment to pending health care legislation that prohibits federal funds for abortion services in the public option and in the insurance "exchange" the bill would create. The vote passed 240-194. The amendment was introduced by anti-abortion Democrats. Its consideration was considered a big win for them and for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which used its power - especially with conservative Democrats in swing congressional districts - to help force other Democratic leaders to permit a vote that most of them oppose. The prohibition, introduced by Democratic members, including Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Indiana, and Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Michigan, would exclude cases of rape, incest or if the mother's life is in danger. Republicans strongly supported the measure. The GOP accounted for 174 of the votes in favor of the amendment, with 1 Republican voting "present." On the Democrat's side, 64 voted for the ...

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U.S. House backs anti-abortion amendment

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 03:24:41 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Saturday to tighten a ban against using federal funds to finance abortions under the proposed Democratic healthcare reform legislation.

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Health care vote a race to the wire

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 03:17:37 +0000

Washington (CNN) - In the final hours before the House was set to vote on a sweeping health reform bill, indications were that the vote could come down to the wire. House Democrats needed 218 votes to pass the health care bill. Without any Republican support, that meant Democrats can lose no more than 40 of their own members. And as the House appeared to near a vote late Saturday night, CNN confirmed at least 35 Democrats planned to vote no. Another dozen or so had not made public commitments or were undecided. In other words, if no Republicans voted yes, Democrats could afford to lose only five more members of their 258-member caucus on the issue. As late as 8:30 p.m. ET, some key Democrats were still undecided. Full story

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House Democrats confident on healthcare vote

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:08:17 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives headed to a final vote on a sweeping healthcare overhaul on Saturday, with Democratic leaders confident they can secure the 218 votes needed for a narrow victory.

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Hundreds protest health bill amid looming vote

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 00:00:21 +0000

Washington (CNN) - Foes of the House Democrats' health care bill rallied outside the Capitol Saturday afternoon, hours before what many of them anticipate will be a setback for their position - approval of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's bill. "It may pass out of the House tonight. We do realize that," Jenny Beth Martin, event organizer for the Tea Party Patriots, said. "But there is the Senate still. And we are going to leave no stone unturned and fight the government taking over our health care." Chanting "Kill the bill" and "Hell, no" throughout the nearly 90-minute rally, the few hundred attendees kept up their opposition despite having a much lower turnout than a similar rally held on Thursday. More than a dozen Republican lawmakers spoke to the protesters and encouraged them to keep up the fight by speaking to wavering Democrats and their families, friends and neighbors about the legislation. "We are here for one purpose: Kill the bill!" said Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee. ...

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10 ways the House bill would change health care (McClatchy Newspapers)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 21:57:00 +0000

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — These are some of the changes in the way health insurance would work in the United States if the House bill were to become law:

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GOP's Graham steps out on a limb on climate change (McClatchy Newspapers)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 21:11:00 +0000

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — When it comes to combating global warming, Sen. Lindsey Graham is right where he loves to be — ahead of the curve, in the mix on a major issue, at the table for high-level, bipartisan talks behind closed doors.

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House poised to pass historic health care bill (McClatchy Newspapers)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 20:54:00 +0000

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — With a personal push from President Barack Obama, the House of Representatives Saturday inched closer to passing historic health care legislation that would guarantee virtually all Americans access to care.

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Obama nearing decision to send more troops to Afghanistan (McClatchy Newspapers)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 19:22:00 +0000

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is nearing a decision to send more than 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan next year, but he may not announce it until after he consults with key allies and completes a trip to Asia later this month, administration and military officials have told McClatchy.

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Obamas to attend Fort Hood memorial Tuesday

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 19:09:39 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, will attend a memorial service in Fort Hood, Texas, on Tuesday for victims of a mass shooting.

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'This is our moment,' Obama says of health care reform

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 18:39:49 +0000

Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama Saturday said members of the House of Representatives face the chance of a lifetime as they consider legislation on health care reform. In a meeting with the House Democratic leadership, the president said he told lawmakers "that opportunities like this come around maybe once in a generation. "This is their moment, this is our moment, to live up to the trust that the American people have placed in us. Even when it's hard, especially when it's hard, this is our moment to deliver," Obama told reporters in the Rose Garden. He had just returned from Capitol Hill, where the House had begun debate in a nearly $1.1 trillion health care bill.

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Congress takes up expansion of Troops to Teachers (McClatchy Newspapers)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 17:01:00 +0000

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — Frank McBryde says there are plenty of parallels between serving in the U.S. military and teaching.

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Political Economy: No Time for Hawks (CQPolitics.com)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 16:59:10 +0000

CQPolitics.com - The consensus view is undoubtedly that you could count on one hand (or two if you are really generous) the Washington politicians who have serious credibility as deficit hawks.

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Palin will headline media dinner

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 16:11:21 +0000

Washington (CNN) - Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's sharp criticism of the media won't stop her from breaking bread with journalists next month at a dinner here in the nation's capital. The 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee will be the GOP speaker at the Gridiron Club & Foundation's annual winter dinner, the organization announced Friday. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, will be the Democratic speaker at the Dec. 5 event. Palin's appearance at the Gridiron dinner will come a few weeks after her new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life," goes on sale.

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Obama visits Capitol Hill as abortion issue looms

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 15:57:23 +0000

Washington (CNN) - President Obama will meet with members of the House Democratic caucus Saturday in a rare visit to Capitol Hill as he works to push forward proposed health care legislation. But the contentious issue of abortion is threatening to delay Saturday's scheduled vote on the nearly $1.1 trillion health care bill by the full House of Representatives and possibly push it back to Sunday, according to two Democratic sources. In a late night development, anti-abortion Democrats scored a major victory by persuading Democratic leaders to allow them to offer an amendment during the House health care debate Saturday that would ban most abortion coverage from the public option and other insurance providers in the new so-called "exchange" the legislation would create, three Democratic sources told CNN. The prohibition would exclude cases of rape, incest or if the mother's life is in danger. House Democratic leadership sources said that win or lose, they hope giving abortion foes the ...

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Obama to meet Myanmar, other ASEAN leaders (AP)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 09:39:01 +0000

AP - President Barack Obama will meet leaders of Southeast Asian nations, including Myanmar, next month in a high-level affirmation of Washington's new policy of engaging the military-ruled country despite its dismal human rights record.

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Democrats' Ethics Targeted by GOP

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 05:05:09 +0000

Republicans are accusing House Speaker Pelosi and her colleagues of failing to make good on their pledge to clean up Washington when they regained control of Congress.

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National Briefing | Washington: Bill Seeks Terrorist-Proof Chemicals

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 04:29:48 +0000

The House passed legislation that would give the government the authority to force companies to replace chemicals that terrorists could use in attacks with safer alternatives.

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House Democrats scramble for healthcare votes

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 03:03:48 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives scrambled on Friday to allay lingering concerns about a broad healthcare overhaul and said a landmark vote planned for Saturday could slip a day or more.

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Democrats' Ethics Targeted by GOP

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:49:55 +0000

Republicans are accusing House Speaker Pelosi and her colleagues of failing to make good on their pledge to clean up Washington when they regained control of Congress.

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Opponents say they have votes to block U.S. tourism to Cuba (McClatchy Newspapers)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:02:00 +0000

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — Opponents of opening Cuba to American tourists are touting a letter signed by 53 Democrats in the House of Representatives, saying it shows that they have the votes to derail an effort to lift the ban on travel to the island.

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Obama administration would talk to North Korea: aide

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 23:12:48 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration would be willing to hold bilateral talks with North Korea but only if certain conditions were met, the president's top adviser on Asia said on Friday.

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Obama will push economic rebalancing on China trip

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:33:39 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will seek to reinforce the U.S. desire for more balanced global growth during his trip to Asia this month, administration officials said on Friday.

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Brown: UK staying in Afghanistan, but wants reform (AP)

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 19:58:22 +0000

AP - Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Washington's closest ally in Afghanistan, toughened his tone Friday with this harsh message for the Afghan leadership: Clean up your act — for real this time — or risk a cutoff of support.

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U.S. bill would overhaul annual phone fund

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 19:07:22 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers said on Friday they introduced a measure aimed at overhauling an annual fund intended to ensure nationwide telephone service in high-cost, rural areas by including money for high-speed Internet use.

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Obama Urged to Find Climate Money (OneWorld.net)

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:52:06 +0000

OneWorld.net - WASHINGTON, Nov 5 (OneWorld.net) - Climate analysts are calling on the Obama administration to use an international finance meeting this week to press for a swift end to subsidies for coal, oil, and natural gas companies around the world.

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Obama calls jobless rise "sobering"

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:18:00 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Friday the jump in the unemployment rate to 10.2 percent in October was a "sobering" figure that underscored the economic challenges ahead.

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Obama: don't jump to conclusion on Fort Hood shooting

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:13:26 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama urged Americans on Friday not to jump to conclusions on the motive behind the mass shooting at the sprawling Fort Hood army base in Texas.

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Senator offers "too big to fail" break-up bill

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:06:57 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senator Bernie Sanders on Friday introduced legislation that would make the U.S. Treasury Department identify and break up financial institutions that are "too big to fail."

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Democrat Hoyer: "very close" to health bill votes

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 15:48:44 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer said on Friday "we're very close" to securing the 218 votes needed for passing a broad healthcare reform bill but Democrats still needed to win over some reluctant members.

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White House's Romer: jobs will lag growth

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 15:43:35 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A jump in U.S. unemployment to 10.2 percent last month reflects the typical lag shown by the labor market as growth picks up, a top economic adviser to President Barack Obama said on Friday.

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GOP: White House 'falling short' on jobs

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 13:53:44 +0000

Republicans quickly responded to the latest jobs report Friday. Washington (CNN) - The top Republican in the House of Representatives says the White House is "falling short" when it comes to battling unemployment. "The president has said that job creation is the ultimate measure of economic performance. Today's report is yet another reminder that American families and small businesses are still struggling, and the White House response is falling short," said House Minority Leader John Boehner in a statement released Friday morning. Boehner's statement was released just minutes after the Labor Department reported that the nation's economy lost 190,000 jobs in the month of October and the unemployment rate rose from 9.8 percent to 10.2 percent. "A jobless recovery and double-digit unemployment are not what the American people were promised. Democrats pledged that the so-called 'stimulus' would create jobs immediately and keep the unemployment rate from going above eight ...

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Health reform gets boost before vote

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 13:50:04 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With a close vote looming in the House of Representatives, President Barack Obama's push for healthcare reform was boosted on Thursday by the support of powerful lobbies representing doctors and seniors.

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U.S. unemployment rate climbs to 10.2 percent

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 13:43:34 +0000

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 10.2 percent in October, the Labor Department said Friday. It's the first time the unemployment rate has surpassed 10 percent since 1983.

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Treasury's Geithner to visit Japan

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 12:31:34 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will meet with Japanese government officials in Tokyo next week before attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation finance ministers meeting in Singapore, the Treasury said on Wednesday.

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Russian FM optimistic on arms control treaty deal (AP)

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 11:19:16 +0000

AP - A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry has voiced hope that Moscow and Washington will be able to negotiate a successor to a Cold War-era arms control treaty that expires next month.

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China criticizes US over pipe duties (AP)

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:57:24 +0000

AP - China criticized Washington for imposing anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made steel pipes and launched a probe Friday of imported U.S. autos, adding to trade tensions two weeks before President Barack Obama visits Beijing.

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Tea Party activists hit the Hill, arrested outside Pelosi's office

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:06:05 +0000

Tea Party activists hit the Hill, arrested outside Pelosi's office. Washington (CNN) - GOP leaders and thousands of Tea Party movement protesters gathered on Capitol Hill Thursday to call House Democrats' health care reform bill a full-blown government takeover of the nation' health care system. "My colleagues and I last week were wracking our brains trying to figure out what could we do, because quite simply Republicans don't have the votes to kill this bill," Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota told the crowd. "Every lever of power is controlled by one party now in DC. We tried to figure out what we could do. We knew that we were limited. But what we knew was unlimited was the voice of persuasion of the American people, and that's why you are here today with your voice of persuasion. "....Let me assure you your efforts to stop this bill are being heard loud and clear. And I will guarantee you that we are committed to making sure that not one Republican will vote for this ...

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U.S. Treasury's Geithner to visit Japan

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 08:49:34 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will meet with Japanese government officials in Tokyo next week before attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation finance ministers meeting in Singapore, the Treasury said on Wednesday.

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China blasts U.S. duties ahead of Obama visit (Reuters)

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 06:25:01 +0000

Reuters - China denounced as protectionist new U.S. anti-dumping duties on steel pipes on Friday and called for Washington's swift recognition that it is a market economy, a week before a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama.

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National Briefing | Washington: Senate Votes on Terrorism Trials

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 05:14:28 +0000

The Democratic-controlled Senate turned back a Republican-led effort to bar Sept. 11 terrorists from being prosecuted in civilian federal courts.

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China calls for market economy status after U.S. duties (Reuters)

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 05:03:38 +0000

Reuters - China's Ministry of Commerce said it would protect its industry's interests and accused Washington of double-standards in denouncing new U.S. anti-dumping duties imposed shortly before a visit by President Barack Obama.

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U.S. sets more duties on China pipe in record case

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 04:31:54 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States Thursday slapped preliminary anti-dumping duties ranging up to 99 percent on Chinese-made oil well pipe in the biggest U.S. trade action against China.

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Obama Urged to Find Climate Money (OneWorld.net)

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 04:22:02 +0000

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