Reuters: Politics

Analysis: Some Republicans see new scandal in Sebelius fundraising

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:07:08 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With the White House already reeling from three major controversies, some Republican lawmakers are zeroing in on what they perceive is another possible scandal tied to President Barack Obama's landmark health reform law just as it nears implementation.

IRS officials back on Capitol Hill hot seat over targeting

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:03:29 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Senate panel will try on Tuesday to pry more details out of current and former officials of the Internal Revenue Service about the agency's targeting of conservative groups for extra scrutiny when they sought tax-exempt status.

Obama urges Myanmar to stop violence against Muslims

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:31:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged the president of Myanmar on Monday to halt violence against a Muslim minority but praised economic and political reforms in the formerly pariah nation that is emerging as a U.S. ally in China's backyard.

U.S. panel votes to speed up airport fingerprinting of immigrants

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:51:26 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - High-tech systems for tracking the movements of immigrants and other foreigners when leaving the United States would be installed at major U.S. airports under a plan approved by a congressional panel on Monday.

Attention shifts to White House in IRS probe

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:14:01 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two senior aides to President Barack Obama knew weeks ago about a watchdog report on the U.S. Internal Revenue Service targeting of conservative groups, a spokesman said on Monday, shifting the focus to the White House in a fast-moving controversy.

White House urges Senate to cut crop insurance in farm bill

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:11:34 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate should cut crop insurance subsidies, the most expensive part of the farm safety net, by $1 billion a year before it passes the new farm bill, the White House said on Monday.

US names envoy to combat anti-Semitism, warns of rising incidents

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:26:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday appointed a special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism as a new State Department report warned about incidents in Venezuela, Egypt and Iran.

White House to brief Democrats on economy on Tuesday

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:58:25 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of Democratic lawmakers has been invited to the White House on Tuesday for a briefing about economic issues from two top advisers to President Barack Obama on Tuesday.

Obama urges Myanmar to stop violence against Muslims

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:56:23 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged the president of Myanmar on Monday to take steps to halt violence against Muslims in his country and move ahead with economic and political reforms.

Analysis: Shrinking deficit reduces pressure for budget deal

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:15:27 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chances of a deal between Democratic and Republican lawmakers that would overhaul the tax system, trim government spending and reform safety net spending programs appear to be fading.

Obama to discuss al Qaeda, drones, Guantanamo Bay in Thursday speech

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:53:36 GMT

ATLANTA (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, under fire for security lapses at a U.S. mission in Libya, will in a speech on Thursday lay out his wide-ranging counter-terrorism policy, from the controversial use of drones to efforts to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Obama tries to bounce back after tough week

Sun, 19 May 2013 19:25:55 GMT

ATLANTA (Reuters) - President Barack Obama complained on Sunday that partisan battles in Washington are holding back stronger U.S. economic growth as he tried to recover from one of the most difficult weeks of his presidency.

White House accuses Republicans of 'fishing expeditions'

Sun, 19 May 2013 19:23:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Sunday accused Republicans of conducting political "fishing expeditions," while Republican lawmakers showed no let up in attacking President Barack Obama's administration for a culture of what they called cover-up and "intimidation."

AP chief says phone probe makes news sources reluctant to talk

Sun, 19 May 2013 17:37:34 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Justice Department's seizure of phone records for journalists at the Associated Press is hurting the agency's ability to gather news, the wire service's Chief Executive and President Gary Pruitt said on Sunday.

Obama to discuss al Qaeda, drones, Guantanamo Bay in Thursday speech

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:47:05 GMT

Ghosts of incinerator bond deal haunt Harrisburg election

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:30:31 GMT

(Reuters) - In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's cash-hungry capital city, local political battles are waged much as they are across the United States: with big personalities and bare-knuckled verbal brawls.

Los Angeles mayoral race narrows, latest opinion poll shows

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:38:55 GMT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - City Councilman Eric Garcetti leads City Controller Wendy Greuel by 7 percentage points in a tightening race for mayor of Los Angeles, according to the latest opinion poll, but the survey's director said Greuel could still stage an upset in Tuesday's election.

Tech, labor brandish dueling studies in immigration fight

Sat, 18 May 2013 05:01:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The technology industry and organized labor are locked in a fight that threatens to complicate the U.S. Senate's immigration bill.

Obama seeks to cut Afghan war spending by 10 percent

Sat, 18 May 2013 02:03:50 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday trimmed his funding request for the war in Afghanistan and other overseas operations by 10 percent, reflecting his plans to wind down the U.S. presence in that country.

IRS chief declines to identify employees involved in scandal

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:54:36 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The outgoing head of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service angered Republican lawmakers on Friday by resisting their demands that he identify who at the tax-collection agency had inappropriately targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny.

IRS chief declines to identify employees involved in scandal

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:51:21 GMT

House bill to have more stringent immigrant controls: aides

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:22:05 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bipartisan plan brokered in the House of Representatives will be tougher on illegal immigrants living in the United States than a Senate counterpart, congressional aides said on Friday.

After tough week, Obama tries to change the subject to jobs

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:20:53 GMT

BALTIMORE (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday sought to turn the spotlight from controversies threatening to swamp his agenda back to his top priority - the economy - and announced he will try to cut in half the time it takes to get federal approval for large job-creating projects.

House panel demands deposition from Benghazi investigator

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:22:12 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican chairman of a congressional oversight committee on Friday ordered the leader of the investigation into the September 11, 2012, Benghazi attacks to sit for a private interview next week.

Treasury gears up to buy time under reimposed debt cap

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:05:15 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Friday notified Congress it was prepared to take a series of steps to free up about $260 billion so it can keep paying the nation's bills once a temporary suspension in the government's debt ceiling lapses this weekend.