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October 4, 2017

Technically speaking, nuclear war is little more than a midnight covfefe away.

It takes 218 votes in the House of Representatives and 51 votes in the Senate to pass health care or immigration law, but whether to authorize a globally catastrophic nuclear first strike is the decision of just one man: President Donald Trump. And as tensions escalate between Trump and North Korean "rocket man" Kim Jong-un, threats of nuclear annihilation have become White House diplomatic posture — a terrifying new normal.


October 4, 2017

Support is building among Republicans and Democrats alike to make changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) ahead of the controversial law's expiration at the year's end.


October 4, 2017

Lawmakers are trying come up with a solution for thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children as the Oct. 5 deadline to renew the immigrants' status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program approaches.

"Sen. Lankford and I are obviously from same area, we share the same state and constituency. He and I have long discussions about DACA and continue to work together on some solutions," Rep. Steve Russell (R-Okla.) told The Hill.

Issues: Immigration

October 1, 2017

Democratic lawmakers are blasting President Trump for dedicating a golf trophy to hurricane victims while Puerto Rico continues to recover from Hurricane Maria.

Lawmakers took to Twitter to criticize Trump, who dedicated the trophy at the Presidents Cup golf tournament Sunday to the victims of the recent hurricanes that have struck the U.S.


September 30, 2017

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles) is a naturalized American citizen, having emigrated from Taiwan as a young child.

Earlier this month, under a new proposed policy, the Department of Homeland Security said it will begin collecting public social media information about immigrants—possibly also green card holders and naturalized citizens—and include them as part of their so-called "Alien File."

Issues: Immigration

September 28, 2017

A third of Californian taxpayers could lose thousands of dollars from the repeal of one deduction under a GOP proposal released Wednesday, setting up another political dilemma for California Republicans facing tough reelection battles next year as Democrats work to win back the House of Representatives.


September 28, 2017

GOP leaders touted "unity" behind a tax reform framework Wednesday, but the effort is likely to face many hurdles working with a president seeking bipartisan buy-in.

Despite two White House meetings with bipartisan House members this month, one Democratic lawmaker questions the sincerity of President Trump's effort after GOP leaders held a private "retreat" to review the framework.


September 28, 2017

House Democrats introduced legislation on Thursday to prevent Trump administration officials from using private jets on the taxpayers' dime as multiple Cabinet heads come under fire for the practice.

Two groups of Democrats unveiled bills with correspondingly flashy titles.

Progressive Reps. Ted Lieu (Calif.), Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), Jamie Raskin (Md.) and Pramila Jayapal (Wash.) put forth the Swamp Flyers Act, while centrist Democratic Reps. Tom O'Halleran (Ariz.) and Kurt Schrader (Ore.) offered the Taxpayers Don't Incur Meaningless Expenses (Taxpayers DIME) Act.


September 27, 2017

Krystal Banks has been a bail bondsman in Detroit for nearly two decades. During that time, she's seen a lot — and she's made some good money, too.

Banks says criminal defendants have left tens of thousands of dollars with her when they skipped bail for a court hearing. In such cases, the money goes to the county for a fine.

But Banks fears her livelihood could be in jeopardy, along with that of 79 other Michigan bail bond companies, as a result of a bill pending in the U.S. House that seeks to replace cash bonds for defendants with supervised release.


September 27, 2017

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) on Wednesday cast President Trump and congressional Republicans' tax proposal not just as bad policy, but bad math.

"If you believe 2+2=7, you will like GOP #TaxReform plan," Lieu wrote on Twitter. "If you believe in math & don't want to blow up fed deficit, you will be horrified."

Lieu's comments came after Trump unveiled a tax reform framework during a speech in Indiana on Wednesday.