Dick Durbin

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Bipartisan Group Hatches Gun Bill in Senate

Patrick Leahy announces push against 'straw purchasers'

(Newser) - A bipartisan group of senators hatched a bill today that would increase penalties for so-called "straw purchasers" of firearms, the Washington Post reports. Sen. Patrick Leahy, announcing the deal, said anyone who illegally buys a gun for someone else would face up to 20 years in prison; the seller...

GOP: Hagel an &#39;In-Your-Face Pick&#39;
 GOP: Hagel an 
 'In-Your-Face Pick' 
TALK SHOW ROUNDUP

GOP: Hagel an 'In-Your-Face Pick'

GOP is not thrilled with Obama's reported pick for Defense secretary

(Newser) - No sooner had rumors of Chuck Hagel's pending nomination to head up the Pentagon leaked than lips were flapping about what a bad idea it was. Hagel "is an in-your-face nomination by the president," charged Lindsey Graham , who "would be the most antagonistic secretary of defense...

2 More Republicans Shrug Off Norquist&#39;s Tax Pledge
2 More Republicans Shrug
Off Norquist's Tax Pledge
talk show roundup

2 More Republicans Shrug Off Norquist's Tax Pledge

'The world has changed,' says Rep. Peter King

(Newser) - Following Sen. Saxby Chambliss' dismissal of Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge, two more Republicans followed suit today. While discusing fiscal cliff negotiations, Sen. Lindsey Graham said on This Week that he would "violate the pledge for the good of the country—only if Democrats will do entitlement reform."...

Monster Energy Drinks Killed 5 People: Reports

Company denies responsibility in death of teenage girl

(Newser) - Do Monster Energy drinks have unsafe levels of caffeine? The company's products killed five people over the past year and a sixth in 2009, according to reports submitted by doctors and companies to the FDA. Parents in Maryland have already used the reports in a lawsuit against Monster, America'...

DNC Chair: Romney, GOP 'Rooting for' Economy to Tank

Debbie Wasserman Schultz also blasts war on women

(Newser) - Debbie Wasserman Schultz blasted Mitt Romney and his fellow Republicans today for actively "rooting for economic failure" and narrow-mindedly focusing "on one job, Barack Obama's, for really the last two years." The DNC chair spoke this morning on CNN , saying that while the economy has been...

Congress Is Done for the Year
 Congress Is Done for the Year 
yep, it's only Feb. 16

Congress Is Done for the Year

Don't expect any major legislation in 2012

(Newser) - It's only February, but most lawmakers expect the payroll tax holiday extension be the last major piece of legislation Congress passes all year, as election year politicking brings the 112th Congress —not exactly known for its blistering pace —to a screeching halt. What will Congress do about...

Deficit Talks Deadlocked, Despite GOP Revenue Offer

Democrats say it's not high enough

(Newser) - Republicans on the deficit super committee finally budged on revenues this week, in what Dick Durbin yesterday hailed as “a breakthrough” in the talks. But Democrats swiftly rejected the GOP’s offer for $350 billion in new revenue as insufficient, leaving the committee about where it was—with less...

Dems Target BofA on Debit Card Fees

New bill would help bank customers move money

(Newser) - Two Democrats in Congress are planning to strike back at Bank of America with a direct hit to the wallet, the Huffington Post reports. With BofA instituting a $5 monthly debit card fee to many consumers , Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Rep. Brad Miller are mounting legislation that would...

Senate Likely to Vote on McConnell Debt Deal

They'll also vote on a balanced budget amendment

(Newser) - Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid are busily hammering out a debt ceiling Plan B, and are likely to put it to a vote in the coming week, senior Democratic aides tell Reuters . It would be based on McConnell's widely panned plan to allow Democrats to raise the ceiling, but...

Senate's ‘Gang of Six’ Tackles Deficit Head-On

Plan would require core compromises by Democrats and Republicans

(Newser) - The soaring national debt is making strange bedfellows in the Senate: A bipartisan "Gang of Six" has been secretly working for months, and now appears as the leading hope in negotiations, with both sides willing to sacrifice their sacred cows. For Democrats, that means deep cuts to Medicare and...

Gillibrand, Schumer: We'll Pass New 9/11 Health Bill

Revamped version said to pay for itself

(Newser) - Smile, Jon Stewart : the fight for a 9/11 health care bill may not be over, despite Republicans having blocked it weeks ago. New York’s senators have edited their bill to provide care for first responders, and they hold that the new version will "pay for itself," Reuters...

Democrats: Fine, We'll Pass Your Crummy Tax Deal

Bill to see vote this week, says House majority leader

(Newser) - Democrats haven't stopped complaining about President Obama’s tax cut deal—one House member even called it Obama's "Gettysburg"—but it looks like they’ll pass it anyway, Time reports. “We're not going to hold this thing up at the end of the day,” said Chris...

Senate Democrats Warm to Obama's Tax Deal

But Biden makes little progress in the House

(Newser) - Democrats are coming around on the tax cut deal President Obama struck with Republicans—at least in the Senate. Yesterday, the White House was showing off independent forecasts predicting that the concessions Obama won in the deal could create up to 2.2 million jobs, the Washington Post reports. “...

Deficit-Cutting Plan Fails to Advance

But it gets 11 votes, just 3 shy

(Newser) - An austere deficit-cutting plan by President Obama's budget commission has failed to win the supermajority required to force a quick vote in Congress. The plan won support from 11 of 18 commission members, however, more than expected just a few weeks ago. As a result, it could shape the coming...

Durbin, Schumer Jockeying for Reid's Majority Post

Senators quietly maneuvering to move in if leader goes down

(Newser) - Capitol Hill housemates Charles Schumer and Richard Durbin are likely to end up fighting over a lot more than the breakfast cereal if Harry Reid loses his re-election battle. The senators from New York and Illinois, Reid's top two deputies, are subtly building support for bids to become majority leader—...

Congress Arms Finance Reform With Big Guns

Unlike health care, bill is anything but watered down

(Newser) - After the pinball-esque drubbing health reform took before Congress spit it out, it's Wall Street's turn. But, reports Politico , the financial reform bill making its way through the Capitol is actually picking up fangs rather than being rendered toothless. Democrats know they have the wind at their backs, Republicans can't...

Democrats' ID Card Plan: Get Your Fingerprints

'Biometrics' a big part of immigration reform proposal

(Newser) - Now it's the Democrats' turn to be accused of trying to violate civil liberties in the name of immigration reform. A crucial part of their plan calls for what amounts to a high-tech national ID card. It would have a "biometrics" component—namely fingerprints—and every worker would need...

Schumer May Try to Rewrite Filibuster Rules

Hearings could be a sign he wants Harry Reid's job

(Newser) - Chuck Schumer plans to hold a series of Senate Rules Committee hearings to examine possible reforms to the filibuster rules so frustrating Democrats. Schumer, the committee’s chair, hatched the plan with senators Tom Udall and Carl Levin. In the first hearing, Senate historians will testify as to how the...

Bunning Hijacks Senate With Jobless Filibuster

'I'm trying to make a point to the people of the United States'

(Newser) - Jim Bunning held the Senate hostage last night, filibustering a move to extend federal unemployment benefits, which will otherwise expire on Sunday, for 30 days. The clash lasted until just before midnight, with Bunning complaining that Democrats had forced him to miss the Kentucky-South Carolina basketball game. But “I'll...

Reid Promises Vote on Jobs Bill Next Week

But so far, not one Republican senator is on board

(Newser) - Harry Reid plans to bring the first of several Democratic bills aimed at creating jobs to the Senate floor on Monday, with the goal of passing the measure by the end of next week. “For Senate Democrats, creating jobs is job number one,” the majority leader said. “...

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