TheRepublic.com - Government policy News

GOP US Senate candidates denounce immigration bill

Sat, 18 May 2013 19:41:43 -0400

ATHENS, Georgia - The four Georgia Republicans running for U.S. Senate said Saturday they are united in opposing a comprehensive immigration reform bill, because it doesn't do enough for border security.

Obama agenda marches on despite controversies

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:49:43 -0400

WASHINGTON - Despite Democratic fears, predictions of the demise of President Barack Obama's agenda appear exaggerated after a week of cascading controversies, political triage by the administration and party leaders in Congress and lack of evidence to date of wrongdoing close to the Oval Office.

Time waning for Okla. lawmakers to tackle credits

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:08:24 -0400

OKLAHOMA CITY - Despite calls by several Oklahoma legislators to address hundreds of millions of dollars in state tax credits and exemptions for businesses and industries, little has been done as another session approaches its end.

No Child Left Behind gauge may end in Pennsylvania

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:19:48 -0400

PITTSBURGH - Adequate yearly progress has been the assessment measurement for schools and school districts in Pennsylvania since the enactment of the federal No Child Left Behind Law in January 2001.

UN panel: Sanctions delaying NKorea nuke program

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:23:56 -0400

UNITED NATIONS - North Korea is still trying to import and export nuclear and ballistic missile-related items but financial and trade sanctions are slowing progress on development of their prohibited weapons, U.N. experts say in a new report.

CBO: Obama budget cuts deficits $1.1T by 2023

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:46:10 -0400

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's budget would trim projected federal deficits by $1.1 trillion over the coming decade, using nearly $6 in higher revenues for every $1 in reduced spending to achieve it, Congress' nonpartisan budget analyst said Friday.

GOP hopes IRS scandal will snag health care law

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:49:49 -0400

WASHINGTON - Political scandals have strange ways of causing collateral damage, and Republicans are hoping the furor over federal tax enforcers singling out conservative groups will ensnare their biggest target: President Barack Obama's health care law.

Lew tells Congress of steps to avoid debt default

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:18:22 -0400

WASHINGTON - Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew told Congress on Friday that the administration will begin taking steps next week to avoid a default on the nation's debt until Congress votes to raise the government's borrowing limit.

Canada trying to lure Silicon Valley tech workers

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:24:09 -0400

SAN JOSE, California - The Canadian government has launched an aggressive campaign to lure Silicon Valley tech workers frustrated by U.S. visa policies northward, just as Congress wrestles with a long-sought overhaul of America's immigration system.

World stocks strong into the weekend

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:43:22 -0400

AMSTERDAM - World stock markets rose steadily on Friday after two key indicators suggested the U.S. economic expansion will continue.

Groundwater test proposal gets good reviews

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:32:19 -0400

CHEYENNE, Wyoming - Gov. Matt Mead's proposal to require groundwater testing at oil and gas drilling sites has gotten good reviews from environmental advocates, landowners and industry representatives.

Problems surface over Ariz.'s 2007 immigration law

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:34:25 -0400

PHOENIX - The immigration debate in Arizona reached a boiling point in 2007 when the state passed a groundbreaking law targeting those often blamed with fueling the nation's border woes: Employers who hire immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.

Greek PM in China seeking investment, trade deals

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:13:05 -0400

BEIJING - Greece's prime minister is in China seeking investment and trade deals to help revive his country's recession-battered economy.

Minn.'s Bachmann sprints to TV with health care ad

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:41:26 -0400

ST. PAUL, Minnesota - Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann quickly launched a campaign-style television ad Thursday in hopes of capitalizing on the latest U.S. House vote to undo President Barack Obama's health care law.

Judge lets Ariz. immigrant license policy stand

Thu, 16 May 2013 21:12:26 -0400

PHOENIX - A judge on Thursday refused to halt Gov. Jan Brewer's order that denies driver's licenses for young immigrants in Arizona who have gotten work permits and avoided deportation under an Obama administration policy.

House immigration group reaches a deal

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:30:39 -0400

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of House members announced a deal Thursday on sweeping immigration legislation, a breakthrough that could boost chances for one of President Barack Obama's top second-term priorities.

House bill protects homeland security budget

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:30:11 -0400

WASHINGTON - A Republican-controlled House panel moved Thursday to protect the Department of Homeland Security from the big cuts facing other domestic agencies under the party's budget slashing plan.

Calif. bill would limit local immigrant detentions

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:41:16 -0400

SACRAMENTO, California - People living in the country illegally could not be detained for deportation if they are arrested for a minor crime, under a bill passed Thursday by the California Assembly.

Another round for the House on 'Obamacare'

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:48:52 -0400

WASHINGTON - One more time, with feeling! The Republican-led House voted yet again Thursday to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law, knowing full well that won't stop it.

GOP's Cuccinelli outlines campaign energy policy

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:28:52 -0400

RICHMOND, Virginia - Republican Ken Cuccinelli proposed cuts to taxes and regulations on energy in the second policy statement of his campaign for governor Thursday in Virginia coal country.

Appeals court in Va. hears health reform challenge

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:34:28 -0400

RICHMOND, Virginia - A Liberty University lawyer urged a federal appeals court to overturn the Obama administration's health care reform law Thursday, arguing that it violates the school's religious rights by requiring it to provide insurance coverage for abortion-inducing drugs.

Venezuelans scrambling to find scarce toilet paper

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:39:11 -0400

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelans scrambled to stock up on toilet paper Thursday as fears of a bathroom emergency spread despite the socialist government's promise to import 50 million rolls.

Utah lawmakers discuss health care reform

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:55:52 -0400

SALT LAKE CITY - With federal approval in hand for its unique split-model health insurance exchange, Utah officials began shifting their focus Thursday to what needs to be done so the marketplaces are ready for open enrollment on Oct. 1.

Deep divide in Congress over domestic food aid

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:44:22 -0400

WASHINGTON - The House and Senate Agriculture Committees laid the groundwork this week for reducing the size of the federal food stamp program, approving farm bills that would shrink food aid and alter the way people qualify for it.

INFLUENCE GAME: Tech, labor spar on immigration

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:40:45 -0400

WASHINGTON - To the U.S. technology industry, there's a dramatic shortfall in the number of Americans skilled in computer programming and engineering that is hampering business. To unions and some Democrats, it's more sinister: The push by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to expand the number of visas for high-tech foreign workers is an attempt to dilute a lucrative job market with cheap, indentured labor.