After a chaotic Congress, lawmakers head home to ask voters: How about another term?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is off for the campaign season, as lawmakers from one of the most chaotic and unproductive legislative sessions in modern times try to persuade voters to keep them on the job. The House Republicans led the tumult — painstakingly electing their speaker...

Judge blocks one part of new Alabama absentee ballot restrictions

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a portion of a new Alabama law limiting help with absentee ballot applications, saying it violates the Voting Rights Act’s assurances that voters who are blind, disabled or cannot read can get help from a person of their choice. ...

Congress passes temporary bill to avoid shutdown as lawmakers punt spending decisions to December

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress on Wednesday passed a temporary measure that keeps government agencies funded into December, avoiding a shutdown for now while punting final spending decisions until after the Nov. 5 election. The Senate approved the measure by a vote of 78-18 shortly...

Senate passes bill to keep government funded into December, sending measure to Biden for his signature

House passes short-term bill to avoid government shutdown as lawmakers punt decisions on spending until after election

A year ago Kevin McCarthy was booted as House speaker. Mike Johnson is trying to avoid that fate

WASHINGTON (AP) — One year since Kevin McCarthy was booted from the House speaker's office after Congress voted in a bipartisan way to prevent a federal government shutdown, the new House Speaker Mike Johnson finds himself courting, but so far avoiding, a similar political fate. ...

Senate chairman demands answers from emergency rooms that denied care to pregnant patients

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hospitals are facing questions about why they denied care to pregnant patients and whether state abortion bans have influenced how they treat those patients. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, sent inquiries to nine hospitals ahead of...

Delaware governor draws criticism from fellow Democrats for vetoing doctor-assisted suicide bill

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Democratic Gov. John Carney on Friday vetoed a bill allowing doctor-assisted suicide in Delaware, saying he is “fundamentally and morally opposed” to people killing themselves under the guidance of state law. Carney said in his veto letter that he has...

North Carolina's governor vetoes private school vouchers and immigration enforcement orders

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed legislation Friday that allocates several hundred million dollars to an expanded private school voucher program and orders sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigrant agents looking for people in the country illegally who have been...

House unanimously votes to boost Trump security as Congress scrambles to ensure candidate safety

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers are scrambling to ensure that the U.S. Secret Service has enough money and resources to keep the nation’s presidential candidates safe amid repeated threats of violence. It’s unclear, though, how much they can do with only weeks before the election, or if...