CRS memo confirms: The public plan will spend federal funds National Right to Life warns U.S. House on coming vote to set up federal abortion-funding program in public plan WASHINGTON (October 23, 2009) -- The nation's largest pro-life organization has put members of the U.S. House of Representatives on notice that it regards an upcoming procedural vote on the health care legislation as a vote on whether to establish a new federal government program that would directly pay f

In a historic vote today the Senate passed the The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act by an easy margin 68-29, and joins the House of Representatives in sending the historic legislation to President Obama’s desk. The measure, attached to an essential military-spending bill, broadens the definition of federal hate crimes to include those committed because of a victim’s gender or gender identity, sexual orientation or disability. It gives them the same federal safe

Breaking News: House of Representatives Enters PATRIOT Fray With Two New Surveillance Reform Bills : Via EFF.org Updates . This afternoon, leaders in the House of Representatives introduced their own USA PATRIOT Act reform bill, responding to the disappointing PATRIOT renewal bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee two weeks ago . The new bill — the USA Patriot Amendments Act of 2009 (HR 3845) — was introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr.; Constitution, Ci

Bob Mensch today wrapped up his career in the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives and started his new job as the state Senator representing the nearly 240,000 residents in Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton counties living in the 24 th Senatorial District. Senator Mensch was sworn into office during a ceremony in the Senate Chamber. He replaces Robert Wonderling, who resigned from the Senate at the end of July to become the CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. A

Before President Barack Obama sparked a firestorm by proposing to eliminate the controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on gays in the military, Democrats in Congress took a much bigger step on behalf of the nation’s homosexuals. The U.S. House of Representatives – with anticipated Senate approval – voted last week to extend hate crime legislation, including homosexuals as a protected group. Following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., hate crime laws were enacted to ensure A