House GOP leaders punted on trying to adopt the Senate-revised budget blueprint Wednesday after a long day of negotiations didn’t bear enough fruit to overcome the objections of more than enough spending hawks to sink the measure in the closely divided chamber.

Conservative holdouts met separately with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D...Read more

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Senate President Don Harmon said Wednesday that he disagrees with Illinois election officials who said he collected millions of dollars more in campaign contributions last year than he was allowed to under a state law designed to curtail big-money influence in Illinois politics, but he maintained he is taking the issue “...Read more

President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at relaxing rules that limit water flow for shower heads, targeting an issue he has long complained makes it harder for him to properly wash his hair.

The order ends water conservation standards that restrict the number of gallons per minute that are allowed to flow through shower heads, ...Read more

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to use military action against Iran if it were to try and acquire a nuclear weapon, as negotiators are set to meet Saturday to discuss the standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Trump told reporters he would “absolutely” consider using military action “if necessary” during an event in the Oval ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The House passed a bill Wednesday that would curtail the power of federal district judges to issue nationwide injunctions, the most high-profile legislative pushback from Republicans to a string of rulings that have stymied certain executive actions from the Trump administration.

The chamber voted 219-213 to approve a bill that ...Read more

WASHINGTON — A Republican drive to quickly pass President Donald Trump’s tax cut proposals and increase the U.S. debt ceiling has been temporarily delayed by party infighting over federal deficits.

House leaders decided on Wednesday night to postpone a key vote to fast-track the package, after they determined they lacked the votes to clear ...Read more

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will appear next week in Folsom, California, after they moved their "Fighting Oligarchy" tour stop from Auburn.

In an email to supporters, Sanders said he and Ocasio-Cortez would speak at Folsom Lake College’s athletic track on College Parkway on Tuesday.

The outspoken progressives have ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Loyal Republicans on Capitol Hill, who have long given Donald Trump wide latitude on policy matters, got a reprieve Wednesday from several days of grim economic news, when the president’s pause on his sweeping tariffs sparked a stock market surge.

Iowa Sen. Charles E. Grassley told reporters that Trump’s 90-day delay on ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on higher tariffs that hit dozens of trade partners after midnight, while raising duties on China to 125%.

The president’s about-face came roughly 13 hours after high duties on 56 nations and the European Union took effect, fueling market turmoil and stoking recession fears. ...Read more

In the escalating court battle between the Justice Department and major law firms over President Donald Trump’s punitive executive orders, Chicago-based Jenner & Block is leading a counteroffensive on the front lines in a Washington federal court.

Jenner & Block, which was targeted by a March 25 executive order to restrict the 111-year-old ...Read more

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he's working with Michigan leaders to keep Macomb County's Selfridge Air National Guard Base "open, strong, thriving" ― teasing the possibility of new fighter jets ― and separately promised "to save Lake Michigan" from the invasive Asian carp.

"I think we're going to be successful, Governor. I ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump walked back plans on Wednesday for a global trade war that sparked fears of economic panic and recession, a dramatic reversal after a week of market turmoil that led to a historic surge of relief on Wall Street.

But the president further escalated his standoff with China over tariffs, raising duties on ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is pausing and lowering reciprocal tariffs on more than 75 countries that have called for trade negotiations and will raise tariffs on goods imports from China to 125%, effective immediately.

Trump announced the change in policy on Truth Social, altering a course he set only last week. The...Read more

WASHINGTON — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's bid to get Republican President Donald Trump to exempt imported vehicles from tariffs fell short Wednesday, but he had some unusual praise for the second-term Democratic governor from behind the resolute desk.

Whitmer proposed exempting the auto and energy industries from tariffs as part of a ...Read more

President Donald Trump has claimed victory at the Supreme Court in his campaign to deport Venezuelan migrants accused by the government of being part of a foreign terrorist organization.

“The Supreme Court has upheld the Rule of Law in our Nation by allowing a President, whoever that may be, to be able to secure our Borders, and ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s ever-changing tariff policies have rocked the stock market, but they could also complicate Republicans’ effort to maintain their majorities on Capitol Hill.

While a volatile or slumping economy is an obvious political risk for the party in power ahead of an election, there’s more nuance to ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump partially backed down Wednesday on his plan to hike tariffs on countries around the world, with the exception of China, a dramatic reversal after days of market turmoil that led to a surge of relief on Wall Street.

Trump said he would pause a universal, 10% tariff rate on most countries that went into ...Read more

Congress may press forward as soon as Thursday on a controversial proposed law that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote.

The SAVE Act purports to prevent undocumented immigrants from voting, but critics say it would make it harder for everyday Americans to cast ballots because tens of millions do not have documents proving ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on higher reciprocal tariffs that hit dozens of trade partners after midnight, while raising duties on China to 125%.

The president’s about-face comes roughly 13 hours after higher reciprocal duties on 56 nations and the European Union took effect, fueling market turmoil and ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he would pause higher reciprocal tariffs for 90 days on dozens of trade partners, while raising duties on China to 125%.

The president’s about-face comes roughly 13 hours after higher reciprocal duties on 56 nations and the European Union went into effect, a move that fueled market turmoil and ...Read more