Topic - Senate

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Rubio's political past could still be a liability
For freshman Sen. Marco Rubio, a rising GOP figure seen as a possible Mitt Romney running mate, there are questions about whether potential vulnerabilities in his personal and political background might hold him back.
New Va. voter-ID law makes it 'tough to cheat'
With Gov. Bob McDonnell's blessing, Virginia is the latest in a growing number of states that have adopted voter-identification laws ahead of the 2012 elections - though he managed to add a fairly significant twist.
DIAZ: Obama ignites same-sex marriage issue
The Obama campaign has been in damage-control mode since the president decided to acknowledge his support for same-sex marriage. As the New York Times reported, "About two hours after declaring his support for same-sex marriage last week, President Obama gathered eight or so African-American ministers on a conference call to explain himself."
CONKO: High price of cheap drug imports
With the Senate set to vote on one of the few "must-pass" bills of the year, pharmaceutical industry critics are plotting ways to add poison pills to the Prescription Drug User Fee Act.
Postal Service to begin closing processing centers this summer
The nearly bankrupt U.S. Postal Service is moving ahead with plans to close dozens of mail-processing centers, saying on Thursday it can no longer wait as Congress remains deadlocked over how to help.
Will Maryland do another tax hike in 2013?
After voting this week to raise income tax rates on the state's highest earners, Maryland lawmakers aren't ruling out more tax increases next year.
GOP Senate hopes once again rest on insurgents
For Senate Republicans, 2012 is starting a lot like 2010. They have a shot at taking control away from Democrats as long as insurgent conservatives who are defeating the party's more establishment candidates in primaries don't frighten too many independent voters like they did two years ago.
LAMBRO: Obama campaign theme: Spend more
President Obama's budget deficit this year will hit $1.2 trillion, following three previous monster deficits of $1.3 trillion, $1.3 trillion and $1.4 trillion.
Capitol Hill eyes limiting abortions in D.C.
A House subcommittee heard diverging opinions on a bill that would ban abortions in the nation's capital once a fetus is 20 weeks past fertilization, a Republican-backed effort that city officials decried as a "cheap and cynical" way to promote an agenda on the backs of women in the District without any input from the city's sole voice in Congress.
Illegals' Dream Act lawsuit is groundless
What right do illegal aliens have to sue our government ("Dream Act students sue to stop Senate filibuster," Web, Tuesday)?
Maryland Assembly OKs $260M tax hike, teacher pension shift
The Maryland General Assembly passed a $260 million tax increase Wednesday as it adjourned from a three-day special session that ended with Gov. Martin O'Malley saying he will bring lawmakers back for another session this summer.
Inside the Beltway: Mood swings
Oh woe is us: "The national mood is a drag on President Obama's re-election prospects," according to Gallup poll analyst Lydia Saad, who says that several indicators could prove "troublesome" come November.
Obama, Boehner agree on hoagies, not much else
President Obama's meeting with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders Wednesday, during which he planned to lecture them on his five-point to-do list of economic priorities, quickly devolved into a redux of last year's showdown over the federal budget.
DECKER: 5 Questions with Rep. Ben Quayle
An interview with Rep. Ben Quayle, who was elected in 2010 by Arizona's 3rd congressional district, which is in the Sonoran Desert in the Valley of the Sun around Phoenix. One of his popular campaign ads stated, "Barack Obama is the worst president in history," a theme he has brought to Washington through tough, comprehensive criticism of current White House policies.
House approves violence bill
The House passed a domestic-violence bill Wednesday along largely party lines despite a warning from the White House that President Obama would veto it.