Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. testified Thursday for more than four hours on Capitol Hill in a showdown with House Republicans, who threatened to hold him in contempt if he does not quickly turn over more documents on a botched gun operation. Read full article > >

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Attorney general, Republicans spar over ‘Fast and Furious’ at congressional hearing

The Senate on Monday began its most substantial debate on congressional ethics in nearly five years, a proposal that would formally prohibit insider stock trading on Capitol Hill and bring the chamber’s financial disclosure laws up to date with technology. Read full article > >

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Senate begins debating insider-trading bill

The first Republican revolution had a short, sharp battle plan: the “ Contract with America .” Ten big ideas. Three pages of text. The second Republican revolution — the one now struggling for oxygen on Capitol Hill — did it differently. Its “ Pledge to America ” noodles on for 48 pages. It contains less ambitious ideas but has glossy photos of 42 GOP congressmen. Read full article > >

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Gingrich campaign brings up comparison of Republican revolutions

Republicans on Capitol Hill are increasingly worried about the potential of a Newt Gingrich presidential nomination, fearful that the former House speaker’s reputation for volatility could drive away independent voters and jeopardize GOP prospects for controlling Congress in 2013. Just a few months ago, Gingrich was an afterthought in the campaign. But his sudden rise over the past month has given pause to congressional Republicans who thought President Obama’s troubles with the economy could firm up their majority in the House and a new majority in the Senate. Read full article > >

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Some Republican lawmakers wary of Newt Gingrich presidential nomination

President Obama lashed out at Congress on Thursday for blocking his nomination to head a consumer financial watchdog agency, saying Americans are frustrated with legislators for holding up critical appointments to win concessions on other matters. Speaking shortly after the Senate rejected his appointment of former Ohio attorney General Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Obama said his Capitol Hill adversaries were not acting “on the level” in their consideration of the public interest. And he complained that Republicans in Congress were systematically delaying his political appointments. Read full article > >

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Obama denounces Senate vote to block Cordray at consumer watchdog agency

A broad coalition of civic leaders, elected officials, and labor, environmental and social activists launched a campaign Wednesday aimed at convincing U.S. politicians that they should curb greenhouse gas emissions for moral and ethical reasons. The Climate Ethics Campaign — which kicked off with a Capitol Hill news conference headlining Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) — comes as negotiators are struggling to make progress at U.N. climate talks in Durban, South Africa. Read full article > >

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Groups frame climate as a moral cause

For six years, Rep. Louise M. Slaughter pressed her colleagues to co-sponsor legislation that would ban them from using information they gleaned on Capitol Hill to guide their trades in the stock market. Most lawmakers bristled, offended by the mere suggestion that they would ever engage in such behavior. Others politely listened but walked away — some as recently as last month. Slaughter (D-N.Y.) never expected to hear from them again. Read full article > >

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Bill to ban insider trading in Congress is suddenly popular

An unusual alliance of consumer advocates and industry groups won a victory this month when they helped persuade Congress to boost funding for the Food and Drug Administration, while most other programs paid for by a newly passed agriculture spending bill had their money slashed. That alliance engaged in an old-style shoe leather campaign to prevent spending cuts for the FDA as the agency prepares to carry out a landmark food safety bill that was adopted by the previous Congress. The effort included at least four dozen visits to congressional offices and grass-roots events in the districts of key lawmakers involved in spending decisions, as well as advertisements in Capitol Hill newspapers. Read full article > >

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FDA funding boosted through lobbying effort

The field of religious advocacy has mushroomed on Capitol Hill in recent decades, a new survey shows , with the number of groups growing fivefold since 1970 and hundreds of millions spent each year to influence issues from school vouchers and immigration to the right of women overseas to have abortions. Read full article > >

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Religious lobbying groups multiply on Capitol Hill

The nation’s debt in dollars consists of 14 digits. The District’s, 10. But Gaithersburg has only one: zero. Yes, $0. Zilch. Just a 45-minute drive from Capitol Hill, the community is debt-free and has been, more or less, for about four decades. As the country struggles with its $15 trillion debt , Gaithersburg has plugged away with a time-tested budgeting philosophy: Pay as you go and build your financial reserves. Read full article > >

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For a city in Montgomery, staying debt-free is the norm

Tense negotiations over a continuing U.S. military presence in Iraq ended last month. On Capitol Hill, there’s been no end to the tension. Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday used an appearance by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to express deep misgivings about the failure to reach an agreement with the Baghdad government , saying they feared the withdrawal of American personnel would lead to a rise in sectarian tensions and provide an opening to Iran. Read full article > >

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On Iraq pullout, Panetta faces skeptical lawmakers

It finally looks like Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are ready to agree on something related to the uprising in Libya. All it took was for the revolt to succeed, longtime dictator Moammar Gaddafi to be captured and killed and American involvement to end. On Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is to consider a resolution, sponsored by Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.), along with Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), applauding Libyans for their successful rebellion and U.S. troops for their “bravery.” Read full article > >

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Mission over, Congress ready to agree on Libya

It finally looks like Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are ready to agree on something related to the uprising in Libya. All it took was for the revolt to succeed, longtime dictator Moammar Gaddafi to be captured and killed and American involvement to end. On Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is to consider a resolution, sponsored by Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.), along with Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), applauding Libyans for their successful rebellion and U.S. troops for their “bravery.” Read full article > >

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Mission over, Congress ready to agree on Libya

In her new memoir, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) vows that she will return to Capitol Hill, the Associated Press reports . The memoir, “Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope,” is set for release on Nov. 15th. It was ten months ago that Giffords was shot in the head by a gunman at a constituent event in Tucson, Ariz., during a shooting that left six people dead, including a member of the congresswoman’s staff. Read full article > >

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Gabrielle Giffords pledges return to Congress, some day

For Larry Frankel, veteran D.C. cabbie, driving a taxi is like fishing. You have to know the spots. When Congress is in session, he prowls Capitol Hill at lunchtime; during the evenings, he cruises out-of-the-way restaurants; and in the wee hours, around closing time, he lurks in front of the most popular bars. Read full article > >

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Does it pay to drive a cab in D.C.? A look at the fair wage debate in the nation’s capital