2chambers - Breaking news and analysis from The Washington Post's Capitol Hill Bureau. - March 6, 2011

2chambers recesses (briefly)

2chambers is taking a brief hiatus

By Felicia Sonmez | March 11, 2011; 10:29 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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House votes to end foreclosure-assistance program

The House on Thursday voted to end the Federal Housing Administration Refinance Program, one of two federal foreclosure-assistance programs on the chopping block this week.

By Felicia Sonmez | March 10, 2011; 5:48 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)

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It's the economy (and the deficit, and the gas prices), stupid

A Gallup poll released Thursday shows that the number of Americans citing economic issues as the country's most important problem has reached a 12-month high, with the percentages of Americans concerned about the federal deficit and gas prices also spiking.

By Felicia Sonmez | March 10, 2011; 4:32 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)

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The Peter King hearings on radical Islam (live blog)

The House Homeland Security Committee convened Thursday for the much-anticipated hearings on radical Islam. The hearings, convened by chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.), feature a series of witnesses addressing the topic. We are covering the hearing live here.

By Felicia Sonmez | March 10, 2011; 3:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (93)

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CAIR comes under fire during Peter King hearings on radical Islam

CAIR was used as a lightning rod during the hearing, sort of a proxy for the often cited but unnamed "Muslim organizations" that King and several of his witnesses said were the problem and were encouraging innocent, patriotic Muslim Americans not to work with law enforcement.

By Felicia Sonmez and Michelle Boorstein | March 10, 2011; 1:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)

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Peter King's hearing on Islamic radicalization

Starting at 9:30 a.m., we'll be live-blogging House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King's (R-N.Y.) hearing on "the extent of radicalization of American Muslims."

By Felicia Sonmez | March 10, 2011; 8:03 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)

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House to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced Wednesday evening that the House will defend in court the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act.

By Felicia Sonmez | March 9, 2011; 7:26 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)

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Senate rejects two long-term funding bills, sending leaders back to negotiating table

Two competing government funding bills fell short in the Senate on Wednesday, sending congressional leaders and the White House back to the negotiating table to try to work out a budget compromise.

By Felicia Sonmez and Lori Montgomery | March 9, 2011; 5:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (14)

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Previewing Peter King's hearing on radical Islam

Tomorrow morning, we'll be live-blogging House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King's (R-N.Y.) hearing on "the extent of radicalization of American Muslims." The hearing, which starts at 9:30 a.m., will feature six witnesses, including Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the first Muslim-American elected to Congress, and relatives of young American Muslims who became violently radicalized.

By Felicia Sonmez | March 9, 2011; 5:22 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Obama repeats veto threat against House Republicans' funding measure

The White House has restated its veto threat against the government funding measure passed by the House last month ahead of a Senate test vote on the measure this afternoon.

By Felicia Sonmez | March 9, 2011; 1:22 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Obama to meet today with Senate Democrats on budget

Updated 1:10 p.m.With criticism mounting about their lack of a specific plan on the budget, the White House has announced that President Obama will meet with Senate Democratic leaders at the White House on Wednesday afternoon.White House spokesman Jay Carney...

By Felicia Sonmez and Perry Bacon Jr. | March 9, 2011; 1:10 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (12)

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Lawmakers threaten to hold up Korea trade deal

Members of the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday told U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk that they would hold up a U.S.-Korea trade agreement until the Obama administration progresses on two other long-stalled trade deals with Panama and Colombia.Utah Sen. Orrin...

By Felicia Sonmez | March 9, 2011; 12:57 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Rand Paul to vote against both Republican and Democratic funding resolutions

The freshman senator from Kentucky cites the size of the federal deficit in both plans as prompting his opposition.

By Felicia Sonmez | March 8, 2011; 7:22 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)

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Rep. Eric Cantor defends Rep. Peter King's hearings on radical Islam

Updated, 4:25 p.m. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) on Tuesday backed House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King's (R-N.Y.) planned hearing on Islamic radicalism, chiding the press for having "become sort of fascinated" with it."The purpose [of the hearing]...

By Felicia Sonmez | March 8, 2011; 4:25 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (59)

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Simpson, Bowles kick off campaign to focus on longer-term deficit reduction

Former senators Erskine Bowles (D-N.C.) and Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), co-chairmen of President Obama's fiscal reform commission, are kicking off a campaign on Tuesday to promote the panel's final report and the efforts of a group of senators working on long-term deficit reduction.

By Felicia Sonmez | March 8, 2011; 2:01 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (14)

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2chambers: March 6, 2011 - March 12, 2011