Latest Politics Headlines
All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Senate Approves Financial Reform Bill
May 21 2010 // The U.S. Senate approved a sweeping Wall Street reform bill Thursday night, capping months of wrangling over the biggest overhaul of financial regulation since the 1930s. By a vote of 59-39, the Senate approved S. 3217,...
Arkansas Insurance Agent Wins GOP Nomination for Lt. Gov.
May 20 2010 // A Springdale, Ark., insurance agent has won the Republican nomination in Arkansas for lieutenant governor. Mark Darr will face state Sen. Shane Broadway in the fall to take over the No. 2 spot vacated by Bill Halter,...
Senate Republicans Balk at Raising Oil Companies’ Spill Liability
May 19 2010 // President Barack Obama said Tuesday he was disappointed that a measure to lift limits on oil firm liability for spills had stalled in the U.S. Senate, and blasted Republicans he said had stopped it. “I am...
Democrats Considering Unlimited Oil Spill Liability
May 18 2010 // Democrats in the U.S. Senate are considering pushing legislation that would place no limits on the liability oil industry companies would face if they are responsible for oil spills, New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez said...
Obama Administration Defends Healthcare Law in First Court Test
May 13 2010 // The Obama administration has urged a court to reject an attempt to block a controversial new law overhauling the U.S. healthcare system, saying it is constitutional and any challenge is premature. The reforms, a top...
Tornado Shelter Legislation Killed in Oklahoma Senate
May 12 2010 // The Oklahoma Senate has killed a bill that would have required owners of mobile and RV parks to provide tenants with a plan to seek shelter. The bill’s author, State Rep. Pat Ownbey, praised a mobile home park south...
Bill for Seat Belts on Connecticut Buses Clears Senate
May 6 2010 // A bill that provides Connecticut school districts with a financial incentive to buy school buses with seat belts is heading to the governor. The Senate gave the bill final legislative approval late Tuesday night. The...
U.S. Senate Bank Reform Fight Turns to Consumers, Fed
May 6 2010 // The U.S. Senate’s debate on Wall Street reform shifted Thursday to a running battle over consumer protection and an impending challenge to Federal Reserve secrecy, with small banks also scoring a win. In the second...
Democrats Garner More Votes in U.S. Senate for Financial Reform Bill
May 5 2010 // Democrats fought to push their Wall Street reform forward in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, slating more votes despite Republican resistance on a bill that is expected to pass within weeks. The chief negotiators for both...
Senate Ends Stalemate Over Financial Reforms; Debate to Begin
Apr 29 2010 // A three-day U.S. Senate standoff over efforts to overhaul financial regulation ended on Wednesday as Republicans dropped efforts to block a Democratic bill in exchange for a handful of concessions. A deal to proceed came...
Republicans Release Own Financial Services Regulation Proposal
Apr 28 2010 // Senate Republicans have proposed an alternative to Democrats’ financial regulation legislation, according to a document obtained by Reuters on Tuesday. Below are their key proposals. ORDERLY LIQUIDATION No resolution...
Louisiana Senate Passes Ban on Insurance Cancellations Due to Drywall
Apr 28 2010 // The Louisiana Senate has passed a measure that would ban against property insurers dropping or changing coverage for homes or businesses that contain Chinese-made drywall, which has been blamed for home corrosion and...
Financial Reform Bill Stumbles in U.S. Senate
Apr 27 2010 // The most sweeping overhaul of U.S. banking rules since the Great Depression stumbled in the Senate Monday as Republicans united to prevent action on the bill. The vote gives Republicans leverage to extract more concessions...
Financial Reform Hits First Hurdle in U.S. Senate
Apr 26 2010 // The most sweeping overhaul of U.S. financial regulation since the Great Depression appeared unlikely to clear its first hurdle in the U.S. Senate Monday as Republicans held out for a bipartisan deal. Even as Wall Street...
Senate Panel Sought Action Against Goldman Before SEC Suit
Apr 23 2010 // A Senate investigations panel looking into Goldman Sachs’ role in the financial crisis subpoenaed the investment bank as early as June 30, 2009, long before securities regulators sued it for fraud, according to a...
How to Handle Firms ‘Too Big To Fail’ Divides Democrats, Republicans
Apr 14 2010 // U.S President Barack Obama will try to turn up the pressure for an overhaul of Wall Street regulations as he meets Wednesday with top Democratic and Republican lawmakers to discuss a sweeping package of...
Bill Restoring Jobless Aid, Flood Insurance Clears Senate Hurdle
Apr 14 2010 // A measure that would restore lapsed jobless aid for hundreds of thousands of Americans and reauthorize the federal flood insurance program cleared a hurdle in the Senate Wednesday, clearing the way for passage later in the...
Senate Ends Fillibuster on Jobless Benefits, Flood Insurance Program
Apr 13 2010 // The U.S. Senate voted Monday to end debate on a bill to extend unemployment benefits and COBRA health insurance subsidies that also includes a reauthorization of the national flood insurance program. The vote to end a...
Senate to Consider Restarting Flood Insurance Program Today
Apr 12 2010 // Congress today could advance a provision reinstating the flood insurance program as part of a bill extending unemployment benefits and subsidies for COBRA health insurance premiums. The Senate is scheduled to vote on...
Michigan Senate Backs Bill to Thwart Fremont Insurance Takeover
Apr 9 2010 // The Michigan Senate recently advanced a bill to make it more difficult for outsiders to take over the domestic insurer Fremont Michigan InsurCorp. The measure, which passed the Senate 27-10 and was sent to the House...
