Politics

Republican and Democratic leaders are still trying to reach a deal on both an annual spending bill and coronavirus relief legislation. Congress was due to finish up work on Friday but will need more time to wrap up year-end business.

Politics & Government

House Approves Temporary Government Funding Bill As Larger Deal Remains Elusive

7:10pm December 09, 2020

by Claudia Grisales

House lawmakers passed a one-week spending measure to thwart a government shutdown before a Friday deadline. It now heads to the Senate, with hopes lawmakers reach a bigger deal this month.

Hunter Biden makes an address virtually to the Democratic National Convention in August.

Politics & Government

Hunter Biden Says He Is Under Federal Investigation For Tax Matter

6:52pm December 09, 2020

by Alana Wise

Joe Biden's son Hunter said he learned that "the U.S. Attorney's Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel ... that they are investigating my tax affairs."

Retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin speaks Wednesday in Wilmington, Del., after being formally introduced as President-elect Joe Biden's choice for secretary of the Department of Defense.

Biden Defends Lloyd Austin As 'The Right Person' To Lead The Pentagon

4:28pm December 09, 2020

by Alana Wise

Lloyd Austin, a retired Army general, would be the first African American in the job. But confirming Austin to the top civilian spot in the Defense Department would require a waiver.

Biden Faces Pressure To Make Good On His Pledge To Bring Diversity To His Cabinet

4:17pm December 09, 2020

by Scott Detrow

President-elect Joe Biden has announced a number of major Cabinet positions, facing pressure over representation and ideology from across the Democratic coalition that elected him.

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Who Is Rochelle Walensky, Biden's Pick For CDC Director?

4:17pm December 09, 2020

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

President-elect Joe Biden has nominated Dr. Rochelle Walensky to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What Can Incoming Biden Administration Do To Stimulate Economy Without Congress?

4:17pm December 09, 2020

by Asma Khalid

With a closely divided Congress, which could include Republicans holding the Senate, President-elect Joe Biden's economic agenda may depend a lot on what his incoming administration can do on its own.

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Tom Vilsack served as secretary of agriculture during the Obama administration and has been a trusted adviser to President-elect Joe Biden.

Biden Plans To Bring Vilsack Back To USDA Despite Criticism From Reformers

1:29pm December 09, 2020

by Dan Charles

Vilsack served as secretary of agriculture during the Obama administration and has been a trusted adviser to President-elect Joe Biden. But critics say his time has passed.

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House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., supports bringing earmarks back with limits.

Politics & Government

Democrats Want To Bring Earmarks Back As Way To Break Gridlock In Congress

12:42pm December 09, 2020

by Susan Davis

Top House Democrats want to revive the spending practice that allows members to request money for specific projects. It has been effectively banned since 2011.

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Supporters arrive for a President Trump rally in Valdosta, Ga., last weekend. Fewer than half of Trump backers said they would get the COVID-19 vaccine in a new poll.

Politics & Government

Poll: Just A Quarter Of Republicans Accept Election Outcome

12:29pm December 09, 2020

by Domenico Montanaro

While 61% of Americans overall say they trust the results of the 2020 presidential election, Republicans appear to be taking their cue from President Trump in not accepting the result.

A proposed rule could cause headaches and extra work for the successor of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, seen with President Trump in November.

Trump HHS Proposal Criticized As Burden For Biden Administration

11:28am December 09, 2020

by Phil Galewitz

The rule would require health officials to review about 2,400 regulations on everything from Medicare benefits to prescription drugs approvals. Those not analyzed within two years would become void.