DC BUREAU
Our Washington, D.C., bureau reports on congressional delegations and key Supreme Court and administrative decisions that affect our state.
STAFF
Jane directs national coverage, managing staff and freelance reporters in the nation’s capital and assigning and editing state-specific daily and enterprise stories.
Laura covers the nation's capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections, and campaign finance.
Ariana covers the nation's capital for States Newsroom. Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections and campaign finance.
STORIES
U.S. House Dems propose $28.6B in disaster aid for recovery from hurricanes, wildfires, floods
That disaster relief money is slightly more than the $24 billion that the Biden administration asked Congress to approve for extreme weather events during the last 18 months, including hurricanes, floods and wildfires.
Immigration reform blocked from reconciliation bill in Congress, but Democrats vow to try again
The opinion by Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate’s nonpartisan parliamentarian, was a setback for the Biden administration and Democrats who would have to reach 60 votes in the Senate for any immigration reform, rather than a simple majority through reconciliation, a process reserved for matters that affect spending, revenues, the deficit or the debt limit. The Senate is evenly split between the parties.
How House Democrats would expand Medicare and Medicaid and lower prescription drug costs
The proposals were drafted based on President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” policy plan. The House Democrats’ outline may be altered in the Senate, where some senators want to tweak those policies (including getting those upgraded Medicare benefits to seniors sooner).
FDA panel backs COVID-19 booster shots only for elderly and high-risk Americans
The Biden administration had hoped that states could begin rolling out a wide national booster shot campaign as soon as Monday, and the Food and Drug Administration advisory committee’s decision threw up a roadblock for that goal.
The U.S. leaves Afghanistan, ending an ‘unwinnable’ war, Pa. lawmaker says
The U.S. completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan late Monday afternoon, ending a 20-year occupation.
House Democrats advance budget resolution, overcoming standoff on timing of infrastructure vote
Every House Republican voted against the budget plan
Dems seek support services for survivors of Native American boarding schools in Pa., elsewhere
At issue are years of trauma from the federal government’s push, starting in the late 1800s, to remove hundreds of thousands of Native American children from their communities.
Voting by proxy becomes business as usual in the U.S. House | Analysis
The system has helped members cast their votes if they have tested positive for the coronavirus or needed to quarantine because of potential exposure to the virus.
COVID-19 booster shots to roll out starting next month, feds say
WASHINGTON — Top U.S. health officials announced a plan Wednesday to begin offering COVID-19 booster shots to Americans starting Sept. 20, with the scheduling of the additional shot to be based on when a person was fully vaccinated. The new round of jabs will be extended to those who received the two-dose vaccine from either Pfizer or Moderna, and can be […]
National Park Service renews mask mandate for all visitors
In May, the agency said it would require only unvaccinated people to wear masks. Recently, as the delta variant of the coronavirus has led to a spike in cases throughout the country, the NPS also required people from areas of high transmission to mask up, consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.
U.S. House moderates won’t back Dem budget without passage of infrastructure bill
WASHINGTON — Nine moderate U.S. House Democrats including Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Carolyn Bourdeaux of Georgia and Jared Golden of Maine are threatening to oppose a budget resolution needed to pass a major social policy package unless a bipartisan infrastructure bill is first signed into law, according to multiple media reports. Opposition from the […]
U.S. Senate OKs $1.2T bipartisan infrastructure bill; Pa.’s Casey, Toomey split on vote
Every Senate Democrat and 19 Republicans voted in favor of final passage.