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Meanwhile, a larger division within House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's fractious Republican majority prevented lawmakers from agreeing on a short-term measure to keep federal agencies afloat after funding expires on Sept. 30. Even if House Republicans had been able to advance the defense bill or the short-term measure, either would face stiff opposition from congressional Democrats and from the White House, which has already threatened to veto the defense bill. RAUCOUS SESSIONTuesday's House vote failed in a raucous session, with Democrats mocking Republican leaders as they tried to persuade holdouts to change their minds before finally giving up. The House vote came hours after McCarthy delayed a key procedural vote on the 30-day stopgap measure known as a continuing resolution, or CR. The continuing resolution faces opposition from more than a dozen Republican hardline conservatives, enough to block its path forward in the House.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Evelyn Hockstein, Kevin McCarthy's, McCarthy, Joe Biden, brinkmanship, Fitch, Tom Cole, they're, Cole, holdouts, Ralph Norman, I'm, Patty Murray, Brian Fitzpatrick, David Morgan, Moira Warburton, Katharine Jackson, Scott Malone, Bill Berkrot Organizations: ., U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, . House, Republican, Democratic, AAA, Senate, Republicans, White, California Republican, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, California, Mexico

☆ Hot girl summer is about to come to a crashing halt, and winter is coming for women
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Emily Canal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This year's hot girl summer was led by the women who propped up the US economy. The aid has been funding childcare for the past two years, which helps keep many moms working. The study polled 3,661 women and 1,144 men between November 19, 2020, and December 17, 2020. Simultaneously, if childcare centers closed, working women would bear the brunt — in a 2020 report, the National Women's Law Center found that 95% of childcare workers were women . AdvertisementAdvertisementParents, experts, and lawmakers have previously told Insider how vital childcare is to working parents.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Barbie, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, doesn't, Annie E, Lisa Hamilton, who've, Sen, Patty Murray Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, of Labor Statistics, American, Century Foundation, Labor Department, Family Foundation, National Women's Law Center, Casey Foundation Locations: Wall, Silicon, America, it's

House Republicans, trying to win support from the far-right wing of the party, have loaded up their government funding packages with spending cuts and conservative policy priorities. Political Cartoons View All 1163 ImagesThe Senate strategy is being led by the first female duo to hold the top leadership spots on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sens. But as the Senate grinds toward votes on their funding bills, they have won plaudits from leadership in both parties. A few GOP senators allied with conservatives in the House are working to slow the Senate’s work on appropriations bills. They have also loaded the House's appropriations bills with conservative policy wins, ensuring Democratic opposition.

Persons: Patty Murray, Susan Collins, “, ” Murray, Murray, Collins, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Collins “, ” Collins, Kevin McCarthy, you’ve, ” McCarthy, Kay Granger, Rosa DeLauro, Conn, McCarthy, gavel, Joe Biden, Biden, ”, Hakeem Jeffries, Republican appropriators, Tom Cole of, ” “ We’re, Don Bacon Organizations: WASHINGTON, Capitol, House Republicans, GOP, Democrats, Associated Press, Republicans, Republican, Caucus, American, Democratic, “, Department of, Social Security Locations: United States, Ukraine, Maine, Washington, Kentucky, Kay Granger of Texas, Texas, New York, Tom Cole of Oklahoma

☆ A looming childcare cliff could cost families $9 billion in earnings and leave millions of kids without care. Democratic lawmakers want to avoid a crisis.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Child Care Stabilization Act would allocate $16 billion to childcare annually for five years to aid providers. At the same time, childcare workers are facing low pay and tough conditions; they have previously told Insider that the industry needs even more subsidizing. AdvertisementAdvertisement"It is the thing that we pay the most money for," she previously told Insider . She's not alone: Other parents have told Insider that high costs for scarce childcare have led them to drop out of the workforce completely. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Right now we have a childcare crisis with ARPA funding," Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California, a member of the Congressional Dads Caucus , said.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Sen, Patty Murray, Katherine Clark, Paige Connell, She's, Kaitlin Peterson, Jimmy Gomez Organizations: Rescue, Service, Democratic, Century Foundation, unsustainably, Department of Labor, ARPA, Congressional, Caucus Locations: Wall, Silicon, Washington, Massachusetts, Denver, Jimmy Gomez of California

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats in Congress are pushing for a new round of money to keep the nation’s child care industry afloat, saying thousands of programs are at risk of closing when federal pandemic relief runs out this month. Without a new lifeline, child care programs serving millions of families could close or increase prices. A June report from The Century Foundation found that without additional money, about 70,000 child care programs would probably have to shut down after this month. The average annual price for U.S. child care in 2022 was $10,800 per child, according to Child Care Aware of America, a nonprofit advocacy group. President Joe Biden has called for expanded child care support, but his biggest proposal stalled amid a polarized Congress and Democratic infighting.

Persons: ”, Sen, Patty Murray, Bernie Sanders of, Catherine Clark of, Cynthia Davis, Davis, “, Joe Biden, Clark Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, American, Republican, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, The Century Foundation, D.C, Department of Health, Human Services, Century Foundation, Democratic, Democratic holdouts, Congress, Associated Press, Foundation, AP Locations: Catherine Clark of Massachusetts, . Arkansas , Montana , Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, Washington ,, America

☆ Companies withhold billions in wages annually through unpaid tips and overtime. Some lawmakers now demand stricter penalties.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Workers, especially in low-paid industries, have millions in wages stolen each year. Wage theft — when employers don't pay their workers the benefits they're entitled to — is incredibly prevalent across the economy. From 2017 to 2020, workers clawed back over $3 billion in stolen wages , according to the left-leaning nonprofit think tank Economic Policy Institute. Under Murray's proposed legislation, workers would get paid back fully what they're owed — not just minimum wage. Meanwhile, government agencies are also trying to take aim at firms not paying workers what they're owed.

Persons: Sen, Patty Murray, Rosa DeLauro, Bobby Scott, Murray, Murray's, —, they'll, they're Organizations: Service, Workers, Economic Policy Institute, Labor Department Locations: Wall, Silicon, DOL, —

☆ Dianne Feinstein has surrendered decision-making on legal matters to her daughter, but the 90-year-old is still one of the most powerful lawmakers in the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dianne Feinstein has reportedly granted her daughter power of attorney over her legal affairs. It's unclear the extent to which Feinstein's agreement extends. The New York Times reported Thursday that Feinstein has granted power of attorney to Katherine Feinstein, a former San Francisco judge, over her legal affairs. During a recent Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Feinstein appeared confused during a roll call vote. Feinstein also serves on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

Persons: Dianne Feinstein, Democratic Sen, Katherine, Feinstein, Katherine Feinstein, It's, Bryan Metzger, Sen, Patty Murray, Amy Coney Barrett's Organizations: Senate, Service, Privacy, Democratic, New York Times, GOP, Committee, Intelligence, CIA, NSA, Senate Armed Services Committee, panel's, Water, Army Corps of Engineers Locations: Wall, Silicon, San Francisco

☆ A confused Dianne Feinstein tried to give a speech in the middle of a Senate hearing vote and was told to 'just say aye' instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A top Senate Democrat pleaded with Sen. Dianne Feinstein during an awkward moment. Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray told her colleague to "just say aye." Feinstein appeared to be launching into a lengthy speech during a time when senators were just supposed to vote. "Just say aye," Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Patty Murray repeatedly pleaded with her colleague. In recent weeks, Feinstein voted in favor of a Republican-led amendment during a different Senate hearing before being corrected.

Persons: Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Patty Murray, Feinstein, Democratic Sen, Murray, didn't, Susan Collins, Joe Biden's, Bryan Metzger Organizations: Service, Privacy, Democratic, California Democrat, Republican, Capitol, Pentagon, California Democrats Locations: Wall, Silicon, California

☆ Back-to-back 'senior moments' from Feinstein and McConnell illustrate the peril of a government by seniority
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two of the Senate's oldest and most powerful members had "senior moments" in recent days. Congress currently operates via seniority, meaning members gain more power depending on how long they've served. The back-to-back "senior moments" from McConnell and Feinstein, two of the most senior and powerful members of the Senate, illustrate just how much of a gerontocracy, a society governed by the old, the US has become. While Feinstein has said she's retiring at the end of her term, McConnell has suggested no such thing. In the 2020-2022 Congressional term, an Insider study found that nearly 1-in-4 members of Congress were over the age of 70.

Persons: Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Democratic Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Sen, Patty Murray, Feinstein, she's, that's, Gen Z, Ted Cruz Organizations: Congress, Service, Democratic, Senate Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Same old story with aging politicians
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The freeze is not an isolated incidentEarlier this year, McConnell could not hear reporters at a different news conference. Plus, McConnell is known to have fallen at least three times in the past year, according to CNN’s Manu Raju. His fall at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington led to a concussion and broken ribs that sidelined him for weeks. Nikki Haley got some early attention for her presidential campaign when she suggested a mental competency test for politicians over 75. The only other longer-serving senator is Sen. Charles Grassley, who is 89, and who won an eighth term last November.

Persons: it’s Mitch McConnell, McConnell, CNN’s Manu Raju, Raju, Feinstein, Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Democratic Sen, Patty Murray, John Fetterman, Nikki Haley, Joe Biden’s, Biden, ’, Donald Trump, Haley, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, Harry Enten, midterms, hasn’t, Charles Grassley, he’d, West Virginia Sen, Robert Byrd’s, Byrd Organizations: CNN, Republican, Senate, Hill, Reagan National Airport, Capitol, Feinstein Democrats, Democratic, Pennsylvania, Former South Carolina Gov, Republicans, Trump, Voters, Social Security, GOP, West Virginia Locations: convalesce, Finland, Washington, Kentucky, California, Former

The hardliners, including members of the House Freedom Caucus, also called on McCarthy to delay appropriations votes in the House of Representatives until all 12 government funding bills have been finalized and can be subjected to a side-by-side review. "Absent adhering to the $1.471 trillion spending level ... we see an impossible path to reach 218 Republican votes on appropriations or other measures," the letter said. House Republicans last month voted on a lower target of $1.47 trillion, which would cut spending for the environment, public assistance and foreign aid. House Republicans are also trying to use the legislation to rescind key Biden priorities in areas such as climate change and tax collection. DeLauro, the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, noted that House Republicans "know and have said publicly, that in the end they are going to need Democratic votes to keep the government open."

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Joe Biden, Scott Perry, Chip Roy, McCarthy's, Biden, Patty Murray, Susan Collins, Rosa DeLauro, DeLauro, David Joyce, Joyce, David Morgan, Richard Cowan, Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis, Leslie Adler Organizations: . House, Democratic, Caucus, Republican, Senate, House Republicans, White House, Republicans, Republican Governance Group, Reuters, Thomson Locations: United States

"July is going to have a lot of late-night votes and a lot of really big issues being tackled," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the chamber's No. House Republicans are aiming to craft a series of 12 detailed spending bills covering every aspect of government funding, an intricate feat Congress has not pulled off on time since fiscal 1997. House Republicans last month voted on a lower target of $1.47 trillion, which would cut spending for the environment, public assistance and foreign aid. "House Republicans really are committed to shrinking spending. House Republicans are also trying to use the legislation to rescind key Biden priorities in areas such as climate change and tax collection.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, Steve Scalise, Patty Murray, Susan Collins, Biden, McCarthy, Dusty Johnson, Rosa DeLauro, David Joyce, Joyce, David Morgan, Richard Cowan, Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Republican, House, Democratic, Senate, Republicans, House Republicans, White House, Main Street Caucus, Reuters, Committee, Caucus, Republican Governance Group, Thomson Locations: United States

☆ Parents are struggling at work or quitting altogether because of the childcare crisis. This map shows how bad it is for families in every state.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds that childcare is weighing on parents' jobs. BLS data shows many employed people miss work because of childcare issues. Those job changes, per the report, "include quitting a job, not taking a job or greatly changing a job in the previous year." An analysis by economist Clive R. Belfield estimated that, roughly, inadequate childcare costs the US $122 billion annually, with $78 billion of that loss coming from parental income. Did you have to quit your job, reduce your work hours, or make another job change because of childcare issues?

Persons: Annie E, —, that's, AECF, Lisa Hamilton, Hamilton, Rachel, Clive R, Patty Murray Organizations: Casey Foundation, Service, National Survey of Children's, US Women's Bureau, Department of Labor, DC, Center for American, Bureau, Labor, Survey, jkaplan Locations: Washington, Arizona, North Carolina, Vermont, , Nebraska, DC, Massachusetts, Connecticut

REUTERS/Jonathan... Read moreWASHINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - Three of President Joe Biden's cabinet members will testify on China policy at a U.S. Senate hearing on Tuesday, a rare joint appearance underscoring Washington's focus on competing with the rising Asian power. Two weeks ago Senate Democrats, including Appropriations Committee chairperson Patty Murray, announced a renewed legislative effort to stave off competition from China. The Defense Department said the cabinet members would address the "all of government" approach the administration was taking in dealing with China. A hard line on China is a rare bipartisan sentiment in the deeply divided U.S. capital. They are also scrutinizing possible security threats from China, including looking at TikTok, an app owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance.

☆ Reactions: US Treasury's new June 1 debt ceiling X-date
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

We must change course, cleanly raise the debt ceiling, and avert widespread economic pain and instability while we still can." The clock is ticking - and much faster than many suspected - so House Republicans need to drop their dangerous opposition to paying our nation’s bills." The President must negotiate on raising the debt ceiling." Let's get the debt ceiling taken care of, but let's talk about how we can reduce the deficit and common-sense ways. If we don't get the debt ceiling, then we go into it a depression."

☆ Senator Patty Murray says it's impossible to keep the economy growing without affordable, well-paid childcare
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Senator Patty Murray is once again pushing legislation to make childcare affordable and accessible. She told Insider the growth of the US economy relies on workers having access to childcare. Under the Child Care for Working Families Act, families' childcare costs would be capped at 7% of their income, and families that earn under 85% of their state's median would pay nothing at all. "Childcare was a crisis long ago, but it was a silent crisis," Murray told Insider. "Women are in the workforce to provide for their families," Murray said.

☆ Senate Republicans criticise Biden budget amid banking, market strains
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Republicans have refused to raise the nation's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling unless Democrats agree to sharp spending cuts. "We have to use this debt ceiling issue to pry the nation's maxed-out credit card from Joe Biden's hands," Republican Senator Roger Marshall said. Not touching those, or failing to cut defense spending, leaves little chance of addressing the government's budget deficit. Young said the White House looked forward to seeing a Republican budget that suggests the programs are off the table. Republicans are determined to avoid tax hikes and to preserve tax cuts for the wealthy implemented under former President Donald Trump.

☆ Senate Democrats urge Walmart, Costco, Albertsons and Kroger to sell abortion pill mifepristone
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Erin Hooley | Tribune News Service | Getty ImagesSenate Democrats called on Walmart , Costco , Albertsons and Kroger to sell the prescription abortion pill mifepristone and clearly let customers know how to get it at their pharmacies. The companies have not publicly stated yet whether they plan to sell mifepristone at their pharmacies. The 17 senators told Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, Costco CEO Craig Jelinek, Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran and Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen that they are frustrated the companies have not yet publicly indicated whether they will sell mifepristone. Major retailers in the U.S. have been thrust in the middle of the nation's deep divisions over abortion as they weigh whether to sell mifepristone. Walgreens has come under fire after it told the GOP attorneys general that it would not sell mifepristone in their states.

☆ Biden's funding wish list quickly runs into headwinds as Republicans slam it as 'completely unserious' and 'a roadmap to fiscal ruin'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

President Joe Biden released his budget proposal for fiscal year 2024 on Thursday. The budget, which amounts to more of a wish list of priorities than viable policy, has already sparked pushback. "President Biden just delivered his budget to Congress, and it is completely unserious," he wrote on Twitter. "Let's be clear – the budget put forward by President Biden today will not be enacted," Capito said. "I want to make it clear, I'm willing to meet with the Speaker anytime, tomorrow if he has his budget," Biden said.

☆ The US dollar is at a crossroads
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Wall Street investors are reaching for their neck braces in preparation for yet another volatile swing in stock markets: A surging US dollar. What’s happening: The US dollar “finds itself at a significant crossroads yet again,” said Krosby. Don’t forget the debt ceiling: Another significant threat to the dollar is looming in Congress — the ongoing debt ceiling fight. “It would certainly undermine the role of the dollar as a reserve currency that is used in transactions all over the world. Initial claims have come in lower than expected in recent weeks and remain well below their pre-pandemic levels.

☆ Trailblazing U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein will not seek re-election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Senator Dianne Feinstein, a trailblazer for women in American politics, announced on Tuesday that she will not seek re-election in 2024, clearing the path for a hotly contested race for her seat among California Democrats. I can honestly say that Dianne Feinstein is one of the very best," Democratic President Joe Biden said on Tuesday night, noting their time serving together on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA), who announced she will not be seeking re-election, leaves the Senate floor after a vote on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 14, 2023. Feinstein "was a tough woman on the front lines in fights like access to assault weapons and national security and intelligence," Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren told reporters on Tuesday. "Every other woman in public office owes a special debt to Dianne Feinstein."

☆ Longtime U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein announces she will not seek re-election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senator Dianne Feinstein announced on Tuesday that she will not seek re-election at the end of her term in 2024, clearing the path for a hotly contested race among California Democrats for her seat. Feinstein, who was first elected in 1992, has faced years of pressure to resign given that she is the oldest member of Congress at 89. However she declined to seek election for the position, months after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a fellow Democrat, declined to say whether he had confidence in her ability to serve. Several Democrats had already announced or hinted at runs even before her announcement, including Representatives Katie Porter and Adam Schiff. Feinstein is a trailblazer in U.S. politics: the first woman to serve as mayor of San Francisco, first woman to serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee and now the longest-serving female senator.

REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Democratic and Republican U.S. lawmakers sharply criticized the U.S. military and the Biden administration on Thursday for failing to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon when it first entered U.S. airspace, instead of waiting a week to do so. Pentagon officials said they were able to monitor the balloon's path and protect and conceal areas sensitive to U.S. national security. Republican Senator Susan Collins said the decision to let the balloon trek across the United States sent the wrong message to China and other U.S. adversaries. "In my judgment, U.S. deterrence was weakened when the spy balloon was permitted to transverse Alaska and several other states, included hovering over sensitive military bases and assets," Collins added. Separately, the House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously backed a resolution condemning the incursion of the balloon as "a brazen violation of United States sovereignty."

☆ 1870 pin meaning: What the buttons and crayon lapel pins Congress wore to the State of the Union stand for
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden gave his second State of the Union address on Tuesday. Two pins — one that reads '1870' in white text atop a round black pin and various colored crayon-shaped pins with the Crayola logo — have garnered attention. 1870 PinRep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., conducts a television interview before President Joe Biden's State of the Union address in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. "153 years after the murder of Henry Truman, the Black community is still waiting for justice," Rep. Watson Coleman said. Crayola Crayon PinA lawmaker wears a pin of a white Crayola crayon during the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 7, 2023.

☆ Dianne Feinstein's 2024 Senate campaign raised just $558.91 at the end of last year. It may be the clearest sign yet that she won't seek re-election.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sen. Dianne Feinstein raised less than $600 at the end of 2022, according to new campaign filings. Feinstein, who is the longest-serving Democratic senator and would be 91 on election day in 2024, has declined to say whether she will seek re-election next year. But altogether, her campaign — conspicuously named "Feinstein for Senate 2024" — reported having just $9,968.56 in cash on hand. For comparison, Feinstein raised over $16 million for her 2018 race against fellow Democrat Kevin De Leon. Last year, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer publicly declined to say whether he was confident in the California Democrat's ability to serve.

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