House Democrats urge Obama to drop plan for a temporary extension of transportation programs

October 6th, 2009 Health care issues: Medicare cutsA look at key issues in the health care debate: THE ISSUE: Will seniors' Medicare benefits be slashed to pay for health care overhaul? THE POLITICS: Democrats are proposing to reduce the ballooning costs of Medicare to keep the program solvent. They want to root out waste to find the savings, and to reduce payments to some providers.

September 23rd, 2009 House votes short-term extension for FAA programsWASHINGTON — With Congress distracted by health care and disagreeing over transportation policy, the House was forced Wednesday to take emergency steps to keep key air and highway programs going through the end of the year. The House votes assured that Federal Aviation Administration programs and ongoing highway and public transit programs will continue operating through the end of the year.

September 21st, 2009 Obama calls Gov. Paterson a wonderful manTROY, N.Y.

September 9th, 2009 Obama to urge Congress for action on health careWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama summoned Congress to join in a "season for action" on health care Wednesday night, urging lawmakers to set aside partisan gamesmanship in favor of drafting legislation that benefits millions who have insurance and many more without it. "I am not the first president to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last," Obama said in excerpts released by the White House in advance of a speech to a joint session of Congress and a public grown increasingly skeptical of his plans.

September 8th, 2009 Key Dem moderate turns against public planWASHINGTON — A leader of a pivotal group of moderate House Democrats says he can no longer support a new public insurance plan in a health overhaul bill. Rep. Mike Ross of Arkansas made the announcement Tuesday as members of Congress returned from Washington after their August recess.

August 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama turned 48 Tuesday and plans to spend part of his birthday meeting with the 58 Democrats in the Senate to push his health care plan. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama will discuss health care and the economy during the meeting.

June 25th, 2009 White House hunting for $20B for highways, transitWASHINGTON — The Obama administration is scrambling to find an extra $20 billion to keep highway and transit construction projects and the thousands of jobs they represent going for the next year and a half. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told a Senate panel Thursday that the White House's Office of Management and Budget estimates that is how much money will be needed to keep federal transportation aid flowing to states through March 2011.

June 18th, 2009 KATHMANDU - European diplomats have urged Nepal to extend the terms of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), media reports said Thursday. The call came during a meeting between Nepal's Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala and diplomats from the European Union (EU) countries based in Kathmandu Wednesday, Nepal Samacharpatra newspaper reported.

June 18th, 2009 LaHood offers plan to fund highway programsWASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Wednesday offered a temporary finance plan that could put off an overhaul of federal highway programs — and what is likely to be a politically sensitive vote to raise gas taxes — until after next year's midterm congressional elections. The plan, described by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in private meetings with lawmakers, undercuts efforts by Rep.

June 18th, 2009 Administration, lawmaker collide on highway billWASHINGTON — The Obama administration and the House's top Democrat on transportation policy agree on the need to improve highways, cut traffic congestion and get people out of their cars by providing better transportation alternatives. Still, they are about to collide.

June 17th, 2009 Obama to detail overhaul of finance regulationsWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will unveil his proposal to overhaul regulations covering major financial institutions. He is calling for a new regulatory agency and expanded powers for the Federal Reserve to supervise large financial insittions considered too big to fail.

June 9th, 2009 Obama and 'Blue Dogs' address 'paygo' systemWASHINGTON — A day after promising to accelerate the pace of stimulus spending, President Barack Obama will focus on how the government plans to pay off its enormous tab. Obama will talk about efforts to adhere to the what is known in Washington as the "paygo" system.

April 28th, 2009 Lawmakers advancing much of Obama's budget agendaWASHINGTON — A budget pact reached on Capitol Hill would endorse President Barack Obama's agenda by his 100th day in office while putting off a series of difficult decisions on health care, global warming and taxes. House-Senate negotiators on Monday night announced the agreement on a $3.5 trillion budget outline for 2010, with votes expected in the full House and Senate by Wednesday.

January 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives has approved President Barack Obama's $819 billion economic stimulus plan containing emergency spending and tax cuts. The House measure, which was approved Wednesday, combines roughly $275 billion in temporary tax cuts for both individuals and businesses along with about $544 billion for job-creating investment projects, health industry improvements, expanded aid for the poor and unemployed, and improving education.

January 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Democrats in the US House of Representatives Thursday introduced an $825-billion economic stimulus plan that president-elect Barack Obama hopes will help revive the struggling economy. The bill would provide for $550 billion in job-creating investments over two years and $275 billion in tax relief, media reports said.