Senate Finance Committee votes to restore federal funding for abstinence education

October 5th, 2009 Senate committee vote slipsWASHINGTON — It's going to take a little longer for the last congressional committee writing health care legislation to finish its work. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana had hoped for a final vote by his panel on Tuesday, but a cost analysis from the Congressional Budget Office isn't ready yet.

September 30th, 2009 Public plan goes down in Senate Finance CommitteeWASHINGTON — The Senate Finance Committee has voted against creating a new government health insurance plan to compete with the private market. The 15-to-8 vote could forecast the fate of the public option in the Senate as a whole.

September 30th, 2009 More thorny challenges ahead for health overhaulWASHINGTON — A sweeping health overhaul bill has survived a major challenge from the left, but onslaughts loom from the right on thorny issues including abortion and insurance coverage for illegal immigrants. Liberal Democrats failed in two efforts Tuesday to include a government-run insurance option in the legislation before the Senate Finance Committee.

July 24th, 2009 House permits needle exchange programsWASHINGTON — The House voted Friday to lift a ban on using taxpayer dollars for needle exchange programs for intravenous drug users intended to prevent the spread of HIV and other diseases. The vote to lift a longstanding ban on federal aid for such programs — in place since 1988 — came after a brief but passionate debate on an amendment by Rep.

July 15th, 2009 Sen. Kennedy's committee passes health care billWASHINGTON — The Senate health committee has passed legislation to revamp health care, becoming the first congressional committee to act on President Barack Obama's goal of overhauling the system this year. The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted 13-10 along party lines to pass a $600-billion measure that would expand coverage to nearly all Americans by requiring individuals get insurance and employers to contribute to the cost.

July 10th, 2009 House boosts funding for veterans programsWASHINGTON — Veterans health care programs would receive another big boost under a $132.4 billion measure passed by the House on Friday. The 12 percent increase for the veterans medical services account is but the latest in a recent string of generous increases.

July 10th, 2009 Senate votes to block release of detainee photosWASHINGTON — The Senate has again voted to allow the Obama administration to refuse to release new photos showing U.S. personnel abusing detainees held overseas.

June 17th, 2009 Senators dig in on massive health care legislationWASHINGTON — Eye-popping new cost estimates for President Barack Obama's plan to overhaul the U.S. health care system are forcing majority Democrats to scale back their plans to subsidize coverage for the uninsured.

May 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to block President Barack Obama's funding request to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and prohibited the transfer of any detainees to American soil. The 90-6 vote was a setback to Obama's plans to close the facility by January 2010 and relocate the 240 detainees currently at the camp, the US Navy base in Cuba.

May 13th, 2009 Senate panel approves FDA nomineeWASHINGTON — A Senate panel has approved President Barack Obama's nominee to head the troubled Food and Drug Administration. The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved Dr.

May 8th, 2009 Budget cuts abstinence education programWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama wants to eliminate more than $100 million in spending on abstinence-only education, directing the money instead to teen pregnancy-reduction programs that don't take the no-sex approach. The proposal in Obama's 2010 budget plan released Thursday could run into opposition from conservatives.

May 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol, an 18-year-old unwed mother, says that abstinence is a 'realistic' option for teenagers. Bristol, who is a Teen Ambassador to The Candie's Foundation, did a turnabout on May 6 with her views on teen sex, and told ABC's "Good Morning America" that she wished she had waited to have sex.

May 6th, 2009 Bristol Palin says abstinence best path for teensNEW YORK — Unwed mother Bristol Palin says abstinence is a realistic way for teens to avoid unwanted pregnancy and says if she could do it all over again, she would've waited to have sex. The 18-year-old daughter of Alaska Gov.

April 23rd, 2009 Senate vote on Sebelius likely to slipWASHINGTON — Republican objections to immediate Senate action on President Barack Obama's health secretary nominee will probably push a final vote to next week. It's the latest snag for Obama's attempts to get a Health and Human Services secretary in place to work on a health care overhaul.

January 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US Senate Finance Committee Thursday approved Timothy Geithner's nomination to be Treasury secretary in President Barack Obama's administration, paving the way for Geithner's confirmation by the full US Senate. The Finance Committee voted 18-5 to send Geithner's nomination to the Senate, which could confirm his appointment later this week.