Washington DC

CHICAGO (AP) — As Americans watch yet another political drama play out on Capitol Hill — this time over whether to extend the payroll tax cut and jobless benefits — they have a question for Congress: Can’t you all just get along? For once...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. John McCain says Congress’ failure to reach agreement on legislation extending a payroll tax cut for working Americans “hurts the Republican Party.” The GOP’s 2008 presidential nominee says his party made a mistake in voting down the Senate-passed version of a bill that would have kept the current payroll tax relief intact for at least two more months...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Tuesday rejected a plan backed by President Barack Obama to extend a 2 percentage point payroll tax cut for two months to buy time for talks on a full-year renewal. Republicans controlling the chamber are instead demanding immediate talks with the Senate on a year-long plan...

WASHINGTON (AP) — With the Senate adjourned for the holidays, House Republicans are moving to shelve a bipartisan two-month extension of the Social Security payroll tax cut that cleared the Senate over the weekend and are demanding instead that their fellow lawmakers return to the Capitol for negotiations...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will use an unprecedented week’s worth of argument time in late March to decide the constitutionality of President Barack Obama’s historic health care overhaul before the 2012 presidential elections...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is seeking to extend minimum wage and overtime protections to cover home health care workers, a move that would boost living standards for nearly 2 million domestic employees but could mean higher costs for the elderly and disabled...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, a supporter of Mitt Romney, won a Senate GOP leadership post Tuesday over tea party favorite Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. The secret balloting elevated Blunt, a former House leader and Romney’s chief advocate on Capitol Hill, to vice chairman of the GOP conference, the fifth-most senior position in the party’s caucus...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court agreed Monday to rule on Arizona’s controversial law targeting illegal immigrants, setting the stage for an election-year decision on an issue that is already shaping presidential politics. The justices said they will review a federal appeals court ruling that blocked several tough provisions in the Arizona law...