WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid formally notified Republicans on Thursday that he will attempt to pass the final changes to a healthcare overhaul through the budget process of reconciliation. The process, used in the past by Republicans, requires only a simple majority in the 100-member Senate, bypassing the need for 60 votes to overcome procedural hurdles. "We plan ...

House Democrats have stopped a Republican bid to force an investigation into whether Democratic leaders covered up allegations that former Rep. Eric Massa sexually harassed male employees. House Republican Leader John Boehner (BAY'-nur) attempted to order the House ethics committee to investigate and ...

In an election-year appeal to voters frustrated with Washington, House Republicans promised Thursday not to stuff any of this year's spending bills with pet projects for their districts. The promise comes the day after Democrats banned earmarks to for-profit companies, ending a practice that in many cases created a ...

A conservative group's bashing of several Obama administration lawyers as the "al-Qaida Seven" has struck a nerve in the U.S. legal community, prompting even some fellow Republicans to denounce the group's attack. In a video ad circulated over the Internet, the group called Keep ...