U.S. House Archives - The Virginia Star

Tim Walz Once Received ‘A’ Grade from NRA — Then He Shot Left

August 8, 2024 Virginia Star Staff

Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, was once a champion of Second Amendment rights during his time in the U.S. House, but he quickly abandoned his policy position during his campaign for governor.

Walz represented Minnesota’s 1st district in the House from 2007 to 2018, earning ‘A’ ratings and donations from the National Rifle Association (NRA), according to Forbes. During his 2018 gubernatorial campaign, he began shifting his policy on guns, and when he became governor in 2019, he passed several gun control measures in Minnesota, receiving an ‘F’ rating from the NRA during his campaign as a result, according to The New York Times.

Houses Passes Bill to Protect Domestic Oil Production, Protect Iñupiat Community

May 5, 2024 The Center Square

The U.S. House passed another a bill to advance domestic energy production, this time in response to cries for help from an indigenous community living in the Alaska North Slope.

The bill’s cosponsor, a Democrat from Alaska, did not vote for her own bill. It passed with the support of five Democrats, including two from Texas who are strong supporters of the U.S. oil and natural gas industry.

U.S. House Adjourns Without Electing New Speaker

January 3, 2023 The Center Square

California Republican Kevin McCarthy failed Tuesday to get enough support in the first three votes as his bid for Speaker of the House struggles to cross the finish line.

The U.S. House adjourned with no debate after the third vote and is scheduled to reconvene at noon Wednesday. Until a new speaker is elected, the House cannot conduct other business.

U.S. House Passes Bill Calling for Referendum on Puerto Rico’s Political Status

December 17, 2022December 16, 2022 ADN America

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill allowing a referendum in Puerto Rico to decide the future of the territory.

The referendum would allow Puerto Rican voters to choose between three options: becoming an independent nation, becoming a state, or becoming a sovereignty with a formal U.S. association. The options do not include Puerto Rico’s current status as a territory.

House Passes Bill Protecting Same-Sex Marriage

December 9, 2022December 8, 2022 The Center Square

The U.S. House voted Thursday to pass a bill codifying protections for same-sex marriages.

The vote was 258-169 as nearly 40 Republicans sided with the bill, which has already passed the Senate and will soon head to the desk of President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign the legislation into law.

U.S. Senate Joins House in Enacting Rail Contracts to Avert Strike

December 2, 2022December 1, 2022 The Center Square

The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed legislation to avert a nationwide railroad workers’ strike, but an Illinois congressman says the government should not be negotiating private sector labor deals.

The legislation, which was approved by the U.S. House on Wednesday, enacts new contracts providing railroad workers with 24% pay increases over five years, immediate payouts averaging $11,000, and an extra day off.

Mitch McConnell Backs Electoral Count Reform Bill Ted Cruz Warns All Republicans to Oppose

September 29, 2022September 28, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced Tuesday he will back legislation that intends to make it more difficult in the future to object to the results of presidential elections.

The Electoral Count Act and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022, a bill sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and supported by other liberal-moderate Republicans, was dismissed, nevertheless, by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who said it is based on Democrats’ belief voter fraud “helps elect more Democrats.”

Deep-Blue Washington State Contains Possible GOP U.S. House Seat Pickup

March 22, 2022March 22, 2022 Aaron Gulbransen

Deep blue Washington State contains a U.S. House district that is being targeted for Republican pickup.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has announced that it is targeting Washington’s 8th Congressional District, which is currently represented by Democrat incumbent U.S. Representative Kim Schrier.

Senate Passes Bill to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

March 16, 2022March 15, 2022 Virginia Star Staff

A bill to make daylight saving time permanent heads to the U.S. House after unanimously passing the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), introduced the Sunshine Protection Act with 17 bipartisan cosponsors.

Pressure from Lawmakers Grows As IRS Begins New Tax Season with ‘Continued Confusion’

March 15, 2022March 15, 2022 The Center Square

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are pressuring the Internal Revenue Service over ongoing problems and unaddressed issues from last year’s filing season even as this year’s season is in full swing.

A bipartisan group of more than 100 lawmakers from the U.S. House and Senate sent a letter to the IRS raising concerns about “continued confusion” and “numerous problems” with the agency.

House Passes Two Immigration Bills as Border Crisis Intensifies

March 20, 2021March 19, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The House passed two separate immigration bills Thursday evening, marking the first time the 117th Congress has voted on the issue under President Joe Biden.

The pair of bills are the first immigration proposals to be voted on since a surge of migrants reached the southern border, resulting in heightened scrutiny on the Biden administration over its handling of what Republicans have labeled a serious crisis.

The House first passed H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (ADPA), with nine Republicans voting with Democrats in favor of the bill. The act would provide a pathway to citizenship for so-called “Dreamers” who were brought to the United States as young children, as well as for Temporary Protected Status recipients and Deferred Enforced Departure beneficiaries. The legislation, sponsored by California Democratic Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, could give over 4.4 million people a path to permanent status, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

Survey: Majority of Freelance Writers Worry PRO Act Will Harm Their Earning Potential

March 15, 2021March 14, 2021 The Center Square

The PRO Act, which passed the U.S. House Tuesday on a largely partisan vote, could eliminate most forms of independent contracting, gig work and freelancing – potentially impacting as many as 59 million freelance workers who represent 36 percent of the total U.S. workforce.

In 2020, the freelance community accounted for $1.2 trillion in earnings, according to a report published by UpWork.

Biden to Direct States to Make All U.S. Adults Eligible for COVID Vaccine by May 1

March 13, 2021March 12, 2021 The Center Square

President Joe Biden said Thursday night that he is directing U.S. states to open COVID-19 vaccinations to all American adults by May 1 in an effort to more quickly reopen the country and prop up the staggering U.S. economy.

“To do this we’re going to go from a million shots a day … to 2 million shots a day,” he said.

In most U.S. states currently, only older Americans, front-line workers and those with pre-existing conditions are eligible, though getting scheduled for a first dose has been problematic in many states even for the most at-risk.

U.S. House Passes Controversial $1.9 Trillion Relief Bill, Sending Measure to Biden

March 11, 2021March 10, 2021 The Center Square

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday ratified changes the Senate made to a massive $1.9 trillion relief package that critics say contains hundreds of billions of dollars in wasteful spending unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the 220-211 vote, almost exclusively along party lines, the measure now goes to President Joe Biden, who said he will sign it. One Democrat – U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, who also voted against the initial bill – voted against the measure Wednesday. No Republicans voted for it.

U.S. House Passes ‘Equality Act’ Which Religious Conservatives Say Is ‘Conscience-Crushing’

March 1, 2021February 28, 2021 Virginia Star Staff

The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed the “Equality Act” — a piece of legislation that critics say poses a threat to Christian universities.

The Equality Act seeks to “prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation” by providing the “full range of remedies available under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

Incumbent Democrat Rep. Elaine Luria Defends Seat Against Republican Scott Taylor

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 Corinne Murdock

Incumbent Elaine Luria (D-VA-02) retained her seat in a battle against Republican candidate Scott Taylor that was similar to 2018.

In the first hour after polls closed, Taylor started out with a 23 point lead in the 17 percent of votes reported. From there on out, Taylor’s lead dwindled. Two hours after polls closed, Taylor was up by 18 points with 36 percent of the votes reported. An hour later, Taylor dropped to lead Luria by 10 points with 48 percent of votes. By 1 in the morning, Luria made her first gain ahead of Taylor, leading by 3 points with 85 percent of the vote.

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows Endorses Jimmy Matlock in 2nd Congressional District Race

June 28, 2018June 27, 2018 Laura Baigert

Candidate for U.S. House District 2 Jimmy Matlock announced Wednesday that he has earned the endorsement of the current House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows. Matlock is in a heated race for the 2nd Congressional District seat which has been represented by a member of the Duncan family for over…